Dwarves

Dwarves hail from a number of locations, but each contains distinct people who finds pride in their ancestral home, and their familial clan. Dwarven nations are scattered amid the islands and lands of Halcadia, but the three largest can be found in floating cities, deep below the surface of the land, and scattered amid the numerous volcanoes of Halcadia. Smaller Dwarven nations can be found amid the forests of Archuria, scattered in multicultural cities in the region, sailing from island to island in their strange boats, and a variety of other locations. Dwarves are sturdy and short people. All Dwarves tend to grow beards, however the different cultures have a variety of ways they style their beards, the one consistency between dwarven beard styles is that they are the same between men and women.

Cloud Dwarves have built for themselves a number of flying cities which move about the world on an annual circuit. These colossal nomadic cities are massive feats of Ancestral Magic. The ruling clan of the Cloud Dwarves devotes their existence to the maintenance of these great cities, ensuring that each subsequent generation can permit the cities to continue to exist. Cloud Dwarves are typically clean shaven and keep their hair cropped close to the scalp. They typically are seen wearing flowing material to permit breezes. Cloud dwarf clans are normally centered around some sort of craft, archery, or magic. The warriors of the Cloud Dwarves have a longstanding tradition of blending wind magic into archery to accomplish some remarkable feats of archery, such as catching falling leaves on the fletching, or curving arrows around hard corners. Cloud Dwarves are seen as the peacemakers of Halcadia, and it is said that if a cloud dwarf cannot solve your dispute, it is serious indeed, and may be better to simply slay both parties in order to prevent lasting disaster.

All Dwarves on the surface once came from below ground, but the Deep Dwarves have remained there. After generations, their skin has turned an ashy white, they have very little hair (other than their beards), and have gained the ability to see in complete darkness. They pride themselves in the massive tunnels and subterranean structures and their mining ability. While many Dwarven Peoples enjoy turning their discoveries into beautiful creations, Deep Dwarves find the raw material itself to be the most beautiful thing. The Deep Dwarf culture is one of simplicity in everything. Deep Dwarf settlements move often, trying to dig deeper and collect more materials. They do interact with the surface people to trade for things they cannot find below ground, such as textiles. Other than that, Deep Dwarves prefer to remain in their tunnels with their picks and hammers to work away. Deep Dwarf clans are simply bureaucratic nightmares. The clans are most similar to a feudal system of lords, where your family determines which clan you belong to. Clans all have their own leaders, mainly the patriarchs of the most prominent family in the clan, but each clan also has their delegates to the work camps for managerial purposes.
Forge Dwarves are said to have been chosen by the god of the forge, Hurstur, eons ago. You will find them amid volcanoes, both active and cold. Forge culture permeates everything these people do. Forge Dwarf clans are more akin to a union than a familial organization. Every clan has hyper focused on one area of the forging process. One clan mines the coal, clans have been formed specifically to mine each individual raw material, from tin to Adamantine. The Fire Tend Clan ensures that each forge remains at the perfect temperature, while the Smith Clans forge each material into beautiful pieces for all to admire. They forge everything from suits of armor and racks of weapons, to the most exquisitely crafted jewelry around. The forging practice is not simply their livelihood, it is also their religious expression. Every Forge Dwarf learns how to forge a dagger as a part of their coming-of-age ritual, but only the most skilled are permitted to forge for the clans. Some young Forge Dwarves choose to integrate a piece of the job they wish to do into their dagger design. For example, one who wishes to become a Silversmith, may forge their dagger out of pure silver, ensuring that they are selected by the Silversmith Clan.