Dwarf
1. What key concepts describe these people? Exiled by the Unmade from the kingdom of Bazish on the Karpathian continent, the dwarves are now bands of mercenaries looking for a fabled ancient homeland called Quataran. Will join any force fighting the Unmade.
2. What is their genetic legacy and how does it affect them? Dwarves are descendant from the ancient Skiff, the early builders from the west that left their homeland in ancient times to settle in Bazish.
3. For what tasks are they especially suited/unsuited? Dwarves are professional soldiers with a strong suspicion of magic. They are also determined and able craftsmen with stone and metals.
4. How might they use their strengths? Mercenary clans that will fight for anyone that will pay their price. Will join against any force warring with the Unmade.
5. How might they compensate for their shortcomings? Dwarves use overwhelming force to overcome magical might.
6. Where do they live? What is their primary habitat? The dwarves live in semi-nomadic clans that follow the ebbs and flow of war across the continent. Each clan is also searching for Quataran, their fabled lost ancient homeland.
7. What are their homes like? How does the habitat affect their dwellings and lifestyle? The Exiled Ones typically live in regimental camps that are easily moved from place to place. They rarely assemble in permanent communities, as their profession and desire to find Quataran keep them moving constantly.
8. What is their level of civil construction and what are its characteristics? The dwarves very seldom settle into communities. Their 'birthing communities' (communities where females go to give birth and the children are raised by clan midwives) are heavily defended and hidden away in isolated valleys far from prying eyes.
9. What is daily life like? Spent training, patrolling, making war or moving on to the next contract
10. What do they eat and drink? How do they react to other foodstuffs? Dwarves favor heavy, fatty food that is often bland in taste but great in quantity. They find other lighter, flavorful foods to be distasteful and can make them physically ill.
11. How do they express themselves artistically? What are their styles of music, sculpture, poetry, painting, plays? Dwarven artistry tends to consist of heavy chants and battle lays, functional sculptures, and tapestries depicting clan victories and the glories of lost Quartaran and the ancient Skiff artifacts.
12. Do they farm? If so, what? For what purposes? How is food distributed? The only dwarven farms are around the 'birthing communities.' The farms are used to produce foodstock for the community and to supply pilgrims searching for Quartaran.
13. What does a farm look like? How is a farm organized? The farm is looked after by the stewards of the birthing community. They farm enough acres directly surrounding the community to meet the needs of the community. The farm is typically well defended, with at least 1 or 2 warriors defending each group of farm workers.
14. How do farms operate? What farming techniques do they use? The farms are typically fields of oats, barley, and wheat with paddocks for sheep and goats.
15. What are their primary enemies, natural and cultural? The dwarven mercenary clans will align themselves with whoever will pay their price. They are known for their loyalty and determination to completing a contract. Once the contract is complete, the clan will move onto its next contract, which could be the forces with which they just finished warring against. If a contract is broken by their employer, the dwarves take decisive and brutal action against him in retribution for the broken contract. The dwarves have a strong hatred for the Unmade, fueled by their forced exile from Bazish. They will align themselves with any force that is warring against the Unmade. The dwarves are also very distrustful of users of magic, and are very reluctant to align with anyone using arcane methods.
16. How do they defend against them? The dwarven martial abilities and inherent strength make them a worthy foe to anyone who thinks to make war upon a clan. They propensity to avoid magic makes them somewhat vulnerable to magical attack; however, those who think to attack a dwarf using magic had better make the first strike quick and lethal, for the dwarf's response will be unstoppable.
17. What is their culture? Their government? Their politics? Their economy? The dwarves align themselves into clans. These clans form mercenary companies. There could be more than one company within a clan. The companies are beholden to a clan leader. This clan leader is the leader of the largest company, and he sets the contracts for all companies within the clan. Dwarven clans will fight for any employer who can provide a contract, but companies within one clan will not fight one another. The various clan leaders will meet once a year for a dwarven moot, a meeting to share information found by pilgrims looking for Quaralan, to trade, and to set contract terms and rules of engagement.
18. What is their history? What's the real story, and what is misunderstood or misremembered? The dwarves are descendants of a lost race called the Skiff; ancient builders and craftsmen rumored to have prepared weapons and items for the Valheru. After The Skyfall, The Skiff left their ancient homeland following the rich resources of Bazish. The Skiff eventually began to dwindle in numbers, their bloodlines gradually being mingled with their servants, the Skuln. The result of this mingled bloodlines are the dwarves. The dwarves established a magnificent kingdom, utilizing the ample mineral resources under Bazish to quickly become a trade empire.
However, it would all be for naught. The dwarves fell to the burgeoning Unmade, and Bazish and its slopes would become Koolm and Ethoria, the centre of the Unmade empire. The surviving dwarven clans would be exiled from their rich home, left to wander the lands. The now impoverished dwarves were shunned by the realms of man in jealousy of their former riches. Left wandering in a world that didn't want them, the dwarves bent their talents to war, fighting for anyone who would fulfill their contract demands. However, Bazish would remain ever in their hearts, as well as the forgotten lands of their ancestors, the Skiff. The dwarves are ever in search of a way to return to their ancient homeland or retake Bazish.
19. Who are their allies? The dwarven people have no real allies. Individual clans may establish strong relationships with employers and benefactors, but they have no allies as a people.
20. What are their dreams, goals, myths, legends? The dwarves dream of returning to their former glory. The Skiff are idolized by them, almost to godlike proportions. The dwarves still raise up craftsmen as respected individuals, but increasingly they are creating legends of warriors and heroes of battle as opposed to the more peacefully skilled.
21. What is their religion? The dwarven people are varied in their worship. Individual dwarves typically worship the same patrons as their clans, although individual differences do occur. If the individual's worship is diametrically opposed to that of the clan, they may be shunned, exiled or even killed; therefore, such worship is usually kept private and secretive.
22. How does it affect their daily lives? Clerics and priests are losing favor among the dwarven clans, and warleaders are replacing them as leaders of the clans and command the respect of the dwarven people. This waning of spirituality is cause for concern with the dwarven 'shepherds.'
23. What crafts have they mastered? What special abilities or knowledge do they have? How do these impact their lives? Dwarves are masters of crafting with metal and stone. However, they don't use these talents for anything other than preparing weapons, armor, and fortifications for the next contract. However, the arts of melding metal, gem and stone together is not lost, just buried under layers of bitterness waiting for the return to their ancient homelands. Their other skills are fighting and warfare. The dwarven clans are among the best heavy foot in the world.
24. What is the criminal code and how are crimes punished? The dwarven clans will tolerate no court other than their own to pass judgment on a member of the clan. That being said, the dwarven clan leader typically does not brook any swaying from the laws of the clan, and punishment can be harsh and final. Punishments range from floggings and brands to banishment from the clan or even death.
25. How do they travel? Do they trade? With whom? For what? Are they good or bad at it? Dwarves typically travel on foot as a clan caravan. Such caravans are typically well defended, with outriders on ponies and dire boars scouting in all directions about the main train.
26. Do they use magic? What is their attitude to magic? Dwarves have no trust for arcane magic whatsoever. They feel that divine magic is the only accepted miracle favored by the gods, and that arcane magic is a blasphemy from Hell.
27. Do they use advanced technology? What is their attitude to science? The dwarves are the finest metallurgists, smiths, and gem craftsmen in the world, and have developed techniques that border on miraculous. However, at the same time, dwarves can be unwavering in their embrace of tradition, and react with suspicion to anything 'new.'
28. How do they react to outsiders? Dwarves are bitter about their lot in life, hence they have no problem in accepting any contract. They allow no outsider inside the inner circle of the clan.
29. What weaponry do they use? Dwarves favor heavy weapons and armor, such as axes, hammers and maces.
30. What are their personality archetypes? What are their cultural blind spots? What are the unspoken absolute beliefs that give society its foundation? Dwarves are typically gruff and mistrusting of the other races. As such, it is very difficult to establish any kind of a bond outside of the clan. They feel that the world didn't want them, so they don't need the world for anything more than a contract. The thing that keeps the dwarves moving forward is the dream of recapturing Bazish and finding their ancient homeland.
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