This was a thread I started on the CD discord, but I thought it be fun to move it here: a discussion on why CD hats look the way they do.
Realistically: the big hats on cd minis were very varied in size, shape and decoration. So, it was probably like Scottish clan tartans. Each clan had similarities, but each household adding their own embellishments. Ex. This clan has the round pillbox hat, but household A adds 1 spike, household b adds 3 spikes (based on their Patriarch is the Third son).
Ex. In clan zharak, a minor lord won an impressive battle and was rewarded a special unique hat, like a chain of office, in rewards. All of their descendants have a hat that emulate that hatās style
I suspect the style changes with the centuries; thus, you can trace back the age of your house based on its general shape
Another example: the tall hook hats were given out during the Goblin rebellion (when hobgoblins first allied with CDs officially)
Hobgoblins started fashioned their crude hats to emulate these new lords
MASKS
The hat = clan idea also works with the infernal guard too; They are stripped of their names, their clan, and their face. And thus, also their hats
Mask dwarves might be lesser dwarves / bastards who have no great clan; or had their names stricken do to dishonor / disownment
Some wear it with shame. Some are openly proud of it, glad to distance themselves from old, lazy houses (i.e. āIām gonna build my OWN clan! With black Jack! And hookers!ā )
I like this. Sorcerer Prophets of the conclave would be the ones designing hats presumably? (and handing them out). each hat is like a holy relic forged from metal infused with the blood of countless slaves. An honourary relic of the Temple of Hashut. Your hat is a symbol of both your devotion to Hashut, and the Conclaveās recognition of your houseās (or your own) achievements.
Chaos Dwarves though not quite as radically traditional as their traitorous mountain kin are still really traditional. I feel as though sorcerer prophets would really cling to traditional shapes and ornamentation when designing hats- this would make the progress of Chaos Dwarven fashion very slow.
This is cool!
After a Chaos Dwarven son has survived the Ordeal by Fire the ruling Sorcerer Prophet of his clan will construct his hat in the fashion of his fathers, which will await his coming of age; At the age of 30. When the Dwarf reaches 30 the Prophet will demand an offering, this could be a part of their body or the Dwarf venturing out on their own or with a group of peers to bring back a fresh slave (For each of them, no Adults may aid the young Dwarfs). Once The Chaos Dwarf has made their offering the Prophet will grant them their hat.
Chaos Dwarven children could all be given very unornamented boring very short flat-topped stone hats after they can walk. These will suffice to demonstrate the childās devotion to the father of darkness but do not reward those who have earned nothing. When they have reached the age of 30, and learned their assigned role in the Clan. They may be granted the ceremonial hat.
oooo
I wonder what would cause stylistic evolutions. War-time resource saving? Eccentric individualistic Sorcerers trying to be unique and notable (including their servants)?
I choose to think a house will only get a new style of hat if the ruling Sorcerer Prophet deems the house at itās peak so far in written history.
I love the idea that you can trace the age of a houseās honour based on the style of their hat. Even if you accomplish incredible deeds and work your way to being an Overseer he will construct a new larger badge of office still in the styling of your family hat that was awarded during the goblin rebellion.
Unless you have achieved a higher honour than your family has ever achieved it is unlikely a sorcerer prophet will divert from your ancestral style when constructing a larger hat for you.
Sorcerer Prophet's Runic Signatures
I believe Sorcerers would have unique runes or sigils they emblaze onto hats they construct/design.
If a house was awarded a grand hat during the Black Orc Rebellion by Sorcerer Lord Grundaz Leadfoot then from then on their hats will be in that style; The rune of Grundaz Leadfoot would be added to record that they proved themselves under his rule from then on. There would also be the rune of whatever Sorcerer Prophet is currently leading their clan (who would be constructing the hat).
I believe the living sorcerer prophet would definitely prioritize showcasing his role in the creation of the hat over representing the Sorcerer whom the house gained the hat serving, who is long dead. The difference in size/quantity of the runes present would probably be drastic.
but I donāt think a CD house would soon forget the time that they were at their peak, especially the prophet they were serving. The times they were best rewarded and by who would be cherished. The Sorcerers would want to remember the greatest of their order, who lead dwarves to do historic things.
I think this because of the Sorcererās ego. Both runes would end up on the hat because the living sorcerer wants you to know how much more important he is than you. More accurately, how much more important any sorcerer is than you. Including dead ones.
This cultural practice could also exist because it profits off the Sorcerersā egos. It means that there are ways for sorcerers to be remembered for all of history, I donāt think sorcerers would have a problem with this as they wouldnāt see it as paying homage to rivals but rather as opportunities to take their historic glory from them and replace it with their own. Motivation for the DawiāZharr to be constantly reaching new heights for their civilization, thatās what this tradition was intending.
The fact the prophet hates putting the rune of another āGreaterā sorcerer then him is insulting- this is on purpose as it only makes the prophet anticipate the day he gets to replace these hats with ones of his own design, with just his rune inside them. In order to have a clan wearing hats of his own design (bearing exclusively his rune) that would mean all of the houses in his clan would be at their most glorious time in history. This should inspire the Prophet to drive his clansmen harder than stone. And could explain why Prophets are so cruel and expect so much. In order to go down in history after his death the Prophet requires a historic performance from his clan.
This tradition could have been handed to the Chaos Dwarves by Hashut himself as an attempt to drive Sorcerer Prophetsā ambition ever further for the rest of time.
Hats containing a single rune are extremely prized relics of the Chaos Dwarves. It means the dwarf who wore that hat was the greatest his house had seen yet. Great sorcerers oftentimes leave their entire clan with new hats, more ornamented than their ancestors. Though this is rare, and normally Clans have a diverse age of honour amongst their houses and numerous sorcererās runes on their hats.
I could see an ancient ā College of Hatsā deep in Zharr Naggrond. Sorcerors conferring with them on new hat designs making sure the inevitably complex rules are followed. Recoding what each symbol means/records.
Maybe big changes have to be passed by the college and then agreed on by the current conclave allowing for great Machiavellian manoeuvres just to change a hat. Awesome.
Of course some āNouveau Magiqueā Sorcerors may not have access to great Historic hats. This will drive some to achieve great deeds to be granted their own Hat. Possibly there are rules over who in you clan can wear a hat? A newer clan may be restricted to only the more important members, whereas the oldest clans even the lowest Dawi Zharr gets to wear one (at age).
Others (maybe they failed to get political approval from the conclave), may reject the outdated concepts of the anciene regime. Probably provincial upstarts! They may try to turn their lack of hats into a political statement. Glorying in their āhumbleā roots, and secretly despising the degenerates of the capital gone soft far away from the wars on the borders?
But to toot my own horn, I love that it lets hats and masks / No hats both fit into the same lore.
A traditional dwarf of rank and good clan? A tall fancy hat.
Get a tarnished reputation? Stripped of your family hat and your face, hidden behind a mask of iron in the infernal guard. A castellan who proves himself may remove his helm, but his head remains bare; they may use their name, but not their hat; itās a blank slate, a reputation they must rebuild from the ground up.
I could see āborder CDsā shunning the hats; but the most common hatless dwarves outside of the infernal guard are the engineers. I bet itās THEM who start spreading upstart ideas; young heretics, eager to shrug off traditions and hierarchy, who tie them down with bureaucracy
In my head CDs were always Victorian in nature. A love of the neoclassical (Babylonian in their case) style and aping it where they could, married to an environmentally devastating industrialisation. Ancient aristocracies competing with new upstart industry driven nouveau ruche (daemonsmiths rising to sorcerors). Some of these never breed buying into the ancient traditions/styles others rejecting them as old fashioned. Oh and a hidebound rigid society with big beards. Astrogath is not amused!
