The Darvgea
Darvgean Dwarves are one of the most solitary peoples on Asterra, rarely seen leaving their mountain city. There are many myths and legends as to the reason for this, but the most apparent and obvious reason would be that the Dwarves subsist on a diet primarily composed of… Rocks.
Dwarves are a hearty, honorable, and orderly people. Their society is dominated by those who keep to their word and promises. Darvgean culture frowns heavily upon those who lie at the expense of others, or fail to uphold their promises. Yes, to dwarves one’s word is one’s reputation. A person's word is so powerful in Darvgean society that one may give their “Fulcausrite”(Fal-kas-rite) or Sacred Word. Dwarves rarely give their Fulcausrite except to their closest allies. The Fulcausrite is so powerful that even Dwarven monarchs who’ve failed to uphold their promise have been banished from their mountainous homelands. This is the usual punishment for all who fail to uphold their Fulcausrite, but those who commit great acts of treachery are often executed as punishment.
Traditions and Belief
The Dargean Dwarves worship the Patron of Law above all others, as they believe themselves to be creatures of her will. They believe that once upon a time when Coras herself was still able to shape Gaia, she created the Dwarves from clay to carve the land into shape using their insatiable appetite for stone. Eventually, when Anilvim entered the mortal plane, some of his free will leaked into the Dwarves and all mortalkind corrupting them beyond salvation. Because of this corruption, Coras abandoned them on the mortal plane. The Darvgea now have an unrivaled hatred of Anilvim.
Darvgean traditions are taken seriously by all walks of life within their cities. Even outsiders are expected to partake in public events and holidays, failing to do so often leads to the outsiders being banned from the city. Preaching about Anilvim, or denouncing Coras within the city is also an inexcusable act of heresy to the Darvgeans, punishable by banishment and/or death in extreme cases.
Darvgeans are next to never seen using or making swords, save for their clerics and paladins, as they believe themselves unworthy of the perfection in which swords represent to them. The Greatsword is believed to be the weapon of choice by Coras, seeing as it is the closest a weapon can get to “Perfect” in design.(At least according to the Dargeans) Only members of the church such as Paladins or Clerics of Coras are permitted to carry these weapons within their cities, save for outsiders of course, who the Dwarves begrudgingly understand can’t be upheld to the same standards.
Even so, Dwarves prefer negotiation and diplomacy to war. To the Dwarves, War is achaotic in nature, and partaking in it without at least vying for diplomacy first is seen as heretical. Magic is seen in a similar light, though it depends on the kind of Magic in question. Sorcery, or innate magical power is seen as dangerous and chaotic, whereas magic that takes years to master such as the Arcane magic of Wizards is praised. Warlocks and Witches specifically are seen as beings who cannot keep their word, and as such are never allowed into the city in the first place. Those who sneak in are often executed, and warned of such a punishment at the gates to the city.
Courtship and Marriage
Relationships in Darvgean culture are seen as a special form of Fulcausrite. One that must be made at the behest of both individuals and can never be broken. Divorces are extremely rare in Dwarven society, but not impossible. Doing so however always results in Banishment, no matter the situation. Because of this, the Darvgeans are often criticized by other cultures for being too harsh on their citizens. The Dwarves often scoff at outsiders for simply not understanding the way Darvgea operates.
Loyalty is seen as the greatest strength in a Dwarven relationship and those who aren’t loyal in their relationships have their word and reputation completely destroyed. Those who commit Adultery are often banished, or in some cases executed for their disgusting acts of disloyalty. The Falcausrite of a pair must be absolute, tainting your word means tainting your life. One would do well to remember this when visiting Darvgea.
The Dwarven Diet
Dwarven Diets consist of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rocks. They cannot eat metals, and get sick when eating stuff like clay. That being said, clay is often considered the bread of the dwarven diet. Many dwarves have adapted to tolerating Clay in their bodies, but it still doesn’t substitute for any real foods.
Igneous Rocks, granite especially, are considered the lifeblood of Dwarven diets. Dwarves can often only survive on Igneous rocks, but they aren’t very filling unless a vast quantity of rocks are eaten. Still, these rocks are easily found around their mountain homelands, making it the staple of the dwarven diet.
Sedimentary rocks are the most filling rocks for dwarves. They can go long periods of time without them, but they are the favorites of many dwarves. To dwarves, they have a very meaty taste to them and keep them filled for long periods of time.
Metamorphic rocks are still by far the rarest rocks for dwarves. Many dwarves go extremely long periods of time without eating any, but they are the favorites of many dwarves. Metamorphic rocks like Marble are very sweet to the dwarves.
The only other kind of rock dwarves can eat are crystals, but they’re often far too rich for dwarves to eat on their own. Dwarves often shave crystal shards off a bigger crystal and use them for spicing their other rocks or adding flavor to drinks, as Dwarves still drink water.
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