Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 549 views

    Earthdawn Denizens of Earthdawn Volume Two

    Uploaded by

    Billy Mott

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd

    Earthdawn Denizens of Earthdawn Volume Two

    Uploaded by

    Billy Mott
    549 views146 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf
    549 views146 pages

    Earthdawn Denizens of Earthdawn Volume Two

    Uploaded by

    Billy Mott

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf
    You are on page 1of 146
    ae Me a Cid EARTHDAWN LUME NO PW DENIZENS * EARTHDAWN iis FASA CORPORATION CONTENTS eee, ee ON THE WRITINGOR THE DENZENS OF DARSAME ON THAT REMARKABLE PEOPLE KNOWN AS THE DWARFS ‘On Being Dwarf in Barsve On Dwatsae Builders ‘On the Making of Tools Onthe importance of Buldng Al Things One's ome (On Connections between Craftsmanship and Artists On the Reasons and Source of Trade Buiding the intangble Loyalty among the Dwarfs ‘On the Claims of Family On Tribal Loyalties On Loyalty t Nations Gn Fealty tothe Kingdom ‘On the Place of the Dwarfs in Barsaive On the Meaningof Dwarf Fables On the Manner oF Dwarfs Toward Other Name-guers ‘On the Culture of Dwarfs ‘On Artistic Endeavor and Craftsmanship On kuale Morkingthe Passage oF Life (On How Alfinty forthe Earth Shapes Behavior ‘On the importance of Language and the Law nthe Fascinating Wage oF the Khavro'am ON THAT CURIOUS RACE KNOWN ASOBSIDIMEN ‘tist Encounter With an Obsidinan On the Nature of Obsidimen : ‘On Appearance and Physical Nature Ont lings and chavcr pong Osinen nthe Reason for Venturng Out ito the World Onthe Obsidian Way of Life 'An Obsidian Myth of Creation Onthe Brotherhood as Family Onthe Signficance ofthe Liferock On bith and Comngol Aap Onthe Te Known os the Dreaming Onthe Final Return tothe ifeock On Obsidiman Culture and Myths Concerning the Valley of Elders and the Counahof rou On Astistic Endeavor OnObsatinan craft On On Meaningful Adoraments nthe Worchous Compenties of ‘Obsidiman Language On tothe Perception of Tne Shapes the spoken Word, nthe Structure ofthe Obsidiman Tongue ‘A Discourse on Writing among the Obsidimen On Dealings with the World ancl is Residents On Ohsidmen and the Disiplines On Obsidimen and Thera ‘On Obsidimen and the Passions onbrereg shone anergy Regarding the Custom of the Send Obzenations onGathenags On customs Common to Towns rd cites REVELATIONS ON THE TRUE NATURE OF ORKS ‘On Pricing Freedom above All On Livingond Dying well (On Seizing Life and shakingtt ‘On Rebelion and change nthe Three Ways of Orks On the Buming ear of Gahad On Grks and the Passions OnOrk Ways and Customs ‘On Arts: among Orks On Grk Craftsmanship Onstyes of Dress On Weapons and Armor OnOnk architecture ‘On Manner Behavior among Orks ‘On Customs of Love, Marriage, and Family ‘On the Ways of Men and Women Ontiow Oaks View Other Races On Pood and Drink Dear to Orks ON THE REMARKABLE NATURE AND WAYS OrTROLLS Word on Generalizations On the Dual Nature of Trolls On the Many Meanings oF Honor On Speituaty anongrols The Socety of Trolls ‘On the Ways oF Highland Trolls On Lowland Trolls ‘On the Various Rituals of Life On the Ordeal of Birth sidimen in oo) 6 46 48 31 3 3 5 9 5 36 60 Ontomes and Naming On the Age of Passage and Its Rites Ontomoge Custons On the Tra Acceptance of Death Onbnerse Aspects Tall Clore On Tales and Heroes On the Creation of Art On reftanorebip mong Trolls On Matters of Manners and Social Custom On Finding Privacy Within Onthe Signfeance of Horns ‘OnGreetings and Partings On the Curious Custom of Boasting, On Trolls’ Views of Other Races aye HrorwATON roleplay nts Ba Obsidmen One Tra Distpines New Disciplines Lbwator Outeast Warrior Purifier “rovledScholr Now Talents ‘boxy Control Eecape Diynation r ale Shae ‘kles. Tree wind Treedom Search reedom Song Heal Slave Heart of Freedom Heart oF Rebellon Hoard Blows Impossible Hide Wieder Wid Bode Power Mask. Prison Call Ruel oF Atonement Shockle shrog Shoutof kee Questors Special Rules Darla Obsidimen Orks: Trolls 8 oe 3 86 a 30 31 3 % 95 36 100 100 101 102 103 105 105 106 108 10 m ie 4 ms nM mM 5 m3 5 us 6 6 7 7 7 ws is as 18 1g he 1p ng 1 2 Bs DENIZENS OF EARTHDAWN Volume 2 Writing Diane Piron-Gelman Robert “Granite Bone” Cruz Louis J Prospert Robin D. Laws Mike Mulvill Nigel D. Findley Jim Nelson Mike Nielsen Development Louis J. Prosperi Mike Mulvihill, Editorial Staff editorial Director Donna Ippolito Managing Eaitor Sharon Turner Mulvibill Associate Eiitors Diane Piron-Gelman Robert “Granite Bone” Cruz Production Staff Art Director Jim Nelson Project Manager Mike Nielsen Cover Art Janet Aulisio Dannheiser Cover Design/Color Section Design Jim Nelson Black & White Ilustrations Janet Aulisio Dannheiser, Joel Biske, Tom Baxa, Earl Geier, Jeff Laubenstein, Larry MacDougall, Darrel Midgette, Jim Nelson, Mike Nielse Tony Szczudlo Color Plates Janet Aulisio Dannheiser, Tom Baxa, Jeff Laubenstein, Tony Szemudlo Layout ‘Mark Ernst Aitighs Rest Pane intieSA. TOW Cea Sue Cag, IL ON THE WRITING OF THE DENIZENS OF BARSAIVE How many of us can claim friends or acquaintances of every Name-giver race other than our own? Indeed, in the after- ‘math of the Scourge that isolated many of us in our own racial enclaves, how many of us have any knowledge of another race other than the superficial? Who but the dwarfs know what it means to truly love the work of their own hands? Do any folk but the orks know in their bones the injustice of slavery and the value of freedom? Who but the trolls will sacrifice all for honor? Do any but obsidimen hear the song of the earth in their hearts? Few Barsaivians can answer these questions, but alll of us should have such knowledge. In order to give us a truer understanding of each other, Land my assistants have ere- ated this remarkable work, entitled Denizens of Barsaive. During the compilation of An Explorer’s Guide fo Barsaive, Land my colleague Jerriv Forrim traveled extensively throughout the land and met many Name-givers of whose ways we knew litte or nothing. It ame to Jerriv and me that our ignorance of our fellow Name-givers was no less inexcusable than our former ignorance of the wonders and dangers of Barsaive, and so we determined to somehow correct that fault. Together, we conceived the idea of writing several volumes ‘on the nature and ways of Barsaive's Name-giver races, each volume devoted to a particular people. ‘We presented our idea to Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records, who swiftly saw the wisdom of our proposal and gra- Y useful and pleasing to lookaat, Ina dwarf’ eyes, useful but ugly items show litle sil; beautiful Peopte’s arristte ‘but impractical items show no sense. Only items tha fulfil some purpose efficiently and display TRADITIONS ane superior artistry are truly beautiful by dwar standards. vastly SUPERIOR ‘The growth of trade in Barsaive created opportunities for craftsmen—including many dwarf TO ANVONE'S. craftsmen—to profit by selling goods they had produced. As dwarf craftsmen began earning RIoRaN income, some began purchasing items rather than crafting all they used. They therefore had more WEAPONSE>NTD time to refine their skill a particular crafts, and could in turn command higher prices for their OF JERRIS ‘works. Dwarf craftsmen began to specialize, each devoting all his energies to mastering and sur- passing the traditions of his particular craft. This specialization, combined with the race's natural love of creating things, has made dwarf craftsmen in general the envy of other Name-givers Most dwarf craftsmen prefer to work with metal, stone, and gems because they are part and parcel ofthe earth. Dwarfs love the earth above all other elements in the Universe becauise all living things spring from it. They also value its solidity, seeing a connection between the texture and weight of earth, and the solidness of flesh. Though the element of wood shares cearth’s tangible properties, dwarfs regard it as lesser than earth, because wood owes its life to the earth rather than the ‘other way around. Many dwarf craftsmen work in wood, but they regard it as a distant second to earthen materials. On Architecture and Affinity with the Earth Carefully designed and sturdily built, dwarf residences and other buildings are most often made of stone, wood, or a combination of both. Where possible, particularly inthe Kingdom of Throal, dwarfs build exclusively with stone and even carve their homes from beneath the solid rock. Numerous tales ofthe frst dwarfs describe them as living in underground settlements, and a large portion ofthe ancient Kingdom of Scytha was said to be underground, Where they cannot build with stone, dwarés make their houses of wood. ‘As [understand it, dwarfs express their love ofthe earth by living within it or close tot For this reason, a dwarf who lives on the surface ofthe earth almost always makes his home a single-story dwelling, oF lives on the ground floor of a multistoy building Anything else takes him too far from physical contact with the eat, separating him from the fist source of life and making him extremely uneasy. In contrast to homes, many places of business comprise several stores, particularly in Throal’ thriving cities. Most dwarfs fel perfectly at ease conducting business above the ground floor or using the upper levels to store goods. Inkeeping with the dwarf tradition of hospitality, many dwarf homes are built to comfortably accommodate most Name-givers save the truly immense obsidi- :men and tolls). Doorways often reach heights of sx to seven fet, and ceilings 8 foot or two higher n addition, by constructing houses larger than the average dwarf requires, a dwar builder creates a feeling of spaciousness particularly appreciated by those dwarf living underground, Many dwarfs of Throal, ving as they doin underground cities, have helped to popularize this sense of space among, their own people. As more ofthe other Name-giver races move into the kingdom, ‘homes built exclusively to suit dwar size are growing increasingly rare. ‘Dwarf houses are less intricately decorated than other dwarf handiwork, pri marily because a dwarf architect regards the lines and space ofthe house itself as ornament and therefore sees no need to decorate it further with carvings, pillars, reliefs, and such, The graceful upward sweep ofa ceiling arch, the gentle curve of a doorway, and the ways in which the roms themselves frame space ae all elements of a home's design that perfectly combine craft and art in the dwarf manner. Compared to many human dwellings, of course, a dwarf home sil seems abundantly ornamented, Only careful comparison between the house and the things in it allowed me to notice a difference, On clothing, Weapons, and Furnishings Most dwarfs make atleast some of these everyday items themselves though they may buy others from fellow dwarfs specializing in a particular craft. All are intricately ornamented, often with rune-tike designs or sigs somehow representa- tive ofthe Passions important to a dwarf’s Discipline or profession Many dwarfs prefer loosefitting robes and tunics with large sleeves and several deep pockets in which they may carry carving tools, scrolls, pens engraver’s to's, and so on. Some dwarfs favor deep brown, dusty reds, and blacks that express their affinity for the earth; many others prefer colors so bright as to border on the garish. According to my learned friend Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records in Throal, vars first began to wear bright color in unustal com- binations during the Scourge, as a symbol ofthe many colors ofthe world they intended one day to reclaim from the Horrors. Ever since those dark times, dwarfs have worn bright garments out of expect for their long-dead ancestors Occasionally, a dwarf weaver incorporates ornamental patterns or symbols into the fabric itself, but most often tailors add them tothe finishes garment Warriors across Barsaive prize dwarf-made weapons and armor for their superior construction and artistic design. Runic carvings on swords, daggers, and shields are often traced in silver, gold, precious gems, or (rarely) orichalcum, Dwarf weaponsmiths tend to use these precious materials sparingly, and they are masters at maximizing their ornamental ‘effect. Many weaponsmiths favor symbols of Thystonius, the Passion of Conflict and Valor. Though they prefer working with metals, dwarf weaponsmiths and armorers occasionally use crystal or wood. Most furnishings and other useful objects in a dwarf’s home (cooking pots, wine jugs, plates, and trenchers) are fash- ined of stone, wood, and metal—most often iron. Softer metals such as gold or silver are used in small quantities, most ‘often for decoration. Many dwarfs place symbols associated with the Passion Garlen on household items because of that Passion’s connection with the home. ON THE REASONS AND SOURCE OF TRADE Building or crafting anything requires raw materials. For dwarfs, necessary raw materials include wood, fabries and fibers, steel, iron, gems, and precious metals, Because dwarfs did not produce some of these materials, such as wood and fabrics, dwarf craftsmen began to trade for them. As more and more craftsmen profited from such trading, they founded the first of the great dwarf trading houses, Dwarf miners, who had extracted gems and precious metals from the earth for their own uses, fueled the growth of trade by supplying their underground bounty to other craftsmen and by trading gems and precious metals for other raw materials, Beginning within their own race and soon spreading beyond it, the dwarfs of Barsaive built the vast, intricate trading network that today links all of Barsaive's far-flung peoples. BUILDING THE INTANGIBLE For the most part, dwarfs build tangible things. Tools, furnishings, weapons, armor—all these items can be touched, held, and shaped by the hands ofa skilled crafts ‘man. Many dwarfs see this tangibility as proof of an item’s value. Many others, howev~ er, see a connection between building the tangible and the intangible. Just as a dwarf ‘woodworker uses wooden planks and tools to create a dining table on which to eat, $0 Ihave Barsaive's greatest dwarf scholars used words and ideas to build the systems of law and government that have sustained the Kingdom of Throal and the land of Barsaive since the Scourge. Some dwarfs even argue that these systems are as tangible in their ‘own way as a chair ora sword: though one cannot pick up and hold a method of gov- ‘ernment, that government has a tangible effect on the lives of those governed. Interestingly enough, the scholars of the Great Library of Throal see their domain as arising from the same impulse to build. Just as a dwarf craftsman creates the tools with ‘which he can build other objects, the library's founders created a tool—a storehouse of knowledge—with which all of Barsaive may build its culture and civilization ON LOYALTY AMONG THE DWARFS In ancient times, a dwarf felt himself bound by ties of loyalty to four groups: his family, tribe, nation, and kingdom. ‘These days, only the first and last of these loyalties retain their original strength. However, one must consider all four of these loyalties when attempting to understand dwarf society of our own time. Even though the nations have largely van- {shed and the tribes have intermarried for generations, echoes of the old, fierce loyalties still remain in every dwarf's heart ‘and soul. Therefore, I shall discuss dwarf society in both its ancient and modern aspects. ON THE CLAIMS OF FAMILY [Asis common among most human families of my acquaintance, the dwarf family begins with a mother, a father, and a child, But unlike humans, the dwarfs consider other blood relatives—uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents—as closely bound to each other as parents are to children. While humans draw a distinction between immediate and more distant kin, the dwarfs see only “those of the blood.” For example, a dwarf child regards his mother and his aunt with equal affection and devotion, and the mother and aunt regard the child similarly. Ofall their bonds of loyalty, the family bond is by far the strongest among the dwarfs. But a dwarf has many loyalties, and ‘occasionally those loyalties conflict. When this happens, the dwarf is tom, because he must break one faith to keep another. ow is he to choose in such a case? Where does the dwarf’s primary loyalty ie? The answer, as any dwarf will tell you, is with his family. Therefore, the dwarfs emphasize the ties of blood above all others by giving the same loyalty to all blood kin. ‘Though the dwarfs have always held the ties of blood in great reverence, the dark years of the Scourge intensified that tradition. During those years, children lost parents, brothers lost sisters, and wives lost husbands to the Horrors and their minions almost daily. Far too many watched powerlessly as the hardships of life in the kaers drove their dearestloved kin- folk mad. Itis no wonder that surviving kin of any relation became doubly precious. One who mourned a lost sister could find comfort in the presence of that sisters child and could easily see the stll-living relative as a connection to the departed. For those who had lost so much already, those family ties that remained—however distant, to our way of thinking—were an anchor to cling to in a world gone dreadfully wrong, When the peoples of Barsaive finally emerged from their kaers, survivors ofthe same family often discovered each other after spending centuries in different kaers. Those first years after the Scourge were atime of despair for many; the Horrors had left the world blighted almost beyond recognition, and many succumbed to attacks by those powerful Horrors that still lingered in Barsaive. Against this backdrop, the discovery of kin they had never seen became a sign to the dwarfs. ‘And so they loved these long-lost kinfolk as much as those with whom they had spent all their lives. Thus the Scourge and its aftermath deepened family bonds already grown strong throughout the many centuries of dwarf history. Onthe 5 In truth, one kin tie among the dwarfs is more special than any other. The relationship between dwarf grandparents and their grandchildren holds a place in the life of each dwarf that no other relationship can claim, for the dwarf grandpa ent passes the traditions of the family to the grandchild. Thus, the oldest living generation gives the youngest the greatest silt that any dwarf can give another. The dwarfs value tradition above all things. Many other Name-giver races see customs and traditions as phenomena that simply happen, practices that people take up because they seem to make sense at the time. Dwarfs view tradition as something chosen, crafted, labored over. One might think of a dwarf’s family traditions as a house, begun as a single room in the family’s first generation and expanded by diverse kinfolk over decades, even centuties, Each generation values what the previous generations built and takes inspiration for its own additions from what has gone before. The grandparent, then, takes the grandchild through all the rooms in the house and explains precisely why each one was built in a certain way. The grandparent teaches the child what it means to be a member of his family. Of course, every family has two sides—the paternal and the maternal. Among dwarfs, as among many humans, a gitl tends to feel herself her mother’s daughter; a boy, his father’s son. This is only natural, but it means the child grows up with « particular fondness for those pieces ofthe family tradition most strongly identified with only one parent. To ensure that a child learns the traditions ofthe entire family, a specific grandparent passes on the traditions to each child. The paternal ‘grandmother teaches her granddaughters, and the maternal grandfather teaches his grandsons. The special relationship between grandparent and grandchild begins atthe grandchild’ birth, when the grandparent ‘chooses one of the child’s Names. At certain times during childhood—the first month, and the tenth and sixteenth birth= ddays—the grandparent gives the child a gift that symbolizes something of significance from the family’s past. At the age of sixteen, a dwarf comes of age and leaves his childhood behind. During the last summer before the child’s sixteenth birthday, he leaves the family home to live with his grandparent, In ancient times, dvvarfs living in villages and small settlements would take their grandchildren into the deep woods or out on the wide plains, caring for them and teach- ing them apart from other kin and neighbors, Such sojourns are rare in these more treacherous days, for too many dangers Turk in the wild lands. Instead, the grandparent and grandchild leave the extended family’s home (with appropriate pomp and cereinony, as dwarfs judge such things) and take up residence in a small house. Most of these so-called summer houses, have been used by dwarf families for generations for this specific purpose. I Role of Grandparents ON TRIBAL LOYALTIES ‘The importance of tribe loyalty has lessened considerably since ancient times. In the heyday of the great kingdoms and city-states of Barsaive, tribal ties rivaled family bonds in importance, and dwarfs of different tribes fought many wats out of tribal loyalty. Nowadays, the typical dwarf knows his tribe and takes pride in his heritage, but no longer needs to attack another's tribe to proclaim the superiority of his own. The waning strength of tribal loyalties among Barsaive’s dwarfs can bbe attributed to two factors: the Therans and the Scourge. The fect of the Therans on Trbal Loyalties ‘The Therans provided a common enemy for the different dwarf tribes of Barsaive. Those who believe that the dwwarfs fared well under Theran domination while the rest of the Name- givers suffered see only a tiny portion of the truth. As administrators of our province, the «dwarfs performed essential work for the Therans and so could not be molested or mistreated indiscriminately without greatly inconveniencing Thera. Still, more than a few Therans resented the dwarfs’ having anything to do with their empire. The dwarfs’ constant efforts to mitigate ‘Theran brutality toward other Name-givers only sharpened Theran anger in some quarters, and ‘many a Theran official found persecuting dwarfs rewarding enough to risk disruption of the Theran Empire's daily business. And even dwarfs not maltreated resented losing the freedom they had held by right in every dwarf realm for centuries, As the Therans tightened their grip on Barsaive, the dwarfs’ common experience of oppression taught them to see each other as kin dred in a way that they had not before. The tffects ofthe Scourge on Tribal Loyalties The overwhelming treat of the Scourge further strengthened the growing unity among the <éwarfs. Tribes of dwarfs that in past generations might have refused to acknowledge one anoth- er'sexistence worked side by side to build the kaers before the Horrors reached our world in force. The tribes provided similar aid to other Name-givers, whose differences made the distine tions between dwarf tribes seem inconsequential Life in the kaers unified the dwarf tribes even further. Though diferent tribes had lived within the borders of single nations for years they had found it a simple ting to Keep separate ‘because they had plentiful land over which to expand their tribal enclaves. But the kaers enclosed many different tribes in much closer quarters than any of themn might have desired. Inevitably, young dwarfs from different tribes met, worked, and played together. Equally Inevitably, some of them fll in love and married. Within the fist two centuries of kar ile, a few dwarf tribes had intermarried so completely that they formed distinct new tribes; the Kaisthi and the Dwalithi ofthe lowiand plains, now known as the Kalithi, are the best-known, example. Such intermarriage gave the death blow to tribal loyalty a a source of conflict and the

    You might also like