Dwarrow Crossing (Country)

Dwarrow Crossing is a country on the Northeastern area of Exorterra. It is dominated by mountains and houses a plethera of giants and other mountain creatures. It plays host to the mighty Node, Trigas' Heart. It is the home of the Dwarrows of Dwarrow Crossing.

History
Dwarrow Crossing was once a minor mining sect of the Dark Elven country of Spookshire, when a few dozen boats of Dwarrow refugees landed on it's Eastern coast the Dark Elves quickly attempted to drive them out. Led by a mighty warlord the Dwarrows managed to annex the entire area and named it Dwarrowhold, the country's name was later changed to Dwarrow Crossing to better suit its xenophobic culture and common movement of peoples.

Their land knew relative peace and even had trade with Spookshireon occasion. However this was ended when a certain Noble House of Spookshire, House Feth began kidnapping Dwarrow commoners and using them as mining slaves. War once again erupted betwixt the two races, and while the Dark Elves did manage to conquer the Dwarrow lands South of the Three Arms of Trigas they were subject to a surprise attack from the East during the Sack of Fane. The Dark Elves saw the fall of their mighty  temple as a sign that the Gods were angry with them, and once again signed a treaty with the Dwarrows. House Feth was stripped of its Noble status and a massive stretch of land between the two countries was annexed and named 'The Borderlands ' as a buffer between the two.

City States
The country is divided into a series of city states that all strive to work together and commonly trade heirs in order to facilitate learning of others. Each of these cities has an above ground structure (this can be an entire fortified town or simply a keep) and also a massive section underneath sometimes called the undercity.

Gathuram
Gathuram is sometimes called 'Trigas' Spiked

Dwarrowcrossing1.jpg
Pauldron' as it is located on the shoulder of the Third Arm. The spike part of the nickname comes from Gathuram Tower, a massive lighthouse erecting from the center of the city, constantly burning with a magical flame that no storm has ever extinguished. Gathuram's proximity to the Great Bay has made it fairly influenced by Dark Elven culture, and rather hardened by Goblin Raiders. Thusly Gathuram stands a massive monumental symbol of acceptance and power. It is usually the first city that travellers (or warlords) visiting Dwarrow Crossing find themselves in.

Nargundab
Similar to its sister city Nidas, Nargundab is a place of research and learning, however Nargundab is more engineering, biology, and military bent. While Nidas is more magic, history, and literature bent. Nargundab Dwarrows are famous for building the Dwarrow crossbows. It is also known that many of the Dwarrows that built Triagunuluz were from Nargundab. In the heart of the city surrounding Nargundab Keep is Lord's College, a massive school focusing on many studies.

Nidas
Located on the broken arm, Nidas is famed for being one of the more mystical of the Dwarrow states. The city is filled with alchemists, enchanters, scribes, and even one or two actual wizards. It is also home to Hordunach's University, a magical college. While most Dwarrow settlements are built into mountains or hills, Nidas simply digs into the earth, thusly the city is for the most part a gargantuan sinkhole surrounded by a wall.

Mindendhor
Mindendhor is the country's heart of craftsmanship and metalurgy. Most of the rock mined in Goldenvale and Trigas' Heart is transported to Mindendhor to be shaped. This is not to say all of the other cities lack craftsmanship, it is however Mindendhor's speciality.



Trigas' Heart
Trigas' Heart is the technical capital of the country. It is home to the massive Debate Hall of the Dwarrows and is the center of intrigue, politics, relations, and faith in the country. It was settled by Margahn the Mighty himself, in fact in the heart of the city sits Old Fort Margahn, the oldest Dwarrow Structure still in the country.

Glotfeld
Glotfeld is the most peaceful of the city-states. It has seldom ever had conflicts with any other city-states, mainly due to it having the most valuable resources in the land; food. Glotfeld is home to a massive number of gardens and farms. It produces more vegetables, fruits, meats, and spices than nearly anywhere on Exorterra. It is on the fertile Eastern region of Dwarrow Crossing, making it in a prime location to grow crops and livestock. The city gets its name from the wise man who built it, Glaemus Glot, the inventor of the modern Dwarrow language.

Whetstone
Whetstone is the most isolated of the city-states. It is on Whetstone Isle just off the Southeastern coast of Dwarrow Crossing. It is known for forging the mightiest warriors in all of Dwarrow Crossing. Families seeking to make their heirs into knights, warriors, or other martial occupations often send them to Whetstone. It is also home to a number of Knightly Orders and Warrior Guilds.

Goldenvale
Goldenvale is a major producer of gold, silver, copper, and gems. It is one of the wealthiest of the city-states and its people are often regarded as being gawdy, flamboyant, and complacent. The city itself is hardly made out of a mountain, it is for the most part constructed at the bottom of a massive jagged valley, giving it acess to all of it's fertile mountains.

Other Notable Settlements
Though the city-states of Dwarrow crossing are massive and populated, there are many Dwarrows who work fields, occupt forts, dig in small-scale mines, or simply travel from place to place. Some of the more significant and independent holdings are as follows:



Westwatch, Northwatch, Eastwatch, and Nore
Westwatch, Northwatch, and Eastwatch, collectively known as the Dragonguard Castles are a series of three castles that watch the Northern lands of Dwarrows Crossing. Originally their purpose was to kill approaching dragons or at least warn the rest of the country when one entered it. Now however they double as border-watches, deterring any invaders from the sea.

Nore is a town to the South of all of the keeps that is technically a dominion of Goldenvale. It is the headquarters of the Dragonguard, an ancient Dwarrow faction dedicated to the hunting and slaughtering of dragons. The town is also home to a group of Giants who have abandoned living in the mountains.

The Gauntlet
The Gauntlet was a castle founded to prevent the Dark Elves from getting across the Second Arm after the Dwarrows had taken the south of their land. It still stands today and is actively garissoned by mixed militia.

Climate and Geography
The Country of Dwarrow Crossing shares much with the crafts and character of its people. It is strong, it is hardy, it is unbreakable. The land stands tall as a series of mountains and moats, making it in and of itself a massive fortress. The Southern end of the land, West of the Three Arms of Trigas is simple enough; a three armed river, rolling hills, a few jagged peaks here and there just barely kissed by snow. But soon enough one moves Northeast and they meet the three arms. The first arm, once a massive landbridge has since been sunk by old magic, and is now known as the broken arm, which now opens up to Armfall Bay. This arm is the coldest of the three, and it hosts the two city-states of Nargundab and Nidas, it has few mountains, but its temperature and two armies make it an unwise choice if one wishes to march on the country, not to mention the watery gap between it and the Mainland makes transporting an army difficult.

South of the Broken Arm lies the Second Arm and The Gauntlet, it is said that this region was once referred to by the Dark Elves as 'The Dragon's Spine' as it is one of the most jagged areas in the country. The Second Arm hosts thousands of peaks, each having names lost in ancient times. If the height and the cold doesn't kill any daring to cross the second arm, the winds blowing in from the bay and the lake will.

Travel farther South and one finds the Third Arm. At first the Third Arm seems simple enough, it is temperate, almost tropical, and hosts no tricky hills or rivers. However the first Dwarrows of the land must have noticed this too as the massive city of Gathuram stands mighty as the Third Arm's Spiked Pauldron. Travellers to the country will find this city hospitable. It is influenced by both Dark Elves and Dustmen, and has a beautiful view of the Great Bay. However, invaders to the country will find Gathuram to be quite a challenge to take. It has four layers of walls, each one higher than the last, each garrisoned by dozens of towers, each hosting a guard force of an entire garrsion to its own.

Should one manage to cross one or all of the three arms they will find the three regions of the mainland. The Wintry North, the Steep Center, and the Wild South. The South of the land is fertile; made up of rivers, orchards, long mountains, and the guard of the mountains to it's Northern Border. One would think this region would host more than a single city and a couple of towns, the one who would think that has never spent a night in the South however. Outisde of the city and fortified towns the land runs ripe with Goblin Brigands, Wild Boars, and Dire Moose. The Dwarrows see no honor or glory in slaughtering beasts so they leave the wild plains of the land to it's business, happily farming and cooking in the center of the region from Glotfeld.

North of Glotfeld the mountains start to rise higher and higher, but none stands taller than the massive peak of Trigas' Heart, a node eminating with a powerful magical energy, an energy of a nature with alchemy and power. Trigas teaches the Dwarrows; "Brave the horrors of life, hold yourself and thy kin up from darkness, light hearths whence none can be found. Doth these things and stone will turn to gold 'ere thou" and the god's so called heart lives up to this; Trigas' Heart and the mountainous areas surrounding it run with thousands upon thousands of tunnels, each mine linking to another, lining the pockets of the Dwarrows with endless riches in exchange for their perserverance and hard work. The land itself is covered in snow-capped mountains which are in turn covered with watchtowers and fortresses, but if one can brave the cold stone and harsh snow of this center they will find the warm and welcoming hearths of the Dwarrow settlements.

To the North of Trigas' mighty mountain lies the Northern Region of Dwarrow Crossing. It is said this is the birthplace of Dwarrow honour. The land is a massive snowy waste hosting only massive peaks, frost covered bodies of water that blur the line between lake and land, and massive wooly rhinos. There are no cities in the North, only the Ruins of Tenath, the three Watchman's Castles, and the Town of Nore. It almost constantly rains and snows in the North, the land is battered by the rage of the seas, however it is the harshness of this area that has carved some of the greatest senses of duty and loyalty in Dwarrows. Often monarchs of various clans will spend years in the North before taking up the seat of their predecessor, so that their wealth and height will never sink in, and that they will always remember the harshness life has to offer.