Dwarven Hold

The hold is not simply a place for a dwarf to live, but a central part of Dwarven culture. The hold is the center of a dwarven clan - the clan is the center of a dwarven family - and family is the center of a dwarf. There are individual dwarfs that reject this strict caste and hierarchy, but they are far in the minority; considered as much outsiders and human or hashan.

The size or construction of a hold is unimportant. It is the oaths of bond and blood that form the central tenet of the hold.

Family is not simply those related by birth or marriage, both of which the dwarves take very seriously. There are also oaths that a dwarf can say that will bond their physical, spiritual, or even their entire lineage to a cause, person, or entire clan.

An Ancient Dwarf was centered upon structure, discipline, and immutability. Within them rose a strict hierarchical caste system. Oaths from those below you flowed up to oaths you made to those above you. Equality was chaotic and shunned. Although the modern dwarves are very different from their ancestors, the caste hierarchical system remains in place - both on a personal and clan level.

The largest holds ever constructed by the dwarves filled with hundreds of different clans, each with intertwined ties of oaths and blood. An outsider would never fully understand, or even appreciate, the interlocking nature of these oaths and which ones stand paramount to others. To be named a Stronghold, there must be a living forge at its center, inside of which is the herald of their god.

Each stronghold was once a clanhold that was blessed by the Earthmother with a living forge. The forge drew dwarves to the stronghold, which would grow to hundreds of thousands of dwarves. The largest stronghold that ever existed was Firock Stronghold, which numbered over two (2) million dwarves before its fall marked the start of the Brothers War. It is now considered a place so cursed that dwarves fall violently ill just looking upon its mountains.

There is only one dwarven stronghold in the world, Stoneheart Hold, and with the sin upon their souls the Earthmother is unlikely to ever create another living forge. The living forge deep in the heart of Stoneheart Hold was sealed off long before the conclusion of the Brothers War - even its true location is unknown to any living dwarf. Yet all in the hold can feel its power resonate in the stones.

The clanhold is the center of the clan, or family, of dwarves. A clan can actually be a branch of a much larger clan - as a tree branch is still a part of its tree. For those larger branches, and even the trunk, their clanholds are expansive capable of holding thousands of dwarves. The smaller clans mostly just have a single building or longhouse.

The most important aspect of this, regardless of size, is that the clanhold is the center of the clan. There is only one clanhold for each clan. A clan may have dozens of croftholds, villages, settlements, or even properties - but there is only ever one clanhold. The clanhold serves as the center of the clan's justice - where oaths of fealty are made and honored. The destruction of a clanhold is considered the gravest dishonor upon the clan

A clan without a clanhold is considered without honor and no dwarf may call upon its oaths - nor can that clan call upon oaths owed it. Should the clan regain its clanhold then its honor may be restored, but all previous oaths will have been considered lost. Most dwarves whose clanhold has been destroyed drop their clan name, instead known only by their given name. Using the clan name of a dishonored clan is considered disrespectful and a crime among the dwarves.

A crofthold is a family hold and is generally the smallest hold within the hierarchy. A crofthold may actually refer to a small village, but the crofthold itself is the building where the head of the family meets their oaths and calls upon those owed to the family. The croft is the center for an extended family.

Should a crofthold be lost, a family is quite able to rebuild in a different location - or even move into the clanhold if there is room. There is considered no loss of honor should a croft be lost or abandoned. The only difference in the life of a dwarf is that they will change their name to reflect their clanhold rather than their croft.

For those dwarves that live far from their hold, either croft or clan, they may claim their own residence or business in place of clan. While this often leaves them outside of dwarven culture and belonging - there are dwarves who live so far from clan and croft that they may never see their family - sometimes being born and dying far from them.

Should such a group of dwarves find themselves for generations in residence they will often form their own clan, declare themselves free from bonds of oath and blood. When this happens they form a new crofthold and typically seek out a clanhold for oaths of fealty, but there are residences and crofts that own no fealty higher than themselves, but this is considered strange and unnerving to most dwarves.