Rinn (Dwarven Women) Fluff

[Naanomi]

Anyone have a good source of fluff on Rinn and their role in Dwarven society? Even the WHFRPG stuff doesn't seem to have much.

I'm thinking of doing a dwarf in an upcoming campaign, but I'm tired of playing men to fit the faction. In A6 I was a manipulative old woman, which worked, but I was thinking a more active role. But fluffwise; are there Rinn Runesmiths? Engineers? Not in the 'there is one single special character who broke all the social rules and became a Runesmith' type but more fitting the 'norms' of dwarven society.

Outside of the special character types, I've only seen Priestesses, Goatherders, and Mothers referenced so far.

[R-Love]

Grudgelore has a little bit, but good luck finding it. I'll see if I can find it, but from what I can remember, there's nothing massively remarkable about them. Dwarfs are a very patriarchal society, and males outnumber the females about 3:1. They don't want to lose their women in battle, so most females tend to stay within the hold and do housework, cooking, etc. Dwarf Queens, on the occasions they occur, they are are mentioned as ruling in their own right while single, but are usually married off. Priestesses of Valaya are often female, but most other fields are male dominated. Basically, imagine most medieval stereotypes for women, and your set. Dwarfs are not known for being a very progressive society.

That being said, you could always do the same thing Ogre Women do

[Urgat]

You'll find some fluff in a couple of the first Gotrek books, and in Grudgebearer, I believe there's some as well (I don't remember it too well). AfaIK, there's no female or runesmith or engineer.

[Lord Squidar]

Ithink what the previous posters said is right. A traditional dwarf women is so protected by the males because of their rarity, you would never ever seen one as a average joe human. they stay in the hold and cook and clean and mind things, I think very few would become priestesses of valaja, but even that is a male dominated profession.

HOWEVER

Don't let that discourage you. Playing a dwarf female from Karaz Angkor would be very unfluffy and unlikely, but there are other dwarfs to choose from. You could do the whole Mulan thing and have your lassie wear a false beard and have run away from the hold for what ever reason. Bear in mind that this would essentially be shirking her duty to the hold and might be worthy of a grudge against her...

Another option is to play a dwarf woman from the Empire. The expatriot dwarfs are less strict about rules and such (which is why they are in the empire in the first place) and there might be a chance for a rare dwarf female adventurer. Her family probably frowns on it as well, but it wouldn't be a crime as such. Just make sure she steers clear of the traditional dwarfs from the mountain realms.

Interestingly enough, the one thing I can think of that covers all of this brilliant is non warhammer, but the discworld novels cover these themes very well, albiet tongue in cheek.

[Leogun_91]

First I want to give a fact clarification. Rinn is not the same as female dwarf, it's a lady dwarf. They are the noble dwarf ladies and they will surely not be runesmiths or engineers (and neither would dwarf thanes).

For playing a female dwarf adventurer there are some options to go by, one is to play an imperial dwarf, either born imperial or having fled to the empire, while the empire is also patriarchal they have high respect for dwarfs which would ensure you could be of most professions (including engineer providing you work for the imperial colleges). A dwarf female will not be allowed many adventurous professions unfortunately (in a roleplaying perspective as it limits choice, for fluff it fits well) but a widow would be a working option, having sworn oaths to your husband you find yourself in a situation where one of the oaths forces you to adventure to avenge him, in this situation it is most likely you would be granted male dwarf bodyguards to aid you so you'll just add in the fluff a reason why they failed to protect you.

There is also fluff that says that some dwarfs that have their marriage proposals turned down become slayers, say that your dwarf turned down such an offer even though you loved the dwarf as the wealth of his clan was insufficient. He then takes the slayer oath at which point you realize that you can't live without him and go out to get him back (even though that's most likely doomed to fail as the oaths are irreversible).

Maybe instead play with the fact that your male relatives carry your clans honor and just make a dwarf who wishes to see the world, questioning her clansmens honor and responsibility each time they try to get her to return while forcing them to pay for any damages she does to the clans honor (and local properties) just by choosing not to do so herself.

[Naanomi]

Last campaign I played an elderly dwarf, well past her mothering years, who was the defacto ruler of her Clan by fact of being the oldest and pushiest one (even if she wasn't technically Thane, no one would dare disagree with her).

This one I decided on playing the daughter of a wealthy Clan who's father had no sons and is reluctant to marry her off (along with his wealth in inheritance!) to just anyone and so has let her 'roam' as a ranger a bit in adulthood to keep her away from too many suitors while he sorts out a suitable match.

[grumbaki]

May I offer a slight modification? Instead of sending her off as a ranger, she is sent off to "see the world" while he sorts out a suitable match. While out on the trip, she slowly but surely bullies and pushes her way to the point where she is the de-facto leader of her group of bodyguards. From there, things kinda get out of hand, and by the time they get back to the hold she has several battle scars to show off and the poor dwarfs who were supposed to protect her have to explain how they let her convince them to head into a war zone.

It would keep with the "over-protection of women" angle, with a (in my mind) humorous twist.

[Naanomi]

May I offer a slight modification? Instead of sending her off as a ranger, she is sent off to "see the world" while he sorts out a suitable match. While out on the trip, she slowly but surely bullies and pushes her way to the point where she is the de-facto leader of her group of bodyguards. From there, things kinda get out of hand, and by the time they get back to the hold she has several battle scars to show off and the poor dwarfs who were supposed to protect her have to explain how they let her convince them to head into a war zone.

It would keep with the "over-protection of women" angle, with a (in my mind) humorous twist.

That is very similar to the angle I am working Grumbaki. She was put in charge of 'overseeing the business'; not really as a 'ranger'. But a lot of the Clan wealth is in farms, goat herds, and other dangerous surface areas around Karak Hirn. Not really 'worldly' wandering and adventuring, but the combat competence that comes with fighting off beastmen and goblin farm raiders and whatnot; complete with 'bodyguards' who have become more like 'subordinates'

[Urgat]

Just a quick note: in the BRB, it says that that during the goblin wars, the female dwarfs were used as soldiers too, so them being warriors isn't w/o precedents.

[endless]

Stretching my memory a bit, but there was a female dwarven character in the first Konrad book, who IIRC was an engineer. She even had WFRP stats published in WD126, I think. This is a looong time ago, mind, and I may not have got all the details right.

edit. WD122

[unknownps]

Start with the art and go from there..

http://wrathofheroes.warhammeronline.com/news/49

there are some others on warhammer online website, usually in the backround of the male ones.. ironbreaker etc