Underdwarves (Duergar)

## Birth of a species

After a coup against the sovereigns, a big proportion of their followers was exiled from the society, i.e. forced to leave through the doors down towards the Underdark (which is essentially a death sentence). A number of them died of starvation, dehydration and wounds inflicted by the vile creatures dwelling underneath. Most dwarves are trained in combat, but what to do against an army of Illithids and their mind powers? Enslaved in the deepest parts of the earth for centuries, millennia even, their bodies had to adapt (or were they corrupted) to the evil and darkness, both literal and figurative. Their skin got grey, their hair and eyes white, their senses sharpened and their resentment grew.

## Breaking of Chains

Duergar the Unwavering (a better translation from their dwarven-Undercommon dialect would be the ‘Ironclad’, why they use an iron alloy of some kind) plotted to set his people free. Before his birth, his mother got a vision from [deity] that her child would have an iron-will [like shields from Twilight] and would free their people from their chains. As a child already, underdwarves would notice that Duergar was no common dwarf, that he would not give in, and even that the Illithids couldn’t bend him to their will. Early on, Duergar started stealing and amass scraps of metal to create shields and weapons in preparation for the resolution to come.

The day of the Breaking of Chains, Duergar passed around shields and weapons, and went out adorned in an iron full-plate, leading his people to the surface and away from the Illithids. The journey to the surface was easy and ‘empty’, as if someone was looking over them. As they reached the surface, the sun hurt their sensitive eyes. They went back underground and looked for their long lost cousins, ‘regular’ dwarves, in hopes to be welcomed and put an end to the lonely and miserable lives they just escaped. Unfortunately, this was not the case: dwarves have since then created stories and hatred towards the underdwarves, and welcomed them with hostility. Once again cast out, Duergar led his people to find a new place to begin anew.

## The new Kingdom

Duergar the Unwavering would not rest until he found the perfect place to settle down. After [x time] of wandering more or less deep underground, he and his people stumbled upon a big cavern with numerous tunnels leaving from it, and a lava pool in the middle (lava tunnel). Looking up, far, far up, Duergar could notice a light… Sunlight? They were in the heart of a volcano. If they could prepare for a potential eruption, this would be a great place to settle, as no one would come so close to an active volcano.

* Build

## Dragons

* Enslaved dragon
* Enslaved dragons
* Dragon fire + iron = more durable and efficient than regular iron, or even steel
* Thrived, sold weapons, economical power thanks to their secret way to make weapons

## Nowadays

* Duergar long dead, current under dwarves keep to themselves and prefer merchants to come to them than to leave the kingdom

# The Iron Kingdom

## Trade with Khohran

Deep down at the edge of the Underdark, the Iron Kingdom sells its valuable and secret iron-alloy weapons (and other?) to the surface dwellers through an opening in Southern Khohran, participating in the trade the island is known for. Trade always happens at night, unless the ruler wants something custom-made: they'll visit the underdwarves in small, discreet commities and make their request directly. Khorhan rulers are in the know about the dragons, but choose to keep it quiet (because of weapon efficiency? of tales of destructions that coincidentally stopped at the creation of the Iron Kingdom?).