Chaos Dwarfs
More actions
| Dawi-Zharr (Chaos Dwarfs) | |
|---|---|
 By fire and brass we rule; by chains we prosper |
|
| Founding | |
| Founded | Around -3000 IC (after the great betrayal of the east) |
| Founder | The first Sorcerer-Prophets who heard Hashut’s voice |
| Current Leader | The Conclave of Sorcerer-Prophets (Astragoth Ironhand is the eldest) |
| Geography | |
| Capital | Zharr-Naggrund, the Tower of Gorgoth |
| Major Cities | Daemon’s Stump, Uzkulak, the Black Fortress, Mingol Zharr-Naggrund |
| Regions | The Plain of Zharr and the Dark Lands |
| Biology | |
| Lifespan | 400-600 years (longer for those who keep the stone curse at bay) |
| Height | 150-170 cm (4′11″ - 5′7″) |
| Culture | |
| Language | Khazalid twisted with daemon-tongues and the crack of whips |
| Religion | Hashut, Father of Darkness, Lord of Tyranny and the Forge |
| Government | |
| Government | Theocratic oligarchy of Sorcerer-Prophets; every lower caste exists to serve |
| Relations | |
| Allies | Hobgoblins (treacherous dogs on a short leash), Ogre mercenaries, occasional Chaos Warriors |
| Enemies | Dawi (the western traitors), Greenskins (useful slaves), Skaven, everyone else who breathes free air |
The Dawi-Zharr are the Chaos Dwarfs: the black sheep that ate the rest of the flock. When the ancestors marched west, our forefathers looked east and saw power in the dark. We built ziggurats that scrape the sky, forges that never cool, and an empire that runs on screams and coal. Where a normal Dwarf carves runes of protection, we bind daemons into iron. Where a normal Dwarf drinks ale and sings of ancestors, we drink the blood of slaves and sing of Hashut’s glory. We are everything our weak cousins fear to become.
Overview
If you want to play a four-foot industrial tyrant who thinks compassion is a structural weakness and whose hobby is binding daemons into artillery, welcome to the Dark Lands.
Appearance
Stout and broad like true Dawi, but skin turned to obsidian by furnace heat. Eyes glow furnace-red behind tall, crested great-helms of black iron and brass. Beards oiled with slave-fat, braided into perfect geometric shapes or forged into solid metal tusks. Armour so heavy a human would buckle under it, yet we march for days without tiring.
Culture & Society
- Regions: The ash-choked Plain of Zharr and every slave-pit that feeds it.
- Culture: Production quotas, daemon contracts, and the sacred mathematics of suffering.
- Names: Astragoth, Drazhoath, Ghorth the Cruel, Zhatan the Black, Rykarth the Unbreakable.
- Religion: Hashut is the only god worth the name. All others are fuel.
Relations with Other Races
| Category | Faction | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | Empire | Hostile |
| Bretonnia | Hostile | |
| Kislev | Hostile | |
| Sartosa | Neutral | |
| Araby | Neutral | |
| Cathay | Hostile | |
| Norsca | Friendly | |
| Elves | Asur (High Elves) | Hostile |
| Asrai (Wood Elves) | Hostile | |
| Druchii (Dark Elves) | Friendly | |
| Dwarfs | Dwarfs | Hostile |
| Greenskins | Orcs | Hostile |
| Goblins | Hostile | |
| Monstrous | Ogre | Friendly |
| Beastmen | Hostile | |
| Affliction | Chaos | Friendly |
| Vampire | Neutral |
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths: Hell-forged war machines, daemon engines, unbreakable discipline, sorcery that melts steel.
- Weaknesses: Few in number, sorcerers slowly turn to stone, reliant on treacherous slave armies.
Playing a Dawi-Zharr
Speak in measured tones, as though calculating the cost of every word. Emotions are inefficient; cruelty is simply good management. A Sorcerer-Prophet does not rage; he adjusts the torture schedule until the desired result is achieved. A Daemonsmith does not boast; he lets the screaming of the bound daemon do it for him. An Infernal Guard does not fear death; he fears disappointing the tally.
You do not conquer for glory. You conquer because the ledger demands it.
Physical Appearance
Imagine a Dwarf sculpted from volcanic glass and hatred, then dressed him in a walking fortress of brass and black iron. That is the baseline. Bull Centaurs are the same torso grafted onto a snorting, fire-breathing bull of muscle and plate. Even the lowliest overseer looks like an ancient Assyrian war-god.
Gender Roles & Sexuality
Gender Roles
- Chaos Dwarf society is patriarchal, authoritarian, and rigidly hierarchical. Male sorcerer-lords, nobles, and warriors dominate politics, religion, and military command, while women are largely relegated to domestic, ceremonial, or subordinate roles.
- Leadership and Nobility: The Sorcerer-Prophets and male aristocracy hold absolute authority. Female Chaos Dwarfs are rarely seen in leadership; their influence is mostly indirect, through family, ritual, or craft.
- Commoners: Men dominate mining, smithing, and warfare, while women manage households, assist in craft, or serve religious functions. Social mobility is minimal, and deviation from male-dominated roles is rare.
- Society values obedience, cruelty, and arcane skill; gender roles are strictly enforced to maintain hierarchy and ritual purity.
Sexuality
- Sexuality in Chaos Dwarf society is tightly controlled, ritualized, and often sadistic, reflecting the authoritarian and cruel nature of the society.
- Taboos: Homosexuality and adultery are generally forbidden outside ritual or elite-sanctioned contexts. Sex is largely functional, tied to procreation, slavery, or religious observance.
- Ritualized Practices: Sexual activity is sometimes linked to dark magic, sacrificial rites, or the worship of Hashut, the Slave God. Pleasure is rarely a personal pursuit; dominance, obedience, and ritual significance dominate sexual norms.
- Elite Behavior: Male nobles may exercise power over slaves or concubines, often involving coercion, punishment, or ritualized eroticism. Women of high status may participate in ceremonial sexual acts but rarely hold independent sexual authority.
Attitudes toward Other Races (Sexualized)
- Chaos Dwarfs are xenophobic, cruel, and obsessed with domination; sexualized perceptions of other races are primarily tied to slavery, ritual, and humiliation:
- Humans: Human slaves may be subjected to sexual exploitation, especially in ritualized or punitive contexts.
- Elves: High Elf or Dark Elf prisoners may be fetishized for beauty and exoticism, often combined with cruelty or humiliation.
- Dwarfs: Male Dwarfs are typically enslaved or humiliated; female Dwarfs occasionally appear in twisted eroticized fantasies.
- Greenskins: Orcs and goblins are largely seen as inferior and expendable; sexualized depictions are rare but may appear in grotesque or violent narratives for elite amusement.
- Chaos and Daemons: Eroticized fascination is entwined with devotion to Hashut, dark rituals, and power dynamics, blending fear, control, and taboo.
Notable Cultural Nuances
- Chaos Dwarf society emphasizes cruelty, hierarchy, and ritual over personal pleasure.
- Sexuality is functional, ritualized, and tied to power, domination, and religious observance.
- Women have limited autonomy and rarely hold direct sexual or political authority, though they may participate in ceremonial roles.
- Sexualized interest in other races is almost entirely about domination, humiliation, and ritualized exploitation rather than mutual desire.
Notable Ranks & Careers
Slave → Overseer → Infernal Guard → Immortal → Daemonsmith → Sorcerer-Prophet → High Priest of Hashut