The Great Dwarven Kingdom

Situated in the Avalon Mountains north of Malai and south of Jor, the Great Dwarven Kingdom is actually the remnants of a much larger and ancient civilization that once covered the territory from the Avalon mountains all the way across the entire area now known as the Eastern Barbarian lands. Living in strongholds both above and beneath the surface, the dwarves of this vast kingdom ruled for millennia until their civilization finally collapsed some one to two thousand years prior to the collapse of the elves to the south. (1000-2000 B.E.)

The Dwarves that remain now rule over a vastly reduced kingdom, making their name for it more of a cry for the past than an indication of their current size or influence. They have completely moved into underground (or under mountain) strongholds in the Avalon Mountains, heavily fortified against any invaders. The are very wary of the Jorians, who have thus far left them alone, preferring to go around them rather than through them in their raids on Malai. The Dwarves have a decent trade going with Malai, and with some of the barbarian tribes to the east. They have far less contact with others, though they have not closed their doors completely.

The current Dwarven king is rumored to be very old and near death, but such rumors have been floating around for nearly a century. What is known is that no one outside of the Dwarves has seen the king face to face in quite some time.