The Baahir are the Idea of efficiency. Process and form, everything is planned out and accounted for. Baahir take great pride in what they create and the role they play. Their society is very structured, and the Obligations that they are born into is where they will be the entirety of their life. Tradition is literally their way of life.
Population Statistics #
Hospitium #
One of the most important aspects of the Baahir culture is the way in which they treat their guests, and also the way the guest treats their host as well. The relationship between a guest and a host is where the host will receive the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment no matter if the visitor is familiar or a stranger. They are friendly to outsiders as long as the outsider doesn’t break this social contract .
The Baahir tend to be gender neutral leaning toward Male in Appearance. Because most Baahir are Dwarves and all Dwarves have beards, it is something that many Baahir take pride in.
Real world ties: The Baahir lean heavily into Arabic culture and language.
The Aspects #
Baahir worship the Idea of things, not people. To worship a person would be to put flaws in the idea. These Ideas are known as Aspects. Each Aspect is divided into individual Obligations. These obligations are specific types of professions that are all linked. For example, All of the different types of Carpenter positions would all fall under the Carpentry Obligation. Each individual is given two obligations based on heritage, and it is unheard off that someone would change any time after it had been assigned.
The Stonefather and The Firemother are the creator gods, not worshipped, viewed more like Cronus and Gaia, they gave birth to the Aspects, who define the separate Obligations. Aspects are most typically prayed to for those that are religious. Those Aspects are: The Artisan, The Farseer, Foodbearer, The Lawkeeper, The Peacemaker, and The Labourer. Depending on which Obligation a Dwarf belongs to determines which Aspect they look up to.
The Obligations #
Each Aspect is represented Obligations. Think of it like an organization and each Obligation is a type of job. You can get better at your job and take on more and more impressive work, but you are always within this Obligation.
Aspect: The Artisan #
- The Smith
- One who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut.
- The Mason
- One who creates buildings, structures, and sculptures using stone as the primary material.
- The Carpenter
- One whose primary work is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, bridges, etc.
- The Enchanter
- One who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources placing it into mundane or everyday items.
- The Alchemist
- One who uses magic and natural elements to create solutions with fantastical properties.
Aspect: The Farseer #
- The Scholar
- One who is charged with collecting and keeling knowledge for the express purpose of preserving it.
- The Mage
- One who uses Arcane or magical aspects focused through themselves to enhance or alter the world around them.
- The Seeker
- Bounty Hunters of sorts, using Magical means to locate the person or object of desire.
Aspect: The Foodbearer #
- The Farmer
- One who is engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials.
- The Hearthkeeper
- One who watches over the Home and takes care of anything that should arise there.
- The Fisher
- One who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
- The Hunter
- One who kills wild animals, usually for raw materials or food.
Aspect: The Lawkeeper #
- The Soldier
- One who fights as part of an army.
- The Bureaucrat
- One who is a member of a larger governmental body or administration and helps to create or maintain the laws of the society.
Aspect: The Peacemaker #
- The Healer
- One whose focus is on the wellbeing of others and making sure they reach their true potential.
- The Envoy
- One who is in the practice of conducting negotiations between representatives, usually influencing the decisions and conduct of foreign governments and officials through dialogue, negotiation, and other nonviolent means.
- The Merchant
- One who trades in commodities produced by other people.
Aspect: The Labourer #
- The Quartermaster
- One who supervises stores, warehouses or barracks and distributes supplies, provisions and resources.
- The Servant
- One whose purpose is to meet the needs of those they support. This could be anything from manual labor, cleaning, civil matters, and even delivery.
Art and Architecture #
The Baahir favor a Art Deco style for most of their art and structures. It is common to find tools of different Obligations depicted in their art because the Baahir do not accept realistic depictions of people or deities. To create the image of an Aspect or any other individual is not acceptable because to them you are trying to define their fate. So you will never see figures in their artwork. Because of this they favor a lot of geometric designs and mosaic tile work.
It is common to see carved reliefs in the stone facade around entrances and windows. The carving usually contain decorative panels that tell stories of their history but because some of these panels are extremely stylized some of the older reliefs can have different interpretations.
Attire #
When a Baahir is working the clothing they wear is very simple fitting clothing, dull in color, something that will make the work as efficient as possible. When they are not working however, the clothing tends to get very exaggerated and even impractical. Its heavily adorned with different trinkets and jewelry, on top of billowing robes. The Robes themselves tend to have silver and gold accents while the fabrics match a lot of the stone and marble.
Material #
Most wear cotton, silk and velvet, and fur should be avoided except for trimming.
Factions and other Major Organizations #
For the most part, The dwarves are all divided into their specific Obligations, The only exception to this is the Council. The Members of the Council are still part of the Obligation System, but they speak for the Obligation which is a quality unique to them.
The Council #
The Council is comprised of members of each Obligation with the most number of hours worked. They represent their Aspect when making decisions for the whole of the Baahir community. Their decisions are revered as final and its taboo to question them. There is a Council in every community within the Baahir Republic, and when one dwarf passes, the next in line takes their place.
Geography #
The Baahir have burrowed themselves securely in the Baahir Mountain Range. An architectural masterpiece, the Capital of the their culture is a sight to behold. Known only to native and a select few outsiders that have proven themselves, the Baahir Capital holds many secrets. Rumor is that what we can see on the outside of the mountain is only but a small portion of the city. Many believe that the entire mountain is actually hollow and filled with a sprawling metropolis.
Nassaar #
The Baahir Capital Nassaar, is a huge city built onto the side of Mount Dajani in the Baahir Mountain Range. Filled with majestic archways with Art Deco design. The Buildings have a sleek, linear appearance with geometric stylized ornamentation. The entrances of buildings, around windows, and around roof edges, all usually contain low relief decorative panels that tell the stories of their history. It is common for the walls or floors to be covered in a glazed brick or mosaic tile. From the outside you can see that they have carved into the mountain to expand their City, but it’s unknown just how deep it goes.
Holidays, events, and Celebrations #
Baahir culture follows three distinct Phases, but whereas some cultures follow nature or lunar phases, the Baahir view society as a project to be managed. Their three phases are Initiation, Planning, and Implementation.
The entire culture follows these three phases with a week-long break in between. This break is to prevent the culture from burnout and is like a mini vacation where the different Obligations compete in games and competitions showing off their skills and craftsmanship. These events are held in a coliseum deep within the Capital. This is one of the biggest secrets of the Baahir society. To outsiders all that is known is that the Baahir do not trade or meet with anyone during these weeks.
Each phase is the start of a new group’s year with the culture. Within the Initiation phase the council and other elders decide on the long-term plans and decisions that need to be made for the society. They will continue to work on these plans over the next year. Individuals within this phase tend to be the oldest of the Obligations, many of which are 150 years old or more.
Four months later will begin the Planning phase. In this phase the more experienced individuals will take the decisions from the council and elders and make the necessary plans to carry them out. This would include things like gathering resources, determining workforce, and everything is zoned or laid out correctly for maximum efficiency. Their phase continues just like the Initiation phase, except it started 4 months later. Baahir enter this phase around their hundredth birthday. It’s highly dependent on the needs of society, so some Obligations have more Baahir in this phase than others.
Finally, we get to the implementation phase where all the plans that have been created and prepared actually come to fruition. You will find that the youngest dwarves tend to be in this phase of society. This phase, just like the other two also runs for a year the youngest dwarves are found within this phase.
The Baahir share a holiday with the Ancuram known as the pilgrimage. A large caravan leaves the Baahir Capital for Irhdell. This caravan stops several times along the way holding a fair in every city it stops at. At the same time an Ancuram caravan starts on the other side making their way to . Half way through their journey, they both arrive in a Human city Dybbæk for the Solstice Celebration. After which, they continue their way to Baahir Capital.
