PEOPLE OF ANTEDILUVIAN: Dwarves
Well Met Travelers,
Welcome to the People of Antediluvian, the series where I discuss the races of my world and how they differ from classic fantasy tropes.
This week I shall delve into another staple of fantasy, the Dwarves. Dwarves have been in fantasy literature since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and can be found all the way in Norse Mythology, for the four cardinal directions are named after the dwarves who hold up the sky. In most fantasy settings, dwarves are the masters of blacksmithing and masonry.
Antediluvian's Dwarves are very similar to this, for they are master craftsmen, for they were created by Arman, the God of Craftsmen. They master all crafts from woodworking to jewelry making, they are unmatched in these skills.
While most dwarves in fantasy writings avoid magic, Dwarves revel in magic. While they do not typically touch arcane or natural magic, the divine runs strong through their ranks. This is why so many holy weapons pour forth from Dwarven Halls. The Dwarves are also masters of a unique form of magic that they are very hesitant to share: True Speaking. True Speaking is a form of magic that utilizes the Language of Creation, the language known only to Echos, the gods, and creatures existing beyond the scope of mortality. Most True Speakers have a very limited understanding of the Echosian language (the language of creation), knowing only a few hundred words is considered mastery.
Antediluvian Dwarves share the typical appearance of most Fantasy Dwarves. They are short, ranging from 4-5 feet tall. They are stocky and quite muscular, but this muscularity does not hinder their ability to produce objects of great intricacy. Most Dwarves grow extensive amounts of hair and facial hair (the lack of a beard being a sign of shame in dwarven culture), and male children usually begin growing their beard around a year old. This is where the similarities between the Dwarven People Ends physically. THere are four subraces of Dwarves: Mountain, Hill, Highland, and Dark.
Subraces:
Mountain Dwarves
This is the First race of Dwarves to exist, created by Arman deep beneath the earth in the ancient hold of Alzak Regher, deep beneath the mountain. They are a proud race of people, stubborn and unyielding as the Metal with which they work. These dwarves are very religious, the faith is a strong part of their culture. When it comes to magic, these dwarves excel at harnessing divine magic, but they are also the unparalleled masters of True Speaking. The Mountain Dwarven Political system involves a High King and council of six Thanes. The High King is the Descendant of a Long and Powerful Bloodline of Dwarven Nobility. These Kings believe, and rightly so, that they have the Divine Right to Rule, a gift that can only be removed from them by Arman. The Thanes are the Head of the other major Families of the Clan. These rulers make the laws and rules concerning Dwarven society.
The mountain dwarves are often the easiest to spot in a crowd of Dwarves. They are often taller, closer to 5' tall, and they are often bulkier than other dwarves because of their constant work with stone in the mines. Their hair color tends to be darker, blacks and Browns are most common, but red does tend to manifest in Mountain Dwarf Nobility. Their eyes tend to range through the colors of the gemstones and metals with which they work. Due to the amount and darkness and dreariness in underground living, mountain dwarves tend to dress in bright colors. Their clothing style is practical, often looking like the work clothes of smiths and other craftsmen. Mountain dwarves also love to groom their beards and hair, often adorning them with intricate braids and beads.
Hill Dwarves
Hill Dwarves are a race of dwarves vastly different from their mountain cousins. They forsook their mountain homes to live under the open sky. These Dwarves left their homes and took to the hills and valleys at the base of the mountains. They tend to excel at metal and woodcraft. They are much less religious than mountain dwarves, often using the name of Arman in irreverent ways. They. Tend to be much more wary of magic than their Mountain dwarf cousins, often natural magic is the only form that they use. Their political structure involves the council of elders. Along with forsaking their mountain homes, they have decided to forsake the archaic kingships that their kin obey. Instead, the oldest members of each of the clan's families form a council called the Theudan.
Hill dwarves are the most average dwarves. They tend to stand about 4'5'' in height and tend to be moderately strong in build. Their Hair tends to be lighter than that of their mountain dwarf relatives, blonde, while rare among mountain dwarves, tends to surface more frequently among hill dwarves. Their skin tends to be more dark and ruddy due to their more frequent exposure to the sun. Their eyes tend to be blue, green, and brown, although the metallic and gemstone colored eyes of the mountain dwarves to sometimes show through. Hill dwarves dress in more simple and less decorated attire than mountain dwarves, often making their clothes out of cotton or linen rather than the wools and silks of the mountain dwarves. They still enjoy the decoration of beards and hair, but the beads and other additives are much less rich than Among the Mountain Folk.
Highland Dwarves
While Hill dwarves fell in love with the vast openness of the earth around the mountain, highland Dwarves are those who abandoned the realm beneath the mountain in favor of the World Above it. This group of Dwarves has grown accustomed to the thin atmosphere and build great keeps at the tops of mountains. They tame great flying beasts as mounts (giant eagles, Wyverns, and griffins to name a few) and make fearsome foes, for they and their mounts are of one mind. They are a much more crude and distrustful people, growing very wary of outsiders, (think of the early Scotts). Their common craft does not involve smithing, rather they are masters of masonry and beast taming. They are attuned to divine magic, but not through clerics, they often have shaman attuned to spirits of the air, and they also tend to be masters of natural magic. Their political system involves a king and his thanes, but among highland dwarves, the king does not have divine right. Kings and Thanes among the Highland dwarves are the strongest and bravest among that clan. They rule until a rival challenges them and beats them in a duel which can be lethal or not.
Highland dwarves are a much more wild looking people. They are by far the shortest of the Dwarves, making them better adapted to the high altitude, but they are also extremely burly due to their extreme athleticism. Their hair tends to be mostly red with other colors only showing up as dwarves get older and grey begins to show. Their eyes tend to be as blue as the sky, but can be any color common among other dwarves. While most dwarves find tattooing to be a taboo, Highland Dwarves revel in covering their bodies in ink as a form of art and a tactic for intimidating foes. Highland dwarves tend to dress in furs because of the cold climates high at the tops of mountains. Their clothing is by far the least elaborate of all dwarves. They do enjoy decorating their beards, but they are more inclined to use bone and wood than gold and silver.
Dark Dwarves
The last group of Dwarves have a different history than the others. They live among most dwarf clans and in clans of their own, for they were not made dark by Arman. After the Great Dwarven Divide where the three other races were made, Miraleen, the goddess of change, took the inherent greed of dwarves and twisted the most corruptable dwarves into a new race, the Greedy dark dwarves. These Dwarves are not evil, but they are more prone to greed. These are religious dwarves who feel a deep reverence for Arman and Miraleen, but the latter is more important among this group. They are attuned to divine and Arcane magic, which is rare among dwarves. Their political structure involves a Priest-King who has absolute control over Dark Dwarf Society, but this only happens when Dark Dwarves create communities of their own, which happens very rarely. Dark dwarves often just live among other Dwarven clans.
Dark Dwarves are the elephant in the room among dwarves, for they cut quite a figure in a group. These dwarves are dark skinned, much in the same way dark elves are, their skin ranges from dark grey to black. Their hair is often red or white, but sometimes other colors do come up. Eye color is almost always gold, due to Miraleen's influence and their greed. Their clothing tends to be dark, but they trim it with silver. These dwarves are the least likely to decorate their beards, but when they do, it is with silver.
Marriage and funerary Practice
When a dwarf seeks to marry, he must serve a full two-year courtship of his future spouse. After this period, the dwarf must create a work of their trade for no less than six months. The dwarf is not allowed to leave his workshop until the object of his toil is complete, his family will provide him with food and water. After the work is complete, the dwarf takes his object to the family of the bride-to-be. If the family accepts the gift, then the marriage may go forward. The ceremony of marriage involves the husband and wife to swear their love and loyalty to one another at an altar of Arman and then strike the altar with a hammer, forging the Marriage Bond.
The funerary rights of Dwarves are straightforward. The dwarves will have a full funeral ceremony in which dwarves of the deceased's family list honors and great deeds belonging to the dead. The Priest of Arman then commends the dead to the Gods. Finally, the body is entombed within the clan burial crypt. The greatest warriors of each clan are entombed within stone suits of Armor which will animate to defend the clan in times of great crisis, drawing on the memories and experience of the dead.
I think that is all for this time. As always, leave a comment in the box below if you enjoyed and click the follow link in the sidebar to keep track of new posts.
Until Next Time,
Farewell and Safe Journeys, Travelers.
Photo Credits:
https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/f1/1h9vckc2xkzs.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/e/ea/Gotrek_Gurnisson-0.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20150705043611
https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/0/0e/Grey_Dwarf.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160205202305
Welcome to the People of Antediluvian, the series where I discuss the races of my world and how they differ from classic fantasy tropes.
This week I shall delve into another staple of fantasy, the Dwarves. Dwarves have been in fantasy literature since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and can be found all the way in Norse Mythology, for the four cardinal directions are named after the dwarves who hold up the sky. In most fantasy settings, dwarves are the masters of blacksmithing and masonry.
 |
| https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/b/b2/Dwarf_male_and_female.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20161012143101 |
Antediluvian's Dwarves are very similar to this, for they are master craftsmen, for they were created by Arman, the God of Craftsmen. They master all crafts from woodworking to jewelry making, they are unmatched in these skills.
While most dwarves in fantasy writings avoid magic, Dwarves revel in magic. While they do not typically touch arcane or natural magic, the divine runs strong through their ranks. This is why so many holy weapons pour forth from Dwarven Halls. The Dwarves are also masters of a unique form of magic that they are very hesitant to share: True Speaking. True Speaking is a form of magic that utilizes the Language of Creation, the language known only to Echos, the gods, and creatures existing beyond the scope of mortality. Most True Speakers have a very limited understanding of the Echosian language (the language of creation), knowing only a few hundred words is considered mastery.
Antediluvian Dwarves share the typical appearance of most Fantasy Dwarves. They are short, ranging from 4-5 feet tall. They are stocky and quite muscular, but this muscularity does not hinder their ability to produce objects of great intricacy. Most Dwarves grow extensive amounts of hair and facial hair (the lack of a beard being a sign of shame in dwarven culture), and male children usually begin growing their beard around a year old. This is where the similarities between the Dwarven People Ends physically. THere are four subraces of Dwarves: Mountain, Hill, Highland, and Dark.
Subraces:
Mountain Dwarves
This is the First race of Dwarves to exist, created by Arman deep beneath the earth in the ancient hold of Alzak Regher, deep beneath the mountain. They are a proud race of people, stubborn and unyielding as the Metal with which they work. These dwarves are very religious, the faith is a strong part of their culture. When it comes to magic, these dwarves excel at harnessing divine magic, but they are also the unparalleled masters of True Speaking. The Mountain Dwarven Political system involves a High King and council of six Thanes. The High King is the Descendant of a Long and Powerful Bloodline of Dwarven Nobility. These Kings believe, and rightly so, that they have the Divine Right to Rule, a gift that can only be removed from them by Arman. The Thanes are the Head of the other major Families of the Clan. These rulers make the laws and rules concerning Dwarven society.
The mountain dwarves are often the easiest to spot in a crowd of Dwarves. They are often taller, closer to 5' tall, and they are often bulkier than other dwarves because of their constant work with stone in the mines. Their hair color tends to be darker, blacks and Browns are most common, but red does tend to manifest in Mountain Dwarf Nobility. Their eyes tend to range through the colors of the gemstones and metals with which they work. Due to the amount and darkness and dreariness in underground living, mountain dwarves tend to dress in bright colors. Their clothing style is practical, often looking like the work clothes of smiths and other craftsmen. Mountain dwarves also love to groom their beards and hair, often adorning them with intricate braids and beads.
Hill Dwarves
Hill Dwarves are a race of dwarves vastly different from their mountain cousins. They forsook their mountain homes to live under the open sky. These Dwarves left their homes and took to the hills and valleys at the base of the mountains. They tend to excel at metal and woodcraft. They are much less religious than mountain dwarves, often using the name of Arman in irreverent ways. They. Tend to be much more wary of magic than their Mountain dwarf cousins, often natural magic is the only form that they use. Their political structure involves the council of elders. Along with forsaking their mountain homes, they have decided to forsake the archaic kingships that their kin obey. Instead, the oldest members of each of the clan's families form a council called the Theudan.
Hill dwarves are the most average dwarves. They tend to stand about 4'5'' in height and tend to be moderately strong in build. Their Hair tends to be lighter than that of their mountain dwarf relatives, blonde, while rare among mountain dwarves, tends to surface more frequently among hill dwarves. Their skin tends to be more dark and ruddy due to their more frequent exposure to the sun. Their eyes tend to be blue, green, and brown, although the metallic and gemstone colored eyes of the mountain dwarves to sometimes show through. Hill dwarves dress in more simple and less decorated attire than mountain dwarves, often making their clothes out of cotton or linen rather than the wools and silks of the mountain dwarves. They still enjoy the decoration of beards and hair, but the beads and other additives are much less rich than Among the Mountain Folk.
Highland Dwarves
While Hill dwarves fell in love with the vast openness of the earth around the mountain, highland Dwarves are those who abandoned the realm beneath the mountain in favor of the World Above it. This group of Dwarves has grown accustomed to the thin atmosphere and build great keeps at the tops of mountains. They tame great flying beasts as mounts (giant eagles, Wyverns, and griffins to name a few) and make fearsome foes, for they and their mounts are of one mind. They are a much more crude and distrustful people, growing very wary of outsiders, (think of the early Scotts). Their common craft does not involve smithing, rather they are masters of masonry and beast taming. They are attuned to divine magic, but not through clerics, they often have shaman attuned to spirits of the air, and they also tend to be masters of natural magic. Their political system involves a king and his thanes, but among highland dwarves, the king does not have divine right. Kings and Thanes among the Highland dwarves are the strongest and bravest among that clan. They rule until a rival challenges them and beats them in a duel which can be lethal or not.
Highland dwarves are a much more wild looking people. They are by far the shortest of the Dwarves, making them better adapted to the high altitude, but they are also extremely burly due to their extreme athleticism. Their hair tends to be mostly red with other colors only showing up as dwarves get older and grey begins to show. Their eyes tend to be as blue as the sky, but can be any color common among other dwarves. While most dwarves find tattooing to be a taboo, Highland Dwarves revel in covering their bodies in ink as a form of art and a tactic for intimidating foes. Highland dwarves tend to dress in furs because of the cold climates high at the tops of mountains. Their clothing is by far the least elaborate of all dwarves. They do enjoy decorating their beards, but they are more inclined to use bone and wood than gold and silver.
Dark Dwarves
The last group of Dwarves have a different history than the others. They live among most dwarf clans and in clans of their own, for they were not made dark by Arman. After the Great Dwarven Divide where the three other races were made, Miraleen, the goddess of change, took the inherent greed of dwarves and twisted the most corruptable dwarves into a new race, the Greedy dark dwarves. These Dwarves are not evil, but they are more prone to greed. These are religious dwarves who feel a deep reverence for Arman and Miraleen, but the latter is more important among this group. They are attuned to divine and Arcane magic, which is rare among dwarves. Their political structure involves a Priest-King who has absolute control over Dark Dwarf Society, but this only happens when Dark Dwarves create communities of their own, which happens very rarely. Dark dwarves often just live among other Dwarven clans.
Dark Dwarves are the elephant in the room among dwarves, for they cut quite a figure in a group. These dwarves are dark skinned, much in the same way dark elves are, their skin ranges from dark grey to black. Their hair is often red or white, but sometimes other colors do come up. Eye color is almost always gold, due to Miraleen's influence and their greed. Their clothing tends to be dark, but they trim it with silver. These dwarves are the least likely to decorate their beards, but when they do, it is with silver.
Marriage and funerary Practice
When a dwarf seeks to marry, he must serve a full two-year courtship of his future spouse. After this period, the dwarf must create a work of their trade for no less than six months. The dwarf is not allowed to leave his workshop until the object of his toil is complete, his family will provide him with food and water. After the work is complete, the dwarf takes his object to the family of the bride-to-be. If the family accepts the gift, then the marriage may go forward. The ceremony of marriage involves the husband and wife to swear their love and loyalty to one another at an altar of Arman and then strike the altar with a hammer, forging the Marriage Bond.
The funerary rights of Dwarves are straightforward. The dwarves will have a full funeral ceremony in which dwarves of the deceased's family list honors and great deeds belonging to the dead. The Priest of Arman then commends the dead to the Gods. Finally, the body is entombed within the clan burial crypt. The greatest warriors of each clan are entombed within stone suits of Armor which will animate to defend the clan in times of great crisis, drawing on the memories and experience of the dead.
I think that is all for this time. As always, leave a comment in the box below if you enjoyed and click the follow link in the sidebar to keep track of new posts.
Until Next Time,
Farewell and Safe Journeys, Travelers.
Photo Credits:
https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/f1/1h9vckc2xkzs.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/e/ea/Gotrek_Gurnisson-0.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20150705043611
https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/0/0e/Grey_Dwarf.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160205202305
Comments