On the Sexuality of Dwarves

Emotional and Social Connections

While romantic love is culturally peripheral, dwarves experience deep emotional bonds through:

• Guild affiliations: akin to extended families.
• Mentor-apprentice relationships: sometimes closer than blood ties.
• Blood Clans: extended kin networks that meet regularly and share responsibility for children, legacy, and history.

Notable Exceptions and Anomalies

• Some Dwarves experience atypical romantic feelings and form partnerships outside the norm; such pairings are not taboo, but are considered personal matters and rarely affect public perception.
• A rare philosophical movement called the Heartforge Kin promotes the idea that affection can temper the soul as much as the forge tempers steel. They’re mostly artisans and poets, often viewed as eccentric.

Courtship and Partnership in Vashkelholme

1. The Bonding Oath

Rather than courtship, Dwarves engage in a process called the Bonding Oath—a formal agreement between two individuals (or occasionally more) to enter into a Progenitive Partnership.

• Negotiated by Elders or Guildmasters, based on compatibility of craft, health, and lineage.
• Involves weeks of discussion over long-term goals, expectations, and roles.
• The final ceremony resembles a contract signing more than a wedding.

2. The Hammer and Hearth Ceremony

When a pairing is finalized, a public ritual is held:

• The two partners forge or craft something together, usually an item that will be gifted to their future child.
• The object is placed in a "hearth vault"—a communal chamber where clan heirlooms are kept.

3. Duration of Partnership

• Partnerships can be lifelong or term-bound, lasting only long enough to raise a child.
• It is not uncommon for Dwarves to have multiple sequential partnerships, each with its own purpose (e.g., raising a child, co-leading a guild, managing a mine).

Cultural Foundations

1. Pragmatism Over Passion

• Romantic or sexual attraction is exceedingly rare, and not considered a societal norm.
• Emotional intimacy exists—particularly through mentorship, camaraderie, and kinship—but is not tied to procreation.

2. Lineage as Legacy

• Procreation is seen as a sacred duty to the clan, not an individual desire.
• Children are raised communally by the clan, taught the values of craft, memory, and service.
• Lineage records are meticulously kept, not just for heritage but to track the inheritance of skills, magical aptitude, or societal roles.