Bragn

General History

The Bragn Union is an Independent nation built by two Races claiming descent from the god of the forge, the Gnomes and the Dwarves. Originally the Nation was in fact two separate nation states, each ruled separately by the Gnomes or the Dwarves. However, as other nations began to grow in the early centuries, the Dwarves of Linta and and the Gnomes of Carelius, saw what could be gained by joining together. There, in the mountains of Bragn they joined their forces and pledged to create a civilization that their Parent God would be proud of. The Bragn Union, as the nation came to be called, became famous for its impressive metallurgy and crafted work. The Dwarves would mine and smith the materials, and the Gnomes would design and assemble them. Each of the aspects of Purphoros embodied in this one independent state.

Culture

The people of Bragn are ruled by their craft, working tirelessly to produce items of quality. A Bragn Citizen's worth is judged by their ability to produce the best items of their trade. In Essence, Bragn is a true Meritocracy, a place where a citizen gains power depending on the quality of their work. The culture of Bragn reflects this, with pressure to always be working and perfecting your specific skill. Families will nearly always pressure or force their children to pick up the family trade, in an effort to keep the skill of a family ever improving and innovating down the bloodline. Massive Clans form from Gnome and Dwarf Families to further support their own skills. Architecture, Iron, Stone, are the same as blood, sweat, and tears. Festivals and pleasantries not associated with producing fine items are not present within Bragn, it is a nation of production.

Even magic in Bragn is considered a Trade, and many Gnomes become artificers or wizards to enhance their trade.

Contest of Skill

The Ruler of Bragn is decided when the previous ruler dies, or after they have held office for 100 years. The way in which it is decided is aligned with the rest of Bragn culture. Each prospective ruler will create an item of their trade to the best of their abilities, and the items will then be tested by the priests of Purphoros for imperfections and examined. Those that pass this test will then find their items thrown into the Bragn Volcano, where they claim the forge of Purphoros sits. The priests then wait for 7 days and 7 nights to recover all the items, at this point, there will only be one item left in pristine condition, blessed by Purphoros himself. The crafter of this item will rule Bragn until the next contest, where he must either retire or prove himself still worthy.

Races

The Races within Bragn are nearly entirely Dwarves and Gnomes, however, within recent years the government has allowed people of all races to obtain citizenship and prove themselves as crafters. This system helps boost competition among Bragn, as previously even the worst gnome or dwarven craftsmen were seen as better then the best of other race's craftsmen through Bragn Institution. Bragn also has an abundance of Slaves, used to do the menial labor. However, these slaves are not a conquered people, but rather indentured servants. people that have made deals with others in exchanged for servitude. As such, they are not treated as harshly as some slaves, and are seen within Bragn the same way people may look at the homeless. The Duergar in this aspect are an ethnicity of Dwarves descended from a few fallen clans that have gambled their lineages away on some ancient deals, causing those of Clan Duergar descent to be forced into slavery to pay off their debts in the worst of the Bragn mines.