Location
Ashdar is a region running along Teredahar's eastern coastline. It is bounded to the west and south by a succession of rivers and small inland seas that mark the borders of neighbouring realms. To the north is the Kingdom of Rime. South of Ashdar is the Republic of Din. Northwest is Syldar and southwest is Koldar. These borders are generally agreed upon by all of the states within despite the lack of a central governing body.
Landscape
Ashdar is primarily rugged, rocky, forested hills broken intermittently by a chain of mountains that have come to be called The Broken Teeth. These mountains are volcanic in nature, caused by a hotspot that drifted southward through the region for millennia and now fuels the Thunderperch volcano in Din. The volcanic nature of the mountains means the area around them is littered with hundreds of small, weathered cinder cones and lava-tube caverns. The oldest and most weathered peaks are at the region's northern end and the youngest are at the south.People & Commerce
The region's extensive cavern systems have become home to several clans of Mountain Dwarves, who colonized them to exploit gemstone deposits forged in the hearts of volcanoes. The Dwarves have settled nearly every peak of any significance, building fortified mountain-homes of both grand and humble scale. The rough terrain above-ground has limited surface colonization to a few outposts along the rivers and coastline, which exist primarily to trade with the below-ground settlements.The mountain-homes export mostly gemstones (amethyst and quartz in greatest quantities), as well as processed metal where ore is found and lumber from the region's extensive forests. Imports are primarily food and finished goods. The region's volcanic soil is well-suited to cultivation, but the terrain makes access difficult and the Dwarves do not care for toiling under the sun.Government
Ashdar was originally claimed by The Elvish Empire of Tan'Rar over 4000 years ago. They gave the region its name ("Stormland" in Ancient Elvish) but made little attempt to settle it. In present day there are a few Elvish settlements but neither they or the Dwarves who have colonized Ashdar's mountains recognize any central government. At various points in their history the mountain-home clans have forged alliances and federations but these tend to be short-lived treaties of convenience that simply last until parties are ready to fight over claims again. Nearly every clan is ruled by a patriarch who leads for life. Large families make succession an often-messy affair.Constant strife between the Dwarven clans has taken a huge toll on the mountain-homes. Fortresses are built, armed, conquered and abandoned by successive generations giving the mountains their name The Broken Teeth. Many of the Mountain Dwarves found elsewhere in Teredahar are refugees or survivors from these generational clan wars. Disposessed, homeless, and bereft of clan or country they wander the bright surface world looking for a new place to call home.
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