Dwarven Federation

The Dwarven Federation covers the Hemdorkas Hills, and its towns are populated almost entirely by Hill Dwarves. The hills have many hobgoblins in the west and orcs in the east.
The Hemdorkas Valley is rather fey. There are no elves, but the trees are known to move. Its denizens are more alert and intelligent than one would expect of regular creatures.
Drekis recognises the independence of the Dwarven Federation before 1521.Rise of Drekis: Chapter 5 Episode 01
=== Rulers ===
Each clan is ruled by a Thane. Each Town is ruled by a Great Thane. When the Federation was part of Eridon, the leader of the county is considered a Count by the humans of Eridon.
== History ==
===Age of Mist===
The city of Cobbleopolis, the very first city of Dwarves in the world was founded near where the modern Hemdorkas Hills are, where in ancient times it was mountains. The fate of this first dwarven civilization is entirely unknown. Any connection between Cobbleopolis & the modern Dwarven Federation is currently unknown.
=== Founding ===
Before the Age of Iron, one Dwarf Clan founded Keldoram in the West, another clan founded Mil Faldur in the East. Since then, the Dwarves of the Hemdorkas Hills have been split by these two. Tharnham was founded by those from Keldoram. Hillsborough in Wake County was founded by Mil Faldur. The East/West clans don't intermingle much. 
Dwarves have lived in these hill since before the gods split the world into pieces. However, all of the above ground structures collapsed when everything split apart, and a great many people died. Cities had to be rediscovered or resettled. Tharnham was a small know-nothing town a couple thousand years ago, that somehow became a prominent town 1200–1300 years ago. Blacksteel Keep came a few hundred years after that.
But the hobgoblins have been in these hills probably just as long as the Dwarves. Back when the Dwarves were primarily underground, the hobgoblins controlled the surface, the Dwarves controlled the underground, and it was fine. But as the Dwaves came to the surface to find better access to materials, to move over land easier, there were more clashes between hobgoblins and dwarves. Over the last 800 years or so, the Dwarves have really solidified their presence on the surface world and pushed the Hobgoblins into a smaller territory, depriving them of some of their original resources.
Things have been good for the Dwarves for a long time now, but the Hobgoblin threat has never faded. They are always attacking something, finding lost underground tunnels and popping up in Dwarven bases in the middle of nowhere, sacking things and fleeing again.
===Vlad's Crusade===
Around the year 500, Vlad Orrmore Led a group of ~1000 dwarves from the Western Clan of the Hemdorkas Hills to the Draken Ridge to establish Goldhill, Roxsis, and Drunsbarr. Goal was to settle the mountains, but exact locations weren't established ahead of time. Went via Mahtava. Fought the green dragon there and lost his leg and ~100 of his people. Picked up some human followers, but also fought warlords, in the Vodan Plains. Lost an eye and some fingers here. 
Founded Goldhill with ~400 dwarves and a smattering of humans. They travelled around the Drakken Wastes, picking up more humans/halflings in the Lakonish Highlands. While skirting the Drakken wastes, the crusade wandered in and out of elven territory, skirmishing with the elves there. Vlad Orrmore was killed in one of these skirmishes.
His son, Fernokk, took over and founded Roxsis. Some dwarves wanted to see if there was anything more, and most of the humans and halfling left with them, eventually crossing the Hogwin Plains and settling Drunsbaar. Once the town was settled, some of the dwarves returned to Roxsis.
===Founding of Hillsborough===
Hillsborough was founded by the Eastern dwarven clan at an unknown date.
The Western Clan Dwarves don't consider Hillsborough Dwarves 'true' Hill Dwarves for living entirely above ground.
=== Eridonian Annexation ===
At some point, the Human nation of Eridon, annexed the Hemdorkas Hills into their territories as a County. Unlike Gadia, the Hill Dwarves were allowed to keep their old title structures. During this process, Keldoram became the County seat, and it's leader became a Count with the dwarven title of High Thane.
=== Hemdorkas Incursion ===
In early 1508, Grell appeared in the Hemdorkas Hills in huge numbers. Queen Kiara of Eridon, age 19 iand n the first year of her reign, called her banners and sent General Mofkers to quell the Grell. The incursion lasted 9 months, and badly bled the kingdom.
The Grell proved to be more troublesome than expected. Their abilities of levitation surprised the Eridonian forces, and huge numbers of men died when swarms of Grell descended from the sky at night onto unsuspecting troops camped below. This would prove to be a favorite tactic of the Grell, one that gave them their best victories, and one that eventually would be their downfall.
The turning point was the "Battle of Highland Camp". The ambush comprised of Eridonian forces building a fake camp for the army, while hiding bowmen and wizards on the back edge of camp. When the trap was sprung, it resulted in the deaths of many Eridonian soldiers by friendly fire, as well as the Grell swarming them. The surviving Grell fled back into the hills and vanished. The source of the Grell was never found.
=== The Demon Invasion ===
In early 1510, a Demon Invasion struck the cities and towns of Shirebrook, Thornwood, Rainwood, Peatsburg, Anvil, Plainsview, Tassel, Misty Rapids, Newfort, Cauldron, Heatstroke, Limestone, causing them to fall. Eventually the Demons withdrew to Heatstroke, but the Kingdom of Eridon had taken massive losses.
Dwarf County was spared from this invasion.
=== Count Vicious ===
In early 1511, Count Vicious's Undead Army lay siege to Tharnham. However, unlike Meadstead to the south, Tharnham is well defended. The siege was lifted in Mid-May 1512.
=== The Dwarven Federation ===
In 1511, the Dwarves made moves to declare their land as a new independent Kingdom, but problems from the Grell, Orcs and Hobgoblins have delayed any unification of the land. By 1512 the Dwarven Federation is independent. (Desperate Measures 12)
== Towns ==
*Keldoram
**Pop 4600
**Villages: 53
**Local Income: 297,336
**Primarily Dwarves
**Elevation: Sea level
**Mining Town
*Tharnham
**Pop 5400
**Villages: 47
**Local Income: 106,496
**Primarily Dwarves
**Mining Town
*Mil Faldur
**Pop 3300
**Villages: 43
**Local Income: 149,968
**Overwhelmingly Dwarven
**Elevation: Sea level
== References ==
Category:Arcadia Nations