Zietal Mar

Zietal Mar
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Chapter	One
Region	Zietal Mar Archipelago
Years Active	800 - 803 BY
Government	Governorship
Leader	Khestor Thidirlun
Status	Abandoned and overrun by Grol

A small Outpost, established on a strange island many weeks' travel from Bormar. Financed by Lord Voman Stoutheart, the objective of the Outpost was to, first and foremost, seek any clues as to the whereabouts of the legendary All-Gem, which was supposedly hidden on the archipelago.

Zietal Mar was established within the rough middle of the forest area of the island, in the shadow of Greencrown Peak, the tallest mountain on the island.

Appearance[edit | edit source]

In its earliest iteration, Zietal Mar was little more than a handful of tents with some campfires dotted around. As more Dwarves arrived, it quickly turned into a well-built and relatively organized settlement. Wood from the nearby forest and stone from the Greencrown Peak were the predominant building materials of the workshops and houses.

Later on, the Outpost would come to be surrounded by a large stone wall designed by a local smith, Tobias Aetos. An "Upper Holding" would later be established, with its houses dug straight into the side of Greencrown Peak.

Government and Politics[edit | edit source]

Early Days[edit | edit source]

In the first few weeks of the Outpost's existence, where most living spaces were still tents, Zietal Mar lacked any government, leader figure, or law enforcement. Over time it was deemed that a leader should be elected, with Zietal Mar’s lone priest Sigmarr Thoruva initiating the proceedings. The election resulted in the declaration of Kadol Ubbul, to the position of Overseer.

The Overseer would be supported by a Lower Chamber made up of a leader of the Outpost’s industrial matters, and religious pursuits, and a third position by the election’s runner-up to act as a check on the Overseer’s power.

Kadol Ubbul's Overseership[edit | edit source]

Having taken leadership at the very beginning of the Outpost's founding, there was not much Kadol was able to concretely establish in law or deed. He aided the local smiths in setting up a Guild and began discussions with Khestor Thidirlun to form an Outpost molir for protection and law enforcement. With the Outpost developing quickly, Kadol stepped down from his position, no longer believing that he was the right dwarf to lead.

The Lower Chamber under Overseer Ubbul[edit | edit source]

Industrial Matters - Lokro Surjah

Religious Pursuits - Sigmarr Thoruva

Runner-Up - Ogrona Frontik

Ogrona Frontik's Overseership[edit | edit source]

Overseer Frontik took the reins of outpost leadership straight after Kadol’s resignation, having put herself forward for the purpose in an Outpost meeting. From the beginning, it was agreed that this was only a temporary government in place only until an election could be organized.

While there was some debate over Ogrona’s intentions, a new election was indeed held several weeks later, with the only candidates being Ogrona Frontik and Khestor Thidirlun. The election closed with Khestor securing a landslide majority.

Khestor Thidirlun’s Governorship[edit | edit source]

The Banner of Zietal Mar's Marshal of the molir which later became synonymous with Khestor as Governor.

Khestor's reign was kicked off with a slew of changes as promised by his campaign of "Strength, Stability and Security." First, he abolished the Lower Chamber and changed the name of his position from Overseer to Governor.

Second, he created several new positions known as Consuls who would manage a particular aspect of Outpost life on behalf of the Governor. Three Consul officers were established: the Tributary Office managing the Outpost’s economy, the Office of Public Affairs for general management, and the Molir’s Office for military and law enforcement matters.

The Consuls under Governor Khestor[edit | edit source]

Consul of the Public Affairs Office - Ogrona Frontik, later Gib Andosk

Consul of the Tributary Office - Ilzar Goldspit

Consul of the Molir - Gramsik Lerch

Notable Policies[edit | edit source]

The Public Contributions Act - Introducing a form of taxation into the Outpost, planned to be used to pay for the Outpost's Molir, as well as public infrastructure projects and festivals.

Freedom of Information Act - Allowing citizens to gain access to any non-classified government document by requesting it from the Public Affairs Office.

The Official Guilds Act - Incentivising guilds to work together and with the government through a number of means.

Controversies[edit | edit source]

Early into his Governorship, Khestor was approached by Grabhol Faulkrunn, a local Jeweller, who offered an opportunity for Khestor to join him in running a criminal enterprise in the Outpost. Khestor believed that this would allow him to keep an eye on the Outpost's underworld while also allowing him to profit off of it. Eventually, this partnership fell through after the murder of the mad dwarf Yorbear Greenfoot by Grabhol and Khestor. Khestor ended the agreement, which led to Grabhol started a quasi-guild with likeminded Dwarves, which he named the Umbral Hand. Its membership included Grinamor Yelsik and Har Bohn.

The guild quickly became an anti-Khestor faction which was advocating for a new election and an overhall of Zietal Mar's political system. Commanded by Khestor, the Outpost's molir raided the Umbral Hand's headquarters but never found evidence of criminal activity or a planned insurrection. Grabhol was killed by Grol soon after, and the Umbral Hand disbanded with his death. Unfortunately for Khestor, Grabhol left several diaries behind which detailed the history of their agreement. He used his relationships in the Outpost to have the diaries decreed as nothing more than slanderous lies, which soon became the accepted belief. With that, Grabhol Faulkrunn and the Umbral Hand became little more than a memory, and Governor Khestor's political dominance of Zietal Mar was assured.

Economy[edit | edit source]

The economy of Zietal Mar was quite varied. The nature of the outpost's isolation left them with little connection to Bormar's extensive trade networks. As a result, the Outpost was entirely self-sufficient, and a great variety of goods could be found in its walls.

Local Currency[edit | edit source]

Due to its far-flung status and tenuous hold on the island, Bormar belnings were never issued to the Outpost, and the Dwarves of Zietal Mar were allowed to create their own coinage. The first bank of Zietal Mar, built and run by Moddoh Surjah, utilized a simple currency of stamped gold nuggets, laconically labeled 'Banker Coins'.

Despite its simplicity, the coinage quickly gained a small hold, with traders and shopkeepers using it as their go-to currency. Unfortunately, with not too many services available and a glut of gold ore within the mines, the currency had few uses. Plans to re-make the currency were made, with some agreements about the new names of the coins. Sadly the new currency never got past the planning stages.

Religion[edit | edit source]

The Outpost itself did not hold any specific beliefs, other than maintaining its own deeptunnel.

Strangely, Zietal Mar was home to a single 'priest' who devoted himself primarily to The Loving God. This priest, Sigmarr Thoruva, was usually around for ceremonial events and other gatherings, but more often than not kept to himself in a large statue of the Loving God, that he had carved himself.

Notable Locations[edit | edit source]

Fort Thidir[edit | edit source]

Fort Thidir was the stronghold of Zietal Mar, located in the area known as the "Upper Holding". The fort was designed to act as a final line of defense for the Outpost and is a central hub of its government. Its initial construction was commissioned by Marshal Khestor and designed by Sigmarr Thoruva, who was designated its Chief Architect. Despite never being completed, Fort Thidir saw repeated use by the Outpost in the dangers that it faced, including the final assault of the Grol and the last stand of Zietal Mar.

Fort Thidir had the following features:

"The Tube", a one-hundred-meter spiraling staircase.
The Government Wing, a corridor for the offices of the Zietal Mar Government.
The Bunker, complete with security systems and escape routing.
The 'Anvil Gate' Portcullis - a final door able to be formed out of fallen anvils.
The 'Airlock' doors to verify the identity of those wishing to enter, and to trap those unwelcome.
External Lava pools to push attackers into.
Pathway flooding to slow the progression of attackers.

The Cuckoo[edit | edit source]

The Cuckoo was a top-of-the-line ship built in Bormar and initially commanded by Captain Ivar. The vessel was initially sent to deliver resources to Zietal Mar but was rocked by bad weather and storms. Supplies were lost, sickness had spread and three Dwarves were put down due to a minor mutiny.

As they arrived at the archipelago, the ship was ambushed by Grol mercenaries. The ship was left in ruins as it finally entered the bay between the Red Hills and the Green Forest, close to the Zietal Mar. Farmir was the sole survivor of the massacre and ended up holing himself in a small house in Zietal Mar.

Once the ship was liberated from the Grol occupation by Marshal Khestor and the Zietal Mar, it underwent multiple repair efforts until eventually having been speedily restored to an operational state.

The statue of the Loving God towering over the forest surrounding Zietal Mar

This was done out of the rightful fear that the Dwarves may need to flee the Outpost due to the wrath of Lord Voman Stoutheart. The Cuckoo played a vital role in the last days of Zietal Mar.

The Statue of the Loving God[edit | edit source]

While Zietal Mar was no more or less religious than any other part of Bormar, there was one resident who was a keen follower of the Loving God, Sigmarr Thoruva. This lone priest's greatest contribution to both his god and his Outpost was a truly massive statue that dominated the landscape. The priest also lived inside the statue and did so until its departure. It is unknown if the great statue survived Zietal Mar's fall.

The Outpost Public Library[edit | edit source]

While not the most glorious building in Zietal Mar, the Outpost Public Library held the vast majority of the writings of its resident Dwarves. While not unexpected at an Outpost of this size, the one in Zietal Mar was particularly populated due to its well-written populace. The Outpost Public Library was managed by Ogrona Frontik, and its catalog contains tomes such as:

Timeline[edit | edit source]

The first settlers arrive.
A perimeter is established, along with a mine.
The Grol are discovered living in the Red Hills.
The Outpost is ravaged by two thieves, who are immediately executed.
The dangers of Forest Trolls are discovered, with the death of Urrin.
The Outpost upgrades from tents to proper houses.
The Public Servant, the first Outpost publication, is written and distributed by Ortho Berukahs.
Moddoh Surjah establishes the first Bank, with its coinage starting to be established.
Ortho Berukahs is driven from Zietal Mar and flees back to Bormar.
Kadol Ubbul is elected as the first Overseer.
The Outpost is officially named: Zietal Mar, roughly translated in Old Dwarven as the "New Mar Mountains".
Zietal Mar's Molir is established with Khestor Thidirlun as its Marshal.
A mighty storm rolls in, signaling bad weather for weeks.
A plague of Swamphoppers descends on the island.
The Dwarves trek to the swamp, to put an end to the Bog Kings and the plague of frogs.
Lokro Surjah, Grandin Thorsbane, and Bram Tuthil contract the Black Quiver disease.
The disease spreads to a handful of other Dwarves, and an effort begins for the purpose of finding a cure.
Librarian Ogrona Frontik scours the island and unearths musty journals with clues to a cure.
The Dwarves delve into a magma spout to obtain an ingredient for the cure.
The Black Quiver disease is eradicated within Zietal Mar.
Khestor is voted in as Overseer.
Fort Thidir begins construction.
The Umbral Hand Guild begins to gain more power to itself.
An Amanita Colossi is discovered and swiftly dispatched after an attack by mushroom-infected Jerl Bulls.
Ogrona Frontik and Ilzar Goldspit marry.
The various ruined journals and tattered pages found around the island are finally pieced together.
The dark history of the island is discovered.
Lord Voman Stoutheart is declared an enemy of the Outpost, by Khestor.
Zietal Mar begins its fortifications.
The chamber containing the All-Gem is found.
The chamber is opened after an encounter with the Grol and the All-Gem is recovered.
A lengthy vote on what to do with the All-Gem begins.
The Dwarves vote to destroy the All-Gem and flee the island on The Cuckoo.
A fleet of ships is spotted approaching from the east.
The Dwarves board The Cuckoo and abandon Zietal Mar.
Alekan Indrothath elects to stay behind, joining Kogan Gemesh.
The Fate Of Zietal Mar.

Notable Residents[edit | edit source]

A detailed census was kept by the government of the Outpost, in order to keep track of alive, missing, or deceased Dwarves. However, the tales of several of Zietal Mar's Dwarves have a deeper history:

Gallery[edit | edit source]

A map of the Outpost.
Zietal Mar in its infancy.
The Alchemist's Guild.
The Church of Zietal Mar.
The library.
Oldenkurn's Tavern.