|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| ||||||
|
Proud Sponsor of
|
The NERO® Dwarven Race Package©
Written by Matthew Sims,
Edited by Sam Norman Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Roleplaying a Dwarf......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Makeup.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 The Beard...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Dwarven Honor............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Dwarven Dedication, Craft, and Perfection............................................................................................................................ 10 Dwarven Aggression................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Dwarven Greed........................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Women Among The Dwarves................................................................................................................................................. 13 Dwarven Life span..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 The Earth as Mother.................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Dwarves and Alcohol................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Dwarves and Vengeance.......................................................................................................................................................... 15 The Clan and The Family.......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Dwarves and Celestial Magic................................................................................................................................................... 16 Dwarves and Order vs. Chaos................................................................................................................................................. 16 Omens and Runes...................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Agoraphobia:.............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Photophobia:.............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 DWARVEN LIFE, CUSTOMS, AND TRADITIONS................................................................................................................ 17 Childhood:................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Coming of Age:.......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Apprenticeship:.......................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Journeyman:................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Master:......................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Marriage:..................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Childbirth:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Death:........................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 DWARVEN SOCIETY AND ITS ORGANIZATION................................................................................................................. 21 The nations................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 The Clans.................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 What makes a Clan:............................................................................................................................................................... 22 Clan feuds............................................................................................................................................................................... 23 The Warcall............................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Migrations.............................................................................................................................................................................. 23 The Great Moot..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Clan Officials............................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Local Clans.................................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Families............................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 The Guilds....................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 THE SMITH'S GUILD................................................................................................................................................................ 31 THE MASON'S GUILD............................................................................................................................................................. 34 THE BREWER'S GUILD............................................................................................................................................................ 37 THE EARTH GUILD.................................................................................................................................................................. 37 ULIN'S GUILD............................................................................................................................................................................ 38 Ulin's Treatise:............................................................................................................................................................... 39 THE GROWER'S GUILD........................................................................................................................................................... 41 THE MERCHANT'S GUILD..................................................................................................................................................... 42 THE SEER'S GUILD................................................................................................................................................................... 42 THE ARMY................................................................................................................................................................................. 43 EVERYDAY LIFE UNDERGROUND........................................................................................................................................... 44 Cave-ins:...................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Earthquakes:............................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Weather:...................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Freestanding buildings vs. tunnels......................................................................................................................................... 46 Food Sources:............................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Water Sources:........................................................................................................................................................................... 48 Resources underground:.......................................................................................................................................................... 48 DEALING WITH OTHER RACES:.............................................................................................................................................. 49 OTHER SUBTERRANEAN RACES............................................................................................................................................ 52 DWARVEN CITIES AND TOWNS, GREAT AND SMALL.................................................................................................... 53 MYTHS OF CREATION................................................................................................................................................................ 55 THE PARABLE OF THE BROTHERS......................................................................................................................................... 55 THE GIANT'S KIN......................................................................................................................................................................... 57 THE FORGING................................................................................................................................................................................ 57 THE CREATION OF THE DWARVES BY THE DRAGONS................................................................................................... 58 THE EMERGENCE......................................................................................................................................................................... 58 THE KNOWN HISTORIES OF THE DWARVEN PEOPLE:..................................................................................................... 59 The Tale Of The First And Second Age:............................................................................................................................... 59 The Age Of Prosperity:............................................................................................................................................................. 61 The History of The Darkling War:........................................................................................................................................... 64 The Age Of Legend:.................................................................................................................................................................. 65 The Age of Kings:..................................................................................................................................................................... 70 The Age of Renewal.................................................................................................................................................................. 76 Appendix A: Crime and punishment........................................................................................................................................... 81 Appendix B: Dwarven festivals.................................................................................................................................................... 84 Appendix C: The Glossary of Brews.......................................................................................................................................... 86 Appendix D: Dwarven legends and magic................................................................................................................................. 86 The Legends of Elemental Magic............................................................................................................................................ 86 The Legend of The Dragon's Scrolls...................................................................................................................................... 87 The Works of Nataal The Magesmith.................................................................................................................................... 87 The Legend of The Undoer's First Appearance.................................................................................................................... 88 The Tales of The Earthcall Magic........................................................................................................................................... 88 The Legend of The Forging of Trollsbane............................................................................................................................. 89 The Legends of The Returning................................................................................................................................................ 89 The Tale of Drivandor The Mad.............................................................................................................................................. 89
Long ago when the world was new and life did not flourish on its face the force of life within the world realized for the first time that it was alone. To stop its loneliness and ease the ache within the world's heart, the earth itself brought forth life from its own spirit. At first the life brought forth were the plants. Trees grew and flowers bloomed and the air was filled with the sweetness of honeysuckle and the perfume of nectar. But still the world was lonely; for though the plants were beautiful and smelled sweet, they took no action and once rooted stayed. So the earth brought forth animals upon its face. And the animals lived upon the world and flit about and went about all those things that animals do. But still the world was lonely; for though the animals moved and acted and truly were companions to the earth, they had no spark of intelligence within them and were poor company to the world. The earth again reached within its spirit and brought forth life, this time with a keen mind and created to dwell with that which had already been created. So the earth brought forth the Elves who dwelt amid the plants and trees and lived with the animals which the earth had brought forth and tried to exist in harmony with all that was. But still the earth was lonely; for though the Elves lived with the rest of the world's beings and were truly sentient, they were flighty and unconcerned with the passage of time or the songs of the earth. The earth thought on the problem and this time brought forth another race from its spirit. So the earth brought forth the Humans who did not live the life of the Elves and would need to concern themselves with the world that was their mother. But still the earth was lonely; for though the Humans were not the vacuous creatures that were the Elves, they did not try to live with their mother the earth but did try to change the world around them and take all as their dominion. Now did the earth grieve and weep. In its desire for companionship the world had brought forth much life to its surface and still none would converse with her nor listen to her songs. The place of birth was the problem, thought the earth. These creatures of mine were brought forth upon the surface of my form without ever knowing the mother who bore them. How can a child love its mother if he did not know that she carried him within her womb. So the earth brought forth the Dwarves within her form, in the caverns deep, and she gave to them all that they needed to live from the substance of her body. She sang to them in the depth of the earth and they listened and they spoke back to her and did call her mother. Thus the earth was at last content for her child treated her with the love she needed. No longer was the earth lonely.
Why do all Dwarves have beards? Well, there are many Dwarven tales to explain that. But why we have beards is not nearly as important as what the beards mean.
What do the beards mean? They are our symbol of honor. I would sooner go naked through the world exposing myself for all to see then go with a naked face. If I lost my beard I would hide my head in shame, unable to carry my head high and look others in the eye.
How long do Dwarves live? The oldest Dwarf I've ever heard of was 450, but most Dwarves get themselves killed well before they hit 300. The histories tell of Dwarves that lived into their 600's but I've never met nor even heard of one in recent memory.
Why are Dwarven arms and armor so good? Dwarven craftsmanship surpasses that of the other races for many reasons. First we are dedicated to creating only the best work possible, we would not be able to look our friends in the eye if our work was the slightest bit imperfect. Second, we are patient with our work, we refused to be rushed in the creation of a masterpiece. Third we are not afraid to toss out a work that is not right, profit is meaningless without the honor of perfection. And lastly our race is of the earth, she is our mother even as she spawns the metals and stones we craft. This relationship inherently makes us better craftsmen than other races could ever hope to be.
Tell me about Dwarven ale? Well son, all Dwarves brew, and our brews are the finest in all the lands. Making beer is a passion to our people, not just something to do to make some money or get drunk. We brew many types of ale and beer each with its own flavor and potency. However when you talk of Dwarven ale, you talk about those ales brewed with the Dorka Mushrooms. If you were to eat those mushrooms, you would no doubt begin to see some very unpleasant things, but when brewed in the ale, the effect is cut and a truly wonderful and potent drink is formed.
Are there any Dwarven women? Of course there are Dwarven women, where do you think Dwarven children come from? The bloody stork? The reason that you may never have seen a Dwarven woman is because in general there are fewer women among the Dwarves than among the Humans. Our women are cared for and don't often venture outside the caverns. But don't mistake them for pampered lambs, they are every bit the equal of the men and they will take great steps to prove it to any who doubt that fact.
There don't seem to be very many Dwarves in the world, how many are there? Well, that's a good question, our people are so scattered and so many Kingdoms and nations have fallen over the millennia of our existence that we're not really sure how many Dwarves live in Tyrra. Dwarvenholm is our largest city in the area though and to know how many are there, you'd have to visit there.
Can anyone visit the great underground cities of the Dwarves? Many of the cities allow visitors, but none of them will allow outsiders to wander freely through the city. Most of the cities have open areas where anyone can go, trade centers are usually built there. Often Dwarven crafts are displayed there for all to see the wonders our people can create. But most of the city is off limits to those outside the race. Some have tried to enter the areas which are off limits, those who are persistent usually find their way to the nearest earth circle.
Why do Dwarves hate Trolls so much? The trolls are an honor less race. We lived at peace with them once. We allied ourselves with them once. We were betrayed at the worst possible point. Had the trolls maintained the alliance, we would have defeated our enemies but the trolls chose to turn on us and join our enemies for power. This caused the death of King Roganak and this insult and betrayal we can never forgive.
Rumor has it Dwarven politics are very confused, who rules the Dwarves? In Dwarvenholm, the capitol of the Dwarven Kingdom of Validor, King Kelanor IV is the titular ruler. However the guilds hold more power in Dwarvenholm then the King does. Also, Dwarvenholm is in theory subservient to Ashbury and thus to Evendarr. However our rule is still independent, they do not know of our numbers or our power. Their rule is similar to their rule over the Amani, they know better than to try and use their "power".
The Dwarves, as a mercantile race, have been dealing with other races for so long that they are accustomed to using only the common tongue. Dwarvish as a language has almost ceased to exist. There are two languages that are considered Dwarven, Tradescrawl and Tokai. Tradescrawl is low Dwarvish, the vocabulary is identical to common but the written form uses the characters of Tokai. Most purists consider Tradescrawl a bastardization of the true Dwarvish language, Tradescrawl has no spoken form. The written language is phonetic in nature and thus almost any other language could be transcribed in Tradescrawl. Tokai is high Dwarvish and has both a written and spoken form. The characters and phonetics of the written language are identical to the characters of Tradescrawl but the vocabulary is completely different. The spoken form is unrelated to the common tongue, the grammar is unique to Tokai. Very few Dwarves today understand Tokai, and only some can even read Tradescrawl, though most can puzzle it out using translation notes. Unfortunately for the Dwarves there are a great number of old records and books scattered about the land which are written in Tokai, these can be anything from everyday records, stories, or contracts to lost knowledge waiting to again emerge. Tokai is only written on stone or metal and the runes are written in a spiraling pattern. The actual runes are very rare knowledge and must be sought out if one is to learn them.
Perhaps the most important thing to a Dwarf is his beard. The beard begins to grow as the Dwarf hits puberty, male Dwarves always grow full beards whereas female Dwarves grow either full beards or small goatees. Once the beard begins to grow, it fills in at an astonishing rate when compared to Humans facial hair. Often adolescents of 15 will have a beard of up to six inches long. Older Dwarves can have beards that literally go past their toes. The beard can be of any color, but dwarfs are a hardy long lived race and white beards will be seen only on the very old. The beard symbolizes many things to the Dwarven people. At its deepest meaning, the beard represents the roots of a Dwarf, their connection to the earth that nurtures them. This is a concept that goes back to some of the oldest legends of the birth of the race. The beard is also a symbol of the Dwarf's honor, it represents him as a functioning adult in society. Dwarves' beards are said to be fireproof. they are not. However, many Dwarves coat their beards with a resin made from oils found deep under the earth. This resin was first used by the smith's when at work on the forge, it protects the hair from the flame. Often when Dwarves greet each other it is accompanied by long pulls upon the others beard. Often lovers will give each other clippings from their beards as keepsakes. This is one of the few times when cutting a beard is considered acceptable in most Dwarven societies. Another such time is when Dwarves marry, often the rings exchanged by the Dwarves will have a small braid of beard hair from both of the couple sandwiched between the layers of metal and gems. This is a symbol of the melding of the two spirits into one. Another acceptable time to cut the beard is when a particularly close friend or relative has died, many Dwarves hold with the tradition of cutting off a lock of their beard and burning it so that its ashes may be buried in the earth with their deceased companion.
Many expressions in Dwarven society are related to the beard, particularly insults:
By Chaos' Beard - an expression of disbelief; May Your Beard Grow Long - a wish for long life; You Are A Beardless Boy - you don't know what your talking about; You Have Earned The White In Your Beard - respect for a wise elder; Your Beard Is Like The Pelt Of A Diseased Animal - an insult likely to lead to a fight to the death; I Will Pluck Out Your Beard One Hair At A Time - a statement of challenge, often used between members of feuding clans; At Least You Could Use Your Beard To Sop Up The Spilled Ale - a statement of the uselessness of an individual; Your Face Is Bare - you should be ashamed or embarrassed.
The length of ones beard is considered a reflection on themselves. A long full beard indicates meticulous care over a long period of time. Where as a disheveled or short beard indicates that one does not care for themselves or their work. There are many styles which are considered acceptable among the Dwarves. Plain straight beards are of course always good. Braids in the beard indicate a certain willingness to put in the extra time for appearance, clan chief almost always wear their beard in braids. No Dwarves would consider shaving their beard off entirely and very few would even trim it short. Dwarves always have some facial hair, though many trim off the mustache leaving just the beard. In many clans, crimes are punishable by debeardment. Depending on the severity of the crime inches could be trimmed off or the entire beard shaved. For particularly bad crimes, the tribunal may elect to use scaring. The scaring is a Formal Magic Spells debeardment after which the entire chin and cheek area is burned with hot irons. This causes tremendous scar tissue to develop and prevents most if not all beard growth (note: the scaring can only occur with the approval of plot, you cannot bring a PC into game having gone through this punishment without prior approval from the plot committee. It requires more intense makeup than the beard does and is not recommended.). Those who go through the scaring are covered across their face with hideous burns, which are then forced to heal naturally so as not to be restored to normal by magic. These Dwarves are hideously marked as dishonored outcasts among all the clans and nations of the Dwarves. If the scaring is particularly complete no facial hair at all will grow, often however, those who perform the scaring allow small areas to go unburned so as to allow tiny patches of hair to form on the face making the Dwarves look all the more ridiculous to their brethren. A Dwarf whose beard has been removed will feel intense shame. Often he will cover his face or not go out in public at all. He will at all costs avoid being seen by other Dwarves until the beard grows back, at least to a significant degree. Luckily since the rate of beard growth is so fast a Dwarf can go from clean shaven to six inches of facial hair within two months. Nothing has been found that can actually do this. Often when the beard is removed, the Dwarf will experience an intense reaction, at times a berserk rage has been triggered, at other times a catatonic state. Many Dwarves claim that cutting their beard hair cause actual physical pain and that their beard has actual sensations as if it were like any other part of their body.
Central to the Dwarven persona is their concept of honor. "Better to die a thousand deaths than to stain my honor," is a very common Dwarven saying. Honor to a Dwarf is not simply the actions of an individual, but the actions of all those connected to an individual. The Dwarf follow the concept of the unbroken line of honor. Honor flows from one generation to the next along this unbroken line, you honor your ancestors as they honored you, their descendant. You honor your master as he honors you his student. You honor your fellow clansmen as they honor you their brother. Ones honor is not only determined by what they do, but what those who relate to them do. If you create a great work of art it not only brings you honor, but it brings your family honor, and your clan, and your master, and your students. Honor has two definitions among the Dwarves: the first is proper action, striving to accomplish your goals, the nobility of ones acts, the appropriateness of ones actions, the distinction between that which is right and that which is wrong, the adherence to actions and principles considered right; the second is the regard others hold you in, the respect granted due to the proper actions you follow. The honor of the Dwarf is not made up of small technicalities of behavior, it is a broad sweeping concept wherein proper action is honorable and improper action is not. What is proper is defined by your superiors, your family, your clan, and your society. For example, some masters may consider it appropriate for their apprentices to refer to them by their first name whereas others may consider this inappropriate, it is obeying the wishes of one's master that is honorable by referring to him as he wishes. It would be dishonorable to refer to the second master by his first name, not because using the first name of a superior is dishonorable, but because it goes against his express wishes. If it is uncertain how to act in a given situation, the more formal action is never wrong. If someone wishes to deal in a more open manner, they will let you know. A Dwarf’s entire reputation within a community will be based on their honor. All things contribute to it, and no matter how great a craftsman one is, or how mighty a warrior, or how successful a businessman, without honor a Dwarf is nothing. Once a Dwarf gives his word, nothing can force him to break it. A Dwarf who pledges himself to a cause is unswerving in his dedication to it, one who pledges himself to a liege lord will be that lord's truest follower. The Dwarven concept of honor goes well beyond dedication and keeping one's word. The Dwarves see themselves as points in a line of honor which stretches back to the beginning of their race, and forward till its’ end. The breaking of honor in Dwarven society is often referred to as breaking the line. The honor of a Dwarf is independent of that Dwarf’s place in society. All must have honor and follow the honorable path, be they the High King himself, or the lowest street sweeper, every Dwarf is expected to follow the path of honor. When an offense against honor is committed by a Dwarf the repercussions can follow the whole family, or even the entire clan. Such is the case of Braddock Bouldershoulder and the Bouldershoulder Clan. Braddock was a Dwarf who fell asleep at his post guarding the entrance to Trollsgate. The Trolls attacked and due to his negligence Trollsgate fell. To this day the entire Bouldershoulder clan is looked down upon for that stain on their honor. Legend has it that the Violacium, the horror creations of the Baracoor from deep in the underearth, were at one time Dwarves, doomed to spend the rest of eternity as half alive things due to their loss of honor in life. If honor is lost, a Dwarf will do anything to get it back. The quest for restoration of honor is called the Dwarven Redemption and is an important part of Dwarven tradition. It often takes many years to recover the honor lost in the instant of a bad decision. In order to be looked upon with the respect of others, no less than full honor must be restored. The regaining of honor always takes time. Once lost it takes great dedication to regain. Someone who has lied must tell the truth for a very long time before they will again be trusted. A verbal or non-physical breaking of the honor, such as speaking out against someone falsely, or conspiring to ruin someone's business for spite, is harder to repair than a physical wound to the honor such as striking a clan member without due cause. When one speaks out against someone, it is offending their honor as well as your own. As such you must recompense them by repairing the stain to their honor. If you falsely accused someone of making inferior weapons, by word and deed you must show those who believed you that you were wrong. This can be accomplished by telling those you spoke to that you were wrong or lied, and further by using the weapons forged by the one you wronged to show those who may have heard the rumor that it was false. In some cases a public admission of the wrongness of your statements may be required. If your good behavior continues for a long enough time, the stain to your honor will be erased. If the offense is physical in nature, it may be a shorter time to repair the damage, but it will be just as difficult to bear. Often a physical offense requires a physical redemption. The individual may go through a public whipping, or perhaps a public fight with the one who was offended or their champion. If you were to strike out at your master in the heat of the moment, he may have you publicly whipped for an hour to show your penance, he may assign you days of backbreaking physical labor. In the end, the offended one will decide when your honor is returned. If the one harmed is dead as a result, penance usually requires a voluntary death in recompense. If they have died the final death. Their family patriarch or clan grudgebearer will deal with the redemption. When an offense is against a family, the individuals involved and the family patriarch will deal with the redemption. When the offense is against a clan, the individuals involved, the clan grudgebearer, and possibly the clan chief (in extreme cases) will deal with the redemption. Often the Dwarves own clan will push for him to make the redemption in order to prevent a clan war. When the offense is against the society, the council or ruling body of the society, be it clan based, monarch, or guild run will decide upon the redemption. Often in these cases redemption is not an option, it takes a great act to cause loss of honor to the society as a whole. These are often cataclysmic. If the offense is against the race as a whole, such as turning traitor to the trolls or betraying the secrets of the race, redemption is almost never possible. In some rare cases if the offense was deemed accidental, redemption may be offered, however these cases usually involve the individuals final death. If redemption is offered but refused or begun and abandoned, the Dwarf is considered dead to the race. He is considered to be an animate corpse with no true spirit and thus should be treated as any undead and destroyed. No one who does not consider his honor worth keeping is considered part of the race. Loss of honor can have many effects. At the base, it affects how others perceive and deal with the dishonored. An honor less Dwarf is unwanted and unloved. No one will deal with them or theirs. However this does not apply to one who is undergoing the redemption, while they are still a social misfit, the other members of society will deal with them to allow them the chance to redeem their lost honor. The society can give punishments which may or may not be part of the redemption. These can include stoning, whipping, imprisonment, debeardment, fines, death, the scaring, exile, public service, and others. A more complete look at crime and punishment can be found in appendix A.
Dwarven Dedication, Craft, and Perfection Dwarven honor will allow no less than absolute dedication, the two traits are completely intertwined. The dedication of the Dwarven people is universal, a Dwarf will generally consider himself incomplete without something to dedicate his life. Often this takes the form of a craft, which is one of the reasons Dwarves are known for their smithing and building skills. There are however, many other things which a Dwarf may dedicate himself to besides craftsmanship. Some Dwarves dedicate themselves to a cause, such as the destruction of the trolls. The cause can be almost anything though, and Dwarves who follow a cause are often seen adventuring as a way to support and press this cause. Some Dwarves have been known to dedicate themselves to another, whether another Dwarf or a member of one of the other races. These Dwarves are bodyguard who will throw their lives in the path of danger, sworn men who will follow their leader anywhere, or occasionally knights in service to a great lord. One of the most common things to see a Dwarf in the outside world dedicate themselves toward is profit. Dwarves are particularly skilled at crafting, especially when that crafting is using the products of the earth. No other race can match the skill of the Dwarves at crafting weapons or armor. The smith is a honored figure in Dwarven society, the Smith's guild is one of the most powerful and respected of the guilds. The Dwarves also excel at working stone and gems. The underground Dwarven cities are a sight of wonder to behold. The source of these skills is twofold: one, Dwarves seem to have some sort of inherent connection with the earth and therefore have greater skill at using the products of the earth; two, Dwarves are perfectionists and will not sell a product with even the slightest flaw. To the Dwarves it is a matter of honor to create the most perfect example of their craft that they can. A Dwarf will take as much time as is needed to complete a task to his satisfaction, any less would violate the Dwarves sense of honor. A Dwarf can easily spend a decade or more working on a single masterwork if that is what he feels is needed to complete it satisfactorily. This in part explains the strength of Dwarven armor, the sharpness of Dwarven blades, and the taste of Dwarven ale. Often when a young Dwarf is apprenticing this perfectionism is passed on without them even realizing. The apprentice will see the master at work and the attention he pays to meticulous details. One of the more mundane reasons that the Dwarves want perfection in their craft is for the respect and honor it gives them. The more respected a Dwarf is, the more likely he will be able to attract a wife. Thus each Dwarf does everything they can to make themselves more attractive to potential mates. One thing that all Dwarves respect is skill at crafting. Thus most of the true master craftsman find themselves with wives. When crafting and passing on the craft, a Dwarf has near infinite patience, however that patience does not extend to any besides his apprentices. The patience a Dwarf feels for his craft is due to his sense of honor and his long life. To a Dwarf everyone should know their place on the line, it is their responsibility to teach their apprentices and their children of the line and their place on it, but they need not practice patience for anyone else.
The Dwarves are a rough people, they are very emotional and down to earth. They tend not to talk unless they have something to say. But when a Dwarf does have something to say he can talk your ear off for days. Dwarves have strong opinions and they are difficult to sway once their mind is set. They are both aggressive and stubborn which often causes them problems. Basically the Dwarves have gotten into a fight with almost everyone at one time or another. Their history is filled with wars and clan feuds. There are three major roots to this problem. The first is Dwarven stubbornness, the expression stubborn as a mule could easily be replaced with stubborn as a Dwarf. When a Dwarf sets his mind it is set in stone and there is very little that anyone can do to change it. To many Dwarves changing their mind is akin to breaking there given word, a violation of their honor. This is generally not so, but many do see it that way. Since the Dwarven concept of honor is based on an inherent knowledge of right and wrong, this often spills over into a dwarf's personal knowledge. Thus a Dwarf who believes that he is right will often take being told that he is wrong as a stain against his honor. The argument will quickly break down into a fist fight, only rarely and over serious topics will Dwarves draw steel against each other. Whoever wins the fist fight is generally deemed to have the superior sense of honor and the other Dwarf will back off. When the fight is over a Dwarf can change his mind without tarnishing his honor. The second root of Dwarven aggression is the inherent love of fighting that the race has. A Dwarf enjoys a good fight, it gets his blood pumping and makes him feel alive. Often a Dwarf will fight or wrestle just for the thrill of it. This is one of the reason Dwarves like adventuring so much, the fights are much more common along the way and you generally don't have to worry about killing someone by accident. Many speculate that the Dwarves love of fighting is linked with their drinking. While drinking may make them a little more likely to get in a fight, it is nearly as common for two completely sober Dwarves to get into a knock down drag out brawl in the middle of the street. The Dwarves simply have a love of battle that is only matched by half-orcs and half-ogres. Part of this may be the hardy constitution of the Dwarves. A Human who gets into a fight will bear the bruises from that fight for days or until they get magic healing. While the deeper wounds heal at the same rate for Dwarves and Human, the Dwarves tend to heal from the small wounds such as might occur in a fist fight overnight. Thus the painful reminders of fighting that others have to deal with are ignored by the Dwarves. The last root of Dwarven aggression is their bluntness. A Dwarf will almost always speak his mind. He doesn't care who he is speaking to, it could be King or commoner. Since the average Dwarf is convinced that he knows right from wrong he will always state what he thinks is right. This feeds into the stubbornness and causes many fights. It does not always cause problems between a Dwarf and his superiors however. Since the line of honor requires a King to honor their subjects as the subjects honor them, this usually means that those Dwarves in higher positions will listen to all of those under them before making a decision or pronouncement. Those with higher responsibilities generally do not consider others disagreeing with them as a stain to their honor, but part of the job. Of course when someone below them persists on disagreeing than it may come to matters of honor. Most Dwarves will listen to the decision of those above them and accept their statements, the line does after all go both ways, if those above will listen to what those below have to say before making a decision, then those below can follow those decisions without offense. The aggression of the Dwarves have led to one of the bloodiest histories of all the known races. Perhaps only half-orcs can be said to be a more warlike race, and Dwarves have had far longer than they have to spill blood, both others and our own. Part of what makes the Dwarves so aggressive to other civilized races is what the Dwarves see as the other races lack of honor and dedication. Other than for apprentices and children, the way to teach them their place in the line of honor is to beat it into them. This goes for Dwarves and non-Dwarves. Dwarves realize that other races do not necessarily understand their concept of honor and will often try to explain it to the other races. However, the Dwarves are very abrupt about this teaching and speak harshly, violence often erupts due to the Dwarven manner.
Dwarves on the whole are a greedy race, something about living in a mining community makes gold and gems all the more sought after for them. A Dwarf will do anything short of violating his honor to make a profit. It is generally not money per say that they are attracted to but specifically gold and gems. A Dwarven PC should try to keep most of his money as gold or in the form of gems and jewelry found or bought in game. Why the Dwarves are so obsessed is unknown, but it seems to be a universal trait. This greed however does not mean that a Dwarf will steal to make their gold. In fact thievery is frowned upon in most (but not all) Dwarven societies. Taking treasure from kills is not considered thievery, anything won through combat is considered honorable gains to a Dwarf. Someone who makes a profit in business is considered honorable and following their calling.
Women are much rarer than men in the Dwarven community. The birth rate is such that only one in ten births results in a female child. Thus women are highly respected, sought after, and protected among the Dwarves. It is only very rarely that you will see a Dwarven women on the surface, they are encouraged to stay home, marry and have many children. This is not to say that they are prevented from leaving the home. If one chooses to go outside the community and lead the life of an adventurer, no one will tell them no. The rarity of women among the Dwarves makes Dwarven men highly respectful of women of all races. They will generally be polite and obliging to any woman. Dwarven women on the other hand are used to a community where all men are respectful and expect it. When a Dwarven woman leaves the underground, she is usually shocked the first time she encounters a rude male. Many of the social cues they are used to are invalid outside their race. A Dwarven woman will often get into a huge fight when someone treats her without the respect she feels she is due. Because of the scarcity of female Dwarves, Dwarven men are almost encouraged to marry outside the race. This will allow more Dwarves to be born of the mixed marriages. About half of the children born to mixed marriages are Dwarven, the ratio of male to female remains the same, even among the non-Dwarven children. Dwarven women on the other hand, are forbidden to marry outside the race so as the race can produce as many offspring as possible. They are encouraged to choose a suitor and marry early so they may begin producing offspring as quickly as possible. A Dwarven woman is encouraged to add to the population and have many offspring during their life. A Dwarven woman is fertile from age 13 to age 300 and often is pregnant once every two years early in life, and once a decade later in life. Of course those women who go outside the society or choose another path don't tend to have children at this rate. Most Dwarven women will have between ten and twenty children throughout her life.
Dwarves have a relatively long life span. The average Dwarf can live about 400 years. This is of course rarely seen, the violent lifestyle of the Dwarves generally tends to cause an early death so the average Dwarf truly only lives 250 years. Age is a difficult thing to tell among the Dwarves, since they grow full beards at such a young age it tends to distort their appearance. However white beards are almost exclusively a trait seen in only the very old Dwarves. Premature white appearing in the beard is often taken as a sign that the Dwarf could be among the seers. Legend holds that in the dim past the Dwarves lived longer than they do today. The Dwarves of yore were said to live 1,000 years or more. If this is true, it is unknown why the Dwarves lives shorter life spans now. In addition to the long life span a Dwarf has a very hearty constitution. They tend to be more thick bodied then the average Human and heal quickly from bruises and cuts. They very rarely get sick and usually recover quickly when they do. The Dwarven lifestyle and constant brawling tends to toughen them up such that they can take somewhat of a larger punishment than a Human can. In addition the Dwarven constitution allows them to ward off the effects of toxins and poisons. Much of this is due to the natural immunity of the Dwarves, but some of it has to do with their diet. A lot of the food the Dwarves consume is slightly poisonous and the constant consumption of such low doses of poison tends to make the Dwarves even more resistant.
Mother Tyrra, the spirit of our world did confront Father Defile, the spirit who exists apart from her, he who is the force of chaos. Long did they battle and fight for dominion over the world. Hard were the battles they fought against one another. It came to pass that it one confrontation Father Defile struck a fierce blow against Mother Tyrra and caused her to bleed. And her blood dripped upon the face of Tyrra, her body, and there did something wondrous happen. Where each drop of blood hit the earth a body began to rise, the smallest part of Mother Tyrra's spirit was enough to give rise to life in the substance of the world. The bodies emerged from the earth, growing upward like a plant. The last to emerge were the heads and where they came out of the ground a long trail of hair emerged upon their faces like the roots that fastened them to the ground. As they emerged they attacked Father Defile coming to the aid of she who gave them birth. Though they could not match his power, their numbers weighed him down so that Mother Tyrra could lay him low. When the battle was done, the new race gathered around Mother Tyrra and she greeted them as her beloved children. Her wound closed and the Dwarven race had begun.
The Dwarves see the earth as their mother. This philosophy has several origins. Many of the legends of the birth of the Dwarvish race involve the birth from the earth itself. In several tales Tyrra is the actual mother of the first Dwarves, having emerged out of the rock and stone of the world. Other tales involve the legendary being Mother Tyrra as the matriarch of the Dwarven race. Some tales tell of the forging of the Dwarven race by beings of great power from the ores found in the deepest parts of Tyrra. No matter which tale is believed, all Dwarves feel a distinct bond with the earth, caused in part by the tales they are told as they are growing into manhood. The Dwarves also see the earth as their mother from a more practical point of view, as a subterranean race, the earth itself provides much of what the Dwarves need to survive and prosper. It provides their food and water which gives them life. It provides the ores and gems they need to craft their goods and engage in trade. It provides shelter from the dangers of the outer world. In short it acts as a parent to their people. This feeling is prevalent through all Dwarven cultures, even those that now live upon the surface remember their origins and treat the earth with the reverence that she deserves. The earth as mother goes beyond the mere philosophical belief, in some way, unknown to even the Dwarves themselves, there is a link between the Dwarven race and the earth. This is evidenced by the Dwarven peoples ability to contact the earth upon the days of communing. Details on the days of communing can be found in Appendix B: Festivals.
Drinking is a part of the Dwarven culture. No one is sure where the Dwarven passion for alcohol comes from or why it seems to be prevalent among all the Dwarven societies. However all Dwarves drink. They drink throughout the day varying the strength of the drink on the time of day and the responsibilities they hold. Some type of alcoholic beverage is served with every meal a Dwarf consumes Dwarves rarely get falling down drunk. Alcohol makes them happy and even less inhibited, but it does not get them dizzy or sick. Dwarves don't get drunk to the point of passing out, and they don't wake up with hangovers. Of course, the ability to out drink another Dwarf is highly respected. It takes about three times the amount of alcohol to get a Dwarf to the beginnings of being drunk as it takes a Human. Dwarves prefer the drinks with less alcohol in them, liquors are not the typical Dwarven drink. This seems to be a matter of taste however. Similarly wines are rarely served by Dwarves, they taste like fruit punch is a common complaint heard among the Dwarves when served wine. It seems to be the taste of the drink that is the most important. Dwarves more often like the bitter. earthy, hearty beers, ales, and lagers. The so called Dwarven ale is not truly an ale but more of a bitters. It uses Dorka Mushrooms in the mash when the ale is made. These mushrooms have some light hallucinogenic properties. Dwarven ale will have about the effect on a Dwarf that a strong beer will on a Human. On a Human, Dwarven ale is like drinking 150 proof vodka laced with hallucinogens. The Dwarven desire for alcohol is so intense that many scholars and sages have speculated an actual need for alcohol in the diet of a Dwarf. Some have gone so far as to suggest that if you were to prevent a dwarf's alcohol intake that their health or perhaps their sanity would decrease. However there is absolutely no evidence for these speculations. For more information on Dwarves and alcohol see the section on the brewer's guild.
Dwarves are a vengeful people, if a Dwarf is offended he will not rest until his honor is satisfied. This along with the aggressive tendencies of the Dwarves is responsible for their bloody history. More clan wars have been fought over revenge for perceived insults than any other cause. A Dwarf is not satisfied to return an insult in vengeance. The Dwarf must return any grievance ten times over or more. A Dwarf looks upon vengeance like any other task. They show the same absolute dedication to revenge as they show to their crafts or their liege. Just like the crafting of a perfect sword, a Dwarf seeks their vengeance with passion and dedication. The long life span of the Dwarves allows their anger to smolder as they carefully plan each step of their revenge. No matter how small the infraction the need for vengeance drives them The Dwarven need for vengeance has led to the tradition of the book of grudges. It is often not enough to a Dwarf to seek personal vengeance, the entire family and clan of the Dwarf must be involved. Thus most clans keep a book of grudges in which all transgressions and insults against all members of the clan are recorded. It is up to future generations to make sure that any grudges not settled in the individuals lifetime are settled. The clan will appoint a grudgebearer to keep and maintain the book of grudges. Dwarven legends hold that any grudges unsettled prevent the proper rest of the Dwarves in the graveyards. It is the ultimate responsibility of the grudgebearer to see all matters settled so that the spirits of those who have passed can rest.
The Dwarven social groups are based on family and clan. Dwarven families are often very extended units with only minimal relationship between branches. The Dwarves will give their families total respect and dedication. It is considered the backbone of the great line of honor. Dwarven families are often organized into larger clans. A clan can be made up of only one family, however more often many families come together to form a clan. Sometimes divergent branches of one family will belong to different clans. A dwarf's name is based both on his family and clan. A dwarf's given name is decided upon by his parents and is followed by both family name and clan name. Sometimes the Dwarf will choose to be known by just one of the names, especially outside the race. Often a Dwarf will give his given name and family name followed by of Clan and his clan name. For more information see the section on Clans and Families in Dwarven Society.
The Dwarven opinion on celestial magic varies greatly. Many see the practice of star magic as foreign to the Dwarves. Dwarves are inherently of the earth, they say, the proof is in the difficulty Dwarves have in learning the celestial arts. Others see celestial magic as an important part of the Dwarven culture. Ulin's guild represents the power which Dwarves can hold over the stars. These Dwarves often state that it is not so much a difficulty in learning to use the powers of the stars but an ease in learning to use the powers of the earth. The debate over the nature and uses of celestial magic still rages among the Dwarven people, however they definitely make great use of it. They in no way fear it the way barbarians do, some of the Dwarves simply feel that the power is not for them.
Among the peoples of Tyrra, many debate whether chaos is the opposite of earth or the opposite of order. To the Dwarves, it is the opposite of both. The use of chaos and necromancy is despised among the Dwarves. Often necromancy is punished by the scaring on first offense and permanent death on second offense. Dwarves believe in order as a power and a philosophy. The great line of honor is often thought of as an expression of order. If one does not follow the law and behave in a proper manner, one loses his place on the line. The law is considered a reflection of order. Order is also considered important in Dwarven craftsmanship. Chaos to a Dwarf is the ultimate failing of the spirit. If one were to follow the path of chaos, one would sever their line and fail themselves, their ancestors, and their descendants. Chaotic action is just as wrong to a Dwarf as the invocation of chaos. Each is harmful in its own way. Chaotic action is disruptive, it prevents great crafting and destroys the line. Necromancy, to a Dwarf, is a physical manifestation of chaos. The invocation of chaos in the casting of the spells is proof of that. Dwarves believe that the use of necromancy harms the earth, their mother. There are manifestations of chaos beneath the earth which the Dwarves feel are caused by the use of necromancy, it is considered a great wrong to use this foul power.
The Dwarves believe very heavily in the power of omens. The seers developed as a profession to read the signs and portents found around them. Almost anything was found to have some meaning with respect to the future and the seers were those who could interpret these signs. The interpretations of the omens vary by the time and place and the individuals present, no one interpretation is standard for an event. When the predictive power of omens were discovered, the Dwarves looked for a way to predict specific parts of the future or ask specific questions. Two things came of this. One is the communing in which Dwarves can contact mother earth to answer specific questions about the present or the past. The second is rune casting. As seen with the ability to work celestial magic, the ability to interpret the stars using astrology was limited, and of course in the caverns the stars were not available to gaze at. Other methods were tried, tarot cards, dice, tea leaves, and palmistry, none worked particularly well for the Dwarven people. Then a seer tried the casting of the runes. Stones selected by feel and engraved with runes meaningful to the reader gave amazingly accurate reading for some. It became tradition to test for the ability to use the runes along with the other tests upon the coming of age, many with the talent of seers were found to be able to cast the runes as well. Runes vary from caster to caster, however they all involve symbols with primal concepts such as emotions and forces. Each set of runes is unique to the rune caster and no two are alike. One rune caster will not use another's runes, they will give them no reading.
When Dwarves emerge from the caverns in which they normally dwell, often they are hit with a dread feeling of agoraphobia, fear of open spaces. Often the Dwarf will learn to deal with the problem over time. But many times a Dwarf never completely gets over this fear. They will often be slightly jumpy when not underground, or at least surrounded by walls. Dwarves often are only truly comfortable in the caverns which they normally call home.
Similarly to the fear of open spaces, Dwarves often experience photophobia, fear of bright light, when they leave the underground. Often this begins from the pain experienced when a Dwarf who has never been in bright light is exposed to it. The stabbing intensity of the light in the eyes and the burning of the light and heat on the skin often scar the Dwarf mentally. They often can never look toward the sun keeping there eyes toward the ground which they which to be beneath.
DWARVEN LIFE, CUSTOMS, AND TRADITIONS
In childhood the Dwarves are first exposed to many of the traditions that will influence their entire lives. Dwarves are generally raised as part of a large extended family. This makes the family an all-encompassing part of their lives. Brothers and the occasional sister as well as uncles and cousins are all a big part of the dwarf's life as he is growing. Throughout childhood the Dwarves are taught the concepts which distinguish the Dwarves: The great line, right and wrong, and honoring of those above you as well as those below you. They are also exposed to the many crafts and trades which the Dwarven people practice. While growing up a child is often given responsibilities in the house, chores and errands which they must complete. This teaches responsibility and duty at a very early age. Punishments are quickly dispensed and appropriate to the mistakes made by the young. The concepts of wrong are strongly enforced. Rewards, in the form of appreciation and pride are given just as freely for proper behavior. Aggressive behavior is seen in early childhood as brothers and sisters will often fight among themselves. This establishes a pecking order among the children and reinforces the Dwarvish attitudes toward violence. The children are also taught the history of their family, clan, and nation, as well as the history of their people. Thus a Dwarf will often be able to quote the tales of their family line for line and trace their lineages exactly. Even as children Dwarves drink ale. It is generally only the lighter less alcoholic ales that they are allowed to consume. Often in childhood the young Dwarves will hear readings from the book of names honoring the great members of their family from the past. They will also hear readings from the book of grudges, continuing the feuds and fights among the different families and clans into future generations. When a Dwarven child first begins to have a beard upon his or her face, it is the sign that childhood is over and that they will soon go through the coming of age.
The Dwarven coming of age ceremony is a grand tradition which goes through all Dwarven societies. A child who is about to enter adulthood will be brought by his parents and those relatives and friends who helped teach them as they were growing to the hall of the guilds. Here they will be brought before a council consisting of members from each guild. Each of the guild representatives will ask for one to step forward to state the worthiness of the child to be considered for a guild. If any of the guild members indicate that they do not feel the child has had the needed exposure to their guild, there are two options: one, the guild member can supply the needed exposure by having the child brought to the workplaces of members of their guild to learn of their craft; two, the child can choose not to learn of their trade and go on to the testing. If the child chooses further exposure then over the next several months the child will spend part of each day among the members of the guilds who thought him lacking. The guild members will show the child their craft and teach them the rudiments of it. After the teachings are complete the child will then attend the testing. Upon entering the testing room, the Dwarves are exposed to the tools of the many guilds and trades to which they have been exposed. Each Dwarf will use these tools to the best of their ability, creating their first works. Each guild is represented, there is steel and stone which to work with, the books of magic from which to read, the foods and drinks for growing or brewing, and he tools of war with which to practice. The child will be observed for a week or more to see what they do with each of these things. At the end of the testing the results are presented to the guild members. Each of the child's results will be judged by the appropriate guilds, if any indication of talent is shown by the child then he will be offered apprenticeship within a guild. Often a child is offered membership to multiple guilds. When this occurs the child chooses which guild he will join. If a child changes his mind in the early stages of training then there is no problem shifting to another guild. If the young adult who is already into their true apprenticeship changes his mind, he will have to petition to change guilds, both from the guild he is a member of and the guild he wishes to join.
The apprenticeship is a period of training that every Dwarf goes through, no matter what trade he chooses to follow. The guild to which the Dwarf has pledged will assign him a master to teach him the skills and art of his new trade. Often the master is one whom the Dwarf previously knew or worked with The apprentice will learn the trade from his master and his master's journeymen. The exact methods of teaching vary from craft to craft. The apprentice owes his master unswerving obedience, an open mind, and a desire to learn and perfect ones craft. He should always show him the respect due a master and one willing to teach the unschooled in his art. The apprentice owes the journeymen, of his place of learning, respect and obedience as they will teach much of the basic knowledge of the craft to the young apprentice. With some crafts the master will only have one apprentice at a time, this is how the seers teach their craft. One learned master passes his knowledge on to one striving pupil. Other crafts such as armorsmithing will have a single master often taking on several apprentices teaching them as a group and as individuals. Still other crafts treat the apprentices as being apprenticed to the entire body of masters. The length of the apprenticeship varies as well. The apprentice will graduate and become a journeyman when the master believes that he understands each aspect of the craft and can perform them with competence.
The journeyman is the creator of everyday goods, the spellcaster who will sell protectives and ward spells. They are considered good enough to make everyday items or perform everyday tasks, but they are not skilled enough to make that which is considered art among the Dwarves. A journeyman will often work remain working under his master for years after they graduate from their apprenticeship. The journeyman continues to owe his master great respect and obedience, the bond between a master and student never ceases, even when a student becomes a master and even if he someday surpasses the master who trained him, he owes that master respect and will always recognize him as a teacher and as one of those responsible for his place in the line of merit. A journeyman will also have new responsibilities toward his master’s apprentices. Until this point his only job was to learn, now in addition to learning he must teach. It is the journeyman's responsibility to pass on as much as he can to the apprentices of his master. He will often have apprentices help him with his tasks, not to speed up the task, but to teach the apprentice of the craft and of working together on a project. No matter how long the journeyman remains as such, or how formalized the passage to master, the journeyman period represents a time of learning to perfect ones craft. Many Dwarves remain as journeymen all their lives, it is no shame to never graduate to master. Only perhaps ten percent of those who enter the journeyman period even gain the rank of least master.
The master is considered to be one who is an artist or acknowledged superior within his craft. To hold the title of master gives a Dwarf a great deal of honor, respect, and influence. Masters are able to hold office within the guilds and often that translates to holding political power as well. Becoming a master is a long hard road. It requires talent and a huge amount of dedication even for a Dwarf. Very rarely talent alone can carry a Dwarf to the point where he becomes a master, but these are very rare cases. A master is not just one who makes art within his craft, he is also acknowledged as having superior knowledge of the craft and thus one to pass on the craft to the next generations of craftsmen. Almost every master will take apprentices, the number they take varies from craft to craft, smiths often take many where mages often take only one. This varies not only by the craft but by the temperament of the master. It is a master's responsibility to teach and pass on his art. It is his true calling to continue the great line of merit within his craft. While apprentices owe him obedience, he owes them dedication, he will teach them, help them through their troubles and forge the young, talent less, and skill lacking children into craftsmen in their own right. He will hopefully have some who go on to become masters as well, thus continuing the great line of merit. It is one of the greatest achievements of a master to have an apprentice who goes on to outdo him. It is of great note and honor on the great line of merit. A master owes the same dedication to his journeymen, however with them he often works even closer. He brings them to work with him on special projects and teaches them all his secrets of his trade. The master will try and bring out the artist trapped within the journeyman who is already a competent craftsman. Within the rank of master there are often levels, some guilds start with least master and work through five or six levels before the individual is awarded the title of true master or grand master. Often these higher titles are reserved for officials within the guild.
In Dwarven cultures marriage is a sacred custom. No one violates the sanctity of a marriage and infidelity is almost unknown. Since women are so much more rare than men they generally have their choice of many suitors. Generally it is only the highly accomplished Dwarven men that attract a Dwarven woman as a mate, and any Dwarven woman can have just about any man she chooses. The courting process of Dwarves often takes several years. When the Dwarven woman finally decides to take a particular man as her husband there is a great celebration hosted by the family of the groom. The marriage ceremony is a solemn one where the groom promises to care for the bride and their children and swears it upon his craft and his honor. Rings are exchanged which have many gems set in gold or platinum and often have braids of beard hair woven into the metal. The bride will take on the family of the groom and she will be inscribed into their book of names. Often the marriage of two Dwarves can calm down tensions which exist between two families and bring about alli |
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
