Dwarves

Strong, stocky, and shorter than any other humanoid race, the dwarves are skilled builders and boast a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well. They house themselves in mountain tunnels and often work in mining towns and cities.
Their main home, Melheim, is located in the Athamere Mountains that border Duland and Traith. Outsiders say that their home hides a path to the Undercity.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dwarven families are separated into castes. All dwarves are born into inherited castes that determine what sorts of opportunities they will encounter during their lives and how others will treat them.

Upper Caste

Noble Caste

The King or Queen with their Royal House sit at the top of the dwarven social hierarchy and its members are the rulers of the Dwarven empire. They are considered first among the lords of the various noble houses. Kings and queens can be replaced by the Clan Council, as their titles are not hereditary.
The main four noble houses are founded by Lead Elders. Lead Elders can come from any caste, but to be officially named as an Elder, they need to do something that benefits the dwarven race as a whole. Often times, they are named Lead Elders after death, but there can be living Elders.
The main 4 houses are; Forka, Garrin, Hirlac, and Terana. Other more smaller houses are often named after a family's oldest member. They are revered as the wisest of that family.

Middle Castes

Warrior Caste

 Those of the Warrior Caste devote their lives of defending Melheim and their other homes. Warriors lead lives of drill and practice and marry early, knowing their lives will be short and grim.
The dwarven military is made up of various houses from the Warrior caste. Each warrior house is sworn to a noble patron, which can create unique situations should the fortune of the noble house change.

Smithing Caste

Smiths are respected, and children born to the Smith Caste are expected to learn the craft as their Ancestors did. Smiths often compete for acclaim and patronage. They smelt raw materials to produce finished goods such as tools, weapons and armor. They will sometimes travel with groups of warriors to repair their equipment.

Artisan Caste

Artisans work closely with smiths but are not as respected. They ornament the goods crafted by smiths, create runes, or simply create art for its own sake. They often produce leather and cloth goods. 

Mining Caste

A lot of the dwarven population come from the Mining Caste. Malheim is the ancestral home of the Smith and Mining Castes due to the rich ore of the Athamere Mountains. Much of Malheim's income and wealth comes from its mining. 

Merchant Caste

The majority of Malheim's goods pass through the merchant caste, often being sold to other dwarves or surface traders. As space is limited in Malheim, only those of high respect have permanent stores; others much rent stalls.

Lower Caste

Servant Caste

Members consider themselves and their work worthy of the greatest respect and take pride in their service to other castes. They are usually employed as washerwomen, maids, cooks, barkeeps, etc.

Facial characteristics

Hair and beards play a large role in a male dwarf's life. It defines what stage they are in their life. 
When male dwarves are around 14, they will start to grow out their beards. Their hair is usually kept tied in buns, braids, or kept loose.
During the ages of 20-45, dwarves will have many options on how they wear their beards and hair. They are usually kept very long if they are not married. At this point in life, wearing hair completely loose is considered very improper and impractical, thus hair must be worn in buns or braids. When a dwarf gets married during this point, they will add a bead to signify a new family member being added to their name. More beads can be added as they have children. 
From 46 and onward, older dwarves will be reaching their elder years. Most of the time, they will wear their hair braided or up in a complete bun to avoid falling or tripping on anything.

All dwarves' hair can be cut if they are faced with the death of a loved one or have suffered a serious loss.      During times of great victory, most hairstyles often have excessive decorations and will be worn that way for a week. Due to said victory, male dwarves will add a special bead to their hair or beards.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Wherever mining towns are found, there is always a chance to find dwarves living and working there. While most are in Duland and Traith, dwarves can also be found in Desia, although not as plentiful.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Due to living underground for so long, Dwarves have developed dark vision.
Dwarves are not able to utilize magic. Their genetics make it hard for them to ever use magic, but sometimes, they can enchant armor and weapons using runes.

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

Men and women are often treated equally, though women who can hold their ground are treated with more respect than a man who can hold his ground.

Relationship Ideals

Those of the Noble Castes have fiancés chosen for them, but those who aren't nobles often find live in their own time.
Common dwarves can find love anywhere, even from different castes. If those of lower castes marry into higher castes, their respect rises and they get the benefits of that caste.

Lifespan

75-90 years

Average Height

4-5 ft.

Average Weight

150-200 lbs.

Average Physique

What they lack in height, they make up for in strength and bulk. Most dwarves are usually very strong, being able to lift up to 80 lbs.