Dwargi

The Dwargi are one of the intelligent races of Thryndaheimr, and the patron race of Aragni the Forge Goddess. They have built an empire of metal and fire across the Forgelands in dedication to their god and tend to this realm proudly, defending it from trespassers and defilers.

Creation
In the Dawning Times, the forge-goddess Aragni required assistants to serve her ends, to reshape the jagged earth of Thryndaheimr. She shaped from muddy earth and smooth metallic mineral the first of her servants, the Dwargi, stout and sturdy workers built to toil in the heat of the earth and swing a hammer or pickax with persistent strength. Though far smaller than her, the Dwargi could still work metal and chisel the earth with the same stubborn fortitude, and proved skilled at the minute detail-work Aragni struggled with. They set to piling up stone and pulling the choicest minerals from the ground as Aragni continued her work, founding what would become the great nation of the Forgelands.

Appearance
Dwargi are notably stout, with broad torsos, barrel-like chests and stocky arms that end in large, powerful hands. They stand on stumpy yet sturdy legs and flat feet, good for keeping steady in place but poor in a sprint. Their skulls are broad and squat, though terribly durable; thick locks of hair sprout from their head in shades of red and brown, and even thicker beards from their faces, though both of these are often meticulously groomed in Forgeland culture. Their skin is thick and resilient, ranging in shades of brown and pink often covered in a thick layer of bristly hair.

Nations
Almost all Dwargi organize themselves within the vast and intricate empire of the Forgelands. They are led chiefly by the goddess Aragni, who is often too busy to truly govern them, and secondarily by their Empress, who rules by proof of merit in the eyes of the goddess herself. The Empress is selected by Aragni herself from among the promising masters of the Forgelands' guilds, and leads the entirety of the Dwargi race.

The Guilds
The entirety of their empire is organized into various guilds, all serving as pillars to Dwargi society and its continued function. They operate separately, possessing their own internal hierarchies and obeying different masters, but coordinate with one another frequently, sharing resources and often commissioning one another's labor. This is accomplished through their High Council, made up of the chiefest masters of each guild who help orchestrate the smooth operation of the Forgelands' complex infrastructure and its continued growth. These masters answer only to their Empress and the goddess of the forge herself, Aragni.

At a young age, Dwargi pups are assessed for basic aptitudes and then assigned to a Guild suited for them, where they start as apprentices and drudges working under their more skilled and experienced superiors. Continued success and improvement leads to moving up their labor field's hierarchy, where they will take on tasks of increasing skill requirements and gain more status within their guild. They may move on to instruct their inferiors or oversee tasks as they accrue status and accomplish more. The most skilled and successful among them lead the guilds and direct the actions of all below them, bearing substantial responsibility and power.

The Guilds that uphold the Forgelands are as follows:
 * The Warguild - Where soldiers and guards are trained to enforce their laws and combat enemies of Aragni and the Forgelands, and defend the entirety of the Forgelands from war and disaster.
 * The Architects' Guild - The builders and maintainers of the mighty halls of the Forgelands and its many impressive feats of architecture, who continue to build and ensure the steady growth of their empire.
 * The Smithguild - Industrial heart of the Forgelands that build and design the tools they use to do all other tasks, as well as mine and refine the metal necessary to build and craft.
 * The Scribeguild - Scholarly guild of poets, writers, chroniclers, researchers, historians, and magicians that recite history, record events, study the Dwargi runes, write poetry, and maintain their language.
 * The Hearthguild - Guild dedicated to the maintenance of the Dwargi population, by cultivating food, ensuring birthrates are steady, tending to the sick, and tidying the vast homes of the Dwargi.

Marriage and Family
Families within the Forgelands are formally recognized by the Scribeguild, who conduct marriage ceremonies and grant permission to couples to bear children. Any two Dwargi may marry, but most often courtship occurs between those of the same guild and occupation field. The process of courting to formal marriage can be take many years, with couples encouraged to marry after the individuals forming a stable spot in their guilds. Married couples are given priority to live within Forgelands' private housing, so marriage often has economic considerations to it.

A wedded couple may apply to the Scribeguild for permission to bear a child, and should this be accepted they will be gifted 'fertility dowries.' Hearthguild nurses may assist the couple in conception, caring for the pregnant mother, aiding in birth, and caring for the newborn for several months. A family may birth more than one child, but every time must seek the approval of Scribeguild census-masters. Dwargi children stay at home for roughly 14 years before joining a guild and living within its commons, until they earn the rank necessary to marry and earn their own living quarters.

Divine Servants
The Dwargi were hand-crafted by their goddess of blacksmithing as laborers and attendants, and they fulfill these duties with pride and devotion. In all aspects of their society they seek to emulate their creator goddess and her qualities, to include shrewd attention to detail, enduring bodily strength, obstinate patience, an indefatigable work ethic, and a high value for practicality. Every Dwargi is a vital piece to the intricate empire they maintain in the Forgelands, and must put forth their whole being to make their kin and their goddess proud.

In the Outer Cosmos Role-playing System
Dwargi are one of the playable races available in the Outer Cosmos Role-playing System, first introduced in the Young Gods rule book.