Bottengard (Herregor Supplement)
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The Five Great Clans
For as long as any can remember the clans have made homes within the rugged landscape of the Candor's Edge. As the centuries ground by five great clans rose above the scores of their fellows and subsumed or eradicated the lesser clans. They each carved out a bit of territory for themselves, and sometimes fought, dwarf against dwarf, for the richest holds.
The wise amongst them wept at the sight of stout soldiers battling against each other from greed. The heads of the five great clan came together in Norbotten to name a King. After five months of deliberation Surden Bladebiter is crowned king, and the other four his council. It was decided that upon the death of the King, that the eldest in line of the next clan would rise to the throne, the kingdom passing from one clan to another in a great wheel.
The kingdom of Bottengard was born and began carving out its place in the mountains.
Border Wars
It has always been hard for the dwarves to eek much grain from the rocky soil of their lands, so they have always relied upon trade for their bread and beer. When prices rose and the supply dwindled, they were not interested in the explanations of wet winters and mold, they only wanted the grain.
Relations had always been rocky between men and dwarf, and old tempers rose to the surface. Shipments the men had already bought and paid for were held pending the grain, and no excuses were brooked. Threats were made by both sides and carried through. In the end it was a short and brutal war. Both nations gave and lost ground. The humans took the southern range of the Candor's Edge known as Nul's teeth, and the dwarves took the flatlands North of Gulriver.
Relations have been rocky ever since.
The Modern Landscape[edit]
The great wheel of the Dwarven Dynasty has made a full turn with the death of King Caradin Stonetooth and the rise of Bladebiter clan back to the throne. Most of the Bladebiter's clan holdings were in the Nul's Teeth, and the clan has never forgiven the Aradians for turning much of their number into refugees. King Sunder Bladebiter was general of the dwarven host for nearly a century, and it is no secret that he has begun to increase the garrison along the borders.
It will not be long before he marches south to reclaim his ancestral grounds. If the alliance with the dragonborn is cemented, and the scaled folk learn of Arad's burgeoning treaty with Turath Nor, they may march south very soon indeed.
Norbotten: The seat of the Dwarven nation and the home of no clan. In the time of the clan wars Norbotten was a neutral stronghold where merchants came to trade. It was held by the minor clans and the clanless, and its neutrality was respected by all the great clans. Today it is the home of the royal stronghold and the hub of all business and trade in Bottengard.
Ostlo: The home of the Stonetooth clan and some of the richest mining in the kingdom. The Stonetooths are merchants first and warriors second. They are the most vocal opponents of the Bladebiter agenda toward war, and they are taking the lead with trying to forge a formal alliance with the Dragonborn nation. It is not an uncommon sight to see the dragon men about the streets of Ostlo, and the dwarves cater to them.
Alrik: Part fishing village, part mining town, Alrik is the seat of the Goldenforge clan. The engineers in Alrik are some of the most talented, and the series of locks they have devised to get their coal out of the mountains is no less impressive than the railroad network they have pioneered. The dwarves of Alrik care little about the brewing hostilities except for the gold it will add to their coffers when their coal fuels the machines of war.
Nulgard: For many generations the Ramshorn clan have raised sheep and goats in the hills on the Eastern border of of the Candor's Edge. Many small homesteads dot the hills, but most come to the fortress of Nulgard to trade and sell their stock. Always the poorest of the great clans, they have experianced some new prosperity in trading with the dragonborn. The scaled folk have a great taste for mutton, and the Ramshorn Clan coffers have never been so full.
Vingard: Of all the clans, the Ironforge have the best relationship with men. Vingard is the gateway to most of the trade that comes into the nation both along the roads and the Gulriver, and the seat of the Shieldcrafter's Guild. Men who come here had better have their papers in line, but so long as they conduct themselves well and follow the Dwarves laws they can expect to do their business and return home without bloodshed.
Dungard: Home of the Bladebiter clan, but not their ancestral home. When the great halls of Borengard fell to the Aradians during the last war, the Bladebiter clan was scattered and fell back to Norbotten. When the treaties were completed they raged at the decision, but eventually claimed the lowlands West of their mountain homes if for no reason than it could be used to stage a campaign to reclaim their ancient halls. Today Dungard is every bit a fortress preparing for war. It is mirrored by a human fortress across the river and nary a day passes that shots are not traded between the two.
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