The stubborn nature of dwarves typically stems from their driving goal, or
'focus'. This goal, usually adopted during adolescence, becomes a
near-obsession for the dwarf, and their whole existence (from their point
of view) revolves around it. They will seek out any (and often all) means
to fulfill the needs of the focus.
Speculation generally points to this trait emerging in the dwarven race at
some point during the Empire of Man, when dwarves were a slave race.
Whether born through breeding, magick, or some quirk of evolution is still
a mystery.
Regardless, this focus is the source of a dwarf's strength, in many ways.
Dwarves will not be shaken from their driving goal (sometimes even creating
secondary foci, to ensure that their primary focus is later met), even if
it may mean their death. To fulfil foci, dwarves have been known to fight
off tens of men; walk across the deserts barefoot and weaponless (and
somehow surviving none-the-less); and gone through unspeakable
tortures.
There are three types of dwarven foci:
Maintenance:
Unlike the other types of focus, maintenance foci are the ones which cannot
be accomplished. Dwarves may focus on protecting a ward or an object, on
acquiring wealth, and so on, and since these are goals that do not have an
end, they are considered maintenance foci. Dwarves may change their
maintenance foci, but will not do so at a time when the current focus is
being threatened. For example, an elder who is focused on protecting the
community will not suddenly change focus when some event threatens that
community.
Purpose:
While a dwarf has a maintenance focus, he or she might focus on a specific
goal related to their maintenance focus. For example, a dwarf focused on
serving a merchant house might set a purpose focus to guard a shipment
vigilantly throughout the night.
While set in a purpose focus, dwarves still remember their maintenance foci
and may grudgingly set aside a purpose temporarily in order to solve a
higher-priority emergency. A dwarf focused on providing for his or her
village might set a purpose focus to dig a well, but would set the purpose
aside if he or she learned that the granary was on fire. Even this,
however, would be with annoyance and nervousness, for no dwarf ever likes
to set aside an unfulfilled purpose. The dwarf would probably finish one
minor step of the task at hand, then set all tools down carefully, before
rushing to help put out the fire.
Aim:
Aim foci are unconnected to any maintenance focus; the dwarf must drop a
maintenance focus in order to focus on an aim. For example, a dwarf could
be focused (maintenance) on raising a child; one day the dwarf becomes
convinced (sincerely) that the child can take care of itself, and so
chooses the aim of returning to a specific village. The dwarf's spouse and
child might be angry, but they would not try to argue - there would be no
point.
Notes: While dwarves are generally obsessed over their foci, a dwarf is far from a
mindless automaton. Dwarves will often plan out intricate, mind-numbingly
careful, even decade spanning plans to fulfill their focus.
It is considered impolite to ask dwarves what their foci are, unless you
know them well. However, it is often easy to make a good guess, as that
focus will likely dominate most of the conversations the dwarf is ever in.
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