Chapter 313: Etymology

Many authors have used creativity and have marvelled around their imagination, exploring in particular the nature and implications of the character of dwarves as it is currently existing in folklore. There are many elements of the supernatural that is lent with its life (and its right to exist in literary endeavors) by those writers of literature who are too eagerly familiar on the subject matter. Specifically in Germanic folklore, this fantasy character exists, and its kind in the more dignified popular narratives of poets and scholars is graciously referred to in the prose as dwarf.

The many accounts of dwarfs vary significantly throughout history; however, many of the creative minds involved in its development are in agreement about their nature and its iconic presence in several novels discussing its typical roles and inherent characteristics. Common description of the dwarves involve descriptive presentations that place their intrinsic habitat in magical places like the mountains or in-between and under the stone, and generally reported by many authors to be very skilled craftspeople. 

In early literary sources, only males are explicitly referred to as dwarfs. Yet, they are commonly narrated as having sisters and daughters, while the full embodiment of the male and female dwarves feature prominently in later saga literature and general folklore towards the modern era.

Dwarves are sometimes characterized as being short in height; nonetheless, scholars have noted that this is neither explicit nor relevant to their roles in the examination of the earliest source documents detailing its original roots.

While this academic discussion amplifies the fact that a dwarf, being defined with prominence in clearly established repetition of literary works, is a model of its own protagonist role (depending on the style used), it is also common story feature that this character may be used to effectively plot evil schemes as well as lend assistance in the roles of the main character of the novel or the villain, or for both of those descriptive predisposition. While there is no authoritative claim that support the facts on the matter, dwarves may also be used in persuasion to describe a surprise twist on the plot, which some budding writers in search of literary agent would definitely find very amusing. But again, there is no proof that this is to be rendered to be a very good idea. The market changes and the predominant subject and movement in a particular era is dictated by the same market.

But this story will hold certain that the dwarfs must exist with the following attributes, all things being equal:

1. That they were originally conceived as a formless spirit;
2. That within this spiritual form they become "disease-causing;"
3. That they are known to take the human form in physical attributes, only typically much, much shorter in height;
4. That their names in Eddic sources relate to light and darkness;
5. That they work in land mines as foreman and expert blacksmiths themselves, with special skill in working in the fire of the forges;
6. That some of these dwarves are "blacker than pitch," although not exclusively anymore;
7. That the race of these dwarfs have long characteristic beards and childish demeanor yet mature;
8. That their magic and powers refer to their manufactured weapons, which is anything made of silver and steel;
9. That they live within the consciousness of the trees, dwell within the trees, talk to the trees, and interpret the magical qualities of the trees;
10. That these Elves are the originally established regulators of Magical Forestry;
11. That enchantments and magical abilities require the internediary efforts of the Dwarfish kind, especially in the Magical Work of Artisan Engineering Carpentry;
12. ... and [redacted due to potential spoilers].

The Empire and the assembled Synod sanctioned by the collective authority of the federated Sees have viewed Dwarfish participation as a legitimate embodiment of magic, wizardry, and miracles, and that their role in the development of Imperial strength have been heavily supported by the work and priorities of the episcopacy. Therefore, their significance in this narrative can never be discounted as something frivolous, trivial, or unnecessary.

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This Chapter is sponsored by Emporio Armani.