Adapted from Absalom - PathfinderWiki
Khiz is the name given to the collection of independent dwarven city-states located in the Fellithar mountains of Southern Ravia. They are the largest center of dwarven culture on or beneath Memory. Namunz, the largest dwarven city on Memory is located under one of the tallest mountains of Range, the lofty Emperor's Peak.
Khiz Nation 20
Government: Hold Council
Population: 521,000
Key Features:
The Great Forge - An immense forge cavern where master dwarven smiths craft legendary weapons and armor. It contains ancient hammers and anvils imbued with powerful magic.
Sky Citadels - Massive dwarven fortress-cities carved into the mountains. Namunz is the oldest and greatest, a testament to dwarven stoneworking.
Iron Guard - Renowned military force sworn to defend the Sky Citadels and the High King at any cost. Their steel armor never rusts.
Gemhalls of Namunz - Glittering halls adorned with extravagant works of art made from precious gemstones and metals. A symbol of Khiz's mineral wealth.
Khazad Falls - Thundering underground river plunging into vast cavern dotted with shimmering mineral deposits. Used to power ingenious machines.
Deep Roads - An immense subterranean highway system connecting Khiz's cities and holdings. Arching vaults glitter with carved runes.
Peak Gate - Imposing gates carved into the mountainsides as the primary above-ground entrances to Khiz's realm. Defended by powerful runes.
Geography
The Fellithar Mountains are a harsh and dangerous area of tall, imposing peaks, rich with ore and ironbloom mushrooms. The mountains are mostly rocky with occasional plateaus. They are home to savage giants and bloodthirsty wildlife, with few natural resources worth exploiting. The nations that surround the mountains haven't establish settlements any closer than the foothills and don't approach the dwarven territory. They also do not interfere with the industry carried out by the stout folk in the higher reaches, although they usually conduct a profitable trade with the dwarves.
Dwarven lumber-mills work to procure timber and firewood to support tunneling operations in the forested foothills, and to provide light and heat below the surface.
Massive iron gates decorated with a huge dwarf faces carved above the entrance, guard all primary ways into to cities of the Five Kings Mountains. Smaller entrances located on high, otherwise inaccessible plateaus allow the stout folk to cultivate crops and provide grazing land for their herds. Additionally, many iron-grated tunnels ensure fresh air reaches even the deepest tunnels, and smoke and toxic gases can be safely vented away. Reservoirs have been built that catch the seasonal snow-melt and fill the subterranean cisterns with clear water.
Underground, the dwarves have done miracles of engineering. Deep inside the mountains lie sprawling megalopolises that stretch the length of the Fellithar Range. Nearly all dwarven settlements of Khiz are linked by long tunnels, though there are occasional tunnel collapses, or tunnels that are sealed on purpose, in places like Dark Furnace Crag or the sealed-off ancient city of Shar; travelers are forced to travel above ground in these cases. The stout folk have constructed sturdy, iron gates throughout these tunnels, having learned their lesson during the orc invasions. The gates are usually open to help facilitate travel and commerce between the cities. For safety reasons, the dwarven cities are arranged in dozens of discrete semi-autonomous caverns.
Tunnels and caverns are supported by enduring vaulted arches. The dwarven tunnels are well planned, smoothed, and rune-curved, and the halls and passages of the dwarven cavern-cities are hung with rich tapestries and banners to honor their history, heroes, leaders, and gods.
Despite the dwarven ability to see in the dark, most of the inhabited areas in the dwarven settlements are lit by oil lamps, tallow candles, torches, or magic spells, because the dwarves appreciate color and the play of light. Their mines are never lit with true fire due to the existence of explosive gases.
Economy
Khiz is renowned for its top-notch metalwork, gemstones, and other crafted items, but its cities have also nurtured robust trade partnerships with neighboring nations.
Government
The region has no central authority, as each of the various city-states has its own government and traditions. Because it is the only remaining Sky Citadel in the range, the city of Namunz is considered the de jure capital.
High King Bragnhar the Hale convenes a meeting of the Gathering Council, composed of the rulers of Bresheaf, Eeblerags, Fellithar, Heral, Hewis, Hoontor, Kuharlaka, Mampa, Namunz, and Shar once every 200 years. The meetings of the Gathering Council are known to go on for months.
History
The Quest for Sky
The massive earthquakes caused by Titanfall not only devastated the surface but shook the dwarves' Subterran tunnels as well. Their priests declared that this fulfilled the Forgemaster's prophecy, and initiated a mass migration of all dwarves to the surface known as the Quest for Sky. Some dwarves refused their call and chose to remain in their ancient cities. Over the millennia, those left behind were transformed by their environment into the duergar.
This massive movement of people was not without its problems. As they left their ancient homes and moved closer to the surface, they displaced their ancient enemies, the orcs, triggering countless battles and driving the orcs upwards as well. The dwarves also squabbled amongst themselves, even erupting into open warfare that stalled the Quest for Sky. It was not until the great king Taargick united the dwarves through diplomacy, wisdom, and quite a bit of coercion that the migration was resumed. Taargick crowned himself the king of all dwarves and founded the kingdom of Vendrarvor, and the dwarves first emerged on the surface in the Felithar Range.
Populating the surface world
Upon their arrival on Golarion's surface, the dwarves discovered that their migration had unleashed a deluge of orcs, and that their enemies had easily overpowered the few peoples who had survived Titanfall and the subsequent Age of Darkness. In order to better defend themselves, and to commemorate the successful completion of the Quest for Sky, they built 10 massive city fortresses known as Sky Citadels. The first and greatest of these Sky Citadels was Namunz in the Fellithar Mountains and it was from here that the rulers of Vendrarvor started to bring civilization back to the decimated world. Even though the orcs and dwarves continued fighting, the Sky Citadels, combined with the sun's return at the end of the Age of Darkness, gave the dwarves significant tactical advantages over the next 1,000 years. Once the orcs had been driven back into the hills and mountains, the dwarves began a rapid expansion of their domain, coupled with rapid population growth that led to their golden age.
Decline of Vendrarvor
Sadly nothing lasts forever, and the golden age of Vendrarvor was no exception. The orcs, once confined to the edges of the civilized world, gained in strength and began attacking the Sky Citadels. Under the command of Azogh, the greatest orc hero of all time, they conquered the Sky Citadel of Koldukar (now known as Ekhnugh). This defeat, and the loss of other Sky Citadels in the subsequent centuries, led to a decline in dwarven power and prestige. Even though Vendrarvor continued into the Age of Enthronement, it never recaptured its lost greatness.
Era of the Five Kings
The government of Vendrarvor finally collapsed, leaving each of the four remaining occupied Sky Citadels to fend for itsel. As the first and greatest of the Sky Citadels, Namunz held as special place in the imaginations of the dwarves, and it was around this great fortress-city that a new dwarven kingdom rose after the disbanding of Vendrarvor.
Five separate dwarven nations were founded around Numunz in the decade following Vendrarvor's collapse, each ruled by one of five brothers.
A mere nine years after the founding of the last of the five kingdoms, the first of no less than nineteen civil wars broke out. Known as the Five Kings War, it lasted 700 years before the kings of the five nations finally negotiated the Kerse Accord with the help of a delegation of Kalistocrats. This treaty ended the civil wars and began a long-lasting peace.
The peace lasted 160 years before the dwarves' ancient enemy, the orcs, invaded the dwarven kingdoms. One by one the five kingdoms collapsed and their great cities fell to their enemy; the only city to resist was Numunz. With the demise of the other five kingdoms, the Era of the Five Kings was over.
The Wild Era and Tar Khadurrm
During the Wild Era, which followed the Era of the Five Kings and lasted almost 700 years, the orcs controlled the FellidarMountains with only Numunz remaining to defend the dwarven and human civilizations in the area.
Khadon the Mighty arrived in the Fellidar Mountains to destroy the orcs and end their 700-year occupation of the region. After 82 years of war, Khadon finally defeated the orcs at the Battle of Splitmist Pass, and founded the empire of Tar Khadurrm. The city of Jernashall was founded under the mountains and became the pre-eminent city of the new empire and later its capital. Jernashall's sister city of Raseri Kanton was founded on the surface, and became a vital trade center in the region. For 500 years, Tar Khadurrm and its cities flourished until the Rending of Dark Furnace Crag.
The Rending
The volcano named Dark Furnace Crag erupted, destroying Jernashall and its sister city of Raseri Kanton, and forcing many dwarves to flee their ancestral homeland. This event, known as the Rending, broke the spirit of the dwarves and marked the beginning of the decline of Tar Khadurrm, as the dwarves fell into apathy and indifference. King Talhrik the Industrious tried to inject spirit and ethics back into his people, but after his death the dwarves once again fractured. Ordrik Talhrik murdered his cousin, Garbold Talhrik, and seized the throne attempting to create a theocracy. The resulting Forge War raged for 13 years. Generals loyal to the true crown fought to keep their kingdom united but failed. Ordrik declared himself theocrat and commanded all dwarves to work in the name of his patron deity The Dark Smith. For nearly 100 years, the dwarves of Khiz lost every sense of art and beauty, and their craftsmanship became merely adequate. Many dwarves fled to the other nearby dwarven settlements. In the end, priests could not maintain their hold on the other dwarves and Ordrik's theocracy crumbled with entire settlements abandoned. Some, especially treasure-hungry Pathfinders, believe that many of these dwarves left in such a hurry that they abandoned great wealth that still lies entombed within these abandoned locations
Recent developments
In the 250 years since the Dark Smith's Kingdom faltered (a period known as the Collapsed Era) no single dwarf has been able to unite his people in Khiz. The remaining four Sky Citadels are great metropolises, but none can claim to be more than a city-state. No one has emerged with the will, ability, and charisma to reunite the dwarves of Ravia into a single, unified people.
Inhabitants
Because more dwarves live in Khiz than anywhere else on Memory, and because Namunz was the first and greatest of the mighty Sky Citadels to be built upon the completion of the Quest for Sky, the mountain range and its city-states hold a special place in the hearts and minds of many dwarves.
Khiz is also at the heart of a resurgent dwarven culture. Khizan dwarves are actively renewing connections with other dwarven nations that were cut off after the fall of Vendrarvor. They are also embracing ancient dwarven magical traditions, including the shamanic practices of the Khene’Ghil. This newfound pride in dwarven heritage has sparked greater interaction with the neighboring realm of Tordal. This collaboration between artisans from both cultures has resulted in the creation of exceptional works of art and utility, unparalleled in their beauty and functionality.
Albinath
The ancient red dragon known as Albinath, a mighty wyrm, has wandered this part of the world for over two millennia, establishing its lair in the Khiz’s Mountains. This formidable dragon, one of the mightiest on all of Memory, has earned the title of the "Scaled King of the Mountains." The dwarven dwellers here remain ever vigilant, wary of the possibility that their wrathful neighbor might resurface and unleash havoc.
Religion
Many aspects of dwarven society within Khiz revolves around the veneration of traditional dwarven deities. While the Master of the Forge is widely regarded as the foremost dwarven god (and mythological dwarven creator deity), he is just one part of the broader dwarven pantheon. The Taskmaster and the Tempered oversee battles, often held up as a mentor-mentee example, while the Mighty finds favor among more impulsive youths. Watchful Queen represents the roles of mothers, wives, daughters, and those providing emotional support, while The Golden Gift is invoked for guidance in matters of the heart—a challenge viewed akin to battle and craftsmanship. Dwarves involved in diplomacy seek the wisdom of the Peacemaker. Oathkeeper commands immense respect and is cited in formal oaths, like the common expression "Keeper witness these words." Within the broader dwarven pantheon, Debt Minder and the Dark Smith receive limited worship, although they are still recognized as essential, albeit less savory, facets of the dwarven experience and, consequently, the pantheon.
Civic Benefits
Organization benefits are companions, equipment, and feats that become available by building your reputation in Khiz.
Uncommon Civic Items
These Uncommon Items are available to the citizenry of Khiz.
Uncommon Civic Spells
The following uncommon spells are available to be taught to the citizenry of Khiz
Denizens
Constructs
Master Tier Constructs
Companions
Hirelings
Friends of the Khiz may request hired hands from the citizenry. Patrons will commission hirelings via public post; candidates will respond to individuals with a liked reputation. These Companions are expected to be provided a weekly stipend depicted on the table and generally expect a share of the spoils from a successful mission.
Experts
Allies of Khiz may request Experts from Prominent citizens. These captains of the industry will commission experts to individuals with an Admired reputation. These Companions are expected to be provided a weekly stipend depicted on the table and generally expect a share of the spoils from a successful mission.
Boons of Khiz
These Boons represent feats and equipment characters can spend favor on as they build reputation with Khiz
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