Dwarven League

*The Dwarven League is a collection of Dwarven and Gnome city-states joined into one massive nation.* It was formed by Electorate Richmanh, he was from the clan of Tarax-Jax, which was later renamed to 'Mount Cap.' The whole league is usually sticks to its internal politics. The league rarely deals with other nations unless it's something to do with trade. The nation in whole is against a state religion but does persecute worshipers of demonic arts or necromancy.

## History of the League

### **Before the League**

*Before the League came about the Dwarven mountains were just a bunch of Dwarven clans fighting each other for territory.* In the years before the formation of the League there was three main major clans, the Rhodoks, Tarax-Jax and the Gaks. The Rhodoks were the richest of the three, as they owned large diamond and gold mines and controlled most of the naval trade that came to the Dwarven Mountains. The Tarax-Jax were the most powerful in military sense and ally of the Rhodoks. While the Gaks were a clan who were situated on the Gnomish border and were focused on arcane arts and religion, the religion being the worship of demons. None of the other Dwarven clans cared for their worship of demons, but the leader of the Tarax-Jax, Richmanh, knew that this could not end well as he has been witness to the many horrors of the demons himself.

In the year of 2078 AC, the Gaks mysteriously vanished over night and were replaced with mutants, demons and heretics. The Tarax-Jax and the Rhodoks held an emergency meeting to discuss what should be done. Of course both clans agreed that military action should be done. Within a matter of days the whole armies of Rhodoks and Tarax-Jax were formed, all soldiers accounted for which lead up to 600,000 Dwarves and blessed by the Mountain shamans. The two armies met outside the Gak's capital which apparently extended all the way to the bottom of the world. It wasn't soon until the demons and mutants that lurked inside the city came out in full force to stop their advance, at the front was the notorious Kok-Log killing hundreds of Dwarves, then a bright flash was seen in the sky, which made a very loud noise which could be heard from the 'Unknown Lands.' Out the a flash came a peculiar figure who was to quick to see, he dropped right into the center of the battle, slaughtering hundreds of demons as if it were a simple mere child's play then he approached Kok-Log and let out a proud boast to the demon in an accent that was unknown. These two figures began exchanging blows for what may be seen as years, but in reality it was only a couple of mins. The unknown figure was struck many times by the demon's blades, but parried them like a seasoned warrior, no mere man can parry a demon's blow. Eventually the unknown figure struck a large wound into the Demon's legs and Kok-Log was forced to retreat back inside the Gak's city, thus sending all the other demons running in all directions.

*Before they could thank the unknown figure he had vanished, presumed to have slipped away.* As the remnants of the Dwarven army delved into the city to find no signs of Kok-Log but the desolate remains of the city. Everything was quiet. As they delved deeper they found a sub-tunnel which was the famous tunnel to the centre of the earth. Eventually they reached the lowest they could go, where they found these green small mushrooms which one Dwarf consumed, suddenly the Dwarf enlarged and gained a strong understanding of magic, he then turned on his Dwarf companions killing a good hundred before being taken down by about 20 Dwarves. The remnants then left the city, sealing the city closed and burning the fungi.

### **Formation of the League**

*To make sure something like this could ever happen again the two remaining major clans, Tarax-Jax and the Rhodoks*, came together with other clans, on 2081 AC and form the Dwarven League, they decided that Richmanh would lead it from Mount Cap, the League's new capital city. They also set out a new set of laws out that were to be interchangeable.

* **Worship of Demons is punishable by death.** The League will also not allow religion to interfere with the politics of the land.
* **All access to the outside lands shut.** Only trade missions and government officials may leave. Any other will be put to death for leaving.
* **Non-Dwarves without a permit to be in the Dwarven League's territory will be put to death.** This rule doesn't apply to Gnomes, as they joined up with the Dwarves not so long after it was formed.

Of course not every clan liked this and refused to join and thus many clans remained independent, especially the religion heavy orientated clans whose laws were based on the book of Kaz, the book of the Mountain Gods. Most of these clans would be subjugated in time, either through peer-pressure, military action or diplomacy. Most of these clans were allowed to keep their religious laws. By 2100 most of the Dwarven Mountain range was under control of the League.

*To the south of the Dwarven League was the Alpine Forests of the Gnomes*, who resided in their massive crater which was created by one of their catastrophic experiments. The Gnomes knew that eventually the Dwarves would come knocking on their door so to prevent any wars the head of the Gnomish Republic, Farquis, went to Mount Cap with an envoy of 10 Gnome Golems and pledged their allegiance to the Dwarves. The Gnomes were allowed to pass freely through the Dwarven League, trade and receive military aid from the Dwarves if needed, the only catch was that all Gnomish technology had to be shared with the Dwarves so they to could benefit from the technology. This technology would help the Dwarves very much in rebuilding the great forge after it was destroyed on accident by a drunk Dwarf. The Dwarven League prospered much.

*Alas, this could not last for long as King Richmanh passed in the year 2156 AC*. There was much chaos as he had no legal heir to his throne so many clans debated who should take the throne, it wasn't until a year later that they decided that the Merchant Prince Dolaz Truz from Rhodoks, would take the throne. All thought he would be a good candidate, but alas he collapsed the Dwarven economy into such a bad state that many Dwarves in the slum district of Mount Cap turned to cannibalism. Eventually he was taken off the throne by force in 2170 AC by the Clan of Dach-Ko. Dach-Ko put their clan chieftain on the throne, his name was Davach. He managed to fix the economy after reluctantly trading with the Orcish tribes to the south-east and trading with the Human City-States to the north. His peace was a peaceful one. This lasted until 4987 AC, when a Gnomish excavation uncovered one of the six fabled Titan-Gates nestled in the mountains north of Crossroads. The League warned the other nations at the Assembly at the Crossroads but none of them listened so the nation prepared for war to secure the Titan gate, and in 4989 AC they began their march to Crossroads with an army of the latest Gnomish technology, including their latest invention, the Gatling gun.

### **Present Day**

Today in the year 4990 AC, the Dwarven League is only 20 miles away from Crossroads, each day they gain new ground against Crossroads it is only a matter of time before they either are repelled by Angmar or the Empire. Meanwhile in the Dwarven Heartland a mysterious black race of orcs has been going through the mountains killing anything they come across, theories suggest they are lead by a dragon.