Let's Write A Story

[Leoff]

In our last campaign is somehow came to be understood that dwarf females have soft silky hair-like beards. A stiff firm beard was the mark of a real he-man.

[Sion]

I'd also like to say that Dwarven feminism is relatively undefined within the genre. Sometimes female dwarves exist sometimes they don't. Even when they do exist it seldom seems decidedly unique except to sya they have beards or something like that. It could be cool to develop a uniquely "dwarfy" version of female gender roles and different aspects related to it.

Magmoo that is an angle I want to approach with this story. I just don't have any ideas on how to make dwarf women uniquely "dwarfy". I think that having dwarf women have beards, even if they are silky soft beards, just going to be completely honest facial hair on women freaks me out. What I can say is that there will be dwarf women on the expedition, hell maybe even the leader will be a woman who is struggling against gender roles. Maybe like the ancient Celts, dwarf women are seen as more in tune with nature and thus have a greater spiritual knowledge. So there are no priests only priestesses. That I am throwing out there to see what sticks.

[Magmoo]

I'd also like to say that Dwarven feminism is relatively undefined within the genre. Sometimes female dwarves exist sometimes they don't. Even when they do exist it seldom seems decidedly unique except to sya they have beards or something like that. It could be cool to develop a uniquely "dwarfy" version of female gender roles and different aspects related to it.

Magmoo that is an angle I want to approach with this story. I just don't have any ideas on how to make dwarf women uniquely "dwarfy". I think that having dwarf women have beards, even if they are silky soft beards, just going to be completely honest facial hair on women freaks me out. What I can say is that there will be dwarf women on the expedition, hell maybe even the leader will be a woman who is struggling against gender roles. Maybe like the ancient Celts, dwarf women are seen as more in tune with nature and thus have a greater spiritual knowledge. So there are no priests only priestesses. That I am throwing out there to see what sticks.

Maybe a good place to start would be to create a cliche male dwarf profile. Then based off that think about roles and aspects that would be distinct and complementary.

[Magmoo]

Maybe something like, as male dwarves are associated with mining, craft and war, these are considered stable if "dead" things. Female dwarves are associated with "live" things, such as medicine, animal husbandry, cooking, and most importantly brewing.

[Sion]

Here is just an initial premise, just something to get the creative juices flowing and this is by no way written in stone.

Khalad, a young dwarf in adolescence still discovering the world, (could be male or female) has been brought up hearing stories of dwarven heroism, glory, and valor but does not see that around him. The society that Khalad enters into resembles a mercantile system resting upon a bed of tribal relationships. He is reared in a rich merchant family and has never had a want in his life. Khalad wants to go out and adventure but he fears the family consequences because he is engaged to the daughter a powerful duke, a marriage that would finally secure the family's currently precarious perch on power. Khalad hears of this mining expedition and casually mentions that he might want to join one day. His father flips out and they get into an argument. It is revealed that the woman leading the expedition, Nordaethra, was a bitter rival against Khalad's father several years back.

Licking his wounds from the argument, Khalad's ire returns and he barges into his father's study only to discover that the chamber is empty. Khalad discovers a document on the table. It is an intricately detailed schedule/timeline of Khalad's life, revealing how much his life is being controlled. During the night Khalad packs some supplies, and escapes. After a while he discovers where the expedition is being staged. He has to prove himself in order to join (this part is iffy) but they get on thier way and start the adventure. After the first day they rest at a tavern along the way and there he is ambushed by his father. They have another confrontation. Nordaethra arrives, investigating the commotion, and adds to the tension. The father bregrudgingly allows his son to continue on the expedition and gives it his blessing. However, he says that if his son comes back empty handed then he will be shunned from the family forever. Khalad who had gotten a taste of the unglamorous life of an adventurer after his first day of travel, gulps, but is deteremined to prove his father wrong and finish this expedition no matter what.

That is initial pitch for a main character. I like parts of it, other parts that I don't like as much but put there just to set as a starting place. It could seriously be ripped apart and made even better by you guys.

[Sion]

Maybe something like, as male dwarves are associated with mining, craft and war, these are considered stable if "dead" things. Female dwarves are associated with "live" things, such as medicine, animal husbandry, cooking, and most importantly brewing.

I like that. And adding on to that maybe women in dwarf society are allowed much more social leeway than their male counterparts. A male dwarf is held up to a strict social conduct of actions that he can perform. For example, a male dwarf is looked at oddly if he publicly criticizes his chief or state, which he has sworn his fealty, but a woman is allowed, even expected, to voice her opinions about politics, culture, or what have you.

[Magmoo]

Maybe something like, as male dwarves are associated with mining, craft and war, these are considered stable if "dead" things. Female dwarves are associated with "live" things, such as medicine, animal husbandry, cooking, and most importantly brewing.

I like that. And adding on to that maybe women in dwarf society are allowed much more social leeway than their male counterparts. A male dwarf is held up to a strict social conduct of actions that he can perform. For example, a male dwarf is looked at oddly if he publicly criticizes his chief or state, which he has sworn his fealty, but a woman is allowed, even expected, to voice her opinions about politics, culture, or what have you.

Nice. A dynamic role in comparison to a static role, change/progress vs stability/reliability, chaos vs stagnation.

You could take it a step further and have it where women are encouraged to pursue a variety of jobs/professions and men are pigeonholed into trying to master a single role/task.

[Leoff]

Maybe something like, as male dwarves are associated with mining, craft and war, these are considered stable if "dead" things. Female dwarves are associated with "live" things, such as medicine, animal husbandry, cooking, and most importantly brewing.

I like that. And adding on to that maybe women in dwarf society are allowed much more social leeway than their male counterparts. A male dwarf is held up to a strict social conduct of actions that he can perform. For example, a male dwarf is looked at oddly if he publicly criticizes his chief or state, which he has sworn his fealty, but a woman is allowed, even expected, to voice her opinions about politics, culture, or what have you.

We can do even better than that. That's so -- well, it verges on barefoot-and-pregnant-in-the-kitchen. Let's look at biology. How separate a species are dwarfs? Given that human/elf crosses are known, though not common, but dwarf/human crosses are not, perhaps dwarves are more distant from humans or elves than elves are from humans (and dwarves).

Among humans, women are on a monthly fertility cycle and males not on a cycle. Among other mammals there are other patterns. Much other fantasy literature suggests that dwarf women differ little from the men. Suppose that dwarf women (and men?) are on a yearly cycle. For about a month, the women are in estrus. Their mammary glands fill out more, their heart rate and breathing quicken, their senses sharpen. Their wits and tempers also sharpen: whatever the individual's personality is, it intensifies. They're on. For the following fortnight or month, it's the reverse. They've used up some reserves; they're having their period (or starting the pregnancy); they're slower, reflective, and their intellect is more focussed on planning and design. Their reflexes are slowing, too, and they aren't as ready with the quick retort, but this might be the most dangerous time to provoke a woman. She will have a comeback, and it will be well thought out.
If the men are also on this cycle, it would explain a great deal of the clannishness and feuds. Harm a bachelor and you've harmed one man. Harm a married man, or a younger child, especially during the two-month family time, and you've called down the hormone-driven wrath of a formidable and implacable avenger.

Fit that in your characters' travel plans.

[Sion]

We can do even better than that. That's so -- well, it verges on barefoot-and-pregnant-in-the-kitchen. Let's look at biology. How separate a species are dwarfs? Given that human/elf crosses are known, though not common, but dwarf/human crosses are not, perhaps dwarves are more distant from humans or elves than elves are from humans (and dwarves).

Among humans, women are on a monthly fertility cycle and males not on a cycle. Among other mammals there are other patterns. Much other fantasy literature suggests that dwarf women differ little from the men. Suppose that dwarf women (and men?) are on a yearly cycle. For about a month, the women are in estrus. Their mammary glands fill out more, their heart rate and breathing quicken, their senses sharpen. Their wits and tempers also sharpen: whatever the individual's personality is, it intensifies. They're on. For the following fortnight or month, it's the reverse. They've used up some reserves; they're having their period (or starting the pregnancy); they're slower, reflective, and their intellect is more focussed on planning and design. Their reflexes are slowing, too, and they aren't as ready with the quick retort, but this might be the most dangerous time to provoke a woman. She will have a comeback, and it will be well thought out.
If the men are also on this cycle, it would explain a great deal of the clannishness and feuds. Harm a bachelor and you've harmed one man. Harm a married man, or a younger child, especially during the two-month family time, and you've called down the hormone-driven wrath of a formidable and implacable avenger.

Fit that in your characters' travel plans.

Sorry I have been away for a while. Leoff that is a very interesting concept for the dwarves. I am still mulling over in my head whether I want to implement that or not. I kind of want a more traditional fantasy feel to this story. Still keeping the story in mind.

I am working through some more of the character and story stuff. I just haven't been feeling well the last couple days. (I know, I know ) But I do have a question for you guys: how should i handle the return trip home? Should I follow the Tolkien path and merely summarize it in one paragraph, or should I devote more time to it in the novel. But then the question is how much time should be devoted?

[Leoff]

I've been thinking about that lately, myself. It's such a common story pattern: getting there is the story, getting home is the postscript. What if getting there were the easy part?

-There's a landslide that destroys the only pass they know, through the mountains.

-Somebody is chasing them because they've done something, or found something.

-Something of vital importance to them has been stolen for nefarious purposes.