The Dwarves
Dwarfish Society
There are many dwarfish settlements in Arthea. The largest is the Kathron delve, in the central mountains and the mountain between Ticetia and Caldonacia. There are three other major delves, and numerous smaller dwellings, mostly situated near to natural mineral resources. In each of these, dwarfish society is arranged along similar lines, large family units grouped together to form clans, which remain loyal to each other, sometimes blind in the face of logic. Each clan is ruled by one of the family’s senior members. They get to deal with important matters which might affect the whole clan. The really big clans in each area are often trusted to handle external dealings for the whole region, or even for the whole delve, speaking for their own and neighbouring clans. This generates a local loyalty too between neighbouring clans; they come to rely on each other for other for all kinds of support, more than just for trade. Some very close ties have developed in this way.
Clan-chiefs who command this kind of respect from their neighbours often carry the title King, and it is not uncommon for such a title to come with formal limits to their powers. The King is protector of the whole community, and provides unity and a single voice in external dealings, even with other races.
Dwarfish Kings usually rule through the respect given to them by their supporting clan-chiefs; there is little need to impose this clan structure on dwarves, they are, by nature, an ordered race, and most are very happy to give their loyalty to their clan-chief and King, who has the best interest of the region or the delve at heart. To serve the greater good is a motivating force in most delves. Those appointed to positions that appear, from the outside at least, to be high-power roles are seen by dwarves as a position of responsibility, an opportunity to serve the delve and to help co-ordinate activities; dwarves do not often need much organising in their tasks.
Dwarves in Human Civilisations
Dwarfish contact with human society has increased significantly over recent times. Dwarves have worked alongside humans for as long as each can remember, providing both skills (as craftsmen and miners) and a trade outlet back to their delves. The early post-Disaster years for the dwarves were hard, and they relied on human society for food supplies. Establishing new delves was hard going, and required the dwarves to live on the plains for several years re-grouping as a race. This meant leaning on the skills of the humans and halfling communities in the south of the lands for farming and hunting skills.
Recently more and more dwarves have been establishing permanent lives for themselves in the human cities, and away from their clans. In general, the human lifestyle does not appeal to the average dwarf, yet living with humans is a necessary part of their trade relations, and so they have brought their own style of living into human towns. Most dwarfish houses are low, stone buildings, no more than two stores high at most, but well made, and often decorated with dwarfish symbols or runes. Sometimes these houses are very conspicuous in the towns of the humans, and they often extend underground.
The dwarves living among humans have taken on some strange habits, uncommon with their brethren living in the delves. The current fashion is to wear chainmail, and carry either a war hammer or a dwarfish axe. These possessions are largely symbolic, the armour is unstained and the weapons unused; but dwarves seem to feel the need to fit-in with the expectations of the humans in the cities where they now live.
Dwarves have been accepted easily into human society, their value as good workers or traders far outweighs their unusual culture. The people in towns and villages across Arthea are slowly warming to the presence of dwarves. They seem to have the same drives and ambitions as humans (unlike elves), and this makes catering for their needs much easier and natural. Speciality shops dealing with dwarfish beers and foods are starting to appear in some of the major cities of Arthea. Dwarves are much better catered for now, and there seems to be a growing undercurrent of the adoption of dwarfish styles among some of the younger generation of humans.
Dwarfish Religion
The dwarves, like the elves, do have their own religions, but they also worship at the larger cults. Their main religions guidance comes fro the dwarfish cult Thardanor, a small section within the cult of Danethrae, but there are many small dwarfish cults too. It is a widely held belief among the dwarves that the cult of Danethrae grew out of the Thardanor cult when humans and dwarves mingled and exchanged ideas in the early years after the Disaster. All the main cults have followings amongst the dwarves, too. Thardanor teaches a dwarfish style on the upright, law-abiding behaviour taught by regular Danethrae clerics. It is not enough to just follow the pathways of Order and of Good, they teach, one must demonstrate it in the community.
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