Khaz-Ghondaz
National Symbol: Three Gold Bars arranged in a shield pattern.
National Colors: Gold
56% Dwarf
26% Halfling
18% Gnome
60% Pantheon
30% Ancestor Worship
10% Organized
(Economic Conglomerate System of Government) The Golden Dwarves are a society built around skill trade monopolies and crafting merit. Miners, Smiths, Jewel crafters, Carpenters, Masons, Shipwrights all have representation in the government. Law and order regulations are basically a series of unionized agreements between the head of each branch of trade. For Golden Dwarves if you do not have a craft, you are not a part of their society so they outsource many of their other functions to halflings and gnomes. Each of the trade monopolies field their own armies that are usually well armed and bear the livery from which trade they fight for.
Badlands: Hostile
Cenovia: Neutral
Commonwealth of Dail: Neutral
Eldarian Union: Hostile
Elven Triumvirate: Neutral
Empire of Grundar: Friendly
Grand Duchy of Montia: Neutral
Granelian Protectorate: Neutral
Hassarian Oligarchy: Neutral
Highlands: Friendly
Ichi Shogunate: Friendly
Idelan Republic: Friendly
Iron Dwarves: Friendly
Kingdom of Aldania: Neutral
Naga’s Landing: Hostile
Orc Horde: Hostile
Sahalan Sultanate: Neutral
Shaneier Elves: Neutral
Steel Dwarves: Friendly
Taisan Khanate: Neutral
The Dark Covenant: Hostile
Theocracy of Vespa: Friendly
Undying Lands: Hostile
Wolven Marches: Hostile
Currency is minted with a Hammer icon on it
Gold (gp) is used to buy luxury goods and high-end services
Silver (sp) is used to buy common quality goods and skilled labor
Copper (cp) is used to buy basic supplies goods and food
Average costs
Basic Food items: 1-3 copper
Luxury Food items: 10-15 copper
Basic Drinks: 1-3 copper
Luxury Drinks: 5-10 copper
Basic clothing: 25-50 copper
Average clothing: 25-50 silver
Luxury/High End clothing: 10-15 gold
Basic Lodging (Common Inn): 5-10 silver per night
Comfortable Lodging (High End Inn): 20-25 silver per night
Luxury Lodging (Private room with bath): 50-100 silver per night
Opulent/Noble Lodging (Private suite with multiple rooms): 10-15 gold per night
Transportation (Rented wagon/carriage): 10-15 silver per km
Weapons and Armor: Use Item costs
Golden Dwarf architecture is primarily underground and is grand in scale. Large cavernous cities are carved into the earth with stone and granite being the primary materials for everything including much of the furniture. Wealthy beyond most of the other nations in the world gold adorns just about almost all aesthetics and architectural designs and is used to help reflect light throughout the caverns. On the surface areas architecture is mostly halfling or gnomish medieval style housing in small hamlets.
Golden dwarf clothing is a mix of utility and opulence. When plying their trades they like hardy leather and wool clothing that doesn’t restrict movement. When not working they like to display their wealth in the form of jewelry often weaved into their hair and beards. They also like to incorporate metal shoulder pads or chest pieces with emblems of their trade etched into it even when in normal attire.
Typical Golden Dwarf cuisine includes heavy use of goat meat, dairy, cheeses, and mushrooms that are usually prepared grilled and smothered. Goats and rams are one of the few animals that don’t seem to mind the caverns or the mountains, and will eat just about anything so Golden Dwarves diet revolves heavily around them. Drinks are usually dairy or tea leaf based, and alcohol favors strong mushroom based liquors and fermented dairy spirits.
Music: Golden Dwarf music favors horns and pipes. Given the underground nature of their living both of these instrument types echo and carry throughout the vast caverns very well and when harmonized is very motivating to the crafters as they work. Singing is also a sense of pride for Golden dwarves and the more bass in the voice the more it is considered a good singing voice.
Literature: Golden Dwarves love contracts, and often pride themselves on making them so complex and elaborate that they can mire the negotiation in so many clauses that it works in their favor. Highly skilled at trades there is an abundance of literature available, especially when it comes to schematics or manuscripts on how to make something.
Entertainment/Theater: Gambling is second nature to most Golden dwarves who play a specific kind of card game that plays more like a negotiation than an actual game. It involves a lot of bluffing and can get quite spirited. Outside of card games Golden dwarves are big on athletic events that involve strength such as weightlifting and boulder tosses. Most of their theater performances are actually conducted by the halflings and gnomes they share their lands with and are a mix of folklore and historical plays and performances.
Golden Dwarves pride themselves on being master engineers and crafters. Their entire culture is a form of steampunk that is quite advanced compared to the rest of the world. They have everything from rudimentary harnessed electricity, to running water and plumbing. A major factor in how they survive life underground. Magic is not very widely used, as the dwarves prefer things be tangible and visible. They are wary of most magic users and view them as people who are taking the shortcut over hard work.
Elves and dwarves were the first races to appear on the continent, and the dwarves were digging out cities and mastering technology from the very beginning. While an ancient race the Golden Dwarves are the most progressive and friendly of the remaining three dwarf kingdoms. In centuries past tensions between the dwarves and elves boiled over into a massive worldwide war, where entire kingdoms of dwarves were wiped out by the High Elves. In return the dwarves began a scorched earth campaign against the High Elves. However not every dwarf participated in these destructive war efforts. From their island mountain, the Golden Dwarves were relatively isolated from the rest of the continent during the war and left out of much of the fighting. As dwarven crafters and merchants were driven from their homes, many of the refugees from around the world settled in Khaz-Ghondaz. This created a situation where the entire city state morphed into a collection of guild monopolies. Less concerned with the war raging on outside the Golden Dwarves were busy amassing huge amounts of wealth, mastering their trades, and creating impressively engineered technology. This also made them natural allies to Gnomes and Halflings who they share their lands with. Together all three races worked to create the initial scientific breakthroughs that would lead to steampunk technology. Focused mainly on improving the quality of life of everyday people. Plumbing in particular is the crowning achievement of this effort between the three races. Being from a mountain that is on an island, they also have the largest naval presence out on the seas, and make excellent sailors. Which they use their ships mostly as trade barges to ferry goods to other nations and shores. Because Golden dwarves are more mercantile, and less martial than the other dwarves they have the warmest diplomatic relations with other nations. The only exception being the evil nations, and the Eldarian Union, who they still hold a grudge against from the great war. The Golden Dwarves as they stand now, are a nation of proud merchants and crafters, who want to advance technology for the betterment of all.