Dwarf
Dwarves are a tough, law-abiding folk known for their strong martial traditions and beautiful craftsmanship. Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of Goblins and Orcs—these common threads unite all Dwarves.
The ancestral homeland of the Dwarves was the continent of Jord in the southeastern hemisphere. Jord was a harsh land, but served as the perfect place to forge the Dwarves into a strong and principled people. After a long period of unifying wars over the centuries, the continent became united under a single empire. The martial lifestyle of the Dwarves also fueled advancements into industrialization. The Dwarves were the first race to implement practical cannons and mechanical vehicles. The Dwarven diaspora brought these innovations to the larger world and have been particularly felt across Vyrania.
Basic Information
Anatomy
What Dwarves lacked in height they made up for in bulk; they were, on average, about as heavy as Humans and could weigh up to 220 lbs. Dwarven males were a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like Humans, Dwarves had a wide variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, typically pale among Mountain Dwarves and deeply tanned or brown amongst Hill Dwarves. Hazel eyes were common throughout the race, with blue eyes more common amongst Mountain Dwarves and brown or green eyes found among Hill Dwarves.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dwarves were a long-lived race, though not so much as Elves, and reached physical maturity somewhat later than Humans. A Dwarf was traditionally considered a child until he or she reached age fifty, and seen as an adult thereafter. Dwarves aged much like humans but over a longer period of time, remaining vigorous well past 150 years. Most dwarves lived to see their bicentennial and a few lived to be over 400.
Ecology and Habitats
Most Dwarves preferred living in underground cities near the surface and above the Underdark, built around mines that provided much of their livelihood. Carved into stone, these cities might take centuries to complete but were practically ageless once finished. In their own homelands, dwarves continuously carved out new living space, mining a mountains' riches as they did so. This could sometimes lead to encounters, and altercations, with denizens of the Underdark. Those who lived in other lands could make themselves quite comfortable. Most who did made a living as mercenaries, smiths, or artisans of various kinds. Dwarves were eagerly sought after as warriors, their reputation for courage and loyalty making them excellent choices for bodyguards. Dwarves in general stuck to their favored locales, disliking travel, particularly along waterways.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The continent of Jord is the ancestral homeland of the Dwarven race. There are several extant immigrant populations located across Eurra, but they are most numerous in the Nation of Darellon due to an exodus in the aftermath of the last Jordish Civil War.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
A dwarf’s name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf’s name belongs to the clan, not to the individual. A dwarf who misuses or brings shame to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwarven name in its place.
Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barend, Brottor, Bruenor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal
Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Dagna, Diesa, Eldeth, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra
Clan Names: Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart
Major Organizations
Dwarven Kingdom of Jord
Beauty Ideals
Unusually for humanoids, both sexes naturally grew ample facial hair, though the majority of females shaved their beards. This was especially true for Dwarven ladies outside of Jord that interacted with other races frequently. Males typically grew bald as they aged, but maintained luxuriant beards that were often plaited, carefully oiled and groomed, or even perfumed and ornamented with jewelry.
Gender Ideals
While Dwarves believed in a traditional society, they were simultaneously more progressive compared to many other races of Eurra in that female Dwarves were considered just as capable as their male counterparts. Women could voluntarily serve in the military. They could also operate their own businesses as well as own and inherit property. Both male and female Dwarves were expected to represent their family and clan and endeavored to bring honor through their actions.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Dwarves highly valued the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarves particularly respected elders, from whom they expected sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders. This idea carried on to relations with other races and Dwarves were deferential even to the elders of another, non-Dwarven race.
Likewise, Dwarves, perhaps moreso than most other races, turned to their gods for guidance and protection. Non-evil Dwarves looked to the divine for comfort and inspiration, while the wicked looked to their divine overlords for methods through which to obtain power over others. Individual Dwarves might be faithless, but the race as a whole, regardless of subrace, had a strong inclination for religion and almost every community maintained at least one temple or ancestral shrine.
History
Prior to the unification of Jord under a single banner, numerous Dwarven kingdoms stretched deep beneath the mountains where they mined gems and precious metals and forged items of wonder. Whatever wealth they couldn’t find in their home mountains, they gained through trade. These early Dwarven societies were divided into clans built along family ties. These clans were eventually led by hereditary rulers, often monarchs of a sort descended from the founder of a venerable clan. They entered an age of feudalism that strongly valued loyalty to these rulers and to clans as a whole and even objective dwarves tended to side primarily with their kin over other races or communities.
It was this intense xenophobia amongst their own kind that eventually began to cause border friction among the petty kingdoms. Minor kings began to start wars for expansion based around resources and political allegiances. The numerous petty kingdoms were gradually consolidated until only two remained by the 800s UE. It was in this timeframe that the last civil war on Jord took place, leading to the current Dwarven Kingdom of Jord. The victors brought down wrathful destruction upon the conquered for the heavy attrition of the war. The faction of persecuted survivors were left with few options but to flee their homeland.
In the six centuries since the end of the war, Dwarves within Jord have largely united to a common cause under the auspices of their forged empire. The island of Inner Jord where much of the last war was waged has been turned into a prison for the world as a lingering insult for the defeated of the past age. Immigrant Dwarves and their descendants have settled well into their adopted homelands and are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armorers, and jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty. The diaspora to Vyrania in the aftermath of the last Jordish Civil War led to a large population settling in Darellon, where they set themselves up rather well amongst the largely Gnomish and Halfling population.
Common Myths and Legends
Like many races, the exact origins of the Dwarves are lost in myth and legend. While many non-Dwarven scholars believed that Dwarves may not have been originally native to Eurra, most Dwarves believed that their ancestors came from the heart of the planet itself, given life by Moradin and being made by the All-Father's hammer in the Soulforge. These legends held that the Dwarves fought their way to the surface world, overcoming the dangers they faced below through strength of arms and skill.
As the ancient Dwarven populations of Jord grew and intermingled, a common thread of their history-turned-mythology were the actions, for both good and ill, of Morhid. Tales of the dragon Morhid are still widely shared and likeness of the dragon is a common theme for decorations and furnishings.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Dwarves got along pretty well with Gnomes, with whom they shared a love of fine crafting, and passably with Humans, Half-Elves, and Halflings. However, most Dwarves commonly believed that true friendships could only be forged over long periods of time and a common saying was that "the difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years", meaning that few members of the shorter-lived races ever forged strong bonds with Dwarves. There were exceptions, however, and some of the strongest friendships were those between a Dwarf and a Human whose grandparents and parents were also on good terms with the dwarf.
Halfings and Dwarves had a pretty amiable regard of each other for a shared love of quality food and jovial company. Outside these factor, though, Dwarves found it hard to respect Halflings as they rarely did anything heroic or noteworthy for posterity. It is perhaps for this reason, and a need to feel safe, that Dwarves within Darellon helped to form a modern army and defenses for their adopted homeland.
Elves may have also been long-lived like Dwarves, but the former were often considered far from dependable under most circumstances by the latter. Dwarves did admire Elven craftsmanship, but most other aspects of Elven society were seen as frivolous and the Elves themselves as flighty. The only redeeming quality that united the two for much of their shared history was the mutual hatred of Goblins and Orcs. However currently Orcs are a major force within the The Glayswen Confederacy, meaning that at least one set of grudges seems to be fading, if slowly.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
Up to 400 Years
Average Height
4-5 ft
Average Weight
150 lbs
Average Physique
Muscular, Stocky
Related Organizations
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