The Dorf's Guide to Dwarves
From LOTRO Lorebook
Contents |
Tolkien's Dwarves
What is a "dorf"? A Dorf is a pseudo-Scottish, ale chugging drunkard who likes fighting and explosions. So, then, what is a Dwarf? In proper terms a Dwarf is a mythological creature taken from European or Norse mythology who is generally short, bearded, and a lover of all things crafted and underground. Tolkien's dwarves (revised from "Dwarfs" or, more properly, "Dwarrow") are honourable folk who take this archetype and make it into something more original and exciting. Dwarves are the mysterious crafters and warriors of Middle-earth; the lovers of deep places and keepers of lost lore.
This is by no means a total guide to the history of the Dwarves but an introduction for new Dwarf players. Herein lays a brief guide for getting to know Tolkien’s Dwarves a bit and ultimately creating your own mighty Dwarf to help drive the darkness from Middle-earth. It’s divided into two parts: an introductory lesson on dwarf history and a short guide to creating and playing your Dwarf.
Who are Durin’s Folk?
In brief…
There are countless references to the histories of the Dwarves, many of which are provided below. For that reason I hope to present snippets of this history in the context of LotRO; how this knowledge applies to you, the dwarf player. The Lorebook does a fantastic job of summarizing who these people are, where they come from and what their temperament is like. The full article can be found here: The Dwarves.
Here, however, is a brief summary: “Aulë made the Dwarves at a time when the World outside Aman still lay under the dominion of the first Dark Lord, and so he made them sturdy and hard to survive the dangers and hardships of that time. In nature, the typical Dwarf is stubborn and secretive. Though they make loyal and good friends, they are also a proud and stern race. They do not suffer grievance or insult, and their enmity is long-lasting. They are said, though, to be quick to learn new skills.”
So the Dwarves of Durin’s line are noble, sturdy, loyal, steadfast and fearsome in battle. Indeed, the War of Orcs and Dwarves is perhaps the single most brutal of all the wars of Middle-earth’s long history. So fierce was the fighting that most of the Orcs and almost as many Dwarves were slain. This did not help the waning number of Durin’s Folk in the world. There are other houses of Dwarves, descended from the other six Dwarf-fathers, but they are rarely discussed in Tolkien’s work and play no part in LotRO, save the Dourhands who are a Turbine creation.
It is also said, in The Hobbit, that “dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much." Take that as you will.
The Lost Dwarf-kingdoms
A curious thing about the Third Age of Middle-earth, in which LotRO is set, is how it teeters between the greatness of the past and the normalcy of the present. The time of the more powerful and supernatural races, the Elves and Dwarves, are waning along with the greatness of Men as the time of their dominion over earth begins. But what was the glory of the Dwarves in times past? The Mines of Moria point to this greatness; Khazad-dum was the finest wrought city of grandeur of the entire world at one point. Along with her cousin-cities of Nogrod and Belegost, deep under the Blue Mountains before its sundering, these locales birthed an age of great creativity among Durin’s Folk. The likes of this time, the creations of steel and mithril and the works of stone have hardly been matched even by the Noldor.
As such, the dwarf player should understand that the time of the Dwarves is waning, as is that of the Elves. The might and majesty of these elder races is slowly coming to an end and this affects you as a player. Will your dwarf seek to claim his heritage as a craftsman? Has he (or she) accepted the doom of his people and the cause of the War or will he keep to himself in the traditionally secretive ways of the dwarves?
Durin's Folk and the Outside World
Historically Durin’s Folk have had a shaky relationship with other races. Being untrusting in nature (albeit steadfast in friendship) and greedy with their possessions has not helped them in this regard. One of the more referenced stories that answer the age old “What’s the deal between Elves and Dwarves?” question include the Nauglamir, where the Dwarf-jewelers of the First Age created a necklace from a Silmaril so astonishing and held in such regard that it led to the murder of various Elves and Dwarves throughout the ages. There were other instances of conflict but on the whole dwarves simply want to remain in peace and labor in their crafts. So much so that many do not take wives as it would distract them from the perfection of their work. In the Third Age this animosity continues: remember the treatment of Thorin and company at the hands of Thranduil and the subsequent treatment of the armies of Elves and Men by Thorin at Erebor. This is not a hard and fast rule for Dwarves as they are generally honorable people and do not openly aggress unless provoked.
So as a Dwarf player, especially a roleplayer, your dwarf’s relationship with other Free Peoples is almost wholly dependent upon his temperament and experiences.
Another resource for understanding who the Dwarves are and how one can play a Dwarf is from the spectacular blog, the Long Defeat.
Creating Your Dwarf: Classes
If you have chosen to play a Dwarf then you’ve chosen rightly! A question often asked is “what is the best class for a dwarf?” and, simply put, there isn’t one. Certainly some are better than others but LotRO is built in such a way that there really are no bad Race/Class combinations, unlike some other roleplaying games. The Dwarves’ racial traits lend themselves to being in the thick of battle; even Dwarf-minstrels can perform reasonably well in combat. Their low Agility and Fate are certainly a downer but fit the race. The first step in creating your dwarf is choosing your class.
Champion Dwarves are natural fighters and fearsome with an ax. The Champion class goes hand in hand with the typical Dwarf-warrior archetype, which can be very fun to play for those interested in charging into battle and dealing lots of damage. Additionally, the Dwarf Racial Traits add to the abilities of the Champion: Dwarf Axe-damage Bonus helps you deal even more damage; Dwarf-Endurance can provide you with a helpful boost of Morale; Endurance of Stone and Shield Brawler can also help when you need to act as a group’s off-tank.
Guardian Many of the Dwarves you see in the world (at least on Elendilmir) are Guardians. This is thanks in no small part to the Sturdiness passive trait granted Dwarves at character creation. Additionally, the traits mentioned above (like Shield Brawler) lend themselves to the characteristics of the Guardian: getting to the fight and staying there without fail. This class is more for those Dwarves who wish to outlast everyone else and protect their Fellows; not for those who like to deal out a lot of damage quickly.
Hunter Perhaps the least-played Race/Class combination is the Dwarf-hunter. While Elves have a bow specialization, Men have more Morale, and Hobbits are…well, cuter, one could make a fine case for the Dwarf-hunter. High Morale, Vitality, Common mitigation, and, perhaps most importantly, the highest available In-combat Morale/Power regeneration make them the some of the finest Hunters in Middle-earth. Think of Thorin at the Lonely Mountain! Despite their lack of Agility, a Dwarf-hunter has many options with regards to his racial abilities in conjunction with those of the Hunter. It’s also cool to be a bit of a rarity in Middle-earth.
Minstrel A class dear to my heart, the Minstrel is the master of song and inspiration. As a Dwarf, the Minstrel can excel just a bit more in combat than the other races, though he may lack in Evasion and Power. Dwarf-minstrels also get to use axes where the other races do not. Combined with proper Traits and the right equipment, the dwarf makes as fine a Minstrel as any.
Rune-keeper The newest addition is the one least known to me. I will leave any expert advice to others but say that the Rune-keeper (despite it’s lore controversy) is the class for any wishing to do a good amount of elemental damage and have healing abilities. Since the class is only also available Elves, the dwarves make a fine alternative and provide a differential for players who don’t wish to stick to the traditional ‘armour and axes’ motif for the beardlings. Though they can only wear Light armour, Dwarf-endurance and Endurance of Stone add to the class’s survivability.
Creating Your Dwarf: Heritage
Among the many things this game does right is the concept of your character having a home outside of the game’s realm. My only gripe is the inclusion of the White Mountains where I’m not entirely sure any Dwarves are said to have dwelt until Gimli’s colonial efforts at the Glittering Caves, which happens after the events of The Lord of the Rings. Heritage is something that is important to consider for two reasons: appearance and character development.
At the surface level your choice of nationality provides you with different looks: the dwarves of the Blue Mountains are fairer than those of the Iron Hills and so on. For some this is the most important factor since they want their dwarf to look a particular way.
The second thing to think about is the personal history of your character. For some, like me, this bears more import than appearance because LotRO is all about stories and your dwarf has a story to tell. Even for non-roleplayers it is important to have some vague notion of who your dwarf is and where he comes from. Was he born and bred in the Ered Luin, the starting area for Dwarves, or has he traveled far from the Lonely Mountain all the way into Eriador? Why has he done this? Who is he? Even if you don’t openly act as your character it enhances the enjoyment of the game ten-fold if you have some idea about how your dwarf fits into the grand scheme of things. For more information about the various dwarf heritages refer to the Lorebook[1]. The Tolkien Gateway[2] is another good source of information.
Creating Your Character: Appearance
The most distinctive feature of the dwarf is his beard. Even Dwarf-women have beards! Though the choices are not endless you are provided with a multitude of options for your dwarf’s facial hair. Additionally, and a little less importantly, are his hair, facial features, and markings. This can be a simple, random process of finding something that looks cool or you can take your time and shape the look of your dwarf to fit the story you wish to tell. Has he been in many battles? If so, has he taken scars? Is he old? Young? Old age for a dwarf begins at about 200 years, whereas a dwarf in his 50’s is still considered quite young. These are the things to consider when making the dwarf that’s right for you.
Creating Your Character: What’s in a Name?
Tolkien’s Dwarves have some of the more memorable names in Middle-earth: Thorin, Bifur, Bombur, Ori Nori, Oin Gloin, Gimli. Interestingly enough, the names of these dwarves are not their actual names, which are hidden, but their given names. Dwarves are very secretive, even with their names. That said, nearly all of these names were derived from Icelandic or other Norse mythology and literature. They are typically short, Germanic sounding, and involve a lot of vowels. If you cannot think of an original name yourself there are a few options (and using names like ‘Laserwulf’ is not one of them). There are various name generators[3] on the web; some are Tolkien-based, others aren’t, most will find you a good name. Another option is to reference Germanic/Norse/Finnish baby names websites[4]. There you’ll find many options, some sounding more dwarvish than others. Choose a name that you like and that fits your character.
One other thing to think about is a surname. Many dwarves took a surname to fit their personality or some other distinguishing trait. The most notorious is Thorin Oakenshield: the story goes that at the Battle of Azanulbizar his shield was broken and he used his ax to hew a piece of wood from an oak tree and then used that branch as a shield. So perhaps your dwarf is a stone-wright and has an according surname or maybe, as was more popular, he is simply known as ‘Son of…’ Many players choose to use a title but using a surname can distinguish your dwarf from the crowd.
Sites Referenced & Other Useful Links
http://lotrofounder.blogspot.com/2008/03/separating-men-from-dorfs.html
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Dwarves
http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.php?t=156723
http://www.myprecious.us/name_generator.php
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONMensNames.shtml
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/tolkien/28918
http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/khuzdul.htm
