While the castes of the Ardent and the Tempered wrangle over the past and the future of the entire race, the bulk of the Dweghom define its present, forming its living and breathing society. Freed from the burden of sustenance by the tireless work of Dragon automata, the Dweghom view labor as punishment or the task of a slave. Instead, they live their lives in constant effort to display their Aghm, their “weight” or “worth”, through deeds. This is no simple vanity, a Dweghom’s Aghm is not some vague conceit. It is their social hierarchy, their currency and, some would argue, their reason for being. This peculiar cultural trait is perhaps only possible due to the incredible capacity for memory the Dweghom possess. Memory and its recording plays a tremendous role in Dweghom culture. Its discipline, Mnemancy, and its practitioners, Mnemancers, playing a central organizational role in Dweghom society.

Taken early on by the Clan and put in communal crèches, every Dweghom is raised as little else than a soldier to the Clan, until they prove themselves. While individuality exists, an individual is not valued until he can prove his worth. All possessions are acquired by reaching the required status within the Clan. Ranging from squad sergeant all the way up to the lofty title of Eldest, status is earned through deeds, for nothing is inherited. All material wealth and power a Dweghom amasses throughout his life is sealed within his chambers upon his death, becoming a memorial to the individual interred within. The greater one’s standing, the greater the treasures and chambers upon which he is laid to rest. As a result, the Dweghom are deeply competitive and every issue of social standing is resolved through arbitrated challenges. These can range from simple physical contests between two young, unproven Dweghom, to entire military campaigns when Elders feud. The Mnemancers maintain an immense codex of laws and traditions, which ascribes and quantifies the value of deeds within Dweghom society, outlining the worth of each deed performed and precisely ascribing the Aghm of each member in the Hold, based on the calculations held within. It comes as no surprise to anybody who has met them that the activities with the highest value are all military in nature.

This has created a heartless military regime that drives the standards ever upwards, leaving many at the bottom of the social ladder. While many of these individuals are forgotten and abandoned, it matters not to the Clan, for it becomes ever stronger on the efforts of those who strive and succeed. When the Clan marches, the enemy commander can have no doubt that even the lowliest soldier is a deadly fighter who has earned his right to fight and is deeply motivated prove himself worthy of more.