Rinn Queendom

Description

The Dwarves of the Rinn Queendom are a stout and short dwarven ethnicity who are almost exclusively found in the Pale Mountains for the khazalid gems they can find there. The gems are a large part of the reason why they have historically preferred to dig deeper down despite the danger rather than expand overland. They are isolationists who rarely let anyone except envoys enter their holds and it is even rarer for one to leave their ancestral home. They place immense importance on family and blood ties.

Culture

One aspect that sets Dwarves apart from many of the other humanoid races is their inability to use arcane magic. Some bloodlines, also known as the Kharaz, however possess the ability to draw magical power out of khazalid gems that the Dwarves mine and can use this energy to power machinery and other objects or to produce a more powerful but temporary effect. The power that can be derived from the gems (and thus the strength of the enchantment or created effect) is dependent on the size and the cut of the gem. The importance of this power has caused a very clear divide in the Queendom between the upper class, who possess this power, and the lower class, who do not. This upper class has a strict hold over most important positions in dwarven society and have used these powers to maintain an isolationist policy. This prevents foreign wizards from trafficking through, which would weaken their grasp on power. The gems are also a valuable trade good for them, as they can be used to provide the necessary (stable!) magical energy to place lasting enchantments on items. Both the Magvar Empire and the Celesian Duchies of Middenland are very keen in setting up trade contracts for the gems.

The rest of the population are all part of the lower caste, although distinguished military officers and master craftsmen are often treated as a sort of middle class, and receive more respect than the rest of their peers. The lower class are a downtrodden worker class, who have little opportunity to move up in society unless they are noticed and viewed favorably by one of the Kharaz. They generally spend what little means they have in the taverns where these tightly knit groups get together to enjoy themselves in the moment by savoring some expertly made dwarven mead, which is some of the best in the world. In recent years there have been more uprisings in the slums and talk of revolution is becoming more and more common.

Gender Roles in Society

The Rinn Queendom is a strongly matriarchal and matrilineal society, and the matriarch of a family will usually make all decisions of some importance. They naturally have a slightly lopsided gender ratio (roughly 2F:1M), which partly explains why they value the women so much. To them the women are key to the family, inheritance and the growth of the clan as a whole. They can have multiple husbands depending on their position within society (a higher position means they can take more husbands) and these are considered as brothers to each other. They work collectively for the well-being of their wife and would-be husbands traditionally provide a dowry of personal wealth to proof that they can provide for their potential wife. That is not to say that the wife cannot provide for herself. In fact, it is quite the opposite, they have to proof that they can provide for her while she cannot perform her job as well due to pregnancy. Most of the fine crafts are done by the women, which is considered extremely valuable and earns as such.

Food and Fashion

The Queendom has two main sources for food. The first is the farmlands in the hills surrounding the exits from the Queendoms cavern system. Mostly they grow things like tubers and wheat here, but the amount of flat enough land available is limited. Within the cavern systems themselves are a variety of foods and creatures available. Chemosynthesis has led to formation of microbial mats that provide food for the animals, but the dwarves themselves get more use out of the lichen and fungi, in particular the purple lichen-like Lejorm Flojatt. It is well-known for a very slight bioluminescence that it gives off, but it is also quite nutritious and its ability to grow on compounds abundant in this area make it easy to cultivate in large amounts.
Rinnian fashion is fairly practical overall, as life underground is surprisingly dangerous. The risk of falling rocks, rushing water or natural gas inhalation mean that both helmets or other headwear and mouth bandanas are quite common. Hats are often styled but made of firm material and not too tall. With some exceptions, their clothing usually covers most of their skin to protect against cuts from bits of rock or metal sticking out. They often fashion sturdy worker's clothing from leather that they trade for with the neighboring Celesian Duchies. People who guard or work on the lower levels commonly wear protective armor to defend against the dangerous wildlife present.

Religion

There is a duality of worship in the Rinn Queendom. The two Gods they revere most are Sicere, for her ties to family and stability, and Gormar for his ties to craftsmanship. The women are expected to provide due deference to Sicere such as frequent offerings, while the men are expected to provide offerings and prayers to Gormar. The clergy of both Gods largely consists of women however, and these priests are held in the highest regard. During marriage ceremonies both participants are anointed in the respective temples, which are always built across from each other, and they walk out from them towards each other to represent the harmonic unification of these ideals of invention and stability.

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Alternative Names

Clans of the Pale Dwarves

Training Level

Semi-professional

Veterancy Level

Trained

Demonym

Rinnian

Location

Pale Mountains