Dwarf town/outpost social structure

[Gilladian]

I'm creating a town in a dwarf and human kingdom. The town is dwarvish - it was founded by a clan of dwarves about a hundred years ago as a defensive outpost. The clan's main body resides a day's travel away, and is not very important. This outpost will serve as the home base for my new PC group.

If this town is essentially a military/defense point, run by a clan, with an added population of dwarf clan families (mostly from the same clan, but a few "outsiders") and a clump of human merchants/farmers for support, plus a smattering of other races, what would the town be like?

The population is about 2,000. Half are dwarves, of whom about 1/3 are in the "military"; although I don't really think it would be organized quite like a human army, I'm not sure how it WOULD be set up. Of the non-dwarf population, perhaps 1/10 are also military, and many of the rest serve in support (growing food, making and selling goods and services to the military, etc...)

Any suggestions, advice, questions?

 

[The Amazing Dingo]

Well, the first option would be to split the population in terms of above ground and below ground. Dwarves, at least in the classical settings, are somewhat centered on their own kind in the sense they they know best ("The dwarven way is of course the best way!"). They won't turn away the humans, but they don't really let them into their system or heirarchy as well as they should.

I would set up a dwarven heirarchy where the humans are almost a second class citizen. The dwarves aren't racist towards them, but it is a dwarven outpost and they were here first. They see the outpost as theirs. As such, they hold all the ranking seats within the government and the humans have no actual vote in anything. The humans do have a few representatives (one of whom I'd make a midget just for the heck of it...the dwarves like him more at least because they don't have to really look up at him) but no actual power.

As a random idea, any meeting halls that might exist for the dwarves and the humans would have dwarven chairs elevated so they sit as high as the humans.

While not the main plot, I'd have an undercurrent/side-plot of the problems that this town set-up has caused. Obviously the humans aren't happy and want more say. The dwarves know their right and are stubborn enough to make change difficult. Some humans might leave in disgust and then there might be some food shortages and other such problems. Give the PC's the option of playing the peacekeepers at times. Make it personal for them and give them a stake in the town somehow.

Also, one of the better 2e books was The Complete Book of Dwarves. They had an excellent system for setting up dwarven cities, outposts, etc. It also provided a list of resources for the dwarves to harvest and I believe even a section on mixed town populations (though where the dwarves were still dominant). I don't have it nearby now, but I do remember it was an excellent resource (I'd rank it as second to the Necromaner's Handbook).

 

[painandgreed]

IMC, such an outpost would be set up with three authorities, a military, clan, and civilian. Each has well defined and non-overlapping powers. The military leader decides the course of action in military situations while the civilian over civil ones. Both are elected to their postions by those who have met the criteria to vote. To vote on the military leader, one must be part of the military structure in good standing and prepared and willing to fight. For the civilian one, the voters must be good members of the community in general, providing some service besides military, although many will belong to both groups. Thus, everybody is following the person they think is best at performing their job. There is very little beuracracy to such. The leader commands and everybody else follows, however dwarves, and those who live with them, tend to be out going with their thoughts. They'll do what they're told but everybody around them will know exactly what they think of doing it. One of the considerations in picking a leader is their ability to absorb and act on such feedback going on around them. In some cases electing such a leader may invoke other conditions such as making them choose a second in command that would act as an advisor and could over rule them in certain areas they may be weak in. The clan leader is the oldest member of the clan that holds the title to the land the outpost is on. Their role has pretty much withered to handling non-criminal cases dealing with clan members, which might include adopted humans who are treated as members of the clan. The one power they still hold is to act as tie breaker when the military and civilian leaders are argueing over who should lead in a certain situation.

 

[Dagger75]

I would have most of the buildings have only 6 foot or lower hight ceillings. Most of the buildings should be built for dwarven structure. There may be a few human taverns that dwarves don't like to frequent and maybe a few dwarven only bars.

Also, at night don't expect to see much lights. Dwarves have darkvision and wouldn't waste time setting up lamp posts or even lighting some taverns. The human section of town has lights coming out of the windows at night, while the dwarven part of the outpost is almost completely dark.

A few dwarves might also have helped build the outpost. A couple of crotchety dwarven warriors giving those human "visitors" a hard time. Like old people complaining of those darn kids playing on there lawns.

Just some of my thoughts.

 

[Tonguez]

I'd run it so that the military IS the clan - the military leaders are the heads of the resident families and also govern the settlement. The families work the town but are ever ready to take up arms (a few at a time disappear every two weeks or so however, with a new face replacing them - these are the regular military training/patrol duties and exchanges with the Main settlement which all dwarf citizens must engage in - no one talks about it and the PCs might not even notice unless they return later or stick around for a while).

PC "Hello what happened to the Innkeeper?"
Dwarf "I'm the Innkeeper"
PC "I mean Turgo, he was Innkeeper yesterday?"
Dwarf "Oh Turgo had to go away, I'm his brother Jurgo Pleased to meet you" *Grin*
PC "Oh -!" (make it sound sinister even if it isn't!)

Humans are outsiders and are dealt with by the Heads of Families (and their wives) if a human merchant is lucky enough to have a dwarf sponsor the human might be able to set up shop but is always beholden to the Dwarf Leadership.

Things run very smoothly (but with possible weird feelings for outsiders) and seem quite rustic as the dwarfs cooperate in the feilds and mines and the humans try and find acceptance - but gods help any who threaten the outpost!

(sounds like my hometown actually)

 

[Hand of Evil]

I would set foundation of dwarf clan rule, Clan Leader, then clan elders (who elect leader), then family leaders, then families. I think humans would come into this group and be intergrated into the system as human families grew there power base would grow. Clan leaders can be elected to face needs of the community, good leaders would maintain but if they could not protect the community would be replaced as needed.