Dwarf (ˈdwɔːf)

"Dwarves are creatures of stone, and like stone they change only in response to extremes. The dwarves of the many worlds share much in common, but never allow those similarities to blind you to their unique traits."

— Mordenkainen

Dwarves are masters of stone and metal. It is commonly known and accepted by dwarves that their maker, Moradin, created them with the blows of his hammer and from the shavings of rock and metal while he mended the Cauldron following the Convection. It is commonly accepted that this is why dwarves have a passion for stonework and mining; they come from stone and metal, and all will return to that from which it is made.

Subraces

Originally one race, the dwarves have, since the Age of Arcanum, split into two distinct but still similar and compatible 'subraces', though a dwarf will scowl at anyone who says calls them that: a dwarf is a dwarf and that's the end of it. Nevertheless, among the other races, there are two names by which these groups are known: Iron Dwarves and Stone Dwarves, although these names are erroneous: both Stone and Iron dwarves deal in both.

Iron Dwarves

Iron dwarves are hardier and more resilient than their southern cousins and often stand half a foot taller than the stone dwarves. They are found throughout the Spine of the World and its offshoots, having founded plenty of kingdoms within empty caverns now filled with song and laughter. These are the original dwarves, from which the stone dwarves emerged once they reached the coast where now lies the trade city of Zundalah and crossed the Strait of Stars into the Raenmore Mountains.

Like all dwarves, iron dwarves are stocky and broad, though where stone dwarves display more tanned and darker hues, indicative of the more temperate climate of their homeland, iron dwarves are pale, fair, or ruddy-skinned; their hair is often brown, shades of blond, or red, going shades of grey or white with age. They often display green or silvery-blue eyes, which are capable of seeing in shades of grey without light: a trait referred to by iron dwarves as 'cavesight'.

Iron dwarves view their kingdoms in the Spine of the World as the greatest dwarven kingdoms in the world and are often described as prideful and brash by their peers. They especially are the typical dwarf: gruff, straight-forward, and traditional. They especially trust in the wisdom of their ancestors and the structure of their clans and society: as such, they are often described as clinging to traditions long obsolete. Magic is not that often seen among the iron dwarves, though their work with abjuration magic, runes, and wards is perhaps greater than even the elves.

Stone Dwarves

Stone dwarves, on the other hand, are more open to change and are, as such, more adaptable (and some say dependable) than their iron dwarf cousins in the north. Perhaps this is due to the stone dwarves' proximity to the vibrant ports and trade from the Aurix Coast (it should come as no surprise that the traders from Port Rith and Vala Vincix in particular are proponents of this theory), perhaps it is due to the more temperate climate in the south. Whatever the case may be, stone dwarves seem to be cut from a softer, more malleable stone than their iron cousins, who will break rather than bend.

As mentioned, stone dwarves are, on average, about half a foot shorter than the iron dwarves of the Spine: this, some claim, is due to the proximity of the Reanmore Mountains to the Halfling diaspora on the Aurix Coast and around the city of Zundalah. Whatever truth there is to these claims, it is a fact that stone dwarves are exceptionally stocky and broad; their hair is often black or shades of auburn; naturally grey hair is, while uncommon, also present in stone dwarf society. Their skin is usually tanned or dark; hues of brown or black are not uncommon.

Stone dwarves are, due to their close proximity to the Aurix Coast, heavily involved in the trade that sails up and down the coast from Port Mor or even Tor Thalas to the city-state of Zundalah. This has made them open and almost welcoming to strangers, and has caused them to value outside contact and thus trade far more than the iron dwarves of the Spine. Goods made by stone dwarf hands can, as such, be found in almost every port that does business with the Aurix Coast.

Duergar (Grey Dwarves)

Even among the dwarves, there are those that dig too deep and too greedily. They are those that find the darkness of the earth comforting rather than encouraging, and slowly dug deeper and deeper. They are the Duergar, the Grey Dwarves. Founding a realm in the Underdark, the vast network of caves and tunnels, both natural and made, deep in the depths of the earth. The Duergar do not miss sunlight. They do not need it.

The Duergar have lived their lives under the underground caverns of their 'surface-dwelling' cousins, and have adapted so utterly to the darkness of the Underdark that their skin ranges from black to shades of grey to a pallid white, having lost its colour through the ages. They lack hair on their heads but the men and women both sport beards of iron-like white hair like a steel brush. They have lost their hair through the ages spent underground and those that are capable of growing hair on their heads often shave it.

For the Duergar, work is life. And work is hard. The surface dwarves keep track of grudges and insults by nature (and to have a good grumble about them), they are nonetheless (mostly) amicable to the other races. The Duergar, however, take this to its logical extreme: they track grudges and insults and keep them in great tomes in each Underdark keep: these, they claim, are the record of the suffering of the dwarves, and they develop a deep-seated hatred for each and every one of those grudges. Some say the Duergar were flaws in Moradin's design while shaping them from the Cauldron: that the Duergar, or their ancestors, lacked the essence of the divine.

And, perhaps they are right, for where all dwarves value industry and love to create and enjoy their work as brilliant craftsmen, the Duergar seem to possess a primal urge to create and build in order to acquire as much as possible: it is greed that characterises the Duergar above all. And yet, let it not be said that they do not possess bravery or other traits valued by the dwarves, for they do, but even these are driven to their extremes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

As their name implies, Dwarves stand shorter than humans but a smidge taller than Halflings, Goblins, or Kobolds. They are a stout race, making up for their lack of height with a natural bulk that makes them broad and, depending on the individual dwarf, even rotund. On average, they are as heavy as and if not heavier than a human: a dwarf can weigh anywhere from about 160–220 lbs (73–100 kg). As with most species, dwarven males are a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like humans, dwarves showcase a wide array of skin colours, ranging from ash to brown to tanned to pale.

One of the most distinctive and recognisable features of a dwarf is one that both sexes share: a beard. Due to their origin within the mountains, there is nothing more rewarding to a dwarf than to bend stone and rock to their will: to dig up the riches of the earth for their benefit and that of the other races. Due to this love of digging and excavating, Moradin gifted the dwarves with thick beards of thick hair that is, should one study it closely, revealed to be much more complex than the hair of other species. Due to this inherent complexity, the dwarven beard essentially functions as a filter for the dust and rubble kicked up during mining. This has, in turn, caused a mini-ecosystem to emerge within a dwarf's beard: one on which each dwarf prides themselves on maintaining well. Daily oiling is common among those dwarves that live in the mountains, and it is not uncommon to see a dwarf use every spare moment to take care of their beard.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dwarves, while long-lived when compared to humanity, are not capable of becoming as ancient as elves: they generally live well into their third century, but it is not unheard of for a dwarf to live longer. They are birthed from rock and unto rock shall they return--or so the priests of Moradin claim. It is true that dwarves have a natural affinity for rock and that the skeletons of a dwarf eventually return to stone upon their death and entombment, though rumours persist that this is abjuration magic designed to ward against necromancy. A dwarf was traditionally considered an adult once he or she reached age fifty. Dwarves aged much like humans but over a longer period of time, remaining vigorous well past 150 years. Most dwarves lived to see their bicentennial and a few lived to be over 400.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Dwarven culture is based completely around craft and clan. Being such a long-lived species, they value the wisdom that comes with age and, being originally made from stone and metal, a dwarf and thus dwarven culture in general, is slow to change and neither bends nor breaks. Besides the leadership and wisdom of their elders and traditions of their clans, so, too, did they turn to the divine for guidance.