The Kingdom of Dawi

> **Demonym:** Dawi
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    Amidst the Halfast Mountains is found the dwarven civilization, the Kingdom of Dawi, or called the Dawi. These dwarves are the descendants from humanoids found on the land after its creation.

#### Politics

The Kingdom has existed formally since just before the humans arrival in Merethyl. The Kingdom is run by the bloodlines of the Drel clan. The "Horned Throne" as it's called is housed in the Citadel of the Kingdom, Torlif.

#### Mining

The mountains are home to stone laced with adamantium, a powerful and malleable metal that is rare among the continents of Sefyll, the Dawi being the greatest producer. Other than the smithing of adamantium, the Dawi raise Tyraeli mountain cattle which are more woolly than the Tyraeli beef cattle, the cattle found in the Hinterlands and Fircrest Forest. Tyraeli cattle are known for their horns, which are highly used by both the Dawi and the Yazaka soldiers.

### History

The Dawi, the dwarves found in the Halfast Mountains in Tyrael, are the original dwarven peoples found in the world of Sefyll, native to the area in which they still live. Word of the copper found in the Munil reached the continent of Tyrael and expeditions sent by the Jarl of the Dawi and other treasure hunters went to seek their fortune in Merethyl. As the Dawi arrived they worked in tandem with the humans at first, but soon began to quarrel, a minor war (in comparison to the Beluir War or River Wars) broke out between the humans of Brestad and the Dawi known as The Copper Wars. After several battles, there was no clear victor and a treaty was drawn. The Dawi were free to mine into the mountains, but deeper into the range, leaving The East Mountains to the humans. The dwarves settled deep into the heart of the Munil, isolating themselves from the rivers and therefore the Dawi Kingdom. In the 2nd Century gold was found by this group of dwarves who had begun to call themselves the Munil, "one with the mountains". Between the end of the 2nd and the beginning year of the 3rd Century, groups of dwarves began to break off from this satellite civilization, forming new nations in the Snowsaw Mountains and the Wounded Mountains.

The role of the Jarls of old was to be wielder of Hamrad the mighty adamant Warhammer, the first fruits of Evig Eld. The title of Jarl was given by the dwarves to the mightiest and most heroic among them. The Jarls of old were selfless, strong, brave and beloved. They put the Dawi above all and embodied the resilience, strength and wisdom dwarves would aspire to. Fingal Drel (spoken of in hushed tones as the Last Jarl) in his final days created a new law, behind closed doors, designating that the title of Jarl would now come via inheritance. Many mark the degradation of the Dawi from that very moment.

House Drel quickly left behind the goodness of Fingal upon his passing. They became lazy, uncouth, cowardly and at times cruel. Ored Drel sits on the Horned Throne as Jarl now. He refers to himself as Ored the Anvil, in taverns throughout Dawi he is Ored the Odious. Ored and his cronies have made themselves a burden to the kingdom through burdensome taxation and a constant skimming of revenues to pay for their lavish lifestyle. Oreds associates permeate all possible positions of power creating a series of barriers between him and the people that never existed in the days of the first Jarl.

Prosperity is the worst thing that could have happened to the Dawi, as the ancient forge, Evig Eld, burning bright and supplying adamantium and other precious metals to the region through trade as well as wool, milk and meat from Tyraeli mountain cattle the vaults of Torlif began to overflow with gold. With war being but a memory, the corruption of House Drel and the Munil exodus Dawi has become a shadow of its former self.

#### The Clans

The Dawi have bloodlines that run deep and are greatly intertwined. Clans are less important as they are in the dwarven nations of Merethyl. The Dawi are an ancient people, but are not the powerhouse that they used to be. The Dawi controlled the whole of south Tyrael for years. Historically, they often skirmished with the Hinterlandfolk and the Sylenorians, wielding their might over all who opposed them. However, since the Munil broke off from the Dawi and the War of the Hinterlands (see *History,* Yazak and *History*, Kor Durz), the Kingdom of Dawi is a nation in decline.

#### Religion

The mountains are the Gods of the Dawi. These dwarves revere, love, respect, and a strong identity from their mountain home. The Dawi however, worship the 6 major peaks of the Halfast Mountains, Dralkef, Hurfal, Lobaj, Iuvvencolis, Yulta, and Saan. These are called colloquially as The Brotherhood when referring to the Gods. The mountains each stand for varying domains and Dwarves identify with their home mountain as well as those under the domains they feel are part of them. The seasons experienced in the mountains are simply Winter and Summer. The Dawi have two great festival celebrations for the beginning of each season, marked by the first freeze of the Sund River in the valley near Torlif and it's thawing. Each is cultural as well as a spiritual celebration, praising the Gods and ushering in a fruitful season of continued prosperity.

#### Holidays

> **Wellwinter/Wellsummer:** The festival for Winter is called Wellwinter and is a hope of great snows to feed the earth come summertime. It's characterized by the building of great stone towers for each city and town as well as a feast of the last of non-storageable foods before winter sets in. The people all gather together to build a great tower in an attempt to make it last the whole winter without collapsing. The tower may only be made from the stacking of stones, no other materials. If the tower stays up for all of winter, then it serves as a symbol of the ingenuity of the townspeople. If the tower falls it is celebrated as well in that the storms of winter have been fierce enough and have brought enough snow to feed the rivers for summer. The town of Stonecave on the north side of Ievvencolis boasts the longest record for towers unfallen at 37 years.
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> The Summer festival is called Wellsummer. It's started when the wooden tower in the middle of the frozen Sund River falls through the melting ice. The tower is placed on the ice to look forward to Summer. Wellsummer is characterized by the making and hanging of beautiful colored flags, colors that will be seen all throughout the mountains during the summer months. They are hung from the towers of Wellwinter, or the remains thereof, and strung to nearby trees or buildings. The festival also includes great bonfires and the roasting of the fattest of the mountain cattle.
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> At each festival, it is customary to say, "Wellwinter the Gods!" and "Wellsummer the Gods" to one another in celebration of the holiday.
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Torlif, the Citadel of the Kingdom of Dawi