Gildmire

The Kingdom of Gildmire is a primarily dwarvish nation located in the north of Tilen. It was founded in 814 ANG as a breakaway state of the failing Ironheart Empire by a group of hill dwarves led by the nation's first king, Rilln Hadra, and grown to become an economic superpower since.   History   After the Elven Rebellion of 640 ANG, growing separatist sentiment in the northeast of the Ironheart Empire was exacerbated by racial tensions between the hill, mountain, and dark dwarves. A notable hill dwarf general, Whikk Korll, with the support of local military forces and nobility, declared himself Thane of Gildmire in 808 ANG without endorsement from the Emperor, causing a brief occupation of the region which ended with Korll's surrender and execution. After word of the execution was revealed to the public, however, tensions reached a boiling point, with widespread riots and small-scale uprisings occurring across the territory. Seeing an opportunity to humble their greatest rival and gain new allies, the Litherian Empire declared war on the Ironhearts, forcing them to split their forces. Besieged from all sides, the death of the childless Emperor Jaarl III in Finalset of 813 sent the Empire into chaos. As Litheria and Everflame pushed to occupy the newly contested territory, Rilln Hadra - by this point the leader of the majority of Gildmirian separatist forces - struck a deal with the two nations that formally established the Kingdom of Gildmire.   Hadra, now king, set about securing the government of the fledgling nation. Allowing the Dark Dwarves to form the Republic of Duerga to avoid further racial tensions, he appointed a council of 8 Consuls, each responsible for a region of the country, who would serve in an advisory role to the King and manage the day-to-day affairs of rulership. The discovery of rich gold deposits underneath the unexplored Yithkre Swamp triggered an economic boom, leading to the rise of several influential private mining operations. Sensing opportunity, Hadra expanded the council to include 4 additional Consuls drawn from the richest of these businesses, allowing the profitable exploitation of the nation's natural resources while protecting government interests. This became especially critical during the reign of Hadra's successor, Phaare Sovvyn. Violent protests against the expansion of mining operations further north - an area believed to be populated by malevolent spirits - were calmed by an agreement to proceed only underground, though it did not prevent the mysterious disappearances of a number of miners in the area.   Due to its valuable exports, Gildmire quickly became allies with the neighbouring Baronies of Everflame, who sought allies against the emboldened Litherian Empire and reconstituted Ironheart Kingdom. This was formalised with the creation of the Alliance of Kings in 1282 ANG between the two nations and the Republic of Duerga, which expedited trade between the three countries and pledged military support in times of war.   Having few notable mages, Gildmire was unable to make large-scale use of the new magic of runecraft after its discovery in 1460 ANG, contributing significantly to its struggles in the First Arcane War two years later. Pitted against its former overlords, the Ironheart Kingdom, the nation was unable to launch successful offensives into the heavily defended mountain range surrounding Thronehold. While Thandorth was lost within months, a successful entrenchment was enacted around Bergen Keep. Fatigued by the hostile swamp - which some attribute to the actions of the spirits - the Ironheart armies were unable to proceed further and became mired in a drawn-out siege.   The succession of Benin Gaulus to the Ironheart throne in 1464 ANG and the subsequent armistice and alliance between it and Everflame came as a shock to Gildmire's populace, angering many of those who still harboured resentment for the mountain dwarves but giving hope to those who wished for reconciliation with them. Gildmirian forces, now no longer needed for defence, were sent south to join the invasion of Litheria. The camaraderie between Gildmirian soldiers fighting alongside Ironhearts in the invasion is cited by some as the turning point in relations between the two countries.   After the First Arcane War, relations between the dwarven nations did improve, though trade was significantly hampered by the destruction of much Gildmirian, Ironheart, and Everian infrastructure. Thanks to its significant metal reserves, Gildmire was not as impacted by the so-called 'Dark Age' as the rest of Tilendrel, but the consequences did exacerbate the already pervasive superstition of the country's people, who believed they had angered the spirits with their violence.   Uniquely, Gildmire did not rush to exploration of the Great Eastern Desert after the Lander Expedition, instead taking the opportunity to extend its mining expertise and financial services to private groups and governments alike in exchange for a share of whatever was recovered. With new technologies and forms of magic, the swamp could be tamed, and a number of new cities were founded in previously uninhabitable areas, including the nation's now-capital, Goldmarsh. Unfortunately, much of the technology was destroyed during or after the Darhemian War due to paranoia of its potential danger and fear of angering the spirits with their further use.

While its alliance with Everflame bound it to send its army to the invasion of Darhemia, the Gildmirian Queen, Kaarla Volke, took little interest in the matter, leaving the command of her armies to Everian generals. This led in part to the common perception of her as a coward, and her eventual removal from power in the Silent Coup of 2145, in which Consul Drorr Stonehand imprisoned her with the help of a number of traitorous guards and seized power.   The period of instability that followed - notable for the 'Merrd Gar Cerphen', or 'Month of Madness' in which six different monarchs ruled at various times - was brought to an end by the ascension of King Rhill Silverstream, also known as 'Rhill the Spirit-Touched', to the throne in 2148. Claiming mandate from the spirits, his rivals for the throne all mysteriously disappeared, or else submitted to his rule without complaint. While this led to soured relations with the Baronies of Everflame, who refused to accept the actions of spirits as explanation for such events, Gildmire's economy continued to grow as it established trade relations with the newly created Eastern Elves and Empire of Hin-Sung.   At the outbreak of the Second Arcane war in 2639, Gildmire turned to its fellow dwarven nations for aid, creating the short-lived Dwarven League with the Ironheart Kingdom. The refusal of Duerga to join, however, and its eventual alliance with the Baronies of Everflame and declaration of war with the Dwarven League reignited old prejudices against the Dark Dwarves. Relying mostly on its inhospitable terrain for defence and lending its armies to an Ironheart offensive into Forge's Eye, Gildmirian citizens quickly wearied of the draconian measures implemented in what they saw as someone else's war. This led to the dissolution of the Dwarven League in 2641 and a period of neutrality which lasted for the months leading up to the Armageddon Ritual.   The Armageddon Ritual destroyed large portions of Gildmirian cities, though the areas underground were mostly unaffected. Floods of swamp water ruined food supplies, and defunct mines became artificial lakes. Until the discovery of the ritual site by Everian investigators, many citizens believed the event to be the final action of the spirits, deeply angered by the war and forcing it to end. To speed up the rebuilding process, the newly coronated Queen Ceria has effectively given several businesses free reign over various cities, though whether they will be willing to give them up once the job is done remains an open question.     Culture   Gildmirian culture is deeply superstitious, yet paradoxically motivated by corporate efficiency. While worship of the New Gods is common, belief in spirits that dwell in the swamp is almost universal. What forms they take is a subject of much debate, with many classifying all types of monsters in the wild as 'spirits', including banshees, rust monsters, and water snakes. Others believe they represent the wills of dead ancestors, while a small portion of the population believes them to inhabit objects such as vines, trees, and rocks. Most Gildmirians spend the entire month of Underven underground, communicating with each other and the rest of the world only through low-level magic. This is no interruption to trade, however, as many businesses hire foreign workers and set up underground offices to ensure the continued flow of transactions.   Gildmirian art is focused primarily on nature, though often with changes or interpretations depending on the artist. A disgraced Litherian diplomat once commented that 'not only can they not draw anything accurately, they can't even agree on how to be inaccurate'. Realism, however, is not the goal - only representation of what is hidden, could be, should be, or might have been.   Especially in recent years, Gildmirian law is very lax towards private business, similar to Bentrelhold. The only exception is magewrighting, the sale of magical services, as magic is considered a rare gift, not to be used frivolously or taught in an academy - a source of much disagreement with its allies in Everflame and elsewhere.     Economy   The Gildmirian economy, while in the past heavily export-based, has now shifted more towards finance. The extensive expertise of Gildmirian businesspeople in fund management, as well as ancestral knowledge of mining, refining, diplomacy, and other trades has given the nation a reputation for reliability in banking and producing excellent advisors.     Military   The Gildmirian military is smaller than that of most other nations, and incorporates few spellcasters. The nation could be said to have a pacifist streak, though not for any ideological reasons; it is simply more profitable to remain neutral and continue to trade with both sides. Its swampy terrain makes it easily defensible, protecting it from outside invasion. Its tactics mostly mimic that of the Ironheart Kingdom, which were shared during the time of the Dwarven League, featuring the use of special-weather training and a 'defence in detail' approach when attacked.     Geography and Climate   Almost all of Gildmire's territory is made up of swamp, with occasional forests and mountains. Cities are often built atop stone pillars, with roads between them similarly rising above the terrain. The climate varies from near-arctic in the west to temperate in the east, though the heat-absorbent properties of the swamp water mitigate the changes in temperature. Thick fog is common, and claimed to be the result of a large gathering of spirits in one place. The ground, after centuries of exploitation, is mostly devoid of valuable materials, though some coal and silver mines remain in operation.