Dwarven Thralls, The

The Dwarven Thralls

Empire of Duty, Stone, and Oath

In the tongues of men, the dwarven empire is called the Dwarven Thralls.

To outsiders, thrall might sound like chains and slavery.
To dwarves, it means something very different.

A Thrall is a dwarf who lives in obedience and loyalty to:

• Their gods (especially the deep powers of stone),
• The Empirical Council that guides all dwarven halls,
• And the old ways of the dwarf—craft, clan, and unbroken duty.

To be a Thrall is to be duty-bound:
a worker, warrior, or craftsman who has given their life to hard work, lawful order, and the honor of dwarven kind. The name is worn with pride.

The Four Kingdoms of the Thralls

The Dwarven Thralls stretch from the hills north of the Riddari, up through the Ingens Mountains, and down toward the frozen plains of Akultok. Within this harsh realm lie four great dwarven kingdoms:

• Sudrholl – The Southern Hall
  Hill-dwarves in the rocky uplands north of Kohta. Young by dwarven standards, more used to trade and river traffic, but still stubborn and stone-true.
• Fjallholl – The Mountain Hall
  The oldest and most populated kingdom, carved along the high spine of the Ingens. Ancient peak-holds, deep forges, and the oldest laws.
• Hvitrholl – The White Hall
  Dwarves of the cold north slopes, standing between mountain and ice. Grim workers, hard drinkers, sharp wits, and masters of enchanted craft.
• Nororholl – The Northern Hall
  Roving clans and hidden holds in the flat white wastes near the Vunsk Ocean. Few words, fierce independence, and endless war against the horrors of Akultok.

Each kingdom keeps its own customs and rulers, but all are counted as Thralls—bound in common loyalty to dwarven gods, dwarven law, and dwarven ways.

The Empirical Council

The Empirical Council is the guiding heart of the Dwarven Thralls:

• 4 councillors chosen by the kings (one from each kingdom)
• 4 councillors elected within the kingdoms
• 1 councillor chosen by the god Dumathoin, when a stone statue speaks a dwarf’s name aloud

Dwarves serve the council not as slaves, but as willing Thralls—freely giving their strength and skill to uphold the safety and order of all dwarven halls.

The council rarely meddles in small matters. It speaks when all dwarves are at stake: war, great roads, deep threats, and pacts between kingdoms.

How Others See Them

To the outside world, the Dwarven Thralls are:

• Relentless workers
• Unyielding warriors
• And unyielding traditionalists who hold to duty even when it hurts

You may never see more than a Sudrholl caravan guard, a traveling smith, or a single envoy from the high halls. But somewhere beyond the hills and snow, millions of dwarven hands are still at work—thralls to their god, their council, and their ancient, stubborn way of life.

You said:

Keep this exactly as is, but change "millions" to "thousands".

ChatGPT said:

The Dwarven Thralls

Empire of Duty, Stone, and Oath

In the tongues of men, the dwarven empire is called the Dwarven Thralls.

To outsiders, thrall might sound like chains and slavery.
To dwarves, it means something very different.

A Thrall is a dwarf who lives in obedience and loyalty to:

• Their gods (especially the deep powers of stone),
• The Empirical Council that guides all dwarven halls,
• And the old ways of the dwarf—craft, clan, and unbroken duty.

To be a Thrall is to be duty-bound:
a worker, warrior, or craftsman who has given their life to hard work, lawful order, and the honor of dwarven kind. The name is worn with pride.

The Four Kingdoms of the Thralls

The Dwarven Thralls stretch from the hills north of the Riddari, up through the Ingens Mountains, and down toward the frozen plains of Akultok. Within this harsh realm lie four great dwarven kingdoms:

• Sudrholl – The Southern Hall
  Hill-dwarves in the rocky uplands north of Kohta. Young by dwarven standards, more used to trade and river traffic, but still stubborn and stone-true.
• Fjallholl – The Mountain Hall
  The oldest and most populated kingdom, carved along the high spine of the Ingens. Ancient peak-holds, deep forges, and the oldest laws.
• Hvitrholl – The White Hall
  Dwarves of the cold north slopes, standing between mountain and ice. Grim workers, hard drinkers, sharp wits, and masters of enchanted craft.
• Nororholl – The Northern Hall
  Roving clans and hidden holds in the flat white wastes near the Vunsk Ocean. Few words, fierce independence, and endless war against the horrors of Akultok.

Each kingdom keeps its own customs and rulers, but all are counted as Thralls—bound in common loyalty to dwarven gods, dwarven law, and dwarven ways.

The Empirical Council

The Empirical Council is the guiding heart of the Dwarven Thralls:

• 4 councillors chosen by the kings (one from each kingdom)
• 4 councillors elected within the kingdoms
• 1 councillor chosen by the god Dumathoin, when a stone statue speaks a dwarf’s name aloud

Dwarves serve the council not as slaves, but as willing Thralls—freely giving their strength and skill to uphold the safety and order of all dwarven halls.

The council rarely meddles in small matters. It speaks when all dwarves are at stake: war, great roads, deep threats, and pacts between kingdoms.

How Others See Them

To the outside world, the Dwarven Thralls are:

• Relentless workers
• Unyielding warriors
• And unyielding traditionalists who hold to duty even when it hurts

You may never see more than a Sudrholl caravan guard, a traveling smith, or a single envoy from the high halls. But somewhere beyond the hills and snow, thousands of dwarven hands are still at work—thralls to their god, their council, and their ancient, stubborn way of life.