Povos Dwarves: Arcane Magics

I really hadn't intended to publish any more Dwarf thoughts for a while, but I have nothing else ready for today so here you go:

Elves are the originators and masters of wizardry, Gnomes are renowned for their illusions, and many powerful wielders of arcane magics have risen from the Humans. Dwarves, on the other hand, hit things with axes.

At least, that's the popular conception... and there is some truth to it. Most Dwarves have little time for arcane magics, and many are dismissive of spellcasting as "tricks" -- almost a form of cheating -- used by weaker, more breakable races like Elves and Humans. However, the magic used by Dwarves within Dwarven society is something else altogether. A proper spellcaster is a valuable contributor to Dwarven society, someone to be valued and respected. In times of war, they help defend the gards and delves; in times of peace, they provide items and services that improve the quality of Dwarven life. 

Dwarves have several distinctive arcane spellcasting traditions of their own:

• Scribes serve as scholars as well as spellcasters: historians, philosophers, mathematicians, and recordkeepers. They are respected for their discipline and study, and expected to be sober, serious, and wise -- though not all are so dignified; absent-minded scholars and over-enthusiastic researchers can be found among their number as well. They are usually wizards, but may be sorcerers or even bards; the Loremaster PrC is common as well. Many scribes go into public service, finding places in the bureaucracy of Dwarven government, but they may also be employed by noble families or prominent merchants. Others are artisans, producing the sorts of minor magical items that are common household goods in the gards and delves, or placing spells as needed. (Continual Light and Continual Flame are very common.) To become a Scribe, one must graduate from one of the Colleges, and the status and reputation of the College is very important to the future Scribe's career. Even after graduation, a Scribe is answerable to the Headmaster of their college for any misconduct that might reflect badly on the institution. (Every gard has at least one College, and a few of the larger Delves do as well.)
  
  
• Battlemages are the heavily armored wizards of the Dwarven military (though they may be assigned to positions at court or in noble houses as well, at the discretion of their superiors). They are specially trained to cast spells in armor, even heavy armor, and accompany Dwarven troops into battle. (I'd suggest that they take a particular Feat to allow this, and then have to gain proficiency with armor through either cross-classing or other feats.) Battlemages may be wizards or sorcerers, but there are eldritch knights and the occasional bard among their number as well. Historians suggest that this tradition arose from the nature of underground battles: in the tunnels and caverns, it is far too easy for a mage to find herself in melee range of an enemy, so learning to wear armor was a necessity.
  
  
• Sorcerers are just as respected as wizards, if for a different reason: they are considered to have more of the blood of Sardion than other Dwarves. Depending on their particular talents, they may find a place among the Scribes or Battlemages -- many do -- but they are far more likely than wizards to choose other options. (More about those later.)
  
  
• Wizards are almost always trained at (and affiliated with) one of the colleges, though Battlemages may have been taught through an apprenticeship under another Battlemage. A wizard with neither master nor college to vouch for her is highly suspect, and would be well advised to find a way to establish her respectability immediately or else make her own way somewhere outside of Dwarven society entirely.

Arcane magics and magic items are surprisingly common among Dwarven dwellings, and serve a variety of very practical purposes. Providing such spells and items is considered part of a mage's duty to society, particularly among the Scribes. Minor items with very specific effects -- often in the form of small, marked stones -- can be found in almost any Dwarven dwelling (and moving house or preparing for some big change is sometimes referred to as "gathering your stones"). 

Some examples include: 

• Cooking stones are usually small, flat stones the size of a large coin and marked with something to indicate fire on both sides. They're imbued with a limited form of the Heat Metal spell, with the following differences: 
• The effect only works while the stone is in contact with the metal.
• The heat comes up gradually. 
• When the stone is removed, the metal cools as slowly as it normally would.

Cooking stones are most often used for cooking, either by setting them on the metal surface of a stove or placing them directly on a pan. They can also be used to heat metal for smithing if a forge is not available.

• Bath Stones are found in sets of two, usually enameled (one orange and one teal) and usually with a small hole near one edge to allow them to hang from a bit of cord or chain. They may be coin-shaped or more like teardrops, and they serve to regulate water temperature. Hang the orange one in the bath, and the water will begin to heat. (Don't boil yourself!) Put the blue one in the bath, and the water will cool.
  
  Do not put them both in at once.
  
  
• Speaking Stones are another paired item, usually placed at the door of a dwelling, one inside and one outside. Anyone touching the outer stone and speaking will be audible through the stone on the inside. This may be a one-way or two-way effect, depending on the specific enchantment. Range is extremely limited, usually to about two feet.
  
  
• Impelling Pipes are available in a variety of sizes, but they're usually decorated on the outside with carvings of waves or sets of wavy lines to indicate their purpose. When placed in water, they pull water in one end and expel it out the other. When connected to systems of pipes, they serve to move water around. The use of impelling pipes is one of the things that makes the larger Dwarven cities livable, as they make it possible to distribute potable water and remove wastewater. (The Dwarven Plumbers Guild is one of the oldest and most influential groups in Dwarven Society, but that's an entire entry unto itself. The Architectural Guild wishes they had even half of the Plumbers' knowledge and expertise.)
  
  
• Golden Anchors are usually metal, and consists of a flat "foot" a couple of inches across, with a loop on one side. Press the foot against a stone surface and speak a command word, and it will anchor itself in place. Another command word will cause it to release. Used for everything from hanging pictures to traversing crevasses (usually done with multiple sets that have different command words).