Post by Warlord Ei Halvard on Apr 6, 2016 9:42:16 GMT -8
The human-looking people in this picture are, in fact, just very skinny dwarves.
There is a common misconception that Hammer dwarves are considered inferior to Axe and Shield dwarves. While Axe and Shield are accorded greater respect and priority in decision-making, Hammer is in many ways the heart of dwarven civilization. The majority of dwarves live in Hammer and most of the dwarves' livelihood is produced by its inhabitants. Hammer has the largest economy and the most complex and richest culture. Nothing makes that more apparent than the great Ironcraft Market.
The outdoor market is held once a week. Here hundreds of dwarves gather to sell their wears, including fish, raw ore (if they engage in private mining), weapons, armor, clothing, glass, etc. The customers number in the thousands. It is also one of the few times where all dwarves are more or less treated as equals. Even the Justicars want to get a good deal after all, and caste discrimination is very bad for business.
The one caste that really shines above the rest here is the merchant caste, for they are the ones who organize the market in the first place. Once a week, all the other castes, from the lowly farmer to the greatest warriors, are at their mercy. For this reason they often see themselves as the glue that holds the rest of dwarven society together. Again, even the Warlord has to buy food and pay taxes, and his money is no different than that of the lowly farmer's (although no doubt he probably has more of it).
Although the Ironcraft Market is still a favorite tradition among the dwarves, the sad truth is the current market is only a fraction of its former glory. Twenty years ago the land over all was much more prosperous and the tents spread out in a great mass as far as the eye could see. Now they are more sporadic as many businesses have gone under. The loss of An Dli, the legendary sword which united the Fae, Wildings, Humans, and Dwarves, has dealt a serious blow to the overall economy.
(On a side note, although dwarves can be just as xenophobic as any other race, they will still welcome the other races to the market. However, those races should expect to be at a disadvantage when haggling, especially the Fae.)