"What is the task of a Vulkish-born! It is the task of the winter-wolf, its fangs bared, its claws ready for blood! Come now wolves, let us taste our dinner!"

-Commander of the White-Wolves, Brengar "Twice-Fanged" af Rothgar

Vulkish Culture

The Jeweled Dwarves

When the elves first came to Valentera, word spread of the wonderous sites in the new continent back to the northern lands. Among the new wonders was a massive active volcano, situated in a sizable chain of mountains on the northwest coast of the country. The elves at first left it alone, not seeing any opportunity in such an ominous force of nature. The dwarves however, hearing of this became most intrigued. The Dwarves were keenly aware of many geological processes, and among them was the nature behind the formation of gemstones. The dwarves often found large deposits of gemstones concentrated around volcanos, or the ruins of volcanos, where the immense heat and pressure served as the perfect cooking pot for jewels. This volcano was described as larger than any elsewhere in the world: a super volcano. Ambitious dwarves in Canae built a fleet of boats in the nascent port of Aegyroth, and set out for the new continent. Upon arriving in the Firebrand Mountains, these settlers quickly spread out, establishing a series of fortresses and probative mines. They slowly searched the mountains for the largest deposits of jewels, while encountering the Valenteran elves face-to-face. The dwarves welcomed the elves as ideal trading partners, while the elves thought of the dwarves as a threat to their sovereignty. Suffice it to say, the dwarves eventually got the message that they were not wanted on the continent, and quickly choose a site to become their capital, right on the volcano Vulkan itself, naming their city Vulkaris. While they were aware of the hostilities from the elves, the dwarves would not fully realize the full xenophobic tendencies of their neighbors for some time. In the early days of Vuklish civilization, they focused on fantastic feats of engineering. Many of their settlements, most chiefly their capital, were built into active lava-zones. The dwarves had to design tunnels and gates to channel the lava in ways that would keep it from damaging their buildings, and used powerful runes to create emergency protections against leaks. Eventually, they learned to utilize the lava-flows for their own ends, heating houses, cooking food, and fueling forge-hearts. The greatest feat of such engineering is called "the Carousel of Death", the main vertical hall connecting all the various parts of Vulkaris, where lava flows down the center constantly, and can be viewed safely behind enchanted glass. The Vulkish became expert jewelers and gemologists, and in their pursuit to craft the most expensive jewels possible, they pioneered the field of optics. They took the grainy and cloudy lenses of their age and made them ever more clear and accurate. As the ages pressed on, and their innovations proved them out to be exceptional among the dwarven cultures, the Valenterans grew eternally weary of the dwarven presence. A resurgence of elven nationalism in the country led to a series of military drills on the border of the mountains. Drills led to mock battles, and mock battles led to raids. With each year, the hostilities between the Vulkish and the Valenterans increased, and the blood that ran between the two peoples fueled a blood feud which lasts to this day. While there has not been full-scale war in over two centuries, that very state of affairs threatens to break loose any day. The Vulkish believe that if they lost the war, at best, it would mean exile, and at worst, complete genocide of their people. Furthermore, the loss of Drumshiel five centuries earlier has caused a fear of the loss of another dwarven Underkingdom by dwarves outside Vulkaris. Therefore, supplies and manpower pour into Vulkaris from across the world; a war against the elves will mean defending their Underdark trade routes against any elvish clients from the world below. And yet, even an impoverishment of supplies from the outside would not spell an easy victory for the Eternal Empire. The Undercity of Vulkaris has the keen advantage of the volcano itself, and any assault upon the city would have to deal with untold numbers of traps, utilizing the lava of the mountain to kill invaders. There are even rumors that the dwarves have designed, in the event of final defeat, a doomsday device in the heart of the volcano. Whether this is true or merely propaganda, any war to come between the two peoples will be sure to be shockingly violent, and so large as for the whole world to feel its terrible pulse.

          The Vulkish dwarves, going back to their ancient origins, have always been keen craftsmen and scholars. Their main source of wealth, the gems of the Firebrand Mountains, required far more expertise than most metals did to work into an ideal form. A rough-cut gem was worth a tenth of a well-cut gem, and a perfect-cut gem could hardly have a price put to it. So, a series of precise crafts developed in their society, from optic lens crafters to gem-cutters, to diamond-tool makers. Whereas most dwarves were known for their ability to craft beautiful and durable goods, the Vulkish became known for precision and refinement. This refinement, and strictures towards perfection pervades more than just their technical abilities; rather, it represents a broader outlook on how one carries oneself, how one takes to hobbies, how one executes business, and most importantly, how one prosecutes a war. Indeed, war making, in recent years, has become the premier profession in Vulkish society. Like many dwarven cultures, the Vulkish value athleticism and combat training for its own sake. Children are trained at a young age, and just about any respectable citizen carries an axe in their home. However, the profession of the soldier is held to a higher standard. Soldiers are chosen at the age of 10, the toughest and strongest children are chosen out for training. Of those, by age 20, the best half of the candidates are selected for further training, and the rest are scrubbed out. Those chosen to move on are sent to training facilities where they live full time, and train in the art of war for 30 years, until at age 50, when they enter the army as professional soldiers. The Vulkish army might be the best in the whole world, not only because of the skill and prowess of the soldiers, but also from the fact that the whole of Vulkish society is oriented around serving the army. Craftsmen are frequently given orders to produce supplies for the army. Trade lanes are established to keep constant supplies moving to forces, both in the underdark and above the ground. Siege engineers produce magnificent and terrifying machines of war, from trebuchets, to portable fire-rams, to two-manned handheld scorpions, to the ever-feared mountain-slide shooters. Their martial focus became heightened after years of war against a formidable and powerful adversary in the Valenteran Elves. However, it has come at the detriment of those unfit to live well in such a society. Those too weak or small to ever be considered for a military career are often denigrated and bullied (those that is who were not ever considered for military service, even at the age of 10). Bravery and valor are often prized more than intelligence and grace, even when the latter traits would suit a general or commander well. And pacifists are viewed not only as pariahs, but as downright dangerous deviants, possible saboteurs sent to destroy the Vulkish way of life. This close-mindedness can sometimes hold the Vulkish people back from their full potential, and even among the generally brutish and rowdy dwarves, the Vulkish are thought to be somewhat barbaric. Not for their refinement, for their practice of the sport of war is not at all akin to a bar room brawl, but instead for their outlook towards killing, not as a regrettable part of life, but as an honorable and venerable undertaking.

          The Vulkish people are most highly concentrated in the Firebrand Mountains, though their skill in battle is so famous that Vulkish mercenary companies can sometimes be found working for other dwarven lords (though very rarely for non-dwarves). The predominate race of the Vulkish are dwarves, though some non-dwarves can be found as aids and merchants in the mountains. The most popular gods among the Vulkish are Borondor, Hagelia, Melteos, Sindra, Yeshaya, Lothal, and Sorthal. Of course, despite his death, Oerack remains the patron god of all dwarvish settlements. Vulkish tend to be courageous, tough, and precise. They also tend to be callous, bloodthirsty, and single-minded. The dominant language among the Vulkish is dwarvish.

If you choose Vulkish Culture, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Strength score or a +1 to your Dexterity score~

~A -1 to your Wisdom score~

~As a known language, Dwarvish~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Vulkish Culture~

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