Dwarves in Grisaire (Grisaire Supplement)

Dwarves are a mainstay race in Grisaire, with a common ancestor believed to have originated first from the mountainous regions of Premius. Following clan growth, power struggles, and external forces encroaching on their ancestral land, it is believed that is why dwarves ended up venturing elsewhere, even going as far as sailing seaward.

Culture

Dwarvish Language

See also Dwarven Language

The language of the dwarves is very versatile, particularly its script. This has led to various other languages to adopt it as their written script. Dwarven speech is characterized as perhaps the closest to how Dwarvish script is written.

Naming Conventions

Because of the importance of the clan to a dwarf in most of their societies, their first name is actually always their family name since that is what ties them to their greater clan. It may be changed slightly, but their first name never changes for their duration of their life. Their secondary name is what we would consider their actual "first name." You can think of it like naming conventions in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, where the family name is always presented first. So, for a dwarf named Igdarin of family Urthswain, their full name would be Urthswain Igdar.

Religion

Dwarves subscribe primarily to two gods by convention. They are Manus Infinitum and Igu-Rab-Ichi. There are some other gods that different dwarves revere, but they are more niche and localized.

• Manus Infinitum is the god of creation and hard work for dwarves. These two values are virtues for the stoic and steadfast race of brilliant carvers, traditional stoneworkers, and fastidious craftsmen. The symbol of Manus can be found within many a dwarven forge or workshop as a kind of good luck emblem. Outside of crafting and the usual dwarven work, Manus Infinitum also reinforces work ethics in dwarves, teaching that conventions of hard, mundane work is fulfilling in and of itself. This pervades into dwarven households, encouraging that families be diligent in chores, childrearing, and life overall.
• Igu-Rab-Ichi is the god of metal and weaponscraft for dwarves. The other aspects of Igu-Rab-Ichi are less in the limelight, including violence, anger, and greed. Igu-Rab-Ichi serves as a multifaceted god that teaches dwarves the duplicitous value of craft and raw material. Iron, for example, can be used to make weapons to kill, but also make crafting various arts. Gold is not as versatile as iron, and yet it holds a value that people will kill over. Dwarves have to maintain a vigilant mind against the pervasive greed that tempts them and their neighbors when it comes to their natural bounty and skill.
• Some dwarves do worship Darakan'ta
• Orshiidi

Drinking Culture

Dwarven drinks are known all over Grisaire, but they can vary in make and taste based on the locale. For example, dwarves in Adum tend not to ferment their alcohol and brew fresh drinks daily. In contrast, dwarves in Premius have developed distilling and aging methods that lend to a more mature drink product. In the Doru Islands, various tropical fruits and leaves are used to steep and impart unique flavors into their spirits. It seems that, no matter where they go or what they make, dwarves do have a propensity to like alcohol and also have a great skill at producing it with different methods based on what is available. Dwarven tastes can vary but they generally are very picky based on what they grew up on, and do prefer stronger drinks.

In Premius

See also Dwarves in Premius

Hill and Mountain dwarf populations in Premius are the oldest in Grisaire, as well as the longest living to present. Dwarves are the most populous race in Premius and have established strong bonds with the smaller human populations. Historically, the dwarves lived near the base of the Regis Range, as well as various other uneven terrain environments. They were citizens of the now-gone countries of Tasnen and Eskain and were instrumental to the rise of steam technology in these two countries. Much of the basics of mechanics and such are often attributed to many famous dwarven scientists of Tasnen and Eskainese heritage, and their writings are still taught in engineering schools across the world as fundamentals.

Dwarven clans in Premius are large and few. The most prominent one to date is the Rotwurden, as the current Iron Crown emperor of Premius hails from this clan. Five other clans exist across Premius, with varying importance and public limelight. Each clan can have as many as 30 families! Throughout history, various dwarven families have taken on roles in politics, arts, sciences, and much more.

In Engal

Duergar

In Adum

There live small groups of dwarves among the giant-related races in Adum. These are the halbhüne dwarves.

In Doru Islands

Dwarves in Doru Island are considered to be of the jungle dwarf subrace.

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