Diary of Alast Jorgenson at the fortress of Crownhammers, Entry Date 20 Granite:
We have arrived, for all the good that does. I must say, it isn't quite as bad as I expected here, but... I'm not sure about that ocean. Looking at it gives me the creeps. It's like... when you stare at it too long, there's the creepy feeling that it's watching you right back. I know it's irrational, but I can't help but hope I never have to go near the thing.
The others are all settling down to their jobs, although the miners found an aquifer we're going to have to breach in order to get anywhere underground. I'm not exactly the moost useful dwarf either: my skills lie in the realm of farming. And politics, but that cursed field is exactly why I got sent here.
The people here have just started referring to me as Nobeard. That's fine, I guess, although I wish that nickname hadn't stuck around as long as it did.
Assuming our miners can break through the aquifer, we should be good to go with regards to building this fortress. Hopefully, my brothers and sisters in the Fellowship of Equals will hear of our plight and come help us, so that we may establish our dominance in this fortress and bring peace to all.
Yes, I have created a new faction idea (although the faction itself will have to wait for enough dwarves to be founded): The Fellowship of Equals
Core Ideal: The Fellowship of Equals believes that all sentient beings are equal to each other, be they dwarves, elves, humans, goblins, or kobolds. They believe that while killing another sentient in self-defense is permissible, going on the offensive against another person or group is a betrayal of Armok himself. Similarly, because all dwarves are valued equally, they do not believe in the need for a true nobility, although they believe that some level of beaurocracy is required in order to keep the fortress functioning. As such, they repudiate attempts to appoint them to the upper dwarven nobility (baron, count, duke).
Manifesto: We believe in the perfect equality of all sentient beings under the ancient law of The Most High Armok, and deny the corrupt system into which our society has devolved.
Faction Structure: There is very little connection between members of the fellowship at different fortresses, but within the same fortress they form a tight-knit community of equals. Once a year, all members are required to convene a special council to determine who will be named Party Leader for that year. The Party Leader is elected (theoretically) on grounds of merit and upholdance of party rhetoric. This dwarf serves as the mediator of disputes amongst the council until the next election council. In between times, the council assembles when there is a need to make a decision. There is a period of debate not to exceed eight hours, followed by a full council vote using simple-majority. In the case of a tie, the Party Leader will cast the final vote.
Schools of Thought: Even within the fairly narrow confines of the Fellowship's ideas, there are many possible interperetations. There is much debate in various fortresses as to the status of kobolds as a sentient, as they are incapable of communicating with the other races that are deemed "sentient". Although less debated, the status of the goblin race as sentient has been questioned from time to time, due to their embracing of slavery, which the fellowship deplores as the reduction of equals to a position of inequality. A newer school of thought holds that if dwarves are to be truly equal, all dwarves must be allowed to accomplish all jobs, but this idea is generally regarded as a minor curiosity due to the dwarven emphasis on craftsmanship, as specialization is not possible under such a system. There is also much debate amongst the councils about whether members may participate in the millitary, and the matter is usually decided on a fortress-by-fortress basis.