Canebras
The Dwarves of the north are a hardy folk. There was a time when they were part of a vast underground network which spans beneath most of the known world, but when the Marcisian Empire invaded, using their dark magic to control the stout folk, things changed very quickly.
Because only one in fifteen children born are female, dwarven society has been built around its women and the importance of them. While all children are celebrated upon birth, it is seen as a blessing from the Earth Mother if a daughter is born. Traditionally, dwarven women rule. They are the matriarchs of their kingdoms, clans, and the heads of their households. Because of the vast discrepancy in gender population, to maintain peace, polygamy became the norm.
Upon reaching adulthood, men would leave their homes, and devote themselves to earning the right to marry. They might become great artisans, smiths, historians, traders or warriors, and in doing so prove themselves worthy of joining a great clan and marrying a great lady's house.
Because of their rarity, it's difficult for women to justify putting themselves in danger. While they are tough, and are often trained martially, as is tradition in dwarven education, dwarven society is very much focused on the good of the many, and because of that value, dwarven women generally stay within the safety of their family homes. They tend to work in politics, education or religion. Occasionally, they work in trade or science as well. It is the men who do the majority of the labor though. Women who belong to the best families may attract the most amazing husbands.
When the Marcisians took over, the polygamy and matriarchy of the dwarven empire was not appreciated. It did not fit in well with the Marcisian moral code. They believed that marriage is between a man and a woman, so they made polygamy illegal. Men were very quickly displaced from their clan homes, separated from their wives and children. Families everywhere were broken up. It was a very dark time for the dwarves. Dwarven priests and priestesses were killed. Clan names were erased, and matriarchs lost their power. The queen was executed for all to see. A great number of the already rare women were burnt at the stake. From then on, dwarven women became a precious commodity. The Marcisians forced dwarven men to work for them, mining their Guardian Crystals, fighting their wars, building their walls, and as a reward, the most loyal were sometimes assigned a wife who was to serve him and keep his home for him. This was so against dwarven culture that it did not take with most of the people. Very few dwarves were able to accept such dreadful treatment.
When the Gosunni invaded Marceaux, Golaran gathered the rightful rulers of eastern and western Anestor and Utgard relatively easily. The princess of the dwarven empire was bit more difficult. Her family was erased from the histories, and she was put in the home of a Marcisian loyalist as his obedient wife. This would not do. Golaran needed her to rebel. He needed to separate her from her husband. He approached her in secret when her husband was off at work, but he was sent away. The princess did not want any part of his treason, and she said he was lucky that she did not turn him into the authorities.
Golaran thought he had lost his chance, and that the dwarves would not join the revolution, but on his way out of town, he was stopped by a cloaked figure. They told him if he was interested in a rebellion, to show up in a hidden location at midnight. Golaran went, and he found that the princess, or rather, the queen knew exactly who she was. Her husband was loyal to her, and acting as her spy in the Marcisian empire, and she was actively preparing for war right under the empire's nose. It was then that Queen Navelda of House Rockhammer truly introduced herself, and when she did, all of dwarves in the room knelt. Her demeanor changed, from a meek and obedient bride to a commanding royal, and Golaran knew that he could depend on the dwarves.
Unfortunately, the majority of the dwarven empire was beyond Queen Navelda's reach. She knew that she could not save it all. At least not yet. She had to focus on the north. The plan was that those who were loyal to her, completely would gather in the north, and blow the tunnels that connected Marceaux to Utgard and Anestor. It was a terrible sacrifice, to leave the majority of her empire behind, and something she did not leave lightly, but it was her only chance at saving any of her culture or her people. The plan always was to reopen the tunnels and liberate the rest of the empire when the dwarves in the north were strong enough to do so. For months, even before Golaran had sought out Navelda, the dwarven queen had her enemies in the empire assassinated, and was running an underground railroad to liberate as many of her people as possible. During the war, there was a battle. Many men took on the sacrifice of staying behind to hold off the Marcisian army, giving Navelda and the rest of her people time to escape north and blow the tunnel. Many died that day, but for a dwarf, such a sacrifice is easy to make for the good of the many.
After the war, Queen Navelda named her northern country which spanned beneath Anestor, across the straight and beneath Utgard as well, Canebras, the new Dwarven Empire. A generation has passed, Queen Navelda is old, but she and her people are still rebuilding. Many children have been born, and dwarves have long memories. The desire for revenge and retribution will burn in them forever.
Canebras is built within a mountain. The buildings are carved out of rock, and the highways are all underground. At one time the highways stretched underneath the whole of the known world, but during the revolution, the highways going south were blown, severing Canebras from the rest of the Dwarven empire.
Architecture
Canebras is built within a mountain. The buildings are carved out of rock, and the highways are all underground. At one time the highways stretched underneath the whole of the known world, but during the revolution, the highways going south were blown, severing Canebras from the rest of the Dwarven empire.
Type
Capital
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