A Summary of the Dwarven Caste System

- Written by Archmage Davic Malatankion, Chief Scribe of Elanath's Tower, 12th of Harvestfall, 103 C.E.

Dwarves are peculiar among all the races of Titania for their very unusual method of determining one's lineage. Dwarven ancestry is determined via a very simple process, and parentage has something to do with it just as it does in any culture - but where dwarves differ is in the methodology they use to determine one's noble ancestry. Quite simply, any dwarf from any clan can be considered "nobility" to a certain extent - providing, of course, their hair is the right color. There are four common hair colors among dwarves, and their meanings are as follows:

- Brown, the most common hair color, is considered the "ignoble" color of the four, and dwarves with brown hair are almost always seen as commoners, serving as laborers, enlisted soldiers, and servants. Many brown-haired dwarves choose to live among the surface races rather than be relegated to such a status, and for this reason, most dwarves found in Falconia and other cities of the like are brown-haired.
- Black, the next most common color, is considered a color denoting minor nobility. Traditionally, black-haired dwarves have been peerless military leaders among their people. All black-haired dwarves are allowed to claim some percentage of ancestry from the noble Blackhammer clan, and most black-haired dwarves are groomed for lives in the military from an early age.
- Blond, the second-rarest of dwarven hair colors, is a color which denotes aristocracy and refinement. Blond-haired dwarves are known for their shrewd mercantile experience and acumen for business; as such, many blond-haired dwarves use their noble lineage to establish themselves as prominent merchants. Blond-haired dwarves can claim ancestry from the Amberforge clan, however many choose to refrain from doing so as a result of the Amberforge clan's recent history - namely, their exile from the primary dwarven seat of Kinsfort.
- Red, the rarest dwarven hair color, signifies the blood right of leadership, and is considered the most noble of any hair color for a dwarf to be born with. Although not all red-haired dwarves become great leaders, all are treated as the ancestors of kings in some respect. Red-haired dwarves count themselves among the ancestors of the legendary Redbeard clan, a noble clan which has produced many great kings of the dwarven people. Though not all dwarven rulers are red-haired, most of the greatest and oft-revered rulers have been of the Redbeard line.
- Though not technically a hair color found a birth, dwarves with white or gray hair should be mentioned here, as they are afforded their own special status. Elderly dwarves are considered to be a unique caste "outside" the system of nobility - they are revered as elders of their people, and whether their hair was brown, black, blond or red in their youth, they are all seen as equals in their later years. Most elder dwarves technically remain in their original caste, however, staying with their sons and daughters, whose responsibility it is to care for them.


As a race which bears as its most prominent physical feature the growth of a beard, it shouldn't come as a surprise that hair plays a role in determining such an integral part of their society. What is surprising, however, is the social mobility this can provide (or afflict) a member of dwarven society with. A red-haired dwarf born to brown-haired parents can often move several social stations above his parents, despite his family name; whereas a brown-haired dwarf born to blond- or red-haired parents is doomed to the life of a commoner. Though it is deeply unfortunate, many brown-haired dwarven children are killed or abandoned, as their "noble-blooded" parents would rather lose their child than face the shame of birthing a common dwarf.


Though it is not entirely unheard of, hair dyeing is severely, severely discouraged among dwarven society. A dwarf who attempts to alter his or her social status by dyeing their hair puts their life very much in danger, as those found guilty of trying to cheat the system are relegated to a "dishonored" status below that of even a commoner at best; more often, they are put to death.

As one of Titania's oldest societies, the dwarves are a race known for being steeped in tradition and history. This tradition of nobility by hair color, while perhaps idiosyncratic by all other races' standards, should no less be revered and respected, and other races would do well to be mindful of this tradition when interacting with dwarves.