Caste

All dwarves are born into inherited **castes** that determine what sorts of opportunities they will encounter during their lives, and how others will treat them.

## Foundation of the Caste System

According to legend, seven brothers founded the dwarven empire:

* **Brudumin**: Youngest and wisest, he was chosen as king. Brudumin's children formed the **Noble caste**.
* **Khumneack**: The eldest, who trained his sons to defend their king. They became the **Warrior caste**.
* **Snalgruck**: Founded the **Artisan caste**.
* **Glatarum**: Forged the first swords and founded the **Smith caste**.
* **Ondrathum**: Dug the mines that became the foundations of Ondrathum. From his descendants formed the **Mining caste**.
* **Rokkonlir** and **Kimneal**: twin brothers who both founded trading Houses. Kimneal was wounded in battle, and on his recovery, he swore to serve his brother's sons. From Rokkonlir comes the **Merchant caste**, and from Kimneal the **Servant caste**.

## Background

The main principle on which the caste system works is that dwarves inherit their caste from their same-sex parent. This means that if a woman is married to a man of a different caste, her son would be the same caste as his father, while her daughter will inherit her caste. In such cases, however, the family would normally live in the house of the parent who belongs to a higher caste.

Due to this system, as well as the dwarven low fertility rate, there are noble hunters. These dwarves are often female, and seek to find a partner of a higher caste, usually nobles, in order to improve their lives. They are often looked upon favorably in an ever-dwindling dwarven society.

If an accomplished dwarf joins a house, or another organization of a lower caste, it is possible that the house or organization will assume the caste of the dwarf.

One way to advance is to become an Exemplar, a move that automatically raises a dwarf above the caste system. A noble house is founded on their name, as well as the power to induct any family they wish into their new house. Becoming an Exemplar is possible for a member of any caste, so long as the dwarf has achieved unique success and acclaim.

The Assembly may also vote to elevate a dwarf to a different caste than the one they were born with, if they have proven themselves by achieving a significant success that is worthy of another caste; this will likewise raise the elevated dwarf's family.

Many of the castes also have levels within them, and the rank of specific members may be a source of considerable argument. There is also great contention among the castes as well; for example, highly placed members of the Smith caste might consider themselves above soldiers of the Warrior caste.

In contrast to Ondrathum, modern-day Nar-Lodahr places far less importance on the caste system.

## Society and Hierarchy of the Castes

### Upper caste

*For the Background, see High-Born Dwarf.*

#### Noble caste

The **Noble caste** is the most privileged, and elite caste of dwarven society. It encompasses numerous noble houses, as well as the royal house. They were initially founded by an Exemplar, but some were founded by upper caste dwarves not originally of noble stock, typically warrior caste or smith caste. Noble houses used to rule hewnholds all across Morgaea, which were their ancestral homes, and typically beared their name. Almost all of them have since been lost to the fiends, however.

Managrums from the noble houses form the Ondrathum Assembly, a group which, as of **9A30**, consists of eighty members. Lesser noble houses might not have a vote in the Assembly.

In Ondrathum, the struggle to prove one's worth is central to dwarven culture, and the relative power of each house is determined by the prestige a house acquires. Often, the noble houses conspire and plot to eclipse each other in the Assembly, even resorting to intrigues such as assassination and blackmail to dominate their rivals. It is also common to increase their own standing by allying with another dwarven house via marriage. So long as the appearance of honor is maintained, the goal always justifies the means.

Dwarven houses earn rank and prestige when combatants loyal to them, or from their own bloodlines, win Provings. In addition to getting a share of the profits, the noble houses also earn prestige when artisans they patronize become sought-after or well regarded, or when the merchants they invest in become successful. The degrees of power that these achievements bestow is murky however, even to the dwarves. In such cases, it isn't unusual for nobles to challenge each other to Provings over whose client is superior. Nor is it out of the ordinary to find the clients arguing over whose noble patron has won the most acclaim, for the rank of the patron is the rank of the client. Thus, the relationship between patron and client is mutually beneficial.

##### Second

In combat, noble dwarves sometimes fight paired with another dwarf known as their "second". This form of team combat is a tradition in dwarven society, as history has it that the style originated from the earliest days of the dwarven empire, when Khumneack fought as King Brudumin's second. Seconds may also function as something of a personal bodyguard and companion, essentially being the right hand of the noble. If a second is not available to serve their superior, another dwarf may temporarily take his place.

### Middle castes

*For the Background, see Middle-Born Dwarf.*

#### Warrior caste

The **Warrior caste** is the caste of dwarven society predominantly concerned with defending Ondrathum's borders. It is among the most important in the complex dwarven caste system, as they serve many functions, and are therefore in great demand. It is also one of the most populous castes.

The lot of a Warrior caste dwarf is bleak, as they pay the price for Ondrathum's security in blood and lost lives. Warriors lead disciplined lives of drill and practice. They also marry early, in light of their typically short life-span. They are notably stoic in public, so as not to bring dishonor upon themselves or the houses they serve. Nevertheless, they feel great pride and honor in their duties, as there are many benefits to being a warrior in Ondrathum. Each Warrior caste house is sworn to a noble house; even the smallest noble house retains a few warriors. The more important the noble house, the more highly regarded the warrior attached to it is. Many noble houses have been founded by successful and powerful Warrior caste dwarves.

Warriors that serve the royal house are considered to be the most elite, and are given access to the very best arms and armor. When a royal house falls on a king or queen's death, the warrior houses attached to the royal family fall with it, and their status is transferred to the warrior houses serving the new monarch.

Exemplar Grynar is considered to be the most famous warrior. Even though he never sought status or recognition, he rose into prominence in the beginning of the First Scourge by rallying the dwarven empire's defenses against the fiendish hordes, and saving his race from annihilation.

Women have a special role in the Warrior caste, expected not only to fight as warriors, but to produce children to bolster the numbers of the Warrior houses. Many women become battlefield medics, and some undertake an even more extreme devotion to their duties by becoming Silent Sisters, in honor of Astyla the Grey, the first female Exemplar of the Warrior caste.

Warrior caste members are also the usual combatants of the Provings, in which, they test their mettle in battle as well as show their skills to the rest of dwarven society.

Warrior houses are frequently assigned by the Assembly to plan and lead campaigns into the Underways. Those houses assigned to the task appoint officers from the Warrior houses sworn to them.

##### Knighthood

The finest of the high-ranked warriors may become knights. Their form of address is "Ser", however this does not make them part of the noble caste.

##### Berserkers

A unique battle technique amongst Warrior caste dwarves is that of the Berserker, a technique that allows warriors to fight vigorously, and cause a great deal of damage by harnessing their rage in combat. This specialization has been taught to other races, most notably the Ashcloaks, who have adapted it to allow them to fight in tandem with their wargs.

#### Smith caste

The **Smith caste** is the caste of dwarven society responsible for providing finished goods required by the other castes, such as weapons and armor for the Warrior caste, and tools for the Mining caste. Their work is intimately tied to that of the artisan caste, as the two castes work in tandem to create armor and weaponry and other items. Artisans ornament the items crafted by the smith caste. Some smiths are also experienced rune crafters.

As with the other castes, there are draconian rules governing many aspects of their lives, such as inheritance, marriage, etc. There is some leniency in terms of smiths selling their own merchandise, however. Smiths also jockey for position amongst others of their caste by displaying their skill and prowess in competitions. Other dwarves delight in buying the displays of craftsmanship these competitions produce. Weaponsmiths, followed by armorers, are the most highly regarded smiths.

#### Artisan caste

The **Artisan caste** is the caste of dwarven society responsible for finishing and embellishing crafted items. They are closely aligned with the smith caste. The smiths are responsible for providing the various goods required by the other castes and, as such, work in tandem with the Artisan caste for many of their products. Artisans ornament these goods or produce items purely for their own sake; as such, they are the artists of dwarven society.

Artisans are not viewed with the same esteem as the smiths, but they take this dismissal in stride. As such, in professions where the roles of smiths and artisans are joined, artisans typically view their members as smiths, though this can vary from profession to profession. The finest artisans work closely with smiths, who often lack the precision and finesse to properly ornament and finish a piece. An artisan might be called in to engrave a weapon, for example.

Leather and cloth goods are typically created entirely by artisans, though those intended for nobles often incorporate chain mail created by smiths. A noble house might sponsor a particularly skilled artisan to promote their talent and bring greater honor to the noble house.

#### Mining caste

The **Mining caste**, also called the **Miner caste**, is the caste of dwarven society responsible for mining and excavating ore and minerals, the most valuable and precious of which is lucenium. Ondrathum is the ancestral home of the Mining and Smith castes and, as such, has had a strategic and financial importance to the empire; which is in part why King Endark Stonehammer in the Dark Ages decreed the move of the capital from Nar-Lodahr to Ondrathum.

Miners in the city of Ondrathum enjoy a great deal of wealth and power. They are organized into the Miner's Guild, which decides on how to distribute the extracted minerals. Rich veins of ore lie in the White Spine, and thus the miners are important to the livelihood of the dwarven people, and they make the most of this esteem.

Dwarves of the mining caste are able to find lucenium veins by ear, and some of them claim that they can hear the Stone-Mother sing. Miners are also the most proficient in the usage of explosives and grenades.

##### Lucenium trade

Ondrathum enjoys lucrative trade agreements with many surface organizations due to its control of the flow of lucenium to the surface, and the mining caste is essential to this. The dwarves are the only known race which can mine lucenium safely, and they tightly guard this secret. They safely store lucenium within lead containers, but further information on the exact specifications of these containers is also a secret. The Ministry requires lucenium to fuel the quasi-magical abilities of its Templars, while the Institute of Magic requires lucenium to enhance its magic, and to create runes, and the Adamantium requires enormous quantities to power its magocracy. This gives Ondrathum immense influence in surface politics and trade negotiations, and has facilitated a long-standing relationship between the dwarves and the Adamantium, forged millennia ago by Exemplar Stonehammer. In spite of this, smuggling can and does go on, as the Clasp often sells illicit lucenium on the surface.

#### Merchant caste

The **Merchant caste** is the caste of dwarven society involved in trading and commerce. The majority of Ondrathum's goods pass through the hands of merchants, sold to surface traders or within Ondrathum itself. As space is limited in the Ondrathum Commons, only few merchants own shops. The rest must make do with temporary stalls. Permits for choice spots are costly, and may require bribes or special dispensation to acquire. Only approved merchants may sell goods in the Gemstone Quarter.

The Merchant caste was once in higher favor than it is now. Its members once served as ambassadors from Ondrathum to the surface, but the wealth this trade produced caused many merchants and their families to break ties with Ondrathum, and dwarves as a whole, to keep the profits for themselves. These dwarves left for the surface. It was this exodus that formed the first group of casteless surfacers. This betrayal of the caste system left a lasting rift in dwarven society, from which the Merchant caste has never recovered, and their esteem among other castes has been diminished ever since.

### Lower caste

*For the Background, see Low-Born Dwarf.*

#### Servant caste

The **Servant caste** is the caste of dwarven society born to serve higher caste dwarves in positions such as washers, maids, cooks, barkeeps, etc. Its members consider themselves and their work worthy of the greatest respect, and take pride in their service to other castes. As the lowest rung of respectable society, they look down upon the casteless.

In spite of their low status in the caste system, the contributions of servant caste dwarves are respected. A servant can even aspire to be an Exemplar based on their deeds. Typically it is a feat of bravery in warfare, or an incredible invention, that makes a dwarf worthy to be an Exemplar, but it can also be something as simple as embodying the ideals and tasks of one's caste to an unprecedented perfection, such as the diligent work of a servant dwarf. Such elevation is usually done posthumously, however.

### No caste

#### Casteless

*For the Background, see Duster Dwarf.*

The **casteless**, or more commonly **dusters**, are the tier of dwarves who do not belong to a caste, and are rejected by Ondrathum and the Stone-Mother herself. In Ondrathum, the casteless dwarves live in the ghetto of Dustburgh, a crumbling ruin where the old royal palace used to be, on the fringe of the Commons, and in the shadow of the rich and powerful.

Born with no rights, the casteless are raised without any formal education, and are considered non-people. They often make a living as thugs for the Clasp, beggars, street sweepers, dugrat breeders, or noble hunters, among many other menial tasks, as the Assembly of Ondrathum decreed it an insult to the Progenitors for casteless dwarves to carry out any work that a dwarf of recognized caste can perform.

Casteless dwarves are branded soon after birth with a tattoo to identify them. These unfortunates are believed to be descendants of criminals and other undesirables, and have therefore been viewed as rejected by the Progenitors since Ondrathum's foundation.

### Surface dwarves

*For the Background, see Surface Dwarf.*

**Surface dwarves** are the dwarves who have left their underground hewnholds to live on the surface, as well as those who have been born on the surface. Many dwarves have moved to the surface, either as members of expeditions funded by dwarven houses or guilds, for their own personal reasons, or as a punishment. In the Dark Ages, the punishment of exile was very uncommon, and was considered to be one of the fiercest. According to dwarven scholars, surface dwarves may soon outnumber their underground-living peers.

The Repository considers surface dwarves to rank amongst the casteless, having given up their caste and claims they may have held, and worst of all, are no longer recognized as being a dwarf after having left the embrace of the Stone-Mother. Surfacers forfeit their houses too if they are noble. Despite that, there is still debate amongst dwarven politicians about whether or not those who have left Ondrathum for the surface should be considered permanent exiles or not, usually fueled by personal and financial interests. One notable exception is when a dwarf joins the Grey Order. Due to the sacred duty of fighting their ancient enemies, the fiends, it was decided that a dwarf who joins the Grey Order retains their caste. This, however does not apply to dwarves who had already gone to the surface before officially deciding to join the Order.

One would assume that, on the surface, the surface dwarves would rid themselves of the caste divisions. However, the truth is that thousands of years of tradition are not so easily tossed aside. Even though surface dwarves are officially stripped of their caste, many maintain a hierarchy among themselves, along the old caste lines. Former noble houses are granted more respect than casteless brands who come up in search of opportunity. The poorest "noble" dwarf on the surface looks upon the rich "lower caste" dwarves with contempt.

Upper-class surface dwarf society is roughly divided into two camps: malthas, who insist on maintaining caste and rank (typically those from the Noble or Merchant caste families) and ascendants, who believe in leaving Ondrathum's traditions underground, and embracing life in the sunlit world. Generally, a surface dwarf's life often leads them to become merchants or craftsmen, parleying the skills they may once have held underground into a new life on the surface. Maintaining some tie to Ondrathum was seen for generations as the only lifeline for surface dwarves. Bringing surface goods to their kin underground, and lucenium and metals to the surface, was not only the most lucrative means of making a living, but also a sort of sacred duty, as many surface dwarves willingly accepted exile and the loss of their caste to better serve their house or patron.

In recent years, many surface dwarves, particularly ascendants, have branched out. They started banks, mercenary companies, and overland trade caravans. They became investors and speculators in purely surface trade. These new industries have proven to be tremendous sources of wealth, but are looked down upon by their more conservative kin.

For less-affluent surface dwarves, association with a powerful maltha can open many doors. They can get credit with dwarven merchants, and are offered work opportunities by the powerful Dwarven Merchants' Guild more readily, sometimes, than more qualified but less-connected individuals.

### Adamantium

There is one unique exception to the disenfranchisement of dwarves who travel to the surface. In the Adamantium, dwarves are not considered citizens but rather foreign dignitaries. As such, many serve in the numerous dwarven embassies scattered throughout the Adamantium. Dwarven embassies in the City of Adamantium, Oremenia, and Ventara are entirely underground and are considered by dwarves to reside within the Stone-Mother, allowing those in the embassy to retain their caste. Some dwarves serving in Adamantine embassies never leave these underground refuges. Similarly, the port of Muradin's Mouth was built within the coastal cliffs of the Storm Coast, and was once used to trade with the Adamantium, in order for the dwarves who worked there, or visited the port, to never lose their connection to the Stone-Mother, and thus their caste too.