Myrdirit

Map of Country

~54,000 lizard-folk

~13,000 various

Goods traded in from other cities

Precious metals

Gemstones

Peaceland Commonwealth

## Common Knowledge

A desert-based trade hub with a strength-based culture; fallen into anarchy in the past few years. One of the more accessible Great Dwarven Cities for non-dwarves.

## Topography and Climate

The upper levels of the city, home to much of the military of the city, are quite hot and dry thanks to its proximity to the sun.

### Crevice

The city of Myrdirit is built within a natural crevice created by the underground rivers flowing through the region. The city is split in half across this cavern, built into the walls of the crevice, with only a few major stone bridges crossing the gap. The crevice itself extends to the surface, providing a natural oasis of sorts, with the city exposed to the sun.

### River

The crevice Myrdirit is built upon was formed by a massive underground river linking into a larger network underground; this network of rivers provides many opportunities for unique trade partners.

### Desert

The crevice is surrounded by the hot dry desert of the Apotheosis, which is slowly returning to its natural state of being a jungle.

Being underground atop a river makes the lower levels of the city of Myrdirit quite damp; many of the cavern walls are covered in moss and lichen thanks to the natural river flowing through it.

## Population

Capital: 337,000

Majority Dwarves (~80%), with a significant minority of Lizard-Folk (16%).

## Exports and Trades

### Presently

Exports: Currently no official exports, due to the state of anarchy.

Imports: Currently no official imports, due to the state of anarchy.

Trades: Sellswords, mercenaries, dead would-be political leaders, scavengers, henchmen, warlords, bodyguards

### Historically

Exports: Dwarven crafts, Chitin-like boneworks, unique to the city, Goods traded in from other cities, Precious metals, Gemstones.

Imports: Food from the Peaceland Commonwealth, Food, Goods, and Galkadorian Ale from Galkador, Goods from Jericho, Various imports from the Apotheosis.

Trades: Merchants, sellswords, guards, mercenaries, smiths, craftspeople, miners, hunters, mages, alchemists.

## Government

Historically, Myrdirit operated under a monarchy, which would unite the various trade guilds and maintain the peace between them. In recent years, Myrdirit has fallen to anarchy and the city has broken into various factions after the execution of the royal family following the loss of culturally significant imports from both Galkador and Jericho. Most of these factions are effectively just the trade guilds themselves.

### Military

Myrdirit has a long legacy of militarism, dating all the way to their legacy as slaves to the Meztec Empire. Despite this history, Myrdirit’s military focuses primarily on defense. Rather than a single standing army, most citizens receive training in combat and can be called upon as needed.

In older times, powerful merchants would often draft several hundred people at a time to protect their trade caravans, forming small private armies to escort their merchandise through the harrowing Apotheosis Desert. Myrdirit also heavily fortified its location on the surface, and much of its active military was involved in defending, fortifying, and refortifying this position.

In modern times, Myrdirit’s military is largely fractured along the same lines as the rest of its populace.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

The people of Myrdirit place great importance on power and wealth.

### Philosophy

Myrdirit’s philosophy is strongly derived from the Meztec Empire, though influenced heavily by the attitudes of the dwarven natives. Myrdirit culture does not place emphasis on race or creed. Religiously, much of the city follows a hybridization of Durnoidism and some of the beliefs of the Cult of Sol Invictus: from Durnoidism, the popular beliefs are that individuals have duties to society to uphold (but individual relationships and connections are not necessarily prioritized), that survival is an extension of duty, and that maintenance of physical health is an extension of duty; from the Cult of Sol Invictus, the popular beliefs are that respect comes from power, and strength is the source of authority (as opposed to right vs wrong), everything else -- love, fear, veneration -- is secondary. While many outsiders believe the Cult to still follow Sol Invictus, those within the belief system find this idea so laughable as to not bother to correct them. There are still some in the Cult who do worship Sol Invictus, though privately.

What follows is a belief system focused on duty towards those with power and strength, and a significant duty towards gaining power and strength. Survival and maintenance of personal health are seen as necessary and important towards achieving these goals, and any means of achieving these goals are accepted and encouraged by those who are considered allies. Following those with power and strength is only important so long as it can help you get power, and so long as it does not threaten your own survival.

Despite the prominence of these beliefs and their significant role in Myrdirit, most followers do not prioritize these beliefs above all else; the people of Myrdirit still enjoy personal luxuries, interpersonal relationships, and other aspects of life some may belief to contradict the belief system; for many, these apparent contradictions are justified through an extension of having a personal life factoring into one’s mental health, which is an extension of physical health.

### Division of Society

The populace of Myrdirit generally slot into one of several significant trade guilds in the city. Each of these guilds accommodate the various lifestyles of the city, generally setting up a line of production, trade, and protection from the dangers of the Apotheosis and, more recently, from the other guilds. Guilds are generally highly competitive and families tend to stick within the same guild.

Generally speaking, the men of Myrdirit tend to take up jobs as either merchants or sellswords, often travelling abroad to either sell wares, buy exotic goods, or protect those doing the business. The women of Myrdirit dominate the crafts industries, as well as the guilds themselves. As a result, women tend to hold significant power in Myrdirit, and thus command great respect.

### Family Units

Families in Myrdirit tend to put less focus on raising children than others, namely due to the common absence of fathers on jobs in the desert; as such, most children are raised by their mothers while the mothers work on crafts or run shops, helping to teach the children helpful skills for later in life. The crafts themselves tend to be more reliable, though generate less income than desert work, which provides the stability necessary for child-raising. Children tend to be raised alongside the children of their mother’s coworkers.

### Celebrations and Significant Events

#### Vindex

In the far past when Myrdirit operated under the control of the Meztec empire, community leaders would be appointed to a position of power through combat tournaments hosted by the local Jurator; this position would entail the responsibility to act as a go-between for the people and the government, and would be given power over the communities they worked for.

Following the liberation of Myrdirit, this tournament evolved past this position and became an annual tournament celebrating power and strength; everyone is allowed to compete, and the victors are celebrated and given prestige and reputation. Many competitors are sponsored by their trading guilds, in exchange for that prestige and reputation to be associated with the guild itself.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

### Capital

The city of Myrdirit is built within a natural crevice created by the underground rivers flowing through the region. The city is split in half across this cavern, built into the walls of the crevice, with only a few major stone bridges crossing the gap. The crevice itself extends to the surface, providing a natural oasis of sorts, with the city exposed to the sun. The crevice Myrdirit is built upon was formed by a massive underground river linking into a larger network underground; this network of rivers provides many opportunities for unique trade partners. The crevice is surrounded by the hot dry desert of the Apotheosis, which is slowly returning to its natural state of being a jungle.

## Alliances

### Presently

No current alliances due to the state of anarchy.

### Historically

Trade alliances with Galkador, Jericho, the Peaceland Commonwealth, and various factions in the Apotheosis. No significant military or political alliances beyond trade alliances.

## Founding and History

### ~Around 100 Before Beast

The dwarves found Myrdirit as a hiding place as tensions between the Pionus and other races rise.

### ~324

The Apotheosis Jungle begins to desertify.

The dwarves of Myrdirit begin to seek new trade partners for food as the jungle begins to fade.

### ~412

The last remaining vestiges of the Apotheosis Jungle are consumed by the newly-formed Apotheosis Desert.

Myrdirit relies upon the trade of the Plains Elves to the north as a primary food source.

### ~932

Myrdirit forges a trade alliance with Galkador, trading dwarven crafts and weaponry for food and alcohol.

### ~1489

The Meztec Empire begins their invasion of Mydirit.

### ~1510

Myrdirit’s trade partner, what is now the Peaceland Commonwealth, is conquered by the Meztec Empire, cutting off their primary source of food.

### ~1512

Myrdirit is finally conquered by the Meztec Empire, with its population forced into slavery.

Boneworks became popularized in Myrdirit, particularly using dragon bones.

### ~Late 2038

The governor of Myrdirit uplifts the slaves.

Myrdirit declares independence from the Meztec Empire, and prepares for war.

### ~Early 2039

The forces of the Eastern Meztec Empire converge on Myrdirit, aiming to reclaim it for the Empire.

### ~Late 2039

The primary Meztec front is repelled, and scatter back across the Apotheosis, sparking organized slave revolts across the region.

Periodic Meztec incursions on Myrdirit continue.

### ~2041

Myrdirit forms a strong trade partnership with Jericho.

### ~2065

The final Meztec incursion on Myrdirit is handily defeated by Myrdirit’s powerful militia.

### ~2362

Following significant social and religious pressure from the population, the Jurator of Myrdirit abdicates power to the native Dwarves.

The Dwarves of Myrdirit establish a constitutional monarchy.

### ~4000

For “unknown reasons” (read: Morpheus), the population of Myrdirit begins to suffer from nightmares and other sleep ailments.

### ~4001

Drawing on whispers and the culture of their distant ancestors, lizard-folk in Myrdirit begin spreading stories about “Sol Lux”, a sun god who fights off night terrors and kill the monsters that haunt them.

### ~4012

Followers of Sol Invictus co-opt Sol Lux to be a child of Sol Invictus, to spread his worship. The idea eventually catches, and Sol Lux gets the moniker “Sol Invictus Junior” and occasionally “The Unconquered Son”.

### ~4099

Myrdirit citizens begin reporting sightings of Sol Lux in their dreams, fighting off dream monsters.

### ~5890

The night terrors stop, and the dream world becomes malleable to other gods.

Sol Lux continues to fight off natural night terrors, and starts to be seen as a general defender against evil.

### ~6122

A passenger caravan en route to Jericho is ambushed by bandits, and its guards slaughtered, but the passengers are saved by a mysterious stranger claiming to be Sol Lux. This same individual appears two more times this year, helping travellers escape from dangerous situations.

### ~6243

A passenger caravan en route to Galkador is ambushed by bandits, but the ambush is interrupted by a counter-ambush performed by a man matching the precise description of Sol Lux. This persists into modern times, with such a person appearing from seemingly nowhere.

### ~10014

Myrdirit loses access to Galkadorian Ale from Galkador following its collapse.

Myrdirit continues other trades with North and South Gobble-de-Gook.

The population of Myrdirit grows restless following the loss of access to Galkadorian Ale.

### ~10016

Myrdirit loses their trade partnership with Jericho following its collapse.

Riots begin in Myrdirit following the additional loss of culturally significant goods from Jericho.

Warlocks become commonplace in Myrdirit.

### ~10017

The royal family of Myrdirit is publicly executed.

Anarchy consumes Myrdirit, where it persists even to this day.

### ~10018

Trade is significantly impeded thanks to the creation of the Desert of Madness.

### ~10019

Trade improves following the curing of the Desert of Madness.