Dwarf
Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk.
Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.
Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwarves this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwarf settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.
The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf.
Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armorers, and jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty.
Civilization and Culture
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
The Forgeflame Festival
9th Destara
Overview:
The Forgeflame Festival is a grand celebration of craftsmanship, unity, and the enduring spirit of the Dwarves in Brightgorge. Set within the heart of the Emberstone Mountains, where molten rivers flow and the air hums with the resonance of hammer on anvil, this day honors the ancient bond between the Dwarves and the power of the forge. It commemorates both the creation of Brightgorge’s Great Forge and the Dwarves’ unwavering dedication to their craft, their kin, and their homeland.
Events of the Day:
The Molten Dawn: At the break of dawn, Dwarves gather at the mouth of the Great Forge, where the first flame of the day is kindled from embers passed down through generations. Known as the Molten Dawn, this ceremony symbolizes the rekindling of strength, passion, and creativity. The flames from this fire are carried by blacksmiths and artisans throughout the city to ignite their own forges, uniting the community in one grand, shared flame.
Anvil Blessing: Following the lighting of the forges, the Anvil Blessing is performed by the Forgepriests, spiritual leaders of the Dwarven people. Each artisan brings their tools to the central square, where they are blessed in a ritual that calls upon the ancient Dwarven ancestors. These blessings are believed to imbue the tools with good fortune, ensuring that the craftsmanship of the coming year will be prosperous and strong.
Master’s Challenge: The Master’s Challenge is a highly anticipated event where Dwarven blacksmiths, gemcutters, stone carvers, and inventors compete to create works of extraordinary craftsmanship in a single day. Whether it’s an intricately forged weapon, a dazzling piece of jewelry, or a mechanical marvel, the challenge celebrates the skill and creativity of the Dwarven people. The winner earns the title of Forge Master for the year and their creation is displayed in the Grand Hall of Brightgorge.
Stonebeard’s Feast: Named after the legendary founder of Brightgorge, Stonebeard’s Feast is a massive banquet held in the deep halls of the city. Tables are laden with roast meats, stonebaked bread, and hearty stews, all prepared with ingredients native to the Emberstone Mountains. It’s a time for storytelling and merriment, with families recounting tales of heroism, ancient lore, and the triumphs of their ancestors. The Feast also includes the Clinking of Mugs, a toast made with the finest Dwarven ale, symbolizing unity and shared strength.
The Forgefire Procession: As evening falls, the streets of Brightgorge are illuminated by a stunning display of glowing molten metal. Dwarves parade through the city, carrying forge-lit braziers and molten metal in specially crafted vessels. The Forgefire Procession represents the enduring spirit of the Dwarves, their unquenchable flame of determination, and their connection to the heart of the mountains. As the procession winds through the city, it culminates in the Grand Forge, where the molten metal is cast into ceremonial shapes and figures, symbolizing the eternal bond between Dwarves and their craft.
Songs of the Deep Stone: As night deepens, the Dwarves gather in the Great Hall for the Songs of the Deep Stone. This is a solemn and powerful moment where traditional Dwarven chants, accompanied by the deep tones of drums and horns, echo through the mountain halls. These songs honor the resilience of the Dwarven people, their bond to the stone, and their enduring legacy. It is believed that through these chants, the Dwarves call upon the spirit of the mountain itself to continue watching over them.
Final Anvil Strike: The festival closes with the Final Anvil Strike, where the current Forge Master takes a hammer to the ceremonial anvil, striking it three times as a blessing for the coming year. The sound reverberates through the caverns of Brightgorge, marking the end of the festival and the beginning of a new cycle of creation and prosperity. Each Dwarf then carries a piece of the forge flame back to their own hearth, symbolizing that the spirit of the forge lives on within each of them.
Symbolism:
The Forgeflame Festival is not only a celebration of Dwarven craftsmanship but also a time to reflect on the unity, strength, and enduring spirit of the Dwarves. It honors the balance between tradition and innovation, the connection between the Dwarves and the mountains they call home, and the community that forms the heart of Brightgorge. Through their work and their perseverance, the Dwarves ensure that their flame will never be extinguished.
History
The Dwarves of Astrium have lived amounst the other races, dragons and gods for some centuries, honing their love of mining and sharperning their crafts in masonry and metal work. While the kingdoms got on fairly well, some of the kingdoms wanted to delve deeper and deeper for treasures untold of, and they eventually left the sunlight mountains of where Ofrana now stands and delved into the underdark.
For those that remained, the more studious dwarves remaining on the outside of the mountain building settlements and studying elements outside of dwarves main interests, and the main bulk of dwarves stayed in a hydrid habitat living in the mountain but accessing the top of mountains for forging and smelting.
During the Pandora war, the particular mountain range that was part of Realmshatter was destroyed by Baphomet the Sin of Despair, becoming the ironspike savannah in todays society. While the dwarves were able to eventually seal away the Sin of Despair, the Mountain dwarves holed up inside of the Ashen Peak and Obsidian Vertice creating the twin cities of Brightgorge along with Ashbourne (built by the gnomes). Some looking to seek fortunes after the sins, did traverse along the newly formed continents to find the Stronghold Mountains.
The golden hill dwarves were a little more nomadic before settling a few differnt places; Coalacium and the Arid Steppe, whilst also serving as a duality settlement living on top of the mountain dwarves and trading information and resources with their Mountain Dwarf bretheren.
In the present day, Mountain dwarves are using their stone work to build stone fixtures for cities as they are beginning to have electricity within their city walls. They are working with the settlements to establish ignition guilds to work with and manage the growing use of steam, gas, electricity and gunpowder as energy sources.
Genetic Descendants
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