I could keep working on the Anno class I'm writing up but I got to thinking about dwarves and now I'm here. Blame my dad playing Dwarf Fortress while I was visiting. I've been reading about animals a lot lately and got to thinking about just how wild life is. Like there are so many crazy things going on. So I've ended up with a little list of how these insane biological organisms could look like an elf game. This could be a really fun setting to fuck around with. While being less magical than the world where Demons Are Real And Can Kill You, it's been scratching the 'classic fantasy' itch really well. So I guess this is a Dwarf Post™.
What Is A Dwarf?
A Dwarf is a mammalian sapient, known by many names depending on an individual Dwarf's designation. The species gets its name from the worker members of the hall, named due to their relative diminutive statue. Warrior members are known as trolls. There are no documented cases of non-Dwarves meeting a king, but they appear to be the only breeding member in a given hall of Dwarves.
Types of Dwarf
Most Dwarves are work dwarves (Note: in this text, as most other texts, the uppercase Dwarf is used to refer to the species, while the lowercase dwarf is used to refer to the worker category). They are generally 4-5 feet tall, broad shouldered, and are easily identified by their large beards. These beards are sensitive to vibrations in the air, and aid the dwarf's hearing. Most dwarves remain in the hall, mining, brewing sustenance for members of the hall, or caring for young. When a hall gets large enough, some dwarves are sent to find suitable locations for a new hall - these dwarves will return and bring a king to a location once found. These dwarves are common adventurers.
Warrior members of the hall are known as trolls by most. They stand 8 feet tall or more, and possess large, horned fists they use in defense of the hall. They have different skin patterns than work dwarves, generally having a mottled complexion akin to the stone most dominant in the hall. Their beards are worn in different styles, generally combed straight rather than braided. These Dwarves are rarely seen outside of the halls, though occasionally a new king is escorted by several trolls in addition to the scout dwarves.
In most strains, this leaves the king, a mysterious figure in the hall. While there are no recorded instances of a non-Dwarf meeting a King, several things are known: he is fertile, unlike most of the members of the hall, and spends the majority of his time rearing young. The diversity of Dwarves implies the existence of a second fertile category, though adventuring dwarves are generally unwilling to discuss it.
Some strains of Dwarf diversify their workers. These halls will have dwarves as normal, but may also have some builder class members, known as gnomes. These Dwarves will lack the beard of their worker and warrior counterparts, generally possessing more manual dexterity for finer tasks. This is theorized to be a recent development in Dwarven history, as very few strains possess these members. As with most species, there is a great diversity that has yet to be properly studied.
Dwarven Habitat
Most Dwarf halls are in mountainous or otherwise rocky regions, given the Dwarves biological instinct to tunnel into the earth. When space is particularly limited, members of a new hall will dig downward, through the soil until they reach a rocky layer where a proper hall can be constructed. Certain strains of Dwarf are known to prefer certain rock types, an abundance of certain precious metals, or the presence of certain gemstones. It is unclear by what mechanism a dwarf can sense these traits, but most scout dwarves are able to determine a locations viability after only an hour of mining. Most Dwarves are known to be averse to large bodies of water, but there have been documented halls along ocean cliffs or, more rarely, halls that open up into lakes or bays.
Dwarven Diet
Dwarves are known for their enjoyment of fermented food and drink, particularly alcohol. The reason for this is theorized to be twofold. First, fermented foods will generally last longer than their raw counterparts, leading to longevity for the hall's food stores. Additionally, most strains of Dwarf have limited digestive microbiomes, relying on a constant supply of microbes from food. As such, the cultivation of food-safe bacteria and fungi is an important part of Dwarven life. Most strains of Dwarf subsist entirely on ferments, with some noteworthy strains seeming to consume only alcohols.
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