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Bormar is a Dwarven nation of skilled craftsmen, rich nobles, hard workers, endless trade, thriving industry, and immeasurable wealth. It is a culture that strives for excellence in one's pursuits, particularly those which result in great monetary reward as it is wealth and ability that confers power in Bormar.
= Origins =
Once, Bormar was simply the name of a small vale in the middle of the mighty Mar mountain range. It was populated by '''[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]''', goats and little else. The Dwarves there lived in sundry holdings, scattered across the grey valley, led by their wisest and most respected. They rejoiced in a simple prosperity, revered craftsmanship and respected their '''[[Gods]]'''. Although life was simply, it was happy.▼
 
While neighboring nations scoff at the mountain realm, calling it corrupt and other less-polite terms, they do so in private, for it is unwise to risk the ire of the Dwarves of the Mar Mountains. All of the world’s wealth passes through its sundry holdings at one point or another, and it is nearly impossible to avoid its might and influence. For this is Bormar, the epicenter of civilization; the beating heart of the world; the incomparable nation of the Dwarven people.
As the Mar Mountains sat at the heart of the known world, no one could go from north to south, or east to west without first passing through them. At some point, some Dwarves within Bormar had the idea to ask for a toll for those passing through. Traders and travellers would make their way through the mountains, paying the Dwarves on the way, making them very rich as time went on.
 
== Early History ==
The Dwarves saw there was more opportunities to be had, not in hoarding the wealth, but using it. Trading with caravans that were passing through and then selling those goods on to other caravans from elsewhere, the Dwarves of Bormar slowly made their profit. The keeps overlooking the passes became gatehouses and then hubs of trade, where a caravan from the north could buy goods from the south, without having to go through the laborious journey across the mountains.▼
▲Once, Bormar was simply the name of a small vale in the middle of the mighty Mar mountain rangeMountains. It was populated by '''[[Dwarf|hard-working Dwarves]]''', goatsbleating Mar Goats, and little else. The Dwarves there lived in sundry holdings, scattered across the greygray valley, led by their wisest and most respected elders. They rejoiced in a simple prosperity, reveredrevering craftsmanship and respectedrespecting their '''[[many Gods]]'''. Although life was simplysimple, it was happy.
 
With the Mar Mountains sitting at the heart of the known world, no one could go from North to South or East to West without first passing through them, often causing great disruption to the peaceful lives of the mountain Dwarves. Eventually, some of them decided to make the most of these circumstances and began tolling travelers passing through their holdings, becoming the first Dwarven Passkeepers. The territory of the Dwarves was far safer than the rest of the Mar Mountains, and traders and travelers happily paid the fee for safe passage. Over time, the wealth gained from this scheme allowed the Dwarves to expand into other valleys and across the mountain range, earning even greater wealth from their tolls and tariffs.
Those settlements in the Bormar valley all soon realised the prosperity this new way could bring and so they founded their own keeps and conducted their own trade. Combining their strength was the next natural step, which they did and shortly afterwards formed the First House to server as a council among all of Bormar, to ensure no hold or community would be left without its share. Bormar slowly stopped becoming the name of a small valley and instead, the name of a mighty nation.▼
 
▲TheSoon the Dwarves saw that there waswere even more opportunities to be had, not in hoarding the wealth, but using it. Trading with caravans that were passing through and then selling those goods on to other caravans from elsewhere, the Dwarves of Bormar slowly madeincreased their profitprofits exponentially. TheTheir keepshumble overlookingvillages thebecame passesbustling becametrade gatehouseshubs, and thentheir hubswooden holds became great stone keeps, creating a vast network of secure trade, routes where a caravan from the northNorth could buy goods from the south,South without having to go throughmake the laborious journey across the mountains.
= Leadership =
In its earliest days, Bormar was led by its elders, known as ''yanka''. These sage-elders used to command the loyalties of entire holds, but have long-since been displaced as ruling powers by the Lords and Ladies of Bormar. However, to this day, Dwarves will give credence and authority to one respected, trusted member of a community. These Dwarves, still referred to as ''yanka'', are not necessarily all old, but have proven their competence in one way or another.
 
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These elders hold no official power and typically their authority only comes to play in times when a community needs arbitration or leadership, though their counsel is often sought from younger Dwarves when faced with a dilemma or an important decision.
 
== Government ==
Currently, the region of Bormar is led by the '''[[First House]]''', found in the capital city of '''[[Ereben]]'''.
In its earliest days, the communities that would eventually form the nation of Bormar were led by their elders, known in Old Dwarven as yankad (/''yon-cod''/). These Dwarves of wisdom once held the respect of all, with entire holds deferring to their sage advice. This archaic institution has long been replaced by Bormar’s current system of governance–the Lords and Ladies of Bormar, particularly those within the First House.
 
To the Dwarves of Bormar, wealth is a sign of ability, a measure used to compare one Dwarf to another in simple terms. It is in this spirit that a Dwarf ascends to nobility, for what makes a noble of Bormar is not their heritage or bloodline, but instead their ability to acquire and produce wealth. While Lords and Ladies are chosen from the wealthiest Dwarf in their community, the First Lords and Ladies of the First House are the wealthiest Dwarves in the entire nation.
= Military =▼
There are two types of Military forces in Bormar, the local [[Molir|Molirs]] and the Bormar Armies:
 
The First House is the highest governing body of the nation and is located in the great city of Ereben. Composed of the nation’s one-hundred richest Lords and Ladies, the First House is a pedigree as old as the nation itself. The First House is a lofty institution existing in representation of and authority over all of Bormar. The House–as it is commonly referred–has sole authority to make new laws, appoint nobles, and conduct diplomacy with other nations.
===Molir===▼
Every holding has, to a lesser or greater size, its own militia, called [[molir]] (pronounced mow-leer) in Dwarven. These militias are under the command (and financing) of the holding's Lord or Lady, and are local dwarves-at-arms and volunteers who undergo training to defend their holding in times of necessity. In the modern day, though, those times of necessity essentially never come. In most holdings, the militia is synonymous with law enforcement, watching for thieves, guarding prisons and investigating crimes. The few holdings that make active use of their militia in a martial context lie on the very far edges of Bormar, where, on the rare occasion, a raiding party is bold enough to attempt to sack a Bormar settlement.▼
Militias, however, are not allowed to leave the borders of their holding. For needs that exceed those of the local settlement, such as wars or rebellions, the armies may be called.
 
Below the First House in status and authority is Bormar’s general nobility. These Lords and Ladies are tasked with the daily administration of the realm, specifically with ensuring that their trade is uninterrupted. Each Lord and Lady oversees one of the many thousands of administrative divisions known as holdings (e.g. The Holding of Garum’s Hall).
===Bormar Armies===
Whereas militias exist for the protection of individual holdings, the armies are both the nation's defense and offense. Each army is led by a General who answers to the First House. The armies are funded and commanded by the First House, and are distinct from militias in the quality of their equipment, the skill of their combatants, size and purpose.
Bormar has not fought a war since two and a quarter centuries ago, and so the armies today are primarily used in keeping the vast stretches of Bormar's mountainous geography as safe and law-abiding as possible. To this end, these days, the most common enemies an armydwarf (the common term for them) faces are not lines of opposing infantry but wildlife and bandits. Each army is a few hundred dwarves strong, but in the modern day an army never gathers in one place (and indeed even historically this has been a rarity), being posted over a large stretch of land, seeing more than a few other people in that army at a time is unusual.
 
== ReligionOutposts ==
Bormar's great appetite has never been fully quenched by its mountainous homeland. It is for these reasons that the First House created the Office of Outpost Affairs (“OOA”) to organize and administer “expeditionary holdings”, known today as Outposts. Today, a vast network of these far-flung colonies dot the world, and each pays its dues to Bormar, propelling its industry and trade further than it ever could if kept within the Mar Mountains.
The Dwarves of Bormar have long revered a large pantheon of '''[[Gods]]''', but to the surprise of many foreigners, all this seems to have little impact on day-to-day life.
 
It is not uncommon for more adventurous Dwarves to take up residency at an Outpost due to the extraordinary opportunities they provide. Some find what they seek, but many others find terrible fates on the fringes of the world. That being said, with great risk comes great reward, and it is not at all uncommon to find a Dwarf entering the nobility on the riches they earned during their adventures at an Outpost.
Spirituality is less of an organised, codified religion as it is in some places and more a large collection of superstitions. These practices are nearly all performed not out of a sense of piety, but to please a given God, or ward off their displeasure and thus be lucky. Conversely, some acts are avoided out of a belief that they offend the God in question and are thus unlucky.
 
▲== Military ==
The lists of these various lucky and unlucky acts vary from region to region and in day-to-day practices, but the list of Gods themselves remain consistent across Bormar.
 
▲=== The Molir ===
Thus, with 'religion' being highly specific to the Dwarf in question, such things as the meaning of life, the origin of the world or what happens to a Dwarf upon death are usually debates found in the more scholarly meeting halls.
▲Every holding has, to varying extents, a lessermilitia, orcommonly greaterknown size,in itsOld ownDwarven militia,as calledthe [[molir]] (pronounced /''mow-leer''/) in Dwarven. These militias are undercommanded–and the command (and financing) offinanced–by the holding's Lord or Lady. Typically, andthe aremolir is made of local dwarves-at-arms and volunteers who undergo training to defend their holding in times of necessity. In the modern day, though, those times of necessity essentially never come. In most holdings, the militia is synonymous with law enforcement, watching for thieves, guarding prisons, and investigating crimes. The few holdings that make active use of their militia in a martial context lie on the very far edges of Bormar, where, on the rare occasion, a raiding party is bold enough to attempt to sack a Bormar settlement.
 
A central principle of the molir is they are forbidden to operate outside the borders of their holding. There is however a sole exception in that the First House can demand the services of a holding’s molir to face greater threats. These groups of Dwarven warriors–sometimes referred to as armies or legions–are, at the end of the day, an assembly of multiple molir under the united command of the First House. While this is extremely uncommon nowadays, every Lord and Lady is expected to keep their holding’s molir fit for duty in case they are called to serve their nation.
Bormar stories state that the Gods only reveal their true names to their most devoted; in practice they are nearly always referred to by their sphere of interest; the Ruling God, the Cooking God, etc. The Gods are all associated with an activity or a craft, not materials or mere 'things'. Whilst 'God' is the used term for deities in Bormar, it is important to remember that not all of them are male.
 
Religious fervour is exceedingly rare in Bormar, but not unheard of. They are mostly seen as a bit quirky or odd by other Dwarves. Typically, religious-minded Dwarves tend to form groups for solidarity. The most powerful of these sometimes pool their resources into pursuing some goal and encouraging the rest of their people to pay greater heed to the Gods. Groups willing to pursue their agendas with forceful means are mercifully rare. Such groups, such as the insular Pure Ones, the terrifying Children Of The Warring God and the mystic Others, are usually spoken of as entertaining historical trivia, rather than with reverence, fear or loathing. Were it not for their popularity as the antagonists of action novels, it is likely the average Bormar Dwarf would not even know of their existence.
 
Still, it would be incorrect to say that the Bormar do not care about their Gods, or matters of spirituality. Indeed, a certain sense of fidelity to the Gods is seen as a virtue in Bormar, and conversely, indifference to them is seen as shameful. It is simply that they take a much more mundane view of it than most other cultures and nations - the lives of the Gods do not revolve around mortals, and the lives of mortals do not revolve around the Gods.
 
With this more mundane view on religion, other religions are not considered as being fake, or mutually exclusive with other religions. A Bormar Dwarf visiting '''[[Maele]]''' might join in prayer with the surrounding Humans out of respect for their hosts and their deity and see no contradiction or 'disloyalty' on their part.
 
= Geography =
 
* Koreggi Mountains - south part of Bormar
* Galita Bluffs
* Ereben - unofficial capital city
*
 
= Timeline =
 
*
*
*
* 0 AC (50 Bormar Calendar) - The Aerin Calendar is adopted.
*
* 396 AC - Attempted coup by The Children Of The Warring God.
* 812 - Present Day.
 
= Demographics =
Bormar is predominantly populated by Dwarves, though in some towns the occasional Human may take residence. Grol traders are seldom seen, but not unheard of. Whilst these inhabitants do not face any sort of discrimination, they frequently find themselves not integrating fully into the communal atmosphere of Bormar.
[[Category:Unfinished]]
[[Category:Places of Interest]]
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