How I See Dwarves....

In a fantasy world, Dwarves and Elves are seen as staples, and I think that's as it should be.  Without common factors between different worlds, there would be no points to orient yourself on, and it would be easy to lose sight of what's really different and what scenery has been shifted...

Subtle variations on these common factors highlight the differences.  Exactly how magic works, if you've reskinned it, may be a key make-or-break point of your game, world or setting, as does putting your own interpretation on a standard race.

Of course, having no real elves or dwarves makes it necessary, as there are no (well, actually hundreds) of external references that one could use, and some of them don't really work.  Seriously.  One of my childhood playing friends, upon reaching University, would only play in games where he could use his Dark Sun elf.  Apparently it didn't work in all settings...  So some prompts for players (and GMs) to refer to, to keep the third wall of believability intact, is most definitely needed.

MY concept of dwarves comes from selective reading of some of the classics - LOTR, Dragonlance (gully dwarves, anyone?), D&D, AD&D, Dragon Magazine, Rolemaster & MERP, but mostly from a year or so playing Dwarf Fortress.  Also tried reading The Dwarves, but it didn't work for me...

Real Dwarves:

"You know what I found most offensive about that damn smelly dwarf fellow?" asked Jonash the Foolish of The Witch of Hildast Hill, while trying to enjoy an ale at the Manky Duck Tavern...

"What of Urist?" murmured the Sorceress, staring at the blank tavern wall, ignoring the foaming drink in front of her.

"That damn sense of humour he didn't have.  Like when Gorosh stumbled into that falling axe trap and was split in half.  He almost rolled off the cliff laughing.  And those disgusting dwarven stories.  His favourite one was of his brother getting both arms cut off and still managing to kill a troll with an axe in his $%^* MOUTH!!!"

"I'll miss having a solid warrior with a sharp axe, but being certain everyone can keep dinner down at night is a good swap" Kerama the Swift spoke firmly, while poking the cheese wheel.  He was certain it was poking back at him...


Dwarves are biased, racist, offensive and smelly, and don't like any non-dwarves.  Because if this, they have no real worries if they don't like him or her.  This may affect their relationships with other races, if they cared about it, but they don't.

To a dwarf, family, clan and holding are all important.  A dwarven baby is relatively uncommon, but not rare, and there will always be a dozen or so babies in a fortress of a thousand dwarves.  The baby is carried around with it's mother for the most part, being lodged with a trusted female relative or friend if something very dangerous is going to be attempted - fighting monsters, greeting trading humans, breaching the aquifer...

http://tokiyojimbo.deviantart.com/

The baby grows into a child in full certainty of its place and position within its underground home, and the home is all that is needed.  It will have memorised stories of its ancestors, and will be able to list them 20 generations or more back, along with stories of their deeds and misdeeds, and the history of the Fortress. 

As they grow they gravitate to the workings of the Fortress that interest them the most - from the farmers and herders to the jewellers and metalsmiths - and generally, unless the need of the Fortress is for something else, apprentice with a master of that craft and begin to learn the industry of the Dwarves.

Dwarven industry is famous for its weapons and armour, and also its cunning and masterful stone, wood and bone crafts, and their masterwork pewter goods.  But to keep the fortress running smoothly, farmers, butchers, weavers, brewers, tanners, smelters and miners are all needed, to name but a few.  None of these crafts, except perhaps cheesemaking, is looked down upon, and even the skill-less haulers of the larger Fortresses are proud of the loads they can bear.

This means your average Fortress dwarf knows where they are, what they do and where they fit in.  Their world is small but fits perfectly, and all they have to worry about is how far to the booze pile.

Now, and I'm sure you've worked this out, your PCs are NEVER going to meet one of these well adjusted, useful, content dwarves, unless they speak fluent Dwarvish and can sneak undetected into a heavily guarded and trapped Fortress to mingle with insular and boring locals. No...


Imagine how well a nice little dwarf, designed for life as a cog in a big fortress, manages to adapt to life outside.  In the rain.  In the cold.  In the sunlight. With all these stupid non-dwarves.

If you said 'Badly", you'd be right. 

The dwarves that meet with and travel with the PCs are maladapted, insane, broken beings.  They may hum all night to sleep. They may require rum, or beer, or brandy, at all hours.  They might make totems from their enemies skulls, but not real, nice, completed totems using all the required tools.  Strange, rotting, staring totems that really worry others...  They have no place, no family, no bigger reason to live.

More in a later post, when hopefully I get into a few examples of adventuring dwarves, and all their strange, twisted ways...