Dwarves
Overview
The Dwarves, much like the other races, do not have a known beginning. Some scholars and sages like to think that they evolved alongside the Gent as a part of a subservient race, however, this has been rebutted by the Dwarves themselves as being not only a falsification of their history but also an affront to it. Whatever the case may be, what is known is that the Dwarves first arrived on the northern coast of the Continent of Lendil at some point prior to 5200 BF. I would be more precise but, with the merchant's records we have his dealings began with the Dwarves in 5102 BF and at the time of his writing the Dwarven City of Quaith was already well established and built into the mountains that it still holds claim to even today. During these ancient years the Dwarves were the first peoples to begin smelting and creating Bronze weaponry and tools. This was unprecedented at the time as no other country or people had accomplished this. Quaith being a city-state at this time it would have been one of the single most powerful and wealthy places on Alandris.
The Dwarves have not always controlled the cold northern inhabited region of Lendil. Their society at the time was split into multiple city-states, such as Quaith. However, the Dwarves have not always lived in this region and originally hailed from Gorut, the continent of ice and snow to the north of Lendil. The migration that took place from Gorut to Lendil happened thousands upon thousands of years ago and unfortunately there are no recorded reasons for this. Either way, this has led to a slight fracture of loyalties and cultures between the Dwarves of Lendil and the Dwarves of Gorut.
For the sake of being concise I will not recount every conflict that has happened between these two cultures, but any reader should be aware that it numbers in the hundreds. The Gent, for all of their strength, were of course used in these wars in whatever way they could be. Some would say that the Gent are simple minded but, every documentation we have and anyone who's ever actually met one could tell you that is simply not true. Slower than some people, maybe, but simple minded they are not. The Gent are a proud race, living alongside the Dwarves since time immemorial and have been codependent with the Dwarven peoples for so long that neither side remembers when it started. The Dwarves, standing anywhere from 3.5 feet to 4.5 feet tall, pale in height in comparison to the Gent who tower over their brothers in arms at an outstanding height of anywhere from 7 feet to 9 feet.
Societal History and Governance
In the beginning, the Dwarves and Gent were both ruled by a King and Queen. The King of the Dwarves and the Queen of the Gent were not married nor had children, as both races were unable to have children together, but instead held their own royal houses. Each had separate standing armies, were blessed by Titos and Shivara with the powers of Stone and Water, and thus ruled alongside one another. The rule of the King of the Dwarves would be passed down to his heir and the same for the Queen of the Gent. Each side of this Dual Monarchy would work on policies and agreements together. If there was a war to be waged, they would do it together, a policy to be put into place they would work on it together. At least, that was the idea in the beginning. As many a cook knows, too many hands in the kitchen can often spoil the pot. With the records that are able to be found, the Dwarves and Gent did have their fair share of Civil Wars with one another, marital spats if you will. To list all of them out would take an age in itself. Suffice it to say that before The Fall, the Dwarves held the power over Stone Magics and the Gent held sway over the Water Magics given to them by their worship of Shivara. Each monarch would pass down their sacred magic to their next heir and this cycle held up for centuries, millenia in fact, that is until the day of The Fall.
For Players of Dwarves
If a player wishes to play either a Dwarf or a Gent, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of either choice. While the Dwarves are very industrious and are the world leaders in forging, they fall short in their ability to deal with and utilize much of the world's magic. This is often made up for by their Gent companions as the Gent have a keen sense for magic and magical artifacts that may contain Runes. Due to this it is not unlikely to see a Dwarf and a Gent often near one another and working in tandem. The lifespan of a Dwarf is approximately 150 years old.
Dwarven Racial Trait: Dwarven characters are masters of their bodies and their Rune Smithing Craft. They are renowned the world over for being the most proficient people with Runes and this has been their claim to fame for some time now. The player who chooses to play a Dwarf will immediately start the game with a Rune Smithing Kit, and with knowledge of two Basic Runes of their choosing and with a +1 to their Will or Power Stat, whichever the player chooses.
Languages Known: Common, Dwarven, Gentish and 1 of player choice.
