Lore & History

Dwarves, sometimes called the Stout Folk, are a natural humanoid race common throughout parts of Kastea. Dwarves are a tough, tradition-abiding folk known for their strong martial traditions and beautiful craftsmanship.
Dwarves are a short race, as their name implies, standing from 4'3"–4'9" (1.3–1.45 meters) on average, with gold dwarves a bit shorter. What dwarves lack in height they make up for in bulk; they are, on average, about as heavy as humans. A dwarf can weigh anywhere from about 160–220 lbs (73–100 kg). Dwarven males are a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like humans, dwarves have a wide variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, typically pale among shield dwarves and deeply tanned or brown amongst gold dwarves. Hazel eyes are common throughout the race, with blue eyes more common amongst shield dwarves and brown or green eyes found amongst the gold dwarves.
Male dwarves are often bald and grow thick facial hair, which is sometimes used to display social status. Unusually for humanoids, both sexes naturally grow ample facial hair, though the majority of shield dwarf females shave their beards off. This hair is often dark in hue, though among shield dwarves blond or red hair is just as common. Gold dwarves take the care of facial hair to an extreme, carefully oiling and grooming it, with some adding perfume and ornamentations.
Dwarves are a long-lived race, though not so much as elves, and reach physical maturity somewhat later than humans. A dwarf is traditionally considered an adult once he or she reaches age fifty. Dwarves age much like humans but over a longer period of time, remaining vigorous well past 150 years. Most dwarves live to see their bicentennial and a few live to be over 400. A dwarf is considered to be young until they reache the age of 50.
Dwarves are unusually tough for humanoids, in more ways than one. Dwarven stomachs, for instance, are resistant to virtually all poisons and it takes less effort for a dwarf to get back on their feet than other races. Dwarves also have dense bodies and are difficult to push around as a result, as well as having the capacity to bear loads that other races might find hindering with little ill effect. Dwarves also have a sense about them that few races do, with a preternatural awareness of their surroundings useful for a subterranean race as well as good judgment all-around in general.
Many dwarves are difficult to like and lack the charm of many other smaller races, such as halflings or gnomes, though this is not a trait common to all dwarves and some possess a great deal of charismatic power. Furthermore, dwarves are not entirely unsocial and more than a few have a natural knack for bartering or judging the value of an offer, something that sits well with their legendary crafting abilities.
Dwarves can see in the dark, out to about 60 feet (18 meters). Many dwarves have an affinity for the caverns in which they live, possessing a knack for recognizing unusual patterns in stonework that can seem almost supernatural at times.

Although there are many dwarf species, the following are the ones known by the sages: