Varn Torum

Origins
Varn Torum is a dwarven nation in western Eldham. The dwarves of Varn Torum were carved from the stone of the earth, and granted life by the Goddess Yora. Afterwards, the God of Blood, Tokad, would pour the fiery crimnson liquid of long deceased giants into the dwarves' veins, granting them the strength of said giants. Gifted by the gods and strenghtened by giants, the carving of the mountains would start soon after. Indeed, the mountains themselves would bend to the will of the dwarves, offering their insides to serve as homes to the little folk, and their treasures would remain hidden no more. Iron and gold and diamonds flowed like rivers, and the dried blood of the dwarven folk would be found deep under the earth in the form of strange red ores, named in the tongue od the small folk as ard'sonn and known in the common tongue as redstone, capable of powering incredible machinery. Yet another proof that the place of a dwarf is under the mountains.

Stranger yet is the appearence of counsin races to the dwarves. Namely the forest gnomes from the region of Onthukhan, known in their native tongue as Maddrakki, who used to enslave so called "inferior races", such as trolls, goblins, ogres and the snow elves of modern day Anglunia.

It is very important that you know the difference between a gnome and a dwarf, or risk making both very, very mad.

Founding and Early History
The dwarves had come from a land far away, in the cold north, but no contact was made with the fatherland in hundreds of years, and no one knows what happened to the remaining mountain folk in their far away underkingdoms. Scattered and spread through Rathnir, one dwarf attempted to change that once the opportunity presented itself. Player Captainflaresoul (Infernus "Flare" Torum) had had a vision from the Tokora that a new land was about to be discovered, and for weeks did he plan to create a new dwarven underkingdom innit. Just when doubt began to present itself within his mind, Eldham was discovered by Athaz the Traveler, to the far east of Rathnir, and the race was on.

Infernus "Flare" Torum, alongside people such as Sueyuet, exttsector_z, GarriGoyle and Boggleboi, embarked on their an epic saga, and landed on a island now known as Dwarfall. Collecting the island's resources, they got into their boats and came ashore, and where they landed their eyes gazed upon a titanic mountain, the travelers wandering if their eyes were enchanted or if such an amazing structure was possible. They started working on what would become one of the most beautiful cities in all of eldham: Khun-Drakhar, and their first building was a humble granary, indeed the oldest in all of Varn Torum.

Also at the early days of Varn Torum did the story of the UNA (United Native Aliance) begin, for it was formed by the king of Varn Torum, with intentions of fending off colonization from Rathnir as a combined front, instead of disjointed forces.

Once the borders of Varn Torum's capital, Khun-Drakhar, were established, the dwarves would begin the construction of their grand halls and front gates. With construction being helmed by head architects exttsector_z and Sueyuet, the capital would begin to form within the mountain. Construction in these earlier periods had been slow, so while the mountain city was being worked on, the surrounding of the mountain would see some construction as well. Small homes tucked into the sides of the hills and large expansive farms were built, with the Gloomshroom Tavern also being built in this early period by BoggleboyTwitch. Eventually, the growth of the capital would lead BoggleboyTwitch to found a new city not far from the capital, on an island, and would name it Gloomshroom Isle. Along with the growth of the population, construction would be better facilitated, with the underground city getting two additional layers to the city. And so, on the 28th of may 2021 the nation of Arkaania was created, only for, in the very next day, be renamed as Varn Torum

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and the grueling work went on... Until they dug to such depths and with such greed that a creature that can only be described as demonic was found. The beast fought the dwarves on their undeground domain, and every inch lost was paid in blood. The titanic clash was eventually over, and the mountain folk won a strange prize: the glowing heart of the creature. Dwarven scientists took it back for testing and discovered that it was a powerful star that would emit a beam of light towards the sky. They named this star the Heart of the Mountain, for the creature was assumed to be the spirit of the mountain fighting back against invaders, not unlike your body and its imune system, and harnessed its energy to increase the efficiency of their digging, accelerating the process of developing the capital. How ironic.

Khun-Drakhar was indeed an awesome city, and many envied it. The king Flare had gotten a message from the emperor of the now long dead Ellysian Empire, claiming that Varn Torum lands were rightfully theirs. Blasphemy! All could agree that this was a blatant lie, and thus Varn Torum, Druk Yul and the UNA went to war against the Empire in the First Ellysian War, also known as the 5 Minutes War.

After the end of the war the Council of Varn Torum allowed a small coalition of nations, named Valesco, to settle down to the west of Varn Torum, since that was largely unclaimed land. However, there were already a few tribes of natives in there, claiming small bits and pieces of the so called unclaimed land. This nearly ended in war, involving Varn Torum, but in the end it this crisis culminated in the creation of the NL (Northern Lights) alliance.

After the creation of th NL, Varn Torum and Valesco were under threat once more. The nation of Iremith, a rathnirian nation with a colony northwest of Eldham, had come to claim more lands, and the NL prepared for war. Around the same time the nation of Limuria had entered a war with yet another rathnirian colony, but Varn Torum decided to intervene and help their fellow eldhamite nation. Shortly thereafter, due to internal political strife, Valesco broke up, allowing Iremith to ocupy their lands somewhat peacefully. The remanents of Valesco would later turn into Ravenguard. This all culminated in Varn Torum and Iremith signing a peace treaty that allowed Varn to ocupy a significant amount of land that was once Valesco.

Recent and Ongoing History
While the Kingdom was developing rather well, its diplomacy and decision making was being called into question by the council. This eventually led with the original High King, Captainflaresoul, stepping down entirely from government. Power peacefully transferred over to GarriGoyle, who would now rule as High King. Two administrators, exttsector_z and Sueyuet, were also chosen to be Diarchs in order to help the High King whenever necessary. Not long after this shift in government, Varn Torum saw a spike in tourism and population thanks to their newly picked recruiter, Gandalfthegay. This population spike led to Varn Torum developing walls to counter bandits, increasing housing for new members, and overhauling spawn and turning it into a shop. More projects are planned, with the heart of Khun-Drakhar about to undergo major construction. The reestablished Mallean Empire under the rule of Lord_Khan was also integrated into Varn Torum. As it Expanded Westward to protect its mining interests in the Ardoth-Tor Mesa's, it assumed the leadership of a number of smaller cities, many ruined and decaying, but two, the cities of Colectria and Xutichal welcomed their rule, though the latter rebelled due to a collapse of the ruling family.

As time went on, many more citizens would slowly find their way to Varn Torum, either through traditional channels of Advertising, in attempts to reconnect with and support many of the lost dwarven souls across Eldham, but also numerous Refugees and Migrants, fleeing to the area due to the Governments Support towards those who have gone through the same hardship they felt. Among those are the Cities of Saphirdorf and Kharbranth, both being created by refugees from the now colapsed Phoenia

Amethyst Imperialism
In the night of the 6th of november 2021 player L_OwO (Skippy the Gnome, minister of Culture for Varn Torum) discovered, while mining near to the capital of Khun Drakhar, a wonderfully purple cave full of amethyst. It was a massive geode of the precious resource, that could be used as building blocks, as lenses, as lamps and, strangely enough, as food. As far as the gnome knew, he was one of the very first to discover a geode in Eldham, and he promptly set up a shop for calcite, smooth basalt and the amethyst itself. Greed had moved him, for he took too long to claim the piece of land that included the geode. A few days later, while attempting to claim the geode as part of the capital alongside player exttsector_z (one of the diarchs), he found out that the resource had, by complete accident, been claimed by the newly founded kingdom of Tar'durgal, an island nation, also made of of dwarves. It was clear to both that they would need to negotiate with the king of Tar'durgal, player silver206

After a short time negotiating with the diarch, the king spoke directly to the gnome, and they shortly arrived in an agreement. Skippy would have mining and harvesting rights in the geode, as well as naming rights for having discovered the caves, but would need to forfeit the calcite that he had already collected over to Tar'durgal, as well as a mending book. There is also a law that was agreed upon when harvesting: one should not use any pickaxes above the stone level, for fear of accidentally and irreversibly destroying the amethyst generating blocks. The King of Tar'durgal, the High King of Varn Torum and Skippy the Gnome signed a contract to make the deal as official as possible.

In the night of the 12th of November 2021 player AtlasGX discovered a new amethyst geode, this time within Varn Torum lands, and thus the race towards claiming ownership of it was on.

The New Market
The recent economic growth in The Regency of Yaszuma caught the eyes of many a foreigner, and one such foreigner was player exttsector_z, Diarch of Varn Torum. Inspired by the trading that had brought forth riches for Yaszuma, Zector pitched the idea of an open market to his fellow councilmen and citizens. This market would be completely open, beneficial to citizens and foreigners alike, and with this plan, Zector intended to not only replicate but surpass Yaszuma's aforementioned economic growth. It was with this proposal that players DrRush and RedDetonator, both prominent architects and citizens of Varn Torum, were brought on board.

The three then came together to design the grand market, complete with plenty of space for merchants old and new. Whilst the general walls surrounding the market were dwarven in architecture, plot owners would be given freedom to design and build their shops, within certain rules. Taking from the traditional dwarven building materials, most pathways and walls are made entirely of a variety of stones. More specifically, it is predominantly stone bricks and cobble, classic mountain materials, that line the structures and make up the backbone of the market. These are then contrasted by the sharpness of the redstone and polished diorite, a show of wealth and nod to the blood of the dwarves itself.

Once the design satisfied the trio, they set about organizing the logistics behind the building efort which would in time involve several more of the citizenry. Due to DrRush's monumental efforts during the process, he was not only put in charge of overseeing construction, but even made a member of the council towards the second week of November. The market building effort initially came at a slow pace, with only a handful of citizens working on it, but a big push would come the week after. The 19th of November, Diarch Zector called for all citizens availible to assist in the building effort on the next evening, offering generous pay on behalf of the kingdom itself. And so it was that on the evening of the 20th many a citizen joined the group effort, consolidating the majority of the market's structures. The progress thereafter was quick, and by the 26th Diarch Zector had opened up official requests for shop or stall ownership, starting what may eventually be know as an era of economic prosperity for Varn Torum merchants.

The Market Poltergeist
Weeks into the functioning of the market it was well known that the facility was haunted by malignant spirits that enjoyed playing pranks on shoppers and market-goers. Little cross shaped monoliths made of pure bone have been found all over market grounds and, at first, the owners of market shops thought one thing: free bone blocks for stock! But they soon found that the more bones they took the more haunted the market grounds became, and they felt... watched, as if every corner had many pairs of evil eyes, not only seeing you but seeing through you.

It is commonly believed by historians and scholars that a mixture of the market being made on previously hallowed ground of what is now known as Varnian Cave Troll and at least 10 different people going missing, presumed dead by overdose, on the famously low-key and sketchy drug alley of Khun-Drakhar contribute to the hauntings, their spirits so high on cocaine and copium that they refuse to go to the afterlife and stay around to party forever, even at the espense of the still living.

Specialty Underground Farming
Whilst Khun-Drakhar has historically had underground farms to feed its populace, Engineer DrRush recently started working on brand new farms for a variety of goods, wanting to meet the needs of the populace. As such, dripstone, kelp, and moss are now being mass produced in the underbelly of the capital, with the farming wing seeing a second floor added to it. Rush, being a redstone savant, mechanized all of these farms, claiming to be too spoiled to farm manually if it can be avoided.

On the note of avoiding menial labour, once the design was completed and the stage was set, Rush was content to hire a builder to work on the main structures. Gaxys, an up-and-coming architect and builder who recently arrived in Varn Torum was tasked with building the hallways, whilst Rush focused on the farming contraptions he devised. With the motivation of a generous pay of 10K as well as building experience from the market, Gaxys quickly brought Rush's design to life. Once again these tunnels follow the classic style of dwarven architecture, using predominantly stone brick whilst highlighting with redstone and polished diorite. Whilst the farms themselves are complex and not easily used by the general populace, the hallways are now open to those curious to explore the new wing.

The War of the Fox and the Mountain
Whilst rivalry between the Oligarchy of Yaszuma and great dwarven nation Varn Torum historically have been great, tensions had been growing further in recent times. Under the pretexts of wanting to better the Northern Lights Alliance and the threat of coming war once the aforementioned alliance eventually dissolved, Yaszuma sought to coerce Varn Torum into becoming a mere province of theirs. As if this weren't insulting enough, Yaszumite leaders took it one step further and called Diarch Zector a coward for not submitting.

Angered by the threats and mockery he faced, as well as the possibility of Varn Torum suffering, Zector claimed he would dismantle Yaszuma if that's what it took to protect his nation and people. It with this as a justification that Yaszuma declared war on the evening of the 6th of December, giving the war one of it's most well known nicknames: Zector's War.

Despite several attempts to de-escalate, and even a selfless offer to step down from power on behalf of Zector himself, the stubborn Yaszumites kept on their path of violence and bloodshed. And so it was that despite Varn Torum's best efforts, a war was to be fought.

Defenses were designed and built under DrRush, notorious architect and engineer. Donation rallies to supply the nation in the war-time economy were put in place. Citizens were trained and enlisted into the Varn Torum Land Army, V.T.L.A. for short, if they desired to more directly protect their homeland. Like a well-oiled machine, the nation promptly prepared for the war, despite all their efforts to avoid such an outcome.

Structure
The Government is composed of the Council, the Diarchy, and the High King himself. The Council discusses with the Diarchs and High King on major issues, and votes on important issues or diplomatic situations. The Diarchs help administrate the nation with the High King, writing legislation and keeping everything in check. The High King himself manages the nation alongside the Diarchs while also doing diplomacy when necessary, however cannot make major decisions without consulting the Council.

Economy
Primarily run by a combination of independent freemen who run stalls and both produce and sell goods privately, however the state also has an additional supply and production system for the sake of creating public works and projects, which is funded and maintained by the Drakhari Council through a combination of Taxation and Donations.

Environment
A map in the making with all areas to be named for biomes;

Biome Map

Glow Berries
Of course, glow berries can be found all over eldham, but deep within the caves that make up the base for the city of Khun-Drakhar there exists many different types of such little fruits. They vary in size, luminocity, taste, and even colour! The dwarves have found them to be delicious and great for brewing many different types of berry beer, and jam! They are farmed underground alongside moss and azalea bushes.

Schnoz
Schnozi, the plurar version of schnoz, are underground creatures that have found that the strip mines that run beneath all of Varn Torum are suitable for living, as they hunt rats, bats and silverfish for food. Yes! They are flesh eaters, and their big noses hide a mouthfull of sharp teeth. Dwarves hunt the schnoz for their meat, to prevent overpupulation and because their snot is not only edible but flamable and can be used as lamp oil. Legends say that they are distantly related to dwarves, for the they are just as stocky, just as short, just as angry and have just as big of a nose. Beware when approaching one of these: if you aren't carefult it will have smelt you coming.

Varnian Cave Troll
The cave trolls of Varn Torum are the main predator on the underealm beneath Khun-Drakhar, and they mainly feed upon schnozi, glow berries, axoatl, fish and glow squids. They are extremely dangerous and one should never approach the territory of a troll without being an experienced hunter or, preferably, alongside a small army, for trolls are never too far from each other. They are fairly smart, being able to use simple tools and weapons, as well as crafting with flint and wood. They are basically on the paleolethic era when compared to the other races of eldham.

Demon of the Bowels
Also called Withers, these demons, as the name written upon here suggests, live amogst the deepest areas of the very bowels of the earth, so much so some believe they actually spend most of their life cycle beneath bedrock. They are extremely dangerous and even the mightest of varnian cave trolls dare not to get near the lair of one of these creatures. They are almost extinct for, even if they are absurdly dangerous, from their hearts you may gather the Wither Star: a singularly powerful artifact that is used to craft a supremely useful and supremely expensive beacon, albeit the iron that is needed to operate the beacon is found elsewhere.

Provinces
To be renamed when decided upon;

Glandar
The newly discovered Skippya Amethyst Caves, extremely close to the capital of Khun Drakhar, whose true location is know to precious few, bare the fruit of the very earth the dwarves were born from. Its discoverer wasn't a dwarf, but what he discovered there was fundamentally linked to the very soul of the mountain folk. A edible rock, known simply as Glandar, or Crystal Candy, that grows amongst the amethyst buds of the caves. It tastes like regular hard candy made of sugar, only the taste is more pronounced, and it smells of wet earth and mossy caves. The womb of the earth bares fruit once again, this time to satiate her oh so hungry children.

Sidenote: there are rumours that if you grind the Crystal Candy into a fine powder than sniff it all at once it has rather unusual effects on the minds of one would be user, namely accute euforia, followed by a prolongued period with no need for rest or sleep, then long days of lethargic lazyness, as the body struggles to move. This is untested, but not recommended either way, for one should always be careful when sniffing high amounts of anything.

Dwarin'Latrar
Dwarin'latrar, or Dwarven Carpaccio, is a piece of raw meat, usually beef, that is heavily seasoned with traditional underground grown spices and mushrooms, and it is eaten fresh. Traditionally, the meat that is used to make carpaccio is the best of the best, and usually the animal was raised in the open, with the best food and comfort, and perhaps even died of old age rather than being slaughtered. All of this makes for a pristine tasting experience, even if it is actually raw meat.

Heshmut
A skewer of salted northern cod and various vegetables. The dish is very flexible, able to have underground shrooms to baked potatoes.

Religions
The Tokoran Faith is the main religion of Varn Torum's people. Its symbols dot the walkways, hallways, and walls of the capital. You cant walk a few steps without seeing or touching a "Tokoran Cross."

Races
Varn Torum is truly a supremely diverse nation, and it includes, but is not limited too, races such as:


 * Dwarves
 * Humans
 * Gnomes
 * Various forms of vampires, such as respiten vampires
 * Various varieties of elves, such as ice and void elves
 * At least three different kinds of golems and constructs
 * Sentient Dust, brought to sentience by the sheer will power to live
 * Human-animal hybrids, including snow leopards and axoatl.
 * Void Infections ( Beware! do not approach under any circumstances!)

Languages
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