Dwarves

Dwarves are Sturdy, Spartan, and Stubborn.

### Biology

Dwarves are small, strong, bearded (even the females!) folk. Their strongly developed lungs allow them to take in large amounts of oxygen that enables them to bellow loudly. Thier skin is pale due to lack of sunlight and minimal need to prevent cancers. Dwarves which have been on the surface for a long time begin to develop slightly red skin, due to their tendency to very easily burn. Dwarves who live in Granite Mountain Holds die a couple of hundred years earlier than the rest of their kin. Those mountain holds are often seen as cursed. Dwarves who adventure in the surface often die much younger due to radiation. Dwarves who have been on the surface their whole lives can die as young as 250 or 300, or 400/500 with frequent trips but not permanent inhabitants dwarves who spend most but not all of their time in the mountains live until 600/700 and those who have always been inside often live until 800 and can live over 1000.

### History

Once upon a time, in the mountains north of Questvill the dwarves used to be greedy, and dug hungrily for gold and wealth. However, this caused the Rise of the Golden Dragon and thus the War for the Golden Dwarf. This helped lead to the winning side forming close ties with the Defdril and made the Dwarves abandon their lust for gold and thus they became a very spartan culture. Typically, the Dwarves prefer plain and effective structures armour, items, homes, etc. Later on other Dwarven holds joined this alliance. Dwarves now join them in joint adventures, like mining, connecting cities via underground tunnels, and expelling the Goblins from these tunnels (where the goblins have snuck in through unauthorised entrances made by Dwarves).

Tensions currently exist with the Drat who are pretty friendly with the Goblins and profiting off the Goblin civil war. The Dwarves met the Drat fairly recently and thus their connections are poor with the main underground network. The Defdrill can’t fit down these wholes so the dwarves interact with the Drat on their behalves. The dwarves untruly believe the Drat are allowing goblins access to the main trade network for raiding purposes. Despite these tensions, the dwarves aren't rash so are unlikely to start anything serious without good preperation first. However dwarves believe in "the balance of probability" rather than "beyond all reasonable doubt" so as a result something may be brewing...

### Technology

The dwarves themselves don’t have much technology or magic, but are very skilled smiths and crafters. Gunpowder isn’t used much by the dwarves, their natural hardiness and strength meant they have no need for it, and their thick armour is effective against any gunpowder used by their opposition. Any gunpowder weapons they do acquire would have been produced by the drat. Magical enchantments would have been from the Defdril or rarely the gnomes. Most Dwarves prefer melee combat, due to their poor dexterity.Traditionally they are armed with thick plate armour, a very large shield, and a dwarvish longaxe. When ranged weapons are used, the bow is the weapon of choice as it makes better use of their natural strength.

### Culture

Dwarves are a Spartan culture, with a focus on practicality. They are incredibly stubborn, and breaking a promise has a major stigma attached to it. As a result, promises from dwarves are made clear by them saying “I pledge on my dwarven honour …”. They may not be released from this pledge until it is fulfilled. If a dwarf does not fulfil their pledge they become known as “honourless” and are never permitted to enter a dwarven hold again. Accusing another dwarf of being an honourless is a very serious accusation.

Dwarves are not quick to anger, and have a modern legal system. Justice is executed quickly and pragmatically, based on the balance of probabilities, and crime is low.
Each dwarf hold is led by a thane, who chooses their successor based on a very pragmatic decision as to who is most suited to rule after him. They may change this decision at any time. The successor is known as the thane-in-waiting.
The dwarves don’t record much of their history, and prefer to leave that to the Defdril. As a result, the oldest dwarves are the source of much wisdom. However, while there are some tales from time immemorial, most dwarves belive these to be rather pointless.

One lesson all dwarves shall remember though is never again to be greedy, lest they suffer grave consequences once more.

### Economy

The economy of the dwarves is primarily based on their mining, smithing, and crafting. Their goods are of such a high quality many people will pay premium prices for them. Dwarven crafted equipment which is suitable for non-dwarves is rare, due to the high price, danger in exporting it, and the long-time involved in crafting it. Usually it is custom made to order, and it isn’t as effective when used on someone who isn’t the original creator (if it fits at all!). This has led to some human smiths offering to reforge these for a premium. However reforged equipment is seen as being worse than pure dwarven armour.

The money made from trade is used to buy food from the humans, which is their primary source of food. They purchase food that wont spoil and keep many many years of it stockpiled. This is because traders are rare among the dwarves, due to their unwillingness to go to the surface. If a dwarf does go to the surface, unless they are honourless they are permitted to return, but their lives will have been irreversibly shortend so they will never reach the age of their elders.

### Newland Clanholds

A clanhold is a fortress/settlement ruled by a certain dwarven clan. They are named after the clan that rules them. Everyone who lives in a clanhold has the same surname (the name of the clan) and consider themselves family (regardless of if there is actually any family ties). Clanholds have never transferred from one dwarf clan to another, and there is now historical precedent for them to be destroyed before allowing that to happen (as it would bring great dishonour to the entire clan). As a result, these clanholds are very very old, and haven't changed much since their inception. Every clanhold has a slightly different method of choosing its leaders from among the clan, although usually the eldest clan members end up becoming the leaders (and due to their long life spans, these leaders don't often change).

Many clanholds have joined alliances with each other. Dwarves respect these alliances very strongly, due to their honour, and will assist their allies as best they can. However, if a war were to break out, historical alliances have set a precedent that dwarves may submit to the leader of another alliance after they have lost the war (as an alternative to complete destruction). Also, if a clan is dishonoured, they may also switch alliance. Hence, these alliances have changed over time. They have risen, fallen, and been remade anew.

Below is a list of all the clanholds in Newland.

#### **Strongking Union**

This is the eldest alliance, and has held firm for a as long as memory, with many historians believing it to never have changed. The clans which make up this allaince are:

* **Highking** - Fromerly known as clan Strongdwarf. They are the leader of the union. This clan founded all of the other members of this alliance and has gotten rich of their success. It provides governance for the remaining members of the alliance. It's a relatively small Clanhold, despite being the capital of the union.
* **Strongsmith** - Contains some of the best smiths in the whole world. Those looking for the finest quality weapons and armour will make the dangerous travel to clanhold.
* **Strongmine** - A highly productive mining hold. They supply ample metal to Clan Strongsmith to allow them to keep producing a constant stream of weapons.
* **Strongaxe** - These are the warriors who wield the weapons in defence of the Union. It's the largest clanhold of the union.
* **Smalldwarf** - Clan Smalldwarf has a varied history, which has seen it leave a rejoin the union on multiple occasions. It was founded by a group of small and weak defectors from the Union, and was later subjugated in a war. However the union provided it with little support, allowing goblins to pilfer its supplies. Hence the clan drifted away from the union, until it was later subjugated again. Now, it serves as a place where the union sends and honourless instead of exiling them. Any strongaxe guards are designed to keep dwarves in and loyal rather than keep goblins out.

####  **Quicktongue Coalition**

* **Quicktongue** - A clan of very charismatic dwarves, who put together a coalition during the War for the Golden Dwarf. This Coalition is made up of members who are not natural friends. It gathers most of its food and wealth via trade, now days acting as a face for clans Greatrune and Greatgem.
* **Friscis** - Devout worshipers of the god Friscis. Historically they have been cold towards the other clans, but Clan Quicktongue convinced them to join the Coalition all the same.
* **Greatrune** - Skilled crafters and smiths, who can use gems to enchant weapons and armour with magical effects.
* **Greatgem** - A mining Clanhold set up by Greatrune, to supply gems for their magic.

#### **Alliance of Embers**

Formerly known as the Goldheart Alliance (prior to the War for the Golden Dwarf)

* **Emberglory** - A mixed clanhold, with a variety of skills which makes them a jack of all trades, master of none. Officially they are the leader of the alliance (as they were the ones to try and maintain it after the war), but they are in reality far less powerful then Clan Bragos, who use their position of power to de facto lead the small alliance.
* **Bragos** - A clan of dwarves who worhsip Bragos. They have made a strong recovery since being pillaged in the war, due to their prowess at trade and strategic position.
* **Goldenheart** - Former leaders of the alliance, before they and their clanhold were completly destroyed. The magic of the war has now made those tunnels dangerous and uninhabitable.
* **Magebrand** - Powerful dwarven spellcasters who have now been wiped out. Some of their magical spells can be recovered if you were to adventure into their abandoned and magically corrupted halls. Only the desperate (like goblins) or dangerous can be found there now.
* **Longvigil** - While not officially part of the alliance, they supported the Alliance of Embers, due to the support the alliance has historically provided them against the orcs, goblins, and other creatures. As with many clans of this alliance, this clanhold has also been destroyed. Now orcs and other creatures occupy its once safe halls.

#### **Independents**

This is not an alliance, but is a section which records all the clanholds who are not (currently) in an alliance.

* **Teros** - They worship Teros. Sometimes end up fighting the dark elves in the caverns.
* **Ironfist** - Mortal enemies of the dark elves. They are trying to form an alliance between themselves, Teros, and Oakbane to combat the elves.
* **Oakbane** - Supposedly distant relatives of Clan Ironfist. They have good craftsmen and make furnishings and other goods out of wood. This has put them in occational conflict with the snow elves, who live in the woods. However the snow elves desire good relations, so they can have help against the dark elves, hence they try to compromise with Clan Oakbane where possible.
* **Lonelybrew** - Make the world famous Lonelybrew Ale, but are very suspicious of outsiders (of any race) and don't like to trade. Hence, there is a small supply of lonelybrew ale and it fetches a high price. The Ye-Tis are the only ones who get a reliable supply of the ale. Clan Quicktongue is trying to convinced them to join the coalition, but with little success so far.
* **Silversmith** - They have a large silver mine and craft silver weaponry. Somw traders on ships often sell this to Clan Greatrune due to its magical properties. As Clan Silversmith is on an island, it wasn't effected much by the War for the Golden Dwarf so still likes to mine and use gold, often making great jewellery with their precious metals and helping to supply Newtown for production of the Coin.