DWARF3

Society:
Dwarven society is clan-based and extremely hierarchical. There are twelve
Great Clans, the lords of each of which maintains absolute, control over the
dwarves in their respective clans without any interference. There are many
minor Clans as well, some of which are quite powerful, but which do not have
as wide an influence or as prestigious a history as the Great Clans. The clan
lords are nominally ruled over by a dwarf-King or a dwarf-Queen, but the
sovereign usually plays the role of mediator in disputes, rather than that of
a ruler. When times of war or crisis comes, however, all of the Clans are
expected to rally behind their King or Queen.
 
Each Clan is made up of many different families which share a common ancestry;
in a very real sense, every single clan member is kin. Within the first fifty
years of a dwarf's life, he knows what his station in life will be, be it
soldier, farmer, blacksmith, or miner. A skilled blacksmith is one of the most
honored of dwarves, and for that reason, almost all dwarves possess at least
some degree of experience with smithing, leading to their reputation as master
forgers The social structure of the clans is very static; unless one manages
to perform a feat of great valor or boldness, there is little to no social
mobility. And, for the most part, that is exactly how dwarves like it, as
they enjoy structure and reliability in life.
 
Dwarves are, however, an infamously rowdy bunch, and love to indulge in
alcohol. Dwarven spirits is the stuff of legends, and the secret behind
dwarven brewing techniques is guarded almost as jealously as their black-
smithing skills. Where other races make holy water, dwarves often make holy
beer instead.
 
Relationships with Other Races:
On the whole, the isolationist dwarves, buried deep away within their
underground palaces, have few contacts with the outside world. Although
they are fond of halflings, whom they see as soft, harmless cousins, they
consequently have few relations, be it positive or negative, with most races.
Various individual clans have engaged in skirmishes or even the occasional
outright war with other kingdoms (the so-called 'War of Night' against the
ogres is an example of a disastrous one which resulted in the obliteration of
the dwarven clan in question), but as a whole, the dwarven kingdom does
not feel strongly for or against most races. The three exceptions to this rule
are enumerated below.
 
The testy relationship between elves and dwarves is well known. Although
both are generally considered goodly, long-lived races, the two are simply
diametrically opposed in terms of culture and mindset. Where dwarves love
caverns and stone, elves love the outdoors and the sun. Where dwarves value
precious gems and minerals, elves treasure plant life and natural beauty.
Where dwarves value stability, elves delight in flexibility. And where dwarves
are deeply pragmatic and self-reliant, elves are often deeply spiritual and
rely heavily on their grasp of magic. While these differences seldom result in
outright war or violence, the mutual disdain the two races share for each
other is palpable.
 
The duergar bear a grudge against the surface dwarves for the latter not
coming to their rescue when the duergar burrowed into the Elder Earth. Surface
dwarves feel duergar are fools for breaching the Elder Codex; the duergar
consider surface dwarves cowards and traitors for not assisting them in their
time of need. This resentment is similar to the hatred between elves and drow,
although not nearly as profound. The duergar, after all, are still 'deep
dwarves', and their relationship with surface dwarves is much akin to that
of two estranged brothers; they may rail, rant, and genuinely hate each other,
but in the end, will still acknowledge that they are of the same family.
 
Finally, the dwarves bear an exceptionally deep grudge against the drow,
due to the many dwarves captured and enslaved by the drow in the early days
of history. The wholesale destruction by the drow of Clan Mith, the minor
dwarven clan which invented mithril-metal, is a point of particular fury for
the dwarves. The dwarves have a long memory indeed, and their enmity is
as implacable and unforgiving as the mountains themselves.
 
Dwarves can be the following classes:
Warrior, Cleric, Bard, Blademaster and Berserker