The Dwarf-Goblin Alliance
The early Dwarven culture pre-dates the arrival of the Elves in Realmgard and has had a clear influence on later cultures to emerge on the continent, particularly in its middle regions. Notably, the –gard suffix derives from the Dwarven language.
Conversely, the Goblins are a later arrival on the continent, first recorded crossing over from the eastern continents towards the end of the Imperial period. The early Goblins were able to overwhelm the exhausted Imperial armies through sheer weight of numbers and establish an expansive but short-lived dominion in former Imperial territory.
Ultimately, both the Dwarves and Goblins established kingdoms in the Northwall Mountains, with the Dwarves largely settling the foothills and highlands of the mountains and the Goblins settling the comparatively low-lying lands of the Northwall Basin.
Competing territorial ambitions historically put the Dwarves and Goblins in conflict with one another, with numerous wars and border disputes fought over the centuries. Folkloric tradition and patriotic fervour have embellished and exaggerated the facts past the point of credulity, leading to many stories concerning the Ten Thousand Year War between the two kingdoms.
It should be noted, however, that neither kingdom has existed for ten thousand years.
Over time, however, and in the face of growing external threats from neighbouring kingdoms, the Dwarves and Goblins began to move towards conciliation and alliance, first initiating a loose alliance intended primarily for mutual defence in the face of foreign invasion and culminating in the establishment of a dual monarchy.
Properly and legally known as the “Alliance of the Crowns of Both Nations”, the Dwarf-Goblin alliance is generally referred to — for the sake of brevity — as a kingdom, though this is incorrect.
Under the Alliance’s own laws, both the Dwarven and Goblin kingdoms retain their status as discrete kingdoms. Rather than ruling one kingdom, the monarch of the Alliance is the single, united monarch of two kingdoms.
The monarchy of the Alliance is elective, with the members of most important families of the two kingdoms appointing the next monarch from among themselves. In theory, any eligible candidate may be elected and the monarchy is not meant to be hereditary. In practice, however, a few powerful families have dominated the elections and gone on to establish dynasties that are, for all intents and purposes, hereditary.
For the most part, the two kingdoms are self-governing, though sharing a common currency and other institutions of law and gonverment. The monarch retains ultimate and final authority in matters of law, though traditionally delegates to local authorities. The west remains primarily inhabited by Dwarves and the east by Goblins, though any citizen of the Alliance is legally entitled to free travel and settlement anywhere within the Alliance and there are also numerous mixed communities and many of the Alliance’s citizens are neither Dwarves nor Goblins.
The Alliance is widely known as one of Realmgard’s most ethnically diverse and tolerant states. This is not to say that there is no internal strife or conflict, though the Alliance does consciously try to project an image of forward-thinking tolerance and education.
A reminder to follow along for the rest of my month-long writing exercise. And also that I’ll be posting the next chapter of Charge of the Lyte Brigade tomorrow.
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