Krem
Krem is the country of dwarves, a practical, hardworking people. Their land is largely mountainous, but it is not without variation: deserts, plains, forests, and tundras dot the country, and the Wild Sea rages to the East. A few dragons make their lairs here, most notably Eckhart, the ancient red dragon. Home to some one-and-a-half million dwarves, Krem has the least racial diversity of any country in Thera.
Justice
As a rule, dwarves are honest, law-abiding folk, but in large enough numbers, any settlement is bound to have enough “bad apples” to cause trouble. In smaller settlements, military and police are nonexistent; the people tend to watch each other, and shunning is the main form of rebuke. Getting past a population of 300 or so, small but organized groups of law enforcement start to form, and in a proper town of 1000 or more, royal military and officially elected law enforcement are present. Even then, these towns are largely peaceful; it is usually only in large cities that trouble truly brews.
Most criminals may choose to forego a trail in exchange for the minimum sentencing. Beyond calculable costs such as property damage, lost wages, or medical bills, no one may sue anyone for more than a year’s salary in affordable payments. If they make at least five times the defendant’s salary, they may not sue beyond calculable costs.
As in most of Thera, mind magic is banned across all of Krem, with many regions outlawing flood magic as well due to its potential dangers. Some cities, such as Esset-Khal, ban magic almost entirely except for military use. Many cities have curfews, and some have laws regarding the distance one must keep between oneself and any military personnel.
There are country-wide and local laws setting maximum prices on staples such as flour, milk, butter, eggs, a yard of linen or cotton, accessibility-related spells and devices, and soap; limiting production or harvesting of low-resource materials; mandating the quality of such products as ale, ground meats, and heavy machinery; governing the treatment of animals, both domestic and wild; and dictating what colors, jewels, and types of fabrics different classes and social statuses may wear. One can fish and hunt freely just about anywhere, so long as it is not on a noble’s land, or is a protected resource.
In general, visitors will not have trouble abiding the laws of Krem. Simply keep your nose clean, and ask a local if there are any unusual laws you should be aware of.
A Traveler's Guide
The simplest way to make friends in any part of Krem is to spend a lot of coin. Stinginess will get you nothing but glares and disregard. A round of beer, a rowdy joke, and a few well-placed compliments will earn you many an ally. Dwarves can even make nice with an elf should their purse strings (and sense of humor) be loose enough.
On entering Krem, the first thing you should think to do, if you intend on going any further than the city you’ve arrived in, is visit a currency conversion station, typically located on the same row as any major passenger dock. Here you can not only exchange your money for dwarven coin, but set up a foreign bank account to house the majority of your funds, accessible from no less than fifteen cities and towns across the country. These accounts are free for regular visitors; merchants, nobles, and anyone banking more than 1000gp pay a small fee.
Money taken care of, a tour of the city’s taverns is the most obvious next step. If you are in Engka, as you most likely are, The Dirty Rat Tavern should be your first stop. As unappealing as it sounds, it houses the finest ale in the city, which is no small compliment. A night’s stay in the Brass Bells Inn – so named for its proximity to Engka’s House – will do you well, and you are guaranteed to wake bright and early to the House’s 7 AM bell. If you should choose to stay elsewhere, do not forget that the constant light from the edge means there will be no significant light difference to tell you when to rise.
A good night’s sleep under your belt, it’s time to set out on your journey through Krem. If it’s the taste of spirits you’re after, your primary destinations should be Enizak, Kragstein, Get'ru, Omut, and especially Taligrun in the central plains. For sightseers, Taligrun still makes the list, and Ozana, Kofli, and Uvadid are musts. If you can obtain an Entrance Permit (and don’t forget the separate Exit Permit), Esset-Khal is a veritable wonderhouse of mechanical ingenuity, while the more easily accessed Drudar boasts golden trinkets and luxurious textiles that even the poorest travelers would be loathe to miss – it costs nothing to look at, after all. But if it’s adventure you seek, head either north to the volcanic wastelands, where everything from kobolds to orcs to ancient dragons roam, or to the abandoned south-east peninsula, where demons and hellspawn have made their way from the Rift, and few explorers have returned.
History
For two hundred years, King Yozri, the Ancient King, ruled Krem with an ever-loosening fist. Once a kind and beloved man, the kingdom first prospered under his rule. In the mines first carved under his grandfather’s reign, lithid crystals grew faster than they could be harvested. Magic became a part of everyday life for even the simplest commoner. In such affluent times, other fields also flourished: blacksmiths forged priceless works of art, and engineers created mechanical wonders to boggle the mind. For a while, the people allowed themselves to believe that King Yozri was untouched by his mother’s and grandfather’s madness.
But time and stress took its toll, and King Yozri’s grip on reality slowly faded. Dwarves are loyal, law-abiding folk, but whispers of dissent could be heard in dark corners and back alleys. As stranger and stranger laws passed, military presence dwindled, and economic recession set in, voices grew bolder.
For many, the final straw was when King Yozri decried his wife as an imposter and banished his only heir, Princess Ruthata, at the tender age of fifteen. Princess Ruthata and her mother fled to Chastoria, where they were granted political asylum. It would take the princess fifty years to garner supporters, infiltrate Esset-Khal, and overthrow her insane father. Some say she killed the former king herself; others say he is kept alive in the deepest dungeons of Esset-Khal.
Trade & Transport
Within Krem itself, raw materials circulate most often, with most towns and cities usually producing their own finished goods. Esset-Khal is the country’s – indeed, the entire world’s – largest producer of lithid crystals, and imports mostly steel and other hard metals, which it uses to forge intricate mechanical creations that impress even other dwarves. The giant metropolis of Drudar mines massive quantities of gold across its three-mountain spread, and takes in almost as much wool, silk, and cotton for the city’s thriving textile business – nobles and gentry across the country seek tapestries and clothing from Drudar as a status symbol.
Kofli, a small and seemingly unnotable river town to the west of Esset-Khal, carefully controls the cutting, replanting, and sale of thrasa trees; it imports very little and is largely self-sufficient. The unusual settlement of Ozana in the Glass Mountains trades pearls, coral, fish, crustaceans, shells, and the rare and unique hara crystals found deep underwater. Arzier is one of the many cities capitalizing on Krem’s internal conflict. It mines iron, imports nickel, manufactures steel, and exports weapons, armor, and war machines.
Currency
Krem has two legally recognized currencies: the so-called Ancient Currency, minted under King Yozri's mother and used across most of the country, and Capital Currency, also known as Queen’s Coins. Capital Currency is used only in Esset-Khal. Some villages – too small to have much legal tender, but too large for a solely trade-based economy – have their own locally made coinage, usually carved of bone or other readily available materials, and completely worthless outside of that exact village.
Cities on the edge of the continent – in particular those with major ports – may circulate foreign currency, but there is no guarantee it will be accepted by all. Wandering merchants are especially hesitant to take another country’s tender, as they cannot spend it wherever their travels take them. However, any city receiving frequent outside visitors and businesspeople will have official currency conversion stations, where travelers in either direction can exchange money at a fair rate.
Imports
Krem imports many alcohol-brewing ingredients from Lirea, and several raw materials from Chastoria such as sapphire, platinum, and various marbles and granites. Nohi fish from the Alstinean Islands are a delicacy, and the zaka fruit from Humera is said to make some of the finest wines – second, of course, to Krem’s native kaang berries.
Exports
As one might expect, Krem’s main export is lithid crystals followed closely by diamonds, rubies, gold, emeralds, silver, and, of course, spirits. However, mechanical works of wonder, from heavy machinery to pocket watches to children’s wind-up toys, make up a not-insignificant portion of the country’s outgoing economy, and the highly sought-after exotic Thrasa Trees can only be found in the valleys of western Krem. Chastoria consumes most of Krem’s precious metals and gems, with Lirea creating the most demand for thrasa lumber, and Humera importing more spirits than any other country.
Education
All dwarves speak Dwarven. In cities and larger towns, Common is also required, and sometimes another language as well. In some rural areas, a regional dialect, almost a language unto itself, is spoken in addition to the Standard Dwarven taught in schools.
Math and engineering are the most celebrated and well-funded subjects. History, once taught openly, is now heavily revised by the Head of Education under Queen Ruthata. Language and the arts receive the least attention, though they are not entirely forgotten.
Towards the end of King Yozri's rule, educational funding declined, and many schools in rural areas were shut down. Queen Ruthata is refunding the education system, but as many villages have not had operational schools for decades, and parents have grown used to their children’s help, there is some resistance. What need, parents argue, does a weaver’s daughter have for geometry? As a compromise, parents can apply to withdraw their child from school after tenth grade, though compelling evidence for such a need is required for approval.
Dwarves typically start school at the age of nine or ten, and continue for eighteen years of primary school. Compared to humans, dwarves learn at a slower pace, but retain information far better – you will find no adult complaining that they no longer remember seventh grade biology. Like all of Thera, extensive accommodations are provided for students with physical, emotional, and learning disabilities. Extended time on tests, aids which read text aloud, flexible class schedules, and audio-recording devices are just a few examples.
Dwarves value hard work and diligence, and this reflects in their schooling system. School starts in mid-January and lasts to mid-December, with few breaks other than a two-week summer break (fall for students in farming areas), festival days, and the one-month winter break. The school day is ten hours long, from 8 AM to 6 PM, with a one-hour break for lunch at noon. Classes are at least five days a week, with school-wide tests held on Saturdays. A student with perfect attendance would be in school 220 days a year, plus test days; 212 are required to pass, though chronically ill students may be counted as present by completing their work at home.
The average class size for primary school students is forty strong, with secondary education regularly surpassing triple digits. Rote memorization is the name of the game, and students receive little individual attention unless it is part of their accommodations. In crowded cities, school buildings tower above the skyline and, in mountain locales, drill into the windowless earth as well.
Capital Currency:
"Ancient" Currency:
- lithid crystals
- diamonds
- rubies
- gold
- emeralds
- silver
- spirits
- mechanical creations
- thrasa lumber
- sapphire
- platinum
- marble
- granite
- nohi fish
- zaka fruit
- other fruits and plants for brewing
