Gods...what has miss Grenna started.
The whole shovel in the head story is that it is a dwarven tradition! At least of the Rockbasher clans before they fell. Though dwarfs being dwarfs, it very well may have spread amongst other clans from the Rockbashers. Or possibly even have been from a far older tradition amongst the dwarfen nation and just finally written down into Rockbasher clan lore at that particular time in the their history.
The women would whack their men over the head with a shovel when they were least expecting it, thus claiming the male as their own. Dwarfen territoriality at its finest!
The bigger the lump, the better the bragging rights! It also was an indicator of the females strength of character, or madness...depending on how you look at it.
When the tradition started is lost in the mists of time, but according to the Rockbasher lore, the official start of the tradition seems to have been shortly after the fall of Gerontonimus Rockbasher (formerly Kliffcarver). At the end of a gloriously brutal war with some dark elfs.
It seems his son, one Gamling Rockbasher, decided to head to war before marrying his sweetheart Hildagar Rockbasher (his 5th cousin twice removed).
Well..she was known to be quite vicious, especially after swilling her fair share of the clans ale. And single dwarfs being single dwarfs on campaign, Gamling had quite the reputation. So, to on the night before he was to head to war, there was a grand celebration. Gamling and Hildagar each drank their fair share of ale and somehow comments were spoken, as they oft are after that much ale is drunk. Hildagar took a shovel that was lying around the hall for some reason and gave a mighty whack to Gamlings head! She then stood up on the table, and in a loud booming voice (although some accounts from those brave enough, differ on how slurred it sounded) she claimed Gamling as her own and that no other dwarf female was to touch him!
Now the rockbasher clan being infamously known kuldarjh, and Hildagar also having been well known for her especially nasty temper as well as for her tasty ale. No dwarfen female who had heard the tale (and seen his lump) would come near him with a 12 foot spear! Poor Gamlings days as a ladies man on campaign came to an end.
As a caveat to poor Gamling, he finally regained consciousness some 2 days later lying on a rock. His poor comrades having to carry him on the campaign trail to Ulgrids. Woke up to a hearty meal, his beard still full of soup from where he went face down into the bowl he was drinking from.
From that time onwards, its said that if a rockbasher woman whacked a male with a shovel, no other dwarf women would go near him for fear of being attacked by a mad kuldarjh.
Now, kuldarjh being kuldarjh, of course there were the poor dwarfs who had been whacked on the head by more than one clan female. the issue was settled after much, fighting, drinking and the occasional death of the dwarf male.
Another tradition is the passing of the shovel from one generation to the next. Providing it wasnt broken from either the hit to the head, or over use.
The modern tradition, as seen recently among the non dwarfen races seems to have started when one Miss Grenna Rockbasher decided to help a friend. Her friend, one Sharhar Cu'laire (she spoke dwarf so Grenna had a soft spot for her). Was tryingot figure out a way to tell her boyfriend how much she loved him. Well..Miss Grenna being Miss Grenna, and also being a bit drunk, related the story of her clans courtship rituals. And after much cajoling and egging, it seems miss sharhar did jsut that. She pulled out a shovel and knocked her male out with a good clean whack to the back of his head in front of her friends and declared him hers! They were married shortly after.
It has also been said, that Miss Grenna also whacked one Dalan Stoneaxe over the head with her shovel on multiple occasions showing her true devotion to him. In one case, making a young elf woman who witnessed the event to faint! Miss Grenna supposedly declared that hit a a most excellent omen, the blow being strong enough that it took out more than one person. O.o
Later, Miss Grenna having drank much ale. And again, having a soft spot for her mans neice (one Abigail Firesteed)who also spoke dwarfen, offered her the same advice. After said niece, being obviously a bit nervous about whacking her man with a shovel, sought the advice of a Miss Tegan. Well, it seems miss Grenna and Dalan got to her first, and should the lass decide to do it, miss Grenna gave the shovel to Tegan who then encouraged and gave the shovel to said niece.
After a successful trip to help a family recover their baby from some goblins, Miss Firesteed pulled out her shovel and promptly gave her boyfriend Bear a solid whack on the back of his head! He still bears the lump to this day! Another sign from the gods that the match was a good one.
