Khaz-Belda

## Geography

Khaz-Belda, (“the Beldan mountains”), is a range that almost completely divides the northwestern and southeastern halves of Boriallis. Stretching from the Talanji Jungle and Shatter Gulf sea in the northeast almost the whole way to the southern Great Ocean (Tirwani Ocean) in the southwest, Khaz-Belda divides Boriallis into its regional nations: vibrant Orenoskos to the north, autocratic Pryat to the southwest, and the savage lands of Jherat to the west. Shatter Gulf abruptly cuts the northern range off, but the underwater mountains that continue into the Gulf have allowed its eastern side to become a peaceful interior sea of vibrant fishing.

## Society

### The Thanedom of Khaz-Belda

The dominant civilization throughout the mountain range is the mostly dwarven-populated nation that inhabits its vast system of subterranean halls. Built around the enterprises of precious metal mining and smithing, Khaz-Belda is a thanedom led by the thanes of three major clans: the Hokhran, the Prebasht, and Melzhet.

#### The Belda Triumvirate

The high council of thanes that lead the respective clans of Khaz-Belda. Acting as spiritual, economic, and judicial leaders and representatives of their clans and the entire nation, it’s a thane’s responsibility to advocate in both the interests of the thanedom as a whole and their own clan, but serve each in equitable measure.

**Hokhran Clan** - Thane Yolandi Hokran

A deeply traditionalist clan, the Hokhrans largely run the mining federations that plumb the deep places in the mountains for metals and gems.

**Prebasht Clan -** Thane Vernus Prebasht

The Prebasht Clan work around their manipulation and carving of the stone that makes up the mountain range. The clan mostly works within the mountain halls, further shaping the interior nation, or on the surface, occasionally developing surface buildings.

**Melzhet Clan -** Thane Yurin Melzhet

Operating as the smiths and metallurgists of the thanedom, the Melzhet Clan is beginning to see a flourishing new business as trade convoys, using their metallurgy along with Orenoskosi artifice to form new feats of transportation.

## Races

**Dwarf**- While Mountain dwarves usually maintain the traditional aspects of Khaz-Beldan culture like religion and government, Hill dwarves mingle with the other peoples of the continent, and engage in more varied work. Easily the most populous race within the mountain range kingdom, some dwarven legends claim direct descendancy from the Children of Fury in the first chaotic Age. Khaz-Beldan Dwarves live to see about 200 winters, and while they share their halls, mead, and craftwork with other peoples and nations, they remain ever-skeptical of other races’ intentions.

**Human** - ever versatile and adaptable, humans can be found scattered lightly across the lands, serving in all manner of capacities in multiple crafts.

**Terran Genasi** - Legends say that long ago, deep in Khaz-Belda's depths, a portal to a world of pure earth infused the land with its essence. From this earth came earth-people - not children of the earth, as dwarves proclaim themselves, but elementals - beings literally of the dirt and stone.

## Gods

Most Khaz-Beldan folk worship at least one of the principal gods of Dwarven tradition. Dwarves maintain a tight pantheon of their three principal gods - Fiers, Corvast, and Bruna - while begrudgingly including demi-gods within their traditional stories. Other races allowed into Khaz-Belda occasionally bring their people’s gods with them, but while Khaz-Belda tolerates individual worship - to an extant - public worship outside the dwarven pantheon isn’t permitted.

### Fiers

Patron god of the dwarven people. Fiers is associated with fire, both as a creative and destructive force, and is considered the maker of the world in dwarven creation. Many dwarven sects take this further and claim that dwarves were the world’s first race, born deep in its heart.  Often represented as crossed hammers: one whole and new, one aged and broken.

### Corvast

God of the storms and seas, and Fiers’s brother in the dwarven creation stories. If Fiers is the maker and destroyer, Corvast is the disrupter and the changer. As Fiers is solid, stoic, and grounded, Corvast is fickle, tempestuous, and unpredictable. The skies and seas are Corvast’s domain, and while all dwarves observe and respect the weather’s elements, most prefer to keep their faith to Fiers and the solid earth. Represented as a billowing cloud and/or lightning.

### Bruna

Matron goddess of the dwarven creation stories. Bruna is credited as the one who breathed life into Fiers’s dwarvar, making the first true dwarves. She’s also the voice of reason between Fiers and Corvast, as the two brothers often bicker and fight. She’s seen as wisdom, lending sense to female dwarves to better guide males. Represented as an ample female dwarf, usually bedecked in clothing made from plants and jewels.

## Industry

Khaz-Belda has boasted a consistent economic standing throughout Boriallis since recovering from the Winterthaw at the end of the Frostveiled Age. Recently, the Khaz-Beldan trade federations have made alliances with the artificers and enchanters of northwestern Orenoskos, and as more dwarves take up shop and establish trade in the neighboring country, more and more clever combinations of dwarven craftsmanship and Orenoskosi ingenuity are being invented, which are then in turn being utilized by both nations to further their economic standing.

### Mining

Khaz-Belda has had an established mining infrastructure since at least the last Age, and perhaps even earlier. Rich veins of precious metals like gold, copper, and tin run deep throughout the mountain range, with small pockets of gems and crystals throughout. This capital and Khaz-Merda’s geological position through Boriallis helped establish the nation as a trading hub for the continent early on in the current Age of Mending.

### Stonemasonry

With their earnest insistence of their origins being tied to the earth itself, early dwarves took to learning the ways of crafting the mountain halls below the surface of Khaz-Belda’s peaks. These halls stand still, thousands of years later, and serve as the edifice from which dwarven civilization grows. Though the masterful arts of the ancients has been lost since the Sundering, dwarves continue a rich tradition of expert craftsmanship in stonework.

### Blacksmithing/Metallurgy

Along with crafting stone, ancient dwarves were masters of metal artifice as well. The knowledge of the more complex machinations has been lost, but Khaz-Beldan dwarves have retained and perfected certain aspects of crafting metal tools, weapons, and armor. It’s dominantly the smithing sector that is leading the technological alliance between Khaz-Belda and Orenoskos.

### Trade Convoy

Dwarven predilection towards juggling constant streams of numbers and variables, Orenoskosi developments in new forms of transportation, and Khaz-Merda's convenient geological position within Boriallis have all conspired to recently introduce dwarves to a new avenue of business: conducting trade throughout the continent. While most dwarves are content to keep their feet firmly on the ground, some brave dwarves have partnered with other adventurous peoples to conduct forms of aeronautical travel using airships. Others navigate across the land on new ground-based vehicles.