How do dwarves make letters and documents official - do they use wax seals or something else? Wax seals seem like a human-oriented function to me. Thoughts?
Well, would they even use paper? If they live solely underground, there aren't really many trees down there. I suppose they could use parchment or vellum, actually, from some subterranean animal.
So, they couldn't just use wax seals, because there's not really a great source of beeswax underground. Perhaps some sort of cheap, thin metal clasp, made of some malleable metal(perhaps aluminum, as it is rather malleable without being valuable like gold or silver), that can have an insignia easily pressed into it.
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Well, would they even use paper? If they live solely underground, there aren't really many trees down there. I suppose they could use parchment or vellum, actually, from some subterranean animal.
So, they couldn't just use wax seals, because there's not really a great source of beeswax underground. Perhaps some sort of cheap, thin metal clasp, made of some malleable metal(perhaps aluminum, as it is rather malleable without being valuable like gold or silver), that can have an insignia easily pressed into it.
hmmm, i like that, like one of those fancy seals on diplomas. thanks!!!
An alternative is to fasten the paper-like substance to itself using a stamp that stitches the paper to itself like a stapleless stapler but in a emblem design rather than a series of deformed ridges.
When opened (unstitched), the design becomes inconsistent and cannot be restitched as the paper-like material is already deformed, effectively acting as breaking a seal stamp (which a wax stamp could be resealed with the right stamp while the stapleless stapling cannot be restitched even with the correct design). This agrees with the Dwarf stereotypical metalworking of hitting things and making presses (the main process behind stapleless stapling).
The catch is that the stitching would go through all the way through - stitching 3 layers together in a tri-folded letter - and would occupy a portion of the writing area on the paper-like material. The method would not work on document satchels, though. It would only be useful for folded letters and enveloped letters (which would be 5 or more layers depending on the enveloping process, which is doable to a point on modern paper so it's a viable idea).
For a document satchel, perhaps a clasp with a design and the clasp snaps irreparably when the satchel is opened. It might be a tinkering trick to install such a thing so it doesn't break during "sealing". Maybe that would be a better method for Gnomes.
Edit: If you mean like some kind of official stamp (like a Notary), the same applies but without the stitching. IRL Notary stamps of recent days used to leave an impression by deforming the paper though many are just ink stamps nowadays. Add a spot of metal and stamping it, you could achieve a Dwarven flair to it - specific metals and designs for specific kingdoms, clans, and families.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I was thinking they might use gold leaf and then press it into the paper (parchment, vellum, ...) with a clamping type diploma stamp. I have a stamp like this we use in my profession and they also use them to notarize documents all the time.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Well, would they even use paper? If they live solely underground, there aren't really many trees down there. I suppose they could use parchment or vellum, actually, from some subterranean animal.
So, they couldn't just use wax seals, because there's not really a great source of beeswax underground. Perhaps some sort of cheap, thin metal clasp, made of some malleable metal(perhaps aluminum, as it is rather malleable without being valuable like gold or silver), that can have an insignia easily pressed into it.
I mean, in the underdark they have some weird fungus that could be used as paper, but I would assume only Duergar would use those, and the occasional other dwarven stronghold.
So, they could use metal, stone tablets (like Moses!), or runes with secret meaning. Also, they could grow papyrus or trees underground with magical lights. How they'd get the ink? Fungus?
So, yes, there are options for how to communicate and keep records.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
I mean, in the underdark they have some weird fungus that could be used as paper, but I would assume only Duergar would use those, and the occasional other dwarven stronghold.
So, they could use metal, stone tablets (like Moses!), or runes with secret meaning. Also, they could grow papyrus or trees underground with magical lights. How they'd get the ink? Fungus?
So, yes, there are options for how to communicate and keep records.
the drow use some kind of special creature blood for ink - trying to find the book i saw that in
I agree with Levi and Mot above. Most likely, on metal sheets (more durable than even stone) and more compact. Although I did create a dwarven library that was all stone tablets once.
Paper (even from fungi) does seem too transient of a material. And the more important the document, the more likely it would be gilded in gold or other precious metal. Paper would probably be only used for some special uses, like a message that a spy needs to dispose of.
How do dwarves make letters and documents official - do they use wax seals or something else? Wax seals seem like a human-oriented function to me. Thoughts?
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Well, would they even use paper? If they live solely underground, there aren't really many trees down there. I suppose they could use parchment or vellum, actually, from some subterranean animal.
So, they couldn't just use wax seals, because there's not really a great source of beeswax underground. Perhaps some sort of cheap, thin metal clasp, made of some malleable metal(perhaps aluminum, as it is rather malleable without being valuable like gold or silver), that can have an insignia easily pressed into it.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
hmmm, i like that, like one of those fancy seals on diplomas. thanks!!!
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
An alternative is to fasten the paper-like substance to itself using a stamp that stitches the paper to itself like a stapleless stapler but in a emblem design rather than a series of deformed ridges.
When opened (unstitched), the design becomes inconsistent and cannot be restitched as the paper-like material is already deformed, effectively acting as breaking a seal stamp (which a wax stamp could be resealed with the right stamp while the stapleless stapling cannot be restitched even with the correct design). This agrees with the Dwarf stereotypical metalworking of hitting things and making presses (the main process behind stapleless stapling).
The catch is that the stitching would go through all the way through - stitching 3 layers together in a tri-folded letter - and would occupy a portion of the writing area on the paper-like material. The method would not work on document satchels, though. It would only be useful for folded letters and enveloped letters (which would be 5 or more layers depending on the enveloping process, which is doable to a point on modern paper so it's a viable idea).
For a document satchel, perhaps a clasp with a design and the clasp snaps irreparably when the satchel is opened. It might be a tinkering trick to install such a thing so it doesn't break during "sealing". Maybe that would be a better method for Gnomes.
Edit: If you mean like some kind of official stamp (like a Notary), the same applies but without the stitching. IRL Notary stamps of recent days used to leave an impression by deforming the paper though many are just ink stamps nowadays. Add a spot of metal and stamping it, you could achieve a Dwarven flair to it - specific metals and designs for specific kingdoms, clans, and families.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I was thinking they might use gold leaf and then press it into the paper (parchment, vellum, ...) with a clamping type diploma stamp. I have a stamp like this we use in my profession and they also use them to notarize documents all the time.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Carved in stone or forged in metal would be more like how dwarves would do it. And Aluminum used to be more valuable than gold up until the 1800's. They figured out how to make it cheap. However, the dwarves could have done the same thing... https://www.clintonaluminum.com/aluminum-was-once-worth-more-than-gold-and-silver/
I mean, in the underdark they have some weird fungus that could be used as paper, but I would assume only Duergar would use those, and the occasional other dwarven stronghold.
So, they could use metal, stone tablets (like Moses!), or runes with secret meaning. Also, they could grow papyrus or trees underground with magical lights. How they'd get the ink? Fungus?
So, yes, there are options for how to communicate and keep records.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
the drow use some kind of special creature blood for ink - trying to find the book i saw that in
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
I agree with Levi and Mot above. Most likely, on metal sheets (more durable than even stone) and more compact. Although I did create a dwarven library that was all stone tablets once.
Paper (even from fungi) does seem too transient of a material. And the more important the document, the more likely it would be gilded in gold or other precious metal. Paper would probably be only used for some special uses, like a message that a spy needs to dispose of.