Valtkos Kiralyno
Valtkos Kiralyno is a hill dwarf kingdom in the Kira Hills north of the Jakonian Peninsula. To the west it borders the Kingdom of Columba, and to the east it shares a border with the Jakonian Empire and the Free City of Augustin, with the San Jon River marking the edge. In the north there is the free settlement of Hilliard, and the barren expanse of the Badlands. The Kiralyno dwarves are well known as stalwart and orderly, and Kiralyno regiments have been known throughout history as some of the finest warriors in Emicara.
Structure
Valtkos Kiralyno is ruled directly by a King, although the term more literally in dwarvish is "Head Overseer." The king selects agents and commanders to lead the various branches of government, and there is a rigid hierarchy when it comes to obeying orders. Every business or organization within Kiralyno itself eventually all comes back to the King. There is very little competition between businesses, and every dwarf in the kingdom knows their duty and place within the realm. Some private enterprise is allowed within the surface town of Atkeles, mostly trading offices and banks owned by humans and dwarves. Otherwise, all elements of Kiralyno's society are directed from the king downward.
Outside of the main command structure, order is preserved in dwarven society by two organization: the Gathering, and Judgement Hall. The Gathering is what is a general meeting of any dwarf who chooses to participate in Kiralyno. They are responsible for passage of laws by vote or acclaim, and any dwarf is welcome to present a law at the Gathering. Due to this, Gatherings are known to take days or even weeks at a time, and only take place every four years. The Judgement Hall is where groups of dwarves selected by lottery each year will determine guilt and punishment for those accused of crimes by the guards.
History
The Kiralyno dwarves, like their Apps brethren, sealed the doors to their citadel due to rising oppression within the Nameless Empire. Unlike the others, however, they soon reopened their doors, and attempted to live covertly among the cities of the Empire. They were reasonably successful, but still found themselves being recruited into the Empire's conflicts. Kiralyno warriors found themselves in strange and foreign lands, fighting other nations for the glory of the Nameless Empire. The dwarves saw the end nearing, however, and after nearly three hundred years of remaining open, they closed their door once again, just before the end game.
Kiralyno remained sealed for decades after the collapse, much longer than the mountain dwarves. They watched and waited to see what powers would emerge in the new land. In 68, they finally reopened their doors, encouraged by the peace and prosperity of places like the Nasite Kingdom and the rising power in Columba. They sought to carve out a new name for themselves, this time without any masters or rule. A trading settlement was opened well away from the concealed door of Kiralyno, called Atkeles, along the San Jon River. From here, they traded with their new neighbors and it seemed that everything would be fine and dwarves would gain the respect they deserved. The destruction of the Nasites in 98 changed everything. The Kiralyno dwarves fortified Atkeles and prepared themselves for a brutal conflict with the Jakonians, even as they helped the Nasite royal family escape.
The dwarves and the Jakonians had several skirmishes along the San Jon River, but the Jakonians were never able to launch a full offensive in their direction. Close ties with the Kingdom of Columba seemed to keep the Jakonians at bay, holding them back from attack. Unfortunately, the Columbans were just as much of a target as Kiralyno was, and after decades of escalating warfare, Columba collapsed in 150. The dwarves were on their own. They were not powerless, however, and the Hill War of 152 - 153 demonstrated the strength of arms and capabilities of the dwarves, but came with heavy losses. Atkeles was burned and the Jakonians scoured the hills, looking for the hidden dwarf city, with no success. The two powers made peace, but the writing was on the wall.
It was clear that the Jakonians possessed far great abilities to recover from bloody battles than the dwarves, and their armies were well armed. The dwarves realized that eventually they would be overwhelmed, and in 159, the Treaty of Atkeles was signed, and the dwarves became a subordinate province of the new Empire. The longbeards of the dwarves realized, that the treaty was still overall better than the treatment they had received under the Nameless Empire. The dwarves became some of the most loyal and reliable subjects of the empire. Dwarven regiments would serve in every major Jakonian campaign, often with distinction and valor respected heavily by their human comrades.
As the Jakonian Empire reached its height, the dwarves started facing new oppression, mostly from their adherence to the pantheon of their ancestors. The Church of the One Sun had begun roundly condemning nonhumans as abominations, and the dwarves sought a way to avoid the worst of this. The answer was in the Church of St. Keshush, which worshiped the One Sun, but was more free in their faith. The mass conversion took place in 523, as the dwarves attempted to work their way into greater positions of society. They continued to be loyal soldiers for the empire, although they were granted more autonomy in command and recruitment following the disaster of the Battle of Conecuh Lake.
The loyalty of the dwarves was unchallenged until 944, when the Northern Rebellion began. The Jakonians were beset by a rebellion of nearly all of their northern provinces. The dwarves were called upon once again to assist the empire. This time, however, the dwarves met in the chambers of the King and were wracked with indecision. Some argued that the oaths to the emperors were paramount, others believed that this was an opportunity for the dwarven people to once again decide their own fates, with dreams of independence. The end result was the dwarves declaring neutrality in the conflict, believing it to be a solely human affair. However, dwarven regiments were allowed to pledge allegiance to one side or the other independently, and while some did march to serve the emperor, the majority of those who chose to fight, joined the rebels.
Kiralyno found itself rewarded for its actions with independence, as the war came to its end. The treaty forced the Emperor to recognize the Kingdom of Kiralyno as an independent nation, and the dwarves once more found themselves free to make their own decisions. Following the war, the dwarves have once more begun trading, but their greatest asset has been the experience of their military forces. Their regiments are offered as mercenaries into nearly any conflict, bringing a constant stream of gold and glory into the young nation.
Demography and Population
Valtkos Kiralyno is predominantly hill dwarves, and the capital is restricted to dwarves only, beyond the embassies of other nations. Outside of Kiralyno itself, there is actually a racially diverse group of residents, consisting of those who don't mind being under the rule of the dwarves. This includes human farmers and settlers, high elf traders and bankers in Atkeles, and even small enclaves of halflings and gnomes. The majority of the humans who live in Kiralyno's lands are Columban or Nasite, with only a handful of Jakonian traders residing in Atkeles.
Military
The military of Valtkos Kiralyno is dividing into over fifty different regiments of different sizes and specialties. Each regiment is different in size, but follows similar tactics and methods of organization. Technically, every Kiralyno regiment is a free entity of its own, and some are known to cooperate with each other in training and war games, which are time honored traditions in the kingdom. The regiments are constantly competing for recognition and glory, to show off their standards of battle and abilities in combat. Every regiment has a lengthy history of the battles in which they have fought and the honors they have won. The King of Kiralyno has the right to summon the regiments to form a Grand Army in times of crisis, but during peace time they are free to find employment anywhere else. Around ten to fifteen regiments are maintained as a constant guard for Kiralyno and Atkeles, but these positions are regularly rotated among the total formations.
Technological Level
The dwarves are rarely the innovators towards new technology, but they have always been known for their ability to refine new designs. Many of the siege weapons they have produced in bulk were invented by humans and the dwarves simply created them to work properly or with greater efficiency. Therefore, while the dwarves always seem like they may be a step or two behind in terms of technology, typically they are just busy adapting new technologies to a better level quality than exist elsewhere.
Religion
The Church of Keshush is maintained as the largest religious denomination, and most dwarves follow it with the tenacity and loyalty one would expect. Outside of the dwarven population, the religious practices are more diverse. The humans in the kingdom typically either follow the Church of Keshush or the Church of the One Sun, but usually in more moderate extent than elsewhere on the peninsula. Followers of the Church of the One Sun are viewed with utmost suspicion by the dwarven rulers, so it can be difficult to practice the faith openly. Polytheistic worshipers are allowed in the kingdom, and a handful of dwarves have stubbornly maintained their beliefs in the old pantheons, but their numbers have dwindled, and today there are less than a dozen in the entire kingdom.
Foreign Relations
The most important relationships for Valtkos Kiralyno are those that they trade with. There are three important trade routes for Kiralyno: the Badlands Caravans, the San Jon River, and the Kustebahn through the Kingdom of Columba. The Kingdom of Columba is of these, Kiralyno's closest ally, having worked together somewhat during the Northern Rebellion. Both states recognize the threat of a possibly resurgent Jakonia, and support the ongoing instability in the Nasite lands. The Kira Accord between Columba and Kiralyno marks the oldest treaty-based alliance in Emicara, and relationship between the humans of Columba and dwarves of Kiralyno is perhaps one of the closest there is.
Surrounding free communities are equally important to Valtkos Kiralyno. The Free City of Augustin controls access to the Endless Ocean at the mouth of the San Jon River, and relations are occasionally strained between the two states. The Augustins have a stranglehold on this trade, often raising tariffs on Kiralyno substantially, whenever they wish to extort concessions. The dwarves have thus refused to provide any mercenary regiments to Augustin, and relations regularly deteriorate as far as to piracy along the river between the two groups. Neither side has the appetite for a true war, but the tensions remain high. Meanwhile, the free towns of the Badlands are all important trading partners with Kiralyno, and the dwarves regularly cooperate with them to secure the caravan routes from orc raids. There have been occasional thoughts of attempting to annex the region, but concerns of the Mersan Union or Kingdom of Recfrere reactions have prevented such a move, as with the institutional memory of Jakonia lengthy and disastrous campaign to attempt the same.
The relationship between Jakonia and Valtkos Kiralyno remains a cool one, as the Jakonians suspect the dwarves of aiding the Nasite rebels in their quest for independence. This is of course completely true, and much of the space on the ferry between Atkeles and Satsuma is taken up by illicit weapons shipments. The hill dwarves have at the minimum agreed to embargo any Nasites from use of mercenary regiments or training officers, which limits their support to material support only. All the powers that be in the region are well aware that should the Nasites launch a serious uprising, the dwarves would likely be right there beside them.
Agriculture & Industry
Dwarves have never been well known for their agriculture, and while they do maintain some limited mushroom farms and ranches in the depths of Kiralyno, for the most part they rely on the works on human farmers in their land. Most of the agriculture in Kiralyno is self-subsistence only, with little room for exports. The industry of the dwarves on the other hand, is something to behold.
During the peak of the Jakonian Empire, the dwarves of Kiralyno were the masters of mass production of weapons and armor for the Empire. The finest of the equipment was made in the forges of the depths of Kiralyno and sent out to all of the garrisons and armories that required them. The forges remain in production, although they produce less than half of the same capacity they had when the Empire was in bloom. Some of the old forges were closed, but most were reshaped for the production of hand tools and other steel equipment. They produce most of the steel they need for the effort locally, but with the growth in civilian demand and instability abroad, the dwarves have been needing to import more and more iron ore of their own from Bamard and the Mersan Union.
Trade & Transport
The primary trading route connecting Valtkos Kiralyno to the world is indubitably the San Jon River. The sheer amount of trade on the river far exceeds that of other routes. Many of the ships on the river are owned both by the dwarves and human nations, but it is dominated by the Free City of Augustin. Outside of the shipping lane, the dwarves rely on a few roads built during the days of the Jakonian Empire. The regiments occasionally busy themselves in the repair of these roads, but for the most part, they are not patrolled and only used by caravans heading off to distant places.
Education
All dwarves receive a basic education, as military service is compulsory, although they may choose which regiment to serve within. Every dwarf is trained to the point of literacy, and offered full time positions in the regiments, although most turn the opportunity down. The regiments offer ample specialty training, for blacksmiths and scholars alike, as bookkeepers and repair workers are needed in the military circles as much as soldiers. Non-dwarves in Kiralyno lack these opportunities as they are barred from serving in the regiments. For these individuals, they must either hire an independent tutor or send their children abroad for an education, and it is no shock that the majority of human farmers in Kiralyno are illiterate.
Infrastructure
The harbor of Atkeles is one of the proudest works of infrastructure ever made by the dwarves. The San Jon River was expanded and slightly redirected to create this artificial harbor, surrounded by barriers of stone. The harbor was created to house the ships of both the dwarves and the myriad traders seeking arrangements with Kiralyno regiments or markets. It features large cranes and docks designed to rapidly unload and reload ships of all sizes and shapes. This is the furthest port up the San Jons river that can actually maintain and supply the largest of warships and merchant vessels, and it was used as a safe port by the Jakonians during the height of their empire.
The city of Kiralyno itself also possess the great Forge Halls, a system of massive chambers and halls designed expressly for the mass production and shaping of steel. The chambers echo constantly with the clash of hammer on steel, creating the weapons and armor needed for the regiments and other customers. The Forge Halls are heated by means unknown, but were allegedly created by the first dwarves of the halls, using the bowels of the earth to power them with energy.
With Axes Under Hills
Founding Date
Sunpeak 29, 947
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Kiralynan
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Currency
Copper/silver/gold
Major Exports
Steel goods, weapons, mercenary regiments
Major Imports
Iron ore, foodstuffs
Legislative Body
The Gathering
Judicial Body
Judgement Hall
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments