Stolen from the Libary of Knowlege
BACKGROUND
The Dwarves are one of the most ancient races of the Warhammer world. At the pinnacle of their reign the Dwarfs carved out a great empire extending as far north as Norsca and south toward the Sour Sea and beyond. But now, the days of glory have long since past. Many of the dwarven strongholds have fallen to orc and goblin raids, and to the underground attacks from the Skaven. The great Dwarven empire is now nothing but memories and ruins and bitterness.
The Dwarfs are best known for their mining ability. Delving deep beneath the earth in search of precious metals, dwarf miners excavate large tunnels which criss-cross under the mountain side. Each stronghold has beneath it a complex labyrinth for just such a purpose.
Dwarfs are also recognized as being the greatest race of craftsmen. Their work is strong, sturdy, and well-built. The ingenuity and technical ability of dwarfs is unsurpassed anywhere in the Old World. The mechanical inventions of the Engineers Guilds are an example.
Dwarfs obtain most of their materials and artifacts through trade. A few crops are grown within the strongholds but hardy livestock is grown on the high pastures. Although not great at farming, the Dwarfs are keen hunters, able to find even the smallest amount of meat at the top of mountain peeks. Merchants exchange grain and fruit for the beautiful works of gold produced by the Dwarven smiths. When trade route are severed in times of war Dwarfs feast on Dwarf bread, an almost unedible food made palatable by a stiff Dwarf ale. It is said that the ale is so nourishing that a Dwarf could survive for weeks with nothing else. Each stronghold has its own supply of Dwarven ale stored in large barrels.
PREGNANCY AND BIRTH:
Dwarven females are pregnant for 16 months and aren't really affected by the it for the first 11 months. The mate will dote on the female to a vast extent, and the prospect of a new dwarven child warms the heart of even the toughest dwarf. Male dwarves have a very strong paternal instinct which leads them to be surprisingly patient and considerate with the young of any race. No male dwarf would even raise a hand against a goblin child! To a male dwarf, hitting a child with force is an abuse of their greater strength, and any physical punishment is in the form of labour. At birthing times it is not unusual to find every male dwarf in the community happily creating some miniature trinket (such as tiny axes, hammers, tools etc) for the coming newborn. The actual birth is restricted to the females of the community. Even the mate is not allowed to be present (and due to their shyness about such matters they are usually happy about their exclusion).
CHILD REARING:
Dwarven children are encouraged to be responsible for their actions from the start, and become independent at a very early age. Dwarven parents are strict but fair, and do not protect their children from the negative aspects of the real world. Dwarves know life is hard, and so their children must be prepared for it. All children, both male and female, are taught the basics of conflict from an early age, and are discouraged from showing outward displays of emotion. Both parents are responsible for raising and teaching the child (esp. the child of their own sex, which usually means the male has most of the parenting duties). It is considered a great tribute and honour for both concerned, if the child follows in the footsteps of its parents.
DEATH:
Death is seen as a sad fact of life in dwarven society, and their funeral rites are very solemn affairs. The funeral of a mate or beloved friend is one of the few times crying is not frowned upon, but getting too emotional (i.e. anything more than a few stray tears) is considered disrespectful. The deceaseds tools and belongings are passed out to the family and friends. Due to space considerations, the body is usually cremated.
RULERSHIP:
Dwarven rulership is hereditary, with each dwarven stronghold having its own noble line. Rulership is a heavy burden in dwarven culture, and great things are expected of those in such positions of power. The dwarven rulers have absolute power in their community, but rarely excercise it without first consulting their advisors. All rulers have a council of advisors (mostly female) and the rulers edicts are also administered and organised by the women. Rulers are expected to exemplify all that dwarves regard as good and true (honour, courage, wisdom, strength etc) and those that fall short of expectations find many of their edicts ignored. Those found severely lacking are forced to abdicate until a better successor can be found. During such indredibly rare periods the council takes over. Dwarves are tremendously loyal to the rulers they respect, and it is a tribute to dwarven integrity that very few of their rulers have been anything other than paragons of dwarven virtue.
CRIME AND JUSTICE:
As would be expected, dwarven justice is harsh indeed. All crimes are judged by female magistrates and assessed acording to 4 penalties:
Heinous (i.e. rape, cowardice or neglect that results in the death of a fellow dwarf) : Burnt alive, or sent out heavily bound and naked near a goblinoid camp (with their tongue cut out so they cant talk).
Major (i.e. continued cowardice or theft): Summary execution.
Typical (i.e. an act of cowardice or making an unseemly comment about a female): Public ridicule and severe lashing and labour for a period set by the wronged party.
Minor (i.e. refusing a female dwarf who has chose you as a suitor): public ridicule.
It is also worth noting that many dwarves do not reach trial, because the community often lynches them first. For lesser dishonours, or unpunished greater ones, the dwarf (if they have any honour left) usually undertakes the life of a slayer.
RELIGION:
Religion in the dwarven community is strong and ritualised, but ultimately private. In addition to their gods, ancestor worship is very strong for them. All dwarves who die honourable are said to go to the Hall of Warriors (a parralel to the Norse Valhalla) where they reside with the gods. Favoured gods include Grungni, Rukh, Hrungnor and Morngrim. The ancestors are too numerous to mention.
MAGIC:
All dwarves have a very strong inherent resistence to magic, and this makes it difficult for them to follow the spell caster careers. However, they are no strangers to magic and have turned to the creation of magical artefacts as their main source of magical power. They are the best Runesmiths in existence, and the vast majority of the greatest magical items (including those used by elves and humans) are dwarven made.
DEFENSE AND WAR:
The Worlds Edge dwarves are in a state of near constant conflict, and must maintain complete battle readiness at all times. The dwarven military is experienced, organised and very effective (perhaps even the best in the world). Units of Tunnel Fighters deal with attacks and subterranean clearances, and soldiers deal with surface attacks. All dwarven military act as guards and watchmen, and are drilled constantly. They also maintain heavy weapons such as trebuchet, catapults and bolt throwers at every tower and wall. They are intelligent combatants and will retreat if a situation is to bad. They are primarily defensive fighters (due to low numbers) and only launch attacks to free/reclaim fallen holds or slay chaos dwarves (who they see as a stain on the collective honour of the dwarven race). Due to childhood training, all dwarves are at least familiar with weapons, but it is taboo for the rare dwarven females to join the military.
FOOD AND DIET:
Due to the inhospitable mountain climate, and large underground complexes, the dwarven diet is fairly restricted. They keep enclosures of mountain goats and sheep, grow a wide variety of mushrooms and some tubers. Water is taken from underground springs, as are a few subterranean fish. The only alcohol they produce is a form of vodkha (tuber wine) and a pungent mushroom ale called Akorak. Their only bread is a flat, unlevened variety made from tuber flour.
THE DRINKING MYTH:
Due to their constant need for battle readiness, the mountian dwarves cannot afford to get drunk, and so rarely have more than 1 or 2 drinks. They do enjoy alcohol, but they cannot afford the luxury of drinking too much. Also, getting drunk is risky, because it encourages lack of control that could lead to dishonourable behaviour.
ARTS:
Dwarven arts are very straightforward and restrictive. Performance wise, they favour drums, horns and rich songs and tales, but most of their art revolves around the embellishment of items. No dwarf would create a work of art for its own sake. All dwarven art pieces must have some use and vice versa.
CRAFTS:
Dwarven craftsmanship is among the best there is and forms a very important part of their culture. The crafts are part of each dwarfs family and history and they are passed down through the generations. To a dwarf, they are a source of honour, pride and self reliance.