Dwarves

Aspects

History

Ancient dwarves were much as they would have others believe. They constructed enormous subterranean cities, excavated and refined valuable minerals from extensive mines, and honor their ancestors and culture in massive celebrations. Their industrial focus and master of metallurgy gave them an early edge on other races of Blimnor, and consequently their empire spanned the globe. However, their insular culture and preference for being underground resulted in their gradual decline as the world's superpower.

Dwarves are often blamed for the Worldstorm. Their industrial methods both filled the sky with smoke and stripped Blimnor of minerals long before the other races began making machines, computers, and aircraft. But even when Blimnor was thrown into turmoil, and the race to populate space began, the Dwarves were reluctant of this new opportunity for industry. They built complex cities beneath the surface, hoping to wait out the Worldstorm.

Eventually, after the other races had reached the stars, each finding new opportunities among alien worlds, the Dwarves were forced to admit that the Worldstorm was not going to end, and that they too must leave Blimnor.

Dwarves are not popular among the races, and having arrived late to the rush to colonize space, they have found their place mostly as miners, scavengers, and engineers. While much of the industry involved in making space travel possible appeals to the dwarves, they have a strong aversion to extra-vehicular activity, and prefer to stay deep inside whatever spaceborn object they find themselves in. Still, there is a quiet and furious pride, and many patiently work to restore their race’s glory.

Fashion

Dwarven fashion begins with their facial hair. Traditionally-minded dwarf men will grow long beards which are elaborately styled and accessorized. Younger generations may prefer to shave or trim their beards, although it is rare for a dwarf to not have at least a large mustache, mutton chops, or a goatee. Dwarf women can grow hair on their chin and upper lip, but most prefer to shave their facial hair at least until later in life. Braided sideburns, however, are very fashionable. Dwarves working in other exodian industries are often asked to wear beard and hair nets, which usually have stylish designs to help the wearers feel less humiliated. Dwarven clothing tends to be practical, including pieces of functional armor, tools and weapons, heavy boots, and even helmets. However, visible clothing frequently features traditional dwarven knots, which are elaborate geometric designs that appear to intertwine. Runic tattoos are also common among dwarves, although their translations are rarely discussed with non-dwarves.

Names and Gender

Dwarven names are traditionally constructed from a surname that incorporates the first name of an honored ancestor, or a reference to an ancestor's profession. The dwarf is also given a first name that is often similar to trending names. This makes it likely that dwarves within their generation may have completely identical names. Examples include Yurga Smurfhammer, Dolgen Smearsson, and Jorga Broadhelm. Dwarves consider their gender to be male by default until they are old enough to express femininity. True Dwarves have become increasingly outspoken against the number of dwarves who have decided they are women regardless of their sexual anatomy. This has sparked a heated debate among more homogenous dwarf communities about whether dwarves should be able to express gender at a younger age, whether gender expression can change, or whether a default neutral gender might provide a compromise.

True Dwarves

A popular concept among dwarves is that the older something is, the better. This includes language, places, people, practices, music, drink, and so on. This necessarily creates a high value for tradition and antiquity, and for those dwarves who dedicate themselves to the "old ways". These dwarves are revered and called vorduhm, meaning "true dwarf". While this value is certainly stronger among older generations, it is observable among younger dwarves as a nostalgia toward ancient dwarf culture. This enforces insular behavior that keeps things such as dwarven language exclusive among each other.

This secrecy has become harder to maintain as dwarves find themselves in more multispecies societies, and particularly as members of other species work their way up the ladder of dwarven corporations. This has led to a new concept dwarves call barduhm, or "provincial dwarf". This term is used to describe non-dwarves who have earned their status as industry leaders, and those who have somehow managed to integrate dwarven language and culture into their lives. It is also used as a slur for dwarves who fail to practice tradition.

True Dwarves also believe in a form of immortal afterlife in which their bodies turn to stone but they stay conscious. To ensure that their consciousness lives on, honored dwarves are sealed into special tombs which a secret mineral solution that gradually crystallizes the corpse, leaving behind a petrified statue. Some of these petrified statues become revered landmarks, and addressed as honored ancestors, and some dwarves claim that they can talk to the statues and even receive missions of great importance. Not all True Dwarves are placed as statues, however. With the increasing wealth of dwarf communities, a greater percentage of people are petrified, and relatives may request that the body is delivered to them. For this purpose, large commercial Tomb Ships transport thousands of such dwarves to their final resting place, albeit with a solemn and superstitious crew.

Dwarf Music

Dwarven music has changed little throughout their history, preferring slow rhythm, chanting, humming, and verses about work, wealth, and might. Below is a mix of what you might hear when accompanying a dwarf mining ship.