Mbe'ke

A Mbe'ke dwarf.

The Mbe'ke are an ethnic group of dwarves who live in the Terwa Uplands of the Mwangi Expanse. They are one of the two main dwarven groupings in the Expanse, though they have little contact with the Taralu dwarves of the eastern jungles.

History

The dwarves who would become the Mbe'ke people first established the Sky Citadel of Cloudspire in the Terwa Uplands of the Mwangi Expanse. When they arrived, they discovered a large clan of cloud dragons in the mountain ranges around the citadel. By -2000 AR, the dwarves and dragons had formed a partnership. Today, cloud dragons are a critical part and are greatly respected members of Mbe'ke society, which has spread and established settlements throughout the Uplands.

War of Split Hearts (3841–3844 AR)

In 3841 AR, High King Nkobe of the Mbe'ke arrested thousands of dwarves during the Nine Days of Blood. This was a paranoid reaction to his son's sudden death of disease. During this atrocity, thousands of dwarves were executed in Cloudspire. This sparked a massively bloody civil war, known as the War of Split Hearts (3841–3844 AR). Only the intervention of Cykurarreot the Mist and her cloud dragon allies on behalf of the rebel faction eventually led to an end to the fighting. By the end of the war, the high king, the vast majority of the royal family, and most of the aristocracy had perished.

Due to the devastation wrought by this war, the Mbe'ke created the Assembly of Speakers and Assembly of Kings, and with them a system of electoral kingship that they continue to maintain. High King Nkobe is now chiefly remembered for his cruelty and tyranny, as all other monuments and honors to him have since been destroyed or defaced.

Corsair Wars

Pirates from the Shackles often attack the lucrative trading vessels of the Mbe'ke as they ply trade along the Garundi coastline and western Avistan. These attacks escalated into pitched naval battles with the fleet of Hurricane King Kerdak Bonefist, known as the First (4607–4611 AR) and the Second (4695–4699 AR) Corsair Wars.

With the independence of Vidrian in 4717 AR, these clashes began intensifying into a conflict known as the Third Corsair War (4718 AR–Present).

Society and culture

Beyond their Sky Citadel of Cloudspire, most Mbe'ke congregate in villages of several hundred dwarves, and live relatively traditional dwarven lifestyles.

Religion

Uvuko, a cloud dragon deity commonly worshipped by the Mbe'ke.

The Mbe'ke worship all of the traditional deities of the Dwarven pantheon with a few noticeable differences. They consider Torag to be their chief god, but uniquely accord Torag's son Grundinnar the Peacemaker almost as much respect and reverence. Mbe'ke consider Grundinnar to be responsible for their success in establishing an alliance with the cloud dragons and aiding their success in trade.

Thanks to the recent Corsair Wars, worship of the relatively aggressive dwarven military god Angradd has also increased in prominence from its formerly minor status among the Mbe'ke. The Free Captains of The Shackles continue to ravage coastal trade, particularly ships out of the Mbe'ke city of K'lereng, and sects of Angradd across the Terwa Uplands have quickly grown to respond to such threats.

The Mbe'ke also worship Gozreh for their influence on the winds and waters. Gozren temples of the Mbe'ke tend to be sombre, as they respect Gozreh more than celebrate them. The Mbe'ke also prominently worship Uvuko, god of the sky and dragons, who is particularly popular among younger dwarves.

Magic

The Mbe'ke practice an ancient form of sky magic known as caelurgy, which facilitates flight, divines omens from the stars, and can predict and control the weather.

References

Paizo published a major article about the Mbe'ke in The Mwangi Expanse.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.