Dwarves

Physical Description

Dwarves are short and stocky, standing about a foot shorter than most humans. They have muscular, compact bodies and dense frames. Dwarves of all genders pride themselves on their hair, which they typically keep long. braid patterns are often associated with clans. Men will braid their beards, and women commonly braid their hair. A common practice is that each braid represents the number of people in a person’s family. A single dwarf would display their hair (women) or beard(men) unbraided or in a single braid. A married person would have two braids, and a married dwarf with two children would have four braids. Unmarried men may instead sport a robust mustache as a sign that they are looking for a wife.

Dwarves typically reach physical adulthood around the age of 25 and a typical dwarf can live to around 350 years old as evidenced by the rare individuals that do not Leave.

Society

The dwarves of Ahuin arrived in the days before records and it is only through ancient stories that the dwarves know that there are dwarves elsewhere in the world. Throughout the age of the Elven Imperium, dwarves were subjugated by the elves and made to work. Given dwarves’ sturdy nature, they became the workhorses for the Elven Imperium. They were pushed to do both menial physical and high skilled labor, but were restricted from pursing religious endeavors. Despite that, the Dwarf god, Gozan, is claimed to have appeared in the dreams of some dwarven leaders. The Gozan’s inspired visions emphasized industry and the forge, and became a cornerstone of dwarven culture, stressing work ethic, proficiency, and resilience.

Although unclear how, the number 5 became an auspicious number for dwarves, through the teachings of Gozan. This has shaped several cultural practices; tables and shields are typically made as a pentagon. The five senses are central the dwarven appreciation for aesthetics. A blessed family has a mother, father and three children. Some feel the larger family size was a push by the elves to have a plentiful supply of labor, but other attribute it to the dream messages of Gozan. Dwarven communities are typically overseen by a council of 5 elders. Works are evaluated based on the Five Pillars of Work.

During the time of the Landing, when humans came to Ahuin, dwarves waited in anticipation that they would meet dwarves, but none appeared. When the war between the Elves and Humans became too large to ignore, the dwarves took the side of the humans as a way of escaping their subjugation. In the years that followed, the dwarves continued to be an industrious and talent focused people. The humans were happy to have partners that could work in the dark, provide skilled labor in many areas, and were inclined towards order.

Five Pillars of Work

The Pillars reflect the belief that good work stems from:

• Time: “Time honors the craft”- it takes time to produce a crafted object. Practice has to be put in before a performance. Without this, a work is likely to be flawed.

•  Focus- “Focus honors what matters”-The mind can wander, but good work demands a focus on the task at hand. Without focus, a work will be blemished. Small errors, errant brush strokes, and wavering tones stem from a lack of focus.

• Skill: “Skill honors yourself”- The difficulty of work is a clear requite of good work. But a work is an objective that one chooses, so recognizing the skill needed is about understanding oneself and one’s limits. Noone expects an apprentice to attempt a master’s work; but an apprentice should be celebrated for their developing proficiency. Aiming beyond your skill is an act of hubris.

•  Understanding: “understanding honors the past”- Any work is informed by an awareness of those who have worked before in the same field. The examples set, the mistakes made, and the processes that have been developed are things one should know. Without understanding, there is no intention.

• Beauty: “Beauty honors society” – Dwarven culture celebrates work that appeals to the senses. Work is typically useful but utility without aesthetics is just survival. Dwarves strive to move beyond the days of mere survival as slaves and contribute to a higher ideal. What is ideal is a negotiated concept and so whatever endeavor is undertaken, there will be a communal response based on prevailing values. Ignoring appeal is ignoring the community.

Cultural Practices

Food rituals vary, but are central to all cultures. Dwarves typically start the day with a good breakfast. A proper breakfast reminds a dwarf that they are preparing for the day. Dwarves commonly work through the day and then stop for dinner. A mid-day meal is fine, but can be intrusive when a dwarf is busy with work, and so is often skipped. Dinner closes out the work day and is taken communally. Whether with family or a group of friends, dinner reminds dwarves that they are part of a collective and that all people thrive when they are a part of society.

In terms of dress, dwarves have integrated with the humans of Ahuin and have adopted most of their dress styles. The largest difference is that dwarves favor lighter weight clothing. Jewelry is also more prevalent among dwarves. Rings, necklaces (for women) and torcs (for men) are popular. Earrings are not as they are typically hidden by a dwarf’s hair. Hairpins and other devices for managing hair are also popular. Few dwarves are seen without their clan dagger strapped to their belt. This dagger is forged just before a dwarf's birth and bears the gemstone of their clan. A parent uses this dagger to cut the infant's umbilical cord, making it the first weapon to taste their blood.

Leaving

For the dwarves of Ahuin, their life is divided into 5 periods. The typical dwarf is an adult at age 25, but during their 50th year they present their first Work. Similar to when they were younger, their Work is evaluated using the Five Pillars of Work. They will again present a Work when they are 100, 150, 200 and 250. For most dwarves, their Works are presented in the same community. Each person’s sequence of Work is a way to demonstrate their growth as an individual and how they see themselves within the context of their community. Many non-dwarves assume that the purpose is to show a person’s increasing skills, but that does not necessarily happen for everyone. Most people develop their skills to a certain point and then slow down considerably. Instead, Work is a reflection of one’s journey through life, and a way to maintain one’s ties to society. For dwarves that wander or travel, this is especially important as it reassures a person of their ties to their community. After a dwarf presents their fifth work, they typically arrange a Leaving, where their life will end. This takes many forms but is completed before the dwarf turns 251. Leaving dates back to the days when dwarves were old slaves and were killed off to make room for new dwarves. In time the dwarves came to see their lives as a community asset rather than an individual possession. After their emancipation, the dwarves found the practice still valuable in light of their poverty and the hard realities of a slow aging process that could results in decades of pain and debilitation.

Alignment and Religion

Owing to their history as a subjugated people, dwarves found the solution in unified action. Most dwarves tend to be Neutral or Lawful Neutral, since they understand the importance of supporting the community but are cautious about challenging prevailing practices and norms. The exception are dwarven clerics who are usually Neutral Good.

Dwarven Gods

Gozan

[domains]

The dwarf god Gozan, seeks to improve the lives of his followers through the ethical example he sets in the stories written down by those who’s dreams he visited. His priests’ central belief is that working hard and doing quality work, improves the community’s conditions. Tradition is good, but sometimes you have to be willing to defy convention in order to make progress. Spiritual leaders of Gozan are sometimes though of as rebellious, but other dwarves do not doubt their intentions.

Kuruz

[Earth, Wealth, Catastrophe]

The dwarves honor Kuruz in both his aspects. One facet of Kuruz is his domain over earth and wealth. The dwarves have long learned that they are far more adept than the other races at exploring and working underground. Many dwarves owe their prosperity to sources of wealth that they have pulled from the ground. Whether gold, silver, copper, gems, marble or semi-precious stones, Kuruz is often thanked in loud exclamations when a source of wealth is found. While Gozan is the maker, Kuruz is the overseer of a comfortable life. His blessings are seen in the trappings of wealthy merchants and successful endeavors.

     But Kuruz is a duality and his other aspect is his domain over earthquakes and frustration. For dwarves, earthquakes represent the ever-present possibility of ruin. When the earth heaves with pent up energy, dwarves have learned that the effects can be hard to predict and challenging to protect against. Some believe that there is no protecting against this, and the lands must simply be allowed to vent. In this regard, Kuruz also represents frustration.  While dwarves abhor laziness, frustration represents a conundrum for the dwarven people. Most work involves challenges and that is often accompanied by frustration. So, on one hand, frustration is a natural part of challenging work. But sometimes frustration compounds on itself and a dwarf finds him or herself caught is an escalating spiral of frustration. Every clan has stories of a member who became so gripped by frustration that they demolished a work, on which they had spent a significant amount of time. Giving in to these feelings is never good, but it is understood, even as the outcome can set a person or community back.

Tyra

Goddess of the Hearth

[Family, Good, Knowledge]

Dwarven reverence for Tyra stems from the importance of family or clan. Typically depicted as a smiling older woman, Tyra represents matriarchs, who commonly wield significant influence in dwarven affairs. Tyra’s domains are Family, Good, and Knowledge and her clerics, primarily women, are often older, having entered service after raising their own children. In addition to tending to the healing needs of the community, clerics of Tyra also serve as lorekeepers for their clan. Church records include details of family lineage and community events.

Diety name

[Art, Love, Glory]

Diety name

[Freedom, Fate, Fire]

The Afterlife

The dwarven understanding of the afterlife comes from the reflections of the most powerful clerics, who have had limited contact with the deities. It is said that upon one’s death, Gozan evaluates your life’s efforts as one would examine a vase. Gozan then transforms a person’s soul into a figurine representative of the person’s life. The figurines vary in color, such as reddish for those that lived their lives in anger or soft yellow for those that were hopeful and cheerful. Virtually all figures have flaws, short of those that produced legendary works. The figurines are interred in niches of Guramath, the Endless Wall. Here, a figurine can be found for each dwarf who as ever lived, going back to the accension of Gorzan to godhood. At his leisure, any dwarf who’s figurine is enshrined in Guramath can be recalled by Gozan, or contacted by magic, if the right spells are used.

         Especially devout dwarves may find themselves transported to Hapone, the City Above and Below, where they spend their days mostly pursuing their creative endeavors, but also attending to the gods. The City Above and Below rests on the edge of a great cliff with levels of city descending deep into the ground. In time, as a soul feels fulfilled with their work or has lost interest, Gozan evaluates’ their life in Hapone and then inters them in Gurumath.

Militia

Many dwarves live in cities and villages where other races, principally human, live. In those communities, dwarves may be found serving in the local militia or in service to a lord. For the dwarven communities, where the population is overwhelmingly dwarven, the Emperor had allowed dwarven communities to maintain their own militia as well as have permission to enlarge their militia under certain conditions. The typically militia is used to defend the settlement. A militia force greater than a Beating has never been raised.

Finger= 5 dwarves

Fist= 5 Fingers (25 dwarves)

Pummel= 5 Fists (125 dwarves)

Beating= 5 Pummels (625 dwarves)

Assault= 5 Beatings (3125 Dwarves)

Adventurers

Dwarven adventurers tend to work as treasure hunters or sellswords. They often leave their citadels and subterranean cities in search of wealth to enrich their homeland or to discover lore related to developing skills or talents.
Typical dwarven backgrounds include acolyte, artisan, merchant, miner, and warrior. Dwarves excel at many of the disciplined based classes. martial classes include fighters and rangers. Wizards, given the desire to understand how things work, is an occasional choice. Dwarves also make excellent clerics, but few go beyond the dwarven communities in which they typically serve.

Names

Dwarves honor their children with names taken from ancestors or heroes. The names typically come from dwarven ancestors, and occasionally humans who have proven themselves highly talented, but never is an Elven name adopted, or anything that might sound Elven.