Kingdom of Gold and Iron

Kingdom of Gold and Iron
Ruler	God-kings of the Dwarven pantheon
Government	Benevolent overlordship
Languages	Dwarven
Religions	Dwarven pantheon

The Kingdom of Gold and Iron is a legendary nation, said to be the first home of the dwarves. The ageless gods of the dwarves established grand subterranean communities in the Depths, populated by their many mortal children, who inhabited this civilization with deific guidance. Under the watchful and benevolent eyes of the gods the dwarves built a great nation for themselves, a haven of safety and prosperity in the dark and chaotic underground. Eventually the Kingdom grew too full for the gods. They ascended into fully divinity, leaving behind their recorded wisdom for the mortal society they had established to continue to grow and thrive.

Legends

Exact descriptions of the Kingdom vary depending on who recounts the story, as they have diverged with time, but many common elements remain across culture. It is said to have been located in a massive cavern in the Depths, with all of its entrances well-defended by the finest stonework and weapons the dwarves could create. Inside the cavern was a large lake with impossibly clear water that never exhausted or turned dirty. Wide avenues crossed the Kingdom, along which were the houses, stores, workshops, and temples of the dwarves, all of which were finely decorated in reliefs inset with gemstones and covered with gold leaf. So much precious metal was used to decorate the Kingdom, in fact, that it all glittered and shone in the light of the gas lanterns and lamps that could be found along every street. In the middle of the Kingdom, surrounded by a large garden of every mushroom to be found in the Depths, lie the temples of the dwarven god-kings, from which they surveyed their subjects and imparted their teachings.

But the Kingdom's prosperity was not to last, as with time came complacency. Just as today there were many hostile denizens of the Depths against whom the dwarves had to defend their realm and protect their magnificent works. This watchfulness began to falter as the clans who had been given the role of guards grew excessively proud and self-confident in the fortifications they had built. They disregarded their duties for too long, and eventually in one impossibly large assault the monsters of the dark overwhelmed the walls of the Kingdom. As their promenades, palaces, and workshops alike were overrun, the dwarves fought as long as they could but were eventually forced to flee, scattering through the Depths. Most made their way to the surface for the first time, while others remained underground as they attempted to set up new realms in the image of the Kingdom. For their part in allowing the Kingdom to fall, the clans that neglected their responsibilities were cursed by the gods, who turned them into the duergar.

Modern-day

Dwarves vary greatly in how literally they interpret these ancient stories of the Kingdom. Many, especially the most staunchly traditionalist, believe the Kingdom of Gold and Iron to have been a real place, a lost subterranean realm to be rediscovered and reclaimed. Others see the Kingdom as far more metaphorical, a story from which lessons can be drawn but which should not be taken literally. Still, remote dwarven communities and those who have become quite culturally distinct still retain these legends - regardless of any historical veracity, they have proven to be greatly enduring in dwarven societies across Kishar.

Across the millennia, many dwarves have attempted to find the Kingdom, yet all with no success so far. Some are convinced that it was located in the most isolated parts of the Depths, perhaps far enough underground in a place where dwarves cannot survive without magical or technological means, protected from the heat of the planet by some divine barrier. Others hold the opinion that perhaps the underground sea of Kur was once their Kingdom. Theories abound, though none have been proved despite the countless expeditions sent to find the Kingdom.

One millenarian group of dwarves has established a new Kingdom under the belief that their ascended gods will return once more in Y10000^* if a suitable realm for them is established.