Dvergur

During the Age of Giants, the Dvergur enjoyed a close association with the Giant's artisans. Initally they were the best souce of raw materials for the giants. Over time, dvergur were accepted as apprentices, and they learned the secrets of the masters of the Forge and of the Stone. While the giants built their mountain-top strongholds, the dvergur expanded into the depths, building their great cities in the underdark.
When the Age of Giants passed, the dvergur were dimished in number, as happens so often when you ally with the loosing side. Retreating from the lands of the open sky, they became rather isolated, loosing touch with kin in distant settlements and rarely dealing with surface dwelling peoples.
When the Cano'tiel arrived on Makasing, they managed to coax the local dvergur back into engagement with the outside world. Together, they built Steinskógur (Stone-forest) in the As-Sin-Wati Mountains. Once the concept of dealing with the surface world became normalized, a time of expansion and exploration followed. Long seperated communities to the east and west of the As-Sin-Wati were reconnected, and several more communities established, Grytack being one of the most important.
In 1182 CE, Fornradur declared himself Emporer of Awsranka. Of course, this had an impact on all the peoples of the region, but Imperial laws and edicts quickly began to have a disproportionate impact on the settlements involved in mining. The Emporer nationalized all mines known to produce gold, and huge penalties for failing to meet production goals. When the dvergur began to retreat back to their underdark strongholds, Fornradur's agents began a whisper campaign, slandering and maligning the entire culture, seeking to isolate them from the support of other communities. Individual dvergur became targets of kidnapping and torture from those desiring the locations of gold and other treasures.
Maginalized by the Empire, and isolated from most of the human communities, the remaining dvergur fled to the more isolated of mountain communities in Awseranka. Some found refuge among Ostian communities high in the Ryopytaves to the west, and to the east, in the Siniset Mountains. Others faded into the communities of small folk, limiting their dealing to trusted friends.
In the last days of the empire, the dvergur had become the backbone of the resistance movement. Their engineering skills and knowledge of underdark pathways gave the resistance a huge advantage. Without their contributions, it is doubtful that Eagleswatch would have been sucessful in their bid to overthrow the Emporer.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Brumdagar Naraetain Durikhounelynn Lonwuhulda Sindraetrude Folgilydd Avredeth Rutretaine Mumdaebelyn Khumwani

Masculine names

Oddurim Lorgreak Kistic Orirred Gladrud Khegnael Kilgolin Hotaet Simnouc Thraghotum

Family names

Flintfury Battledigger Magmamane Honorbraids Emberbelly Bronzemail Ashhorn Bouldercloak

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Beards. Facial hair is very important: length, fullness, elaborate styling, orniments - all these add to the beauty of the individual. Tattoos. The Dvergur have a long and complex cutom of tatoos. They use a luminescent ink to create complex designs and runes on the body. Quite faint in daylight, but in the underdark, these tatoos become their most prominant feature.

Gender Ideals

Gender is a very difficult concept to explain to a Dvergur. There is little dimoprphism between the sexes, so the description of the ideal dvergur, be they man or woman, would be the same.

Courtship Ideals

After a Dvergur comes of age, they often spend their next decade as an apprentice in a community far from where they grew up.
A proper courtship includes the exchange of gifts, spending time together, and finally drafting the marriage contract. The contract is quite detailed, and may go through many versions before both parties are satisfied.

Relationship Ideals

loyalty and oathkeeping are the gold standard for a solid relationship.

Major organizations

Mörgmálmgrýti Mine Kolandlit Mine Gemríkur Mine Járnmeistari Mine

Gold Can'otial: Elven Influence Across Makasing

Related Organizations

• Free Cities of Awsranka

Related Locations

• Grytack
• Lakedale
• Lost Dwarven City of Sannkallath Gratok
• Ryopytav Mountains