From: Sandy Petersen (sandyp@idcube.idsoftware.com)
Date: Mon 02 May 1994 - 07:32:57 EEST
DWARF BIOLOGY SPECULATIONS
So, what ARE the dwarfs? Many folks claim they're just "constructs",
but I feel that this is accepting of Dwarf propaganda. OK. We know
that dwarfs come in two sexes -- there are both females and males. I
also know (unpublished discussion w/Greg) that when it is time to
create new dwarfs, a female and a male retire to a secret chamber.
There they use "mortar and pestle", grinding away for hours until
they produce a new dwarf. It takes a looooong time to produce the
kid, too. I submit it is clear what the "mortar and pestle" are, and
I suggest that the lengthy time needed to produce the child is
connected with gestation, and probably early training.
We also know that the dwarfs are perfectly capable of manufacturing life: Jolanti, Gobblers, Nilmergs, and Gremlins all spring to mind. I'm sure that they can produce a wide variety of homunculi in their test tubes, and this may be how they produce _some_ dwarfs, but perhaps not.
The dwarf mythology claims that the Mostali made other Mostali, and ultimately made the dwarfs themselves, presumably through the test-tube technique. I don't think there's very large physical differences (at least initially) between dwarfs of different castes. The whole mythology seems to make the point that dwarfs were created because they were "cheaper" and more expendable than Mostali, but that they were also more flexible, able to do any of the Mostali's tasks. And, of course, when they reach the level of Diamondwarf, they are presumably as good at their job as a Mostali (unproven assumption on my part).
I believe that the dwarf castes are NOT hereditary. Instead, I believe that as a dwarf child is raised to adulthood, the Gold Dwarfs responsible for education do the dwarf equivalent of career testing, and assign the young dwarf into that caste to which he or she is best suited. I also don't think dwarfs retain any loyalty to their parents or family.
How long is dwarf childhood? For that matter, how long are elf or troll childhood?
Here is a biological question which I'm happy to speculate on. Humans have a reallllyy looooong childhood, longer than almost any other creature. (Though surpassed by a few -- like 17-year locusts.) However, humans have a lot less preprogrammed learning about their culture, language, etc. than most species. The long growth time needed for a human is required mentally, NOT physically -- there's plenty of animals that grow much faster than humans. A cow is pretty damn impressive at two years old. Even gorillas reach maturity at ten years, and they have a real complicated society to learn about (compared to cows).
My opinion is that a troll child reaches adulthood a bit faster than a human. Certainly a trollkin is adult at a much younger age. I suggest that a uzko or uzdo is pretty much adult size at 13 or so, when humans are entering puberty. The enlo I think are mature at 6-8, which may be one of the reasons they're so small in size (their bones harden and close off younger). I also think that the troll language of Darktongue is, to some extent, hardwired into the troll biology.
However, trolls are closer to human biologically than dwarfs or elves. I believe that dwarfs mature very quickly -- their tool skill and affinity for devices is innate, not learned, and a dwarf might be fully mature physically at a year or less. Of course, he or she is probably not considered to be a fully mature dwarf in the society until at least 90% in some skill.
I'm not sure about elves. I think almost all of their society, language, even cult proclivities, are instinctive, not learned. Well, maybe "instinctive" is a bad word to use with a plant -- let's call it a "tropism" instead. I know that elves give "birth" to seeds, not children. I picture these as large, coconut-sized things. I also know that these seeds can be stored for years (presumably in a "cool, dry place"), and only planted when the elves feel a need to get more children. My mental image of this is a plant that rapidly sprouts into a large fruit which, when split open, produces a miniature adult, who grows rapidly in size until he reaches adulthood.
It is my firm belief that ducks and keets lay eggs, which they must incubate in a nest until they hatch. My reasons for so believing are solely based on the comic possibilities of such an arrangement ("Please, sir, could you hold the egg for me while I go shopping.") I also believe that female ducks must have breasts, once more solely for the humor inherent in such an image. This is also why Greg and I concur that ducks have teeth (so they can grin). After all, if your ducks aren't funny, why have them at all?
Nicky Brooke mentioned:
>The Vadeli are related to the Brithini like Cain was to Abel.
Which one is Cain? Another thought -- maybe they are not Cain/Abel, but Cain/Seth; which brings up the question of who "Abel's" descendents might have been (or are). Perhaps the Cain member of the brothers crippled the Abel brother, and his kids are, say Veldang, or Ducks, or something.
>The Vadeli know that a little bit of us lives on in our descendents,
>and have worked out ways of getting it back.
I like this a lot.
Alex Ferguson asks:
>What was the Dawn Age population of Peloria? (Third age = 6
>million.)
Whatever you need for your campaign. It's undergone enough trauma to be whatever size you need. If you need historical evidence to back up your theories, note that China's population declined during major parts of the 18th and 19th centuries, so up, up, up is NOT the only direction that population travels. The Gbaji, Dragonkill, and Sheng Seleris Wars are heap plenty to have cut back the pop to 6 mil from a higher number if you wish, or you can point to the benefits of a good climate and many benign gods (Oslir, Dendara, etc.) to have allowed the pop to have climbed _up_ from whatever lower number you wish.
>What approximate proportion of the male populace of the following
>areas worship: a) Yelm; b) other solar deities; c) Lodril (or close
>relatives).
Okay, here's my own opinion. But remember that local conditions can always override anything I say here (for instance, the Carmanians and Orlanthi areas wouldn't be like this).
Also, what does the (b) category cover? Mastakos? Ourania? Presumably Lodril includes the Lowfires and Dendara, right?
i) Cities in Dara Happa proper.
Yelm: 5-20%
Other Solar Deities: 10-70%
Lodril & co.: 10-30% (mostly immigrants)
ii) Other Pelorian cities.
Yelm: 1-5%
Other Solar Deities: 30-50%
Lodril & co.: 30-50%
iii) Rural areas of D. H.
Yelm: 5-10%
Other Solar Deities: 10-70%
Lodril & co.: 30-60%
iv) Rural areas elsewhere in Peloria.
Yelm: 1-10%
Other Solar Deities: 5-10%
Lodril & co.: 80-95%
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