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Dwarves believe in simple, functional clothing without a great deal of ornamentation. They ten toward tones of brown and gray, using fabrics derived from the earth itself. Root hairs are harvested and woven into sturdy breeches and over tunics. Sponge-like fungi are harvested, soaked, then treated and spun into thread, making a remarkably pliable, silken fabric called earthsilk. The dwarves also trade with nearby surface-dwellers for cloth and crops, giving them access to linen, cotton, and wool. Leathers, skins, and furs are also heavily used, especially moleskin and badger fur.
The primary article of clothing for a dwarf is typically a simple, open-front tunic, with large, roomy sleeves that may be worn long or rolled up. This tunic is often made of a light, airy material, such as cotton, linen, or earthsilk, and can be worn either open or closed with fasteners of bone, wood, or metal. Both male and female dwarves wear these tunics, along with a pair of simple breeches or a short, wide-pleated kilt.
Over the tunic, a dwarf often wears a second layer, consisting of a loosely worn vest or jacket. This garment might be constructed out of whole cloth or thread-knotted in a spiral pattern to create a whole garment that looks somewhat like chainmail. Breeches are typically held up by laces or by a belt worn over the loose tunic. Males wear tunics with high necklines and belts at least 4 inches wide. Females often wear low-cut tunics, allowing them to show a bit of cleavage, and they too prefer wide belts, often tailored to show off both waist and hip and fastened in front with laces or multiple small buckles.
Because most dwarves spend their lives largely underground, they have no need for multiple layers of heavy clothing to protect them from wind or weather. Tunnels and chambers within the earth hold a steady, if slightly cool, temperature, absolving the dwarves of any need t o wear protective clothing as a regular occurrence. When they go aboveground with the other races, they adopt t he clothing of surface-dwellers as necessary to keep themselves warm and dry, but they prefer clothing that was built to suit their lifestyle.
While dwarves don�t favor bright colors or fripperies on their garments, they do use touches of color, weaves, and metal to decorate their clothes. Dyed leather ties in primary colors are a common touch, used to stitch together breeches or cloaks (for wear above ground). Woven trims are also used along the tops and fronts of garments, made on small handlooms with geometric patterns of looping or knotting lines, stripes, or even stylized Dwarven script.
Cloth with woven patterns is even more common, featuring differing thread widths and textures to create monotone garments of great tactile interest. Geometric patterns are often seen, especially knot work or repeating patterns of stitches. These patterns often run in clans, making it possible to tell where an individual is from (or to whom he is related) by the nature of his clothes.
The third commonly used accessory is metal � belt ends, buckles, tie dags, collars, brooches, and beading. If metal bits can be forged, decorated, and attached, a dwarf somewhere likely sports an example of it. Still, these are intended as accent pieces, not as one�s primary mode of self-expression. If a dwarf can be heard clanking his way down a passage when not wearing armor, he is likely to become an object of quiet ridicule.
Grooming
While dwarven clothing options might seem staid and homogenous when compared to those of the elves or humans, it is only because clothing has little value in their culture. Instead, the dwarves prize their hair, whether it is on their scalps (for both genders) or on their faces (or males). The dwarven love of textures and patterns is applied to hairstyles as much as anything else, with intricate braids worn by both males and females. A regular three-part braid might be sufficient for daily life, but an important occasion might see particularly old or revered dwarves sporting up to a twenty-part braid, or multiple smaller ones braided together. Metal fasteners or ornaments are common additions to both hair and beard braids, but again, these are preferred as accenting touches, and most dwarves wear no more than two or three on a particularly festive occasion.
While many picture dwarves as dusty, dirty smiths and miners, the truth is quite the opposite. The dwarves� familiarity with their underground habits let them find and harness underground hot springs, pools, and rivers, providing dwarf settlements of all sizes with fresh water and bathing areas. Dwarven baths are public, though segregated by gender into separate areas, and attendance is considered an important social function. As a result, dwarves are typically far cleaner and better groomed than most surface races.
Psychology
Those who encounter a dwarf adventurer for the first time might think him rude, dour, taciturn, and inflexible. Human cultures, especially those that prize the rights or needs of the individual over those of the group, are often at odds with dwarven sensibilities. Elves, ever mindful of the need for personal expression and experience, often complain that dwarves are not much different from the stones among which they live. In truth, however, one�s first impression of a dwarf is usually deceiving.
Dwarves come from a very closed environment, with little in the way of personal space or privacy. Expansion of any one settlement is greatly dependent on the location and earth in which it is set. Digging out new living space can be an expensive, time-consuming, and possible dangerous activity. For every dwarf city nestled in a roomy expanse of trackless caverns, thousands of smaller settlements exist in which every room was hewn from surrounding stone by hand. As a result, living quarters are close together and regularly house entire extended families.
A society of people living in close contact with each other day in and day out must, by necessity, place the needs of the group above the needs of the individual. The rule of law becomes paramount in many ways, for only in such a society can disputes be settled fairly and expectations kept reasonable. This cultural trait has become an ingrained habit for nearly all dwarves and is considered a virtue among their people. He who holds to his duty and obeys the law, even at great cost to himself, is hailed as a hero among his clan and held up as an example to others. Honor, duty, bravery, stoicism, and loyalty are considered the highest virtues in dwarven life. Those who live less �responsible� existences, as the dwarves might consider it, are subjects of continuing bemusement to the order of the dwarven mind.
By the same token, a dwarf who is considered rude or unsociable by other aboveground races is looked at as the soul of manners and tact among his own people. For those who live belowground, physical privacy is a thin illusion at best. None but the most wealthy o those o the highest status in dwarf society can claim a space of their very own, to be shared with no one else.
This forced physical intimacy has led dwarven culture to prize mental privacy. Thus, emotions are considered highly personal, and not readily shared outside the family or clan circles. If a dwarf admits any sort of joy or sorrow, it is an indication of how high the listener has risen in his esteem. The same is true for personal revelations of any kind, including weakness or achievements.
While this reluctance to show one�s emotions is true of most dwarves, however, it is hardly true for every individual. Many dwarves who spend their lives wandering the surface find dwarven attitudes difficult to live with. These individuals are often much more expressive and able to tolerate the seemingly chaotic cultures of humans, elves, and Halflings. Still, a dwarf has been caught more than once between the world in which he was raised and t he life he has embraced. Such conflicts are often amusing to those who witness them and embarrassing for the dwarf, but bridging two worlds is never easy.
Just as some dwarves do not speak unless first spoken to, other, more garrulous dwarves enjoy carousing and boisterous living. Some dwarves happily tell of their own adventures with little prompting, and others refuse to let another pay their way, regardless of how little gold might remain to them. A dwarf�s actions in the surface world may or may not be indicative of his behavior at home.
When it comes to other races or cultures, dwarves are surprisingly tolerant, despite their firm belief in the rightness of their own ways. This attitude is due in large part to the reticence bred into the soul of every dwarf. Regardless of his opinion of the people he meets, a well-mannered dwarf declines comment, looking on the matter as none of his business. His disapproval might be expressed in other ways, should someone�s behavior violate his own beliefs too violently, but by and large, he leaves well enough alone. An old dwarven platitude stats, �You cannot spot the weakness in your own work by staring too long at someone else�s.�
Arts and Crafts
Art for its own sake has little place in dwarven life. Utility is considered as equally important as beauty, if not more so. A useful item is still prized even I it is plain, but a beautiful item with no utility is considered a waste of time and resources.
At the same time, no proper dwarf craftsman is considered to be worth the gold he charges if his creations are not beautiful as well as functional. Anyone can craft a simple, utilitarian item, but a true master of his craft makes items whose owners will enjoy and treasure them. No dwarven masterwork item exists that is not finely ornamented with engravings, enamels, carvings, or inlaid woods or metals. Even the humblest object bears a simple design and the ornamented runes of its maker�s name.
In reflection of this love of beauty, a visitor to a dwarf city finds that even the smallest crafted item or wall bears some form of decoration, even if it is merely a subtle trick of the light against the wall, or the clean, spare lines of a dwarven temple. Beauty is found not just in ornament, but also in the construction and use of space in dwarven building and goods.
This dwarven marriage of utility and beauty is nowhere more apparent than in the capital city of Othala, where the High King holds a contest each year to determine the best master craftsman of all the dwarves. Thousands of dwarf stonemasons, smiths, and others travel for weeks to the city bearing their masterwork pieces in hopes of winning the High King�s praise and the acclaim of their peers. The value of the goods presented is priceless, but the dwarves hold the fame granted by the contest in higher esteem than anything mere money can buy.
Technology and Magic
The dwarves are an ingenious people with a flair for adopting useful ideas and objects to their own purposes. At the same time, their traditional mind-set means that new technologies or forms of magic can take an extremely long time to adopt. If a new process or type of spellcasting conflicts too heavily with the traditional processes used, it might never be accepted.
Alchemy is not unknown among the dwarves, but its use is limited. Few dwarf alchemists successfully ply their trade in dwarf cities; most prospective customers prefer to go to runesmiths or priests to get help or purchase items. Alchemical products are sometimes used in construction, primarily in excavation, but by and large, these methods are considered too dangerous to use in populated underground areas. Widespread use occurs only when the dwarves lack enough spellcasters to do a job effectively.
Magic is an important part of dwarven life, although it is not given the weight that other societies place on it. Among the dwarves, magic is no more important than the metals of the earth or the strength off muscle and bone. It is part of the foundation of the universe, but it is not the only stone upon which creation was built.
Dwarf sorcerers are considered blessed by Moradin (the head dwarven deity), their powers viewed as divinely granted, giving them a special status in dwarf society. Many sorcerers specialize in combat magic or in working with the earth, reflecting their heritage and personality. A few sorcerers have gained renown among t he greatest dwarf architects, using magic and a deep knowledge of the earth�s mysteries to create structures that would be impossible with just steel and sinew. Adventuring dwarf sorcerers often hire themselves out to surface-dwellers as mercenaries or master builders.
Dwarf wizards are somewhat more rare than sorcerers, but no less welcome. Most wizards end up adventuring at some point in their lives, anxious to learn more secrets than their isolated underground homes can provide. Many wizards become runesmiths, imbuing magical powers into weapons, buildings, or even people. Some choose to dwell on the surface among the other races t o make themselves more accessible to wizards of other cultures. Most dwarf wizards do not forget their homes, however, and they create private underground dwellings where their research can be conducted in comfort and privacy.
Love
Love is considered one o the great virtues of dwarven life. Love for family, love for honor, love for clan and country � these are considered the finest motivations a dwarf can have. While few dwarven legends allude to love except as a prelude to battle or loss, it is still considered a necessary and important part of life.
Dwarves are considered marriageable when they reach the age of majority, roughly age forty. With parental consent, some marriages might be made sooner, but tradition frowns on this practice. Most dwarves form a lasting romantic relationship or the first time in their forties, although many do not marry until their sixties or later.
Dwarves believe in marrying for life. Monogamy is strongly encouraged, and romantic relationships outside the marital contract are believed to be a leading cause of social instability and disharmony. Because of this, courtship is a lengthy process, often taking three or more years. Both the parents of the prospective mates and the clan chieftain must approve every match before courtship can begin. If approval is not gained, then the courtship cannot commence. Those unhappy souls caught dallying without approval can endure forced separation, fines, and even exile. The families of both the male and the female provide dowries to the pair, and the clan chieftain bestows a gift of money or some other valuable item upon each new wedded couple.
Arranged marriages are common among dwarf families, especially where inter-clan marriages are concerned. While marrying for love is not unknown, among very wealthy or prestigious families, it is often secondary to finding a suitable match that will further the well-being of the clan as a whole. Regardless of whether a match is made for love or more worldly concerns, a wedding is always considered a time of joy.
Dwarves at War
While no dwarf ever wishes to see his loved ones in harm�s way, the lands beneath the surface are filled with predators of all forms � some civilized nations out to ruthlessly expand their holdings, others little more than beasts. Because of this near-constant threat, battle prowess and training are an important part of every dwarf�s upbringing. Becoming a warrior or solider is seen as an honorable profession, and martial prowess is as important to one�s overall reputation among the dwarves as charismatic ways are in the surface world.
Beginning in a dwarf�s twentieth year, both males and females are trained in martial skills. Because of their strength and compact frames, dwarves favor top-heavy weapons such as axes and hammers. It is rare for a dwarf to be trained in a ranged weapon other than the crossbow or t he throwing axe, due to the confined spaces in which dwarves typically fight. Some polearms � such as the short-spear, dwarven double spear, and the dwarven urgrosh � are designed to take advantage of close-quarters fighting.
While most dwarves cease training around the time they reach majority, those who have shown particular skill or interest usually continue their training and join the clan militia or city guard. Once a dwarf warrior has some experience under his belt, he might choose to take up an outpost in the depths of the earth and serve as a deepwarden, acting as a sentry and first line of defense against the denizens of the deep. Alternatively, he might choose to rise within the ranks of the city guard or clan militia, becoming a caption, a member of the royal guard, or a clanwarden a leader of the dwarf militia). He might even choose to head deeper into unexplored caverns or up to the surface as an adventurer, seeking profit and experiences that could transform him from leader into legend.
Death
Death holds little fear for dwarves. They are all accustomed to the struggle of existence and the inevitable loss that awaits them all. Still, anyone who calls dwarves fatalistic in this respond would have missed an essential part of the dwarven character: the joy they take in that daily struggle.
Dwarves are taught from a young age how Moradin the All-Father created the universe in his Eternal Forger. Most outsiders are aware of this much of dwarven tradition and belief simply from general exposure, often considering themselves well informed for having the knowledge. What most do not realize, however, is that the analogy doesn�t stop there. Just as a blacksmith can take broken or bent pieces of metal, melt them down, and recast them into a new creation, so they believe Moradin does with the souls of the dwarf people. Death is nothing but a doorway to a new life. When dwarves grow old and feeble, many of them long for the chance to be made young again in Moradin�s forge and start anew. Those who die are mourned, but it is clearly understood to be the survivor�s own loss for which the living weep, not the deceased�s.
Dwarven funeral rites typically involve cremation. Dwarves do not harbor a belief that the physical body will be needed in the afterlife; indeed, keeping it intact is sometimes seen as an impediment to a quick and happy rebirth. If a dwarf lies on his deathbed, priests are called to be the bedside, where they sing of the Eternal Forge and lay blessings on the stricken individual for his next lifetime. Once the individual has passed on, his body is taken to the temple, where rites of blessing are performed and viewings of the body are held for loved ones. The body is kept on view for one day.
Once the vigil has passed, everyone adjourns to the clan hold or large local tavern, depending on the person�s clan status and which buildings are large enough to hold all the mourners. There, the mourners throw a raucous party, where they relate every good story they can remember about the individual and drink copious amounts of alcohol. The dwarves feast and celebrate, although those closest to the individual are sometimes excused from the party to mourn in private. One of these parties can last as long as three days. The day following the celebration is considered a day of rest; after that, it�s back to business as usual. Particularly famous or valiant dwarves are often commemorated in murals or other artwork, with the ashes of truly greater warriors sometimes incorporated into newly forged weapons and given to their descendants. No other monument or marker is typically given or left in remembrance.
Rulers and Tradition
As shown by their concept of Moradin, dwarves believe that a ruler should be both leader and father to those in his care. A king should govern and discipline those who owe him fealty, but always with love and an eye to the long-term health of his realm. Naturally, not every king lives up to these ideals, just as not every father is a wonderful parent. However, every dwarf is taught what to expect off a king from a very young age, reinforcing these expectations throughout dwarf society and reminding the king of his constant duty to the people.
Dwarf Rulers
Dwarf society is egalitarian in structure. A number of rulers have risen up from humble beginnings, and dwarven history record both male and female rulers. While dwarves at large have had more kings than queens, the queens have their share of legends too, such as Queen Emry and the magical Chalice of Rivers, or Queen Arya and the Courtship of Eradin. Whether male or female, highborn or low, everyone is expected to draw from the examples of the great rulers and aspire to the ideals they represent.
While dwarven rulers wield final authority, they are not without advisors. Each city keeps a Great Council of clan chieftains that advise the king and enforces his laws within their respective clans. These chieftains also settle internal disputes without troubling those outside the clan.
Rise of the Monarchy
Back in the earliest days of dwarf society, every city was self-contained, like a miniature nation all its own. Kings were little more than the heads of extended clans � the term �grandfather� was used to address the king as often as (or perhaps more than) his official title. Contact between the cities was highly limited, usually along the lines of family communications rather than diplomatic efforts.
It wasn�t until the rise of the city of Kroesus that the dwarf cities began to unite themselves under a common ruler. Borin was the son of a priest of Moradin. He had been brought up in the faith, and had planned for a career in the priesthood himself. After he received a vision on his thirtieth naming day, however, he knew that he was destined for something more.
The city in which Borin lived was over-crowded, and the king was not as close to his people as he should be. Many were restless and unhappy. When Borin issued his call for settlers, many young dwarves met it with great enthusiasm, and he shortly led a large following from the city into the wilderness. Everywhere he went, he found more dwarves anxious to join him, even among the surface-dwellers. When he founded Kroesus, it grew as though under the blessings of Moradin himself.
Borin was not satisfied with stopping at Kroesus, however, for his vision showed him the need for dwarves to band together against outside threats, lest they be scattered to the winds. He set about proceedings � both diplomatic and martial � to convince the other dwarf kings to swear fealty to him. To his credit, the process involved more marriages than wars, and by the end of his life, he was known as the High King Borin, King of Dwarves and Ruler of Kroesus.
The generations that followed were ones of peace and growth for the dwarf people, but with the fall of Kroesus, the dwarves were scattered. Falling back into old patterns, they strengthened the clan structure that had always existed in dwarven life until the heads of the clans were like kings themselves. Each clan competed against the others for the right to the High Throne, and no fewer than twenty clans were wiped out in wars that lasted three times as long as the original peace had been in place. Finally, not even the oldest skalds could remember why the dwarves fought.
Then, a new king rose again, once more from humble origins. Albin was clanless, a mercenary who had worked among the surface races for at least half his life. While most would shun him because he had no clan, that very lack of affiliation enabled him to gain followers and work with all the clans in the end. His prowess as a warrior and strategist was legendary, and his diplomatic skills were equally formidable. It has taken him thirty years, but he has since gathered most of the clans behind him and laid claim to the High Throne. While a few clans still refuse to accept him, those are a minority whose number dwindles with each passing year.
Clan Structure
Clans are an ever-present factor of dwarven life. There are hundreds of clans, ranging from the largest (which spans the continent with clanholds in every major dwarf city) to the smallest (with only a hundred members in a single city).
From the time a dwarf is born, the clan is his home. He is raised by its members, and has his cousins as his playmates, advances in his career and training through clan connections, often meets his future mate at clan meetings, and looks to his clan chieftain to lead warriors in battle and dispense justice in peace. Every dwarf knows his connection to his clan and what his family connection is to each of the important bloodlines within the clan � and thereby, the degree of family connection he has with nearly every member of his clan.
The clans fulfill an important function in dwarf society. Unlike in many human kingdoms, land and wealth are not what make an individual important among dwarves. After all, land is too precious to be owned by any one person, and wealth is easily accessible to every dwarf. Economics is not a sufficiently delineating factor from which to form the basis of social classes. Instead, the clans fulfill that function using the family hierarchy to create solidly defined rules for social interaction and the acquisition of personal power.
Clan Duties and Benefits
In a dwarf�s personal lie, the hierarchy of power begins with himself, then goes to the head of his immediate family, then to his clan chieftain, then to the king of his city or nation, and then to the High King. Anyone occupying one of the stations above him has the right to call upon his service or goods at any time, should it become necessary. A dwarf is expected to serve his clan in any way he can, whether it be with strength of arms, money, public service, or even marriage in some cases. Although the clan leaders do not believe in excessive intrusion into an individual�s private life, they will not hesitate to take action if an individual�s choices threaten the clan as a whole. By the same token, if something a dwarf can do will greatly benefit the clan as a whole, then the leaders will ask for that service without hesitation.
While this might seem an onerous duty, most dwarves find the reward worth the potential cost. By living within the clan, a dwarf need never worry about poverty, a place to live, or being left undefended. The clan is a dwarf�s most stalwart protector, using its strength of numbers to protect all those affiliated with it. Friends with common interests are always nearby, ready to offer advice or simply a shoulder to lean on when needed. The elderly and infirm are cared for with great regard, and the children are raise communally. In this way, no individual need bear (or become) too great a burden.
In addition, the clan is responsible or helping its members succeed in life, providing apprenticeships for young males and females. Any profession the clan members practice is available to those seeking tutelage, and those outside the clan are often available as well through clan connections. Clans often practice exchange programs wherein they send their youths to foster and train with another clan specialized in a given profession. Even romance is not beyond the clan�s reach � matchmakers are always ready to help dwarves who wish to marry within the families of the clan.
Clanholds
Every dwarf city has one or more clan holdings within it. Each clan typically has a clan hall, an official building where clan business is done and gatherings are held, and a clanhold, a large communal living area with small family dwellings attacked to it. In smaller cities or where space is at a premium, these functions might all be held within the clanhold, but in larger cities, the hall is a separate, far grander structure.
Most clan members live either in the communal area (if they are of age and unmarried) or else in the small family dwellings off the main chambers. Expanding a dwelling is not unheard of, but it requires careful consideration to ensure that no instability will be introduced into the structure or that no other existing space will be endangered or dug into accidentally. If crowding or the wait for a family dwelling grows too difficult, young couples often move out of the clan holdings for a time, perhaps even volunteering to be settlers for a new city.
Aside from the family dwellings, most clanholds include a communal hall, large kitchens, a barracks-style sleeping area, a bathing and grooming area (where possible), domestic work areas, and a special office and living area for the chieftain of the clan.
Clan Chieftains
At the head of each clan is a chieftain, typically the oldest or most respected member of the group. It is common among the clans to refer to this person as �grandfather� or �grandmother,� as appropriate. Usually, the chieftain has spent a good percentage of his life in service to the clan, acting as a clanwarden, ollam (teacher), or elder, or holding some other position of authority (often temple service is considered an adequate replacement). He is supported and advised by an elder council � a group of the most respected members of the clan. Despite the name, age is not a requirement for being an elder � a young but experience healer or warrior is as welcome as the most aged and wise scholar, so long as he can contribute sufficient knowledge and experience to the clan.
The clan chieftain is responsible for the welfare of the group in his care. He participates in local government, supports the king, collects tax revenues for the city from his clan members, and ensures that the interests of the clan are protected locally.
The chieftain also functions as a magistrate and mediator within the clan, settling minor disputes and arranging for lawbreakers to receive their due punishment. Trials for minor crimes that happen within the clan are his responsibility. If a crime is committed against another clan, then the two chieftains attempt to settle the matter themselves. If an agreement cannot be reached, the king or his appointed agent judges the dispute and punishes the criminals as he sees fit.
The position of chieftain is held for life (or until the individual chooses to retire). Typically, a chieftain chooses his own successor. Should a chieftain die without naming an heir, the elder council appoints a new chieftain from among its members. By the same token, an elder council can remove a chieftain who abuses his position. Such acts are quite rare, however, since no one wants an internal conflict between brothers and cousins that could weaken or possibly destroy the clan.
For large clans with multiple scattered holds, ambassadors from each hold gather together once every ten years to decide on any new policies for the clan and to ensure that no abuse of clan holdings or resources takes place. This occasion is known as a Gathering. At each such event, the clan pledges anew its fealty to the king (or declares its independence), decides to declare war or sure for peace, and makes any other important policy decisions. A Gathering can be called on short notice because of some perceived emergency, but the need must be great, or many holds imply will not attend.
Clanwardens
Each clanhold has its own militia to guard not only its own holdings but also to protect the city at large. While the rank-and-file members are average dwarf citizens looking to defend their homes, those with the talent, skill, and a taste for battle often become clanwardens. A clanwarden is the leader of a group of militia. He is roughly equivalent to a captain, commanding several small units. He makes duty assignments, presides over important expeditions, and is in charge of a portion of the clan�s defense.
A typical sized clan consisting of roughly two hundred dwarves has at least three clanwardens among its number. Larger clans naturally have more, while smaller clans might have only one. They typically report to the clan elder charged with running the militia, taking their orders directly from him.
The position of clanwarden is one of great prestige within the clan. An individual has to be greatly trusted and must have proven his prowess in battle before being allowed to hold such a post. For more than one dwarf, the road to chieftain has started in the militia, with his elevation to clanwarden as his first real taste of responsibility.
The Clanless
Even in such a tightly knit society as the dwarves possess, some simply cannot fit in. Frequently, these dwarves cannot subjugate their needs as individuals to the needs of the group as a whole. Others cannot easily withstand the rigid rule of law, chafing under the restrictions it requires or simply choosing another way to live. Still others are thrust unceremoniously from the bosom of the clan in payment for crimes they have committed. These groups all form the lowest rung of a dwarf society: the clanless.
Clanless dwarves come from all manner of backgrounds � criminals, rebels, the dispossessed, and the orphaned. They have no hall to welcome them, no patriarch to give them succor. They often live in the poorest section of the dwarf cities, often in the industrial districts hear their businesses or jobs. They sometimes work as common laborers, though those with a more adventurous spirit usually head for the surface world and try to make their fortunes there.
Because of the affinity the clanless have for the adventuring life, most clanholds look upon adventuring dwarves (or those without an obvious affiliation) with suspicion. Because they are suspected to be misfits at best and criminals at worst, any offers of hospitality to clanless dwarves are usually made with one hand outstretched and the other resting meaningfully on the nearest weapon. No dwarf will turn away another in need, but the clanless typically receive a much shorter invitation and much less comfort than any other. Because of this treatment, some groups of clanless dwarves are rumored to have set up surface freeholds in the style of their clan cousins. Since no clan member would be invited to such a place, however, much less willingly set foot inside it, the rumors are difficult to substantiate.
Family Units
Dwarf family life is very full, made up not only of the immediate relatives but also the extended family. Each family begins with a married couple and their children, and often encompasses grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and grandchildren.
A dwarven home is considered to be the property of the couple to whom it was first granted. Those individuals are guaranteed a home for the rest of their lives. Their children are also allowed to live there as long as they wish, even after they take spouses and have children of their own. If the accommodations become too uncomfortable, couples can either strike out on their own as settlers, move out of the clanhold, or petition to build a home of their own in the clanhold if space permits.
Children are considered a blessing in dwarven life, whether male or female, and are often called �the soul of the clan.� The dwarves� birth rate is far lower than that of humans. While children are primarily the responsibility of their birth parents, every person in the clan is expected to play some part in their upbringing and education.
By the same token, the elderly are considered to be �the memory of the clan.� Dwarves place a great deal of pride in their ancestry and heritage, and the oldest among them are looked on as living embodiments of the past. To neglect or act disrespectfully to an elderly dwarf is one of the greatest offenses anyone can make in dwarf society.
Both males and females are trained in household duties, professions, and warfare. Females expecting a child are recommended to retire to their homes as the pregnancy progresses and make ready for the new arrival. They suffer no stigma for doing so, because other clan members are expected to pitch in and help perform the mother-to-be�s duties while she ensures that the new addition to the clan is born healthy and well cared for.
Dwarves and Other Races
Elves
Elven and dwarven diplomatic relations are renowned for their volatile nature. The differences in mindset between the two races are vast indeed, and they have lead to countless surface disagreements and misunderstandings over the years. The elven and dwarven outlooks are based in very different perspectives on life, duty, and the place of the individual in society. Dwarves are by turns frustrated, angered, and amused by the seemingly flighty ways of a race that should be among the most responsible of all, given their long lives and great magical power. Still, despite their differences, the two peoples usually end up seeing eye to eye on the most basic � and most important � issues. Like quarreling siblings, they might threaten each other with curses and insults until they run short of breath, but let an outsider threaten one, and the other will be the first to jump to his defenses.
Halflings
Dwarves are fond of Halflings in the same way that an older brother is fond of his awkward smaller sibling. Halflings have a knack for figuring out how to fit in and making themselves useful, both traits that dwarves prize highly. At the same time, Halflings as a race do not hold strength in battle in high regard. Although they can fight, they often choose to avoid conflict � an attitude t hat some dwarves mistake for an inability to fight rather than a lack of interest. Luckily, if the Halflings are insulted by this patronizing attitude, they keep it to themselves. The dwarves remain blissfully pleased with the relationship between the two races, other than a vague concern about Halfling safety and continued diplomatic offers of martial training or equipment.
Humans
Human nations vary from place to place, but what they all seem to have in common are their short cultural memories. Dwarves sometimes feel they have the most in common with humans, a group that can readily absorb nearly all the virtues of dwarven culture and value them almost equally. Humans can come closer to acting as true dwarves than any of the other races. At the same time, they can be almost elflike, or even as dark as the monsters that lurk in the deep places below ground. That moral and ethical flexibility frustrates the dwarven mind no end, forcing dwarves to weigh their fondness for human adaptability and virtue against the inconstancy of the ever-changing human cultural landscape. Still, dwarves are nothing if not good at spotting potential beneath the surface. As a consequence, the dwarves have never given up on humanity, even in the darkest days.
Religion
Religion holds a deep and meaningful place in the hearts of most dwarves, though organized religious services are rare and most individuals go to temples only on special occasions or when they need healing. Temples are places of learning and worship, where children are taught their runes and history, and dwarves go to offer thanks to Moradin, Mya, and other dwarven deities. Regular services are rarely held, except during the festivals honoring the deities. Instead, each individual chooses his time to visit the temple and give worship, often bringing offerings for the church or volunteering for lay services such as teaching, cleaning, cooking, or other beneficial community acts.
As a dwarf child grows, he is taught all about the deities and their legends. From the moment of birth, a priest is present to offer blessings and consecrate the child to Moradin (if male) or Mya (if female). Certain birthmarks or other unusual circumstances can reveal the child as being claimed by one of the lesser deities � a rare occurrence, but one that marks the child as having a special destiny.
One a child�s first naming day, he takes his formal name under the glow of Moradin�s sacred forge in the temple. Upon adulthood, he feats on the sacred honey-ale for the first time from the ceremonial temple chalice. Upon being wed, he reenacts t he wedding of Moradin and Mya, complete with the earthsilk cords that bind the newlyweds� hands at the end, symbolically indicating their union. At death, a priest sings hymns of Moradin and his Eternal Forge, waiting to welcome his children home. Many dwarves never set foot in a temple other than for these pivotal rites, but they are still lynchpins of dwarf society, and no dwarf would dream of setting them aside.
History and Folklore
The dwarves believe themselves to be the oldest civilized people in the world, and they might be right. Certainly, few would dispute it. Buried as they have been in remote mountain ranges and deep underground cities, the dwarves could have existed unrecognized by the outer world for millennia. Their largest cities have seen use for countless centuries; their capitals stretch back through recorded time to the first dwarf settlements. Their traditions are equally ancient, as their long life spans allow them to keep a better hold on the past. Change is anathema to the dwarven way of thinking, so it is little wonder that they hold to the old ways so strongly.
To understand who the dwarves are and why the live as they do, you must understand their origins. The true genesis of the dwarf race is lost to the mists of time, but their legends and myths still hold valuable information about the beginnings of their people and way of life. With this information in hand, a non-dwarf can begin to unravel the unyielding dwarven stoicism and understand this proud race.
Mythic Origins
The dwarves believe themselves to be the mortal descendants of Moradin the All-Father, god of t he forge. Creation stories vary from hearth light to temple, but the most common tale revolves around Moradin at his forge, where it is said that he created the world, pulling shapes from primordial fire, metal, and stone, and recasting them as he saw fit. In that way, he created the world and all in it. However, the world he created was a cold, lifeless thing, containing all manner of wonders, but no soul.
Moradin pondered this for a long time, and although he was pleased with his creations� beauty, it gave him no joy. Finally, Mya, his wife and companion, counseled him and bade him to create creatures to care for his world. In doing so, she said, these creatures would provide the soul his world lacked and bring him joy.
Moradin saw the wisdom of her words and set about creating such caretakers. Many times did his hammer strike, but many times was he disappointed. In setting out to craft the perfect race, all he could create were imperfections. One by one, he found them wanting and cast them onto the surface of the world, to live as best they could.
Again, his heart was saddened, and the divine light on his brow dimmed. Again, Mya, Mother of Wisdom, came to him with counsel. She advised him to look within his heart. Only there would he find the ones he desired.
Moradin did as she suggested, and when he was done, he found that his new creations were in his own likeness. He was pleased with them from the moment he breathed life into them, and found t hem worthy of the world he had created. Then, to make sure they could care for it properly, he put them not on the surface, but deep within the heart of his treasured jewel so that they could watch over it always and be its very soul.
Legends
The legends of the dwarves are without number, told as both entertainment and education in front of flickering hearths to crowds of eager listeners. Oral storytelling traditions are alive and well among dwarves. Many young dwarves dream not only of growing up to be the heroes they hear about in the stories but also of becoming the skalds (singers) who tell the stories.
Every dwarf worthy of his clan knows the legends of his particular ancestors as well as t he songs of the great kings � all of which are accepted as fact by the dwarves, not fiction as outsiders might claim. Even though no one knows where Kroesus, the great dwarf city, might be found, its existence is never questioned. The stories have been carved into their minds just as they were carved into stone centuries ago, and woe to the outsider who scoffs at them.
The following are some of the most popular dwarven legends ever told, and all are considered to have a basis in fact among the dwarf people. They have inspired countless dwarf youths by their examples, giving them dreams of reviving past dwarven glory and possibly of creating legends of their own.
The Drowning of Kroesus
Within the bosom of t he earth stands Kroesus, a city that surpasses any that exists on the surface of the world. Its streets are laid with gold and its floors with ebony. Its gates are silver and bronze, strengthened by such magic that no force could ever break them down. The jewels of the earth have been made into lanterns for its homes, and rare and beautiful stones grace its walls, carved into cunnings designs and enchanted against all manner of decay or neglect. No star that graced the surface skies has ever been a beautiful as Kroesus, the city of the dwarves. Kroesus was the creation of t he first High King, Borin, after he received a vision from Moradin himself. Borin quested deep within the earth to find a home for his scattered people. He searched for many years but was unable to find a home that could serve his vision. Finally, he found a cavern deep within the earth, as large and tall as a mountain, with a lake in the center, an underground river below, and vents that traveled through the earth for miles to the air above. He knew that he had found a new home, and he summoned his people there.
For fifteen generations they worked, built, and carved his vision into being, using the riches from the earth itself to glorify their deity, bending their skills as craftsmen to every detail of their city. It became the most beautiful place in the entire world. Such beauty however, always draws the weak and cruel as well as the strong and wise. Other races of the earth heard of the magnificent city, and envy grew in their hearts. Such envy came not from the gnomes or goliaths, for they could create beauty of their own, but from the twisted souls of those who had no beauty in their own hearts: the drow.
The drow heard of the city and desired to take it from the dwarves. They sent spies to watch from the shadows and sneak past the gates, and they turned the hearts of the weak dwarves to their bidding. Unable to pass the great gates, they were sly and created a new entrance into the city, disguised with dark magic.
After biding their time for months, the drow attacked from within. They ravaged the city, slaughtering old and young alike, while the dwarf army fought bravely in the streets. The dwarves were not prepared for the numbers of the drow or the fight on their own lands, and they began to lose the battle.
King Kreadin, the High King of the dwarves, vowed to keep the drow from taking the city, regardless of the cost. The dwarves had long since tapped the underground river, and had devised a method by which the city could be flooded should disaster strike � a plan the drow never discovered.
When it became clear that the dwarves had been defeated, Kreadin girded himself with his father�s hammer and crown, secretly made his way to the dam room, and opened the floodgates. The entire city was flooded with the river�s fury, killing drow and dwarf alike in its inexorable torrent. Only a small group survived, sent by the king to the surface through a secret exit. Where these few dwarves are now is uncertain, but the quest to find them and reclaim the drowned city is the dream of every dwarf hero.
Conn (Son of Feodin) and the Crown of Sorrow
In the time before the dwarf people had chosen a new king to rule over the clans, each clan lived apart from the others, warring and trying to gain prominence over each other. In that time, the Ironforge Clan led the race for the kingship, with Feodin as its chieftain.
Feodin was a mighty warrior, with eyes that could pierce the darkest cave and an arm as strong as granite. He was well beloved by his clan, but his son Conn surpassed even him. Conn was handsome and strong, well favored with ebon-black hair and yes that glimmered like hearth light on steel. His right arm was as iron, while his left was as stone. His mind was keen as the sharpest blade, and his craftwork was as beautiful as that of the dwarf smiths of old. Clan Ironforge was well pleased with their chieftain�s son, and looked forward t o Conn�s reign with great satisfaction.
Feodin loved his son and treasured him above even gold, jewels, and the secret crafts that all dwarves hold dear inside their hearts. His mind was fearful, though, that his people loved his heir more than himself. He began to harbor doubts about Conn�s loyalty and steeled himself against his son, lest Conn try to take leadership of the clan before his time.
Conn saw this coldness in his father�s demeanor and was troubled. Still, he kept to his duties, even as his father became distant to him. He loved his clan, but he loved his father more. Some among his companions noticed the chief�s change in heart as well, and they urged Conn to wrest the throne from his father feared. He refused to do so, however, and dismissed those among his company who held such thoughts. He would not lay a hand against his father, not even to claim his birthright.
The unrest between father and son was a subject of much consternation among the clan members. While many tried to heal the breach, relations between the two continued to deteriorate as Feodin grew more and more paranoid about Conn�s intentions, despite Conn�s efforts to reassure his father and obey his wishes.
Meanwhile, the fortunes of the clan began to fail. Feodin�s decisions grew more and more erratic, as t he once-capable chieftain seemed only to choose the worst course of action time and again. Conn was torn by indecision: Should he turn against his father to save his clan?
Finally, a turning point came. Conn and a group of clanwardens were patrolling the eastern tunnels of the clan�s holdings when they came across a partially collapsed side passage. After checking the area for faults and weaknesses but finding none, they set out to clear the blockage and found a dwarf corpse, weeks old and greatly decayed. They recognized the deceased as a missing watch captain who had been absent for weeks. Upon examining the body, they were horrified to find the dwarf�s brain had been removed.
Conn had listened well to his teachers, and he recognized the evidence as that of an illithid attack. With his friends at his side, he immediately returned to the clan hall and sought an audience with his father. As he stood below the throne, ignoring the scowls he received from his chieftain, his eyes scoured the room for the darkest, deepest shadow he could see, the ones into which even a dwarven eye could not see. When he found such a spot, in a corner a short distance from his father�s throne, he gave a deep cry of rage and threw his hammer into the darkness. To the shock of all those present in the room, a mind flayer appeared where the hammer struck, giving a terrible screech of pain.
Conn struck quickly, not wanting to give the horrible creature any time to attack. His blows fell like strikes on an anvil, in a powerful rhythm that left the mind flayer reeling. Before he could kill the creature, however, it was able to reach his father. The old dwarf was weakened by his ordeal and was no match for the illithid who had been controlling him for weeks. He fell before it, even as Conn dealt it a mortal blow.
Conn took up the leadership of the clan. He had no wish to see another dwarf clan become prey to the mind flayers, so he called the greatest dwarf craft workers together and commissioned a crown to be worn by every chieftain after him, protection them in both mind and body against another insidious attack from the illithids. That crown, dubbed the Crown of Sorrow, was stolen during the reign of Conn�s grandson. It was Clan Irongforge�s most treasured possession and some among the clan search for it even today.
Language
The Dwarven language has its roots in antiquity. Many scholars of linguistics place its age as equal to or older than Elven, making it one of the oldest written and spoken languages in the world. Its alphabet, one of the first ever created, has seen widespread adoption y other cultures, and it is the alphabet of choice for the Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Terran tongues. Although many of these languages have diverged widely from the original Dwarven tongue, the runes are still recognizable with a bit of study.
Dwarven is a very pragmatic language. It has few words for high ideals or theories, making it ill suited for discussing research or philosophy. For dwarves who practice such esoteric disciplines, such as sages and wizards, much of their professional terminology has been adopted wholesale from the Common or Elven tongues. Dwarven religious lessons are told largely as parables � legends hiding moral truths for the edification of the listener � since the language does not lend itself well to sermons.
Dwarven reflects emotional states very well, giving dwarf skalds a richly varied palette with which to paint their verbal pictures. This focus on the pragmatic and immediate over esoteric and eternal often carries over into other languages that were highly influenced by Dwarven.
Where Dwarven really shines, however, is in an engineering or industrial setting. The language allows for a fine degree of differentiation between physical objects or types of similar objects, as well as describing various processes. Many scholars have surmised that the gnomes� attention to descriptive detail can be traced back to this aspect of the language, given their similar roots. Although most base words in Dwarven are short and to the point, one- or two-letter modifiers are typically added to both the beginning and end of the word to add more detail. Most of the longer Dwarven words are a result of this modification and can hold a surprisingly complex level of description.
Spoken Dwarven often sounds gruff to surface-dwellers. It is consonant-heavy, taking on a guttural quality when spoken harshly or in anger. It can be very melodious, however, with an inherent rhythm and balance that is pleasing to the ear.
Dwarven literature is very limited. The oral tradition is highly valued among the dwarf clans, leaving little for the scribes to do but keep records and memoirs. While most of dwarf society is literate, very few dwarves read for pleasure. In a culture that prized both physical activity and social interaction, the idea of such a solitary pursuit as reading for pleasure has few adherents. Most dwarven legends and religious tales have been recorded for posterity, but they are taught orally, not from books. Mass printing or book creation has little place in dwarf society, although those who make paper, ink, and writing implements for scribes manage to carry on a healthy niche trade.
Dwarven Phrasebook
The following phrases and idioms are common in dwarven culture.
Varathika gelm uvalar � A literal translation of this Dwarven phrase is �That is bad/crumbling stone.� Dwarves use it to describe anything that seems good at first glance, but has hidden flaws.
Vorum dwarkar geddum? � �What would my ancestors say?� Dwarves sometimes use this phrase to express surprise and wonder, but more often to express disapproval.
Huram kaugri hurmfar � �Make the giant stumble.� This Dwarven idiom describes a clever trick, especially one that levels the playing field between two unequal foes.
Nyr doch! � In an archaic dialect of Dwarven, this phrase means �East this axe,� but most dwarves don�t know the expression�s origin. It is among t he dwarves� heartier battle cries.
Horlemmar mernar! � Another battle cry, often uttered during charges, this phrase means �Seize the ground, comrades!�
Mosgrim � This word literally translates as �beardless,� but to a dwarf it�s an extraordinarily insulting term for a worthless coward of fool. Dwarves almost never apply this term to dwarf females, despite the fact that t hey don�t have beards. A dwarf would instead refer to a female as �thalaknich� � �clear-chinned.�
Yevo ni kar � �I am set apart.� Dwarves often say this during times of mourning or bouts of deep melancholia. A looser translation would be, �Leave me alone; I�m inconsolable right now.�
Cities and Settlements
Towns and cities generally form in response to two phenomena: the need for a new population center and the availability of natural resources. While surface-dwellers generally need only look for water and solid ground, dwarves are far choosier about where their cities are built.
Before a dwarf city can be founded, a sufficient number of dwarves must be searching for a new home. No dwarf city is infinitely expandable, and since dwarves do not have an agricultural society, they rarely choose to live on their own. Under the earth�s surface, safety is found only in numbers.
In addition, the natural resources must be sufficient to support a dwarf settlement. Water is certainly a concern � no dwarf city can long survive very far from a water source, and underground wells are rarely an option. Aside from water, the dwarves have many other concerns. They rely on underground flora and fauna for their food supply, so t he type of earth available must be able to support these crops. The area must be composed primarily of stone or exceptionally dense earth, because only these regions can support the excavation that a dwarf settlement entails. Preferably, nearby caverns are available in which to build and expand, since excavating by hand considerably limits the eventual size of the settlement.
Additionally, the dwarves must have raw materials nearby to extract and craft. They must have something on which to base the city�s economy, or it will wither and die as its children leave to pursue occupations that aren�t available locally. Stone will suffice as a resource, if no others are available, but the city will have little in the way of exports other than craftsmanship, usually resulting in a relatively poor city. Veins of metals are preferred, although precious stones work nearly as well.
The Dwarven Economy
Within dwarf society, the economy is driven by barter, not coin. While most surface kingdoms measure wealth in gold or silver because of its rarity, dwarves typically have as much gold and silver as they could want � and the best chance of finding more. They value these substances because of their beauty, not their desirability to surface-dwellers. The esteem that surface cultures place on gold and other precious metals serves the dwarves in good stead, however, and they are not unaware of the lure their possessions hold for other cultures.
When a dwarf trades with another dwarf, he is not usually interested in increasing his personal wealth. He is far more interested in increasing his personal comfort and ensuring the survival of his family, clan, and city. With a deep sense of social responsibility ingrained in dwarves from birth, it is the rare dwarf indeed who puts his personal fortune above that of his brothers or sisters. As a result, most dwarves trade in raw materials or finished goods, not money. Taxes are paid in animals, furs, food or weapons, not money or gems (unless the dwarf paying taxes is a gem miner, of course).
Give this predilection for useful (and hard-won) daily goods over monetary concerns, it is a given that any dwarf in a dwarf city would rather trade in barter for surface goods or services rather than gold. Most dwarf cities do mint some coins in gold, silver, and copper for use with surface-dwellers, but they have no central treasury, and no government-sponsored control over how many coins are minted or what the coinage is worth. The dwarves generally accept the standard valuation from whichever surface cultures live nearby.
Many people have noted that despite their barter culture and lack of monetary system, dwarves are remarkably reluctant to part with their coins. This trait has confused some individuals, making them believe that dwarves are avaricious and miserly. This is not the case. Instead, it is a survival trait, a means of protecting limited and valuable resources.
Gold, silver, and the like are nonrenewable resources to dwarves. Every coin that is minted and traded away and every gem that is surrendered to the surface world is one more bit of dwarven prosperity that is unlikely to return. The dwarves place a high value on self-sufficiency, and the knowledge that they might be trading away their grandchildren�s future weighs on them, prompting them to drive for the best deal possible. Outsiders looking to sell items with a dwarven city typically get a better deal by asking or trade goods, crafted items, or services in lieu of coins. Those buying items from dwarf traders can use money or barter normally.
