Caak7i wrote...
I will have to read a bit more about the Legion; I thought criminals, exiles, castless or dark spawn glory seekers made up the Legion who are considered castless all together. They are stuck fighting dark spawn until they died, there is no turning back.
With Bhelen's reforms, a castless dwarf can fight darkspawn, but gain some rights while still alive and may be able to reap the benefits if he/she lives in battles against the darkspawn.
I remember in the epilogue card that it stated those castless who fight get their rights, never mentioned if the other members of the castless gain those rights or nbot
This is what I've found from the codexes on the Legion:
Friends, we have argued long, but I would propose a different direction. It is not unprecedented that one of our number should end up in the Legion of the Dead: The Memories attest to some bewildering falls from grace. Only his choice to volunteer has propelled this beyond mere scandal. The question we must ask is: "Does this serve us?" The Legion has always seemed a last hope of redemption. If a noble joins their number-by choice no less-this can only do good things for enrolment. And we sacrifice only one foolish member, the last of a troublesome house. His reforms are better shouted at the darkspawn than in these halls. I say, let him go.
This is the writ that was passed, Durius. I hope you can live with your decision, because you're lost to it now.
--From Assembly minutes regarding the Legion of the Dead; addendum unknown.
Dearest Gilly,
I know things have been difficult since the censure of our house. I had hoped to bear the cost of my actions alone, but if I had a full understanding of the consequences, I wouldn't have murdered above my caste in the first place. I did not abandon you lightly, but I knew of no other way to insulate you against my shame than by joining the Legion. it is a half-measure that has earned me no right to seek your comfort, but please, I beg you for one moment of foolish optimism. There is talk of a new soldier, a noble! The things I have heard, I will not curse them by voicing them aloud, but it may be a path to respectability for my kin. For you. If there remains any official line open to our name, can you verify he is real, that House Ferald is in good state?
--A letter from Maius, unsent.
May this report find the proper eyes to affect future tactics. We found an enclave of the spawn, possibly a breeding lair, but we could make no approach. There were far more spawn than anticipated, and I divided the squad to draw the main body of the horde away. I do not expect to survive, but I have made certain that most of my men will see another day. I am torn by this, as my petition will go unheard, and that may curse many more of the Legion than would die here. But I simply cannot abandon the men I have looked in the eye and called brother. perhaps they will not thank me for this, believing themselves already dead, but where there is life there is hope. I will not be the last to see their worth.
--From a recovered Legion of the Dead field report, by Lord Durius Ferald.
Casualty: Durius ferald, lieutenant. Found dead with his squad. The corpse was left untouched, suggesting the darkspawn feared his spirit even in death. His ferocity defending his men was corroborated by survivors before they succumbed to corruption. It is rare for a soldier's actual death to exceed the honors given this enlistment, but Ferald was an odd one, an agitator. His eccentric promises were disruptive; and I fear his death may demoralize more of the Legion than actually heard his fantasies first-hand. He was committed to the Stone with his insignia, as honorable a burial as we can manage with the spawn at our heels, but officially he has formed a second front. Better his foolish hopes are diluted by time than killed outright.
--From a biweekly casualty report, by Sergeant Unger.
By virtue of honored ancestry and great personal sacrifice on the part of its last descendant, the joining of House Ferald and the Legion of the Dead is recognized as worthy of investigation by the Memories. If the lineage proves intact and sufficient, relations of the Legion of the Dead may be acknowledged as minor nobility, albeit with restrictions. This minor house will now undergo the generational process of admittance to the Memories. May honor come to its descendants.
-As recorded by the Memories.
While concerns have merit, the Assembly has made itself clear. Space within the thaig is at a premium, but the intended function of the hall merits the additional resources committed. The statues of the Paragons must be the core of the Hall of Heroes. There is no other placement that so benefits dwarven interests. It is the first glimpse that surface ambassadors have of Orzammar, an introduction not just to our living ancestors, but also to the Stone from which we were born. They must see it shaped before they can understand the complexity of its raw form.
The Hall must also serve a second purpose, as a last sight for departing brethren. Those who choose to leave must do so with the heavy gaze of their Ancestors at their backs. It is a reminder of duty and of consequence. We will promote all manner of trade, but also reinforce that those who leave for too long will return as strangers to the Stone.
--From an report of the Assembly Zoning Commission.
Pursuant to order 5-1a, no dwarf of indeterminate caste may conduct business in the Commons. This was subsequently clarified by the Assembly to mean that the owning and operating of stalls or kiosks is limited to those of identified and approved house names with traceable Ancestor lineage of at least three generations. Exceptions include individual purchases of goods or services form established stalls or kiosks, provided the funds are presented at the opening of the transaction, at the discretion of the stall or kiosk owner.
I'm sure you understand the need to maintain strict quality control over all goods and services that flow through Orzammar, especially when we are making a concerted effort to encourage outside investment. The standards of Dust Town and that of the common brand are simply not sufficient. Your trade permit is hereby denied.
--From a judgment of the Assembly Trade Council, regarding Midal's Reclaimed Wares.
The restriction of your authority is a temporary consideration, and not a verdict imposed lightly. The Assembly feels that efforts to maintain the sanctity of the Proving have faltered. This is a gentlemen's contest where future generals and respected veterans display their skills. It is intended to be inspiring, and remind the lower castes why their leaders lead. We acknowledge the usefulness of a forum for the settling of honor debts, and concede that the occasional defeat of a noble can serve as appeasement, provided it is by a peer and the contest is properly adjudicated. Extending this practice to the lower castes could prove a dangerous and barbaric precedent. We have already seen the disruption that an unauthorized fighter can cause (the recent brand incident), and similar incidents should be discouraged with all possible prejudice.
--From an Assembly writ of censure, regarding management of the Provings.
It is agreed that no rules of procedure were explicitly broken, but a five-day filibuster is nonetheless worthy of censure. Division of House Gorosmote property was deliberated for a full session, and forfeiture of the southern estate deemed a necessity. Since the birth of young Kaid necessitates his elevation to noble status, and it is unthinkable for a noble's family to live in the slums, it is responsibility of the father to accommodate the placement of his family. It is not possible to simply generate new space in the Diamond Quarter without compromising thaig structural integrity.
Lord Dace's comment that "if Lord Gorosmote didn't want a new heir, he shouldn't have slummed for a concubine" was indeed inappropriate, but the proper procedure for resolution through Proving was followed. Both parties agreed to accept his retraction, and that matter is considered separate and closed.
The decision of the Assmbly regarding the placement of the Duncoat clan stands.
--From a writ of the Assembly Zoning Council, regarding the placement of the Duncoat clan.
Your efforts have been exemplary, but these self proclaimed cartels must defer to the Assembly and restore order. Exclusion form caste and society is no excuse. Perhaps suggest that it would be a simple matter to march on the quarter, or simpler still to withdraw infrastructure support. A tunnel breach would be most unfortunate, but current policy direction prohibits any deals that would legitimize cartel operations. Downward pressure on certain elements of our society has proven useful in shoring up the economy with an excess of affordable labor. It also encourages enlistment in the Legion of the Dead, the one accepted path to partial redemption and a vital force on our weakening front lines. This model suffers when criminals create their own hierarchies with alternative methods of social advancement.
Every stone has a face that can't be carved, a side that must be earthward. We need their so-called Dust Town, but it would be inadvisable to include that in your negotiations. We have the utmost faith in you, Capt-- (The rest is obscured by bloodstains.)
--From a confidential Assembly directive, regarding proliferation of cartels.
And since I'm here already...
The blessing of the Shaperate is given only to those who walk with the Stone. It is a path that cuts deep and the road is far from secure, but those who desire to work in memory must first honor it. Document the Stone, protect her, and present a new history to the Memories. Only then will the blessing of the Shaperate be upon you.
--From The Shaper's Life.
Orzammar has carved a legacy form the Stone, but history is more than the comings and goings that fill the streets. These caverns are old cuts and well traveled; the true will of the Stone is revealed far from the halls of politics and commerce. The Shaper must step away from the familiar, and seek oyt revelations from the frontier or buried secrets from paths abandoned. The shaper must first walk away if he is to return.
--"First Steps," from The Shaper's Life.
Far from abandoned, the Deep Roads are patrolled by those who fight for Orzammar and the Stone. These defenders have seen great and tragic events unfold, but they are committed to the moment, not the memory. It is the shaper's burden to walk this path with a mind to observation. He will fight if pressed--every dwarf owes that to the Stone--but his purpose is to record, not create. Although dark and deep, the old paths are alive with deeds; only the dedication of the shaper can ensure they are not lost to the Memories.
--"The Old Path," from The Shaper's Life.
Before the darkspawn, the Stone held an empire--dozens of thaigs, each cavern a shade of dwarven pride, communities separate but united. They fell by degrees. Ruins crumbled into tombstones, a forgotten glory. But the Stone is a living history, and absence can reveal more than constant scrutiny does. As the Stone shifts, she chooses what remains buried and what must see the light. The shapers must return, must walk the lost way, so the children of the Stone can see what has been surrendered and what can be gained.
This is the sacrifice of the shaper.
--"The Lost Way," from The Shaper's Life
You have walked the path of the Shaperate and documented the Stone. The blessing of the Shaperate is yours to wield in the carving of a new path, one for tomorrow's shaper to follow.
--From The Shaper's Life
The fool has been following us fir three days, but what can I do? I'm sure a city guard could lock him up for being a sodding idiot, but there's no law that says you can't seek your death in the Trenches. There's no law down here at all. I said to his face that if he puts our patrol at risk I'd split him myself, but he's quiet, I'll give him that. Topsiders usually assume the end of a Blight erases the darkspawn form the world. Why does this one care that his victory just drives them back on our doorstep? It's one thing to face them up in the light; he'll cut his own shaft out of here once he fights them in the dark where they live. That, or the lyrium will get him.
--From a Legion of the Dead field report, by Lieutenant Gant.
I swear, Mortavold, I have never seen the like. This... elf... fought like a man possessed. His strikes were light and did not echo on the Stone like those of our greatest, but the precision was that of a shaper carving a Memory across the darkspawn. Damned if we didn't raise our glasses to him last eve and share stories of honored family. With a topsider! In the lyrium glow, he looked no more out of place than any of us. It makes me think of cousin Bern. I wonder how he fares on the surface. I think if he sends another letter I will read it. Ties of kin should be stronger than where we choose to do business.
--From a letter form Corporal Trovid Oreson, date unknown.
The Stone take this topsider as she would welcome her own. He was born to air and sky, but has served the Deep Roads better than a native son. Many will see another day because he fought at their side and fell in their stead. We don't know his rites, and I fear the loss of his family blade may cause unrest on whatever journey he faces, but we know him as brother in blood, and extend that which is sacred to us. Willem Trialmont, if the path home is dark, the Stone is honored to have you in the foundation.
--Epitaph for Willem Trialmont, 7:5 Storm
There must always be another to take up arms against the darkness. That is the core of true family beyond kin, and the unifying link that will bring day to night and allow the fallen to rest.
--Restored inscription, Trialmont family blade.
Fools and renegades, the lot of them. We accept that there is a time for ordered and educated treasure-hunting, but not when a foundation remains to be cut. What fortunes have they made, what houses have they elevated? The minor veins they have traced satisfied neither this Assembly nor their own gambler's thirst. Their actions can only grow more erratic and undisciplined, and while no incidents have been reported, they will eventually undermine the stability of a major passage.
It is the opinion of this Assembly that prospecting be restricted until we can be certain of the stability of the Deep Roads. these "Crosscut Drifters" can find their fortune in a trade. Let animals burrow wherever their nose points them. Dwarves are meant to excavate by careful degrees.
--From an Assembly memorandum.
Rogan cut a beautiful line down a minor vein today, twisting his supports along the footwall like a backbone. He's got a gift for lagging, it's almost crystalline. I swear I could tap it and hear the Stone sing. "Non-standard" by any inspector's measure, but that's the sodding point, isn't it? We're letting the Stone take us where she wants, not gouging out highways so the palace can have another pantry. I suspect they will revoke our privileges at the next Assembly sitting. I say good luck to them; they'll never find us to deliver the writ. They are afraid of the road we travel.
We're close to a major strike. The Stone, she's pulling us to something, and to the vents if I'll let dwarves who deny their sense get in the way of it.
--From the journal of Brunar, founding fellow, Crosscut Drifters.
We can no longer tolerate your flagrant disregard of this Assembly and published excavation doctrine. The actions of your team have potentially compromised two future projects, resulting in an expensive redesign of the deep roads. Fortunately, development of the largest shaft will continue, or you would have faced additional fines. Claims that the Stone is directing your actions suggest that not only are you ignorant of preplanning procedure, you and your group may also be in the early stages of lyrium poisoning. You are in breach of Orzammar mining code and hereby forfeit all claims made during your unapproved activities. The Assembly expects your response within 30 days or your house, as well as those of your team, will face additional censure.
--Notice of Assembly censure.
Here's your response: take a long breath from a short shaft.
B.
--Addendum by Brunar, founding fellow, Crosscut Drifters.
We found trouble all right. Rogan's lyrium vein led right to the flank of a darkspawn horde. From the look of their kit, the spawn were a week, maybe less, from breakthrough into that blasted new highway under Orzammar, and they'd be well behind any patrols. The Stone knew. She knew, and she drew her chosen with a promise of ore we could taste in our bones. if all goes well, losing this cavern will kill the darkspawn's taste for digging, and Orzammar will never know it was at risk. We'll be a distant tremor, a ripple in the royal fountain.
The charges are laid. We know it will work and we know the cost. The Stone has shown us the way home.
--From the journal of Brunar, founding fellow, Crosscut Drifters.
I
dwarven culture...
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