The Grand Craft

Once a year on the summer solstace, the Kingdom of Steisen holds a grand festival in each city. This roughly translates in common to "The Grand Craft." Dwarves and competitors from around the kingdom gather in their town, celebrate the longest day of the year, and hold competitions for the most tallented crafstmen in the city. Awards are given for a tremendous amount of competitions including Cooking, Brewing, Metalworking, Stoneworking, Jewelcrafting, Carpentry, Woodworking, Racing (various), Armsmanship, Literature, Polishing, Glassworking, and even more based on what city you belong too.

The Grand Craft is a tradition that survived the last consumption, so nobody knows its true origins. Dwarves in general still admire trophies from years past, and hand them down from generation to generation, or incorporate the winnings into special jewelry. An earned Grand Craft trophy is worth more than its weight in gold in Steisen .

However, there is a second challenge for the Grand Craft, held in the heart of winter, during the Winter solstace. This is where those who gained a prize during the summer may submit their trophies to the capital city Geburtszwerg to show that their family is the best of the best throughout the country instead of just their city. The competition for this competition is extremely fierce, pitting the best minds of the kingdom together against one another. More often than not, sabotage, murder, and a speck of jealousy rings through Geburtszwerg during this time, leading to mass chaos. But the rewards are more than fair. For those families that are not nobility, they are granted land either above or below the surface of their home city, are granted a new home for their family, and, most important of all, given a place on the council within their home, and if called, a place in the council for the kingdom for the year for their territory.

This extreme amount of craftsmanship and pride among the cities of the Kingdom of Steisen leads to just as much of a backstabbing culture, as it does to bring amazing leaders in their fields to the forefront of society. Though it is not law, even the crown obeys this cultural decision with open arms, and watches the steadfast order of dwarven society devolve into a fire, fit enough to light any forge.