Maga = Irl version of Duergar

The weak were unfit to possess what was meant for the strong and those too weak to defend their holdings or themselves were considered by most to be unworthy of pity. Most placed little value on the lives and possessions of others, or at least their rights to these things. The helpless, weak, and less fortunate than themselves earned little mercy, yet all-consuming envy was harbored for anyone relatively better off.[22][21]

Work or die. In the first case, you are useful. In the second, you are entertaining.

Vozala Spikefist[20]

The suffering of others was one of the rare times that the duergar could feel some semblance of happiness. They enjoyed tormenting those vulnerable to their predations, but this was not to be mistaken for the wasteful and extravagant displays of cruelty shown by the drow. Rather, the duergar enjoyed more "down-to-earth" suffering, working others to the death and using cruel jokes and petty abuse to bring a momentary smile to their faces.[11][21] The closest they came to feeling true joy was when satisfying their violent urges and desire for treasure, especially when raiding dwarven strongholds to do it.[24]

To show weakness was a mortal sin to the duergar, whether on an individual or societal level. To their minds, weakness included such emotions as happiness or kindness,[22][9] and they had no tolerance for those that failed to show the proper levels of ambition and cruelty.[18] While regular dwarves showed a lack of trust to outsiders, they had strong family bonds, their dedication to furthering their clans and leaving behind a proper legacy showing in every aspect of their activities. The duergar inverted this value, for while they were bound by their rigid society, they did so because they had to, and indeed had no love of their kin.[9]

The gray dwarves were consumed by feelings of bitterness, convinced not only that their race had been denied their due, but that the world, other dwarves, and even their own kin and clan had cheated them of their birthright.[11] They were forbidden from trusting others[9][22] and raised from a young age to believe that betrayal was simply their inevitable fate, a self-fulfilling prophecy.[11] Though the duergar were assigned life partners, this was merely to ensure the continued survival of the clan, for life in the Underdark required cooperation. The creation of a legacy was not considered because they had abandoned individuality, each member of society expected to perform their determined role as best they could.[9]

In the eyes of the duergar, life was nothing but harsh endless, toil, working from the cradle to the grave in ceaseless labor and drudgery. They were taught that this was their lot in life early, and so expected nothing else.[11] In many ways, their lives were fundamentally empty, a hollow, unfulfilling version of the dwarven way of life. Despite their many accumulated treasures, their successful military operations, and all their pride in the purging of their weakness, the duergar felt no happiness or satisfaction.[20] Indeed, they had no memory of what it meant to be happy, or even what it meant to be truly proud. They simply continued to toil and grumble about their lives, existing as cogs in a machine to forge products they cared not for, a life antithetical to joy and purpose found in the dwarven cycles of creation.[2][20]

On the positive side of duergar behavior, they shared the dwarven virtue of minding one's own business (at least as long as others didn't have something they wanted). Though most were evil, a fair number leant towards hardhearted neutrality, wanting nothing more than to be left alone

---

anonymous Political March 15, 2025 at 11:59 am 0 0