The Dwarfdom of Gald Alfrell

The Dwarfdom of Gald Alfrell, also known as the Alfrellian Imperium is an empire of dwarves located directly underneath North Teriam. The capital is known as Terrar Alfrell. The Dwarfdom is ruled by an emperor (Imperator) and queen, alongside a council called Alfrell's dozen, a council consisting of the ten most powerful dwarven noble houses in the Dwarfdom. Currently, the Imperator is Baeorth Alfrell and the queen is his wife Delia Alfrell. This nation is part of the Northern Triumvirate.

Unification - Circa 1000 years ago
The Dwarfdom of Gald Alfrell has stood for over 1000 years. It was at one point, the most powerful civilisation in the continent. Around 1000 years ago, the dwarves were fractured, with most clans staying to themselves, digging and mining at their own leisure. It is uncertain exactly when or how all of the dwarven clans were unified. The only information on this unification is that a member of the Alfrell Clan rose and unified the entire dwarven race in the Teriam underground.

The First Goblin Incursion - 542 ADM
The year is 542 ADM. The Imperium has reached its 200th year since its founding and so far, the Alfrell Empire stood strong against the myriad of threats that threatened it. From small goblin raids to formorians attacks, the Empire had withstood it all. The power of the united dwarves was challenged but had yet to be defeated and so for a time, the Empire knew relative peace. This would change in 542 ADM.

In the middle of the year 542 ADM, some settlements were going silent, with messages being sent but no replies were sent back. Patrols sent to investigate found only the empty wreckage and no survivors to be found. Over a dozen settlements were found destroyed. The cause of the attacks were eventually identified as goblins when goblins attacked a military outpost instead of a civilian settlement. The dwarves were able to repel the goblins but were shocked to find the goblins were more ferocious than usual. They fought with skill and ferocity than expected. Not only that but they had formed an alliance with the Formorians. The wrath of the Goblins and Formorians stemmed from their anger towards the Dwarves who had slaughtered thousands upon thousands of their kind. Although the goblins were generally a fractured race who fought amongst themselves more than they did anything else, the goblins hatred of the Dwarves were so great that for the first time in history, the goblins were united as one people, brought together by mutual hatred and desire for vengeance. With the culprits revealed, Gald Alfrell formally declared war upon the Goblins of the Void Caverns.

This first goblin blight was the smallest of the blights that would plague the Imperium but was devastating in its own right. Twenty thousand dwarves died in the three years of the First Goblin Incursion. It was only through sheer dwarvish stubbornness that the goblins were finally defeated and sent fleeing back to the void caverns to the south-east. This first incursion was only a taste of the goblin blights to come, each worse than the last. The Imperium's strength would be greatly tested in the wars to come.

The Empire throughout the years
The empire would flourish in the next 300 year, rapidly conquering territory and settling down.

In the 500th year of the unification, the Alfrellians were the most powerful faction in Teriam. No other civilisation even came close. No one could match the technology or sheer numbers that the dwarves could bring to bear.

By the 800th year, the empire was beginning to struggle under it's own sheer weight. The dwarves had expanded enormously and the strain of supplying and managing the entire empire was incredibly difficult.

Throughout these 1000 years, Gald Alfrell would also experience constant raids from the goblins of the Void Caverns. These raids, while small, began to pile on the issues straining the empire.

By the 1000th year, the empire is on the decline. Its once mighty army has been stretched dangerously thin. Its coffers were struggling to break even, with so many bills to pay. Its technology is stagnant, having not made a single bound in tech in at least 50 years.

People
The dwarves of this nation are a stout and proud people. They share many of the same qualities that their southern cousins have. They are short, with most reaching a height of 4 ft. They are broad shouldered and are generally regarded as stocky. A unique quality of the dwarves is the characteristic great big bushy beards. These beards start growing on the onset of puberty which is typically around 12 years of age. These beards never start growing and generally reach to their waist, with the hair being very durable and strong in nature, forming a natural and protective armor that protects the neck and torso. One other interesting characteristic of the dwarves is their ability to eat any mineral such as rocks and precious minerals, although they typically don’t don’t eat precious minerals in favour  of either hoarding them or using them as components. This ability to eat anything explains their ability to survive in the underground where little grows due to the lack of natural lights and lack of plentiful hunting game. The reproductive rate is relatively high, with the dwarves having a huge population of at least 1 million. Pregnancy generally takes 9 months.

Constitutional System
The Constitutional System of the Alfrell empire is split into two systems, the Imperator and Queen and the Alfrell's Dozen Council.

Governed by an absolute monarchy, the dwarven Imperator is the head of state and most powerful figure in the nation. The current Imperator is Baeorth Alfrell. The Alfrells have laid domain over the underground for nearly 1000 years and as such command much reverence and respect. It is a society where not strength determines rank and respect but the ability to build. There is a class system in place. The top class is the builder class. The builders and thinkers command the most respect and power. The top 5 noble houses of Gald Alfrell are builder houses. These builder houses are responsible for the technology in the empire. The military generally are ranked below the builder class with the exception of the leader of the entire Dwarven armed forces. This leader is known as the Gald Castellan.

Imperator
The Imperator is the head of state and most powerful figure in the entire empire. They have the last say in all matters and their power is absolute.

Alfrell's Dozen.

 * A council that consists of the heads of the top 10 political houses of Gald Alfrell. The Gald Castellan alongside the Commander of the Garrison are members of this secretive council as they represent the military arm of Gald Alfrell. Once assembled, this council of 12 determine the governing of the entire empire and as such are amongst the most ruthless, scrupulous and shrewd people in the entirety of the Dwarfdom.

Organisation of the Alfrellian Armed Forces
There are three distinct, separate branches of the Alfrellian army.

Infantry Corps

 * The dwarven infantry are trained in close quarter combat. They are equipped in full plate armor and wield halberds alongside large rectangular shields. They are known for their stubborn defense on the battlefield, known to die to the last man rather than retreat.

Ranger Corps

 * These soldiers are more lightly armored, wearing leather gear with mail underneath. They are expertly trained in the use of the firearms and often a single volley from one company will decide the result of a battle.

Guardian Corps

 * These soldiers are dwarves who were wounded in battle and could not be saved by medics. Their souls were then interned into the lifeless husks of steel golems. These golems were 12 ft in height and were imposing in form. The soul of the fallen warrior inhabits the golem and continue their protective duty in defense of their country. These fallen soldiers are known as Guardians.

Artillery Corps

 * These soldiers are specially trained to handle the explosive firepower of Gald Alfrell’s vast and varied artillery. The Dwarves boast great cannons, a larger and more powerful version of the ones fielded by the Caelish. They also make use of howitzers and mortars. The Artillery Corps are by far the best artillery in the world, boasting an accuracy and raw firepower that is not matched by any other military in the world.

Territories
This empire consists of 5 large cities, with the largest known as Terrar Alfrell which translates to Earth Kind. A simple name but apt, considering the environment. Located in the very heart of a massive cavernous system deep underneath the northernmost part of the continent, Terrar Alfrell is nearly 1.5 times the size of Caelum, with massive walls complemented by various pieces of powerful, state of the art artillery pieces at fixed positions. Guarded by a garrison force of nearly 10 000 strong of the empire’s finest, Terrar Alfrell stands as one of the best defended locations in Teriam. It also stands as the empire’s centre of trade.

Technology
They were the most technologically advanced civilisation in the world, with technological marvels such as plumbing, steam based tech and mechanical creatures. They possess near overwhelming firepower in the form of numerous forms of advanced artillery. They have cannons with multiple barrels, rifles, mortars and more. Such is the power of the Dwarves of the Tirith underground.