Dwarves

The Dwarves are the sturdy, stalwart folk of the mountains and hill country. Uniquely among the races of mortals, the dwarves are a subterranean people who often live large portions of their lives underground. They are renowned the world over as machinists, craftsmen, and engineers. Their great underground cities serve as the workshops and foundries of the new, modernizing age.
History
The Dwarves are believed to have originated in the far north of Eridas, on the fringes of the continents’ habitable zone. It is to these inhospitable origins that they owe their remarkable hardiness and durability. Several thousand years ago, cooling climate and population pressures caused the dwarves to begin migrating south in large numbers. Most of the dwarves eventually ended up settling in the Silver Mountains and the Felderweald. This brought them into conflict with the native mountain orcs who had previously inhabited much of the region. These early territorial clashes with the orcs marked the beginning of a long and bitter feud between the two peoples which persists to this day.
Unlike the elves or the lizardmen, the dwarven nation never coalesced into a single unified state. There are many small dwarven kingdoms spread all over the world. These kingdoms are often closer to city states and are generally concentrated around a central fortified urban center known as a hold. Most dwarven kingdoms are concentrated in their ancient homeland in the Silver Mountains, but there are a number of outlying dwarfholds scattered throughout Eridas and even parts of the New World.
Culture
The dwarves are a down-to-earth and practical people, skilled at working with their hands. Dwarven architecture and engineering are famously sturdy and functional, if not necessarily beautiful. In addition to being craftsmen and industrialists, the dwarves are also a warrior people. Dwarven mercenary soldiers are sought after throughout the world for their bravery and prowess, and dwarven weapons and armor are highly prized by fighting men of all stripes. Much like humans, dwarves are natural adventurers with the spirit of wanderlust in their blood. Dwarven soldiers of fortune can be found in every army in the world selling their blades to the highest bidder, and dwarven sailors have hauled rigging on voyages to every corner of the globe. As humanity sets forth to explore the far corners of the world, their shorter cousins are almost always close beside.
Dwarven society is fairly insular and clannish. Kinship based loyalties run deep among the dwarves, and members of other species are often initially distrusted in dwarven communities. Dwarven society is also somewhat egalitarian and in some ways even quasi-democratic. Including the opinions of every individual in decision making is treated as an essential imperative. Large community meetings called “allthings” form an integral pillar of their political process. Outsiders may initially find the dwarves rather standoffish, brusque, and difficult to deal with. Once their friendship is earned, however, they are loyal allies indeed.
Dwarves have been at the forefront of exploration since the discovery of the New World. Dwarven adventurers can be found in ships’ crews, expedition teams, and mercenary companies the length and breadth of the known world. Traveling dwarves often work as merchants and tradesmen, or as riggers and carpenters aboard sailing ships. Dwarven axes for hire are also a common sight wherever there are battles to be fought.