<< I'm trying to do this for Dwarfs - I'm aiming to duplicate the level of
detail in the Heortling chapter on the Issaries site.
I've taken the route of Dwarf cultural keyword & Dwarf caste keywords. Anyone have a view as to whether I should go on to another level and have occupation keywords too?>>
When it eventually gets published, the dwarven players book will surely have occupation keywords, although IMO they'll probably be identical with what you're describing as caste keywords. Of course, dwarves do specialise quite a lot, but I'd describe those specialities as individual skills rather than full keywords myself.
<< I'm very interested in Dwarfs' relations to Divine and Spirit magic (and
by implication hero questing). >>
It depends what you mean by 'heroquesting'. I'm sure dwarves gain powers from the sorcery world, even though the way they do it would be different to the way Heortlings do. Its still heroquesting of a sort, IMO, even if it doesn't involve any personalised forces.
<< The advice to new dwarfs seems to be avoid gods and their doings as much
as possible but, as parts of the World Machine, they must have their uses.>>
They probably just need to be fixed and returned to their proper, impersonal, functioning. Dwarves just don't look on them as being gods, and have difficulty believing they'd actually worship them.
<< I wonder if some dwarfs take the line of worshipping (insert god's name
here) with fingers crossed behind back in order to access useful aspects of
the Machine's functionality (i.e divine spells) while maintaining some
plausible deniability of theism? >>
Sounds more God Learnerish than dwarven to me. Sure, dwarves sometimes do gain access to divine spells, but those are what we call 'apostates'. I'm also not sure how useful worship without belief would actually be, in terms of getting the magic.
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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