Dînadan:
In the middle of writing a Chaos Dwarf story and the idea for this thread occurred to me - what is the lifecycle of a Chaos Dwarf? E.g. when does childhood end/adulthood begin?
For example, broadly speaking a modern human’s lifecycle would be something like
0-4 - baby/toddler
5-12 - child
13-17 teenager
18-early 20s - young adult/tween
20s-late 30s - adult
40s - mid life
50s-60s - older adult
70s+ - elderly
Any ideas on what it would be like for Chaos Dwarfs? We know regular dwarfs use the terms ‘beardling’ for young dwarfs and ‘longbeard’ for old dwarfs, but these seem more like broad categories (e.g. beardling covering everything from newborn to tween). Also, would Chaos Dwarfs still use such terms, or would the millennia of cultural segregation result in new terms?
MadHatter:
We know regular dwarfs use the terms 'beardling' for young dwarfs and 'longbeard' for old dwarfs, but these seem more like broad categories (e.g. beardling covering everything from newborn to tween). Also, would Chaos Dwarfs still use such terms, or would the millennia of cultural segregation result in new terms?
Dînadan
Also I've seen the term Zharrlings thrown about a couple of times! :cheers
Admiral:
Good question. For ordinary Dwarfs you’re a beardling until you’ve passed 80 or 100 years if I remember correctly. Beardling could be a term that has stood the test of time, though Longbeard shouldn’t have since it signals too much uncorrupted Dwarfiness. Zharrling is an unofficial word invented around here, and deserves to be used.
I remember someone on this forum describing the information about Chaos Dwarfs found in some Black Library novel where they are besieged. Apparently their women have status as childbearers, but old women of infertile age are shunned outcasts with their tounges cut out, and called “hags” or “crones”. Seems extreme even for Chaos Dwarfs,s so take it with a pinch of salt.
Also, given the state of Longbeards, one should expect Dwarfs and Chaos Dwarfs to only get tougher and stronger towards their old age and death.
I guess a rough guesstimate of a CD lifecycle could look something like this:
0-8 baby/toddler/Zharrling
9-25 child/Zharrling
26-50 equivalent of teenager
51-90 beardling
91-250 adult clansman/clanswoman
251+ venerable/old/hag
MadHatter:
I remember someone on this forum describing the information about Chaos Dwarfs found in some Black Library novel where they are besieged. Apparently their women have status as childbearers, but old women of infertile age are shunned outcasts with their tounges cut out, and called "hags" or "crones". Seems extreme even for Chaos Dwarfs,s so take it with a pinch of salt.
Admiral
Any clue at all to which this novel is? That's exactly how I imagine it to be
Dînadan:
Thanks Admiral, sounds a reasonable outlay :hat off
As a side debate then, re: the post-menopausal Chaos Dwarf women being shunned, when do female Chaos Dwarfs experience the menopause? Is it at the same equivalent as a human, or does it happen later in life?
Admiral:
@MadHatter: Sadly, I don’t know the title of the novel. It could be one of Nick Kyme’s books. In fact, it’s probably best to ask about the info in Chaos Dwarf General Discussion. 
@Dînadan: Since Humans, Elves and Dwarfs all are derived from the same species yet separated by magic-genetical engineering mumbo-jumbo by the Old Ones (see The Sundering: Malekith), I’d think that both Dwarfs and Elves start to experience menopause at the equivalent age in the life cycle as do Human females. Since Elves lean more to the immortal and flowery side of things, I’d also guess that they never grow infertile. Dwarfs and Humans are probably more akin to each others in this regard than they are to Elves, like in so many other areas.
Besides, in Xenology it was revealed that Eldar/space Elven males have complicated reproductive organs, with basically reproduction being a process of multiple succesive stages akin to a space rocket. Eldar maids can’t become pregnant with just one session, they need several in a series over a matter of months or years. This also means that a single Eldar child could potentially have several dads. This would probably be true for more than a few Dark Eldar Trueborn. It’s 40k stuff, but it’s likely it works the same in WHFB.
Dînadan:
. It's 40k stuff, but it's likely it works the same in WHFB.
Admiral
Maybe, but then again, Eldar have triple-helix DNA, vertical ribs and crystalline flesh as I recall. ;P
Admiral:
No, it’s worse than that. They have crystalline excrement, according to Xenology. :~
But you’re right, Eldar are very alien in 40k. Probably more than what even Elves should be in Fantasy.
cornixt:
I remember someone on this forum describing the information about Chaos Dwarfs found in some Black Library novel where they are besieged. Apparently their women have status as childbearers, but old women of infertile age are shunned outcasts with their tounges cut out, and called "hags" or "crones". Seems extreme even for Chaos Dwarfs,s so take it with a pinch of salt.
Admiral
Any clue at all to which this novel is? That's exactly how I imagine it to be
MadHatter
I don't remember seeing that before. I don't think it is especially fitting since they would still have massive usefulness in helping out in childrearing even if they can't have children themselves.
Admiral:
I don't remember seeing that before. I don't think it is especially fitting since they would still have massive usefulness in helping out in childrearing even if they can't have children themselves.
cornixt
Yes, that'd be the logical view of it. That's how it works in reality, after all. But I guess such a crazy idea (which novel? gotta ask) is grimdark enough to make the cut for Warhammer. ;)