Times are tough for the dwarves in Dragon Age. Crippled by darkspawn, pigeon-holed by the regimented caste system, and paralyzed by a fear of the surface, it’s easy to see why a dwarven Warden has the odds stacked against them. And whether you’ve led a pampered life as the child of a noble house or scraped by living as one of society’s outcasts, there’s no doubt that Orzammar is in trouble in more ways than one.

We learn upon starting either of the dwarf origin stories that Orzammar is a highly structured society. From birth every dwarf has a determined place in Orzammar’s hierarchy, and along with it, a specific role they can play. An individual’s worth is determined first and foremost by their caste, and second by the honor of their family house. House honor is determined by a culmination of the current actions of its members, and the past glory of the dwarven ancestors.

In a society defined by honor and caste, it is the worst of all possible fates to be casteless – to literally have no caste or place among your fellow dwarves, and no house to call your own. We see from the beginning how hard the casteless have it: as a “brand,” the player is shunned by the rest of Orzammar, and shackled into service to the local crime lord, while their sister is forced to become a noble hunter in hopes of turning the family fortunes around.

“No work’s legitimate if they let you do it, sweetness. The Assembly declared back in Darbir’s reign that it insults the ancestors for casteless to perform any work the recognized lineage can do.” – Kasch

Casteless are not permitted to earn wages or hold down respectable jobs. They have to make their living any way they can, by stealing, begging, or selling themselves to others. Which even includes fighting darkspawn. Among the dwarves, taking up arms to defeat the horde is an honor and a privilege. Never would the noble houses agree to allow the casteless to prove themselves in such a fashion.

“Whatever horrid deviants you’re descended from were written out of the histories and deemed unworthy to join the ancestors.” – Unna

Trapped on the lowest rung of the social ladder, the casteless have only two ways of escaping the fate that awaits them, lost among the crumbling tunnels of Orzammar. If casteless women are fortunate enough to bear a child of a higher caste, then they are automatically elevated to the rank of their child’s father. We see this in-game with Rica, the Warden’s sister.

The other option is of course to enlist in the Legion of the Dead, joining that fabled band of fearless warriors and seeking your death at the hands of the darkspawn, in exchange for clearing your family name. But when prostitution or death are your only options out of a miserable life, the only question that remains is why more casteless haven’t abandoned Orzammar entirely.

“Centuries ago narrow-minded men declared that any dwarf who left to live on the surface forfeited his caste, and his house if noble. That he was, in essence, no longer a dwarf.” – Lord Ronus Dace

By contrast to the destitute casteless, surface dwarves enjoy lives of comparative freedom and prosperity, often holding positions as smiths and merchants in human cities. In fact, many humans believe that virtually all dwarves are artisans or peddlers, because such surface dwarves are all they ever see. Dwarves are liberated on the surface, living among humans as respected immigrants, if not complete equals, and commanding more respect than most elves and mages do among their new allies.

“If you were on the surface, you could open a shop, claim land and start a farm, and get legally married by the human Chantry.” – Ademaro

But in exchange, surface dwarves are barred from participating in Orzammar society. Dubbed “lost to the Stone” by their underground kin, surfacers are no longer permitted to hold houses among the dwarven castes, or to return to the Stone when they die.

In The Stolen Throne, we see how serious the issue of returning to the Stone after death becomes. As a rebel king, Maric enlisted the aid of the Legion of the Dead to help repel the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden. But in order to gain the support of the Legion, Maric had to promise something more important than wealth or property:

“I ask just one thing,” Nalthur stated slowly, “that if any of us fall as we aid you, we will not be left up there. Return us to the Stone, do not bury us in dirt. Do not bury us under the sky.” – The Stolen Throne by David Gaider, page 324

The idea that the Stone is more than a home, but also a resting place and a final answer for all dwarves is utterly pervasive in Orzammar culture. And anyone who joins the surfacers is turning their back on this heritage. But, as long as a surface dwarf can live with this exile, their lives are filled with possibility.

“May the Paragons favor you, and the Stone catch you if you fall.” – King Endrin Aeducan

Perhaps no caste in Orzammar is more aware of the importance of the Stone than the dwarven nobles. In the noble origin, the player is entrusted with carrying on the prestigious line of their ancestors by bringing honor to their house. They do this first by winning glory and approval in the Provings: arena matches held for the glory of ancestral houses and to demonstrate the personal worth of combatants. In addition, dwarven nobles are among the most lauded protectors of Orzammar, for leading the city’s soldiers into battle against the darkspawn.

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