Jyn Urndlikr (Gin Urn-d-kur)

Capital: Orhim
Languages: Ilhar, Tor, Burgh
The nation of Duragle was one of significance to the old world both in both the political and military arenas. This nation was formed by war, suspicion, and greed, aspects of the nation that ultimate would be Duragle's downfall. Duragle was cursed by a man that had come to provide aid to the dwarves in removing a dragon that was terrorizing the dwarven people. A dwarven tracker was sent to aid this man, and on the day that the man defeated the dragon the tracker that accompanied the dragon slayer was killed. The people of Duragle blamed their savior for the death of the dwarven tracker and put the slayer to death. With a whisper the man uttered a curse that would damn the dead of the city of Orhim to rise once more and devour all that stood before them.
The Duragle people stood fast in the face of this curse for many generations until the day that the dragon that was slain by that very dragon slayer stood from its grave. This dracolich broke the dwarven lines and demolish all that remained of the city. The people of Durgale fled the city of Orhim except for a small few that would stand and fight the dracolich. These brave warriors fell that day, but were able to seal the entrance to the city of Orhim and trapped the undead within the stone walls for all time.
The displaced dwarves would spend several years scattered across the lands to the west and east of Falandas in search of a new home. During this time the last Thane of Duragle, Umduhr "Steelhammer" Branryl would quietly gather those loyal to him and complete a pilgrimage across the Arcane Mountains. Fortune would smile on the Thane on the day of The Ethereal Convocation when the ogres of Groph would invade Naliph. Thane Umduhr would take advantage of this and form an alliance with the Ogres in exchange for several silver mines that were under Naliph control at the time. Once the Thane was able to secure this deal he gathered his forces and invaded these mines on the first days of Moorna. The dwarven people would reform these mines into the city of Orhim.
When Orikan ascended to the pantheon of the world and the Sea of Glass was formed the dwarven people gave praise to Monde for sparing them. With furious speed and skill the city of Orhim would rapidly spread across the the Arcane Mountains and return the dwarves to a power of prominence in the known world. From this new found foothold Than Umduhr came the decision that the nation would be know from that day forth as Jyn Urndlikr (New Home).

Demography and Population

Population: 750,000 (55% Dwarf, 15% Ogre, 5% Goblinoid, 5% Human, 10% Underdark Races, 10% Other)
Life in Jyn Urndlikr varies for those that live above the surface and for those below. Spread across the surface of the Arcane Mountains numerous farmsteads formed where dwarven shepherds tend to their flocks. A number of small villages similar in design to Alivaran architecture would form around these farms and have become welcome havens for travelers. In these communities the dwarven life was simpler as life was dedicated to working the land, supporting your neighbors, and spending free time sharing stories around a fire with a cold beer.
Below the Arcane Mountains life is more structured. Tradition plays heavily into the day to day lives of the people of Orhim. Each morning a dwarven family begins their day with a prayer to Monde before heading off to a day of work. At the end of each night the families share a beer and tell the tales of their day. During the working day prayers are whispered to the various gods applicable to the moment. The volume of traditions from the dwarven people can be overwhelming for outsiders.

Territories

Than Umduhr is nothing if not cunning.  When the War of Ascension came to an abrupt end and the blast of arcane energy formed the Sea of Glass the Thane took immediate action to claim the land that once was Naliph and Groph.  This spread the territory of Jyn Urndlikr from the central range of the Arcane Mountains to the eastern shores of the Tasli Ocean, and from the edge of the Eastern Badlands of Alivara in the north to the boarders of Einsaung Nat in the south.  Despite having this wide range of land available to them only a small portion of the territory within the Arcane Mountains can sustain life.  The Sea of Glass was once the largest desert in the known world, but now it consists of thousands of miles of pink glass that formed in an instant.  Arcane storms have blown over the desert that is now the Sea of Glass for centuries that now sweep up grains of fine glass that has come loose over the years.  These deadly storms have taken the lives of several persons that were unfortunate enough to be caught in them.
Beneath the Arcane Mountains the dwarven people have dug the tunnels that make up the city of Orhim.  As the Jyn Urndlikr dug deeper and deeper into the mountains the city grew at a rapid rate before eventually breaking through to the underground tunnels known as the Underdark.  These tunnels had been dug centuries before the Jyn Urndlikr people reached that point and has brought about a new level of discovery and exploration that the dwarven people had not known previously.

Military

On the day that Orikan ascended to the pantheon there was a massive blast of arcane energy that ripped across the desert, turning the sand to glass, and killing all that were unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast.  This included over half of the dwarven foot soldiers that had been dispatched to fight in the War of Ascension.  The Jyn Urndlikr people have struggled to replace their soldiers in the years since the war as the dwarven people are now torn between supporting their Thane or moving to a new body of government.  Those that do join the ranks of the military primarily patrol the city of Orhim and the surface area of the Arcane Mountains to protect the Jyn Urndlikr from potential dangers.

Religion

Religion takes a significant role in the lives of the people of Jyn Urndlikr and it is rare for any persons that live in the nation not to worship in some capacity.  Primarily the people worship Monde as was established when the first church was established by Probst Fasin generations ago.  The worship of Monde is interwoven into the daily lives of the people as they pray over their food, work, productions, and more.  Throughout the city of Orhim churches dedicated to Cyril were formed from which the people of Jyn Urndlikr worked with the priests to develop a fair and even justice system.  The dwarven people have recently take to worshiping Ilys as the people have looked to expand themselves culturally in the world.  Though these churches are small they are also the fastest growing churches in the nation as the youth of Jyn Urndlikr flock to them.

Foreign Relations

Jyn Urndlikr has established a strong relationship with the nation of Groph, having established embassies in each of the floating cities of the Groph nation while also allowing for a Groph embassy to be established in Orhim.  Than Umduhr also took advantage of the discovery of the Underdark tunnels beneth the city of Orhim and established a strong relationship with the Cavern Elves.  These relationships have been the only special relationships that the dwarven people were able to form, however.  Due to the actions of Jyn Urndlikr due the War of Ascension the nations of Cultrius and Einsaung Nat established trade embargoes to prevent the importation of goods from Jyn Urndlikr.  The Alivaran people have a tenuous relationship with Jyn Urndlikr at best due to the actions of Jyn Urndlikr during the War of Ascension.

Agriculture & Industry

For centuries the people of Duragle were known for their mastery of stonework, a tradition that has continued in Jyn Urndlikr.  From the silver mines that house the city of Orhim the people of Jyn Urndlikr harvest limestone, marble, and granite which is used in the construction of structures within the city as well as being exported to their neighboring nations.  Artisans of Jyn Urndlikr use a combination of the stones and the silver that is mined to create works of art that are sought the world over by the rich and powerful.
Ore that is found in the caverns is smelted into metals that are forged into weapons, armors, and building materials that are purchased by many of the merchants of the surrounding nations.  Several of these buyers do so through black market channels due to the strained relations of the Jyn Urndlikr people and other nations.  It is not uncommon for the merchants to send buyers on their behalf due to the inherent risk of arrest and imprisonment associated with violating trade embargos.
On the surface the people of Jyn Urndlikr tend to sheep farms and harvest the wool to make warm weather clothing that is sold to travelers crossing through the mountain range.  Lumbar mills have also been constructed along the edges of the pine forests that populate the mountain range.  The lumbar that is taken in from these mills supplies the people of Jyn Urndlikr both on the surface and within the city of Orhim.  Excess lumbar is sold to their neighboring nations when possible as it has proven more difficult trade their lumber product on the black market.

Important Locations:

ORHIM

SETTLEMENT 18

LE

METROPOLIS

Dwarf

Mountain

The new capital of the dwarven nation built underneath the Arcane Mountains.
Government Thane Umduhr (Monarchy)
Population 4,364,383 (Dwarf 4,015,232, Human 87,282, Half-Elf 41,871, Hobgoblin 41,869, Kobold 39,406, Halfling 39,279, Gnome 37,975, Hobgoblin 28,555, Orc 32,909)
Languages Tor, Farix, Irtati, Urgani

Religions Monde, Cyril, Ilys
Prohibited Religions Soleil, Nuit, Orikan
Threats Overpopulation brought on by the housing of numerous refugees cast out of their homes since the War of Ascension.
Hunter and Staff Inn An elegant inn built around a hewn stone impaled by a sword based on the owner’s favorite children’s tale. Staying at this inn doubles the hit points gained from a night’s rest.
Bohda’s Folly A tower of crystal stands upon a rise in the center of the city. The tower was named after a man who entered the tower centuries ago and never was seen again.
Trade Center Many trade roads make their way through Orhim and have transformed the city into a major hub for merchants from across Forterre. PC’s can sell their wares to the merchants here at 75% the value of the item instead of the usual 50%.

Thane Umduhr (NG male dwarf royal) Current thane of the dwarven people.
Shalara Tallseeker (CG female dwarf noble) Head of the Tallseeker family and stout supporter of Thane Umduhr.
Duralin Stoneforge (NE male dwarf noble) Head of the Stoneforge family and most vocal objector to Thane Umdhur’s rule.
Fasin Steelhammer (NG male dwarf cleric) High priest of the church of Monde.

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Currency

Jyn Urndlikr coin is referred to as the Zana (Stone)

Major Exports

Wool, Lumbar, Metals, Stone

Major Imports

Fruits, Vegetables, Hops, Liquor

Legislative Body

For centuries the monarchy ruled over the nation of Duragle until the day that the royal line was broken with the crowning of Seth Orvantillious, the first non-dwarven figure to sit on the throne. Though his reign was short, Seth leadership sent a rift through dwarven politics that is still felt to this day as tension rises between those that favor the return of the royal line to the throne, and those that wish to abolish the monarchy entirely.
Currently the royal family holds a tenuous grip over the throne with Thane Umduhr Stoneforge The First struggling to maintain control of the nation. Many prominent figures have taken the Thanes side in support as a result of the success that Thane Umduhr found in locating land and establishing a new home for his people. Those that support the Thane and his position in power have also moved to promoting the Thane to the common man with the intention of strengthening the rulers hold on the nation.
On the other side of the turmoil stands Sverting Stoneforge, father of the Free People movement and the most vocal opposition to the return of the royal bloodlines control of the nation. During the War of Ascension Thane Umduhr aligned himself with Groph and struck out against Naliph, capturing the silver mine that would become Orhim. During the battle the Thane ordered the strongest men of each family sent to aid in the battles, but Sverting stood fast and refused to support the war effort and declared the attack on the Naliph miners a betrayal of all things the Duragle people believed in.
This act of defiance has led to descension in the streets as vigilantes strike out against those loyal to the Thane, and the various political figures argue in the courts over what form of government should rule over the people. Sverting has argued heavily in favor of a democratic system that elects their people, while Thane Umduhr has made it clear that he wishes the monarchy to remain in power. The tension in the streets has resulted in many brawls in taverns and court rooms across Orhim, and has prevented Thane Umduhr from having Sverting and his family arrested on charges of treason less the Thane risk a civil war.

Neighboring Nations

• Alivara
• Einsaung Nat
• Munasarja