Gilden

The Gilden, often referred to as Dwarves by Humans due to their short stature are the second-most populous race of the Mainland after Humans. Most Gilden never leave the borders of Gildenhome or live among Humans or other peoples and few outside of Halfling or Human circuit traders along the Travelers' Roads ever spend much time in the Gildenhome Mountainhomes and heartlands. The ancestral Dwarven homeland was the underground Mountainhome and after its destruction, a disaster the Gilden still refer to as the Zustash Roroash (lit. "Ancient Calamity"), the few survivors and refugees founded the nation of Gildenhome early in the mythical Time of the Eight. Those survivors who made it to the surface adapted to become a semi-subterranean species, often carving shallow fortresses into mountains and hillsides, and then using the excavated material to construct above ground commercial and craft centers. Over the centuries following that catastrophe they have slowly but steadily expanded to several large Mountainhomes and Hill Cities and have for centuries controlled most of the northeastern peninsula of the Mainland outside of the Scar formed by the destruction of their fallen homeland. Outside of a few negotiated settlements like the granting of land to Church leadership to create the Temporal Authority and the return of Hakan to the Hakani, Gildenhome has mostly kept to their borders established in ancient times. The Scar remains mostly a wasteland of horrors and destruction though many Servitors, monsters, and Free Gnomes have made it home over the ages.

Master crafters, expert bankers, well-trained and armed soldiers, and skilled traders, bands of Dwarves can be found in most any major urban center, often living in (or confined to) ethnic districts. Dwarven goods, especially worked metal arms and armors, are accepted as the pinnacle of craft, and are much sought after by the wealthy. Nations rely to one degree or another on Dwarven gold to function and while Dwarven banks are trusted, Dwarven bankers are often seen as shrewd and legalistic. The general Dwarven philosophy is one of resilience, stoicism, and pursuit of personal excellence. Many Dwarves learn family trades assigned in their youth which they will work for the centuries of their lives and never question their place or travel far from their birthplace. Dwarves who become adventurers tend to come from wanderers, traders and mercenaries hoping the risk is worth it, outcasts, religious weirdos, troublemakers, iconoclasts, the disowned or disgraced, and others who are pushed out of a society that often demands rigid conformity and rule-following.

Contrary to common Human stereotypes which often expect Dwarves to be gruff/asocial and greedy traders, most Gilden are extremely social and collaborative and thrive only when working closely with others. From a young age most are expected to work together with their peers in workshops, workcamps, and work training which make up most of formal education system. Colleagues are expected to spend time together outside work to improve team bonds and most enjoy doing so. Even small and rough mining or timber outposts will often construct a cafeteria/tavern shortly after a barracks. One of the most common phobias for Gilden is being trapped alone as a sole survivor and there have been many cases of Dwarves who never recovered after suffering that kind of trauma even for a few days. One of the most common goals or ambitions for Gilden is to complete a complex project and have their peers agree that "all craftdwarfship is of the highest quality" and pride for particularly well-executed works will be bragged about for generations. To a far greater degree than any Human nation, the residents of Gildenhome work collectively and cooperatively with a much higher degree of direct control and planning to constantly improve their homes and infrastructure. Perhaps even more than their slow birth rate, part of the reason Gildenhome has not been very expansionist through the steady rise over their history is that few want to leave to found new settlements while there are always so many more improvements that could be made at home. The greatest and oldest of Mountainhomes still always have new improvement projects and public works ongoing, but even over the slower pace of Dwarven generations mining camps, border towns, and crossroads slowly expand into settlements then some into Hill Cities and some eventually into Mountainhomes.

Dwarves have long been a powerful bloc among the leadership of the Alexandrian Church and following the splitting of the church now make up a large majority of the leadership of the Eastern Church. The recent elevation of a young Dwarf as Arch-Warden to immediately succeed another Dwarf seems to indicate they intend to hold on to the position for many decades. While technically following the letter of the treaties which ended the War of Schism there are few if any Western churches other than the border trading areas and any Protest-Stand groups or cults would be even more unwelcome and persecuted. Dwarves make up the up the majority of the Travelers and several other Eastern Church-aligned Paladin orders and are very rare among Western Church- or Protest-Stand-aligned orders.

Relationship with other peoples

Halflings travel across the roads and rivers of Gildenhome much as they do across the Human nations. Gilden tend to dislike watercraft and few can swim well, but they are excellent bridge builders and the major roads through Gildenhome have bridges of exceptional size and quality. Boat Halfling families run ferries on crossings too far for even Dwarven engineering as well as river barges up and down the interior waterways and nearby Gildenhome settlements will often contract their services for centuries-long contracts. Many of the oldest and well-established for generations Boat tribes have adopted Gilden-style naming conventions so formally passed titles like "Bethenalay LimulOtad-RodukEsrel XXII" (lit. translation "gold hand - ferry queen the 22nd") are considered by the Gilden to be far more reputable and trustworthy compared to the seasonal Road Halfling and Human traders who may not return for several months or more likely never again. Sometimes Road bands with large herds of sheep and goats will be contracted to help clear plants alongside the Adlethor's Road or prior to new construction projects, but otherwise few large herding Road bands are allowed far beyond the borders without prior authorization. Gildenhome is fiercely protective of their claim on all plant, animal, and mineral resources within their borders and have often come into minor conflict with Halfling herders, druids, gold panners, fishers, or others who didn't have the proper permissions. Smaller Road bands are generally allowed but encouraged to stick to the Boat Tribe settlements and keep moving.

Gnomes have a particularly complicated relationship with Dwarves mostly dating to the Gnomish Vassalage and exacerbated more recently by the Gilden-Gnomish War, but prejudices vary from Gnome to Gnome and Dwarf to Dwarf. Many Gnomes and Dwarves are still alive and have memories and grudges from the recent troubles between Hakan and Gildenhome. They remain frequent trading partners especially for high-end specialty goods, gems, and refined metals traded overland or sometimes by ship along the port cities of Hakani Bay

Gildenhome practiced slavery of Kobolds and Goblins from the Scar following the Gnomish Vassalage until the end of the Gilden-Gnomish War. Kobolds, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs, and other Servitor groups and monsters who wander the Scar are still frequently in armed conflict with Dwarves.

Gilden travel throughout the human nations, but most most direct trade is with their neighbors in the Temporal Authority, Fresia, and Flannary. In recent years there have been expanding Gildenhome mining interests in the Ulan and non-affiliated trading cities along the Silver Road such as Handlestadt. During the Green Flu, Gilden forces extended their control to the mouth of the Grenrhusk River and cleared several cities (including Handelat) full of zombies then razed their buildings and walls to create a series of 3 large fortresses along the river approaching the Bay of Shallows. Their conflicts with the Neo-Alexandrians in Nia-Agliare have resulted in a mostly effective blockade from river and overland commerce. Following the Gilden-Hakani War and the collapse of much of the Fresian border areas many Dwarven cities and enclaves instead make use of Human indentured servants and short-term contractors to cover non-desirable jobs especially in agriculture. While many Gilden were alive and have memories of the Calamity of the 1400s, most humans descendants of those who gladly accepted decades-long contracts in troubled times now are more likely to have conflicts over pay, rules, and restrictions in those contracts. Arranging for sufficient willing workers and expelling those who make trouble to maintain production quotas is an ongoing issue among Gildenhome and the humans who live within and near the borders.