The Dwarven Welcome Center: Character Creation

[Balfur]

Hmm, that didn't work, did it? Well, the rebuilding of Khazad Dum is still on its way!
Have you ever desired to reveal your inner beard? Or have you been yearning to show off your mining background? There is no time like the present to present yourself your little dwarven present. What was I saying? Meat! Ripe meat off the bone!

Kheled sighed. He sat behind a desk on which was written: Fill out your name here!. He wondered how it had come to this. He remembered he had been the spiritual guide to many a dwarven soul and now he sat in the same room as a drunk Scottish dwarven fighter, an ancient dwarven smith who kept treading over his own dwarf and a dwarven woman who seemed to be indistinguishable from the other figures if it had not been for some specific forms (it was the beard, it was always the beard! Kheled could not believe how the other races could be so blind.)

He sighed as he raised his stamp. "Hello and welcome to the Dwarrowdelf! I am at your service to allow you access to these wondrous realms of neverdark." He had a hard time resisting rolling his eyes as he said the inane sentence. It was only because he really needed the money, really!
"Please fill out your admission form here. The mystical dwarf cringed at saying those words, but bureaucracy could not be escaped

Form:

Name:
Beard Length:
Age (I know this is the same as the above):
Home:
Personality:
Appearance:
Weapon:
Pet (raven?):
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please):

[KingODuckingham]

Name: Nali Fireheart
Beard Length: Just shorter than he is.
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 320 years, give or take a decade
Home: Either deep in the mines of Khazad-dum, or in a cave up on the slopes of Zirakzigil, depending on the season and warmth outdoors.
Personality: I like the "what five words describe you" approach: Irritable, proud, wise, righteous, fearless
Appearance: Short even for a dwarf, white hair with only a few streaks of dark. Milky, half-blind eyes that have been enlarged due to long time nuder the earth. A long un-used axe still on his back. Frail and not as stout as he once was. Permanent frown creases. Very pale skin.
Weapon: I mentioned the axe above, but really he doesn't use a weapon at his age
Pet (raven?): N/A
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Yes. But rarely reads these days, as it's too hard on his old eyes.

[Lirimaer]

Vestri Karkûna

Vestri is a female dwarf of the line of Durin. As yet unwed, and with no great wish to do so, she nevertheless is very particular about her appearance and always keeps her beard trimmed. Her parents being poetic, she was named after the west wind, which generally brings warmth and good weather, but the occasional hurricane. It proved highly accurate as to her temperament, and so her sister also, Austri Thanabul, was named after the east wind, which brings humidity and thunderstorms - unsurprisingly, she is also well-named. Their parents, clearly hoping for two male children to complete the set, named their only son Norðri, and as it happened, he was well-suited to the name, for he went to live in the frozen northlands with his bride, Skaði, and her family, and hasn't been seen since Dain came to Thorin's aid.

Their home has been in Erebor since Dain II Ironfoot became King under the Mountain. Previously they were his loyal subjects in the Iron Hills, and fought in the Battle of Five Armies (when they were young things in their sixties) in which they won battle honours and finally named their axes. Vestri loves the Mountain with a fierce pride, but enjoys visiting other Dwarf realms for the history and the architecture, which are a passion. She makes trading journeys regularly, if only to share news, for the long isolation of the Dwarves and the loneliness inherent in the Mountain's location have made it clear to her that communication is key. Consequently, King Dain named her 'Karkûna' - the Raven - and she takes the role seriously.

She can turn her hand to most things, having been apprenticed in the art of forging metal and smithing: weapons, tools, jewellery and toys, but she always has myriad weapons and gadgets secreted about her person and in her voluminous clothing. The love of making things keeps her busy, and she is one of the chief traders with the Men of Dale for her expertise and her creativity. She would say she quite likes the children of Men, until they get too tall, but since the move to Erebor, it is quite clear that she is a gregarious soul who likes human company, and would even be civil to an Elf in the right circumstances. She is, most Dwarves agree, far too tolerant and unsuspicious for a Dwarf, but also handy to have around in case they need to speak to their non-Khazad neighbours.

[Merewyn]

Name: Bani Caverunner
Beard Length: Unbraided: three and a half feet; Braided: two and a half feet
Age: 118 years old
Home: Bani lives within the the lower halls of Khazad-dum. Though he could live in a higher hall, due to being a messenger for Dwarf lords and nobles, he chooses to live in the lower halls. He has always felt out of place amongst his "betters" and chooses to lives with the most common of folk.
Personality: Bani is a kind-hearted, if simple Dwarf. He has a good sense of judgment though, and because of this he has the tendency to choose his friends very carefully. Still, he is generally open and friendly with most of the Dwarves he encounters and goes out of his way to express his thankfulness to anyone who extends him a kindness. He is doggedly loyal to his friends and employers, and would never compromise the security of a message entrusted to him.
Appearance: Bani is somewhat short for a dwarf, standing only 4'2, however he is not as stout as some of his brethren. Having a lighter build and legs, that while stumpy are not quite as stumpy as other dwarves, he is well-suited for his chosen career. His hair is a deep brown, the color of wet dirt, and he usually wears it unbound when not running (though he does tie it in a loose tail when working). A long beard hangs down almost to his toes when not braided, but he usually wears it in intricate braids that he then tucks into his belt when on the job. His eyes are nearly pitch black, and give him a slightly unsettling appearance combined with his height and build.
Weapon: In the interest of not weighing himself down, Bani carries with him only a dagger and a small hatchet that stay strapped securely to his legs so as not to jostle him when he runs.
Pet: Bani does not have a pet, but he does have a very old stuffed bear from childhood that he takes with him everywhere he goes. When he is running messages, he tucks Budun into his backpack so that he can peer over Bani's shoulder as he runs. Budun takes offense to being completely packed away and not having a view.
Literacy: Bani is not fully literate, making him the perfect messenger for Dwarf lords. He is only learned in certain runes that he uses for directions when running through the tunnels and halls of Khazad-dum.

Name: Tolan Blackrock
Beard Length:
Age (I know this is the same as the above):
Home:
Personality:
Appearance:
Weapon:
Pet (raven?):
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please):

OOC: I'll be finishing up Tolan later!

[Balfur]

Kheled looked around him, his coworkers were all busy greeting other, interesting dwarves. But there was no cue yet and he was happy to let the others do the work. The less he needed to actually work, the longer he could keep this stuff up! But he was starting to feel a bit bored, so he decided to fill in a form for himself. He had not done so upon first entering the Realm of the Dwarves, because... well, he had sort of bluffed his way in by pretending he belonged there. Of course, he did belong there and he knew the way around, so it would not have made any sense to visit this dreary place.

Name: Kheled Silverbeard
Beard Lengh: Very long, I wear it in a couple of double braids to keep it from dragging all over the place.
Age: I assure you, I am very old...
Home: I was born and raised in Khazad-dum.
Personality: Others have described me as stoic and wise. I will not deny that I have great insights and will bravely face any foe with great bravery.
Appearance: The most noticable thing about me is, of course, my long silver locks and beard. Next come my dark, piercing eyes hidden under thick eyebrows. I wear a silver headband with inlaid amethysts. My clothes are plain and dark, but made of expertly woven wool. In battle, I wear a blackened cuirass.
Weapon: I carry a heavy pickaxe into battle, which I have inherited from my time in the Morogs.
Pet: I have a raven companion. She is called Zo-ek.
Literacy: What inane question is this? I can read and write perfectly well, thank you very much. How dare they put this on the form. Back in my days this would not have...

The old dwarf stopped scribbling his rant about the last question when he was approached by a pair of dwarves. They seemed really eager to be there. Kheled despised that. They were holding hands. Bah, public affection. Kheled despised that even more than being stuck in this bureaucratic nightmare.

[The Good Hunter]

Name: Skarphéðinn Njálsson
Beard Length: Just below the belt
Age: 130(ish)
Home: Dwarrowdelf at present, though Erebor and the Iron Hills have also been called home before
Personality: Jovial and always ready to feast and drink, Skarphéðinn is a loyal friend and partner, and a fierce competitor, whether it be in a drinking contest, arm wrestling, or axe throwing. The only thing that can truly enrage him (aside from wasting good beer) is the ever increasing desecration of Dwarven cultural sites by the goblins
Appearance: Skarphéðinn is not tall, but not short, he is quite literally perfectly average. His beard is deep chestnut brown with only a few hints of grey beginning to snake their way in. He has a few tattoos, notably binding runes on the backs of his hands. His eyes are a deep purple
Weapon: Skarphéðinn is most comfortable with a mace, but can pick anything handy (like an empty beer stein) and use it as a weapon
Pet: Skarphéðinn has a pet gerbil that lives in his beard, occasionally making an appearance when there is good food to be had (gerbil food obviously)
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Can read and write but would never be called a scholar, and is only a poet when well and truly blitzed on the mead of poetry

[Androthelm]

Name: Sveru Goldhand
Beard Length: To the center of his chest, streaked with gray..
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 150.
Home: Erebor, although he has traveled west to Khazad-dum.
Personality: Fiery and quick to snap, but generally good nature. Sveru is just... particular, especially about his craft.
Appearance: Ruddy-haired, Sveru keeps his hair cropped short. He is stout, although not remarkably so (by dwarf standards). His fingers are surprisingly delicate and precise--the hands of a lifelong tinkerer.
Weapon: Sveru does not generally carry a blade, though he claims ownership of his family's blade. His cousin Halfan, of course, is the one who actually possesses the thing.
Pet (raven?): A very, very old and temperamental bird named Cor.
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Well-read in his youth, although his eyes are beginning to go. He blames decades of staring through a magnifying glass at imperfections in gems.

[Drífa]

Name: Drifa
Beard Length: Down to me toes! I keep it tucked into my belt which brings it up to about knee length
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 203 (old but good)
Home: Khazad-dûm
Personality: Action before words. Can be bossy and cross. Bah!!
Appearance: White hair, white beard, 4'6" tall. Small scar under left eye in the shape of a hatchet. Blue hood and cloak.
Weapon: Axe
Pet (raven?): No pest eh, pet.
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Yep!

[Rior Laegiel]

Name: Fræg Blackbeard
Beard Length: Shorter than most dwarves.
Age: 147
Place of Birth: Iron Hills
Current Home: Erebor
Personality: He’s good-natured, stubborn, loyal, distrustful of elves, likes feasting.
Appearance: He is about 4’9”, has black hair and beard, hazel eyes. Usually dressed in dark brown colors.
Weapon: A battleaxe.
Pet: None
Literacy: Yes. He reads a book from time to time but prefers a well told story by the fire over a pint of ale

[I hate Eärendil]

Name: Syn Longbeard
Beard Length: Elaborately braided with silver beads it hangs to her waist.
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 60
Home: Khazad-dum
Personality: Quiet but not shy, and a little reserved she is usually seen with her head buried in a book. Good-natured and cheery most often, she also has a temper which is quick to flare and just as quick to blow over. Lore and song are her personal interest, and she is accomplished in jewel craft passed down through her family line. Curious by nature she only needs to build a little more courage to unlock her adventurous side.
Appearance: Small and petite, wearing a blue hooded cloak, standing at 4'2", brown hair and dark blue eyes which echo the colour of the Mirromere.
Weapon: An axe passed down from her grandmother.
Pet (raven?): Sable (raven).
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Literate and well-read.

[Fuin Elda]

Name: Mili Tumblestone
Beard Length: Foot and a half braided neatly
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 75 years
Home: Khazad-dum though previously the Iron Hills was born.
Personality: Bubbly and cheerful she's quick witted and always up for a chat, a drink and a laugh.
Appearance: She has a round happy face normally flushed pink with light brown hair and a beard to match, she does work on keeping her beard and her hair smooth and neat looking. Generally found wearing woolen trousers and a loose fitting linens shirt with a woolen over tunic and leather boots she helps keep her families living quarters neat and tidy between learning to cut gems so that they sparkle with light.
Weapon: Mace
Pet (raven?): She has a pet hairless rat that's lost half it's tail that does tricks for peanuts.
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Knows her letters and numbers very well thank you very much.

[Rollo the Red]

Name: Rollo the Red
Beard Length: To the waist
Age: 150 there or thereabouts
Home: Khazad-dum
Personality: (Good points): Friendly, confident, cheerful, optimistic, hard-working, hard-playing, a glass half-full sort of a fellow. (Bad points): Short temper, lustful for gold and a bit selfish and greedy concerning money and wealth.
Appearance: Stout, squat, strong, big braided red beard, twinkly blue eyes.
Weapon: Axe, short sword, short spear.
Pet: None at the moment - has hand-tamed rats in the past every so often.
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Literate, good with numbers - especially account books.

[Balin, Lord of Moria]

Name: Balin Whitebeard
Beard Length: Freeflowing, just about to the solar plexus
Age: Old enough to have felt the turning of the tides
Home: Moria, exiled and now wandering
Personality: Balin is a strong-hearted dwarf. He seeks to guide his people with courage, though his path has not yet revealed itself to him. He can be somewhat hasty, though he is aware of this and is actively seeking patience. Quite self-reflective, and deeply intuitive - both of his surrounding environment and of people. A bit archaic in his disposition, he views orcs as lesser beings who deserve a swift death at best.
Appearance: White hair, white beard. Chestnut eyes, and a large, thick nose. Muscular and stout. His only noteworthy features are his finely embroidered cloak, emerald with golden threadwork, and…
Weapon: IRONFOE. Warhammer of the Deep Dark. He wields this mighty weapon with elegance and skills honed from a lifetime of battle. This weapon is not fully understood, even by Balin, as it is an ancient heirloom - one he seeks to understand further. All he knows is that the head of this mighty warhammer seems to glow constantly, a purplish, violet hue that belays magic, though of what kind, again, he knows not.
Pet: Though he travels alone, he recently befriended a small wolf pup. It is still a pup.
Literacy: Balin is surprisingly well-spoken, and an imaginative story-teller. However, his reading comprehension is a work in progress.

[Hrothgar]

Hello! I'm not sure if this forum is still active, but I want to post here to see! I use to frequent this place, many years ago, but I can't find my old login. Is this place still active?

[Fuin Elda]

So if you're thinking LOTRplaza this is similar but This particular thread absolutely will help you out if it was 2020 and this particular URL then Admin messages would be able to help you get a log in for this again (the old site went down in 2018/2019ish if I remember right)

[Winddancer]

@Hrothgar Welcome back! :D Unfortunately the original Plaza ia gone for good. It got hacked. Narv kindly made this for us to play around in instead, so everyone has had to start from scratch. So feel free to dive back in where you want, this place might be slow but still very much alive :D

[Eruedraith]

@Hrothgar
I remember you from way back, welcome back!

There are plenty of us who are still roleplaying on this New Plaza, I just recently returned. Have someone send you the link to the Discord, there are a bunch of us on there all of the time. Feel free to hit me up if you wanted to rp together, I was just about to add a dwarven character.

[Eruedraith]

Name: Hrard Depthcleanser
Beard Length: Down past his gullet
Age: 238
Home: Khazad-dûm
Personality: Abrasive, Active, Admirable, Alert, Asocial, Callous, Clever, Colorful, Courageous, Deep, Farsighted, Firm, Gloomy, Hardworking, Honorable, Intelligent, Principled, Proud, Serious, Shrewd, Stoic, Strong, Stubborn, Wise
Appearance: As a young dwarve, his beard and long braided hair shone bright red in the sun, but as he aged, so did his hair and flesh. He was immensely powerful and bold in his younger day, and when he aged, he took on a more hewn, stoic demeanor. See picture above for more details.
Weapon: Broad sword, taller than himself, he carries it on his shoulder; it is called Rakhās-sulûn, The Orc Feller.
Literacy: Khazdul, Adûnaic, Westron, some Orcish, a few Easterling curse words he picked up from the Iron Hills.

History: Being of a proud, and noble family, yet not having a child to pass it all down to proved difficult even for Hrard Depthcleanser. Born of the Firebeard clan, Hrard grew up a nomad, being born after his family was driven from Erebor by that cursed Smaug the Terrible. His fathers line was originally of Khazad-dum, until the Balrog came and drove them from their mountain home. Many times were his line driven from their homes, for Hroin, of his fathers line, lived in Belegost, and was driven from there after the War of Beleriand; he was of many great houses and histories stretching back to the beginning.

When he grew up, but was still a child to his elders, the Dwarven King Thrór, the heir of Durin in exile, was killed and chopped to bits after trying to enter Khazad-dum, after 900 years absence, and alone. The Dwarves would not stand for this dishonor, and, being filled with wrath, thus began The War of the Dwarves and Orcs. They fought them from Gundabad, in the north, through the tunnels, down to the depths of the earth, and all the way up to the peak of Methedras. It was down in those tunnels that he earned his name, The Depthcleanser; so much so that the goblins would never recover in the depths of the mountain. After the final battle, so many were lost, and the ones who remained were never truly found. Toil and pain became his life, for a time, until the wounds were healed over enough he could make a living as a merchant blacksmith, and sometimes, a treasure hunter.

When he did reside amongst the Dwarves, he took up residency in Gabilgathol, known as Belegost in the Ered Luin. He mostly stuck to his trade routes, and sought out tales of crypts, ruins or dungeons he might explore, in the hopes of finding treasure to sell. His heart aches for these ancient homes, of which he was never able to take part. He lived among the ruins, in the small colony of Belegost, hoping in vain that the Dwarves will once again rise to their former glory.

[Eruedraith]

Name: Maen Anvilcrack
Beard Length: Grey, and below his waist.
Age: 211 years old(Born 1769, TA)
Home: Khazad-dûm
Personality: Appreciative, Abrasive, Blunt, Calm, Confident, Creative, Determined, Dutiful, Forgetful, Greedy, Hearty, Honest, Mature, Moody, Patient, Rigid, Shrewd, Skillful, Solitary, Wise
Appearance: Though the top of his head was balding, his beard shone like silver in the moon light. Eyes like ice, bright and cold, his face weathered with a life lived fighting Orcs and Goblins under the Misty Mountain, and crafting some of the finest weapons, armor and jewelry the likes of which the world has never seen.
Weapon: Hamar-norogh (Hammer of Foes)
Literacy: He can speak common and his native tongue is Khazdul.

History: It was said that the halls of Khazad-dûm were too deep and strong and filled with a people too numerous and valiant for Sauron to conquer from without. Except, despite this fact, its people began to dwindle during the time that the Western Door was shut, after the fall of Eregion. Long had the dwarves called the Elves their friends, after mostly healing from the controversies of the First Age, as those times, and those lands, have long since passed.

Maen Anvilcrack, the last of his line, took no wife, and instead dedicated his life to the forge. Mighty works he did craft, as the skill was passed down to him from his father, who learned it from his father, all the back to the time of their greatest ancestor, Durin II. "Anvilcrack" was a dishonor placed on their family long ago, but they took it for themselves, they used it to show their prowess and expertise in craft, all the way down to Maen. Needless to say, though they produced some of the finest works of their time, many dwarves still paid heed to the old ways, and the dishonor that came with that name. Their symbol was the hammer, hitting a cracked anvil, inside of a golden ring, as it had been for thousands of years. He faithfully served under Durin IV, until their end in 1980-81.

OOC: (No multi-post intended, just working on a different dwarven character for an RP, and wanted to post his bio.)

[Borromino]

Name: Borromino
Beard Length: Grey and very short
Age (I know this is the same as the above): 192 years old
Home: Khazad-dum , deepest Morogs Mining chambers
Personality: Anarchic but loyal to KD forever
Appearance: Really really old and dusted
Weapon: Axe
Pet (raven?):
Literacy (don't question the logic of this written question please): Freedom !!!!

History : Borromino, Anarchic Dwarf, ...............coming back form the lost Lotr Plaza forum of 20 years ago..............from lost lost time .

[Drífa]

Dwarven vs. Human Age Chart (Approximate)
Based on Tolkien lore and common interpretations of The Lord of the Rings Appendices:

Dwarf Age	Human Equivalent	Life Stage
0–30	0–12	Child
30–50	13–18	Adolescent (Young Dwarf)
60	18-20	Young Adult (Gimli in Hobbit)
100	30s	Prime Age
150	40s	Prime Age
200	50s-60s	Middle-aged / Old
250	70s-80s	Old Age
300+	90s-100+	Very Elderly / Rare

~~~~~~~~~~

Dwarves of different 'breeds' vary in their longevity. Durin's race were originally long-lived (especially those named Durin), but like most other peoples they had become less so during the Third Age. Their average age (unless they met a violent death) was about 250 years, which they seldom fell far short of, but could occasionally far exceed (up to 300).¹⁷ A Dwarf of 300 was about as rare and aged as a Man of 100.
Dwarves remained young - e.g. regarded as too tender for really hard work or for fighting - until they were 30 or nearly that (Dáin II was very young in 2799 (32) and his slaying of Azog was a great feat). After that they hardened and took on the appearance of age (by human standards) very quickly. By forty all Dwarves looked much alike in age, until they reached what they regarded as old age, about 240. They then began to age and wrinkle and go white quickly (baldness being unknown among them), unless they were going to be long-lived, in which case the process was delayed. Almost the only physical disorder they suffered from (they were singularly immune from diseases such as affected Men, and Halflings) was corpulence. If in prosperous circumstances, many grew very fat at or before 200, and could not do much (save eat) afterwards. Otherwise 'old age' lasted not much more than ten years, and from say 40 or a little before to near 240 (two hundred years) the capacity for toil (and for fighting) of most Dwarves was equally great. HoME vol 12