Pyrine

The Pyrine dwarves of the Pyrenees are notable for their extreme emphasis on trade and migration with the nearby human realms of Hisperia and Gallia. Due to a lack of easily accessible mineral wealth, many Pyrine settlements are constructed above ground, where they functioning as outposts for trading and mingling with both nearby human inhabitants and travelers passing through. These dwarves are also notable for allowing a great deal of human insight into dwarven culture, something that other dwarven societies generally frown upon.

While this has strained relations with other dwarves who feel that the Pyrine clans are diluting dwarven culture and identity, it has also created a good deal of trust between the Pyrine and nearby human rulers. Gallia and Hisperia are both more than happy to allow the Pyrine to flourish within their limited borders, since this means that normally treacherous trade routes are extremely safe and secure thanks to sophisticated dwarven patrol systems. Although the dwarves don't have much to trade, they do collect livable incomes from grateful traders that pay to stay in famed Pyrine lodges and drink legendary dwarven beverages that have been aged for centuries. Furthermore, the strong dwarven presence in the Pyrenees has done a great deal to dissuade border skirmishes between Hisperia and Gallia, which has made the respective governments of both regions quite satisfied.

The final notable trait of the Pyrine dwarves is that they are much more accepting of migration in both directions than other dwarves. Many humans have settled within dwarven townships, and while this has caused some temporary cultural friction, it has also helped both humans and dwarves in the region understand each other better. Some dwarves also leave the Pyrenees mountains to join humans, but this rarely means dwarves settling in human lands. Instead, many dwarves jump at the opportunity to join human caravans passing through, either as a guard or an apprentice to a merchant. Some even join caravans to help them reach a specific city, where they wish to learn a craft. Some of these dwarves do eventually return to the Pyrenees, but others stay in human cities and sell their exotic skills and expertise to humans.

## Government

Given the heavy emphasis that Pyrine places on trade and peaceful relations, it's no surprise that merchant princes hold much of the power there. Trade guilds reign supreme, paying the salaries of border rangers, organizing the expansion of towns, and directing the flow of goods. Mercenary troupes are trained with their gold and then rented out to the wealthy from as far away as Khmet, Sain, and Ruthenia.

However, the capitalism of Pyrine is heavily influenced by the dwarves that practice it. Impact on the clan and fellow dwarves is weighed just as heavily as economic benefit when it comes to making decisions. Long-term value is universally preferred to short-term gains, but this isn't always a net benefit. Pyrine dwarves miss many potential opportunities that their human rivals are able to take advantage of. It's rare for the Pyrine dwarves to ever come out on top when comparing them directly to Hisperian or Italican traders, but it's also rare for a human trader to maintain a fortune for even a tenth as long as a Pyrine merchant.