Kuzul-Kadrin

Kuzul-Kadrin or Kuzulkadrin is an enormous, phenomenally wealthy, and very powerful dwarven kingdom situated in central and eastern Rhydain. Its territorial reach mostly follows the extent of the region’s major mountain ranges, within which lie the majority of its large cities and strongholds. Its capital is Kuzulnizam beneath the Dhurgunvili, the titanic nine peaks of the Vorian Knot in north-central Tholomyra; its heartland includes the Alimdars and almost all of Tholomyra proper, the main chain of the Adhemars and surrounding ranges stretching over a thousand miles northeast from there, and the main range of the Helgremars and adjacent peaks in Rhyndara. It also extends to include the southern Dramengars and a small portion of the Redcrag Mountains in eastern Sarpadia, and the most mountainous part of south-central inland Puavea. Most of these areas have been part of Kuzul-Kadrin for millennia; the most recent major expansion was over a thousand years ago, when Kuzulnizam's rule was pushed into the easternmost ranges of the Adhemars, driving out the orcs who had lurked in those mountains since time immemorial.

Although often called a “dwarven empire” by humans who naturally compare such a large state with the great empires of mankind, the dwarves have no such concept. The ruler of Kuzulkadrin, currently XXXXXXXX, is styled a High King or Overking, who has brought the subordinate kings and lords of his realm under his authority through dynastic seniority, inter-clan alliances, marriage and trade pacts, and various other such maneuverings, not by conquest. Nevertheless, it is common for the people of surrounding human kingdoms to refer to Kuzulkadrin’s high king as “the Dwarven Emperor” or the “Emperor of the Dwerrow.”

The many great mines and forges of Kuzulkadrin turn out a ceaseless flow of gold and silver, other precious metals, gems and stones of every variety, valuable ores, adamant and mithril and star-steel, and countless wonderful things wrought of them, from jewelry and baubles to arms and armor. This accounts for the great wealth of the kingdom and also provides a constant stream of valuable goods flowing out of the mountains, down through the surrounding lands, and out into the wider world. The bustling trade routes in and out of Kuzulkadrin do much to enrich the neighboring states through which they pass, especially Gundarra and the Helvandrian League but also the Alondrian principalities and others too, along with the dwarven kingdom itself.

Kuzulkadrin is so large and wealthy, its armies so powerful, and its geographic position and mountainous defenses so formidable that it has little or nothing to fear from any other nearby power. It is the economic and military giant of Rhydain, and it is the good fortune of the surrounding human kingdoms that the dwarves have no interest in ruling the lowlands; if they did, every person from Sarpadia to Krenland could probably be made their slave with little chance of resistance.

However, this doesn’t mean that nothing in the world can threaten Kuzulkadrin: [The High King] saw clearly that the invasions of Gol Garga, if allowed to sweep away the weaker human realms of Dranuria and the Sornele, would press eastwards and crash into his own domains with terrible force. Thus in 1249 CV the whole strength of the Kuzulkadrinu army (plus allied forces drawn from [other lesser dwarven kingdoms like the one in Tythium]) was sent west to aid the desperate coalition resisting the orcish horde, a contribution which was probably instrumental in checking its advance. Certainly the huge force of dwarven warriors present at the decisive Battle of Crow’s Gorge played a crucial role (though many think it doubtful that even their presence could have turned the tide if not for Gol Garga’s mysterious disappearance the night before).

Since then, a greater part of the Kuzulkadrinu army has remained in Dranuria, the Sornele, and [XXXXXX the great lake region/rift valley south of Kelimaria], building and occupying border fortresses and helping to garrison the new line of defense separating Orithea from the enlarged menace of orcdom. Many fret about what will happen when the dwarven forces finally return home, but dwarves are patient and methodical, and make plans on the scale of their centuries-long lifespans. Kuzulkadrin faces no other major threats even with most of its army far away to the west; XXXXXXXX knows his realm will be threatened again if the humans are abandoned while still weak and the orcs break through once more; so (the hopeful thinking goes) he will keep his troops along the frontier for as long as is needed to build a new and lasting bulwark against the orcish menace. Thus argue optimists, and all hope they’re correct.