The Lives of Mountain-Dwellers, Part II
Batha Rumosten, Governing Lady of Kal Atun, was busy sorting through documents on the latest trade shipments to Greyfair and Stormmeadow, signing some papers that allowed for the transfer of massive amounts of materials and goods to the two Bannorns.
The daughter of a merchant lord, she developed a quick affinity for her father's trade from young and rose to power through expert political manoeuvring and shrewd cunning, raising her family's finances to greater heights through the fruitful profits she raked in.
As Kal Atun took shape as a proper Dwarf hold, there came the need to elect a new governor, and as a woman with great talent, respect, power and fame, she was the obvious choice.
"So let's see, ten tonnes each of scrap iron and leftover weapons and armour from Greyfair, and the same amount from Stormmeadow," Said Batha, her quill scribbling away, "That makes upwards of fourty tonnes of inferior iron or steel in total – plenty of material to refine. Then to ship then thirty-two tonnes of marble and stone in total…"
Batha sighed, grumbling to herself as she put aside the signed documents and signalled for clerks to take them away, alleviating the strain on her table.
"Honestly, I don't know how some of these Fereldeners make do with such shoddy steel," Said Batha, "No Dwarf worth his stone would ever tolerate that kind of crappy work."
Another clerk entered her office, saying, "My Lady, the latest shipment of scrap iron has arrived. Would you like to inspect it?"
The clerk she knew well; Gerkel Turder, formerly of the Casteless, was an outcast wandering aimlessly in the lands of Ferelden, having been smuggled out through a deal made with the Carta.
Having stumbled upon Kal Atun, Batha was quick to take him in and train him in the art of Stewardship. Whether out of pity or needing an extra pair of hands, none could say. There was, of course, initial resistance to mingling with the Casteless among some of the Surfacer Dwarves, but Batha, with her authority, easily overruled them.
Since then, Gerkel has served faithfully as her aide, never failing to deliver results in his assigned tasks.
Looking at her paper-laden table, she grunted and turned towards the exit, saying, "Lead the way."
As she walked along the corridors of Kal Atun, she could see Dwarves young and old mingling with each other in the halls of the restored Dwarven Halls, and beneath the feet of adult Dwarves young stonelings happily ran in some game as some tried to outrun the others, livening up the ornately-carved halls of stone.
Batha walked past the residential quarters, where Dwarven housewives were hard at work cleaning their family houses and preparing luncheon or airing out laundry to dry over runic heaters. Some chided their children over their mischief, some guided their children in performing the chores, some oversaw their children's efforts in studying knowledge – raising the next generation of Dwarven bureaucrats, warriors or Runesmiths.
Proper houses of stone – not those shoddy cottages and shacks Fereldeners seemed fine with – lined the passageways like a parade of immobile statues, capable of housing tens of thousands of Dwarves.
And according to her reports, similar housing was being built in Stormmeadow and Grayfair as well, and with their architects generously providing the blueprints to build more, you are certain they won't be wanting for proper housing anytime soon, once they finish their current work.
"So how go the reports on construction projects in our allied fiefdoms?" Asked Batha.
"Very well, My Lady," Said Gerkel, "With the huge employment rates provided to the destitute, many of the peasantry now work vigorously under their supervisors. It may be months still until the fruits of their labour are made visible, but with the additional gold aid we've sent them, the Banns are able to pay their workers handsomely."
"Mm… what of the new roads?" Asked Batha.
"They've begun laying down the foundations for the new roads, though that too will take time," Said Gerkel, "Furthermore, with how intricate and deep the roads are, and with the sheer amount of material they take, it will easily be months before the merchants can enjoy the benefits the new roads will provide."
"Pretty sure they will be comparing them to the Imperial Highway," Said Batha, "Pretty sure the Tevinters took months paving the base foundations."
"That they did, My Lady," Said Gerkel, "As for the new shipments of iron…"
Batha did not need to look at her aide to know he was grimacing at the shoddy quality.
"They're waiting outside at the entrance, by the cartful," Said Gerkel.
And surely enough, at the entrance to Kal Atun, they saw Human tradesmen unloading boxes from their horse-pulled carts, where Dwarf workers eagerly took them from Human hands.
Upon seeing Lady Batha approaching, the tradesmen stood straight and bowed to her.
"My Lady," They said in courtesy.
"At ease," Said Batha, "So I take it they're the scrap iron shipments we purchased?"
"Of course, My Lady," Said the head merchant, "All fourty tonnes of them, weapons and armour and all."
The Dwarves took a look inside the crates, and surely enough, inspecting the metal up close, they found it a blighted heresy to the good name of all blacksmiths among their kind.
Batha resisted the urge to cringe in front of the others, instead nodding as she put the rusted sword in the crate.
Clapping her hands, she told the other Dwarves, "Bring out their payment."
The Dwarfs obliged as they hastily left, and soon they returned with a bag full of coins that they passed to the merchants – filled with a good handful of gold sovereigns, which they accept with gracious thanks.
"Now then, let's get this sorry state of metal and refine it to proper quality," Said Batha.
"I couldn't agree more," Said Gerkel.
IIOII
The industrial quarter of Kal Atun, where many Dwarven smiths worked to refine metal ores on a daily basis, was becoming extra busy with the recent work orders flooding into the hold. Namely, the shipments of scrap iron and steel they received.
Already, long before Batha and Gerkel could even near the main core of the Industrial Quarter, they could hear the dissatisfied grumblings of blacksmiths who inspected the shoddy workmanship, along with some cursing and swearing in more unintelligible phrases Batha neglected to note.
"This is what they call iron? It looks more like what a volcano puked!"
"Nah, I think it's more like someone took the excretions of Deep Crawlers and mixed it with rock!"
"Gah, I'm of the mind to wallop whichever blacksmiths made this metal!"
Batha merely rolled her eyes as she stepped into view of the working Dwarven blacksmiths, who quickly bow to her in response.
"So, how long till we finish refining the first batch?" Asked Batha.
"Will take us as long as a day or so, give or take, maybe two," Said a blacksmith, "There's so much impurities in this damn metal that we have to spend a long time just removing those damn impurities before we can start melting it down."
"Alright," Batha nodded, "If we're reselling the refined metal, how much do you think we can sell it for?"
"Maybe eight to ten silvers for each tonne," Said another blacksmith, "Either way, our contacts will be willing to pay more for high-quality steel."
"Sounds good," Said Batha, "Now get to work: I want all this shoddy iron refined into proper Dwarven steel!"
"Aye, Ma'am!" The Blacksmiths chorused as they went to work.
The sound of blast furnaces roaring with fire was music to Batha's ears, and as the poor iron and steel were tossed into crucibles to be melted, Batha was pleased to see their contents quickly melt into molten lava, refined with the addition of coke.
The molten steel was then poured into molds with the shape of ingots pressed into them, and as the molten steel rapidly cooled, the new ingots were being inspected by Dwarven blacksmiths to see which ones were good quality and which ones needed additional refining – not that Dwarven blacksmiths were horrible at their job.
And both Batha and Gerkel smiled at the good work done.
It was good to be a Dwarf.
A/N: Took me a while to write this; was thinking hard about how Dwarves would live their daily lives in Thedas.
