The Duumvirate

The Duumvirate is a major faction operating within the continent of Ahlus.

## Description

The Duumvirate is a coalition between the Adamathane of the dwarves and Moonstode of the elves, each of which hold councils of aides, attendants and retainers responsible for overseeing districts of the city as part of bureaucratic offices known as Banners. Each of the four Banners manages a different aspect of everyday life and function, although it is the dual rulers of the Duumvirate that make the final decisions on the most important and pressing of matters.  The Duumvirate controls but one settlement, the mountain city of Khonoldhur, but maintains dominion over much of the surrounding Ironfangs and beyond by means of the Banner of the Prospect, who are tasked with representing Khonoldhur interests further afield, taking the lead in diplomacy in urban settings and scouting in those more rural.

By contrast, the Banner of the Bulwark is responsible for the defence of the settlement of Khonoldhur, maintaining the city's entryway, the outposts at its extremities both above and below the surface, and the training of the Bynar Blades, the well-trained and equipped soldiers of the city. Mercantile-minded individuals may find involvement with the Banner of the Magnate, who take inspiration from the city of Mol Boramm, and have shaped Khonoldhur into a hub for masonry and metalworking, as well as banking services fueled by the veins of precious metals uncovered beneath the halls and streets. Finally, the Banner of the Plinth encompasses all manner of supportive roles ranging from food and drink to education and religious needs.

## Goals

The fundamental interests of the Adamanthane and the Moonstode of the Duumvirate and the Banners that serve beneath them is that of the city of Khonoldhur and its territories. Positioned at the heart of the continent of Ahlus, the settlement holds considerable mercantile and geopolitical power, but has continued to collaborate extensively other factions wishing to maintain a presence in the city.

## Tenets of the Duumvirate

* Collaboration, when done correctly with thought and care, can elevate each constituent part far higher and further than their individual capabilities could have ever achieved.
* Soil, stone, metal, gem. All serve a different purpose, all have worth in the right role. Find your purpose, find your role.
* Toil hard, dig deep, but never allow your eagerness slip into a greed that might sully your sense of caution.

## Relationships

The location of Khonoldhur in the heartlands of the Ironfangs means that it is considered amongst the few primary nexuses of trade overland, particularly so with the installation of both a Galerider station for the Great Conduit, and an Aerodrome by the Aethnarch of Aviacrest. As a result, near all factions major or minor will find themselves passing through, treating with or otherwise interacting with the Duumvirate's sphere of influence at some point, either from time to time, or on a daily basis.

There are undeniably those that look unto the Duumvirate with secretive distain however, though often these stem from places of jealousy, with echoing calls and thoughts of 'right place, right time' with regard to Khonoldhur and the Duumvirate's success, rather than genuine effort or poise.

## Characters

By nature of the geographical connections of the city of the Duumvirate, characters that might have come to reside in their territories may came from a wide range of backgrounds. While dwarven and elvish influence reigns supreme in Khonoldhur, immigration of new residents and the establishment of business branches in the city has injected great variety and variation into the constructions, professions and likewise. The extensive links afforded by the city make it an attractive home base for individuals prone to travel, or those with entrepreneurial tendencies hoping to reach out to those passing through.

Despite this, there is an ironic isolation that echoes from the halls of the Duumvirate. Before the completion of the Great Conduit, the city stood alone at the centre of the continent, buried deep beneath snow, soil and stone. Even now, the deeper stretches of the city are dark and gloomy places, a habitat deeply desired for a few.

 2
 3
 4
 5
 6