The Campaign Builder's Guild

So this forum game would be set in the non-setting-specific, generic dwarven kingdom of Silffdor u-Khazad, located in the Silffdor Mountains and nearby territories, on the continent of... uhm... Baanala. It is a confederation more than a kingdom, made up of several clans who (generally speaking) inhabit their own areas of the mountains. Each clan is led by a Thane, and all of the major clans have their own fortresses. The current king is Krak Hammerhand the Third, of clan Hammerhand. Kings are usually Thanes, although legally speaking, any dwarf (male or, more rarely, female) could become ruler of the kingdom. The king is elected by Thanevote, i.e., each thane has a vote to cast, and he with the majority becomes king.

Surrounding the Kingdom, and stretching East and South to the ends of the continent, lie the Silffdor mountains. These are the traditional homeland of the dwarves, and although such peoples can be found the length and breadth of the mountains and Silffdor u-Khazad is the most powerful of the dwarven kingdoms, only a small minority of the clans come under its rule. The further you get from the heartland of Silffdor u-Khazad, the more different the dwarves become - to the East, they speak human languages and worship corrupted human gods, to the south, they bear gnomish inventions and follow their religions.


Beyond them to the West, the mountains trail down into the Beast Forest, which, predictably, is inhabited by beastmen and all sorts of other horrible creatures. The Beast Forest (or Beastwood) stretches for hundreds of miles, and the only known things beyond it are the Kvellar City States, about which little is known (although they are believed to be the furthest point of civilisation).

North of the Silffdor Mountains lies what is christened in the dwarf tongue 'Veraukzlobund' or 'Where The Orcs Live', vast plains scattered with ruins and orcish fortress-cities. Little is known about what lies north of these lands, mainly because nobody has entered orc lands and lived to tell the tale without taking an army with them.

To the East of the Kingdom lie other races' lands... the Elven Forest (where Elves live), Noomm Laand (where Gnomes live) and, perhaps most importantly, the Human Kingdom of Zangia. Whilst until now Zangia has remained mainly neutral towards the dwarves, expanding slowly towards the mountains but never crossing the set borders - mainly because the dwarves provide a barrier against the orcs. Beyond this coastline lie the Sunrise Islands - halfling lands, from whence nothing (according to a famous dwarven proverb) but 'irritation and horse-urine beer' ever comes.

[spoiler=A typical dwarf map]
(//../../e107_files/public/1231528921_112_FT0_dwarfgame_.jpg) (//../../e107_files/public/1231528921_112_FT0_dwarfgame.jpg)
[/spoiler]

The players of this game would play various clans (at least nominally within Silffdor u-Khazad), who would then govern their own lands and the Kingdom as a whole through diplomacy, skullduggery, and voting in the dwarven parliament. I'll give you more details if sufficient interest is shown. :)

Where are the goblins?

I'll play as the western-most clan whose main job is to be a buffer between the beast-wood and the rest of the dwarves.
My clan is called the Panzjaeger. roughly translated into armored hunter.

How much influence do players have over the flavour of their clans? I might be interested in running a fairly isolationistic clan with odd customs, seen as a bunch of backwoods weirdoes through most other dwarves' eyes.

If we have alot of influence over the flavor I would be up for playing a clan of warriors, well known for being the first to battle and the last to fall back. Dwarves that see honor in such things.

If I played, I think I would be tempted to play a mining clan, who are obssessed with mining the core of the earth (they think its some giant gem)

The Goblins, of course, live with the orcs. Also in the Beastwood. EVERYTHING lives in the Beastwood. Serious.

As for the flavour of your clans - well. You're welcome to do practically anything with them that fits with the general dwarfy flavour. I would suggest that more outlandish clans lie along the outskirts of the dwarven kingdom.

Ok well I am going to play the equivalent of dwarven sparta. Strong warriors with a proud warrior tradition.

Good start. I'll post up more information tomorrow - the dwarven church, various different stances, the economy of the kingdom, and current political affairs. Then you can write up detailed clan sheets and we can be off!

Waitin' for the church stuff (surprised?). . . So are players essentially the Thanes of their clans?

I've got mine's basics out so...

The Dwarven Church

Officially speaking, there are several dwarven churches, one for each recognised deity, with the head of the Temple of Moradin as their 'first among equals' leader. In actuality, the current High Priest of Moradin, Hrang Silvertongue, has so much influence that he might as well be high priest of all the other churches as well. Although they are all 'independent' bodies, each temple has certain things it shares with others - for example, certain shrines are dedicated to more than one god.

The historical three dwarven Gods are Moradin (God of Dwarves), Berronar (Goddess of Family), and Clangeddin (God of War). Also recognised and part of the dwarven family are Dugmaren (God of Innovation), Dumathoin (God of Secrets), Gorm Gulthyn (God of Protection), Haela (Goddess of Luck), Marthammor (God of Travel), Sharindlar (Goddess of Life) and Vergadain (God of Trade). Those following Gods have been declared by various dwarven prophets and have now become part of the mainstream religion. Abbathor is another God who is considered 'awkward' by many priests. He represents Greed, traditionally seen as a negative aspect, and those that steal from others - definitely a bad thing in dwarven society. He is mainly seen as one of the Enemies (see below). However, some minor chapels of Abbathor have been set up lauding him instead as the God of Ambition.

The Enemies

Deep Duerra (psionics), Laduguer (toil), and usually Abbathor (greed) make up this particular section of the pantheon. The former two are Duergar gods - Laduguer is believed to have been an original part of the pantheon, until the Duergar split away from the surfacer dwarves. Abbathor is a dubious matter who is sometimes seen as part of the main pantheon as the God of Ambition. The enemies can be legally prayed to, but generally in requests to smite others or to spare one's family. This is frowned upon but not disallowed in dwarf society.

Clerics

Although divine magic does exist, there are very few who can practise it to any level of great power, and being able to do so does not guarantee you a high place in the Church. Most priests would have, in DnD terms, 1 or 2 levels of cleric (if that), and the High Priest of Moradin would only have 4. The most powerful divine caster in the Kingdom is probably the 'prophet' of Vergadain (self-proclaimed), Bel Farstriding, who would equate roughly to a level 7 cleric. Nobody yet seen can raise the dead, but great acts of healing can be performed.

Inside the Kingdom

 Dwarven stances

There are essentially two main groups of dwarven clans (although many could be considered independent from this), the conservative westerners and the innovative eastern clans. Some of the Eastern clans have been so influenced by humans they do not even speak dwarven any more, and want to follow plans of agriculture and farming rather than the traditional dwarven raid/mercenary/mining/crafting economy that has historically been the base of any dwarven state. Whilst this does not hold true for all clans in the East (some are staunchly traditional) or all clans in the West (some are very modern) it does hold true for a majority. Those in the centre often (but nowhere near always) go for a compromise.

 Current affairs

The present King is an old dwarf by the name of Krak Hammerhand. In his lifetime, he has widened the borders of the Kingdom to the edges of the mountains, and is much appreciated for this. However, he is quite traditional, and has made no important reforms. He is the third in a continuous line of Hammerhand clan Kraks, and it may be that when he dies, the Council will vote for something new.

Zangria is pushing worryingly close to the foothills of the Mountains in the East, but the orcs of the North are still licking their wounds after the last beating the dwarves gave them. The Beastwood seems alarmingly quiet. Trade continues with Zangria and (however much their snobby officials want to deny it) the Elven Forest kingdoms. The goblin tribes living within the mountains have not yet been wiped out, although under Krak their numbers have been almost halved.

The Underdark is now considered partially a legend by many people, and there has been no sign of Duergar or Drow in living memory (and for a dwarf, that's a long time). The same goes for demons and devils.

 Economy

The Dwarven economy is based on four main things: official mercenaries (i.e. bands of dwarves hired out to other nations - historically various powerful baronies in Zangria, other dwarfish kingdoms, etc), raiding orcs and (rarely these days) elves and humans, mining and selling various useful resources, and forging dwarven weapons (in demand from practically everyone). Times are changing, however. Trade with everyone else is mainly sporadic, the occasional trader coming up or down a dirt path into the mountains and searching until he found a settlement. Now, some dwarven clans want proper roads, underpasses, and agriculture to be stepped up immensely. The dwarves do have a currency (the Knut), although they tend to rely more on barter, except to buy truly important things like weapons.

Quote from: Snargash MoonclawWaitin' for the church stuff (surprised?). . . So are players essentially the Thanes of their clans?

Just explaining the role of priests in dwarven society really. And yes, you'd be roleplaying the thane of your clan (particularly at voting time, when agreements and threats and all sorts of things can be made).

Hmmm, is there no God of Mining? Seems that mining would be a mix of Dugmaren (God of Innovation), Dumathoin (God of Secrets) and a bit of Abbathor as God of Ambition.

Well, here goes. I tried to make them new and interesting, yet still recognizeable as dwarves.

[spoiler=Dwarves like you have never seen before]
Although conservative in their own peculiar ways, the Yavuz are pariahs among dwarvenkind. They have always been unwelcoming, even xenophobic, and for centuries they have lived in relative isolation on the Tangri Plateau, a windswept plain nestled between snow-capped peaks of the Silffdor mountains. Only a few passes and tunnels connect the plateau to the other dwarven realms, all of them difficult and dangerous to travel. The overland passes are completely untraverseable from early winter to late spring. Earthquakes are common in the area, causing tunnels to collapse and making such underground passages dangerous. The clan is ruled by it's king/thane, though he is known amongst the Yavuz by the title Hakan. Currently reigning is Bulut-Hakan, son of Savas-Hakan.

Population
The plain is scarcely populated, owing to the harsh climate on the roof of the world. With the inhabitants being so spread out, local government directs matters from Citadels, great fortresses of stone and iron that stand high watching over the plateau. There is only one settlement worth being called a town: Kashka, the capital of the Yavuz. A far cry from a metropolis, it is a ring of houses circling Citadel Kashka, the seat of the Hakan.

Lifestyle
The clan's homeland is not very conductive to the common dwarven occupations. Mining is less profitable due to scarcity of valuable minerals in the bedrock and the danger of earthquakes. The difficulties in travel hamper both cross-border raids and trade. Faced with these disadvantages, the Yavuz have resorted to agriculture and cattle-herding for long times now. They had no choise in the matter, as the growing population had to be fed. As a result of this, the population of the Tangri Plateau live mostly above ground, though their dwelling do include extensive underground levels.

Names
[note]I'm using Turkish names for the clan.[/note]Yavuz dwarves have developed different naming customs from the rest of dwarfdom. Each dwarf's name consists of two parts: the personal name and the patronymic. Their children do not bear proper names, being called "first", "second", "third" and so on untill their coming-of-age. At that time they will choose their own personal name from a set of traditional Yavuz names. The patronymic is a reference to the dwarf's father, following a "son of" or "daughter of" after the personal name. In formal introductions, it is common to append the name with the father's patronymic, then the grandfather's, the great grandfather's and so on. This can lead to rather long and repetitive introductions, particularly so as male dwarves often choose personal names from their paternal lineage. Those whose fathers are unknown lack the patronymic part of the name, very much to their shame.

Religion
The Yavuz are quite religious, making regular pilgrimages to the many temples they have built - temples that look like pagodas but have structures made mostly of stone. They venerate the traditional pantheon, especially Moradin. What truly sets them apart from outsiders religion-wise, is that they worship their ancestors in addition to the gods. Yavuz clergy is nominally part of the greater dwarven religion, but has long since become de facto independent. The local priests pay little to no attention to any edicts from the outside world that manage to reach them.

When a Yavuz dwarf has become deceased, his heart will be carved out of his chest and placed into a jar, which is then buried. The rest of the body is left to dogs and vultures. This is because the Yavuz believe that the heart is where the soul resides. Warriors of the high nobility, as well as champions who have died in exceptionally honorable combat, will have their hearts buried according to custom, but their bones will also be preserved. Once the skeleton has been cleared of flesh and other soft tissue, the bones will be locked together with iron bolts. The skeleton will then be coated with a thin layer of some metal: gold, silver, bronze, iron or brass. Finally it will be placed into an alcove in a family mausoleum (wherein all the heart-containing jars are buried), outfitted with armour and weapons. This way, the Yavuz believe, the noble warriors will stand eternally in guard of the sacred resting places of their kin.

Bling bling
Hardly any Yavuz dwarf - male or female - will be seen without a pair of large, heavy earrings and a great medallion hanging from a chain placed around the neck. They also tend to wear many rings on their fingers and decorated bracers on their wrists. For clothes they favour furs. Warriors going to battle will mark their faces with warpaint. Diplomats sent to other dwarven courts tend to decorate themselves less flamboyantly, to make their appearance more acceptable.

Vodka
Dwarves are known for their love of alcohol, and the Yavuz are no exception to this. However, even their drinking customs distinguish them among the race. There is only one kind of drink that they care for, and that is vodka. Drinking is always accompanied with loud music, laughter and dancing. 'Moderation' is not part of Yavuz vocabulary, at least not when the subject is drinking. It is an unwritten law that all feasts must continue untill every guest has passed out. Though the Yavuz can be gruff and melancholic, they certainly know how to throw a party.

Misogyny
Yavuz society is far from egalitarian. The lot of females is to cook, tend to the household, give birth and take care of the younglings. Males plow the fields, herd the cattle, toil in the few mines or work at the forge. Females may become priestesses but not warriors.

Military
The warriors of Yavuz draw their prowess from long, honorable traditions, shaped by the unforgiving environment of the Tangri Plateau. Their favored weapons for outdoor combat are bow and naginata. Indoors and in close-up situations they favour short swords and daggers. Elite warriors are primary mounted combatants, riding sturdy war ponies. The military has a feudalistic structure, with warlords sworn to serve the Hakan, drawing troops from their fiefs and commanding lesser nobles further down the chain.[/spoiler]

Quote from: LlumHmmm, is there no God of Mining? Seems that mining would be a mix of Dugmaren (God of Innovation), Dumathoin (God of Secrets) and a bit of Abbathor as God of Ambition.

Dumathoin and Dugmaren would be the main gods of mining, particularly Dumathoin because he's the Under-Mountains god. You'd pray to Dugmaren (and possibly Marthammor) for help finding/following a seam, Dumathoin to help with the construction, Dugmaren to help find ways past problems, Vergadain for aid with the economic side, etc. Mining is far too important to be entrusted to one God alone, but Dumathoin is probably the patron of it.

MINE!!!!!!!!!
[spoiler=Panzjaeger]
The Panzjaeger clan has been the wall between the beastwoods and the kingdom since it's founding. Because the other clans do not truly support the clan, it has become very self-sufficient, developing strange combat techniques. The clan specializes in guerilla tactics, assassinations, and speciallized flanking manuevers (Dwarf Ninjas!!!). Besides it's main fortress the clan has many outposts along the Western front. Because of the lack of attacks from the woods, many of the clan are nervous, even though the number of guards in the outposts have nearly doubled and scouts have been sent into the woods(all of which have returned, reporting nothing more dangerous than an occasional bear).

Weapons unique to the clan are: Lucerne Hammers, barbed daggers, and crude gunpowder rifles. Besides those the military uses shortswords, shortbows, and handaxes.

[spoiler=human training to use a lucern hammer] (http://jamb.vis.ne.jp/ss/ss_DAoCimage/dragonswornweapon/pole-crush.jpg) [/spoiler]
 [spoiler=barbed dagger] (http://artknives.com/Steven_Licata_Knives/Licata4.jpg) [/spoiler]
(http://www.wizards.com/leaving.asp?url=/dnd/images/pc_portraits/stanPC10.jpg&origin=dnd_pc_20040401a) [/spoiler]

It appears that Dwarves have a very eastern flavor :P

Indeed so. Not what I was expecting, though cool. Hope someone comes in with some more traditional-like dwarves at SOME point, but if necessary I can play those :P

Looking at the map, I think the Yavuz would be well placed bordering the Panzjaeger to the south or southeast. We could have the west side of the mountain range be the "eastern" flavoured area.

BTW Gnomish Cheetos I love that picture! :ninja: Did you draw it yourself?

Quote from: GhostmanLooking at the map, I think the Yavuz would be well placed bordering the Panzjaeger to the south or southeast. We could have the west side of the mountain range be the "eastern" flavoured area.

BTW Gnomish Cheetos I love that picture! :ninja: Did you draw it yourself?

It certainly seems to be headed that way. The Eastern end is certainly the conservative, strange end that's cut off from everyone else and heads off the orcs on a regular basis, so...

Ghostman: no, though I wish I had.

Society:
The Relorag Clan has developed into a well rounded group due to its location in the northern Dwarven heartlands. Acting as a guard against anything that might come through the mountain passes (often Orcs) their central location has allowed them to take on mixed aspects of both Dwarven and human culture (their common contact with Orcs has even given them some Orcish customs). They freely speak both their native tongue as well as the tongue of Zangia and a fair few are fluent in the Orcish speech. Indeed, any commander worth his salt learns such speech as fights against the Orcs are quite common (whether in raids or in defense of the border). The clans love of warfare and proving oneself in battle has had its own influence on their society. Music tends towards the grand with blaring horns and large animal hide drums while art often depicts mighty clan victories or Dwarves crushing their foes. The most popular pastime though is gladiatorial fights in the local arenas. Crowds often gather to watch the strongest dwarves fight with staff and cane until their opponent gives in. Winners of these fights become well renowned among the clan and are often showered with awe (and quite a few love letters from hopeful girls).

Military:
Military is the ultimate pride of Relorag. In an all out war they are the first to jump into the fray and the last to leave should a retreat be called. Dwarf boys are taken at a young age to be trained in the art of warfare as a part of the clan militia. They will maintain their position in the militia until they die. As a part of that pact they are required to spar and train with their fellow Militia Dwarves on a weekly basis. Dwarf girls are likewise trained in the art of fighting. However their training is much more brief and they do not become militia members. Instead it is they that are tasked with the last defense of the clan hold, should the men fall in battle.

Religion:
Clan members have adopted both dwarven and human beliefs. However, the clan as a whole looks to Moradin and Clangeddin as the most important gods and prays to them regularly. Clangeddin is prayed to before a great battle, that he might bring them victory over their foes. Moradin is prayed to after, that he might guide their dead to an honorable afterlife.

Appearance & Dress:
Clan dwarves tend towards functional clothing. Both the men and women wear simple hide and cloth pants and shirts, often with vests (complete with plenty of pockets to store things in). Dresses and more fancy clothing is almost unheard of as it hinders their movement in a fight (something they detest). For a similar reason, men keep their beards short, though they often adorn them with rings and charms. Women meanwhile braid their hair back behind their heads.

Names:
Clan naming is a mix of traditional dwarven and human customs. When born they have only a single name Roram Relorag (son of Relorag) for boys and Nisa Relorag (daughter of Relorag) for girls. After six months they are given a proper name by their father. At 12 years of age they begin using their fathers name (for example: Storam son of Drugar of Clan Relorag). If they acquire titles they will generally add them on to the end of their name.

Alcohol:
The more the better, that's all I have to say about that (though their favorite tends to be ale). It's a common Relorag saying that you can't have morale without more ale.

Bumping because I thought this was interesting board lore, given Steerpike's current forum game.

Steampunk Dwarves! Steampunk Dwarves! I want to play as Steampunk Dwarves!

Can I play as steampunk dwarves please? There like regular dwarves.... But with SCIENCE!!!

Also that image link is broken so I can't see the map.

Quote from: Newb Again..Also that image link is broken so I can't see the map.

Considering that the thread is 4 years old, I don't find that terribly surprising.

I wonder how I managed to miss this thread back in the day.  I have no recollection of it at all...

Sorry Newb; the thread is dead- I was just bumping because I thought it was interesting given our recent forum game run by Steerpike, which also involves nation building and (some) dwarves.