Kardel Irongut

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Kardel, Grand King Kardel Irongut in his twilight years Grand King of Urguan Reign: 1547-1569 Predecessor: Rhewen Frostbeard Successor: Drynn Ireheart Spouse: Unknown Clan: Irongut Father: Heron Irongut Mother: Unknown Issue: Arundel Irongut, Bardel Irongut, Bofauk Irongut, Vardaz Irongut

Kardel Irongut (Dwarven: Kardel Khroruul, Dwinic Dwarven: Karadal Kroruli) was Grand King of Urguan and ruler of the dwarves from his election in 1547 to his abdication due to ill health in 1569. He is chiefly credited with enacting various bureaucratic legislation which ultimately led to the third reformation of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan into an autocratic, rather than oligarchic, state. Kardel's rule was marked by extensive infrastructural reform, the construction of the city of Kal'Ishtul, and a heavily isolationist policy centered around maintaining peace and internal stability. His extensive legislative actions and infrastructural work earned him the epithet "The Reformer."

Biography

Early Life

Kardel Irongut was born on the 6th of the Sun's Smile, of the year 1021 in Eastern Aegis to the known Arcanist and dwarven noble Heron Irongut, and to an unknown Cave Dwarven mother. Due to controversies surrounding his father, he was raised away from the rest of the Ironguts. Kardel's reputation as a gifted alchemist led to his contracting by the contemporaneous Grand King Omithiel Strongbrow. Under subsidy of the Kingdom, Kardel founded the Dwarven Alchemy guild, which would prove instrumental in supplying the Legion with potions and balms throughout Anthos and the Fringe. Kardel's standing as a Guildmaster landed him a position on the King's Council as Ogradhad's Alchemist, jettisoning him into Urguani public life.

Political Career

Kardel served as Ogradhad's Alchemist to each successive monarch from Omithiel Strongbrow to Midgor Ireheart. Due to his service to the Kingdom, Kardel was briefly elected onto the Lord's Council by Grand King Midgor Ireheart in the Fringe before briefly disappearing from public life. Kardel reappeared in Vailor, where he initially aimed to restart his Alchemy Enterprise to aid the Kingdom during the Eighteen Years War, but decided to run for Grand King against Hieden Grandaxe on a ticket based on isolationism and nationalism. After a campaign marked by slander and populism, Kardel emerged victorious by a sizable margin.

Reign

Kardel Irongut's reign was one of the longest in Dwarven history, spanning 22 years from 1547 to 1569. It was marked by a long period of construction punctuated by a short period of panic and militarism, followed by a short period of stagnation during the king's illness.

Initial Controversy, Internal Struggle, and Reform

Upon assuming the crown, Kardel Irongut was immediately faced with controversy when Dunamisian soldiers brought a head thought to have belonged to the Holy Orenian Emperor John II to the court of Kal'Akash. Fearing another war, and knowing himself ill-prepared, Kardel dismissed the soldiers from the city, in the process of which they were attacked by Orenian soldiers. The brash actions of the king pleased the Emperor John Sigismund, whose decoy had been slain in his place, but destabilized relations between Urguan and their longstanding allies of Dunamis. The Grand King pursued a policy of appeasement toward Oren throughout his reign, although later came to regret his decisions.

Upon the conclusion of the diplomatic crisis, Grand Chancellor Azaghal Doomforged, a prominent politician and general famous for his successful efforts in halting the Imperial advance during the 18 Years War, is reported to have attempted to subvert power from Kardel, whom he perceived as weak. Kardel Irongut, already suspicious of Azaghal due to the general's role in deposing the previous monarch, had created a plan to oust the Chancellor, which he put into action as soon as Azaghal's intentions manifested. Brief civil struggle followed, and Azaghal was stripped of his rank and banished without bloodshed by Kardel and his contingent. Using the fear of usurpation generated by Azaghal's ploy, Kardel utilized his momentum and newly found gravitas to cement his power and to repress his opposition.

Kardel Irongut instigated a series of purges and laws which collapsed Urguani oligarchy and granted absolute autocratic power to the Grand King. Channeling public fear of another civil conflict, Kardel completely reworked the governmental system of Urguan, reforging the Articles of Urguan and creating the Third Grand Kingdom of Urguan. With newfound power, Kardel set to fulfilling his campaign promises of maintaining peace and reviving culture.

Infrastructure, Economy, and Culture

In order to regain public trust, Kardel ordered the express construction of a new Dwarven capital based off of unused blueprints drafted by Grand King Balek Irongut. The construction of the city took approximately four years and cost a large number of dwarven lives due to the few safety precautions. The end result was Kal'Ishtul, the City of the Abyss, a masterwork of dwarven carpentry and masonry.

After the construction of Kal'Ishtul, the Grand King focused on overhauling the outdated infrastructure of Urguan and reversing the land-scarring resultant from Dwarven defense efforts in the Eighteen Years War. After several years of work, most of the infrastructure projects initiated by Kardel's administration were finished, most notably the destruction of abandoned settlements, the reforestation of the Valley of Flowers, and the construction of a Navy.

The construction of Kal'Ishtul and improvements in infrastructure led to an influx of trade and tax revenue. The Kingdom accumulated a very large number of funds, which facilitated construction projects and increased general quality of life. Upon the eruption of the Axis War, Dwarven smiths became the main suppliers of weapons to all sides of the conflict, resulting in large amounts of minas flooding into the Kingdom: to prevent inflation, the Balek Irongut, the Yemekar's Pick at the time, began taxing mining efforts.

Kardel's administration contracted various expeditionary corps to revive Urguani culture. The most famous of these expeditions was hosted by the Goldhand and Sons Joint Stock Venture, and resulted in the discovery of an ancient dwarven city. Dwarven culture was highly valued throughout Kardel's reign.

Further Controversy, and Abdication

Upon the eruption of the Axis Coalition War against the Empire of Oren, Kardel initially joined the opposition to the Empire, but later withdrew for fear of retaliation. Although Kardel later regretted this action, scholars agree that Urguan's neutrality during the Axis War in Vailor proved highly beneficial in Axios, where a demoralized Axis failed to defend itself against Oren. The Grand Kingdom was initially left alone by Oren and given time to rally its forces, an advantage which greatly aided the Kingdom in positively resolving the Coalition War and later defeating the Empire.

Kardel fell ill toward the end of the year 1568 with a pneumonia, and found himself incapacitated to rule. He appointed a cabinet under Drynn Ireheart to rule in his stead, and later abdicated in 1569 due to an inability to rule soberly, marking the end of a 22 year reign. During the King's illness, the kingdom fell into a state of stagnation as trade and activity slowed to a crawl.

Legacy

Kardel's legacy was marked by extensive bureaucratic and infrastructural reform, the vestiges of which have remained in Urguani society. The autocratic governing system set for by the former Grand King continues to prevail as the central form of government. The construction carried out by the Kardelian administration was some of the most extensive in dwarven history, and the king's policy of isolationism came to define dwarven politics over the next two monarchs.

The Kardelian administration was notably one of the longest reigns in dwarven history, and the only reign in recent history to experience no wars. The lack of war and internal conflict coupled with isolationism had both positive and negative effects, safeguarding the dwarven populace and fostering culture while degrading Urguani military status and contributing to stagnation.