Dwarven fortresses in Blank regions are usually constructed around a central area covering the first 5-10 z-levels underground, often a 21x21 rectangle with staircases in the corners, and rarely have an open pit in the middle of this, ending in a meeting area. Other than this central pit, few above-ground structures are present besides small walls or channels defending against invaders. There are a few cases of towers constructed around the central pits as well.
Indoors, the dwarves usually use 3x passageways leaving this central area in the cardinal directions, usually symmetrically, and along these passageways may be multiple rooms, almost always with odd-numbered dimensions. Workshops are usually housed in 7x7 or 11x11 fully-open cells, with stockpiles off the central plaza usually being 11x11, 21x11 or 21x21. Lower-class housing is usually many tight blocks of 3x3 cells containing beds and cabinets. Upper class housing may be 11x11 cells split into two or more rooms, but is reserved for the founders of fortresses or important military or political figures.
In these fortresses, graves are almost always clustered around a temple of some design, deep underground or as it's own open-pit structure.
Dwarves report to a public dining room to have their meals and converse, which is usually 21x21 itself, and may be on the lowest level of the central palza. This dining room is nearly always the single most impressive room in the fortress, complete with seating and tables for up to 60 dwarves along the walls, which are fully engraved. When the dining room is not a part of the central plaza, it is often directly above the primary food stockpiles of similar dimensions. Some fortresses' dinign rooms would have waterfalls flowing in from above to compliment the beautiful statues and other decor.
Dwarves usually have access to what other cultures would consider extremely lavish and plentiful meals of cooked meats, eggs, plants and cheeses of various exotic species. After a fortresses' first few years it may begin to produce so much food of these various sorts that exporting a large portion may become absolutely mandatory for public health. In one case, a fortress of dwarves had managed to breed donkeys, horses, and mules of such unimaginable size that they produced nearly fifty thousand meals per animal. To this day, nobody can say how they did it.
These dwarven cultures usually specialize in stone crafts or prepared food stuffs as exports, refusing to export valuable metals or gems. What they do export is usually quite exquisite depite lacking much decoration.
Imports, however, can be extremely varied, ranging from food or pre-manufactured weapons and armor to raw materials like metal, certain ores, wood and sand. Another favorite of these dwarves is exotic wildlife, especially those with potential economic or defensive value.
The social lives of these dwarves are often either of constant conversation and revelry or non-existant, depending on the work load of the fortress. Miners or other stoneworkers are most likely to have the most extensive social lives, since in every culture in Blank Regions, they are exempted from all menial labors and left to do mining, masonry, engraving, and basic architecture. The title of Head Stoneworker is one of much prestige and responsibility, being expected to master each labor in their field of work.
The dwarves usually spend roughly equal amounts of time above ground, under constructed roof, or entirely underground, and cases of cave adaptation are thus very rare. A fully above-ground structure is a rare sight, and almost exclusively has either a defensive or storage purpose, although in some cases nobles or other important individuals will be awarded a multi-level stone structure to live in.
Author
Topic: ‼Antrhopology‼ (Read 1416 times)