Welcome! In this game we will play as a party of dwarves going on a grand adventure to steal the treasure of an old dragon and reclaim a long lost heirloom. On the way we will encounter mysterious elves in enchanted forests, menacing goblins in the dark underworld and many other magical beings. Together we will exploe dwarven culture and share stories and songs around the campfire under starlit skies. There will be laughter, danger, bravery and blood. Join in if you want to partake in a classic epic fantasy adventure!
First off, then:
The dwarves are a subterranean humanoid species originating from the mountains around the world. They share many characteristics with humans (two eyes and ears, a nose, a mouth, two arms and two legs) but there are many features that tell them apart. Dwarves are normally no taller than 100cm (roughly 3 feet). They are hairier than humans, and all dwarves grow big beards. It is very hard, if not impossible, for humans to tell dwarven males from females. The dwarves themselves say it’s a matter of scent.
These subterranean creatures have a long lifespan of around 300 years, but are considered old at 100. They can see perfectly even in complete darkness, because their eyes can register heat down to fractions of a degree. Dwarves are very sensitive to sunlight and prefer to stay indoors if possible. If not, they usually garb themselves with heavy clothes, covering as much as possible of their skin.
Dwarves are renowned for their supreme stonemasonry and blacksmithing. It is said that dwarven strongholds are carved from the rock of the mountains itself, and that dwarf-made steel never bends, breaks or dulls.
The dwarves are a traditional and superstitious lot. They are all about preserving things, and change comes very slow to them. Determining which stone to use in a mural can be a question for an entire generation of dwarves. They do not like to do things on a whim and will think the matter through thoroughly and then discuss it with their brethren before coming anywhere near a conclusion. Honor and honesty is also very important to dwarves. Losing face and bringing shame onto ones family is the greatest fear of any dwarf, sometimes even greater than the fear of death. There are no lengths a dwarf will not go to in order to preserve or restore its honor.
Dwarves are superstitious but not very religious. They do not worship any gods but take a keen interest in interpreting signs and omens from their environment. Falling stars, prophecies, natural phenomenon; the dwarves try to understand them all in their quest to understand the world around them. Many of these signs are attributed to their ancestors, and this is the closest thing they have to divine worship. The dwarves revere their ancestors and do their best to preserve their memory. It is expected of a dwarf to know the names of the ones that came before it, and dwarven homes are covered from top to bottom with stone tablets containing runes that tell of the lives of dead family members. Giving respect to the ancestors is key in dwarven society and it is considered shameful to forget an ancestor’s name.
Another tradition of the dwarves is their musicality. Songs and tunes are a great way of remembering old friends and deeds, and so almost every dwarf is taught to sing and play an instrument. Common instruments among the dwarves are bagpipes, horns, fiddles, flutes and drums.
The one great flaw of the dwarves is something they are all very aware of, but at the same time silent about. It is only ever discussed with ones closest companions and always in the dark. There they tell of the dark deeds that some distant ancestor once committed to bring shame on its family. Greed is the greatest enemy of the dwarven people. It lives inside all of them and always shows its ugly face at the worst of times. Whenever confronted by the rumor or visage of wealth, a dwarf simply cannot help itself. It’s like a hungry dog looking at a bowl of food. If properly trained it will restrain itself, but not for long. The greed isn’t about spending the treasure on resources or using it to gain influence, it is simply about having it. Dwarves like to look at gold, they like to feel its weight in their hands and shiver when it slides through their fingers. They all have it, in various degrees, but they all fight it. It is their greatest shame, but also their greatest driving force.
Now, secondly:
The truth of the matter is that the dwarves don’t know much about what’s outside of their mountain halls. They are generally reclusive and only ever hear of the rest of the world on the rare occasions when travelers are let in and choose to share their stories with the dwarves. As such what little information they have is either strongly influenced by the person sharing it or completely untrue. Nevertheless, here follows what goes as common knowledge among the dwarves.
The outside world is a big place. It’s huge. It is in fact so huge that no one has ever seen the ceiling, or even the walls. The environment is prone to swift and sudden change which cannot be controlled; the sun goes up and down, it sometimes rains (or even worse, snows), and the temperature goes up and down without any reason at all. There are a lot of different plants and animals there which are also prone to swift and sudden change. The leaves on the trees change color, like the fur on the animals, sometimes many times a year. It is all very confusing.
Humans are tall people that sometimes grow beards and sometimes don’t. Their women can’t grow beards for some reason, or they simply refuse to (but why would they?). They live very short, very fast lives and don’t seem to stick to one thing for more than a couple of years. There’s no sense of unity among these people. Everyone is on their own. But they’re usually nice when they come to the mountain, and some are even quite alike the dwarves in their pursuit of tradition and ancestral reverence. They seem very well suited for the chaos outside.
Elves are shorter than humans but still a head or two taller than dwarves. They live for very long, even longer than dwarves, but even though their outside never changes their heart and soul do. They seem to be all about change and sudden notions. They don’t even have settlements, but wander the woods as they like. Elves are more like each other than humans, but only in that they are all individualists to the extreme. Still, they know and love music and it has been said they even know of a dwarven tune or two. But you can’t really trust them. They can’t even grow beards!
Goblins. Ugh. Dwarves know pretty much about goblins, or at least everything you need to know (according to the dwarves). They’re about as tall as dwarves but skinnier and even paler. They’re practically hairless and also live underground. Dwarves and goblins are mortal enemies by ancient tradition and have fought many wars. The only thing a goblin wants is to take what others have or destroy it if taking it isn’t possible.
The only thing the dwarves know about dragons is that they’re big and very bad for business. They’re attracted to large treasures (which the dwarves usually keep in their halls) and they’re also extremely difficult to kill. Legend speaks of a monster large enough to fill a hall by itself, capable of flight as well as breathing fire. They have scales as tough as iron and acid for blood. Taking on a dragon is quite the undertaking.
And so, finally:
To apply to the game, you’ll need to read the above information and then fill out a Character Sheet. Once that CS has been accepted you’re in! Now, apart from the above information there are a few more things you need to know:
- You were born in the halls of Thrillem and have lived there with your family and friends your entire life
- You have never been outside of the halls
- You are the oldest among your siblings and have therefor been chosen for this quest
- You may or may not have had any military training
And here’s the CS! You may of course format it however you want.
Picture (Voluntary.)
Name: (Feel free to use classical dwarven names.)
Age: (Around 100 is recommended.)
Gender: (Female or male, it doesn’t matter since dwarven tradition doesn’t make any difference between the two.)
Appearance: (Description is mandatory.)
Skills and Flaws: (Basically your characters strengths and weaknesses. Greed is obviously one of your weaknesses.)
Background: (Who were your parents? What did they do? Did you follow in their footsteps or did you do something else? What relationships do you have in the halls? Do you have a mate, or children? What instrument do you play? Do you have an ancestor that you are proud or ashamed of? Give us a good idea about what your dwarf is like!)
Miscellaneous: (Other information you’d like to share about your character.)
If you have any further questions, I’d be delighted to answer them!
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