Maerdom

The architecture of Maerdom is ornate and ancient. There are mile wide chambers underground, "the crystal fields" where dwarves train, and brawl, and seed the earth with their blood so precious stones may grow. Some cities are stone, some steel. Some climb to the sky with their spires, others are rooted down to the very core of fertile mountains. There was once a religious square, with temples for many Dwarven gods, until The Triumvirate deconstructed or repurposed it.

Each city state has its own military which, due to dwarven sentiments, have always been well staffed by capable citizens.

There used to be temples across the cities for various deities, great centers of arts and entertainment. Cities used to be open to travelers, customs and cultures used to be exchanged fervently.

But now, many cities are walled off. The holy houses in which free worship were so recently permitted have been deconstructed, and the squares and halls where people would meet in good spirits have been repurposed for purposes often related to the military, which now conscripts most males.