Q: What is a Dwarf of Nogrod supposed to be like?
You are probably most familiar with the Longbeard Dwarves that frequent the pages of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. They, as well as the Dwarves of Belegost (the Broadbeams) get along reasonably well with the Elves and give them aid in their wars. The Firebeards, however, the Dwarves of Nogrod, are different. First of all, we boast the best craftsmen and smiths in Middle-earth, without exception. We are also haughty and greedy. We especially do not get along very well with Elves. We are not at war with them, of course Not yet anyway. And certainly they welcome us to their homelands where we may ply our wares (which include, besides our own crafts, goods from all over Middle-earth). But sometimes it just seems like those Elves are such a nuisance that they might as well be Orcs. But we stick with them, because we can profit from it. The significance of all this is that our role on the MUSH is unique and provides many opportunites to create real good roleplay. To be specific, we are in a position to stir up trouble, i.e. RP, among our allies, including Elves, Men, and other Dwarves, as well as to fight evil, of course, and we are the mightiest warriors.
This is not to say that all our members must be corrupt and stir up trouble for the Elves, one of the best parts of our culture is roleplay between each other right here at home in the Hollowbold. In order to make roleplay more interesting, and to keep members involved, and to keep the economy moving, we have dreamt up several systems here in Nogrod, which are explained in the following info articles. These are the Feudalism system, the Faction system, and the Guild system. Be sure that you understand how each system works and pick a faction, a noble to serve, and a trade... unless you wish to remain the lowest of serfs.
It is also a good idea to be familiar with Tolkien's words regarding Nogrod and the Dwarves in general. Read especially The Silmarillion, "Of Aule and Yavanna," "Of the Sindar," and "Of the Ruin of Doriath," and The Book of Lost Tales II, "The Nauglafring" (keeping in mind that this is Tolkien's earliest conception ofthe Dwarves and therefore not completely fitting with the later theme, however it is the only full account of The Necklace of the Dwarves.)
There are two classes in Nogrod society: the nobles (thanes or vassals), and the serfs. Ultimately, all of Nogrod is the property of the king, for as the direct descendant of the Father of our house he represents the Father, and therefore all Nogrod. Of the land in Nogrod, much is set aside by the king as public areas, such as the Temple, the Feasting Hall, and the Library. One great space is set aside for the king's own house, where he resides with his household, who are for the most part of the serf class, be they seneschal or scullery maid.
The rest of the land is granted, or fiefed to the highest nobles of the land, currently the lords Narag and Baraz, in return for alliegance and fealty: they are beholden in all things to their king; they are his vassals or thanes; and when the king calls forth to war, they must come at the head of their households and with their thanes. In turn, much of their land is fiefed to lesser nobles, who become thanes to the lords, and they in turn fief land to the least of the thanes.
For OOC purposes, the vassal of the king is known as a 1st Class noble, the vassal of a 1st Class noble is a 2nd Class noble, and the vassal of a 2nd Class noble is a 3rd Class noble.
Your character starts out as a serf. After picking out a faction (see Factions), you must attach yourself to a 3rd Class Noble of the same faction before you can take up a trade. (In this society all citizens have a civilian trade and are also trained for battle.) This trade can be any job where you make money or are paid a salary. As a serf, living on the lands of a vassal, you get to keep little of your earnings. If you are an active and productive player, however, a 2nd Class Noble of your faction might notice you and ask you to join his service. Higher nobles must let their serfs keep more of their earnings, but they can keep more serfs than a lower noble and they usually get to keep better, more productive serfs, because a serf will attach himself to the highest possible noble, to keep more of his earnings.
After being a serf of a 1st Class Noble, you may be deemed worthy to advance further. At this point you can either enter the service of the king (see Silver), or you may yourself become a 3rd Class Noble: the vassal of a 2nd Class Noble. A 3rd Class can keep only very few serfs due to the amount of land. Therefore you must try to get the most active/productive serfs, and profit from them, hoping a 2nd Class does not notice your serf and take him or her off of your hands. Most vassals therefore keep a job themselves. It is possible to advance as a noble, but it is much more difficult than for a serf.
Nogrod is split, for the most part, into two factions, named after their leaders, the lords Narag and Baraz. What was a military division, and soon also extended to the Great Games, finally wormed its way into every aspect of life in Nogrod. The family and household of Lord Baraz, his vassals, and their households, make up the Baraz faction, and their colour is red. The family and household of Lord Narag, his vassals, and their households, make up the Narag faction, and their colour is black.
The rivalry between the two factions runs deep. But the rivalry does not run too deep. Loyalty to Nogrod, and especially to the king, who represents the father of their race, superceeds all. The lords Narag and Baraz proudly wear the crest of the house of Zirak, the house of the king, instead of their own crests. And within the guilds all faction alliegance is of no consequence (see Guilds). Yet infighting often occurs due to the factions, especially in connection with the Games (see Fesival).
The greatest of all Dwarven craftsmen have been the lords Baraz. Therefore, while having no title or high position, they have always been held in as great esteem as the lords Narag, for the crafting and smithying of materials is held sacred by all Dwarves. For this reason, Lord Baraz is a vassal of the king himself. The faction that follows him (his household, his vassals, and their households) dominates the guilds more than does the faction of Lord Narag (see Guilds). Most of the Masters of each trade belong to the Narag faction. It is thus to your advantage to belong to this faction, if you wish to be craftsman, smith, or mason. Naturally, of course, the majority of the members of this faction, as serfs, would be laborers, working jobs that are not related to the themes of either faction (for new players, it is probably easiest to choose a job that you would like to do, then choose a faction that works for you, then find a noble to attach yourself to).
The translation of the word Baraz is Red. In battle, and in the Great Games, those of this faction wear red as the symbol of their faction. In the absense of Lord Baraz (Telchar, who is in Belegost for his apprenticeship), the other lords of this faction vie for supremacy.
Without a doubt, those who have always been highest in the government have been the lords Narag. The title of Lord Chancellor, the king's closest counselor, is always held by the current lord of the Narag house. The faction that follows him (his household, his vassals, and their households), therefore, dominates the government more than does the faction of Lord Baraz. Many of the ministers, stewards, and lawmen come from the Narag faction. It is thus to your advantage to belong to this faction, if you wish to be a travelling merchant, seek a high position, or if you wish to 'bend' the law to achieve your goals. Naturally, of course, the majority of the members of this faction, as serfs, would be laborers, working jobs that are not related to the themes of either faction (for new players, it is probably easiest to choose a job that you would like to do, then choose a faction that works for you, then find a noble to attach yourself to).
The translation of the word Narag is Black. In battle, and in the Great Games, those of this faction wear black as the symbol of their faction. The current leader of this faction is Drór, Lord Narag.
The house of Zirak is the royal house, the house of the king. Those serving in the household of the king belong to neither the Narag or the Baraz faction. They are neutral in all feuds between the two factions, they follow only Lord Zirak. The majority of the royal house is made up of the Royal Guard, which is the only standing military unit in Nogrod (see Combat). They are an elite corp of fighters who serve as gate guard, guard certain places within Nogrod, such as the king's treasury and house, and sometimes as military trainers and armed escorts for caravans. The king has other servants, naturally, butlers and cooks and such. Being a member of this house is not a starting option for Nogrod players; if, you can work your way up to being a serf of Lord Baraz or Narag, you may be offered a position in the Zirak house (or as a class 3 noble).
The translation of the word Zirak is Silver. In battle, those of this house wear silver as their symbol. The regent of the house is currently the king, Naugladur.
The purpose of the Guilds system is to rank individuals' ability in trades and occupations that are pursued by more than one player in Nogrod. We anticipate that there will be quite a few smiths, craftsmen, and so forth. The three ranks are: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. This system has many purposes. A master will get paid much more than an apprentice, who will probably earn just enough to satisfy the noble whose land he dwells on. And what noble will host a serf who is an apprentice when he can host a journeyman? Masters are most often nobles themselves.
Advancement is simply explained. As an apprentice, apprentice yourself to a master and roleplay with him often. He will contact the local admins when he deems you ready to be advanced to journeyman level. Masters will be elected by the CAs from among the journeymen when they deem it necessary. Do not ask or expect to achieve this level, there will normally be not more than one or two in each trade.
The great temple dedicated to the god Mahal, patron of the Dwarves, lies in one of the deepest great caverns of the Hollowbold. Here the folk of Nogrod come for quiet meditation, or to sing great deep-throated hymns to he that forged the world, the Maker. This article serves primarily to explain the priesthood of the temple.
The highest priest is, naturally, the King himself, who represents the father of the race and whose spirit is closest to Mahal. But it is the custom for him to appoint a high priest, or Patriarch from among the priesthood, to lead in the worship and works of the temple. But in general the temple operates as any guild, with three levels corresponding to Master, Journeyman, and Apprentice. Acolytes are those who are new in the service of Mahal, they learn from their elders and do much of the work in and about the Temple, and in worship services their role is that of an assistant to the celebrants. Deacons are full clerics who take a large role in the services and are generally well-versed in the ways of Mahal. Priests are the elders of the temple, who have attained a certain height in their understanding and are in general the spiritual leaders of the people. In services they give blessings and perform the most sacred sacraments.
A clerical position in the temple does not make you a healer. Healing is a science of its own and does not involve calling upon deities. Aule in particular is probably not the best Vala to aid in surgical operations such as a healer might be involved in. Healers, therefore, belong to their own guild. This is not to say, however, that you may not be in both the Temple and the Healers' Guild at the same time. But make sure your healing does not involve mumbo-jumbo and invoking Mahal's name to come and heal this pour unfortunate. There will be no miracles. Unless you do want to be a charlatan. Other possibilities for healers would be an alchemist, or a leech. Most likely a healer would be a sort of surgeon, since in practicality he would be healing battle-wounds. Some use of some sort of Elvish or other exotic herbs may be appropriate.
Actual Combat-system healing power will be given to Journeymen and above (Masters).
The "Muzuramahal" is a midsummer festival held in honor of Mahal, maker of the Dwarves. It is held in Nogrod, and the Dwarves of Belegost are customarily invited to join in the feast. The festival spans four days, ICly and in RL. For these four days a time is agreed upon by the local admins in which the official ceremonies and events of the festival occur. The primary purpose of the festival is so all the Dwarves can come together and roleplay together at the same time. The events and ceremonies scheduled for each day are just means of shaping the roleplay somewhat.
On the first day, the King of Belegost and his host arrive at Nogrod, and the formal greetings are exchanged between the two kings and the host of Belegost is given formal permission to enter Nogrod. And there is much rejoicing and mingling and feasting. (yay!)
On the second day is the Crafts Show and Bazaar, in which all Dwarves show off their handiwork (the work judged the greatest is...judged the greatest), and buy and sell things. And Mahal is well pleased. More eating.
The third day is the most solemn and sacred day, for on this day all Dwarves descend into the deepest cavern in Nogrod: the Temple of Mahal. Led by the two Patriarchs, the kings of Belegost and Nogrod, all praise and offer thanksgiving to their creator, and beg that in the end they might be found worthy to stand at Mahal's side in his task of reforging the world... More eating follows.
On the fourth day of the festival is the Great Games of Nogrod. This is the most exciting event of the Muzuramahal, and the most eagerly anticipated. It is a test of the physical fitness of the Dwarves, their readiness for war. There are two kinds of events: the individual events and faction events. The individual events are events in which Dwarves compete as...individuals, as in a hammer toss or archery contest. In these, as in the Crafts Show, there is no prize as such, being acclaimed the winner and the most well-pleasing to Mahal is honor enough.
The faction events are team events, in which the Dwarves of Nogrod are split into the red and black factions (Baraz and Narag). These are events in which one team wins, or the other, not individuals, though (unofficially) the factions consider it a win for their faction if one of their own wins one of the "individual" events.
The events will be announced as they come. The final event is always a wrestling match between one champion of each faction. You may not be allowed to participate in some events if you are not combat approved.
The Dwarves of Belegost are invited to join in the individual events, but the faction events are strictly between the two factions of Nogrod. House Zirak customarily does not participate in the Games.
Every male Dwarf in Nogrod is a fighter. What this means is that nobody's permanent job is to be a member of the army or guard, except for an elite Royal Guard (see Silver), which is a small select group. Every Dwarf has some money-making job to support himself, and every Dwarf has training in the art of war. So when a war comes, all the merchants and smiths and priests turn out in their black armour and their red armour. Thus every player in Nogrod gets to experience all sides of the spectrum, and this is very in character with the Dwarves we see in the books.
If a female Dwarf wishes to participate in combat, while this is technically un-thematic, it is her right on this MUSH to be free of IC gender roles, as per NEWS GENDER. Thus she can participate in combat the same as a male. Therefore, in such a situation, it is to be treated as nothing unusual or in anyway shocking or queer and especially not wrong. To behave thus is not to be "in-theme" but rather a theme violation, as theme is defined on this MUSH.
To get combat-approved, you need to first take a RP test with an arbiter. See -list arbiters or -list arbiters full. Once you are approved you may then ask a Nogrod admin for equipment (-no who/admins). In general you will be outfitted before battle. Standard equipment includes a dwarf-mask, a suit of chain mail, and a Mattock. This is a two-handed double-headed axe- or hammer-like weapon, and technically it is classed as a war-hammer, but the name mattock is more classy. But if you wish for a war-hammer or battle-axe or sword or other weapon instead, in general you can get it, but you will want to pick a weapon that you can get training in Nogrod for. For a list of trainers see -list trainers.
A Dwarf-mask is a large helm with a visor modeled after what smiths wear to protect their faces from the fires of the forge. Thus, in battle, the mask protects the face. Not only this, but it is painted to look quite hideous, which helps demoralize the enemy. This kind of helm, exclusive to the Dwarves of the First-age, provided ultimate protection to the entire head area.
New players should not worry about combat right away. First make sure you have a description and a job/faction, and get comfortable with Roleplay first. That is the most important thing. Remember, the best way to prepare for the combat test is by roleplaying.
These are the names and descriptions of the feature names (characters who appear in the Books):
Naugladur: Lord of Nogrod. He is named thus (the name meaning Dwarf-lord) in the only full version of the Tale of the Necklace of the Dwarves, and elsewhere the same character is simply referred to as the Lord of Nogrod. He destroyed Doriath and whupped Beren, supposedly the greatest hero of all time, in single combat; only to fall due to the "Curse of Mim." See: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II "The Nauglafring", The Silmarillion "Of the Ruin of Doriath".
Fangluin: Called a Counselor in the same Tale as Naugladur, he gave very wise, albeit cold and treacherous, counsel. His name means Bluebeard. On the MUSH, he is lord of the Narag house, leader of the Narag faction. See: The Book of Lost Tales, Part II "The Nauglafring".
Telchar: The great smith. Among his greatest works are the Dragon-helm (that Turin wore), the knife Angrist (that Beren used to cut through the Iron Crown), and the sword Narsil (that Elendil and Aragorn bore). On the MUSH, he is lord of the Baraz house, leader of the Baraz faction. See: The Silmarillion "Of the Sindar"; he can be found almost anywhere, from The Lord of the Rings to the entire History of Middle-earth series.
Gamil Zirak: This smith was the master of Telchar and forged many works of renown himself. Because Tolkien does not make clear from which Dwarf home he was from, it has been decided for the purposes of the MUSH that he will be a feature of Belegost. However, until Belegost shows any activity, I'm sure we can use him. He is called "Gamil Zirak the old", thus we consider him a member of the Nogrod royal house. See: Unfinished Tales "Narn I Hin Hurin".
Thrar: It is unfortunate that Tolkien does not name all of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. According to Iron Crown Enterprises, Thrar the Cold is the name of the father of the folk of Nogrod. Although it is not probable that the father himself is still alive at our time, the name may be given out as a feature name as Thrar II or III, Thrar's descendant, possibly Naugladur's son or even father. See: ICE's Lords of Middle-earth, Volume III "The Lesser Tribes".
Note: BeleriandMUSH accepts no information invented by Peter Fenlon and the ICE folks as thematic, besides the names of the Seven Fathers.
The structural layout of the Hollowbold is relatively simple. Nogrod is a multi-levelled underground mansion. All of its principal caverns, houses, and structures are built around Thrar's Stair, named for the Dwarfmine's founder. The gates of Nogrod are high in the Blue Mountains. After passing through complex defense structures and the Grand Foyer, one reaches the top or First Landing of Thrar's Stair. The stair descends countless fathoms with a total of six primary levels branching off from it.
The first level is for defense mechanisms, customs offices, and the ceremonial greeting hall. The second level is the main level for Nogrod life. Here are the quarters for all the great houses of Nogrod, the markets, the great Feasting Hall and the vast Main Hall. The third level is the business level, for every kind of guild work. The fourth level holds many public facilities such as the Library or Hall of Records, the Infirmary, and Training Halls. The fifth level is the government level, with the Throne Room, the homes of the House Zirak, the royal family, and countless council chambers. The sixth level, being the deepest, is thus in Dwarven minds the holiest. Across a great underground lake stands the Temple of Mahal, god of the Dwarves. Here also is the Miner Hall and the entrance to the mines below Nogrod, which span the entire southern range of the Blue Mountains.