Forge Speak
The forges of Hammerdeep below at all hours. Their fires immense, the work, exhaustive, and among all other things, the various clanging of metal on metal and the bellowing of furnaces fills the spaces with cocaphanous noise. As the Dwarves would not be able to communicate with one another without standing right next to them, a series of gestures were devised to communicate rudimentary messages to one another, usually tied to work and tasks.
Every worker in the mines, seemingly every dwarf in all of Hammerdeep, is expected to carry a pick, hammer, shovel, and lantern, as well as a helmet for safety. A formalized manner of communicated was developed overtime from an informal means of gaining each other's attention and become more efficient in what can quickly become hectic, dangerous line of work.
Apprentices and Journeymen in the mines are expected to know and perform these signals before ever stepping into the mines. Failure to not understand will likely lead young dwarves to get themselves or others hurt. The Foremen and other leaders work to prevent deviations from this primitive language structure. If each shaft of a mine or work center tries to create their own variation, it fails to work, and thus uniformity is encouraged, with a few exceptions. The Hammer Throwers, the colloquial term for the dwarves beating out hot iron into sword and axe and shield, have their own variations of the messages. Miners in the Deep Cold Vein, where light is dim and are distant from the rest of the miners, are more likely to communicate verbally or use a series of bangs to communicate messages.
Apprentices and Journeymen in the mines are expected to know and perform these signals before ever stepping into the mines. Failure to not understand will likely lead young dwarves to get themselves or others hurt. The Foremen and other leaders work to prevent deviations from this primitive language structure. If each shaft of a mine or work center tries to create their own variation, it fails to work, and thus uniformity is encouraged, with a few exceptions. The Hammer Throwers, the colloquial term for the dwarves beating out hot iron into sword and axe and shield, have their own variations of the messages. Miners in the Deep Cold Vein, where light is dim and are distant from the rest of the miners, are more likely to communicate verbally or use a series of bangs to communicate messages.
Common Phrases
A non-exhaustive list of the signals is as follows:
One pick held overhead vertically: important or dangerous work being done, standby and remain stationary One pick held overhead horizontally: commence work Two picks held overhead in an X fashion: Emergency, a dwarf is injured, send aid. A helmet is held overhead: Emergency, a dwarf is presumed dead. Stop all work. Pick held out at arms length by the blade, handle extended: More workers requested. Shovel held out straight by left arm: more coal needed for firekeepers Shovel held out straight by right arm: hold work Waving hand over lantern: gain attention, more instructions coming Lantern held overhead: Begin or end work
One pick held overhead vertically: important or dangerous work being done, standby and remain stationary One pick held overhead horizontally: commence work Two picks held overhead in an X fashion: Emergency, a dwarf is injured, send aid. A helmet is held overhead: Emergency, a dwarf is presumed dead. Stop all work. Pick held out at arms length by the blade, handle extended: More workers requested. Shovel held out straight by left arm: more coal needed for firekeepers Shovel held out straight by right arm: hold work Waving hand over lantern: gain attention, more instructions coming Lantern held overhead: Begin or end work
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