Homestones

Do you see that stone in the floor just in front of the hearth, child? That's our Homestone. That's a piece of the Delve where your ancestors first drew breath. It reminds us of who we are and where we came from. Even here, in this house of wood living among all the other Folk of the world, it reminds us of our heritage.

— Dwarven parent teaching a child about their Homestone

The Dwarves of Cartyrion place great importance to their history and ancestral lines. Many of their traditions trace back to a desire to remember where they came from. Almost every Dwarf can proudly recite their lineage back through almost 18,000 years to a pair of the First Awakened, the lineage is taught to every child, starting as soon as they learn to speak.

Not all such traditions are as deeply ingrained, though. A custom that began with the Dwarves who first set out to found another Delve - that of keeping a Homestone - is not so universally practiced today.

Historical Origin

The custom of Dwarves bringing a piece of the Waking Delve with them when they move elsewhere in the world to live began with those who left the Delve in the First Migration thousands of years ago. Each migrant took a piece of rock from the Delve with them. Thess were placed in visible locations within the new homes of the migrants after the Second Delve was established and domiciles were hewn out in the caverns of the new home. As the Second Delve flourished, growing in population (and hence number of dwellings), small shards of the original Homestones were chipped off and given to children who were establishing familieis in newer dwellings. Later migrations from the Waking Delve followed the same practice.

When the Second Delve grew to a size that its residents decided a new migration was needed, there was much debate about the Homestones. Should they take stones from the Second Delve? Should the original Homestone shards be carried? It was the latter practice that won out.

It should be obvious, that, over the years, continuing to subdivide the original Homestones became impractical if not impossible. When the Dwarves of the Coast Delve (established by the second migration from Waking Delve) themselves decided to branch out and establish the Meadow Delve, they reluctantly did not bring Homestones. But an enterprising Dwarven merchant travelled to the ancestral homeland, obtained a number of stones, and subsequently sold them to the new Meadow Delve residents, thus rejuvenating the custom. This prompte some of the more "traditional" among the Meadow Delvers to instead make their own pilgrimmages to the Waking Delve to secure a Homestone with their own hands.

Is that yer Homestone? Silly practice! What's the worth in a piece of rock chipped out of a mountain half a world away?

— Garban Strongaxe, on visiting his friend Thurbad Hammerblow's home

Current Practice

The practice of installing a homestone in a new dwelling is still widespread among the Dwarves, but not universal. When the subject comes up, those that do not have a Homestone will often remark about the old-fashionedness and uselessness of keeping a special piece of rock around just because it's from some faraway place. Most often, though, these naysayers are simply embarrassed that they do not have - and perhaps cannot afford - a Homestone.

The Homestone

A Dwarven Homestone is a piece of stone - usually granite or basalt - which was originally mined from the ancestral home of all Dwarves: the Waking Delve. Shapes vary - some are small square or circular tiles meant to be set into a floor; others are shard-like and can either be set up as a curio or display piece.

Today, a market exists in Dwarven society for the transport and sale of shards of rock taken from the Waking Delve for Homestones. As there is no way to verify authenticity, and since Dwarves are naturally skeptical and wary of deceit, only a shard sold by another Dwarf is trusted - and even then, only if the seller and buyer are of the same Clan.

The most cherished - and most valuable - Homestones are the remnants of those that were carried by the first Migrants to their homes in the Second Delve. Smaller chips taken from these original Homestones over the years by children migrating further still are highly prized, but the "original" stones are most precious.

Some Dwarves will even make pilgrimmages to Tyrnabay and the Waking Delve so they can harvest a Homestone with their own hands and tools -- to that Dwarf, such a stone would rival their Clan Dagger in value and importance.

Don't listen to old Garban. Lost his Homestone when his house burned down last year, and he can't yet afford another. He's embarrassed, I reckon.

— Thurbad Hammerblow to his wife after Garban's visit

Credits

Banner map of Cartyrion by RPGDinosaurBob using Inkarnate
All sidepanel images of player races by RPGDinosaurBob using HeroForge