Dwarves of the Iron Hills

The Iron Hills

The Iron Hills are among the long history of the Dwarven people a relatively new settlement, founded by Grór of the House of Durin in 2590 TAafter the fall of the Dwarven halls in the Grey Mountains that lie past the northern most edge of Mirkwood forest. With the increasing incursion of Orcs from Mount Gundabad and attacked by the feared so-called Cold-Drakes the Grey Mountains increasingly grew unsafe, and Grór withdrewhis peopleto settle into the next safest mountain dwelling to Erebor - the halls of his brother Thrór - the King under the Mountain.

After the fall of the son and heir of Grór - Náin in the famed Battle for the Mines of Moria in the winter of 2799, the Dwarven troops were rallied and the victory was claimed by the son of Náin and grandson of Grór  - Dain Ironfoot, who gained his reputation and epitaph for being fierce and ruthless in battle to avenge the death of his kin. 

The Iron Hills now prosper under his dutiful watch and rule as Lord of the Iron Hills. The most prominent settlement of Dwarves in Rhovanion since the fall of Erebor, here are the Dwarven arts of masonry, smithing, and gemcraft maintained. And though they pale perhaps to the high arts once practiced in older and more fabled halls, still yet do they rival by far stretch the workings of Men. 

Located at the end of the River Carnen, more commonly called the Redwater, the Iron Hills are at the far northeastern corner of the realm of Rhovanion. The hills are stained red from various different water outlets and streams that bubble up from the caverns below, carrying iron sediment which gives the area its name. Little by way of trees grow amidst the grass knolls that crown the hills making lumber a futile pursuit in the area but instead is a source of stone and iron and salt. 

Like most Dwarven halls the Iron Hills is a deep, earth-carved dwelling of intricately designed stone caverns, roadways and separate homes in much a way like a city would be laid out. Mining, masonry, metalwork and gemwork are common pursuits of a livelihood for those living in the Iron Hills. The Iron Hills are also famed for producing blakkr - a dark-brewed Dwarven stout and the infamously strong Forgefire whisky  that they often trade with the Men of the nearby Redwater settlements for cloth and raw foodstuffs, and other things they do not produce themselves. 

Playing a Dwarf of the Iron Hills:  Quick Tips

- Dwarves from the Iron Hills are likely to have regular experience working or trading with Men from the nearby settlement of Redwater. After the fall of Erebor and Dale, this remains the closest realm where Men and Dwarves work and trade together for mutual benefit. Dwarves do not grow crops or tend animals, and thus rely on the Men of the Redwater or trading partners from further away for more exotic goods to provide them. 

Dwarves have a particular fondness for salted and smoked meats, particularly pork or wild boar and they are one of the most common imports brought into the Iron Hills.

- Because of this regular exchange, Men from the Redwater are some of the few Men in Rhovanion who still utilize the Dalish terms Dwarrow (male Dwarf) orDwarrowdam (female Dwarf) and Dwarrows in the plural to respectfully refer to Dwarves. Within their regularly familiarity with Dwarves they are some of the only Men with any level of rough ability to recognize a female Dwarf as such. 

As such, Dwarves from the Iron Hills will show preference and consideration for Men who show deference through the proper use of terms and are likely to utilize the terms themselves in conversation with Men.  

- Red hair is a curious trait found in regular abundance in both Dwarves of the Iron Hills and the Men in the Redwater below. While often abundant and curly in their prime, thinning or baldness on the crown is a common sight after one hundred and fifty years of age for both genders. A Dwarf whose hair has gone white is a sign they have cleared 200 years old.

- Eye color is best described in terms of a gem or metal-like tones in shades of copper and bronze or darker hues like coal, jet, and onyx. Golden eyes are generally only found in Dwarrowdams and are a highly prized trait, connected to all manner of rumored traits on her potential offspring as such, golden-eyed Dwarrowdams are those least likely to be left unwed.

- Though they are known to produce weapons and armor of renown quality and it is a common line of work among them the Iron Hills do not save very rare exception trade or sell these items to Men. Perhaps partly due to Dwarven understandings of ownership wherein something tangible like a sword produced by Dwarven hands belongs forever after to the Dwarven people, it is simply lent out to others for a time. As such, this lease can be withdrawn and the items reclaimed. Such disagreements have been core to many disputes between Dwarves and Men over the long Ages.

Dwarves trained in the metalworking arts who are more willing to work for coin and within Mannish understandings of sale and ownership are highly sought after throughout Rhovanion, though success is more often found with the refugees of Erebor than with those from the Iron Hills.

- Red and orange, grey and black are the preferred colors worn by the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, perhaps to better blend into their environment. Tunics and trousers of wool and linen tucked into boots are the most common dress for working-class Dwarves, while those of higher station will wear jerkins and overcoats in finer wools or even velvets.  Clothing items like many things of Dwarven make are often decorated with geometric patterns and shapes with sharp lines and angles. 

- Dwarves as a people have a deep-rooted suspicion and dislike of Elves whom they see as haughty and unappreciative. Dwarves of the Iron Hills have a particular dislike for Easterlings, remembering the long history of the old days when they warred across Rhovanion. As such, their interactions and trade where it exists with the Men of Dorwinion can be a touchy though some rumor holds they dislike the wine of the region interfering with the sale and trade of their own spirits.

Dwarves are known to find friendship best with Men of Redwater and the descendants of Dale with whom their own kin have sweat and bled. They hold the mountainous Beornings in regard in appreciation for the fine mead they produce that Dwarrowdams are known to like. They find Hobbits to be invaluable trading partners for smokeleaf and for the amusement of anyone who can eat more boisterously than themselves. 

- A good portion of those in the Iron Hills is the mining and smelting of iron in various forms. Cast off, known as slag is exported to Men for use in cheap jewelry and basic smithing like nails. Steel is produced though is known to be intensely expensive to purchase.  Others work polishing gems or smelting other precious metals for trade and sale to Men, others hew stone from the great hills to maintain and repair the Halls or for sale. And still are the brewmasters and distillers who produce blakkr and forgefire.

 - Dwarves of the Iron Hills greet other Dwarrows in one of three ways: If kin, they grip forearms only with their left hands and always ask after wives, daughters, or mothers before anything else. If King or Lord, they will lower to kneel on their left knee and grip a fist over their sternum (not the heart). They rise only when given leave. If greeting another Dwarrow who is not kin and not Lord or King, it is typically acceptable to simply give a nod of affirmation, which says I see you. I note you. This gives the other the option to proceed with pleasantries or not. This sometimes can be a test of pride and position, a dance of who will surrender first to polities of society.

 When greeting Men, a Dwarrow will often afford them a nod and little else while when greeting an Elf, they are more prone to offering little other than a squint and a keen, watchful eye of the tall, willowy creature before them. Such behaviors often attribute to the belief that Dwarrows have no manners, are uncouth or as rough and stolid as the rocks such outsiders believe them born from.

When before one’s King or Lord, should be the only time a dwarf would kneel. Indeed, Dwarves would often rather fall in battle than kneel before a Man, Orc, or Elf.  To bow, is to mock their King or Lord.  Truly, to bow, within the Dwarrow culture, is a mockery. The only time it is ever done is by those few trade-dealing Dwarrows when in the presence of one of the Merchant Families of Dorwinion and even then only done when the business deal at hand is of such scope or importance that losing it would be of greater trouble than the defiance of not bowing is worth.

- Dwarves of the Iron Hills are perhaps the most sensitive of their kin, prone to angering easily or being insulted, offended, etc. Fist-fights and threats are very common between them. Grudges are an artform for those of the Iron Hills and they have a general way about them: if you lose their good graces, they’re lost forever. This is perhaps why it is a hard task to earn such a solid trust, for when broken, there is little to no way to mend such things.

- The Dwarves of the Iron Hills, in particular the official messengers and sages for Lord Dain Ironfoot are famously known.

What Would Other PCs Know About Dwarves of the Iron Hills?

- Commonly seen in Laketown and some outposts in Rhovanion for trade, few ‘make home’ outside of their Hills though and they will often speak about when they are recalled from their post to "go home" 

- The Iron Hills exports iron in various forms (most commonly slag and powdered iron ochres in various shades) some precious metals and gems. They work as the "middlemen" for the products of other less sociable Dwarf grups and are the Dwarves most likely to work and trade with Men

 - Dwarves are stingy, greedy, and even when wrong will yell the louder as though the bellow of their voice will change the ways of the world to make them right. They’re prone to arrogance, petulance, pride and prejudice. It is common to believe they lack manners or respect for anyone.
 
- Dwarves are short, no taller than five feet. Their builds range from toned to very obese, typically with broad shoulders and bulky, stocky builds. The Dwarves of the Iron Hills are usually red-headed and give the fiery color much the reputation for being a fiery sort. Dwarves of the North are often fair-skinned but being used to dwelling mostly underground, long time spent above ground can move it towards the tanned and leathery.

- Dwarves are bearded with a very rare occurrence of clean-shaven, it would be a shock to see a Dwarf without a beard. It would be all together natural to confuse a beardless dwarf for a Hafling or Man from Breeland, who are both known to be short, heavier set, and often beardless.

- Dwarves are afraid of heights and water 
 
- Dwarves are hardy eaters and great imbibers of alcohol, probably the reason obesity is common amongst them.

 - Few can rival the workmanship or extreme focus of a Dwarf’s love of their craft in metalworks such as smithing, weapons and jewelry or stone and gemcraft for that matter. The Dwarves of the Iron Hills are also known to be great brewers and distillers of alcohol. 

- Dwarves are known to keep large intelligent birds known as the Great Ravens as messengers and companions. Rumor holds the right to be a raven-bearer is a great honor and saved for a special few. 

- The most commonly seen Dwarves in Rhovanion are those of the Iron Hills or the wayward, vagabond Dwarves of long-lost Erebor.

Suggested Backgrounds and Roles:

Dwarf of the Iron Hills
Requires 3 RPP.  - Gives Khuzdul Language

Strongly Suggested Skills: Metalcraft, Armorcraft, Stonecraft, Weaponcraft

Other Useful Skills: Common, Dalish, Dorwinion, Artistry, Brewing, Distilling
Background: You hale from the iron-rich halls beneath the Iron Hills, hewn from the earth itself by your forebearers. You are born of red hair, either have copper, bronze, or citrine-colored eyes and are of a fair-skinned complexion. Like the rest of your kin, you are not taller than five feet. You would not have left home any younger than ninety nor have you a dam-wife nor children. You were raised in the Iron Hills, apprenticed between the age of thirty and ninety in a profession common to your kin: metalcraft, weaponcraft, stonecraft, armorcraft of the metal persuasion or jewelry and gemwork or possibly brewing or distilling. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you found yourself in Laketown.

 

Skilled Crafter of the Iron Hills
Requires 4 RPP. Gives Khuzdul Language
Required Skills: Stonecraft and Metalcraft

Other Useful Skills: Gemcraft, Jewelrycraft, Weaponcraft, Mining, Artistry
Background: You hale from the iron-rich halls beneath the Iron Hills, hewn from the earth itself by your forebearers. You are born of red hair, either have copper, bronze, or citrine-colored eyes and are of a fair-skinned complexion. Like the rest of your kin, you are not taller than five feet. You would not have left home any younger than ninety nor have you a dam-wife nor children. You were raised in the Iron Hills, apprenticed between the age of thirty and ninety in a profession common to your kin: metalcraft, weaponcraft, stonecraft, armorcraft of the metal persuasion or jewelry and gemwork. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you found yourself in Laketown.

+10 to either Stonecraft or Metalcraft, if neither taken, no boost is given.


Skilled Warrior of the Iron Hills
Requires 4 RPP.
Strongly Suggested Skills: Combat Skill

Other Useful Skills: Common, Dalish, Dorwinion, Artistry, Metalcraft, Armorcraft, Stonecraft, Weaponcraft
Background: You hale from the iron-rich halls beneath the Iron Hills, hewn from the earth itself by your forebearers. You are born of red hair, either have copper, bronze, or citrine-colored eyes and are of a fair-skinned complexion. Like the rest of your kin, you are not taller than five feet. You would not have left home any younger than ninety nor have you a dam-wife nor children. You were raised in the Iron Hills, apprenticed between the age of thirty and ninety as a warrior, a guardian of your dwarrow hall beneath the hills. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you found yourself in Laketown.

+10 to Sole-Wield or Dual-Wield

Scholar of the Iron Hills
Requires 4 RPP. Gives Khuzdul Language
Strongly Suggested Skills: Education, Cirth, Artistry

Other Useful Skills: Common, Dalish, Dorwinion
Background: You hale from the iron-rich halls beneath the Iron Hills, hewn from the earth itself by your forebearers. You are born of red hair, either have copper, bronze, or citrine-colored eyes and are of a fair-skinned complexion. Like the rest of your kin, you are not taller than five feet. You would not have left home any younger than ninety nor have you a dam-wife nor children. You were raised in the Iron Hills, apprenticed between the age of thirty and ninety in a rather uncommon profession to your people; a scholar. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you found yourself in Laketown.

+10 to Education


Raven-Bearer of the Iron Hills
Requires 4 RPP and pre-approval by Elder Staff.
Strongly Suggested Skills: Education, Cirth, Artistry

Other Useful Skills: Common, Dalish, Dorwinion
Background: You hale from the iron-rich halls beneath the Iron Hills, hewn from the earth itself by your forebearers. You are born of red hair, either have copper, bronze, or citrine-colored eyes and are of a fair-skinned complexion. Like the rest of your kin, you are not taller than five feet. You would not have left home any younger than ninety nor have you a dam-wife nor children. You were raised in the Iron Hills, apprenticed between the age of thirty and ninety in a rare and revered profession to your people; a raven-bearer. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you found yourself in Laketown.

Provides a Raven companion.

 

Songs and Stories of the Dwarrows of the Iron Hills:

Players are encouraged to submit songs and stories for the dwarrows of the Iron Hills as they’re playing. Please respect all Copyright Laws. If it is someone’s work, heavily or loosely based on someone else’s work, or even that of work too old to maintain a maker’s name – give the source, when submitted, due credit.

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