Dwarves
Unlike most descendants of humanity, the Dwarves are actually a fairly prominent presence in this world (though largely impartial to its affairs). While their average intellect is about on par with that of their parent species (still much lower than that of elves) and their magical abilities are so incredibly limited that they might as well be nonexistent, their physical capabilities are actually very impressive.
Despite matching the average height of elves, they can be two to three times as heavy thanks to their build as well as shocking muscular density. To support such an intense frame, their tendons and bones have developed to become nearly unbreakable (which also adds to their weight). To top it all off, their acuity and reaction speed surpasses that of any other Sapient Species, making them exceptionally dangerous.
Their trade is largely centered around collecting ore from mountains or deposits. Contrary to popular belief, they do not often dig into the ground in search of ore, as doing so on a flat planet is very dangerous.
Basic Information
Anatomy
As previously mentioned, these dense creatures basically appear to be muscular elves--meaning they can range from obese to slim, are fairly short and, of course, have pointed ears.
Genetics and Reproduction
Like elves, Dwarves are capable of achieving some degree of immortality and struggle a lot with conceiving offspring (though not for lack of trying). Dwarves, for some reason, usually come out as male--therefore female dwarves are seen as responsible for bearing as many children as possible, usually pairing up with the most "genetically ideal" male partner when doing so. This has also resulted in quite a few "Dwarflings", which are only half dwarf (with the other half usually being human). On the rare occasion that a dwarf conceives and successfully births a child with an elf, the offspring tends to essentially be a normal human (with the exception of having pointy ears).
Elves puzzle over this, as it defies their current understanding of genetics and evolution. Namely because elves and dwarves are each their own evolved species, not unique genetic abnormalities. Human characteristics don't result from combining two traits that ultimately "even out" (like "weak" and "strong" combining to make "average"). This means, for some reason, their recessive human genes become more pronounced in their offspring excluding genes that form pointed ears.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Dwarves tend to eat quite a bit of meat and have a hearty digestive system. Most, if not all, dwarves can eat most meats raw with little consequence (though it is still considered gross to do so). After the elves discovered how to ferment various things (especially fruits) to produce alcohol, they gifted the recipe to the dwarves as a show of good faith. Since then, the beverage has nearly replaced water.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Dwarves have a uniquely "tight" social structure, where they often express loyalty and affection towards those within their group (usually consisting of other dwarves and a few select elves). However, they don't usually align themselves with any deity and, as you might have guessed, their social groups is very exclusive. As such, many of their behaviors, histories and customs are still quite mysterious.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Most dwarves stick to the far northwest region of Dwell, primarily centered around Bane's mountain range, where they extract resources and/or build technologies for trade.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
While they lack their sister species' extrasensory capabilities, they absolutely make up for it with their heightened sensory systems--specifically centered around sight, smell and touch (or "balance"). While this still may not make them very "agile", it does allow them to move their bulky frames with some amount of grace and a lot of intent.
Civilization and Culture
History
While little detail is known, the public is aware of at least two different factions of dwarves: the more prominent "Mountain Dwarves" and the smaller, more reclusive group residing in the northeastern mountains of Mos Leferrin known as "Pearl Dwarves". There was some kind of conflict between these two groups that most speculate had to do with an affair or illegitimate child attempting to claim the throne, but these are mostly just stories with little to no historical foundation whatsoever.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Homo Dwarven
Lifespan
450 - unlimited years
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Dwarves have a slightly darker complexion than most of their human or elven relatives, though this can still vary depending on their ethnicity.
Related Organizations
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