Lands
Delvers mostly settle mines in and around the mountains of Dyrn, and like the other
First Races, are most numerous on the continent of Terrenos. There, they can be found in massive underground fortresses known as Safeholds. These fortresses are part mine, part subterranean city. There are many notable safeholds scattered throughout the Dyrspines, with others to be found in other mountain ranges around the continent of Terrenos.
Delver Safeholds are often named after the mineral or ore that is mined, for example Goldenvein or Ironspur. The original Safeholds date from the First Dragonform Wars; divine enchantments are laid on the mighty gates that bar each Hold, preventing denizens of the Underdark from passing through, and the Celestial Scale protects then from the
Underdark below. This border between
Delvehame and the Underdark is marked by thick veins of Lynesalt.
The larger Safeholds maintain enclaves of surface land at the base of their mountains. Within these enclaves, they maintain small farming settlements staffed by communities of hill dwarves or other races which supply the Holds themselves.
Culture and Religion
The Delvers are a race who have evolved in the depths of the earth, mining and delving beneath the surface for rare ores and hidden treasures. As such, the importance of duty is ingrained within their culture. Every Delver has a place and a duty within the Hold or the mine; deep underground, far from light, Delvers who fail to fulfil that duty can place an entire hold at risk. To shirk that duty is to commit a heinous sin within the Delver culture.
Delvers believe that after their formation and their perilous journey to Delvehame, the great Dragonform God of the Forge,
Gyrd, summoned a delver from the worlds beyond named
Moradin, and that Delver took a mighty pick to the world to cut the first Safehold from the rock. This Delver is worshipped as Moradin, the Hammer of Gyrd. Delvers worship a pantheon of other Gods that either came from the worlds beyond or ascended from mortality to Godhood at the right hand of Gyrd.
Social structure within a Safehold and it's associated enclaves is typically well defined. At the head of the Hold is a Thane, and assisting him to rule is an Elder Council, considering of the head of each High Hearth within the Safehold. The position of Thane is generally held for life. On the death of the Thane, or the decision of a majority of the Elder Council, a new Thane is selected to oversee the Safehold. At irregular intervals - usually triggered by some sort of internal strife that affects more than one Safehold, or an external threat, such as the threat of invasion - a
Thaneraad, or council of Thanes will be called, and several Thanes will gather to negotiate or make decisions that may affect delverdom as a whole.
Delvers live in family units, known as hearths; a hearth may consist of several generations of Delvers and often extended family as well. Delvers are not necessarily a populous race, with many couples only having one or two children in their lifetime; elder Delvers within a hearth will often take responsibility for children, while their parents return to their responsibilities within the mine or hold.
Delver children attend lessons, mostly religious and cultural in nature, from a young age in a creche-like environment. Such lessons are usually conducted by clerics of Gyrd or one of the other Gods in the Dwarven pantheon. Once Delvers are of an age to learn a trade, they begin their
Laerlingraad, or apprenticeships, spending between weeks and months at a time working in different trades and roles. Often during this time they will foster to the hearth of the master they are apprenticed too.
If a Delver demonstrates an affinity or a passion for a particular trade then their laerlingraad may finish early; otherwise this period typically lasts three to four years. During this time the elders of a Delver's hearth will negotiate on their behalf with various master tradesmen to secure them an ongoing role within the Safehold. Once those negotiations are complete, a Delver takes on their profession and only then is considered an adult.
Adult Delvers will often return to their family hearth until they marry. Upon marriage, there is some negotiation between the couple and their extended family as to which hearth the new couple will adopt. This negotiation will often take into account the relative social standing and wealth of the two hearths. As the decision can affect factors such as inheritance and succession within the society, this decision may form part of the pre-marriage negotiations for members of High Hearths.
Mountain Delver occupations may include mining, other trades such as armouring, tailoring, or cobbling, shopkeeping or merchantry, or smithing. Hill Delvers, on the surface, may pursue a trade in farming and agriculture.
Delvers are generally keen hagglers and traders and interact enthusiastically with other races when they are outside of own territories. They keep their culture and homelands fiercely guarded, however; few non-Delvers have been within a Safehold, and even non-Delvers within the Delver enclaves may be met with suspicion.
As well as duty and responsibility, Delvers value good craftsmanship in all activities. Delver made equipment, weapons and armour are renowned throughout Dyrn, in particular arms and armour crafted from the rare and precious metals mithril and adamantine. The secrets of smithing these metals are known only to the delvers.
Delvers take pride in their lifestyle and although small in size, they are large in personality. They work hard, then celebrate just as hard; Delver safeholds will celebrate the working day late into the night with ale and pipe-smoking, as young dwarves drink at one of the many public houses scattered throughout the Hold, and older Delvers return to their hearths to their young children.
Languages
All Delvers are raised speaking Delver (Dwarven). Almost all Delvers raised within Terrenos are also taught the common tongue.
