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[rydi]

Dwarves

Strongly regimented, dwarven life is defined by ones service to the community. Unlike many asian societies however, dwarves celebrate individual accomplishments and give great glory to exceptional individuals (as long as they are using their ability for the greater good). A dwarf is likely to spend the entirety of their life in service of one sort or another, and as they age they are expected to perfect their behavior and craft to greater and greater heights. Males and females live mostly separate lives, but the society is very egalitarian as far as rights are concerned.

Life
Male childhood will have been spent as an apprentice of some sort (generally in a craft that is useful to the military), and while participating in daily military training from the time they were 10 (mostly consisting of endurance training, with some wrestling and basic weapons training). After coming to legal adulthood at 30, a male will be subject to several endurance and skill tests, join the military, and serve until death or dismissal.
After 10 (less in cases of extreme heroism or wisdom) years of faithful service, the dwarf will be considered a citizen with full voting rights. After 50-75 years of faithful service (decided by the non-official vote of the clan seniors citizens), a dwarf will be considered what would best be described as a senior citizen (not old, but more respected and older than a base citizen). After 100-150 (determined by official vote of the clan elders) years of service a dwarf will be considered an elder, with the right to make leadership decisions regarding the clan. What determines the speed of a dwarf’s progress in rank is a mix of skill in battle, wisdom, self-control, and skill in their given craft.
Exceptions to this include those maimed in battle beyond the ability to continue in the military, those too old to serve, criminals, those dishonorably discharged, and those who withdraw from military service early.
For those that have been maimed and discharged due to disability, or for those that choose to leave service honorably, their position is unlikely to be lowered from whatever it was before discharge. Such individuals are also still able to obtain rank in other fields, such as craft, civil service, or farming. Those too old to serve also retain their rank, and may retire to the above list of occupations without loss of station. Those dishonorably discharged have all but their adult status removed, and are relegated to living as merchants, farmers, or civil servants. Criminals, after punishment (and if able to serve in such a function) may start over in any role they desire, from the lowest rank. All of the above are still expected to participate in the clan militia.
Women, who comprise only 40% of the dwarven population (females account for only 30% of births) are given training in basic weapons, but are not subject to the rigors normally associated with male dwarven life. Women are expected to join their local militia, and take up apprenticeship in a craft or occupation useful to society. When they come of age at 30, they are expected to marry a suitable dwarf (though not legally required, it is socially expected that a dwarven female marry a male of at least senior citizen status; other marriages are sometimes allowed in special circumstances) and attempt to produce a child. Like males, any rank they achieve in society assumes a progress in their craft of choice.
Though women’s primary responsibility to their society is to breed, they are not forced to marry or breed against their wishes, and those desiring to avoid such things all together are allowed to join a warrior sorority if they choose. Such women gain rank as any male would (and are required to take the same entrance examinations as well), and generally avoid domestic responsibilities. The sororities are considered separate military units, and though some clans have a specific sorority, most are formed from all clans in a given area, with a sorority house lying in each of the different clan’s territories and members assigned to different chapters on the basis of staffing needs in the area. Elders of a sorority are bound to a specific chapter house, and sometimes rise to become commander of an entire clan’s military structure (at which point they appoint a new leader for the chapter). In times of inter-clan war the sororities refrain from taking a side unless the elders of the sorority unanimously agree that the fault lies with a single side, in which case they warn that they will interfere if they guilty party does not recognize defeat, and then move to fight if the guilty party does not concede. Otherwise, in times of war, a sorority works for whatever clan they are in at a given time (the clan that is sponsoring their current chapter house).

Relationships
Dwarves have many relationships throughout their lives. All dwarves tend to be especially close to their same sex parent, from whom they usually learn the basics of the craft they will perform later in life, as well as their domestic or military responsibilities. The next important relationship in a dwarve’s life is that of master/apprentice. When a dwarf is old enough to learn their trade in earnest, they are usually fostered to a non-family member or a distant family member. The master is responsible for being the child’s surrogate parent, and such bonds are often very close. During this time period, many strong friendship bonds are created between dwarves, as they train together in preparation for their craft and military/domestic service. Sexual experimentation is often common at this age, though it is actually fairly uncommon for such relationships to heterosexual, as it is considered dishonorable for a female to have sex before marriage (throws lineage and fidelity into question once married) or to have a child out of wedlock (it both shames the child, and deprives it of opportunity).
After dwarves come of age, male and female relationships begin to differ. Women marry at adulthood, and attempt to produce an heir. As women are expected to marry only men who are proven to be both responsible and hardy (as is proven by their senior status) they usually find it difficult to connect with their husbands emotionally due to the gap in experience, age, and the coping mechanisms most dwarven males of senior status have adopted to stay sane. Marriages are more akin to close business partnerships, in which the partners are dependent upon one another to fulfill their societal responsibilities, though it is common for couples to come to care deeply for one another after being together for an extended period. When their husbands are at war, or otherwise absent, it is common for women to turn to close friends (often those made during their apprenticeships) for emotional and physical release. Of note, homosexual relations are not considered a breach of marriage vows, but when they are not separated by other responsibilities it is considered a couples duty to attempt to produce as many children as possible.
Male dwarves, upon coming of age, find many of their closest relationships in military service. The first important relationship during this period is their mentor. The mentor is a full citizen (but not senior citizen) who teaches the young dwarf what it means to be in the military, and much like the master/apprentice relationship, the dwarves are very close. Unlike the master however, the mentor is more of an older brother figure, and often the mentor is the first lover that a male dwarf will be with. The mentorship lasts until the dwarf becomes a citizen; once citizenship is gained the dwarf picks a willing shieldmate (partner in battle that shares virtually every aspect of a soldiers life, including their responsibilities) to pair off with (or one is assigned if none are willing). By the time citizenship comes about, a dwarf is usually in a comfortable and platonic relationship with their mentor (assuming the mentor is still living), and is an independent and fully functioning member of the military. The shieldmate chosen is usually a close friend made during their years of mentorship, and is of equal rank and roughly equivalent status and skill. Not all shieldmate relationships are romantic in nature, but all are very close relationships nonetheless, and it is not uncommon for dwarves to become suicidal upon the death of their shieldmate even if they were not lovers, as the shieldmate is one of the only things that allow dwarves to cope with the hardships of their lifestyle.
Most male dwarves have very little sexual or emotional experience with females, due to the social restrictions on premarital sex; the only dwarven males that do are those that travel abroad and find non-dwarven women to interact with, those that had some inlet into female social circles as an apprentice (a sister or female fellow apprentice perhaps) and successfully kept their relationships hidden, or those that interact with the warrior sororities. With such limited interaction, it is not surprising that, when they are finally able to take a wife after long years of military service, male dwarves are very uncomfortable with their situation. Marriages, for the males, are strange and intimidating affairs that they acclimate to very slowly. They also find it very difficult to relate to the young and inexperienced women they are mated to, as they have virtually no common experience, and the males are too hardened by the violence of the military to reach out in any way that the females usually understand (though some perceptive females that paid close attention to their fathers as they grew up tend to understand their husbands a bit better).
The warrior sororities are very similar in social function to the primary military except that they are a bit more free in their sexual and emotional relationships. Though there are mentorships, the ‘older sister’ is not nearly as possessive of her trainee as male soldiers usually are, and the shieldmate relationship is informal in the uncommon instances when they do occur. The sororities try to create an environment of group camaraderie rather than one of separate couples. Such an environment allows for less dependence and attachment on a single individual (and less resultant trauma upon the death of said individual) and gives more means of coping with the rather difficult dwarven warrior lifestyle. The sororities do not prohibit interaction between the male and female soldiers, but will remove any woman that becomes pregnant, and such a woman will never be allowed back in. Abortion is not an option in such cases, as dwarven births are much more rare than most other humanoid births (such an action might even be grounds for exile) but birth control is allowed and recommended.

Government
Dwarven government is democratic, though voting is a right earned only through participation in society. Voting is divided into domestic, non-domestic, and general, with those in the military gaining rights to vote in non-domestic affairs, married women and retired military allowed to vote in domestic affairs, and all citizens allowed to vote on general issues. Most decisions that involve interfering in peoples day to day lives are put to popular vote after proponents from either side attempt to educate the people on the topic at hand, while issues concerning administration are generally determined by votes of only the elder citizens, or a panel of elders with specific knowledge relating to the topic at hand. The elders are also responsible for electing the clan head, who is allowed to run the entire clan in times of emergency, and to over-rule the elders (a risky thing to do often for a clan head). The clan head can also put a subject to popular vote at will, and is largely responsible for handling foreign relations and declaring war (technically, the clan head must put declaration of war to popular vote, but he may take emergency military action at any given time, and delay the vote on war until war is the only possible choice for the clan; such tactics are frowned upon however, and could cause the clan head great trouble). The clan head can be deposed by the elders with a 3 to 1 majority, but such an action would shame the clan as a whole and cause the people to lose faith in the elders, and thus it is rare that a clan head is actually deposed. Rather a clan head that is performing poorly is most often counseled by the elders before any rash actions are taken. Other political positions tend to be bureaucratic or managerial in nature (administrator of public sanitation, farming coordinator, government food surplus handler), though they are still responsible for some decisions, and such positions are usually held by senior or elder citizens, or master crafters of the appropriate trade. All positions are for life, barring removal due to ineptitude or infirmity.

Naming
Dwarven names are almost always consonant-vowel-consonant (Dor for example) with a series of suffixes added to denote rank and social status (basically one and the same for dwarves). Overall rank, such as adult or elder status (with masculine rank coming before feminine for those few individuals that have both), comes before specialist status, which in turn comes before all other rank. Only overall rank is generally used in ones name unless the name is being used formally, or the one using the name differs in rank (an adult speaking to an elder for example). The exception to this is crafters, who generally include their appropriate suffixes.
-i suffixes are normally only given to men, but are technically given to any member of the military that meets the requirements. The ranks denote military as well as craft proficiency.
· -i denotes adult male status and entry into the military
· -ih denotes full citizen status
· -ir denotes senior citizen status
· -in denotes denotes elder status
-o suffixes are used to show craft mastery for those that do not participate in the military and/or marry, or to denote a craft skill that is above or below standard for a given rank.
· -o denotes apprentice status in a craft (craft ranks only used if they exceed overall status).
· -oh denotes journeyman status in a craft
· -or denotes a full crafter
· -on denotes a master crafter
· -os denotes a crafter who is greatest in their field (this does not overlap with any other rank status), and confers the right to function as an elder in relation to their craft (a scholar of economics would be able to participate and speak at a closed elder vote to make a change to current trade rules and alliances for example)
-a suffixes denote a woman’s status in society, and like the male ranks, assumes progress in a given craft. Women’s ranks do not confer the right to vote in the election of some officials or in matters of foreign policy or war, though a woman of at least –ah rank may vote in elections involving intra-dwarven affairs (city works projects, the militia, etc.).
· -a denotes an unmarried adult woman
· -ah denotes a married adult woman and full citizen
· -ar denotes a responsible mother, confers senior citizen status
· -an denotes a mother with at least one child that is either a citizen or a married woman, and confers elder status
the rest of the following are special suffixes. They are added after all other suffixes.
· -u denotes a clan head (added after all other rank suffixes; balinu)
· -es denotes a hero: an individual who has made a great contribution to dwarven society at great personal cost. The rank is awarded by a clan headed after gaining the approval of a majority of the elders of the clan, gives full citizen status, and can be given to non-dwarves, at which point they are dwarves for all purposes (including most magic item use. Weird huh?).
· -t represents a non-dwarf adopted into a dwarven community by means other than being given the –es rank. The adoption only requires sponsorship by an elder, and the –t is seldom added to the name, as it is a reminder that the individual is not actually dwarven (impolite/insulting/disrespectful); the rank exists primarily to differentiate them in the records from biological dwarves and to mark them as under a few special strictures. Adopted individuals are not required to meet all the age requirements of the dwarven ranking system (it is modified based upon the lifespan of the creature), they are not required to marry or join the military but must still donate constructively to society as seen fit by the sponsoring elder, and marriage to a dwarf is allowed only with approval of the clan head. Also, laws exist in most clans that prevent those with the –t rank from attaining clan head status, and some clans also prevent elder status from being gained.
· -uch (guttural ‘k’ sound) denotes an exile of the dwarven community. Such an individual is branded as an exile, and is never allowed to return to their community. Other clans sometimes allow exiles from another clan (the brand includes clan of exile) to trade for supplies and perform unpleasant jobs, as long as they stay away from the populace, but no dwarf will actually befriend them or trust them again.
· -ze (Spanish ‘e’) is given to individuals that are of the batteragers. Those to chaotic, rebellious, or just plain crazy to exist within dwarven society are given over to the ‘ragers for training (usually such individuals volunteer, but not always). Such individuals have all other rank removed, and have all responsibilities other than combat taken away. Though the ‘ragers are not full citizens (crazy people should not vote), they are usually given a great deal of respect (along with fear, mistrust, and condescension) for both their military expertise and bravery.
· -e‘esh denotes a dwarf that has, for whatever reason, declared themselves dead. A dwarf chooses to ‘die’ after unbearable shame, guilt, pain, loss, or sometimes as an alternative to exile (a common ruling in dwarven courts is exile or e‘esh, the social/living death). ‘Dead’ dwarves throw themselves into battle wearing little or no armor, and seek out the most dangerous opponents to do battle against in hopes that their actions will help their community, bring back some measure of their lost honor, or in some cases avenge lost loved ones. In cases where e’esh was a sentence imposed by a court, the dwarf in question must stay ‘dead’ for a certain amount of time before becoming a part of the community again. For other cases, the dwarf may at any time come back to the community. Though the ease with which a dwarf may come back from ‘death’ might make one think it a small decision to ‘die’, nothing could be further from the truth. Upon ‘death’, a dwarf loses all other status, all property, their family, and their spouse, and does not regain them after coming back to ‘life’. Such dwarves often abandon even their base name when they come back, wanting to start life anew. Though a dwarf may ‘die’ any number of times, it is a rare dwarf indeed that does so more than once, and rather than looking askance at those individuals, most dwarves assume that they are truly tragic figures that have had more than their share of hardship. The e’esh live as vagabonds (though never as beggars), and dwarves give them offerings as they would to their dead ancestors. Otherwise, e’esh live off the land, trash, or the loot of fallen enemies. They carry only enough money to buy a few meals and to buy good weapons; otherwise they give all their money to charities of their choice.

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post.

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[Rusty]

interesting counterpoint.

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indeed

[Rusty]

quite right

[Liquidprism]

touche

[Rusty]

however, therefore, and furthermore, in conclusion.

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here, here

[Rusty]

aye.

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aargh!

[Rusty]

!

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point taken.

[Guardiankrillin]

Yoink !
I have taken the point and stolen it

[Liquidprism]

He stole your point Gideon, you should go after it.