Warfaring

Warfaring is a term used primarily in fantasy fiction and role-playing game contexts to denote the conduct, strategy, and culture of war among dwarven or dwarven-inspired groups. It is not a formal historical discipline, but a narrative label used to organize world-building around conflict, factional rivalries, and military technology in subterranean and mountainous settings.

Etymology and scope. The word is a compound blending war with fare or fare-like conduct, chosen by authors and designers to evoke a distinct martial tradition. In most uses, warfaring encompasses not only battlefield tactics but also the social, political, and logistical structures that sustain prolonged conflict among dwarven clans or cities.

Themes and features. Common elements include fortified settlements deep underground or in high valleys, siege warfare adapted to narrow tunnels and strongholds, and the use of mining expertise, ore-derived resources, and stonecraft as strategic advantages. Military organization often hinges on clan loyalties, honor codes, and long memories of feuds, with units such as shield-priest retinues, forgeborn regiments, or siege crews playing central roles. Logistics, supply lines, and mining operations frequently intersect with warfare, shaping campaigns as much as battlefield outcomes.

Context and variation. The portrayal of warfaring varies by setting: some works emphasize defensive fortification and stalwart endurance, others depict expansionist campaigns or mercenary warfare. Different authors and games may reinterpret technology, diplomacy, and ritual combat according to their world’s mythos and balance needs.

Critique and usage. While widely used in fiction, the term is not standard outside speculative contexts and can overlap with broader fantasy warfare terminology. It serves as a convenient label for a coherent dwarven martial culture within a fictional universe.