Kingdom of Rasmussen
Tashkar Ironhelm Craghs’Balarn Gors’Rasmussen was the youngest and most thoroughly decorated of Rarsan’s Ger-Cahars. His subordinates genuinely respected their Ger-Cahar, but his inexperience had cost the Dwarves much needed victories during the Brimstone Wars. Rarsand new that even if Tashkar was accepted by the other Ger-Cahars as Ger-Ricar, his inexperience or naivete would lead the Dwarves to ruin. If only Tashkar was born 50 years earlier.
When Rarsand declared each of the War Captains unfit to succeed him, Tashkar really took it to heart. He saw how each of the Ger-Cahars was wrong for the Darsundim, but he could not envision asking his fellow dwarves to kill each other on his behalf, either. He discussed his concerns with his uncle and most trusted lieutenant Cael Cras’Oraninn Gors’Rassmussen, who wryly asked Tashkar, “What if there was some sort of trial to determine who ought to be king?”
Tashkar knew what he had to do. As the other Ger-Cahars consolidated their power, Tashkar called for all Dwarves to come to the defense of the Anvil Throne. He declared himself the “Steward of the Anvil” and decreed that so long as he guards the throne, the Kingdom of the Rasmussen would be dedicated to the restoration of the Darsundum before the Brimstone Wars. Tashkar’s call was heeded by may, and the Rusmussen kingdom is the second largest in the Crag’Scimtar.
Government
No one dwarf rules over the Kingdom of Rasmussen, not even the Ger-Shahar and Steward of the Anvil, Tashkar. He instead sits at its side while it stands empty of the true Darsus-Hecor, and chairs the council composed primarily of Rasmussen’s clan elders. The gathering, dubbed the Council of the Erudite, has no formal mandate, predetermined number or composition. The only hard rule is Tashkar’s decree that no soldier may take part. It is seen by Tashkar and most of the members as a transitional body between the rule of Rarsand and the return of a true King.
A series of ministries have been established to ensure the fair distribution of power and delegation of responsibilities. Some of the major ministries have direct representatives on the council, others must rely on their relationships with more influential ministers or noble families to push their agendas in council. The ministries also have authority over the Marshals of the Legion, who are a peacekeeping force within Rasmussen that also serves as an auxiliary for the Diamond Legion.
Ministries vary in size, scope and power. Some serve obvious a vital functions within the kingdom. The ministry of justice oversees civilian criminal trials and sits in arbitration over legal disputes. The ministry of land usage sets civilian borders, and oversees the granting of lands or titles. The ministry of education ensures the integrity of the arcane and mundane colleges. The ministry of marks and symbols catalogues official house symbology and crafts house seals. Of the vast array of ministries, the two most powerful are the Ministry of History and the Ministry of Commerce.
The Ministry of History has a number of arcane necromancers and oracles, who are responsible for transitioning Rasmussen into a nation that “fits within the vision of the ancestors.” They also acquire, archive and disseminate information. Typically it is on matters of historical relevance to the Dwarven people, but the Rasmussen archives, the Hael y’Rreg, are among the more impressive repositories of knowledge in the Eastern world.
The Ministry of Commerce is a collection of merchants and guildsmen who have to ensure that goods and coin can flow freely around the kingdom. They are also responsible for ensuring that the services and goods sold under their aegis meet the standard of the ancestors, and to punish those who would make unsanctioned or “counterfeit” goods.
The army of Rasmussen, having renamed itself the Rach’stahl or Stone Sentinel, stand and defend the kingdom’s borders. Tashkar has been steadfast in his intention to remain within and defend the borders that he has established, and will not needlessly throw dwarven lives into an active civil war. Some among his Ger-Ricar argue that the fight needs to be taken to the “traitor kingdoms,” but none have seen fit to air this grievance openly.
Thal’Duchar, scholars of the Duchar church, work to reconcile the theology of the god of strength and war, with the traditions and teachings of the pre-Brimstone War Kingdom. None will openly call for a return to the veneration in Inkarha, who has been cast as a villainous figure in Duchari dogma for centuries, but subtle changes to the scriptures and official interpretation have been made to ease the teachings into a direction more in line with pre-war values.
Foreign Relations
Rassmussen have been recent entrants on the world stage. Unlike the other Kingdoms, the Rassmussen and the Ministry of Diplomatic Engagement didn’t reach out to the wider world as a means of bolstering their position in the Dwarven Civil War. There is a genuine desire to bring the Dwarven Kingdom into the world community. That dedication to global community has endeared the Rasmussen to the Dayrins. The same is true of the Aldarwa. The openness of the Hael y’Rreg and Rassmussen’s respect for learning has earned the respect of the normally insular Shi’ruul, as well as the notoriously disdainful Tyrennhian Imperium and the Atvar Confederacy. The Varyag’s efforts of finding and preserving lost knowledge have earned the Rassmussen’s respect. It’s not uncommon to see and Archivist of Hael y’Rreg onboard of Varyag ship headed to the edges of the world. Rassmussen are less friendly towards to the Karrak and the Polimon. The former being a barely literate group of ruffians and hicks. The Polimon remind the Rassmussen too much of the Thrumsul: A people so swept up in their own religious zeal that they see any who are not fanatical as wicked. That desire to demonize others, even their own people, disgusts the Rassmussen. Most dwarves have a respect for Orcs, their constant life of war, giving their lives to feed their kin. The Rassmussen see them more with pity and apprehension. They are a vision of the future that awaits the dwarves if they continue to blindly follow the dogma of Duchar as seen by the likes of Sakmarang or Tezrak or the other pretender kings.
- Government: Epistocracy. The Steward of the Anvil rules with the guidance of the Council of the Erudite.
- Terrain: [Text Pending]
- Area: ????
- Capital: Starnhald Rasmussen
- Other major settlements:
- Starnhald Oranin (??,???)
- Religion: Duchar
- Imports: [Text Pending]
- Exports: [Text Pending]
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