Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Amitabho]

An Exhaustive Catalogue
of
Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills
First Edition
Mining to Farming
by Amitabho Chattopadhyay

Preamble

While there is an already existing catalogue of dwarven skills (see Piecewise, "On the Origins of Dwarfs [sic]", c. 27/02/10 CE), it is woefully incomplete, and in some cases, even misleading. The authenticity of Mr Piecewise's research as a whole appears to be false as well, and his academic integrity is of question. He appears to be more of the obsession to create a humorous work than provide an accurate recount of dwarven habits and origins. Most lacking, however, is his knowledge of labors and skills, with several missing entries. This is meant to be a list full and correct with the best of my research, populated a little with related anecdotes; however, it will not include skills not present in the fortress that I have done my research on and skills related to combat. This will only cover civilian skills.

Note that this edition is incomplete and only covers the skills from mining to farming-related skills. The second edition is forthcoming.

Almost all research has been done first-hand at the dwarven fortress of Odthistagak, a fortress that, in contrast to most other Dwarven fortresses I have encountered, was filled with dwarves that didn't feel the urge to kill all outsiders and were willing to talk. It is located in the Spine of Mourning and has a population of one hundred and twenty nine dwarves.

Addendum

From my studies, it appears that there is a Trinity of sorts of most respected fields; Brewing, Mining and Stoneworking. The others are almost periphery (but still important) in terms of afforded respect. Without brewing, no work would be done and everybody would likely die of thirst. Without mining, there would be no stone. Without stoneworking, there would be no structures. While some may argue that furnace operation and metalsmithing are both as respectful an occupation, their output is very slow. Dwarves, as I have learnt, do not like slow, unless the end product is incredibly beautiful or very useful.

Body

Mining
-Demonym: Miner

Summary

Mining is the central concept of Dwarven life. Miners, from what could be extricated from my visits to Odthistagak, are also well-respected warriors, using their pickaxes to help defend the fortress in times of need. From what I could talk out of the friendly dwarves, the pickaxe is a very useful weapon, as it's structure appears to allow a higher than usual chance of scoring what one might call a 'critical hit'. I have had the fortune to converse with a legendary miner on break once; he told me of when they had almost dug into Hell, but he had heard the screams of death before he dug entirely through the vein of miraculous Adamantium they had found and told his comrades to turn back, potentially saving the fortress. I had not believed it until I had walked the grueling journey to the excavation site and pressed my head against the floor, hearing the screams of the damned. I also managed to steal a few pieces of Adamantium on my way out, making me rich enough to buy my hometown.

Respect

The miner himself is considered to be rather high on the hierarchy of professions, as they continuously risk their lives- there is a constant risk of chasm monsters, magma floods and magma monsters- to allow the fortress to expand.

Importance

Their importance is utterly critical throughout the entire lifespan of the fortress. They are they only way for the fortress to expand, and the only way to gain stone, gems and ore other than the small amounts obtainable from trading.

Woodworking

Crossbow-making
-Demonym: Bowyer

Summary

Bowyers make bows, which are critical for long-range defense and the first phase of structured warfare tactics. Many fortresses, however, including Odthistagak, insist that crossbow-making is too Elven (and therefore unreliable and shoddy) a practice to rely on, and instead resort to close-range tactics and traps, having only a few bowyers to create trade goods to sell to the Elves and for a little bit of it's defense. Some would rather even live entirely underground and be entirely self-sufficient than resort to having to make bows. Odthistagak, where I have done the bulk of my research, has fortunately not done this.

Respect

Fashioning crossbows out of wood is considered, as I have said, an Elven practice, and thus is frowned upon, though the irony of killing elves with the very trees they love is irresistible to some. The few that have taken it upon themselves to create bows out of this material, however, have found it a rewarding experience. It is said that carving wood gives one a calming feeling, though I haven't witnessed it in any of my visits; when I talked to one, he was extremely agitated. They are usually drafted into other professions after some time; wood crossbow-making is more of a hobby than a real labor to Dwarves.

Importance

Virtually none in fortresses that don't use wooden bows, such as my main subject of research, Odhistagak.

Carpenting
-Demonym: Carpenter

Summary

Carpenters make things out of wood; they make such necessities as beds, and can make substitutes for stone items. Wood can be used to make weapons as well, though they're not much more than training weapons. Most carpenters change their jobs at some point or another, as their usefulness is limited- at least until the next wave of housing-needing immigrants comes and he comes into action once more, gathering wood and cutting it into beds.

Respect

According to some old-timers, early on, they were afforded some measure of respect, though they were looked upon very suspiciously among more old-fashioned dwarves as Elven sympathizers. Since they mostly dissipated later on as a full-time job, people who clung to carpentry were openly ridiculed, moreso than bowyers- at least bows can be used for fighting. Wood items are worse than stone in most ways, and they generally are almost worthless for trading as well.

Importance

Carpenting was a very important profession early on, at least from what I can garner from the first pioneers who set out from the Mountainhome. It's usefulness soon deteriorated, however. Once beds had been set up, there wasn't much reason to make things out of wood instead of stone, which is stronger and easier to get, though less versatile.

Wood cutting
-Demonym: Wood cutter

Summary

All wood cutters, at least in Odthistagak, were carpenters and are wood burners as well. There is not much to say for them, as wood chopping isn't a critical corner of Dwarven industry.

Respect

They are afforded quite a bit of respect, as they cut down trees and burn them in an act of spite against the Elven 'hippies' and help in the making of crystal and clear glass by cutting and burning wood.

Importance

Little. They are the backbone of ash and charcoal production, but their profession is almost useless for the success of the fortress. They are the first link in the fertilization and glassmaking industry, however, which makes them slightly important. Since all wood burners are wood cutters, (at least in Odthiskagak, where my research was conducted) the wood cutters are also the second link.

Stoneworking

Engraving
-Demonym: Engraver

Summary

Engraving is a notoriously long process. It involves the carving of historical and current events into stone for both posterity and admiration, and the smoothing of the walls into their canvas. The products of this process are admired by all. Engravers are amazingly strong, using their bare hands to smooth and carve hard stone. Their perseverance is legend.

Respect

They are incredibly respected dually as artists and historians. Their works are special in that their beautiful engravings of historical events grace the halls of Odthistagak, forever putting the present into stone to be admired by future dwarves and archeologists. They generally get a lot of beer and letters on how much a certain fan would love to procreate with him or her- sometimes even one of the same gender. They are often masons as well, bumping them up to the status of memetic sex gods.

Importance

Engraving's usefulness is entirely cosmetic, but engravers keep the dwarves happy with their smoothings of walls and carvings. For this reason, they are rather integral to the general happiness of the fortress, often stopping tantrums before they happen by making their friends happy. Their engravings increase the value of a room considerably, and are often needed to keep less demanding nobles happy. (The more demanding ones have constantly been afflicted by what the dwarves insist are unfortunate accidents. I doubt that they actually are, however.)

Masonry
-Demonym: Mason

Summary

Masons craft items out of stone. Their works are sturdy and almost invincible, due to heavy dwarven engineering. They are also needed to construct most buildings- they do these with their bare hands, and are thus often as strong as engravers.

Respect

They are true memetic sex gods, as many of them are also engravers, at least in Odthistagak. Most dwarves would do anything for them, as they are the non-literal bread and butter of dwarves. If you were a dwarf, you would sit, every day, on a chair made by one and eat on a table made by one, before walking out of the door made by one and press a lever to open a floodgate and close another made by one to save your skin from invaders.

Importance

Masons are critical to Dwarven life. They make most of the furniture, they create beautiful statues that help soothe the moods of dwarves, (that not to mention increase the value of rooms) make stone buildings, and their works are rather valuable for trading.

Farming-related

Brewing
-Demonym: Brewer

Summary

Brewers brew drinks, to put it simply. Their ales, wines and beers are generally very strong stuff; during my tenth visit, I was greeted with some imported drink called 'sunshine'. I drank it, sure that my abnormal metabolism could take it (I had once taken fourteen bottles of 'strong' beer in one sitting and remained almost sober) and woke up seven days later in a dwarven dormitory with sore privates and the dwarven lass who gave it to me in jail for date rape. Later analysis of the drink showed that it wasn't filled with any sort of contaminant- just pure 'sunshine'. I am very sure that I would have died if I did not have the abnormal constitution that I was blessed with. I am unable to give any further comment on dwarven drinks, as I then refused any further dwarven attempts to give me alcoholic beverages.

Respect

Brewers are as respected as engravers and masons. Their drinks are always good (except for the few who are simply untalented, which are soon after subjected to an attempted lynch before retiring from brewing) and it is widely acknowledged that brewers are truly the lifeblood of all dwarf fortresses.

Importance

They are utterly important at the very basic level. They provide the drink of the fortress, and are the only way to get dwarves to work. I believe that the Dwarf needs alchohol for extertions; either that, or the only way a miner would try to make a magma channel would be if he were drunk. I haven't actually seen a dwarf drunk before, however, making the former, as implausible as it sounds, the most likely theory.

Butchery
-Demonym: Butcher

Summary

The dwarf who does the dirty work. He is the person who kills cute kittens to stop overpopulation; their medical technology hasn't progressed to neutering without killing. He then has to cut the kitten to pieces, then send it to the kitchen to be cooked. It is one of the most soul-breaking jobs a dwarf, at least one of the friendly Odthistagak ones, can do. I met a butcher once, on my seventh visit. He imparted his experiences upon me, complete with vivid descriptions of the pity of the cat's final mewl as it was cut to pieces. He once had to kill and eat his own pet. To him, it felt like killing his best friend and eating them. He said that he hoped that he would die in the next raid. He then had to kill another cat and told me to get out of his workshop- he didn't want a visitor to see it.

Respect

The butchers of Odthistagak are avoided by most. Consolers often have to soothe them, and the profession has the highest battle-suicide rate within the fortress. They are likely to go into a fell mood.

Importance

They do what no other will do. They stop overpopulation and the death of the fortress from cats eating up all of the food. They are the martyrs of Odthistagak.

Wood Burning
-Demonym: Wood burner

Summary

They burn wood for ash and charcoal. There is not much to the profession, and it is wholly unremarkable.

Respect

They are well respected; they supposedly one up the hated elves by burning their trees. However, they're not very nice to be with after a day of work; they are generally coated with ash after an afternoon and evening of burning wood.

Importance

They are the second link in the glassmaking and farming industries, so they are somewhat important.

Cooking
-Demonym: Cook

Summary

Cooking is truly one of the most lucrative professions. A 'lavish' meal can fetch thousands of ☼ at a trading depot. Cooks have a comparatively easy job, as they are rarely needed, and can simply whip up a meal when low on cash. Most of them have huge quarters, as they can buy almost anything they want.

Respect

They are almost outright despised by the poorer dwarves; they are seen as the embodiment of the bourgeoisie, and is the reason for several pushes to abolish the Dwarven economy, which they say is inefficient and ridiculous, allowing the rich to dominate the poor. Many a cook has been subjected to an assassination attempt by the Odthistagak Communal Labor Party extremists, some of the more radical members of the Anti-Capitalist Trade League and the Regressive Association of Veterans.

Importance

Despite their power, they have very little importance. Dwarves can eat plump helmets and most other foods without any cooking. They are mostly only good for wealth creation.

Potash Making
-Demonym: Potash maker

Summary

Potash makers make potash, obviously enough. They take ash, and through a process unknown to me, turn it into a substance that increases the yield of fields. I have, time and again, tried to get the secret out of them, but they say that humans will figure it out in a thousand years by themselves.

Respect

They are generally well-liked by all for their usefulness.

Importance

Periphery. The extra crop yields, while time and resource saving, are not totally necessary. However, a famine might see their efforts pay off, as the extra food makes a difference.

Growing
-Demonym: Grower

Summary

Growing might seem like a part-time job at first, as they only have to plant once a growing period. However, skill at growing provides massive crop boosts with lesser time, which means huge farms have been created purely for training, (with delicious results!) and they are almost always working on the gigantic subterranean, multi-level farms that populate Odthistagak. I once tried to take a tour, but I got about as far as half a farm before needing to go back. To this day, I think that I would have gone insane if I had continued.

Respect

They are very well respected, though dirty from their work. They provide the food for the fortress and the mushrooms for the brewery. They provide the dyes to sell to merchants.

Importance

Paramount. Without them, the fortress would starve to death and everything would utterly collapse.

Threshing
-Demonym: Thresher

Summary

The threshers make thread, syrup, rock nuts, salve and leaves from their work of turning mushrooms and valley herbs into useful products. Well, this salve isn't very useful other than a bragging right that you can't wear. I spent some of my stolen ☼ on a bit of golden salve, and licked a bit. It dried on my tounge before spreading and making my tounge golden for a week. I have no idea why it exists.

Respect

They are considered okay by most in general, and since they are the source of the cheaper threads, they are admired by the lower classes. As well as that, their hard, boring work has made them one of the advertising subjects of the various 'bring back communism' parties.

Importance

Not much. They make nuts, thread and syrup. It's not a very important job.

Conclusion of the First Edition

This concludes the first edition of An Exhaustive Catalogue of Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills. The second edition will be somewhat more complete than the first. Until then, I bid you good luck in your dealings with dwarves.

[Heron TSG]

My god! This is incredibly encyclotastic!

[Canalan]

This needs to be on the wiki at once!  Its funny and informative at the same time.

[Amitabho]

An Exhaustive Catalogue
of
Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills
Second Edition
Rangering to Administration
by Amitabho Chattopadhyay

Preamble

Perhaps the term 'edition' is the wrong term. This is more of a continuation. Edition, however, sounds better, and it is the term I shall use until some set of are thothil isun is established. Until then, however, I have free reign over what I call it. Thank goodness for lack of standardization.

Administration mayn't seem like a civilian job; not at first. That is, until you consider the backbreaking labor needed for bookkeeping, the shrewd knowledge needed for appraising, the honest knowledge needed for designing, and the hard running of the manager to organize the dwarves of the fortress into doing specific tasks.

In this edition, I have taken the liberty to condense some professions, as giving them their own articles would be superfluous.

Again, almost all research has been done first-hand at the dwarven fortress of Odthistagak. It is located in the Spine of Mourning and has a population of one hundred and twenty nine dwarves.

Rangering

Ambushing
-Demonym: Ambusher

Summary

Ambushers appear to OMSHIT OTHOB sorry about that, I just went for a cup of tea and an ambusher preemptively proved my point for me. Anyway, as I was writing, Ambushers have quite the sense of humor. Apparently one followed me back from Omthistagak. It isn't entirely a full-time profession. Ambushing is more of a skill used for hunting and fighting; at close range, ambushing skill becomes irrelevant. Ambushers tend to get the most kills. In fact, ambushing is somewhat more of a combat skill, and is only included here as one of the civilian labors due to the fact that it is counted by the dwarves as a non-military, non-social one.

Respect

They are respected as warriors; however, they are considered somewhat cowardly by the miners who aren't also ambushers, as their sneaking ways make people consider them somewhat Elvish DETTHOST SHÅMBIL OS Again, sorry for the sudden textual interruption. He's a playful fellow.

Importance

The skill is useless in most but battle, at least for Odthistagak. Odthistagak's huge farms provide all that is needed, and I am told that this is the general pattern for most dwarf fortresses.

Animal Care
-Denonym: Animal Caretaker

Summary

These people are basically animal doctors. Veterinarians, as we would call them. However, Dwarven animal care is far less sophisticated, involving mostly spit-smearing and patting on the neck. It is not a full-time job.

Respect

It's not enough of a minority of people who know the simple ways of treating a pet for people to know about them. Personally, I only found out while talking to a brewer who also happened to be a doctor for both dwarves and animals that I knew that dwarves even did animal doctoring in their spare time.

Animal Training
-Demonym: Animal Trainer

Summary

There is little to say about animal training except that they train war dogs to charge suicidally into battle and rip elves, kobolds, goblins and hostile wildlife to shreds. There are many carp (Which I have been told are horrifying monsters who drag unwary fishers to their eminent doom; I have encountered carp before, and they didn't seem to be so threatening to me. Terrifying, yes, but not life-threatening. They say 'murky pool carp' are the dangerous ones, which might explain it.) in close proximity around Odthistagak, so the dwarves are loathe to step out themselves to defend their fortress. I never had trouble with them, though. Maybe it's because I don't wade into rivers and try to lure fish out with the morsels of food left in my beard.

Respect

Their provisions for defense have not gone unnoticed, and they are well-respected.

Importance

They are a bit important, since they're the first line of defense, at least in Odthistagak. As you can see, my scope of research is a bit limited, since most of the other dwarves that I have met are horrifyingly evil and the only knowledge I have of them is from the folks at Odthistagak.

Fishery Working
Note: Fishery Working is an extinct profession in Odthistagak.

Fish Cleaning
-Demonym: Fish Cleaner

Summary

This was one of the more abhorrent jobs possible, just above butchery. They do not exist any longer, as fishing was rendered useless by farming.

Respect

They were avoided in the early days, and since they don't exist anymore, the point is moot.

Importance

They don't exist.

Fishing
-Denonym: Fisherdwarf

Summary

This was one of the most dangerous professions back in the day, with the dreaded carp threatening to grab the fisherdwarves by their beards and drag them down (though they were asking for it, essentially; they used the morsels in their beards as bait and waited for fish to come and grab it) before gruesomely mauling them to death.

Respect

How can you not respect someone as admirably insane as a fisherdwarf? In any case, they no longer exist, and the point is now moot.

Importance

See fish cleaning.

Metalsmithing

General Metalsmithing
Demonym: Metalsmith

Summary

While in many of my previous sections each skill was covered in depth, blacksmithing, (for furniture) metal crafting, (for coinage, which doesn't exist in Odthistagak, chains and studding objects with metal) weaponsmithing and armorsmithing are basically the same, as they're not very useful for specialization. They're all about making things out of metal, and dwarven smiths do it best. Their works are legend, and I had the honor to touch a piece of an intricately carved piece of adamantium armor that chronicled every major event from d. 1 to d. 1050, with twenty engravings of itself upon it, making it a fractal pattern. I climaxed instantly, and had to excuse myself to go to the river to wash off.

Respect

While metalsmithing isn't that respected, due to the length of time needed to make anything, each piece of armor, each weapon, each piece of furniture that is conceived in a flurry of inspiration makes the metalsmith in question legendary. The mediocre ones go unnoticed, but the outstanding ones are rich and famous beyond one's wildest dreams. Real masterwork never goes unnoticed.

Importance

Who would make the amazing adamantium picks and armor that render the fortress invincible from within and out if not the metalsmiths?

Furnace Operating
-Demonym: Furnace Operator

Summary

Metalsmiths make their own metals, but furnace operating is an entirely different skill. Glassmakers generally make their own pearlash as well. It's not much more than a menial gateway to great things.

Respect

As no furnace operator is not a metalsmith or a glassmaker, the point is moot.

Importance

Where would metal come from if not from the furnaces? Trading?

Jewelery Making

Gem Cutting and Setting
-Demonym: Jeweler

Summary

Technically, gem cutting and gem setting is totally different, but it's really just one more step. They beautify and decorate goods so that they can sell things to Elven caravans for an inflated price after seizing their goods the last year. Then they seize the goods again before decorating them some more with some other jewel before repeating the cycle until they can't decorate it anymore and just sell it off for good. They are also a wonderful example of dwarven physics, (see Dakoth, Erdtirdmans, Matakuka, Booz, et al, "Dwarven Physics" 26/8/2009-18/4/2010 CE in various editions, currently still being updated) as they can decorate an entire stack of crossbow bolts with a single gem.

Note that this phenomenon is not included within the article on dwarven physics, and I have not personally witnessed it in action as of yet. If any of my fellow scholars could provide me with verification of this, I would be greatly obliged.

Respect

They are rather more liked than the cooks, as gem cutting is a gentle job and is very difficult in the hands of the strong dwarves. They also swindle the elves, which makes them rather liked dwarves.

Importance

Not much. It's a fun job to swindle the elves, though. The aforementioned example of dwarven physics is also put to good use.

Craftsdwarfship

Clothesmaking
-Demonym: Clothier

Summary

These dwarves make clothing for the others; they keep them from the cold, in other words, and increase their self-esteem. They also make bags to collect sand with, which is one of their main purposes.

Respect

They make good digs. Some consider them superfluous- fancy clothes are a useless luxury to old-fashioned dwarves. However, the more hip ones often pay tribute to the dwarf that made their designer spider silk threads.

Importance

Some may consider them useless, but their making of bags is not to be underestimated. It may seem like a trivial matter, but without bags, there is no way to collect sand, (dwarven hands are too rough to grab any amount of sand without it all falling out on the way back) and without sand, there is no way to make glass. This alone makes them utterly critical to the ever-expanding glassmaking sector of the economy, located on top of the local volcano.

Leatherworking
-Demonym: Leatherworker

Summary

Leatherworkers are often butchers and are also often terminally depressed. They use the never-ending trickle of skin from butchered cats to make masterful scenes of death and suffering to wear. They also decorate things.

The job is apparently even more horrifying than butchery.

Respect

They are generally avoided by the rest of the fortress's citizens, just like butchers. Mainly because they mostly are butchers.

Importance

Not very much. However, they do make nice pants. I bought a pair on my way out the last time.

Bone Carving
-Demonym: Bone Carver

Summary

Bone carvers are almost always exactly the same people as leatherworkers. They generally alternate from one morbid mood to another. Deceptively small totems depicting unspeakable horrors litter their workshops.

Respect

See leatherworkers.

Importance

See leatherworkers.

Weaving
-Demonym: Weaver

Summary

They weave threads of all kinds. They take stuff from the threshers and put them into their looms, and go into dark caverns to pluck giant spider webs before turning them into cloth.

Compared to most humans, they are fearless.

Respect

Anyone who ventures into dark caverns to gather the webs of giant cave spiders without the fear of falling in and having their blood sucked out by giant cave spiders cannot be disrespected by anyone that is sane.

Importance

The textile industry, and by extension, the glassmaking industry, cannot function without weavers. It is an important job.

Engineering

Mechanics
-Demonym: Mechanic

Summary

These people make the the third line of defense for the fortress (the first being war dogs and the second being chopping things to pieces with picks) and are indeed another example of dwarven physics. They can inexplicably link a lever two devices kilometers apart from anything with two mechanisms. I have no idea of how they manage it. They are also incredibly advanced, creating mechanisms of power and efficiency almost unthinkable at our present time.

They are a two-fold example of dwarven physics; they can make perpetual motion machines, something that the best of our engineers cannot do but these simple practical mechanics can. I have observed the workings of these, and I have found that they are all rather simple mechanisms; wind wheels, Archimedes screws and windmills, along with gear assemblies and axles. This, as well as the first example, make dwarven mechanics the enigma of all enigmas. I attempted to interview one, and he claimed that 'it just works that way'. I find this explanation unsatisfactory, however, and thus continue my investigation of these anomalies.

Respect

While mechanics are considered rather nerdy by the rest of the fortresses' citzens, the people who take it too far often find themselves falling prey to 'unfortunate accidents' involving weapon traps and several steel picks, followed by a hail of orthoclase. These all appear to have the term "NERD RAGE" engraved upon them.

Importance

As they are one of the most potent forces of destruction behind the fortress, (some of their ingenious traps involve magma, which is objectively the best semi-liquid substance known to humanity and dwarvenkind) as well as the source of the perpetual motion machines that power the various projects within the gigantic fortress, they are very, very important.

Administration

Bookkeeping
-Alt. Labor Title: Record Keeping
-Demonym: Bookkeeper
-Alt. Demonym: Record Keeper

Summary

This dwarf is an extraordinary person. I once walked into him during a crop and stone surplus. He beckoned me into his office and talked to me while he was using his bare hands to crack shapes into the wall. I asked him what he was doing. He told me that he was just doing his job, before seemingly concentrating for a split second and writing something else on the wall. I looked bewildered, and he explained to me calmly that he was just synchronizing himself with the universe so that he could update the stocks. He said that he was hoping that he could one day work hard enough that Armok would see the toil of his efforts and grant him eternal foresight, even post mortem; he told me that it had happened before. He then synchronized again and wrote another figure, going back to work.

Respect

He is considered a solitary person; a strange creature, left to his own devices.

Importance

He's important for designation of stones to infinitely high piles. There's not much to say.

Brokerage
-Alt. Labor Title: Appraisal
-Demonym: Broker
-Alt. Demonym: Appraiser

Summary

He was an interesting character. I bought a nifty leather jacket from him for just 1000☼. He assured me that he was being robbed; however, I know perfectly well that he was simply selling me a leather jacket for what it was worth and simply trying to make it seem like a better deal. His attempts to fool me were in vain, obviously.

Respect

Everyone seems to like him, for some reason. Maybe it's his winning personality.

Importance

Without him, there would be no trade in Odthistagak. Sure, it would be possible, but then you don't know what things would be worth and you would be ripped off.

Management
-Alt. Labor Title: Organization
-Demonym: Manager
-Alt. Demonym: Organizer

Summary

I have rarely met her; on the few times I have, she has been chasing down dwarves and telling them to make twenty bars of potash and clean the kitchen floor. She seems like an interesting character, though.

Respect

The fortress lives in fear of her tyrannical power. There are shrieks of terror as she walks past, the dwarves wondering if they are next to be told to make potash.

Importance

I'm not very sure; she seems to help things go along well, at least.

Conclusion

I hope that this will help you in your future dealings with dwarves. At the very least, it should be an interesting bit of fact. This is Amitabho Chattopadhayay, Dwarven Researcher, and I wish you fortune in your endeavors.

[Psieye]

This is a commendable compilation of cutting edge research on Dwarven civilian life. Congratulations, Amitabho Chattopadhayay!

One question though: would not gourmet cooking help with keeping dwarves happy and away from tantrumming? Though there is the point that a dwarf needs to be rich enough to buy the fine meals in the first place and thus would not be of use to the poorer class.

[Djohaal]

An excellent work of scholarship. I shall engrave a copy of this in the halls of my every fort for now on.
I eagerly wait for a report on the dungeon keeper. 

[Amitabho]

An Exhaustive Catalogue
of
Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills
Addendum: Dungeon Keeper
Rangering to Administration
by Amitabho Chattopadhyay

Preamble

As a result of a request by one of my esteemed colleagues, this bit of information of the 'dungeon master' should come in handy.

Dungeon Keeping
-Demonym: Dungeon Keeper

Summary

This dwarf was very strange. When I met him, he was wearing seven cloaks, a hood and a pair of mittens and was trying to tame a dragon. He succeeded, then ran off to kick a legendary metalsmith out of his workshop and finish his work for him, before he went to bed. I never did get a chance to meet him.

Respect

He is considered utterly insane. Insane, I tell you. He attempted to tame me before he was told what a human was.

Importance

Despite his eccentricities, he is the only person with the expertise to tame 'exotic' creatures, and thus is invaluable unless the dwarves suddenly decide that they don't like a leigon of dragons protecting them.

[Dermonster]

I await your article on the (Defunct?) Hammerer and the 'strange mood' Phenomenon.

[Djohaal]

Legion of dragons? I want some!

[melkorp]

He attempted to tame me before he was told what a human was.

LOL

[Himmelreich]

An Exhaustive Catalogue
of
Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills
Addendum: Hammerer
Rangering to Administration
by Amitabho Chattopadhyay

Preamble

As a result of a request by one of my esteemed colleagues, the information provided herein on the Hammerer should come in handy.

Execution and Justice
-Demonym: Hammerer

Summary

The Hammerer of this fortress has seen many, many heads smashed; most of them by him. His duties used to be to mete out justice and execute the less fortunate dwarves; usually due to some strange demand that a noble has given. He, as I understand it, used to be the most feared person in the fortress. As it is, he was nothing of the sort when I found him in bed, paralyzed almost completely due to an unfortunate arrow wound- several arrow wounds, in fact- in the thoratic and lumbar spine, resulting in an almost complete disability of the somatic nervous system and minor impairment of the autonomic nervous system. He is kept alive by dwarves who eagerly bring water to him every day.

Respect

Dwarves give me knowing glances, insinuating something I don't know, every time they tell me about how he stumbled into an arrow range once. Any further inquiries are met with a stony glare and a quick shuffling off. Asking the nobles yields a glancing look of sadness before they launch into a long sob story about the incompetence of the dwarves beneath him, and how they're angered to the brink of murder by the fact that they cannot request a replacement Hammerer without the current Hammerer being deceased. As I see it, the Hammerer, while once in a position of power, is no longer; but he still commands the utmost respect from the dwarves, at least as far as can be told by the eager and sombre behavior around him.

Importance

He used to be important, but as it is I do not believe he is of much consequence now, at least to Odthistagak.

[Xenos]

Hmmm...this is amazing  

I do have one qualm with this though...the architect has been left out.    It would be fitting to add the architect as an insert in stoneworking.

[SethCreiyd]

This needs to be on the wiki at once!  Its funny and informative at the same time.

[Himmelreich]

An Exhaustive Catalogue
of
Civilian Dwarven Labors and Skills
Addendum: Architect
Rangering to Administration
by Amitabho Chattopadhyay

Preamble

It has come to my attention that, despite my best efforts, a certain profession has managed to slip away from my coverage; I apologize wholeheartedly for this transgression, and hope that this fills up the hole.

Architecture
-Alt. Labor Title: Building Design
Demonym: Architect
-Alt. Demonym: Building Designer

Summary

The Architect helps in perfecting the structure of buildings, and helps to construct certain structures. I have no clue what role he plays, for I have never seen him at work; because no one is a permanent architect. Odthistagak requires no new structures to be built for a long time, and summoning someone up to do the job requires time and money- things that the dwarves do not like to waste. Almost every original citizen of Odthistagak has been an architect once or twice, for it requires little skill and less effort- the dwarves do not care much for making their basic structures too sturdy, for that would merely be a waste. Occasionally I see some random dwarf standing at the base of a half-finished windmill, telling the rest what to do with an untrained eye. Otherwise, they are nearly invisible to me.

Respect

There is not an actual group of architects; simply some who are slightly more skilled than others. As it is, the nicer and more skillful ones are afforded a bit more respect than they would get otherwise, but it's more of a side-job rather than any actual occupation. I know of a man who orchestrated the building of all of the original structures, but he is not very noteworthy, having died in a goblin raid a few years ago; before his death, he settled down as a brewer, which I suppose made him one of the more respected brewers. Otherwise, there is no unified group to speak of that can be reduced to the abstraction of overall disrespect or respect.

Importance

It is similar to whatever chemical there is in liver- some quacks are calling it Vitamin A, but I distrust them- it is necessary, but only on occasion. If people became full-time building designers, the fortress would lose productivity. No, it is much better to only take it when you need it, in my opinion, as shared by the dwarves of Odthistagak.  On the other hand, not having dwarves as architects on occasion means that the fortress cannot expand properly, as there would be no power or running water or shops or waterwheels or even trade. Basically, it's utterly unneeded except when it is.