Dwarf

The dwarves are one of the many races to sail to New Cadrith. Short, stubborn and fierce, the dwarves are a familiar sight to most citizens of the Cadrithic Peoples.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

The dwarves are typically short and stocky, standing between 4 to 5 feet tall but weighing the same as a human much taller. Their dense bone structure and muscle mass is the main cause of this, lending to their tough-as-nails reputation. All dwarves boast darkvision, a superior eyesight in dim and dark conditions over humans. The typical dwarven lifespan is longer than a human or halfing's but not to the same extent of the Elvish. Most dwarves, should they not be killed by a cave-in, truly staggering amounts of alcohol, or battle, will typically live to around 250 years old. However, not many dwarves reach this age, due to the above factors: instead, around 100 is more common. They have offspring less often than humans and halflings too, most dwarven women having only one or two children over their life.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dwarven families are often tight knit, with a strong sense of community. This extends to other groups who have earned a families' respect too. They are treated like a close friend or neighbour, and those who can claim the respect and love of a dwarf family can boast some of the best neighbours and hosts in New Cadrith. The largest dwarven families are known as Clans, spanning a great web of nephews, cousins, nieces, aunts, and uncles. These Clans are proud of their claimed heritage, and to spite a dwarf is to spite the Clan itself. To this end, particularly large and wealthy Clans can wield an impressive degree of social and political influence.

Facial characteristics

Nearly all dwarves have broad faces, and thick hair. Male dwarves find it incredibly easy to grow thick beards, which are popular, and dreadlocks are common amongst male and female dwarves.
Their eyes are usually dark coloured, but shine bright with an almost polished sheen. Hill Dwarves typically have darker skin than Mountain Dwarves, as well as darker hair.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

There are two distinct races of dwarf - the Hill Dwarf, and Mountain Dwarf. The two races were once defined by their territory and history on Old Cadrith, but even on New Cadrith, some have innately gravitated towards their ancestral domains.
The Hill Dwarves typically prefer overground life, where their keen eyes and senses can detect threats and their even further resilience aids their survival in long Winters. The Hill Dwarves are more cosmopolitan and present in Cadrithic Great Cities.
The Mountain Dwarves gravitate towards a more subterranean lifestyle, delving deep into the roots of the earth and carving out halls beneath the rock and stone. This lifestyle has led to their increased strength, being born with a pickaxe and shovel in hand, figuratively speaking, at the cost of more isolationist tendencies.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Most dwarves, like the other Old Cadrithians, worship the Cadrithic Pantheon. Like all who worship the Pantheon, there is no massive preference for one Quintarchy over another, and while some Gods and their Aspects are respected more than others, the Gods are worshipped relatively equally.
The most common dwarven Gods are Dolgunn, God of Smithing, Deitus, God of Loyalty, Tarron, God of Labour, Pys, God of the Sun and Armagna, God of Magic. Faith in the Finality isn't common, but plenty of dwarves can be counted as Finalists.

History

Dwarves originated from Old Cadrith. However, the Great Disaster hurt the dwarves greatly, compared to other heritages. In their stubbornness, many dwarf Clans and families chose to stay behind on Old Cadrith, believing their great holdfasts and mountain halls to weather any calamity. Only a small handful of dwarves fled with the other survivors, leaving their kin behind on their doomed homeland. Many dwarves still feel a profound sense of survivor's guilt.
On New Cadrith, the dwarves were instrumental in establishing strong fortifications and crafting new materials to protect the new settlers. Indeed, in Firsland, many of the oldest parts of the city bear the marks of dwarven construction, as do many ruins from before the Light. Their talents for construction have persisted, and dwarven architecture, art, and culture are common in the Great Cities.
As most of the more influential Clans perished with much of the race, new Clans sprung up from the survivors. Some non-dwarves who were close to the dwarves found themselves integrated into the new Clans, and the descendants of these inductees are still considered Clan-brethren to this day. Half-Dwarves are not uncommon, but are much closer to their human parents than their dwarven ones.

Historical Figures

Carrogan, one of the first Kings of the Cadrithic Peoples

Lifespan

100 years

Average Height

4'5"

Average Weight

150 pounds