Mountain Dwarf

Secluded in their mountain fortresses and living the way their grandfather's grandfathers lived since before humanity ever struck hammers to metal the mountain dwarves are a proud and stubborn people with little time for nonsense or frivolity that exceeds even that of their hill cousins. Mountain dwarves live in large subterranean settlements and dig deep mine shafts that follow the richest veins of ore and each city maintains only a few surface structures that are mostly there to handle the business of trade with other races. They maintain no villages and any place that isn't a city is an outpost or colony that could be evacuated or abandoned at a moment's notice.

Appearance

Mountain dwarves are more heavily muscled and a few inches shorter than their hillbound kin though their weight is about the same. They have fair skin and blue, grey, or green eyes with hair ranging from platinum white to coppery red.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Aghelsia, Destotelin, Gruwoutryd, Khoufreabyrn, Mugrodeth, Yastrongrid

Masculine names

Banoic, Dwondir, Glaldrirlum, Harfurim, Luthec, Tordek, Wekom

Family names

Axehand, Battlehammer, Deepheart, Firebelly, Granitemane, Ironfist, Warcloak

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Mountain dwarves speak dwarven and common.

Culture and cultural heritage

Dwarven clutural items are the Urgrosh and Plate of the Mountain.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Beards

Both male and female mountain dwarves cultivate beards as signs of status and virility.
Female mountain dwarves often trim and braid their beards and high status females adorn them with jewelry, or even scent them with perfumes and powders. Available women may also dye their hair and beards to make the coloration uniform and create the illusion that they are younger or with fairer hair.
Male mountain dwarves grow thick and long beards that can extend past their bellies and often have to be tied off with hemp or leather cords and tossed over their shoulders to allow them to do manual work. Metal clips are used to decorate men's beards during formal occasions with dwarves of wealth or status using more ornate pins and more valuable metals. Working class dwarves beards are often unkempt and may smell of sweat to show that they are industrious and hard working which gives them prospects for greater wealth and status in the future while dwarves who labor less keep their beards cleaned and combed as a sign that they live lives with greater time for leisure.
Professional soldiers are the only ones in society who practice stringent grooming routines. Many are clean shaven or keep short meticulous beards and hair. Warriors may braid their beards or keep clean chins and grow only mustaches. Clerics devoted to Moridan, the father of all dwarves, whether male or female; never cut their beards or hair and let them grow freely as they may.

Encompassed species

• Dwarf
• Warforged

Related Items

• Plate of the Mountain
• Urgrosh