Dwarves

> *"Were I to have been born a Xundi, I should wonder my whole life what crime deserved such punishment." --* Asoria Darau Esveuna, renowned Elven poetess
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### Intro

Dwarves are a race of Jørþejm. It is unknown what the dwarves call themselves in their own language, the Sacred Tongue. Humans refer to them as the Baglīven, Giants call them the Grúmloksha, and Elves know them as the Xundio.

### History

Not much is known of the origin of the dwarves. If they have a name for the realm in which they originated, no one in Jørþejm who isn't a dwarf knows it. When the Collision happened, the Dwarven race immediately began to communicate amongst themselves in order to try to figure out what had happened and where it was they now found themselves. In fear, some among them raised their voices to the level of shouting, normally an act that would carry with it the penalty of losing one's tongue, and those who called out immediately began to cry out in pain. Their tongues had withered in their mouths, leaving them mute. Every dwarf immediately realized that there was now more than cultural expectation enforcing the sanctity of their tongue. All of the dwarves immediately reverted to their language of physical signals and movements, refusing to speak for fear of losing their tongues. This is what the other races found upon their first encounter, a short and apparently mute race.

Dwarvish interactions with the other races were very difficult at first, refusal to speak being a primary hindrance for the dwarves when trying to communicate with the humans, elves, and giants. Soon, some studious individuals among the dwarves had deciphered Rīkljânar and began to use it to communicate in writing with the humans. Some brave dwarves tried to speak it, and they soon found that it was safe. Many dwarves began the effort of learning Rīkljânar from the humans, and the two races began to trust each other. The other races, in order to better communicate with both the humans and dwarves, began to learn Rīkljânar, and soon it was the common language spoken by all four races.

Dwarves were the first to sign on to the Accord as it was presented by Katrīk Støžak, a peace treaty between the four races to ensure peaceful interactions and preemptively defend against any conflicts. They spread out across the Continent, founding small homogenous settlements wherever they could find the materials with which to craft things. Soon, Dwarven merchants were traveling from settlement to settlement, selling the goods made by their own people. In 130 A.C. a Giant stronghold by the name of Iétxe Shudhiú fell ill with a mysterious disease. The Dwarven traders visiting the city all survived the illness, and as soon as the remaining giants realized this, they drove them out and blamed them for the plague. Soon, rumor spread across the continent that the Dwarves had, by way of magic, wiped out the city in order to take it for themselves. In the Shattering, the dwarves became the targets of many attacks, so they defended themselves and earned a reputation as dishonorable, choosing to fight with trickery and inventiveness, falling back on their natural strength and toughness as a last resort.

By the year 200 A.C., the Free Cities were the only non-Dwarven settlements that dwarves could live in without being driven away by local authorities. Human settlements tended to be more friendly to dwarves than were those of giants and elves, but there was still a degree of suspicion about them. Many cities across the Continent would allow dwarves to set up temporary camps outside the city walls, from which they could enter the city to trade their wares. Despite the distaste for dwarves, many still recognized and appreciated the quality of Dwarven-made goods, particularly their work in metal, stone, and glass. This arrangement became normal life for the dwarves. Roaming caravans of dwarves, usually merchants, craftsmen, and their families travel the continent buying and selling with anyone they can to survive. Small Dwarven settlements cropped up in some mountainous areas, usually built around Dwarven monasteries, that were of little interest to the other races, but there is only one large enough to be called a city, though no one of the other races actually knows where it is. It is known simply as the Hidden City.

In the year 422 A.C. came the darkest time the Dwarven race had known in Jørþejm, the Dwarven Enslavement. About 20 years before this, a Giant warlord called Greíbh Tosháko came to power in Iétxe Cuínin, began to consolidate power in the region of the Sea of Miáthin. He made his territory welcoming to dwarves, giving them food, shelter, and wealth in exchange for the products of their craftsmanship. The dwarves became there became prolific weapon and armor smiths, fueling Greíbh Tosháko's war machine. Eventually, Tosháko's son, Greíbh Grúdhilt killed him in single combat and took charge of his father's territory. Grúdhilt immediately turned on the dwarves, in a matter of days enslaving all that could not escape. Dwarves were forced to smith, mine, and build at the point of a sword. Greíbh became greedy and he went out raiding to capture more dwarves, finding them to be strong laborers. Mines hundreds of meters deep were dug by the dwarves, some deeper, and these mines became their prisons. Over time, the dwarves in the mines began to change, twisted by the environment, the cruelty of the giants, and darker things below, they became what are now recognized by most as The Damned.

For hundreds of years, this has been the status quo for the Dwarven race. A number of other events throughout the past centuries have left stains on the image of the dwarves in the eyes of the other races. Even those sympathetic to the dwarves not their apparent involvement in these things, but equate it to the dwarves being cursed or very very unlucky. Among these were events such as the death of the Elven Queen Facaira, the Night of Blood, and the Jâkīns. They roam the world to survive, wintering in their mountain settlements and avoiding any cave, tunnel, or dark crevice where they might encounter one of the fallen members of their race.

Notable Events
 The Dwarven Enslavement
 The Founding of the Hidden City
 The Signing of the Ilrecinia Treaty | 758 A.C.

### Culture

Dwarven culture is known mostly by its outward appearance to others. Dwarven music is beautiful, albeit simple. The three main instruments used are a three stringed instrument played with a bow, a wooden flute, and drums. There is no singing in Dwarven music, it is purely instrumental. Dwarven art is known for its intricacy and detail, colorful glass and sculptures of stone and metal are often valuable and collected by the wealthy of Jørþejm. Rare sightings in permanent Dwarven settlements also confirm that they are masters of making mosaics. Dwarven monasteries contain the largest collections of Dwarven art. Dwarven clothing is far more practical, being comfortable in most climates and resistant to all forms of weather. Most dwarves opt to wear earth tones, a dwarf wearing bright colors such as orange or blue is a rare sight. Sometimes humans will trade with dwarves for their clothing, to be worn by human children, but beside these instances there is little outside interest in their garb.

Much of Dwarven culture is influenced by their belief system. Not much about it is known to outsiders, but its usually referred to as the Silence and is directly tied to their language. The Dwarvish language is a mystery to those who are not dwarves, as it is never spoken in public or with other races. Dwarves learn to speak in their homes with their families, and in public they learn to use what is most commonly known as Dwarvish signaling, a kind of sign language used to communicate without speaking. From what little is known of Dwarven linguistic practice, the stoic silence of the dwarves predates the Collision. It was taboo to speak the language in public or with strangers, and this was enforced by the removal of violators' tongues. However, when exposed to the magic of Jørþejm, this taboo became actualized and now the tongues of those who break The Silence wither in their mouths. It is thought that the dwarves worship a kind of divine void, which unfettered Dwarvish speech unleashes in a way that is harmful to the speaker. This theory is supported by what is known of Dwarven monasteries, where Dwarven monks practice strict asceticism, remain silent from the time they enter the monastery until their deaths, and spend hours, sometimes even days in meditation. Dwarves who regularly interact with the outside world usually learn to speak Rīklijân and can get by perfectly well with it. Despite this, they remain very quiet and are secretive about their language and beliefs for fear of outside meddling.

Dwarves have no names that are known to outsiders, preferring usually to be called by their craft as a title. A Dwarven smith, for example, would be called Master Smith. A carpenter, Master Carpenter, and so on. Most who make their homes around other races, such as Dwarves in the Free Cities, will take on names in other tongues, usually Rīklijân, for ease of communication and identification. Dwarves in the Free Cities are also sometimes found to be Barseuno, but much more rarely than other races.

The Damned have very little culture to speak of. When they've been encountered they behave more as feral creatures than the Dwarves they once were. Many believe that something in the depths of the mountain stone made them into what they are now, something magical and foul. No one knows what exists down in those pits, and there is very little information to be known about these creatures who inhabit them.

### Notable Dwarven Characters

* The Grand Smith of Jolgeld (Free City)
* The Fungalist
* The High Abbot