Dragon	Races	-	1e AD&D	Dragon 109
-	-	-	-	-

Two warriors come face-to-face on a
crowded street, and instantly an awkward
situation springs into being. Neither is
familiar with the other, but one of them
must move aside and, by doing so, humble
himself to a small degree. Both men are
aware that duels have been sparked by
mishandling meetings such as this. One of
the deadlocked pair is a young soldier, full
of energy but barely past the stage of being
a recruit. The other is a veteran of many
campaigns; years of living in the field have
replaced his youthful energy with practiced
efficiency. Both sets of eyes scan each figure
before them. The younger then recognizes
and pays the respect due to his superior by
giving way to him. The veteran moves past
without a glance for the younger.
 

Any society has a pecking order, and a
necessary social skill is the ability to identify
one's station within that order. In the above
situation, a young man read the small signs
that identified his fellow pedestrian as his
senior in status as well as in years. These
signs are found in things such as clothing,
possessions, and bearing. Any of these
could have supplied the vital clue which
brought the youngster to his decision. Perhaps
it was the worn but well-cared-for
sword which hung from a broad, scarred,
sweat-stained belt. Maybe the elder?s confident
stance told of many dangers survived
over the years. The veteran could have
carried or worn a hard-gained symbol of
honor, such as a bracer from the lord of the
city, denoting that the bearer had slain fivescore
opponents on the field of battle. The
veteran, of course, has no trouble identifying
a recruit, even one who might have
fooled himself into believing he is not.

Most humans can readily figure out
where they stand in regard to another human.
But what of non-human races? There
are various signs and signals which are
used, consciously and unconsciously, by
other races to make known their status. A
member of any race can learn those symbols.
This article examines one of the least
colorful (and therefore less expressive)
races: the dwarves

Dwarves have several notable racial
characteristics, but their most universal one
is also the most often overlooked by outsiders.
All mature dwarves have beards, and
dwarven culture always incorporates the
beard as a form of expression or an indicator
of status.

Great importance is attached to the first
appearance of a dwarf's beard. It marks the
beginning of maturity for the dwarf,
whether male or female. Although a stoic
race, dwarves are very proud individuals.
This pride is evident when a father takes his
son before the council of elders to announce
the first sprouting of the latter?s beard. Both
parents take no less pride when they announce
the availability of their daughter for
courtship. In either of these occasions, it is
difficult to tell who is more proud, the parents
or the offspring. The newly hirsute
dwarf of either sex accepts the mantle of
adulthood in honored eloquence.

As the new beard lengthens and fills out,
it gains decorations and designs. Beards are
carefully washed and groomed by their
owners. Unattached females festoon their
lesser growths with bits of colorful ribbon
and polished gemstones. The young male
displays his bristling growth to best advantage
by brushing it out in an aggressive
flare. These types of adornments or styles
mark the dwarves who have come to maturity
within the last decade or so. It is only
fitting that one of the rituals of a dwarven
wedding is the exchange of locks of hair
from the beards of the betrothed. These are
then worn around the neck on a chain,
preferably of gold, thus symbolizing the
common beard of the married pair. A dwarf
unable to supply a lock of hair from a sparse
beard is obviously too young to marry.

Females put away many of their decorations
when they marry. Now that the female
has found a mate, there is little need to
advertise her desirability to the unattached
men of her society. Once she begins the
serious task of raising young ones and running
a household, she puts aside the frippery
of youth. Her beard is worn in a more
utilitarian manner. Simple braids replace
the once-complex weavings. Only on special
occasions will a married female dress up her
beard with colors or jewels. Festivals and
holy days, such as Berronar?s First Day, will
bring out the young girl hidden within her.
Widows are the exception to this rule. All
year round and at all functions, they hide
their beards completely as a continual display
of mourning until their own deaths.
Shorter periods of mourning exist for the
loss of close kin or a royal demise.

On the other hand, the beard of the male
acquires more decoration as his life progresses
The male dwarf shows his prowess
and social status by braiding and knotting
his facial tresses in patterns. Each braid or
knot is more than mere decoration. A discerning
eye can locate the battle knots
within a campaign braid. The same eye
would be able to distinguish, by the turns
and twists of the knots, between a dwarf
who conducts raids and a home-defense
dwarf.

Dwarves not known to one another may
read each other?s profession or rank by the
lay of the hair. A blacksmith would wear his
beard forked to help keep it out of the hot
coals. Miners wear their beards tucked into
their belts to prevent them from hindering
movement while crawling on hands and
knees in tight places. Tanners? beards have
a crowded, matted look to them because
they are stuffed into bags to protect them
from the harsh chemicals their wearer uses
on the job.

The wealth of a dwarven clan, and the
source of that wealth, can be displayed in
the beard. Gold miners would have gold
wire woven into their beards, and silver
wire would be found in the braids of a
silver-rich clan. Dwarves who specialize in
jewels would affix small gems to their
beards.

A true appreciation of the many types of
hirsute exhibits can be gained by witnessing
a major dwarven festival or gathering. A
festival such as the anniversary of the
founding of the clan brings out all manner
of dwarven finery. Once again, womenfolk
ply their girlish skills, but now with the
richest colored cords, jewels, and precious
metals. Men brush their beards, reweave
knots and braids, and include their own
measure of wealth into their displays. Contests
are held during the festival, some of
which concern beards. The beard-length
competition takes place, along with such
skill sports as axe-throwing and splitting
stone pillars with hammers. Other hairoriented
titles are ?best decorated? (usually
taken by a female) and the ?True Beard.?
The ?True Beard? is that which is found to
most perfectly reflect the spirit of the dwarven
race. The owner of this beard is raised
above his or her peers as the ?Soul of the
Clan? until the close of the festival.

A gathering of the clans is a more somber
occasion, but nonetheless a circumstance for
impressive beard displays. The heads of the
various clans and their retainers meet during
the gathering to take up one or more
matters of grave concern, matters that are
important to all clans of the kingdom. Such
subjects as naming the crown-heir or a dire
threat of invasion warrant a gathering of the
clans. Because of the background of power
struggles and political intrigue these gatherings
entail, beard decorations are important
to proclaim strength and impress opponents.
An outsider finding himself at a
gathering of the clans would be struck by
both the air of gravity found there and the
numbers of braids and knots worn by each
dwarf.

A gathering of the clans is a more somber
occasion, but nonetheless a circumstance for
impressive beard displays. The heads of the
various clans and their retainers meet during
the gathering to take up one or more
matters of grave concern, matters that are
important to all clans of the kingdom. Such
subjects as naming the crown-heir or a dire
threat of invasion warrant a gathering of the
clans. Because of the background of power
struggles and political intrigue these gatherings
entail, beard decorations are important
to proclaim strength and impress opponents.
An outsider finding himself at a
gathering of the clans would be struck by
both the air of gravity found there and the
numbers of braids and knots worn by each
dwarf.

Dwarven lore reflects the importance of
the beard in dwarven culture. Dwarven
children are often raised and educated by
word of mouth, being taught of ancient
heroes by listening to their elder?s tales. All
great dwarves are said to have been endowed
with long, flowing beards. The females
of legendary romances invariably
have been blessed with full, beautiful beards
of the finest hair. Youngsters are told of the
great hero Krudarnen, whose beard was of
such length and so filled with battle knots
that young children would use it to climb to
ride upon his shoulders. They learn the
punishment of the renegade Darnolf, who
betrayed the secret mountain pass
Bikhaalan Gap to orcs and was subsequently
captured by the surviving dwarves.
Before he was put to death his beard was
destroyed ? not merely shaved off roughly
as is usually the case with a disgraced
dwarf, but scorched off with white-hot coals
so as not to offend the spirit of a metal
blade.

The deities of dwarves share this emphasis
of beards. Moradin, the Soul Forger, is
said to have a beard of such grand proportion
that he wraps it around his girth and
carries his hammer thrust into it. Some
dwarves hold that the veins of ore that they
break free from common rock are, in fact,
the tendrils of the Beard of Dumathoin, the
Keeper of Secrets. One dwarven tale relates
how the great warrior Dunfruth wove his
beard to form a shirt and forswore any
other sort of armor. The Father of Battle,
Clanggedin Silverbeard, was so taken with
the spirit of this dwarf that he enchanted the
hair, causing it to give protection as normal
chain mail. The legend further relates how
the evil god Abbathor conspired with Vergadain,
god of luck, and foully tricked Dunfruth
into gambling his beard away.
Realizing his disgrace, the morally shattered
dwarf sought to redeem himself by
single-handedly attacking an orc village,
seeking to slay its chieftain. The defenseless
warrior slew thirty of the foe before he was
overwhelmed. The beard-shirt now forms a
formidable part of Abbathor?s armor and is
a treasure that would bring great honor and
glory to the dwarf who recovers it.

With role models and gods such as these,
young dwarves come to associate beards
with all things honorable and right, while a
naked face is equated with untrustworthiness
and immaturity. Given this, is it any
wonder that dwarves have an instinctive
aversion to the bare-faced elven race?

Pro-beard bias is most strongly felt by
dwarves who deal little with the outside
world. Those who remain at home in the
caverns are seldom exposed to denuded
faces except when their home is raided by
enemies. Any stranger in the habit of shaving
who visits dwarven population centers
should be prepared to be treated with very
little respect. Indeed, if he knows well in
advance that his business will take him to a
dwarven stronghold, he would be well advised
to let his beard grow as much as possi
ble. Elves are therefore always at a
disadvantage. A good way for visitors to
allay suspicion and gain better treatment is
to be accompanied by one or more dwarves
? better still, by dwarves of that town or
burg who are fellow adventurers. Never,
but never, should they try to use fake
beards.

Dwarves may not initially be aware that
women of other races are not capable of
growing beards, but they learn to adapt to
this situation and not hold it against them
too greatly -- even if the dwarves cannot
help but admit among themselves how
unattractive such beardless women appear.
In the worst of cases, dwarven males tend to
treat beardless women of other races in a
condescending manner, while female
dwarves treat them with pity.

Dwarves look upon their beards not only
as individual badges, but also as a racial
trait to be proud of. They can understand
an inferior non-dwarf beard not being able
to reach superior dwarven standards.  Because
of this, they do not apply quite the
same criteria when judging the beard of a
member of another race. This is not to say
that just any sort of beard finds favor in the
eyes of a dwarf. It is inconceivable to a
dwarf that anyone would want to intentionally
shave a beard off, because having this
done, coupled with exile from the ancestral
home, constitutes the punishment of a
dwarf who brings great dishonor upon his
clan or himself. Beard styles such as the
Vandyke, goatee, or Fu Manchu would be
viewed with much curiosity, but without
approval. A short, cropped beard is more
acceptable than one that has been intentionally
maimed into a bizarre shape.

Dwarven beard bias can change, but in
keeping with the conservatism of the race,
this process remains a phlegmatic evolution.
Dwarves who venture out of the mountains
lose the bulk of their bias as time passes and
they are exposed to more diverse cultures.
A younger dwarf first setting out will be
shocked (but not visibly) by the odd customs
and appearances he will see. After
only two or three decades of living outside
of dwarven society, he will be able to control
his automatic revulsion at the sight of an
adult naked face. After another decade or
two, he may even be able to lessen his distrust
response as well. He will learn there is
more to judging a person than reading his
beard. Indeed, his first encounter with a
devious, long-bearded charlatan will teach
him much, especially if his purse is much
lighter afterward

As in any society, separate dwarven communities
will develop qualities of their own.
Although different clans and burgs will have
variations of designs and customs, the beard
will remain an important part of their culture.
Beards can be likened to the colorful
coats of arms worn by cavaliers and nobility,
proclaiming place of origin and status.
Have care, however ? beards could be
more than decorative. A dwarven thief
could hide small emergency tools such as
lock picks in his. An assassin could slip
through several searches by careful guards
by concealing a fine wire garrot within his
luxuriant growth.

The next time your character encounters
a dwarf unknown to him, look to the beard.
It could reveal something about the dwarf
that you might not find out otherwise. Lips
don?t always speak the truth, but a dwarfs
beard hardly ever lies.

MAY 1986

I agree totally with Jean Wells about Dwarven
women having beards. Concerning the remark
about never meeting a female dwarf without a
beard, the players in this area have never met a
dwarf woman with a beard! This also seems to be
a matter that would fit better under the description
of Dwarves in the Monster Manuals or Players
Handbook rather than in the DMG. It makes no
difference though since each DM can decide for
himself if female dwarves have beards. They
won’t in my campaign.
<author=x>
<issue=x>
 

Interoffice message

Hey, Jake! You're the guy in charge around
here, and I need a decision. We keep on getting
these crazy letters about beards and dwarves, in
spite of all we've done to cut off the pointless arguing.
Because I can't help being a nice guy, I suppose
we ought to publish these, but this should be
absolutely the last word on bearded female
dwarves.

-- Kim
(Dragon #44)
 

He oughta know

To the Editors:
I would first like to establish my credentials for
the purposes of this letter. I am a Dwarf in good
standing of the acclaimed Beerbelly Clan. I am
aging fast, being some 500 years old, but I still
have my wits about me and am of sound mind, if
not body.

Being Dwarves, we of the clan, which now resides
in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, are
naturally into the FRP scene. We receive, through
our agents, every fantasy game or publication
which has any mention at all of Dwarves. Our goal
is to keep everything as factual as possible, which
gets tough when you consider that we Dwarves
number very few these days. It was because of
this, however, that the issue of our fairer sex and
their facial hair came to my attention. After reading
Michael Mattis’s letter, Mr. Gygax’s reply, and <link>
Erol Bayburt’s letter, all of us clan members were a <link>
little miffed So it is that I take Holy Typewriter in
hand and file the true facts about Dwarven
women and beards.

Most Dwarven women do have beards and I
must say that most look quite good in them. However,
just as there are human males who have little
or no facial hair, so too are there Dwarven women
with little or no facial hair. This is hereditary and, in
some instances, by tribe. Personally, we find nothing
wrong with anybody, male or female, having a
beard. We consider it strictly a matter of personal
taste or lack thereof.

So there you have it, the absolute truth. If anyone
is to question this opinion, I would seriously
consider if he or she is qualified as a Dwarf to give
any opinion on the subject. I would also question
the legitimacy of any other letters from people
claiming to be Dwarves. You just can’t trust people
these days
    Odorf the Dwarf
    Superstition Mts., Ariz
    (Dragon #44)
 

He oughta know

Dear Editor.
I would like to reply to the opinion on female
dwarves and their beards — the fact is that there
are no female dwarves whatsoever. Dwarves, as
most people have come to feel, are the “technos”
of most worlds; this means they have an advanced
technology level (and) they clone themselves. This
explains why you never hear of any female
dwarves.
    Mark Manzano
    Chevy Chase, Md.
    (Dragon #44)
 

She oughta know
-
Dear Editors:
Will this endless quibbling never cease? Who
CARES if female dwarves have beards or not?
(TD#41) Why not let each DM or player or gaming <link>
group decide for themselves, for Ghu’s sake?!

Answer me this: Will the fact of dwarven
women having or NOT having beards affect the
outcome of the game in any major capacity? In
my humble opinion, the answer is “no.” Not, of
course, unless the DM has designed a “beard
catcher” as one of his nasty little traps, and a female
character of the dwarven persuasion (although
no one ever had to persuade me to be a
Dwarf-lady!) happens to be one of the party who’d
sprung the trap and.  .  .

OY! This is getting out of hand! Now you’ve got
me doing it!

C’mon, EGG and the rest of you guys! Grow
up! If you’re going to argue, then do it about something
worthwhile — like “do we go techno and
nuke Iran off the face of the earth or do we send in
a party of chaotic neutral fighter-mage mercs to
teleport the hostages home and drop the
Ayatollah with a black arrow.
    (Mrs.) Lori Tartaglio
    Mercerville, N.J.
    (Dragon #44)

Hey, Kim! I agree: That's it on bearded dwarven
women! See if you can find another piece on pole
arms . . . ! (Boy, you try to bring a little enlightenment
into a few people's lives and whadda ya get?
"Grow-up" letters . . . Jeezz.)

-- Jake
(Dragon #44)