Mountain Dwarf

We hear ye roar, and we roar with ye

Written by Ben Laidler

Basic Information

Anatomy

Mountain Dwarves are humanoid, but rather shorter than regular humans. They stand around 4'1 on average and have much thicker and denser bones than humans, making them seem larger widthways. The skull of a dwarf is much thicker than a human's, making their heads rather invulnerable to bludgeoning.

Genetics and Reproduction

AGHHHHHHHHH... Reproduction is exactly the same as humans...

Growth Rate & Stages

Dwarves don't grow to very high, as their body is very heavy from a young age. The average Mountain Dwarf usually is born smaller than a human baby, and grows at the same rate until the age of 5 or 6, when it's bones begin to thicken. This stops the Dwarf from growing any further, and the child is usually about 2 to 3 feet at this point. Then around the age of 17 to 20, Mountain Dwarves begin to grow again, sometimes up to 5 feet, usually past 4, and in their late thirties, they stop growing altogether.

Ecology and Habitats

Mountain Dwarves are used to living in harsh climate, such as mountain peaks, underground tunnels and swamps or thick forests. Dwarves prefer lower lights, as they are completely blind to bright ones, and their skin is not well suited to the sun, so they often resort to the underground or well sheltered locations. Mountain Dwarves also have a knack for transforming the environment to suit their needs, such as building, tunneling and construction, which Dwarves are highly skilled at. Wherever Dwarves settle, great architecture and elaborate builds usually follow.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Mountain Dwarves hunt and farm during the winter mostly, when other creatures are weak from the dark and cold. They then eat luxuriously throughout the new year and into spring, and then begin to conserve meats, fish and crops indoors for the summer months, when they will leave for the underground. Then the Mountain Dwarves will return to surface infrequently, and the process begins again.

Biological Cycle

Mountain Dwarves thrive in the autumn and winter when the sun is lower, as they can see far better. They usually hide away during the summer, and do not go outside when the sun is high between hours of 11 oclock and 4 oclock, and through the height of July and August will delve into their tunnels, not to be seen again by the sky for another two months at most.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Mountain Dwarves most commonly live in a simplistic tribal system, with a chief leading a village, and a few helpers or advisors aiding him. There is no real hierarchy system in Dwarvish nature except you respect those stronger than you; and often the strongest person leads the tribe.

Facial characteristics

Mountain Dwarves commonly bear large beards and bald heads, and often remain ungroomed as they are busy with other matters. Mountain Dwarves love to see how long and thick they can grow their beards, often incorporated into competitions and rivalry, and although often bald (helps to show off the beard) they sometimes have long ponytail hair or messy tangled strands.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Mountain Dwarves are scarcely found on common maps, because of the elves hunting them down, but instead the Dwarves keep their own maps. Mountain Dwarves culminate around the regions of Rorge, Girge and Dockex.

Average Intelligence

Mountain Dwarves are usually quite smart, however they are also incredibly stubborn and tend to refuse help or assistance from others. They can often be quite ironic, but when coaxed out of this behaviour are very clever with structural design and battle tactics.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Mountain Dwarves are mainly farsighted, and struggle with reading because of this, but can see excellently in the dark, far better than humans can. This is a weaker version of Darkvision. Mountain Dwarves are also adept at recognising types of art and design, and can tell whether something is Dwarvish, Elvish, Gobbo or other race simply by inspecting it.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Mountain Dwarves are often named after Dwarvish and Gobbo words, and these words are supposed to represent the feelings and ambitions a parent has towards their child. Last names are given to families by the community on how the family appears. Richer Dwarvish families often use to bribe the community to give them nicer second names. Females and Males would share the same first names, except males would add the suffix -or and females would add the suffix -ir. This would also help distinguish between names and actual things, and could help someone instantly know a gender upon hearing their name.
E.g.
Male First Names: Koppronor (Fire-fist-or), Doddrichor (Evil-smash-or), Vatochinor (Love-wound-or)
Female First Names: Lachvatoir (Keep-love-ir), Neranir (Small one -ir), Tachodir (Hand-big-ir)
Family Names: Ubadon (Mead-drink), Lachdodd (Keep-Evil), Vellarot (Spear-splitter)

Major Organizations

The Dwarves were originally based in the Kutenag Kingdom, led by King Dappos, but unfortunately it was broken by the Elves. Mountain Dwarves are these days arranged into small village tribes, that have little interaction with each other. The three biggest tribes are called the Fodditer Tribe, the Addanon Tribe and the Hergeros Tribe.

Beauty Ideals

"He with the biggest beard and the mightiest fist shall reign"

Gender Ideals

Mountain Dwarves are fairly unsexist in their rights and jobs, as they are allowed to become any profession they should wish to be, miner, warrior, blacksmith, beauty professional, whatever. The Dwarves care not. However the chief of a tribe is always a man, who is a husband, and his wife is his second. A female cannot solely lead a village, but they can become advisors or any other leading position. This is because Dwarf women are not as stereotypically strong as Dwarf men.

Relationship Ideals

As dwarves can live up to 200 years, they are perfectly accepted to have multiple long-term relationships throughout their life. A magic marriage called a Cubenham is used to seal the bond in a long term relationship, which gives the two involved a magical empathetic bond, but this can be reversed like a divorce would. It is, however, seen as highly unacceptable, and even punishable, to cheat or be in multiple relations at once, and it is usually wanted by the public that a long-term relationship last at least 6 years before a divorce.

Average Technological Level

Dwarves have a vast wealth in their tribes, however aren't as technologically advanced as their allied Goblins are. Mountain Dwarves love the satisfaction of hitting something with an axe or hammer, and thus generally do not use more technologically advanced items. They do however, love enchantments and runes. Dwarves have achieved a high level of discovery with runic enchantment and magic through arms. They are ahead of every other race with the powers they have unlocked, and hold it as their pride.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Dwarves speak basically and dislike aesthetic languages on their tongues or ears, and generally speak in the more rough and crude languages, most commonly Dwarvish or Gobbo. Dwarves no not use high levels of language and literature, instead drawing and carving stories through art, and description reduced to basic forms of spoken language. Mountain Dwarves always learn Dwarvish as a first language. They then commonly learn the art of Common and Gobbo. Dwarves then have the option of learning Elvish, Orcish, Magic and Kobbish.

Common Dress Code

Dwarves disapprove of long elegant dresses, but love thick coats and furs, as of their cold habitat. Trench coats, animal pelts and scarves are common choices among dwarves, alongside leathers and skins. Dwarves usually bundle up, but sway towards the perfect balance of very light and very large. Most colours are loved by dwarves, but more mountainous or dangerous regions may forbid fluorescent colours and bright pinks and yellows, as they wish to blend into their surroundings.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The Mountain Dwarves use varieties of traditions and customs depending on their tribe, but the greatest universal one is the darken-hour festival. The darken-hour festival takes place on the last day of summer, as the sun is beginning to fade, and it is the first steps outside of autumn. On this day, much singing, dancing and hunting can be seen, and it is an annual tradition that all dwarves must uphold.

Common Taboos

The only real taboo with Dwarves is the challenging of those stronger than you in a serious way. Outside of a wrestling tournament or such, to step up against someone majorly stronger than you is a greatly offensive gesture, and will usually result in you not only being pounded by that person, but also by everyone else! Never cross a Mountain Dwarf stronger than you.

History

Mountain Dwarves originate from the region of Rorge, where they were originally "made" by the Dwarf god of life and love Lutral. They began mining and building, and made a Kingdom called the Kutenag Kingdom, led by the first Dwarf King Dappos, and supported by Goblin tribes of the area. They had structured a large and wealthy economy, and then they met the Elves. The Elvish people saw the Dwarves as brutal invaders (they had not long before fought the Orcs), and attacked them. Thus a war between Elves and Dwarves with Goblins broke out. The Elves defeated the Mountain Dwarves, and their kingdom was broken, while the Goblins were almost completely wiped out. And so the Dwarves scattered into the darker places of Aelvar, and tribal communities were formed. Little progress has been made to rebuild the Kutenag Kingdom since then, as the Dwarves are too fearful of the Elves who hunt them to extinction. Now, few remember the Dwarves exist, as it has been over 500 years since their tribes communicated with the outside world.

Historical Figures

The greatest Dwarf of them all, King Oxidinor Dappos! King Dappos formed the old Kutenag Kingdom of Mountain Dwarves, and all follow in his footsteps. Some other famous Dwarves include Elf-slayer Krippor Luxenarg and Vaxenhir "Diamond Neck" Krilliar.

Common Myths and Legends

Dwarves believe in Undaeism, the Dwarvish belief, and follow it to the death. Most other religions, myths and legends are disregarded by Mountain Dwarves, but understood and not put down. They are a largely Polytheistic race, and if you can prove a magical or mythical event happened, or multiple people agree with you, it'll probably be noted as feasible.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Mountain Dwarves hate the Elves for destroying their world, and they are rather untrustworthy of any Elf at all. They have excellent connections with the rather sparse races of Goblins and Kobolds, as these peoples helped them build their Kingdom, and have a slight fear of Orcs from what they've heard from others. The Dwarvish race has no clue about draconic beings or metamorphic races.

Origin/Ancestry

Rorgian

Lifespan

200 years

Conservation Status

This race is living freely in the more mountainous areas. It is currently being hunted by the Elves to make their race extinct.

Average Height

4 foot to 5 foot when fully matured

Average Weight

Pretty heavy. (because of their bones)

Average Physique

Mountain Dwarves have developed a thick and brutal physique because of their mountainous and underground behaviours. They are strong and resistant to damage, and can take many blows without dying. Dwarves often take up professions like mining and fighting because of this, and their thick bones leave them incredibly accepting to bludgeoning damage.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Mountain Dwarf skin is usually a muddy white, but can vary from rocky grey to almost black, usually dependent on the environment (i.e camouflage) that they live in. Dwarves do not get birthmarks, but can develop special skin mounds and formations from the thickness their bones grow in. Their skin and hair are usually dull and matt colours like grey, brown or black.