asunn of the firebeards. original dwarf character for the tolkien legendarium. | on permanent hiatus.Â
important links:
guidelines
about
map
firebeards - history
firebeards - culture
No title available
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
todays bird
trying on a metaphor
Not today Justin
Xuebing Du
d e v o n
Keni

Andulka
Sweet Seals For You, Always

No title available
One Nice Bug Per Day

Product Placement

pixel skylines

blake kathryn

ellievsbear
No title available
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year

Kaledo Art

Discoholic đŞŠ

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from TĂźrkiye

seen from Malaysia
seen from Iraq

seen from Belgium

seen from TĂźrkiye

seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany

seen from Germany
seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from United States

seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from China
@ursinh
asunn of the firebeards. original dwarf character for the tolkien legendarium. | on permanent hiatus.Â
important links:
guidelines
about
map
firebeards - history
firebeards - culture
@ursinh continued
There is, as there always was, a fire within him. E'er tended to was this flame--- a source of all things that kept the forges of his heart e'er beating like the steady pounding of a hammer to an anvil. It was there-- in the beating of his heart-- that served as the rhythm in all songs sung low and deep in tongue only they knew. A persistence-- an endurance-- perhaps even a defiance-- of keeping all that once was still alive, despite all odds. And though he did not live to see the great perils of his forebears, FĂli was living proof that all was not lost. Heir, Prince, a promise, a future. He, along with his kin, would keep the flame e'er lit, for one day, the fire in the forges of his (and their) hearts, would light the forges that lay dormant in the Mountain.
It was duty to kin that brought him this way, for FĂli had long since taken to the forges in his father's footsteps. Long hours crafting weapons and wares that he could barter for his family's peace of mind. All those years ago, his father set out on a journey not unlike FĂli's to barter and trade for their lives. He did not return, and thus a strapling grew up much faster than most to pick up where he left off. And so it was that FĂli took to travelling--- down through the Blue Mountains to seek any who might pay a fair price.
With his pack a wee bit lighter after a day's worth of bartering, FĂli sheltered here in this tavern amongst many Longbeards, and one of the Firebeards to the south. Through trade, they kept together, though the Firebeards were in the songs FĂli sung, for their histories were indeed woven together. A shared suffering. A shared sense of having to shelter together in places ere they were cast elsewhere to survive in far off places. The places they had since settled now in the Blue Mountains.
It was not lost upon him that this Firebeard, though still at home in the Blue Mountains, had traveled north well beyond her home. And it was this knowledge that prompted such words previously spoken. Different homes, different kin, but a shared painful past they bore together. Aye, he could drink to that. And just as FĂli had lowered his tankard, her next words came. He hummed lowly, a vibration deep in his chest, and the corner of his lip twitched. The dimples on his cheeks were long lost to his beard, but if had they been visible, they would have been present then.
"Perhaps that pain, too, is halved, for I am not the only one drinking ale tonight." He nodded to the tankard in her hands before taking another swallow from his own. A playful smile--- all lip, no teeth--- lingered on his face for half a moment. It was their way, he supposed. To live with the past, however painful, yet find room for merriment such as this.
"Aye, I am FĂli, son of DĂs," he returned her greeting with a nod of his own. The Red Peak sounded familiar to him from word of mouth only. Perhaps triggering some memory of his father's own bartering from days long past. "You have come far North, Asunn. What brings you this way tonight?"
"Ah, but for that it would need to be shared before it be halved," she smirked, "your own words, Master Longbeard." Asunn returned the gesture with a lift of her tankard, sloshing the warmed ale between full cheeks before downing it.
In the corner of the inn where a raised hardwood pedestal stood - the lair of every good tavern bard if ever there was one - there erupted laughter: loud and deep belly-laughs, slipping off a silence that lasted nary a minute. A tumble of dwarves eclipsed the bard from view, now that he had descended from his stage, but Asunn had a fair good understanding of what was happening. Drinks were being shared, invitations offered, wit and banter the running stitch holding together the community here just like it did back home.
They were not so different at all; these cousin-clans.
They even sounded if not the same then similar, rounding their vowels like polished steel. She had once heard an older Longbeard speak, a travelling merchant born and raised in the Lonely Mountain all the way out east. She had sounded much harsher and abrasive, like grating sandpaper in her throat, though not unpleasant. The young dwarf-lord she had encountered at the tavern bar looked not much older than herself. Have you see the Lonely Mountain? she wanted to ask but didn't. Sometimes, questions weighed too heavy even for the nimblest of tongues.
"I am on my Wayfaring. Have you heard of it? Ik-kudmu it is called in the tongue of the Maker. All sons and daughters of my clan leave the Blue Mountains when they come of age, to go and find something worth bringing back home to."
favorite fictional ladies | elizabeth of york (the white queen) âWhatever happens in this battle, I will be Queen. And this is the very last time that you will ever sit in my presence.â
ŠPenabranca
This was meant to be a follow-up post to x but turned out to include random ramblings and headcanons about the Firebeards and Firebeard religious practices
After being asked about the role of crystals in dwarven culture over on Dwalinâs account (thank you for the question, @wyrmtunge!) I thought I would jot down some related headcanons real quick over here, too.
Keep reading
marthajefferson:
Elizabeth of Yorkâs wardrobe in The White Queen, 2 / 2
NOT a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. Here.
It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief.
I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are.
TAKE IT. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife.
possessed by light, part one: asunn nicteineachan aesthetics
the histories of bighâlâs folk: second age.
They were still licking their wounds when they settled into their new HOME under the mighty mountain range known to the Folk as Malasul'abbad. But life is a wheel and the world moves on, with or without broken backs stuck in its spokes. They mourn their dead and bury trinkets instead of bones.Â
Their cousin-clan accepted them into its ranks, the refugees of Bighâlâs and Telphorâs descent alike, watering down their bloodlines even more. They did what it took to survive. But life is a wheel and the world moves on, and many years later, DURINâS FOLK would come seeking shelter themselves.
Instead of Zabad Ursul the Firebeards now looked upon HURSEL to lead them. The head of a council of seven, she wore neither crown nor ring, but a belt made from copper instead. Poor times called for poor measures, and even though the world moves on, some customs remain stagnant.Â
In Dwarrowdelf under Mirrormere, they devoted themselves to a bitter kind of seclusion. Where their cousin-clan broke bread with the neighbouring folk, the descendants of Bighâl and Telphor had been too shattered by the wars of the First Age to close the breach of hostility just yet. In matters of politics, they stuck to themselves, and picked up chisel and hammer again. And so the CRAFT of the telkhars of earlier times lived on.Â
But a call to arms they could not refuse. They fought side by side with their brethren in the WAR OF THE LAST ALLIANCE, putting them in line with elves and humans once more. The Firebeards breathed the outside air again, and after the Shadow had been smashed, a yearning for home awoke in their hearts. Life is a wheel, and their eyes looked WESTWARDS again.Â
(full version here)
the histories of bighâlâs folk: first age.
When the LIFE-FEEDER planted breath in their lungs and blood in their veins, they awoke in different places â while Durin opened his eyes in the North and MabĂťn stirred in the far East, Bighâl and Telphor awoke in the West. Under a mighty mountain range in Eastern Beleriand, they carved out a home for their swiftly growing family.Â
Ever deeper the Folk delved under the guidance of the ZABAD URSUL, their Lord of Fire. The foundation was laid for two of the greatest dwarven cities of old: Gabilgathol, known as Belegost, and Tumunzahar, called NOGROD in the Sindarin tongue.
The dwarves of Nogrod excelled above all others in the FORGING of weapons. Tumunzahar was home to renowned smiths such as Gamil Zirak and his student TELCHAR, who won renown in the great battles of the First Age. The legacy of the first telkhar include the DRAGON-HELM of Dor-lómin and Narsil, the sword of Elendil.
Between the Firebeards and Broadbeams, and Thingol King of Doriath, a dispute broke out over the NauglamĂr (the Necklace of the Dwarves) in which they set, upon Thingolâs request, one of the Silmarils of FĂŤanor.
The jewel filled their hearts with GREED; insults and threats were exchanged, and eventually the craftsmen of Nogrod, guests under Thingolâs roof, slew the Elvenking. After plundering Thingolâs halls, they made off towards the Blue Mountains again but were set upon by Elves and Ents at Sarn Athrad.
The Firebeards were all but decimated in what became known as the Massacre of Sarn Athrad among their kin. Bereft of their HOME, the survivors found shelter with the Longbeards of Khazad-dĂťm towards the end of the First Age, and there they remained for a long time.
(full version here)
âáźĎ὜ δὲ βοĎĎĎĎĎÎżÎšĎ ĎáżŚĎ áźĎÎľĎον, Îżá˝Î´áž˝ áźÎşÎąÎšÎľÎ˝.â
â
Euripides, Bacchae (757-758)
In their hair they carried fire,
and they did not burn
(via lostinposhlost)
Goddess Freyja and her golden hair. Inspired by an archaeological Freyja figure (here)Â
The Firebeards (or Bighâlâs Folk, as they mostly refer to their clan among themselves) are infamous among their cousin-clans for their Dread Masks, carved intimidating helmets carved to instil fear and unease in their opponents. Already in use in the great wars of the First Age, the Dread Masks came with a circular opening in front of the mouth in order to allow the Flame-spitters, the vanguard of the Firebeard armies, to spit fire at the enemy ranks. This practice is rooted in legend/history, seeing as the descendants of Bighâl believed that their ancestor himself fought as the first Flame-spitter. He did not receive the nickname Firebeard for his flaming red hair, in the end.
The Dread Masks were also put to terrible use in one of the armyâs most dreaded move, namely the clog. In it, the infantry closed in on the enemy on three sides, effectively ensnaring them in a U-shaped trap. Another battalion closed in from the one side left open, which is when all sides start to advance inwards and the Flame-spitters begin their work: slowly and painfully, the enemy is crushed and burned between the dwarves.Â
If it wasnât the fire-breathing masks putting an end to an enemyâs life, it could well have been the Burning Whip, the offensive weapon adopted by the vanguard in addition to the mask, which is in theory considered part of their armour. The Whip, as the name suggests, is comprised of stark leather coils to which chain links are attached. The regular greasing keeps the whip characteristically soft, which is essential for its longevity. Nonetheless, through the process of setting the greased leather bits on fire, an army usually goes through whips pretty fast. They lend themselves to ensnaring and staggering the enemy in particular, and are wielded with lethal skill when mastered to perfection.Â
Painting portraits is quite soothing
happy super belated birthday to @ursinh im a Trash Bag im sorry dsfjkldsfd
{ Follow-up headcanon to this post & the character stats }
As previously mentioned, Asunn has two intertwined runes tattooed behind her left ear. I used Elder Futhark runes as a reference: Naudiz/Nauthiz and Kaunan/Kenaz.
Naudiz means âneedâ or 'distressâ but also represents 'force of growthâ and the 'consequence of past actionâ. Funnily enough, it is referred to as the 'Need-fireâ and stands for a balance between a need for and fear of fire. I think this dichotomy would also work well for the history of the Firebeards: the need for the past as a stepping stone towards the present/future and culture growth; versus the fear of downfall and defeat in the wake of greed and treachery. Naudiz thus serves as a reminder of what the clan has lived through, both the good and the bad.
Kenaz means âtorchâ, which makes it an apt companion to Naudiz in my opinion. The rune signifies âKin-fireâ and âthe control and harnessing of fire for warmth and illuminationâ. This implies a certain sense of leadership buried within the meaning of the rune, which is all but highlighted in the translation of its Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem (= rune alphabet explaining the meaning of each rune):
âThe torch is known to every living man by its pale, bright flame; it always burns where princes sit within.â
Combined with Naudiz, Kenaz therefore not only underlines the fire symbolism but also lends itself to serve as the ancestral rune of a high-born familyâsuch as the family of chieftains. Albeit not referred to as royalty, they comprise the circle of authority in Firebeard society, inferior only to the queen (more on this here). In short:Â The Naudiz/Kenaz combination is reserved for the families of the queen and the chieftains, and reveal their bearers as Firebeard nobility to those who are aware of this aspect of the clanâs culture.
{ Sources:Â Wikipedia &Â runesecrets.com }
Khuzdul Varieties
On listing the varieties of Khuzdul, the Dwarrow Scholar (TDS) refers to âClassical Khuzdulâ (CK) as the dominant variety of the language, the usage of which is prevalent in official documents and formal situations. The variety is normally associated with the Longbeards, since it is regularly heard in their halls, but is effectively spoken in most Dwarven halls, and particularly at court. It is thus the language of the gentry (amongst dwarves including, but not limited to: merchants, traders, high-ranking guild members) and nobility (the direct line of the Seven Fathers and their often extensive web of relatives). The most prestigious of the six variants of Khuzdul, CK is also the one which is most often used when Dwarves of different clans come together. (cf. TDS)
The Firebeards mostly speak in âBlue Mountain Khuzdulâ (BMK) which is âlikely the biggest divergence to Classical Khuzdul of all Khuzdul varietiesâ (TDS), and spoken by the Broadbeams and Firebeards of the southern Blue Mountains. Where grammar is concerned, they tend to omit articles and conjugate the perfect, imperfect and imperative differently. On a phonological level, Firebeards are known to prolong vowel sounds in compound words, and to replace the back vowels /o/ and /a/ with the corresponding front vowels /ø/ and /ĂŚ/. Moreover, they sometimes replace /n/ with the velar nasal /Ĺ/ (mainly at the word end) and /h/ with the glottal fricative /ÉŚ/. (You can listen to & compare the sounds here.) So, in a nutshell, the differences between CK and BMK are immediately recognisable to a speaker of Khuzdul, ranging from the grammatical over the lexical (e.g. in verb conjugation) to the phonological level. (cf. TDS)
Asunn has been exposed to both varieties from very early on. While being surrounded with BMK in her daily life, she has mostly come across CK in her studies, in her motherâs hall, and at the royal court. Fluent in both, she generally sticks to CK when she comes upon Dwarves during her wayfaring, as it is the most widespread Khuzdul variety and also the most prestigious one. However, traces of her Blue Mountain accent may sneak into her pronunciation (or odd-sounding grammatical structures and lexical deviations) every now and then, in particular when she is agitated or excited.Â