Roleplaying a Dwarf
An interesting Collection of Articles I thought I might share with everyone. Remember This is just a set of Articles to Help with Playing a Dwarf not some strict standard you must stick to use what you want and have fun playing your Dwarf. I have a Loads of Information going Back to my 1st Editon DMG with the Efreeti on the Cover so if you are looking for something perhaps I may be able to help.
This a is Mixture of Roleplaying a Dwarf by: Richard DiIoia and The Secret life of Dwarves by Wolfgang Baur
Hallways flicker with lantern light; tunnels ring with the sound of. Steel on steel: smoky chambers shine with the red-hot glare of forge-light. Dwarves live in a world of fire and iron, of stone and darkness. But dwarves are more than smiths and warriors; they are also practiced merchants, carpenters, and priests; loving fathers and doting mothers; and pious sons and daughters. To dwarves, smoky underground caverns are familiar and comfortable. But hidden underground as they are, much of dwarven lives, rituals, and customs remain a mystery to outsiders Read on. and discover a "typical" dwarven life from beginning to end. Enter a dwarven stronghold. and see how dwarven souls are shaped, live, and die.
DWARVEN ADVENTURERS
Those dwarves who are adventurers usually choose such a path because they have had to leave their clan as runaway apprentices, scouts, the sole survivors of a stronghold overrun by ores, or divorced or widowed warriors seeking a fresh start. They might seem grim, but they are also reliable, loyal to a fault, and tougher Than any three elves put together. Raise a cup and toast The might of The dwarves.
A DWARVEN BIRTH
Birth: The newborn dwarf is brought before the entire Clan and is set on a large pillow directly before the Clan-leader. At this point all of the Masters in the clan come forward and place shavings from their beards and hair, sprinkling it over the baby so that it might one day receive the virile blessings of their heritage. The Journeymen of the Clan then approach the child and press their hands to its feet, to bless the path that the child will eventually travel, in the hopes that the calluses on their hands will strengthen the child’s feet. The Apprentices of the Clan will then come to the child and simply offer silent prayer that the child will follow their path and become undaunted with the hardships that it brings. When this is all said and done, the Clan-Leader will take a mug of the finest brew the family has to offer and allow several drops into the baby’s mouth. With that, the child will be blessed and be returned to its parents; with the Gods appeased and the child’s future blessed
The birth of a dwarf is rather mysterious; the ceremonies and taboos surrounding it are rather closely guarded secrets. All that is known for sure is that the clan matriarch gives the child its first name a day after it's born. This Rite of First Naming is celebrated by the women of the clan. The child is not allowed out of the clan's holdings until the rite is celebrated: taking a child out of the tunnels might expose it to the corrupting influences of the sun and sky. Rather than the safety of the earth and stone. Outsiders are not invited to the celebrations held among the parents' clan. Dwarven pregnancies last about ten months: during this time, mothers never leave the clan holding. Dwarven women can have children once every fen years from roughly age 50 until the age of 150: a dwarf is not weaned before the age of eight or nine, Twins are rare.
Once the child is born, named, and celebrated, it Is largely ignored. In fact, dwarven children are not considered fit company for others until the boys grow beards and the girls reach menarche (around age twenty eight). Dwarves rarely see children of other clans, only their own. The children can remain isolated because the children’s quarters are part of the clan holdings separate form the apprentices and warriors holdings.
During childhood, dwarves play, yell, and associate with the opposite sex far more freely than at any other rime in their lives. Young dwarves learn to speak and play at both mining and parenthood. They engage in mock combat, and learn to shape and read dwarven runes. They play only with other children of their own clan, speaking the clan dialect and learning its customs. This early emphasis on blood relatives creates a lifelong tendency among dwarves to favor clan interests over any others. Their mothers are their teachers until the age of about twenty-four, when childhood ends and adolescence begins. From this time on, fathers are responsible for their children. The fathers must find good matches for them, first with a mentor, then with a mate.
APPRENTICESHIP
Between the ages of twenty-three to twenty-four certainly by twenty-six most young dwarves are apprenticed lo learn a trade. Poor dwarves whose families cannot afford an apprenticeship usually begin working alongside adults at this age. Dwarves who begin work this young are considered normal, but they are not expected to work a full day or carry the same load as an adult.
A clan always seeks to apprentice its young to the right master. In many-cases, this means carrying on a family tradition and apprenticing to a respected great-aunt or great-uncle. It’s generally considered good practice to skip a generation with apprentice*ships, as a child's aunts and uncles might spoil their niece or nephew. The older generation, with great-nieces and nephews, is considered less indulgent. Even among apprenticeship within a clan, a carefully worded contract spells out the duties, term, and costs of the apprentice's tutelage.
A lavish "fostering fee" is usually paid to the master at the start of the apprenticeship, and a portion of that fee is returned when the apprentice completes the term, for high-status professions -such as Priests, Goldsmiths, or skalds the apprentice’s fee can easily
COURTSHIP & MARRIAGE
Links can result in strained relationships between two clans, refusals to foster apprentices, and eventually a change in clan alliances.
The marriage ceremonies themselves are long and solemn. Roughly twenty dwarves are expected to testify to the fitness of the match, including both sets of parents and all the grandparents. The bride always braids a ring into her groom's beard, and he reciprocates by giving her as many gold and silver armbands as she can hold and he can afford. Various weapons decorate the ceremony; most couples swear their loyalty and love for each other on a battleaxe (some clans prefer a warhammer). In addition to the relatives, two witnesses from outside the clan are asked to give testimonials to the strength and worthiness of the match, ending each testimonial with a proper toast. Failure or refusal to act as a witness is considered a terrible insult and can lead to bloodshed.
After the ceremony, beer, mead, and ale flow freely, food is plentiful, and gifts are offered to the happy couple. The clan matriarch and patriarch pro*vide the final toasts and testimonials to the bride and groom, respectively, after which dancing, singing, and crude jokes increase over the course of the feast.
Some marriages end in divorce. Long-lived as they are, dwarves accept divorce as a necessary element of the law. However, there is no rite associated with it. Dwarven divorces are consummated when one spouse piles a Few belongings of the other outside the door. Divorces cannot be withheld; if one spouse demands it, it happens. However, they can be complicated by haggling over who owns what. By tradition, each spouse owns all the tools of his or her trade, and a mother retains custody of children under the age of twenty-four, fathers keep custody of those twenty-four or older.
Finally, dwarves are known for remarriage. Indeed, given their long, and violent lives, it's inevitable that many dwarves become widows or widowers while they are still in their prime. Some dwarves have as many as a dozen spouses over a lifetime, but four or five’s more typical. Customarily, these are' counted as either thanta (spring) or Zhemla (winter) marriages the former are the marriages of a dwarf’s younger days, the ones that have yielded grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Zhemla marriages are the marriages of an older dwarf with snowy hair; these have, at most, produced a few children. Many Zhemla marriages are as much political as amorous, especially among the upper classes. The rarest marriages of all, those that last for two hundred years or more, are called Vesti, or summer marriages, and these are the ones that most often give rise to new clans.
ADULTHOOD
After the age of fifty (and often long before), dwarves follow one of five broad career paths as adults. The various crafts all have their own traditional holidays (such as I he Blessing of the Anvils in midwinter, to secure Moradin's help for another year), special rules of conduct for their members, and their responsibilities to the. Stronghold. None is considered especially more honorable than the others, though the military and academic paths are
Mercantile ( merchant, banker, assayer, treasurer, courier)
Military ( soldier, scout, engineer)
Craft ( miner, smith , carpenter)
Agricultural ( brewer, shepherd, miller)
Academic ( sage, scribe, sorcerer)
With time, those who follow these trades gain leadership roles as a chieftain, clan elder, or a clan patriarch or matriarch. Craft dwarves and agricultural dwarves are those most likely to lake on religious duties as a forge priest, hearth priest, or the like.
Once a dwarf has chosen his path, he is expected to excel; second-best is nothing to be proud of. Dwarves are very competitive adults, perhaps more than is healthy.
For instance, a pair of dwarven smiths from two different clans might boast about their skill until a challenge is made. From that point on, pride is at stake. The smiths might spend weeks striving to make the finest weapons they can, driving their apprentices harshly to create a masterwork. Then, the testing comes. Among smiths, the finest work is tested to destruction; striking swords against stone, heating them in magical fire, or bending them until they break. Armorers test chestplates against crossbow bolts fired from close range. In the end, only one smith's work can survive.
Other trades have similar traditions. During "scalp season," dwarven warriors strive to bring, home more goblin or ore scalps than anyone else. Each shift of miners strives to cart more ore than any other, while each clan tracks the weight of metals carefully to claim the title of "Gold-Lucky" or "Iron-Lucky" for a given year or decade. Weavers vie with one another to pro*duce more and better cloth-of-gold tapestries. Sometimes rivals will strive to out do each other in generosity, such as two clans' master brewers who each seek to win acclaim by giving away barrels of their best. Each dwarf believes in his hear! That hard work is its own reward and dwarven society is the richer because of their efforts. Dwarven Poverty is luxurious by human standards.
CLAN FAMILY AND HOLIDAYS
A typical dwarven family might number thirty To sixty or more, and large clans can easily include a hundred or more members scattered in a handful of delvings. Dwarven clans always include members of at least five, and often six, generations under a single great hall, including great-great-great-grand*parents (also called grandsires or great-grandelders), great-great-grandparents (sires or grandelders), great-grandparents (elders), grandparents, parents, and children. The eldest dwarves in any holding are always referred to as "patriarch" and "matriarch" by their kinfolk, and "clan elder" for dwarves of any other clan. Humans, Halflings, and other short-lived races are easily confused by the number of dwarven terms for varying degrees of relationship over six generations. For them, using the term "grandsire" is an acceptable bit of flattery for addressing any dwarven elder.
Elder siblings (and they might be as much as fifty years older than their younger brothers and sisters) are expected to help rear their siblings as long as they live in their parent's hall. The arrival of yet another child or relation usually makes little difference in such large households. Children apprenticed to older relatives are expected to bunk with the other apprentices. Exceptions are sometimes made for the spoiled children of the wealthiest dwarves.
Dwarves from the middle generations sometimes leave their homes just to get away from their relatives, especially after a failed marriage or apprentice*ship. These wanderers are almost always welcomed back when they return—the wandering is not exile or banishment. Upon their return, they are often given back the very same tools and weapons they abandoned a decade earlier, and little is said about the intervening years.
Clans and families are the social center of dwarven life; outsiders, even members of other clans, are not always welcome during the holidays. While a whole dwarven delving or kingdom might celebrate certain events (such as the Founding Day of the delving, Moradin's Hammerfest, or the Blessing of the Anvils), only the High Holidays are open to outsiders.
Many other days are celebrated strictly within the clan. These include the naming days of the clan patriarch and matriarch, the name days of notable ancestors, and holidays celebrated by only a portion of the population, such as the Apprentice Revel, Daughter's Day, and Miner's Day.
In general, dwarven holidays do not celebrate set days so often as they celebrate important days in an individual's life. A marriage between two beloved members of the clan is a bigger holiday than the celebration of a long-dead founder's name day.
RELIGION AND BELIEFS
Dwarves worship Moradin, the Soul-Forger, who created all the fathers of the dwarven race. The mothers of the dwarven race go unmentioned, but it's not a good idea to bring them up to a dwarf unless you want to hear an hour-long lecture on Moradin's children and the peculiarities of the dwarven creation saga.
Dwarves have more priests per capita than elves, half-orcs, or humans, but it's not always clear that a dwarf holds a religious office, because they rarely wear vestments or outward signs other than a small holy symbol. Instead, they are smiths, soldiers, or even merchants who see themselves as priests in addition to, rather than instead of. their other roles. A dwarven priest's trade is often related to his worship; the priest of Moradin is likely a smith, whereas a merchant-priest is more likely the follower of a god of greed or travel.
While dwarves believe in helping themselves, the sacred sagas and hammer chants of dwarven faith stress stoic acceptance of hard limes, perseverance, and loyalty, up to and beyond death. Dwarves are fully capable of marching to their deaths, knowing exactly what they are doing, if they believe the cause is worthwhile, indeed, warriors who die with this knowledge are often the greatest heroes of dwarven sagas, retold every winter at the Blessing of the Anvils.
At the same time, tales of Moradin and other dwarven gods reflect a great joy in dwarven triumphs, and dwarves learn the art of bragging quite early. Indeed, dwarves are rarely shy—when they have mastered a skill, they sing their own praises. When times are hard, they boast of their skill to give them*selves courage and strength. Other races sometimes mistake this confidence for pride or arrogance.
For such a pragmatic lot, dwarves are a surprisingly superstitious bunch. Guided by omens, priests use runes to divine auspicious occasions for beginning an engineering project or launching an attack. Twins are considered lucky, and most dwarves also have lucky weapons, talismans, or runes.
In general, dwarven beliefs reflect a culture-wide siege mentality. Dwarves value persistence, skill, and diligence far more than inspiration or luck. Preparation is the watchword against danger. The saying "No more foresight than an elf, and no more patience than a human" is a slur that no dwarven child wants to hear from her parents. All dwarves are planners, doers, and fighters, and in a dwarven mind, strangers are always potential threats rather than potential allies.
DWARVEN HIERARCHY & LAW
Dwarves believe in their hearts that everyone has a place in the clan. Dwarves who disagree with this sentiment often enough generally find that Their "place" is outside the Great Hall's doors. All adult dwarves qualify as thanes in a clan; all master smiths qualify as priests in dwarven terms. Titles in the nobility are granted by the clan chieftain (who appoints the members of his guard) and by the priesthood (who choose which smiths to induct into their mysteries.
Many dwarven priests are also smiths of some kind (thus the forge-priest is a familiar sight to those who know dwarves). For a race made at the Soul Forge, the combination of metal-working and religion is a given.
The alliances and rivalries among the dwarven kingdoms are more complex than can be discussed here, and dwarven feudalism is certainly not quite the same as human feudalism. Simply put, though, the rights and obligations of the various earls and clan chieftains to kings located in distant mountains are much looser than The obligations of earls and chieftains who live within the same vast delving as their king.
One right is clearly given to each dwarven holding rather than To any king: the right To name judges and interpret the law. Dwarven justice is a local matter, in a way that warfare, taxation, and mining rights rarely are.
Nobles are expected to brand, flog, fine, and even banish offenders against law and tradition (much The same thing, in dwarven terms). Property rights and contract law are also well-developed among dwarves, and an entire clan will happily punish humans, elves, and others who break oaths sworn to dwarven merchants.
DEATH AND BURIAL
Dwarves are remarkably stoic about death, compared to other races. Although they live centuries longer than humans, They do not fear death quite as much. Dwarves die well.
For example, an elderly dwarf might put on weapons and armor during a siege and quite matter of factly say I go out to meet my death," thus allowing others still besieged a better chance of survival on limited supplies. This sort of sacrifice is most commonly seen in dwarven warriors, but also among adventurers. Dying with style is considered a sign of nobility in a warrior. Although this attitude sometimes turns lost causes into stunning victories, it also leads To an early grave for many dwarves. The rites of a dwarven funeral are always simple, including Testimonials from comrades, a recitation of the parentage and children of the deceased, and finally apportioning weapons, armor, and other portable goods to his descendants. Non-portable goods generally belong to a clan, rather than lo an individual.
Most warriors and smiths are cremated, but other dwarves are buried deep in The earth that sheltered Them all Their lives. Offerings at grave sites provide a form of ancestor worship; some clans find this worship of the dead heretical and blasphemous, and it remains a contentious issue that divides some dwarven Clans.
DWARVEN MENTALITY
Dwarves enjoy creating and doing. They are not a people given over to introspection and hypothetical outcomes. They are a patient, hard working people to who laziness and indulgence is seen as a sin. A dwarf will be single-minded in his tasks and will never accept anything less than his 100% effort. Many dwarven craftsmen have destroyed works that they felt were inferior to their best even though from other people's perspective the work was of greatest quality. Although given over to ensuring every detail is perfect, dwarves are not the sort to worry about those details. From a dwarven point of view, the details will be taken care of when it is their time to be looked into. This patient and steady work ethic has been so in-bred to the dwarven mentality that it becomes difficult to get a dwarf to rush a job or to cut corners even if his life is at stake. Dwarves will work only on one task at the time and rarely (if ever) do multiple tasks at once. If, for example, it takes three hours for a forge to be hot enough to work, a dwarf will patiently sit there and stare at the fire until it has reached the proper temperature. This has caused much confusion among humans who alternatively perceive dwarves as being hard working and industrious but then see them lazily sitting down smoking a pipe while watching a fire grow. A popular misconception among other races is that dwarves enjoy working. This is not completely true; a dwarf enjoys seeing the final result of his work. The work itself is a means to an end. For a dwarf, the final result is what counts.
THE GREAT ARTS: SMITHWORK, MINING AND WAR
Dwarves consider three tasks more worthy than any others: mining ore, shaping metal, and using their finely-made weapons to wage war against their traditional enemies: giants and goblinkind.
Dwarven metalworkers are especially attuned to the elements of earth and fire, and their smithwork is among the finest known, far surpassing the achievements of most smiths of other races.
Dwarven mining is a dangerous but honorable trade. Its practitioners mine not only iron, copper, silver, and gold but also mithril and adamantite. Miners must work closely with engineers and carpenters to keep their mineshafts both productive and safe; water, gas, collapse, and monsters from the Underdark are constant threats. While most shafts are too small for elves and humans to visit comfortably, some of the main access shafts are. larger (to allow the use of mules lo pull out wagonloads of ore and tailings).
Dwarven warcraft is a matter of superior weaponry, group tactics, training, and dodged persistence against all opposition. The dwarven warriors take to the task of killing with as much fervor and perfection as they do all other tasks. Once a dwarf has entered into combat he will never surrender and never work with half a heart. What makes dwarves particularly deadly in combat is their tenacity in the face of adversity. Dwarves will not hesitate in attacking even in situations where the losses would be horrendous. A perfectly planned campaign is what the dwarves strive for, with each dwarf doing his task of killing with the outmost efficiency. A dwarf will not hesitate for a split second in combat. If he has decided that there is a need to fight, he will fight even if at half strength or unarmed.
Dwarves fight in extremely cohesive units; few humans can recall dwarves being routed by anything less than magical attack or dragonfire. Most dwarves march out of battle the same way they march in; steadily and with grim determination. In siegecraft, dwarven miners, siege engines, and entrenchments can force a city to surrender quickly.
DWARVEN BATTLE CRY
Each Race has its own way of fighting. Most elves believe in subtle tactics and maneuvers. Many halflings prefer stealthy attacks. Virtually all half-orcs charge into battle swinging heavy weapons until nothing is left moving. Humans, if they believe in anything as a group, just want to get the job done. Dwarves are old hands at fighting and know it begins with a stirring battle-cry-the louder the better.
A battle-cry is more than just an expression to a dwarf. It's a declaration of war. Although it might seem bloodthirsty to other races, a rousing war-call lets a dwarf tell you who's about to take you down and why. Dwarves invoke their ancestors, weapons, god, history, and even personal virtues in a good battle-cry. A loud battle-cry is also a sign of courage, proof that the dwarf need not resort to stealth or subtlety to defeat his enemies. Some battle-cries have been used by dwarves for generations, while others are born from the heat of combat. They range from the lyrical to the downright inarticulate.
Dwarves don't feel restricted to just one cry per battle. Each new opponent or tactic is a new opportunity for a dwarf to give voice to her best war-call. Among some dwarven clans, the art of the battle-cry is as highly regarded as epic poetry or even weaponsmithing. Many dwarves make it a point to never use the same war-call more than once in their lifetime, while others always open a battle with the same battle-cry that their revered ancestors used.
DWARVEN FEASTS & TOASTING
This article has several times referred to dwarven feasts for special occasions, such as apprenticing, marriage, blood brotherhood, and so on. Dwarven feasts are a form of entertainment and bonding within and between clans, and they are also displays of social status. No dwarf wants to hold a "weak-beered feast." Here's a summary of what actually happens at these feasts:
Entertainment:
A dwarven feast features warriors singing battle hymns and retelling their greatest triumphs; poets relating tales of love, birth, and survival in hard times; and witty, long-winded toasts. Even dwarven riddling contests can be taken over the top if combined with a demonstration of tumbling or fire-breathing.
Food & Drink:
Beverages include beer, ale, mead (fermented honey), cider (fermented apples), brandy, and wine. Foods include everything from roast boar to mushroom soup, and from rye bread to millet-laced stew. Shepherd's pie and enormous sausages are also popular a! dwarven feasts, as are whole apples, pears, and quince preserves. Vegetables usually consist of pickled greens or cabbage. Some dwarven specialties (such as the hops infused delicacy called “beer pie”) are best sampled in moderation.
TOASTS:
"Toasts are boasts with beer" is a common dwarven saying, and many dwarves are bragging, self-aggrandizing windbags. But failing to be bold enough when offering a toast will meet with silence or a weak cheer both signs of a failed toast. Many outsiders feel nervous offering a toast at a dwarven celebration, but the basic rules are simple: Never interrupt a saga to offer a toast, never fail to mention your host if you are a guest, and (if possible) praise both clan and family. A typical toast might be "Let us raise our cups to Einkii Torunn, father of our clan, victor over the Black Claw Orcs, and now proud great* grandfather of another fine Torunn daughter, long may she live!" It’s considered especially gracious to praise multiple generations of a clan at one time: heaping praise on a single head can be considered rude flattery, if done poorly. Pounding one’s flagon to emphasize points is purely optional.
Speak like a Dwarf
"Aw shut yer mooth ye cheeky fooker! Ah'm no scared ae ye! I'll gie ye a square go anyday ye like, ya bastard! REET!! You 'n me - ootside - noo!"
[translation - Oh shut your mouth you bold fornicater! I am not scared of you! I'll give you a 'chance to fight me' any day you like, you person of unknown heritage! RIGHT!! You and me - outside - now!]
First, I would like to point out that this dictionary is for those people who feel like going that extra, tedious step to be a more immersed Role-player.
I have no idea where this convention of using Scottish as the Dwarven accent came from. But it is appropriate and not all that difficult to incorporate. I like it - its arrogant, and obnoxious sounding. It is bold and distinctive. And it will gain you respect or a black eye. But most of all it will make you feel like a dwarf.
I would definitely not recommend that you use this accent unless you really want to - (an adventuring Dwarf who traveled to many non-dwarf lands would work hard to get rid of any accent - then again any Dwarf worth being called a Dwarf would not give a goblin's toenail for what any non-dwarf thinks - IMHO). A smattering of accent here or there could make you feel more in tune with the role of your character (much like wearing a costume might make you 'get into' a role more deeply).
Anyone who used all of these words all the time might be difficult to understand (but then again...hmmm... that might make an interesting character 'hook').
For starters you might want to write down a list of the more commonly used words (like - "I, no, not, for, one, my, you, your, etc.") and try to use those words in conversation. Then as you get your accent down - try to slip in a new word or two every couple of sessions.
For flavor - try to use lots of swearing and insults.
For inspiration - think of Caretaker Willy from the Simpsons.
For goD's sake - Have fun with it. Because that's all that really matters.
"Good Luck ma fearty fella (or girrel). Here's hopin' that ye be huvin' fun wi' yer new langweej. If no ah'll be stoompin' your ponsy arse doon - ye blootered bastard!"
about aboot
after efter
all a'
along alang
alright a'right
and 'n (or) an'
are ur
aren't urnae
around roon'
ass arse
ball ba'
being bein'
before afore
belongs belangs
between a'tween
body boady
bottle boatle
but bar
call ca'
can kin
can not cannae
center centre
children weans
cold cauld
come on c'moan
couldn't couldnae
crazy cracked (or) nutter (or) daft
daft one daftie
dead deid
deaf deef
do dae
does diz
does not disnae
doing daein'
do you d'ye
done doon
don't donnae (or) doan't
down doon
drunk blootered
fart feart
fellow fella
floor flair
foot fit
for fur
from fae
f__king fookin'
get it gerrit
girl girrel
give gie
god goad
going gaun
going to gonnae
got goat
had hid (or) hud
half hauf
has hiz
hand haun
hang hing
have huv
having huvin'
have not havnae
haven't havnae
head heid
herself hersel'
himself himsel'
hold haud
home hame
hour hoor
hundred hunner
I ah
I'm ahm
into intae
isn't isnae
I've Ah've
just jist
language langweej
leave lea'
little wee
lost loast
messy manky
more mair
mouth mooth
my ma
myself masel'
no nae
none nane
not no'
now noo
now a days nooadays
of 'o (or) ae
off aff
on oan
once wance
one wan
our oor
out oot
outside ootside
over o'er
own ain
pissing pishin'
poor puir
put pit
round roond
shit shite
shouldn't shouldnae
small wee
south sooth
stand staun
stop stoap
stupid stupit
them thum (or) thaem
those thae
thought thaot
to tae
toilet cludgie
told telt
too tae
trousers troosers
understand understaun
wall wa'
was wiz (or) wer
wasn't wiznae
were wur
what whit
will not willnae
with wi'
world worreld
would wid
wouldn't wouldnae
wouldn'tve widnae
you ye
you'd ye'd
you'll ye'll
your yer
you're ye're
yourself yersel'
you've ye've
DWARVEN NAMES
Dwarven names can easily confuse the non-dwarf, as they are often much longer than the names of members of other races. Dwarves live longer than most other races, though, so their names reflect the many changes they go through in their lives. Here's an example of the naming process in the life of a typical dwarf.
At her birth, the infant dwarf Gloribryn is so named by her mother and the other female dwarves of her clan. They chose to name her after her great-grandsire Glorak, a great warrior of the clan, and her grandmother Nalbryn.
Gloribryn is also given the hearth name of her parents, which is Stonejoiner (to signify her father's profession as a master stone miner and her mother's career as a diplomat). This name, Gloribryn Stonejoiner, will be the name she carries throughout her childhood.
When she is twenty-four, Gloribryn is named by her father at the Rife of Leaving the Hearth when she is apprenticed to an officer in the clan's army. The name he selects is Delgunn, after her great-grandelder, who died defending the clan centuries before. As an apprentice, she will be known as Delgunn Stonejoiner,
At the age of thirty-nine, Delgunn completes her apprenticeship. At the Rite of Leaving the Hall, she takes the name Dwodeth, Her unmarried adult name is then Dwodeth Stonejoiner. Fifteen years later, Dwodeth's family arrange a marriage with a young jeweler. At their marriage, they choose the hearth name of Diamondaxe. A few years later, her husband is slain in an attack on the clan. Dwodeth remarries a few years after that to an engineer, and they take the hearth name Strongarm. Dwodeth then joins a group of dwarven warriors, and they name themselves the Bioodfists. Dwodeth's complete name is now Gloribryn Delgunn Dwodeth Stonejoiner Diamondaxe Strongarm of the Bloodfists but just Dwodeth Strongarm to her friends.
