Dwarves are near and dear to a lot of players. They're pervasive in literature and they've been left mostly unchanged from the Norse myths that spawned their inclusion in the Middle Earth books. They're stout, hearty warriors with a clannish mentality and a deep seated greed that educates many of their decisions. Of course, like all of our races, we want to give a new spin on an old classic while keeping what makes them dwarves.
So, in our setting, our Dwarves were an early creation. The gods made them from the earth, from Terra herself to lay the foundations for what would become the land we live on. The Early dwarves were very different from their modern descendants, but the gods' influence on them is still felt. Each dwarf has a compulsion to see the natural order in all things. They hate chaos, they want to put the world right and make every single thing do the job it was meant to do. Their culture is one of civic responsibility, first to their family and then to their community.
Their clan based upbringing puts them somewhat outside of the norm with the other races. Even in close proximity, like in Montset where Dwarves and Humans have lived beside each other for generations, they don't particularly understand one another. Humans are chaotic, they love freedom and expression, which the Dwarves see as a waste of effort. What is the point of freedom if your time has no use? What is the purpose of blazing your own trail when a time-tested trail can be used and maintained?
This mentality also applies to the Dwarven use of magic. In many settings, dwarves make poor mages but excel as Clerics. This actually fits our purposes well. Magic in our setting is split into several styles (which will be expanded upon soon in an upcoming series of blog posts on magic) including elemental, light or dark divine magic, natural or bardic magic just to name a few. Of those, the orisons of the Cleric most closely match the structure and orderly nature of Dwarves. This isn't to say that dwarves can't break from the mold, but the idea that all things.. including spells are tools that need to be put towards a specific purpose is one that is always on the minds of a dwarf.
In the past, the dwarf players have made powerful cabals of xenophobic warlords who spread their influence through strength of will and military might. In our setting, those powerful few who rise to the top will need more than strength of arms. They will need cunning and structure, they will need to use their followers, be they human, dwarven, or more exotic races as tools to bend the world to their will. We look forward to seeing what you can do with our dwarves and the empires you build!
Look forward to more blogs coming soon, and join us in our discord for the next round table discussion. Myth is a place for everyone to find their home for role play and we look forward to seeing each and every one of you!
**Photo Credit - Screen shot taken from "The Hobbit" movie**
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