Dwarf

"Listen, Finley. You'll be welcome here as long as you pull your weight. Dwarf or not, you'll find a place, one you'll hopefully come to call a home."
Finley looks around, towering above the dwarves going about their daily lives, a nervous smile tugging at his lips.
"Are you sure it'll be fine, Mardred?"
"Of course lad. The clans here only care that you're capable of making something of yourself."

The dwarves of Garlan live scattered across the lands, from the highest of mountains to the smallest of hills, living under the glare of the summer sun or hidden far beneath the ground. One thing remains true for all dwarves - their mastery of the forge. It near impossible to find a metal worker who has mastered the finer parts of their craft than a dwarven metal worker. Their armour and weaponry, even their jewellery, is a cut above the rest.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

All dwarves tend to have a higher than normal constitution - which is often why you can hear tales of dwarves drinking their non-dwarven companions under the table.
They reach adulthood at 50 years.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Kingdoms, Clans and Castes

Kingdoms are built of a collective of dwarven clans or castes. They are communities in the same way a city or town holds the people, and everyone in the kingdom has their purpose. Kingdoms can have either councils or a monarchy overseeing high priority business.
Clans are groups of dwarves, brought together through blood, friendship, work ethic, shared experiences and so on. Clans are formed when groups band together, often choosing a common goal, and submit their clan name to the officials overseeing the kingdom. One can join a clan fairly easily, as long as they can be seen to fit in with the clan and can pull their weight, earning their fair share and putting funds towards the clan's personal account.
Castes are a little different. They are mainly families, often those of legend or stretching back generations, and it is difficult to join an existing caste or form a new one. To join a caste is to be born into it, or to become blood kin to any of the dwarves already in the caste. It is also possible to marry in, though not everyone in the caste is always happy with this process. To form a new caste, your family (at least one member of it) must have done something worthy in the eyes of the kingdom's officials in order be recognised.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Dawrves are given their first names by either their clan elders, their caste elders, or - if they dont belong to either a caste or a clan - the kingdoms elders.
For clans, their surnames are earnt, and often made as an addition to their clan name. The clan name itself is bestowed upon them once they have come of age. If a dwarf if cast out of a clan, it will no longer be acceptable for them to use their clan name.
For castes, their surnames are given to them at the same time their first names are. Their surname will always be just the caste name. To make additions to their caste name would be to dishonour the caste itself. As with clans, a dwarf who is exiled from their caste loses the right to continue using the caste name.
Those without a clan or a caste can go without surnames for years, often just going by their first name or a title instead. Some of these dwarves may even give themselves a surname, although this is uncommon and largely frowned upon by the other dwarves.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Dwarvish, Common

Lifespan

350 years

Average Height

4'0" - 5 '0"

Average Weight

150 lbs