DWARVEN CUSTOMS & LAWS
The Dwarves of Arallyn are not uncouth or "gross". On the contrary they are a people of high honor and ethics. They do tend to be overprotective of their domains, and are prone to shut their gates to outsiders if they are not confident that visitors come without ill intent. They can become greedy and power-hungry, but that is not terribly common. They are very spiritual and intellectual as well, and have built a high culture and civilization including music and arts, poetry and literature, science and engineering, and mathematics. They are very ceremonial people, who regard such transitions as that from child to adult, or from single to married, with great gravity and have elaborate rituals for such. They love decorative arts and to decorate themselves as well, with symbolic tattoos, jewelry both piercing and otherwise, complicated clothing and elaborate styling of hair and beards, replete with decorations of metal and gems. The Gnomes use decorations of bone, horn or antlers, and artistically carved and painted or stained wood in their hair and beards, instead of metal and gems.
Dwarves observe very traditional rules about gender-based grooming and dress. Males or those presenting themselves as publicly male, dress and groom one way, females another way, and gender-neutral a third way. Generally Male braids in the beard tend to be thicker and even in number, perhaps two, four or six at most, and beard trinkets are few and large, while their hair is commonly styled with a single braid in back and sometimes a pair on either side in front of the ears. Shaving the scalp is common for males as well, especially to display scalp tattoos. Males tend to wear trousers tucked into boots and tunics girt with sashes. Females prefer tight braids and cornrows in odd numbers, ranging from one to ten or more in the beard and their hair all done up with cornrows and braids, and everything studded with countless jewels of metal and gemstones. Females sometimes shave sections of their face, such as the sideburns, mustache, and cheeks, but total removal of facial hair is considered shameful, vain, and xeno-conformist, making the female resemble a human or elf. Females tend to wear a tiara in their hair and embroidered longsleeved ankle-length dresses with shoes in formal settings. In the workplace females dress as males, but their hair and beard grooming is feminine. Neutrals tend to dress like males, wear no trinkets and wear thick masculine-looking beard braids in feminine odd numbers, one or three being the most common, or no braids at all, braids being more common in formal dress and unbraided more common at work. It is also permitted by social rules for a neutral to shave their scalp or sections of the face. In general any combination of masculine and feminine grooming traits or complete eschewing of all braiding and decorating is practiced by neutrals. It is rude to assume a neutrally dressed person is gender neutral. He or she might simply be gender I-don't-feel-like-telling-you or I-don't-care-how-I-look-right-now, as grooming standards are relaxed in hard-labor work environments. Its very important to know a person's official chosen gender regardless of dress or grooming, and always use appropriate gender-endings on their names. Failing to do so is a huge insult and giving ones gender-inflected name is always a first priority in an introduction. If a person changes public gender, then one must not fail to use the new gender-suffix on their name to reflect that. Changing public gender is quite common as a way of encouraging or discouraging mating advances from the gender of preference. Shirtlessness for males and brassieres for females are tolerated only in hot working environments such as the deep mines, fire fruit orchards near magma lakes, or in smithies and smelteries. At the opposite end of modesty total nudity without separation of genders is the expectation in public volcanic baths and refusing to undress or attend a bath event is a huge insult to those inviting you. Erotic arousal in a public bath is never shameful or insulting and on the contrary, can be an icebreaker for two mutually-attracted dwarves . In truth, Dwarves have no body-shame, only the desire to show respect to everyone and earn their respect. But, even in bathing, one must remember someone's official gender and not fail to address them by their name with the right suffix on it.
In terms of personal lifestyle, gender identity and sexuality between consenting adults is a non-issue among most Dwarves, so long as everyone is treated with respect and a marriage or family unit is never violated or threatened by advances from another person. Mate-relationships are expected to be two people only. Bisexuality among dwarves is not uncommon and often adults so inclined will choose a same-gender lover if they do not wish to have children yet, then later seek marriage to one of the other gender for the purpose of creating a family. Pluralism in matters of intimate love is considered shameful, and cheating or two-timing on a lover or spouse is a criminal offense. Formal marriage ceremonies are required if the couple plans to raise children. Otherwise a mating bond is regarded as two people in love living together and making that known to others, including the local community council, and is totally acceptable. If a marriage is unhappy and one or both partners want out and the freedom to seek love elsewhere, formal divorce is necessary and requires a hearing before the high council and will likely not be granted if children are involved, unless one of the mates has been overtly abusive. Physical or sexual abuse is a high crime, but raising ones voice or using harsh words is not considered abuse. Intimacy is private and must remain so. Ethical and moral conduct is always expected by the law. Dwarves under the age of twenty are considered minors, and are sacrosanct when it comes to sexuality. Sexual abuse of a minor or rape of a dwarf of any age results in execution without room for appeal. Standards of proof for rape of one's own spouse, however, are very high, since dwarven intimacy is usually quite vigorous and athletic and often occurs after an argument or fight. Breaking an unmarried mate relationship requires verbalizing that with each other and then letting others, including the local community council, know you are no longer together.
Negotiating mating is rather a challenge for dwarves because of respect for someone's public gender of choice, but hieratic ceremonies make this possible. The tea ceremony, for example allows for such information to be shared in a non-insulting way. A male dwarf who is publicly female or neutral, for example cannot take offense if a male discusses courting him with his father. On the contrary, mating attention from any dwarf of any gender is considered a great honor and the tea ceremony allows all of that to be sorted out without insult to anyone. Nevertheless, same gender sexuality and marriage is totally acceptable and such couples are allowed to raise children by adoption or sire children by sibling surrogacy. Same gender parents are not required to have one of them present publicly as the other gender; it's perfectly alright for two males or two females to show up with their children. A greater percentage of dwarves are comfortably bisexual than is found in other races in Aralyn, given that gender differences among dwarves are more subtle, but having two partners at once of whatever gender is highly shameful as strict loyalty and fidelity and the keeping of ones word are highly-regarded dwarven virtues. Lying or cheating in a relationship is a criminal offense and can result in corrective punishment. Lying in general is a high crime and repeated offenses after corrective punishment, usually result in banishment. Capitol punishment is reserved for acts of treason, intentional murder or intentional acts to harm others life or safety such as rape. Theft and other types of dishonest behavior that are not life-threatening can result in banishment or indefinite imprisonment, depending on if the court considers it safe to have the criminal roaming abroad. These harsh consequences generally deter most crimes and crime rates in dwarven societies are extremely low. In organized dwarven societies sleeping around or using prostitutes is shameful, though dwarves in diaspora among other races will do this and do not shame each other for it.
The government of most dwarven realms is monarchical, with an independent priesthood. The Code of Honor in Kheled Mor, however, stipulates three equal government branches including an elected people's council, with checks and balances. Ultimately, in Kheled Mor, the people hold the final say on everything. The monarch (Sharek, Shareth or Sharets), the royal children, and all nobles are expected to learn a common trade and pass the same adulthood trials as any citizen. In sacred places such as temples or the chamber of trials, monarchs and nobles are not allowed to dress or groom themselves any differently from a commoner. The monarch rules by the will of the people and can be removed by them, even to the ending of their dynasty, so monarchs tend to pay attention to the people and refrain from behavior that will impeach them. A clan of Gnomes also has a King or Queen (Sarekh, Saresh, Saret - see Dwarven Languages for details on Nomelezh), though they dress more like a woodland chieftain, wearing a painted bark-cloth mantle, numerous decorations of wood, nuts, bone, fur. green plants and flowers, and a crown of antlers and sitting upon a carved wooden throne.