Dwarves

A reclusive people of the mountains, Dwarves are one of the main 4 races of Ithesia, although they are uncommon outside of their cities. Dwarves are stubborn and hardy, but also strong and resilient. Dwarves were created by their god Gurotar, who imbued in them his love of the earth and metallurgy. Dwarves used to live in a mercantile nation within the dragonspine range, but they retreated out of their cities during the great sundering. They now live in the martial and militaristic kingdom of Gimgurun, built to resist the influence of the fiends that have risen from the ground.  Dwarves come in 3 main varieties. Mountain Dwarves are the imperial, high city dwarves that live in the central cities. They don't actually live in mountains anymore after the sundering but instead are the ones who can be found in the big cities. They are strong and quick to fight, having a culture of warfare and combat. Hill Dwarves on the other hand, are more rural. They are hardier and wiser than their city-going kin and slower to engage in warfare. The third type of dwarves are the Duergar, the ones who were decieved by Asmodeus during the great scourge. They live in dark cities in the underdark and possess a brutal hatred for their surface dwelling kin as they are rich and live lives of luxury compared to the struggles of the Duergar. Dwarves, while they are hardy, jolly and generally good natured, have some rather dangerous flaws. Chief among these, is greed. Dwarves love gold and anything that's shiny or valuable. Dwarven kings spend resources of the kingdom to try and grow the treasury, loving to behold the wealth that lies in their halls. Many a dwarven king has wasted away, consumed by their love of gold and treasure.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dwarves are short and stout with long beards. Apart from this they are similar to humans.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Dwarves are famous for having long beards which they wear with pride.

Average Intelligence

Dwarves have rather average, human intelligence apart from their illogical obsession with gold and riches.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dwarves have rather good vision in dark places obtained by long generations spent underground. They are also extremely resistant to poisons and other diseases.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Most dwarves are part of the kingdom of Gimgurun located in northern Brenaurus.

Beauty Ideals

Dwarves have strange ideals of beauty, preferring strength and hardiness. Their greatest ideal of beauty is a long, braided beard.

Average Technological Level

Dwarves are the most technologically advanced species with primitive gunpowder weapons and access to most pre industrial technologies.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Dwarves have the custom that every dwarf receives basic military and weapons training. All dwarves have some sort of ability to defend themselves in case of a fiendish invasion

Common Taboos

The greatest taboo among dwarves is to touch another dwarf's beard.

History

Dwarves originally lived in mountain tribes. Then they hit veins of gold and discovered a love for the shiny material. They banded together into cities in order to work together and obtain more gold. Due to this origin, there emerged a mercantile council to these cities with the richest people in the nation in charge of these cities. Deep into the mountains they tunneled, searching for more and more gold. But they buried too deep and reached the underdark. This turned the mercantile cities into a more militaristic place with new inventions to fight their dark kin who they met in the underdark. These Duergar hated their surface kin for all of their wealth and so they fought great wars between them. These wars never came to an end but they weakened the dwarven cities and kept the Tri-Peak Alliance from being too influential on the rest of the world.  When Asmodeus rose from the infernal planes and besieged the world, Gurotar led his Dwarven people out of the mountains. He shaped the land in eastern Oshodel to be a new home for his people and raised mountains to shield them from the corruption of the Great Cauldron. From here they would build their new kingdom, one with a more militaristic culture due to their wish to keep the fiends out of their lands. They raised their kingdom to be disciplined and militarized and then built fortifications on the mountains of Gurotar's shield, to defend them from the fiends.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dwarves have good relations with humans due to past trading agreements. They are relatively isolated from other racecs apart from elves with wich they have a rivalry with.

Lifespan

350

Average Height

4'6

Average Weight

160 lbs

Average Physique

Dwarves are stout and hardy, strong and resilient. Although much shorter than humans, they are about as heavy and stronger than they are.