There be DORFS in them thar hills

[Random_White_Guy]

[hide=Background]The Deep Roads of Tam Khlerau is both an IC and OOC experiment. Throughout the history of EFU there have been a variety of Dwarven enterprises in various shapes and forms in which a number of PCS have come together and sought their place. The downside of each of these endeavors however was the reliance upon either the hub setting or the presence of NPCs. There have been some who struck away from such, the Mithril Souls of EFU1 for instance were rich of pursuits in the Canal Ward yet on the whole the Canal itself was still very attached to the main setting.

With the implementation of a Dwarven Lair I and a few players found ourselves wondering a number of "What if...?'" scenarios.

[indent]What if unlike the Dumathoin-centered Delving and it's search for "The crown" as so many other factions of EFU:M were there was a group of dwarves pursuing something that had never been done?

What if instead of the Stoutheart Dwarves of EFU:1 who so vehemently served Sanctuary they were "Gifted" a hold by Sanctuary to carve into the stone and battle the countless chosen threatening Sanctuary, our own carved?

What if instead of suffering the compromising politics of Sanctuary or the brutal cult-fashions of Lower somewhere akin to New Dunwarren could be rasied? A place where Good could be -good-?

What if there was a hub-type feeling of a setting that was entirely PC driven to the point in which town guards, mages, craftsmen, artists, and more could form under PC leadership?[/indent]

Around these few questions I pitched the idea to a few PCs who I know in the past were affiliated with many dwarven groups and since then I've struck out on one of my most fun endeavors of EFU to date.[/hide]

The Deep Roads of Tam Khlerau is a Dwarven Faction that is by no means solely stuck to Dwarven PCs. Playing up the Paladinic idea of the "Protector" rather than the "Crusader" it is my hope to see a place where goodly folk of all races and walks (If they prove themselves through suitably goodly feats) may find themselves a home and place of refuge in an otherwise horrific and hostile territory.

Dwarves are slow to trust but once such a bond is forged it is not one likely to be broken on their end.  Through this experiment we have been pursuing a completely autonomous enterprise in which the Sanctuarian Guilds, Lower, the Wilds, and even Monsters would have a new aspect to play with.

Though it is a lofty goal I am hoping that in time we may be able to see things flourish to the point where there is an entire new "Region" of the server in which treaties could be made, alliances forged, politics spawned, and even things such as PC Ambassadors to Sanctuary, Trade Caravans to and from Sanctuary, and more can be pursued.

If this strikes a chord with you as it has myself I welcome you to throw me a forum PM or swing by #Dorf on IRC.

Alignment: Non Evil
Race: Any (Though Dwarves have their place any non-evil sentient race can find place if they perform suitable deeds enough to earn Dwarven Trust)
Class: Any (Yes, Even Druids if so inclined. We live in a big hole underground so it is not as if we shatter the balance)

I will however add this final note:

THE UNDERDARK IS DANGEROUS. WE HAVE ALREADY LOST MANY PCS DUE TO THE HIGH CHANCE OF DEATH FROM SIMPLY WALKING AROUND. IF YOU ARE A NON-STEALTH OR NON-INVISIBLE HAVING CLASS BE PREPARED FOR A SURVIVAL/HORROR TYPE OF CHALLENGE.[/font][/b][/size]

Me? I've loved the post-apocalyptic feel of scrounging for supplies and food and resources and so on in a horrible world. This style of play though is not for everyone.

[Random_White_Guy]

[hide=Fighters]Body Guard: A fairly straightforward Fighter Perk. A PC with the Bodyguard Perk could easily find themselves place as an armed escort to our "Prospector" style PC of which we already have a few. Escorting laborers to sites of ore and similar

Bounty Hunter: There is no shortage of monsters in the dark and a righteous haven of Dwarven hold will have no shortage of threats. A Bounty Hunter in a more goodly setting would be charged with the hunting of monsters and criminals instead of more of an assassin style

Brawler: Dwarves love their drink and even Dwarves of the most noble sort have themselves taverns and brawls. A fight-night style bruiser could have themselves a great bit of fun spending time around the Lair or challenging Sanctuarians to come visit and do some pugilistic competitions

Cutthroat: Survival is hard, even for Dwarves. Not every dwarf is of a noble or pleasant birth and in the apocalypse you have to do what you can to survive. A non-goodly Dwarven survivor and rugged survivalist could easily satisfy the Cut-throat perk.

Desert Warrior: Probably not the most applicable. Though it wouldn't be hard to say you had been a caravan style nomad around Calshite territory and after being there so long adapted culture and style

Drill Sergeant: Dwarven Armies need training too. In the harsh and brutal Underdark death is common and a high level Drill Sergeant utilizing the perks' tools could easily help some level 2 or 3 dwarf out of the harder parts of the server through escort, boot camp, and more.

Duelist: Honor is a large deal to Dwarven individuals. Duels are not uncommon and a Dwarven Duelist would not be something extreme to consider. It would be in a similar vein of the Brawler

Lay Sword: To the Dwarven People the Pantheon is sizable. In my opinion the Dwarves of FR are some of the most true to a pan-thiestic world view. I attribute them more to like the Greeks than modern day faith so any Dwarven Settlement would have lay-swords of any faith to defend and protect the faith's interests

Man-at-arms: Dwarven regulars, from fighting Goblins to Gnolls to Trolls to GIANTS, a man at arms finds themselves place and purpose in any dwarven enterprise as regulars in an army or one who has crawled up the ranks to prominence

Marksman: WIth the new changes to Crossbows taking the magic weapon spell, this is a concept that shows sizable promise. Plus Dwarves with Crossbows just look awesome.

Pit Fighter: In a similar vein of Brawler or Duelist a Dwarven Gladiator could seek to challenge the greatest monsters and warriors of the land in brutal one-on-one pit combat

Rebel: Though a rebel would have difficulty finding place in most civilized societies one who is suitably good hearted and his actions against a true cause could potentially find refuge behind thick dwarven walls. A rebel fighting the cruelties of Upper or otherwise could suit.

Self-taught: The world has ended and not everyone had the best teacher of arms training. You could be a laborer who was separated from his home and took up his hammer to smash skulls instead of rocks. Not the best trained but you know how to get the job done.

Sellsword: Life's hard. Get paid

Sharpshooter: Bows less likely than Crossbows but a Dwarf who was raised in a more human style settlement seeking to get back to his roots could easily find place.

Slaver: Instead of enslaving humanas you could easily play up the Monsterous/Labor angle. Hunting goblins for slave labor, playing "Beastmaster" seeking to tame the harsh beasts of the Underdark, and so forth

Squire: A Dwarven King must have his dutiful squire, 'nuff said

Vagabond: The apocalypse is full of vagabonds and those who scrap and salvage to survive. Dwarves are hardy and tough to kill even in the most mundane of armors.

Vigilante: Similar to rebel but instead of battling the tyranny of upper you could engage in putting the hurt on the mad cults, evil brigands, and those who would dare bring harm upon the dwarven people in the wide roads of the underdark

Watchman: A Dwarven keep has need of Dwarven protectors. Guards, soldiers, dutiful defenders standing watch to protect the innocent and those who have sought refuge.[/hide]
Instead of a wide list for Rogues I'll simply say there is a huge variety of roguish "Themes" that can be played up in a goodly setting even if it is one that is somewhat more lawful. Merchants, Diplomats, Spies, Scholars, Medics, Scavening Prospectors and more you can all conjure up through a variety of the Roguish traits.

Similarly for Barbarians there is the fabled "DWARVEN BEZERKER" that could fit any variety of concepts based upon which perk you chose and the harsh setting we dwell in. No two dwarven barbarians are the same and the perk chosen can hugely change your concept's play.

[hide=Sorcerors (A few omitted due to evil presence)]Arcane Mimic: Dwarves are not traditionally magical folk and in the wake of Mystryl's rebirth there is no telling what effects such would have on Dwarven blood. Dwarven Mimics have existed on EFU in the past and could play an interesting spin on an old classic

Contriver: Dwarves are widely known for their love of armor and defensive positions. A Contriver could easily fit into a dwarven army of regulars as a strange hybrid of war-wizard and walking artillery

Cultists: Given the nature of Dwarves it would not be hard to see an Earth Cultist or a Fire Cultist or even a beast-cultists Dwarf playing up an aspect of this unique summoning perk. Even the Lawful or Goodly Celestial themes could be pursued for IG flavor to a dwarf of any style.

Hematologist: Physical form and magic are an odd thing but to the Dwarven they are at times intertwined. There's many unique concepts that could play up this angle of tapping into true dwarven potential and so on.

Mesmerizing: The world is a harsh place and a soft word and calm demeanor is something dwarven male and female alike are known for. Spinning that notion into a Mesmerizer could make for a very interesting diplomatic presence or simply someone using their powers to survive in the depths.

Planar Bound: Goodly ties can come from any of the Dwarven Gods save for abathor and the Duergar faiths.

Spellsword: There have been many notable Dwarven Spellswords who have thrived in pursuit of learning how to mix their unique dwarven strengths with raw martial fury and magics. You could add your PC to this list easily.

Stalker: Survival in the harsh dark breeds all manner of evolutionary tendencies. A Dwarven Stalker would be a strange step away from the traditional Stalker of EFU and allow for everything from espionage and worship of the Hidden Silence that is Dumathoin for treasure hunting to simply a mysterious dwarven presence.

Zealous Faith: Dwarven faiths are supremely good an in all forms promote all manner of zealous actions. A sorceror with Zealous Faith would fit in well with the diverse dwarven pantheon.[/hide][hide=Bards] With the new bard perks it adds a new spin on an old classic.

Blade: A Blade would be an interesting take upon the classic "Dwarven War Axe" existing as an item, just throwing it out there!

Cantor (Good only): SPread the blessed Gospel of the Dwarven Faiths as we struggle to endure and keep hope in these dark times.

Dwarven Barreller (Dwarf only): Obviously works from default! :D

You enjoy the finer things in life. A hearty laugh, a goblin to clobber, and a barrel of dwarven ale. The most whimsical of dwarves, you are still stout and dependable and your brothers are always glad to have you along to brighten the dark tunnels of the mines.

Gypsy: Struggling to survive without place the need for protection could lead you to stop your nomadic ways to struggle to find new place amongst a steadfast hold.

Jack of All Trades: A dwarven survivor well and true, you could have many EFUSS skills for various labors and undertakings to fill any need to prove your use.

Jester: A dancer, an acter, a King's fool. Dance for your Dwarven King!

Loremaster: Dwarven Scholars are widely known for their thick beards and love of history. An older sort of figure could easily fill this role of preserving past that was destroyed and recording present for future generations

Minstrel: DRUMS....DRUMS IN THE DEEP

Orator: An ambassador type PC I could see rocking as a Dwarven Bard. Contacting various parties, working out treaties and negotiations, ensuring the best for the Dwarven people while ensuring we have friends in all the right places could be heaps of fun.

Skald: March and March and March and Fight. A Dwarven Skald would have both tales and martial fury marching forward against all odds to survive in the Underdark.

Spellsinger: ~~~Magic. Frankly this one can fit almost any dwarven concept, probably though I would advise an interest in the deity of Brightmantle given his magical presence in the Dwarven Pantheon

Troubadour: Swoon the dwarven ladies and help your bachelor King find the perfect Dwarven Queen[/hide]

Rangers as well are supreme for the Dwarven and for survivability given our harsh environment. With no shortage of enemies and hunters aplenty a Ranger can easily find place away from the larger portions of EFU for the isolated presence of a survivalistic holdfast.

We also cannot forget the rich Dwarven Faiths many of which can produce a wide variety of awesome clerics (Except for Abathor and Duergar faiths).

Then there's always Monks, Wizard, and countless other concepts that can be arranged from a VAST style of dwarven lore, culture, and so on. Even Druids!

[Pigadig]

What little interactions with this that I have had with my limited playtime have been amazingly fun.

[SN]

This needs love, for once RwG is doing a PROPER thing.

[Random_White_Guy]

I should probably note that my primary timezone for playing is U.S. Evenings which is around 9PM CST (GMT-6). I've lost a fair few folks already to timezone differences so I felt it'd be prudent to post that here.

I'm more than glad to interact and have people in the factions from outside timezones but my primary playtimes won't see us encountering one another all too often.

So if you're joining up just to join in my hijinks you'll probably be better served finding another concept unless our timezones match accordingly.

[MaximumOverDrive]

+++ thumbs up for this concept

[StoneFolk]

Mention should be made of the LAIR SYSTEM which is amazing and basically what every dwarf delving concept ever has always wanted. You can actually develop and improve the faction headquarters by bringing in resources.

[TheShadow]

I Fully support this! Absolutely awesome opportunity here, if you've ever wanted to play a good dwarf, now is one of those times :D

[Random_White_Guy]

So...

Ontop of my terrible timezone I've had an RL spike and my playtimes have been severely reduced. I apologize to those who have stuck out the concept and are continuing to live that #DORF lyfe in my reduced capacity. I was sitting around on a break at work and realized I had been IG like 3 hours in almost the last week.

To me that's rare and kinda bleh feeling but at the same time, RL takes precedent.

To those of you who have been meaning to meet and I've missed I welcome you to send me forum letters/etc so we can at least have some modicum of interaction and start fostering involvement. I'm also hoping to soon as we get the IC meetings squared away we can get a forum for the faction established to allow me to keep in touch in my reduced capacity. With RL mounting though I am thoroughly in love with this concept and am eager to see it succeed.

As a habitual EFUer with a tendancy to lose myself in EFU and mainline then overdose on the sweet conflict that is EFU I just feel I'm entering into new territory. If it stops being fun for you don't hesitate to throw in the towel or move on to another concept. I don't see it as a personal issue since I've been so absent. (And I have a track record and history so don't feel bad lol)

This is a whole new frontier for me as typically my PCs are too short lived to even survive to have RL spike on me like this ^_^. So I guess feel free to roll another concept, keep fighting the good fight or do what's fun.

The concept endures. And it's been fun seeing people in #EFU laugh about "RwG Getting RwGed" but I'm quite alright if you want to bail and go on to something else.

Otherwise-  "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east."

[StoneFolk]

Roll dwarf, DM's will spawn horrible monsters and try to kill you

uh, it's more fun than it sounds.

[Random_White_Guy]

With my playtimes soon to return to a sliver of normal I'm going to give this the ol' Bumplestiltskin.

If you've ever wanted to play a non-sanctuary PC with goodly intentions now's the time to give it a potential go.  Though we are a primarily dwarven faction the foundation of the pursuit is rooted in an idea similar to New Dunwarren in EFU's first chapter. A place in which goodly people may do goodly things and not be forced to compromise beneath the illusory shield of the questionable spellguard, protected by the questionable watchers, and similar.

Human paladins, Halfling Clerics, Gnomish Heroes, Harpers, and more could all feasibly and non-dwarven style find themselves place and purpose. Earning a place is no small task but nothing in the underdark is easy. Equally a degree of conflict and another layer of handling internal affairs comes from non-dwarves over a homogenous dwarven faction so by all means feel free to approach me IC or OOCly about potential concepts.

It's a harder existence but what doesn't kill us makes our beards grow stronger.

[Random_White_Guy]

Don't forget there's sizable potential for PRESTIGE amongst the dorfs.

[indent]Mauls, Warhammers, Battleaxes, or even the illustrious Dwarven War Axe are all viable options for a dwarven warrior to march forward in search of acclaim as a true master.

To earn the Weapon Master prestige class, the following is helpful:

Have a reputation.

Be a skillful warrior who focuses exclusively on a particular kind of weapon.

Seek out particularly dangerous situations in order to challenge your skill to the limit.

Seek out from an existing weapon-master (NPC or PC) to learn from them, and/or defeat a weaponmaster in battle.

Study different forms of fighting, and be familiar with schools of battle, etc.

These are guidelines, not rules. As always, being creative about the best way your character could earn this PrC is the best way forward.

As my PC is a legitimate Dwarven King there's potential for dwarven squires and bannersmen to attempt to rise and adhere to the strictest edicts and codes to distinguish themselves from the commoner to rise to the illustrious "Dwarven Knight".

In EfU, the standard prestige class Purple Dragon Knight has no mechanical requirements and should be considered simply as "Knight"

In order to approve a concept, it is necessary to:

- Have a creative and interesting concept
- Have an interesting code of conduct that is rigorously adhered to and clearly explain this code in your application
- Be "Knighted" by a NPC or PC with the privilege of doing so (i.e. anything from a noble Lord to a devilish Arch Duke)

Or if you're feeling particularly bold there's always the opportunity to go big, go hard, and go the distance for the literal Dwarven Superhero. Traditionally Dwarven Defenders in EFU have lead factions but that's by no means a prerequisite and a common misconception. I would be glad to help cultivate the kind of reputation required for such a feat and there's no shortage of real threats in the Underdark that require a true hero to tackle.

Info: More to come

General Requirements:

To become a Dwarven Defender, you must be a champion of the Dwarven Cause. Your character should be incredibly courageous, heroic, and effective in the field of the battle. He should lead and/or highly support dwarves and the dwarvish people. He should ideally have a significant reputation for being a heroic, unbreakable wall in the field of battle for the cause of the dwarves.

Or if you're feeling particularly brazen and want to play up some of the Arthurian Legend style of King and Mage combination there's always opportunity and potential for a Bloodmage of Dwarven Heritage to emerge and be the Merlin of Tam Khlerau.

Bloodmage is no small task but it's literally my most applied for and favorite PRC in all of EFU. 100% unique to the setting, huge risks for potential massive rewards or ruin and as our settlement is beyond Sanctuary and in the throes of the Wilds it does make thematic sense.

Dwarven Runecasters are existing from time to time and a Dwarven Bloodmage is something a fair few PCs have pursued in EFU's past.

Lastly of course the Dwarven Pantheon is one of the most awesome and polythiestic religions of the setting. Each god is unique and unlike other races the Dwarves seem to play up the "all gods are important" angle more than humans and other deities.

In order to earn this prestige class (Divine Champion), the following is helpful:

Accomplishing some or multiple things on behalf of your deity.

Having a reputation for being a major supporter of your faith.

Having the support/sanction of your Church/institutional faith.

These are guidelines, not rules. Creativity is always best.

[/indent]

Though a PC such as "Knight" or "Weaponmaster" or even "Bloodmage" could just as easily be human, gnomish, or even a halfling as easily as it can be a dwarf. Again Tam Khlerau is an enterprise I am hoping to push for all goodly beings though there is definitely some dwarven lean to it.

[Pup]

Seems pretty cool despite RwG's leadership.  They got a neat set-up and plenty of DM love/hate.  If I didn't love my current char I would roll up a dorf and join up.


Kidding of course.  Everyone knows Pup loves RwG's face very hard.

[StoneFolk]

RWG's leadership is pretty hands off, so long as you keep in mind it's *his* lair

[Random_White_Guy]

RWG's leadership is pretty hands off, so long as you keep in mind it's *his* lair

Well. I've certainly been busy with RL for sure. The situation is gradually improving and I've got more IG time for matters of negotiations, lair fun, and similar.The lair system though is one of those things where people are eager to join but it's still a matter of something similar to an association. In the past Dwarven Factions from the Stouthearts to Mithrilsouls to The EFU:A dwarves of various stonekin holds to  EFU:M's delving have been pretty cavalier about membership and similar. It's important to remember that the situation of the Dwarven people is pretty dire and as matters deteriorate within the FR setting the PC culture continues to develop in many shapes and form.

Simply showing up as a dwarf isn't a golden ticket as it was in the past but I am hoping we may cultivate a very cool and unique story unparalleled in the EFU experience.

It's about 80% experiment 10% lair and 10% dwarven experience but if that interests you I fully welcome you to seek us out.  Thanks to the lair set up we can provide something special to the PC populace and those who have stepped forward to aid.

That being said PCs who are proactive and eager to get involved in matters beyond our settlement is welcomed. At present I'd go so far as to say about 9/10 dwarves are involved but not and have their own agendas independent of my efforts. It's a unique take on EFU and I'd be glad to asssist any PC interested in giving it a go, dwarven or otherwise be you human, elf, gnome, or so on seeking a Goodly endeavor.