Some time back, I wrote a post about the Source of Dungeons. Among other things, it posited one or more clans of Dwarves that specialized in digging dungeons for wizards that lacked the ability to magic one up themselves.
Here is one such clan.
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History
Clan Steelbeard dug its first dungeon for a human wizard several centuries ago, in exchange for services rendered. Enjoying the challenge of the construction, as well as the wizard slaying a dragon for them, the Dwarves' leaders began hiring themselves out to other wizards wanting dungeons dug.
Within a century, Clan Steelbeard became the go-to diggers, generating much of their wealth and fame through these projects. As might be expected, they also developed a series of best practices, as well as standardized offerings for complexes. Between dungeons, the Clan contracts out to dig small tomb complexes for nobles and temples.
While Dwarves never turn down gold, mithral, or mead as payment, they know that most people - even Wizards - do not have enough to pay them in full. This being the case, the Dwarves accept (and perhaps prefer) services in exchange. These services being completed either before or during or after the contract, depending on negotiations.
Early on, and maybe once a century since then, some Wizards have attempted to renege or otherwise cheat the Dwarves. In those situations, the Clan has collapsed the entrance(s) of a dungeon until payment is made in full. Clearing the blockage is an extra fee. If the offending Wizard still doesn't pay up, the Dwarves send someone to collect.
Being Dwarves, the Steelbeards keep records of all the dungeons and tombs they have designed in a hidden, secure, guarded vault. After all, integrity is something that Dwarves in the business of working with Wizards need. Attempts to steal or purchase this information has so far failed.
So far.
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Contracts
Contracts are drawn up by teams of skilled negotiators and barristers, and address all aspects of dungeon building: planning, siting, digging, procuring supplies (such as dressed stone or iron-bound oaken doors), provisioning the diggers, protecting the diggers, stocking the dungeon (with either caught wild beasts or the semi-tame dungeon beasts that the Dwarves raise for this purpose, like mimics and carrion crawlers and a wide array of fungi, molds, and slimes), found mineral rights, etc.
For planning purposes, the Steelbeards start with a decade per level of a complex, adding time in yearly increments from there. As might be imagined, Clan Steelbeard never has more than three or four projects going at one time. The wait list is long and rumors suggest that for the right price, construction might move up (or down) the priority list.
When it comes to any discovered veins of ores or gems, a new contract is drawn up to dig them out. The same goes for any ruins or caverns discovered. Standard Clan Steelbeard practice is to block those areas off and continue around them until a mining or exploring contract is drawn up.
Understandably, the more the Dwarves do, the more it costs the wizard.
Given the nature and length of time to complete these dungeon-building contracts, the Clan often negotiates payment - in full or at least partially - in services, such as monster slaying, retrieving a specific item from elsewhere, item creation, or collecting debts from wizards that reneged on their contract.
Truth be told, the Dwarves especially enjoy the latter service, as it provides an unsubtle hint to the negotiating wizard about what happens to those that renege. Incidentally, the negotiating wizards don't mind collecting these debts for the Dwarves, as they often score some potent arcane treasure for themselves in the process.
Having built these dungeons for centuries, Steelbeard Dwarves have an excellent idea of what some wizards are capable of, and as such, suggest to them that using certain specific spells may reduce costs and time of construction. Veteran Steelbeard negotiators keep a list of known helpful Wizard spells and will suggest them in the course of negotiations.
Note that the Steelbeards will subcontract certain parts of its negotiated tasks to other Dwarf Clans and adventuring companies once the contract start date is reached.
All things considered, negotiating a contract can take months, but once it is locked in, it is locked in.
The contract complete, the Dwarves celebrate with ale and song, as Dwarves do.
While the Steelbeard Clan (or one of its negotiating teams) might be a solid patron to PCs, the paying Wizard or a rival Wizard might also hire PCs on for any number of tasks.
Of course, a rival Wizard will be hiring to disrupt the construction, so planting monsters, sowing dissension among workers, reducing or poisoning supplies, or outright attacking the Dwarves might be on the table. Crossing an entire Clan of Dwarves that have several allied Wizards as business partners may not be the smartest thing PCs do, but PCs aren't known for exercising high wisdom scores outside of spell bonuses for specific rulesets.
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