Subject: Dwarves
From: Atte Koivula (yorka@dlc.fi)
Date: Thu Jun 10 1999 - 23:11:39 EEST
A short description of the dwarves of Majik. _/_ /Atte "Yorkaturr" Koivula <yorka@dlc.fi> The Gwalmur =========== 1. Introduction The Gwalmur are a peculiar race of warlike, yet quiet and isolated creatures. They are known as keen workers, ferocious warriors, skillful architects and brilliant engineers. They are by far the most technologically advanced race in all of Majik but they are not at all eager to present their findings to others. They are selfish, yes, but not at all cruel or malicious. They only do what is natural for them, which is to build, organize, create - and destroy. 2. Appearance The Gwalmur are approximately 4' - 5' tall (120cm-150cm), the average individual being 4'7". Both male and female individuals measure the same height. Their weight varies around 110 - 180lbs (50-80kg), the females being heavier than the males due to differences between lifestyles. The males have a long, thick beard which starts to grow from birth. The beard is never cut, shortened or shaped in any way, but it may be tied into ornamental knots or jewelry, such as small bells and bands, may be tied to it. This happens especially when these creatures indulge themselves in celebrities - which are brutal drinking and eating feasts without exception. They have long, gnarled arms, short and thick legs and a well-built torso. Their fingers are puffy and short, yet are capable of great dexterity and accuracy. 3. Habitat The Gwalmurs live in artificially built large underground caverns and caves exclusively in the mountain region known as the Chain of the Sledgehammer, located south of the kingdom of Thalamon. This region and its surroundings is generally known as Gwaelmar. The greatest Gwalmur city, Bral'Gaur (Rock Home), is directly connected to every other Gwalmur city with a network of underground tunnels. Bral'Gaur is the only Gwalmur city which is directly accessible from the surface. Contrary to popular belief, the Gwalmur are not particularly fond of minimalistic, narrow mining tunnels but prefer large, high and roomy dome-shaped caves which are built in the crude yet pragmatic way the Gwalmur are so fond of. They use several mechanical innovations to assist them in everyday tasks, such as steam-powered mining machinery, elevators, carriages etc. Most occupations of the Gwalmur men are settled around the military and building things, both large and small. The Gwalmur women handle the maintenance of the Gwalmur men by feeding them, which is the only role considered fit for a woman. 4. Culture The Gwalmur culture ties itself around the sentence: "KROBWU, BUCRAL E RAUGMARO!", translated "KING, HONOR AND AXE!". They respect their authorities greatly, do their duties diligently and are constantly preparing for the War. 4.1. The King There are two classes in a Gwalmur society: the People and the King. The King is the supreme commander of the Gwalmur military, the owner of every piece of land in all of Gwaelmar and generally controls anything and everything. The King is elected once in a generation by members of the King's High Council which includes representatives from the Bal'Krobwu, the military and the mechanical workers. A new king is elected when the King has died. 4.2. The Honor All Gwalmurs are workers. It is considered honorable to work for the good of the Gwalmur society, the motivation of this notion being their bloated nationalism. Despite this, the Gwalmur are not authoritative at all, they are proud. Allegiance is only acceptable to the King and to impersonal things, it is unheard-of for a Gwalmur to consider himself inferior to another individual. This may seem unorganized to outsiders, but the Gwalmur are capable of a level of solidarity far exceeding that of the humans'. 4.3. The Axe The Gwalmur are constantly preparing for the War, which is an impersonal and vague, yet frightening, threat. It states in Gwalmur lore that one day a great enemy shall attack the Gwalmur, destroying them underfoot. As the Gwalmur are conservative people that do not question their traditions, they naturally do everything they can to prevent this, which is why they are taught to handle the double-axe (raugmaro), the crossbow (rocegbau) and several warmachines and miscellaneous war equipment from the moment they are able to stand, which makes them extremely fierce and skilled warriors compared to most humanoid races in all of Majik. The Gwalmur hone their combat skills constantly. They dress in armor (gletmacne) as this increases their ability to function in one during a combat situation, and also builds their muscles and improves their constitution. Lighter clothing is generally frowned upon, and is only worn by the King, the women and the Bal'Krobwu who always dress in their light brown robes. The Gwalmur specialize in a certain field of combat when they reach adulthood. The possible specializations are: - Khenda (machinery) - Raugmarun (axes) - Rocunmun (crossbows) The Bal'Krobwu (translated "Earth Kings", the earth elementalists) usually act as the highest military commanders and they also participate in combat fully. 5. Religion The Gwalmur are not very spiritual people, but they do worship two Gods, the God of the Mountain (Kmarag) and the God of the Outworld (Kmemroga). Simply put, the God of the Mountain represents everything collectively beneficial to the Gwalmur while the God of the Outworld represents death and destruction. In fact, the Gwalmur word "kmarag" means "life", while the word "kmemroga" means "death". It is believed that both of these Gods have two forms in which they can appear, a peaceful and a warlike form. Kmarag appears either as a tall elven creature dressed in white flowing robes and wielding a staff with a crystal on it, or a fierce large warrior dressed in a black, spiked battlesuit and wielding a mighty war-axe. Kmemroga can appear as either a tall skeletal creature dressed in a black robe and wielding a jet-black scythe, or a huge serpent creature with a humanoid upper body and a head with two barbed horns. Even though the Gwalmur believe in the existance of deities, they do not hold religious ceremonies or celebrities. The Bal'Krobwu act as their spiritual leaders and are generally more than able to satisfy the Gwalmurs' thirst for mysticism with their performances of elemental magic and colorful tales of ancient lore.
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