Dwarves

Appearance & Origin

Appearing tattooed to the uninitiated, their skin is a mixture of the colors of flesh and minerals. The mineral color reflects their clan name, which in turn reflects the material from which Eidharrun forged the clan as constructs to serve him - Copper, Iron, or Stone. The flesh color is a result of Fradhyn's later gift of true life. The proportion of flesh or mineral coloration is said to reflect how that dwarf's personality expresses those two gods' values (See Eidharrun and Fradhyn).

Dwarven Society

Traditional Clans - Copper, Iron, & Stone

The dwarves of the traditional, mineral clans are based in small but powerful mountain kingdoms which were never conquered by the human Ostian Empire. These kingdoms have been slowly but steadily losing population. While dwarves are long-lived, they do not generally reproduce quickly enough to maintain the initial number of constructs Eidharrun created. While dwarves do trace parental heritage, their basic familial identity is with the clan itself. As such, they employ earned clan names like "Ironforge" or "Ironshield" rather than born family names. See Dwarven Naming Culture.

Star Clan

Whereas most dwarven societies are rigid in both culture and form, the Star Clan is a free-thinking and nomadic band of caravanners. Star Clan dwarves embrace Fradhyn and her wish that dwarves should be free to make their own choices and appreciate the beauty the world has to offer. The Star Clan began as an amalgamation of dwarves from many clans, but is arguably no longer a dwarven clan at all - all like-minded people are welcome to join the clan and its bohemian lifestyle.

In Ostian Society

Dwarves are welcomed into human society for their craftsmanship and trade relationships with their clans, but treated differently (and sometimes abused) by human laws. After the spectacular sapping of Mediolanum made it clear that Ostia's repeated campaigns of subjugation were doomed to failure, Emperor Gracchus established a special legal status for dwarves in Ostia by issuing the first Writs of Comity. These writs recognize individual dwarven families as subjects of their clan's kingdom rather than Ostian subjects and grant property and commercial rights. However, particularly in the aftermath of the fall of the western Ostian empire, greedy nobles will sometimes invalidate these writs in order to confiscate valuable dwarven property. To defend against this odious practice and enforce that their diaspora is treated fairly, dwarven clans have long organized bands of roving avengers euphemistically called "Envoys." Should a dwarf be dispossessed, the offending noble may find their trade routes harried, their agents killed, or even their keep sapped.