So I had some trouble deciding what I was going to do for today’s prompt, but thanks to the help of @mernolan over the in the WBJ Discord chat, I’ve made a decision!
Yesterday I introduced you to the Danukhâna and the dwarves of Westerisle. Since Gunnora is half Danukhâna and Alfdis is half Westerisle (both on their mothers’ sides) I think it’s a good idea to dig in a little bit about these two different cultures, especially since both will be pretty relevant to upcoming chapters of the webcomic!
DANUKHÂNA
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the Danukhâna are a widespread, matrilineal people who adopt the traditions and beliefs of their new homelands into Danukhâna traditions and spiritual customs, while retaining many of the cultural hallmarks of their people.
Let’s talk about those cultural hallmarks, shall we?
In their native country, Danukhâna live mostly in homes built out of or carved into the sides of mountains and hills. The area around them is not very fertile – it is mostly desert with very little rainfall where it isn’t mountain. Many Danukhâna traditions and customs come from this particular geographic issue.
The first and most important aspect of Danukhâna tradition is the importance of water and its connection with blood. Water is a major resource for the Danukhâna, one which should never be wasted; but at the same time, sharing water is an important social bond. Blood is also strongly associated with water and bonds; both water and blood are magical and sacred, and most Danukhâna traditions have blood or water used as a symbol and tool.
One of the oldest and most sacred traditions is the guest rite. According to the Danukhâna, a visitor is not formally a guest until they have been offered something to drink by the host. Up to that point, both host and visitor are within their rights to kill each other – to draw blood. If the guest accepts the drink, that is the water or blood shed between them, and no further blood will be drawn during the course of the guest’s stay. Refusing the drink is a sign that not enough blood has been shed, and argues for further hostilities between host and visitor – while it’s not an immediate invitation to a duel, it’s a clear statement of distrust and dislike.
When a guest leaves the hospitality of their host, either to leave on a journey or to draw weapons against the host or the host’s family, they must first offer the host a drink. This lets the host know that the blood and water has been passed between them, and their time within the guest rite has finished. Hosts who accept the drink are letting the guest know that they want them gone already – the polite thing is for the host to refuse the drink, as a sign that they wish the guest would stay longer.
Generally, wine is offered as a drink to guests who are or have been enemies of the host, while water is offered to friends, allies, and family members. Although there is no formal time limit on the offering of a drink, either from the host’s end or the guest’s end, most Danukhâna believe that the first drink should be extended within the first three hours of a guest’s visit, and that a guest’s visit does not end until three hours after the guest has offered their host a drink. If the “host” refuses to offer a drink, that’s a sign of enmity and distrust. If the guest leaves too soon after offering a drink (or kills their host/a member of the host’s family) that’s considered very rude and can lead to others shunning the guest.
As a general rule of thumb with the Danukhâna, the host offers and the guest accepts, in any situation. For a guest to ask for something is considered very rude, and often refusing certain offerings is also very rude. The reverse is also true: when a guest offers something, the polite thing is for the host to refuse. Sometimes the guest will offer something they would instead like to request as a subtle hint – for example, offering to give their host medical attention when they themselves sick or injured.
Another strong water-and-blood based ritual is that of creating a family. Although the Danukhâna value blood family highly, blood family is considered secondary to “water family” or the family made through ritual and magic. Many Danukhâna make their blood family members of their water family as well – there are water ceremonies which are held for healthy babies to bring them into the water family. However, water family members can also be close friends and lovers. In fact, in the Danukhâna homeland, there is no official marriage – a water ceremony is a sufficient bond. (In diaspora, most Danukhâna mix water ceremony traditions with the marriage customs of the country.)
Water ceremonies can range from the very elaborate to the very simple, but they all revolve around one thing; the ritual sharing of water. In its simplest form, a water ceremony simply consists of two or more people drinking water from the same cup or bowl, often while saying some sort of pledge of loyalty. Often Danukhâna who go through horrible things together – slavery or poverty, for example – will become water family through necessity, having only one cup or bowl between them.
In more elaborate forms, the water may be held in a sacred cup or bowl made specifically for the purpose of water ceremonies. Sometimes the water is mixed with wine, especially when a water ceremony occurs between two people from feuding families, representing the blood shed between them. The water may be blessed with herbs, honey, or salt, which represent the different kinds of bond which the people sharing a water ceremony have or will have. (Salt is for certain kinds of parental bonds, honey is for lovers, and wild sage is a popular herb representing a bond forged under great adversity.) Sometimes spiritual leaders will oversee water ceremonies, and sometimes family and friends will be invited to witness a water ceremony.
The Danukhâna rarely keep many possessions, so those they do have are often passed down from generation to generation. Many everyday objects in a Danukhâna household are sacred, as they are touched by the spirits of their ancestors, and therefore contain great power for protecting the household. Probably the most sacred possessions are hair ornaments and jewelry, since they spend so much time with a person. Children are encouraged to select hair ornaments and jewelry belonging to the family; the Danukhâna believe that the spirits of those who once owned these ornaments will actually choose their heirs by calling to the children.
I could talk a lot more about the Danukhâna, but I’ve already written two pages and I said I was going to do Westerisle as well.
WESTERISLE
Apart from also being populated by dwarves, Westerisle is about as different from the Danukhâna homeland as you can get. It is a rather cold island off the Northwestern coast of Abkhin, which experiences brutal winters, mild summers, and a rather high rainfall all year round.
Westerisle dwarves’ most notable cultural difference from Gamilin Faham is the language, Ailen Eilen. Also known as the “fairy language,” it is both a language for everyday use and a spiritual language for talking to the fairies, imps, and spirits which are said to inhabit Westerisle.
The dwarves of Westerisle have a long history of storytelling and folk songs, many of which have to do with the magical inhabitants of the island. There is an unusually high proportion of magic users on Westerisle – who generally become witches – and it is commonly believe that several ley lines or sources of magical power move through Westerisle. Because of this, Westerisle is a culture founded on magic, wonder, and tales.
There is a story or magical reason or superstition for everything on Westerisle. If you leave out milk, bread, or raw eggs in a saucer or bowl on the floor of your kitchen overnight, it will invite good fairies to come and bless your kitchen. But if you put a leave a loaf of bread or a jar of milk on the table, it will anger the imps and they sour the milk, mold the bread, and curse the whole kitchen. You should never wear a raincoat inside a house in Westerisle, as it will anger the rain imps and cause them to flood your barn or house. Whistling or singing as you walk or work invites both good and bad luck, because the fairies love music.
There are all kinds of stories of people who have visited the fairies/imps and come out the other side. People who have entered the fairy realm and disappeared for five hundred years, or those who have eaten the food of the fairies and gone mad wanting more. There are, of course, the fairy-touched children, who are born … strange. Fairy-touched children come in as many varieties as fairies, and whether they have been blessed or cursed is sometimes a difficult thing to tell.
All in all, the traditions and tales of Westerisle must strike a subtle balance between pleasing benevolent fairies, warding off mischievous ones, and hoping that the benevolent ones won’t mistake your intention and give you a “blessing” that is really a curse. In fact, the folktales generally advise that you avoid any contact with fairies at all, except where avoiding them would be taken as a grave insult.
One of the things fairies are most known for is their gender confusion; fairies are often both man and woman at once, see no reason not to be. Many folk of Westerisle who know a little something about fairies are also both man and woman at once – the terms used throughout Gamilin Faham for such bigender dwarves all originate with Ailen Eilen.
Now of course, the big question is, do fairies really exist? Mostly, it depends on who you ask. The vast majority of Westerisle dwarves, even in antiquity, would tell you that of course fairies are probably not real – but really, can it hurt to appease them? And besides, even if fairies themselves aren’t real, witches and magic-users certainly are, so it’s entirely possible that the things we do to prevent curses are just as effective as a witch’s spells.
Many of the traditions of Westerisle have eroded thanks to influence from Gamilin Faham and the Abbadlâni. But the one thing that continues to hold very strong is a general loyalty to the monarchy of Westerisle.
The current Duke of Westerisle and commander of the Westerisle Army, Duke Oddleif, is also one of three claimant heirs to the throne of Westerisle, the others being Crown Prince Lioltulf and a young woman known as Tubbi Nonleti Eileti, or Tubbi Queen’s Kin. All three trace different lineages to the traditional throne of Westerisle.
This all goes back about nine hundred years to when Westerisle first became part of Gamilin Faham. Monarch Ingvar was the rightful Monarch of Gamilin Faham, the child of the previous queen of Gamilin Faham. However, Ingvar’s father was the brother of Queen Eilvarne of Westerisle. When Queen Eilvarne died without an attested heir, Ingvar also became Monarch of Westerisle.
A great deal of political maneuvering happened. Westerisle officially became united with Gamilin Faham. However, to split up the power and to give Westerisle an uncontested ruler within the nobility of Gamilin Faham, Monarch Ingvar instated neir second child, Brisi, as Duke of Westerisle. Neir firstborn, Thuridhur, became Queen of Gamilin Faham.
Duke Oddleif can traces his lineage back to Duke Brisi of Westerisle. Since the power was split between Duke Brisi and Queen Thuridhur in Ingvar’s time, it is generally accepted that Duke Oddleif has the best claim to the throne of Westerisle. However, Prince Lioltulf and his father, the current King Brisi of Gamilin Faham, are also both descended from Monarch Ingvarr and can also make claims to the throne. Some monarchs of Gamilin Faham have argued their claim to the throne of Westerisle in order to keep political control. Despite this, the general consensus is that Duke Oddleif is the rightful heir of Westerisle, should it ever be an issue.
However, Tubbi Queen’s Kin also has a claim to the Westerisle throne, though hers is a more roundabout and less well-documented claim. Her followers say that Queen Eilvarne had a secret affair with one of the palace servants, who later gave birth to an unattested heir to the throne of Westerisle. Tubbi Queen’s Kin is supposed to be descended from that unattested heir, and as the firstborn daughter of firstborn children, is the rightful heir to the throne of Westerisle.
Tubbi’s grandmother, Vegisl Tesieti Eileti, or Vegisl Queen’s Arrow, led a Secessionist revolt against Gamilin Faham in the recent past, trying to reinstate the Westerisle monarchy as a sovereign kingdom and declare herself Queen of Westerisle. She was caught and executed for treason, along with many of her followers. Those who whisper of Tubbi Queen’s Kin as her heir, destined to lead Westerisle into a golden age as its rightful Queen, generally do so in secret.
Here’s the thing; I’ve done the broad strokes of worldbuilding for most of the sentient races on the planet – here is the major post from last year’s World Building June, and here is a second post entirely about halflings. As you can see, again, I’ve developed the broad strokes of race and culture, as well as developing some various races/ethnicities within each species. If you recall, there are eight sentient races on Kaminin: humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, merfolk, bird people, orcs, and goblins.
Now, I could choose to do a little bit more broad strokes worldbuilding – go into a bit more detail for every race. And while that seems interesting in theory, one of the things that’s been bothering me for a while within the context of my comic is that I have a whole bunch of different races of dwarf, but I know little to nothing about them.
Therefore, today we’re going to explore some dwarvish races, including where they come from.
WESTERISLE
Westerisle dwarves are native to the island of Westerisle, off the northwestern coast of Gamilin Faham. They have a history of intermarrying with the “Ruddy” halflings, which means that as a general rule they tend to be shorter-lived than other dwarves.
Westerisle dwarves have thick hair that ranges from wavy to curly (about 2A to 3B), and have a noticeably higher percentage of redheads. Brown and blonde hair are common, but black hair is very rare. In general they tend to have light eyes, blue, green, and grey being very common. As with all dwarves and halflings, they are heavyset and stocky. One of the characteristics that often stick outs with them is that they have very round faces; their cheeks and neck tend to be one of the first places they deposit fat. They have pale skin that generally has reddish undertones, and they burn easily. Freckles are not unheard of, but actually are rather uncommon.
The island of Westerisle has a distinct cultural heritage from the rest of Gamilin Faham, and it was actually a separate kingdom for quite a long time. Most Westerisle dwarves are very proud of their heritage, and many swear greater fealty to the monarch of Westerisle than to the monarch of Gamilin Faham.
Alfdis’s mother Inga is a Westerisle dwarf.
ABBADLÂNI
Abbadlâni dwarves are heavily represented in Gamilin Faham’s nobility, making up more than half of the major and minor nobles, as well as being the wealthiest and most educated race overall in Gamilin Faham. They come from the northern part of the Abbadel, a mountain range that runs north-south on the western side of Abkhin.
Abbadlâni dwarves have somewhat thin hair for dwarves, which is usually straight or occasionally somewhat wavy. They have a relatively high percentage of blondes, ranging from very pale white-blondes to rich golden-blondes to sandy browns. They rarely have hair any darker than a mid-brown. Blue and grey eyes are extremely common for them. They generally have very pale skin with blueish undertones. Generally they tend to have round or square faces that are about as long as they are wide. They have a tendency to be thinner than the average dwarf, although since dwarves in general are very fat, this generally translates to “chubby” among humans. They tend to have small, round noses.
Generally speaking, Abbadlâni dwarves have the greatest political, social, and economic power, and they are overrepresented in Gamilin Faham history. The royal family is Abbadlâni and tends to marry into other Abbadlâni families, most religious and spiritual leaders are Abbadlâni, and the major traditions, religions, language, and holidays are Abbadlâni in origin.
Alfdis’s father Hamar is Abbadlâni.
FAHMÂNI
These dwarves make up the largest proportion of the population of Gamilin Faham. Native to the Zelebad, the mountain range which extends east-west across northwestern Abkhin, and to the northern coast, the Fahmâni are a hardy people used to extreme cold.
Fahmâni dwarves have thick hair and beards, which tend to be straight. Their hair generally ranges in color from dark blonde to brown, and tends to feel less saturated and somewhat greyish or mousy. They have pale to light-medium skin, generally with yellow and blue undertones. They tend to have light eyes – grey and light hazel or golden-brown are the most common colors. Their noses are usually large and angular, often with high and arching bridges and long tips. Their faces tend to seem long and are more likely to be rectangular or oval-shaped as well. They’re the most likely among the so-called “northern dwarves” to freckle.
Fahmâni dwarves tend to intermix regularly with Westerisle and Abbadlâni dwarves, meaning that it’s pretty rare to see a “pure” Fahmâni dwarf. Many dwarves in Gamilin Faham have Fahmâni heritage, but more often identify as a dwarf of Gamilin Faham than Fahmâni. In many ways, Fahmâni is considered the “default” Gamilin Faham dwarf.
Gunnora’s father, Skerry, and Grandma Groa are Fahmâni dwarves.
DANUKHÂNA
Although most Gamilin Faham dwarves tend to think of the Danukhâna as native to Maidham, this is actually not the case. The Danukhâna are originally from the northern part of the north-stretching mountain range on the continent Nidin, but there is a huge population of Danukhâna living in Maidham. A much smaller Danukhâna population also lives in Gamilin Faham. (Danukhâna is the Gamilin Faham name for them: I don’t know what they call themselves yet.)
Danukhâna dwarves have very thick hair, which is generally quite straight. It is almost universally black or very dark brown, although auburn hair is not unheard of. They have medium to dark-medium brown skin, with reddish or golden undertones. They have very dark brown or black eyes. In general they have square or round faces and very strong, prominent cheekbones. Their noses tend to be somewhat flat and generally have very soft contours.
Danukhâna dwarves have a very strong cultural heritage, which connects all Danukhâna dwarves across the world. Although there is a huge variety of religions and countries represented among the Danukhâna, they keep their own traditions, formal dress, and spiritual customs. They are matrilineal, passing on this heritage from mother to daughter across cultures.
Gunnora’s mother, Libi, was Danukhâna.
ECHAIDHAMAS
The Echaidhamas are some of the most well-known and respected Maidham natives, as the most populous group in the country, and also the group whose language (Chaidem) is the language of government and high literature. The come from the southernmost part of the Abbadel.
Echaidhem dwarves have very thick, tightly curled hair (3b-4c) which is almost always black. They have medium-dark to dark brown skin, generally with reddish undertones. Their eyes are usually dark brown or black, although there’s a strong strain of grey and blue eyes, and a relatively large percent of the population have them. Usually they have very round, full faces with major fat deposits in the cheeks. They tend to have flat, broad noses, although protruding noses are not unheard of, especially in Gamilin Faham, where they often intermix with Fahmâni dwarves. They usually also have high, round foreheads.
Maidham is mostly dominated by Echaidhamas, and because Maidham is a major trading country, Echaidhem dwarves are associated with trade, commerce, and travel. Most Gamilin Faham dwarves would rather have an Echaidhem dwarf in their group when starting a long journey.
RI’ISHTI
Ri’ishti dwarves are pretty common in Gamilin Faham, since they’ve dispersed throughout the Abbadel and surrounding regions. They are originally from the foothills and jungle lowlands near the base of the southern part of the Abbadel.
The Ri’ishti have very thick, very tightly curled hair (4a-4c), which is generally black, though they can also be naturally red-headed and even blonde. They have medium-dark to very dark brown skin, which generally has yellow undertones and because of this sometimes looks somewhat lighter. They tend to have dark brown or black eyes, and the eye shape usually has high outer corners. Their noses are usually large, broad, and rounded, with very little bridge. They tend to have thick, round lips. Freckles are pretty common, although they’re most noticeable among the lighter-skinned members of the population.
The Ri’ishti have a longstanding conflict with the Echaidhamas, which continues to this day. Many Ri’ishti living in Gamilin Faham wear their hair in locs. This is a symbol of resistance and power which was adopted hundreds of years ago by Ri’ishti living in slavery.
MAYIKAGET and MAYIKATAN
These two races are closely related to each other, and although they are in extreme conflict at the moment and hate each other deeply, and have very different cultural practices, the Mayikaget and Mayikatan are almost indistinguishable by appearance. Both races come from the jungle peninsula and tropical islands of southeastern Abkhin. The Mayikaget are from the eastern side of the mountains (Shozudeget) and the Mayikatan are from the western side (Shozudetan).
Mayikaget and Mayikatan dwarves have very thick, very tightly curled hair, which is generally black. They have dark brown skin, generally with blueish or purple undertones. Their eyes are almost always black or very dark brown, and generally are mono-lidded. Their noses are usually flat and broad. They tend to have noticeably broad, square jaws and wide chins. They also have ears that are larger and more prominent than other dwarf races’. They also tend to be a bit shorter than other dwarves. Due to an interesting mutation, many Mayikaget and Mayikatan do not have noticeably lighter-skinned palms or bottoms of the feet.
Mayikaget and Mayikatan are almost unheard of in Gamilin Faham, although some have made their way to Maidham, Tínghà, and parts of Nidin. Shozudeget and Shozudetan are a pair of very interesting and unusual countries for the current time period, and most Mayikaget and Mayikatan identify more closely with members of other species (humans, merfolk, and orcs) than with each other, and would feel very out-of-place in entirely dwarvish communities. Both Mayikaget and Mayikatan dwarves tend to wear their hair in locs, knots, twists, and similar styles.
HÉDĀADA
The Hédāada come from the middle part of the mountains on the eastern part of Abkhin, and are the most well-known inhabitants of Tínghà. They make up the majority of the population there.
Hédāada dwarves usually have straight black or brown hair, although redheads also exist. Generally they have medium to light skin, with golden undertones. Their eyes are usually dark brown or black, with a monolid and higher outer corners than inner corners. They usually have rounded, flat noses with very little bridge. In general they tend to have prominent cheekbones and small chins, making generally heart, diamond, or oblong-shaped faces. In terms of general build, they tend to be more androgynous than other dwarf races – with flat chests and hips about as wide as the shoulders across the board. They also have a higher percentage of intersex individuals than many other dwarf races.
The Hédāada are most known in Gamilin Faham for their influence on the language and their “outlandish” hairstyles. The Gamilin Faham words pertaining to agender individuals come originally from the Hédāada native language, by way of Maidham. Additionally, Hédāada dwarves generally wear their hair and beards in elaborate shapes, mimicking the figures of animals, physical features, and abstract images, using wires, glue, and wigs.
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So those are the most common races of dwarf in Abkhin aka the ones I’ve already drawn and/or know some things about. I know it’s not Worldbuilding Wednesday anymore, but I still encourage you to ask me questions if you’re curious!
