Re: [Adonthell-general] Draft of Dwarven origins

[Kai Sterker]

On Mon, 1 Jul 2002 14:07:21 -0500 Andrew Phillips wrote:

> >It's great :).
> 
> Thanks. As a side note, I realized afterward that I cited the wrong
> part of the Silmarillion. Just a quibble, though

Didn't even notice tat there was one ;). Maybe I should read the S. once
more. 


> Oops. I got Adonthell confused with the mainland. I'll see to that in
> the next version. One interesting question this raises is: what do
> Dwarves think of ships and the sea? Would they travel to the islands
> only if it were really important? Would they want to wrap things up as
> soon as possible so they could get back to 'solid ground'?

Well, there's a Dwarven colony on Adonthell, so I guess they'd travel to
find new locations for their mining and stay there then. That usually
happens when the old mines run out, so there is nothing to return to in
the first place.

I doubt that they enjoy ship travel (save one or two twisted
individuals), but if it's necessary they'll do it. In general, most
dwarves never leave their place of birth. Those few who have the task of
trading with other folk will do, but the rest prefers to stay below
ground.


I had a few thoughts about Dwarven society that might be of interest to
you. I think I once wrote a mail about that already, but it doesn't hurt
to mention it again.

Family bindings are very important to Dwarves, so they are forming
'clans', where everyone is somehow related to the others. A clan usually
controls a certain part of the mine and the richer that part is, the
more power and reputation the clan has. As clans discover new lodes and
old ones run try, their influence raises or falls. Marriages unite clans
and feuds can rip them apart.

All that implies that a dwarfs whole family lives in the same place, so
there is little need to travel under normal circumstances. 


> I do, in fact. Nezumi has already said that their rite of passage is a
> trial by combat, but there might be another sort - a trial by skill,
> if you will - wherein the candidate must prove himself by making
> something novel and useful or novel and saleable. The value of the
> thing made might even determine how high in the society he would rise
> after passage into adulthood. Either kind of passage would shape the
> sorts of quests that a Dwarven character would undertake (or aid in
> completing if a young Dwarf's trial by skill was the creation of same
> exquisite armor or armament that a Human or Elven warrior needs for
> his quest).

Yeah, sounds good. Latter suggestion would make a fine side quest.

> The most direct implications would be for their marriage ceremonies,
> the art(such at it is) that one would see in Dwarven "cities" or
> warrens, and their views of the Lord of Stone and Mountain. Marriages
> (and their dwellings) might include short stone pillars which serve no
> other apparent purpose, but serve to remind all those who see them of
> where the race came from.

Right. That'd be something for the gfx artists to take care of.


> I think that Dwarves could have a pre-occupation with the origins of
> things, since they know very well from where their valued gems, ores,
> and machines came, whereas the other races would seem mostly ignorant
> of those facts. That pre-occupation would shape the questions they
> ask. An Elf might start a quest by asking about the people involved,
> whereas the Dwarf would want to know how things got the way they now
> are.

I like that idea. Changing the order in which questions become available
in dialogue for different races wouldn't be hard to achieve. We
definately need some ways to show the differences of the various races.
That also applies to NPCs of course. 

 
> One more idea and then this mail will end. Dwarves would probably
> control the mountains and the foothills of the world, especially The
> Mountains from which they came. Any quest which involved crossing
> mountain ranges or spending significant time in the foothills would
> bring one into contact with lots of Dwarves.

Not too many I guess, as they are becoming more and more scarce, but if
you'll meet someone in a mountainous area, it'll be most likely a dwarf.

Kai