Dwarves of Icewind Dale

They had made their home in the rocky valley between the two northernmost of the three lakes long before any humans, other than the barbarians, had come to Icewind Dale. They were a poor remnant of what had once been a thriving dwarven society, a band of refugees beaten and broken by the loss of their homeland and heritage. They continued to dwindle in numbers, their elders dying as much of sadness as old age. Though the mining under the fields of the region was good, the dwarves seemed destined to fade away into oblivion.

— The Crystal Shard

Heirs of the once-mighty kingdom of Delzoun, the dwarves of the North are a scattered remnant of a great people. Delzoun, the Northkingdom, arose when the dwarves were a flourishing race and expanded outward from greater kingdoms in the southern lands. It was the most grand and glorious of several kingdoms founded across the North, and it thrived for almost four thousand years before its fall fifteen hundred years ago. At its height, Delzoun stretched four hundred miles from east to west, with great citadels aboveground (of which Adbar and Felbarr still survive) and vast tracts of Underdark caves, mines, and tunnels.

Delzoun slid into decline as the dwarves' numbers were whittled away in endless wars against goblins, orcs, and other monsters. One by one, their holdings - including the fortresses of Ascore and Gauntlgrym, and the subterranean network of the Fardrimm - fell to invaders that came out of the mountains and threats that rose up from the Underdark. Though surface outposts such as Citadel Adbar and Citadel Felbarr remained in dwarven hands long after Delzoun's fall, they were cut off from each other and continued to diminish slowly over the centuries.
Before the fall of Delzoun, a large clan of dwarves led by Gandalug Battlehammer established a mithral mine just west of the kingdom and named it Mithral Hall. The Battlehammer dwarves and their allies mined beneath the hall for centuries, growing wealthy as they traded with merchants from across the North. But they delved too deeply, inadvertently opening a portal to a shadowy plane and allowing the shadow dragon Shimmergloom to enter their halls.
Shimmergloom scattered the dwarves of Mithral Hall and made its lair among the deepest mines. The fleeing dwarves spread throughout the North, some taking refuge with their kin in Citadel Adbar. Most of Clan Battlehammer, though - including the prince of Mithral Hall, young Bruenor - fled the region entirely and came to Icewind Dale.
Thus, the dwarves of the dale are a remnant of a remnant. These members of Clan Battlehammer established their mines in the valley alongside Kelvin's Cairn and lived in the dale for two centuries. When Bruenor Battlehammer found lost Mithral Hall, his clan joined him in reclaiming it and abandoned Icewind Dale entirely. Over the next decades, perhaps two hundred dwarves returned to Icewind Dale, having grown accustomed to life in the wintry region (though they remained loyal to the kings of Mithral Hall). Now ruled by a cousin of the Battlehammer line, Stokely Silverstream, the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn continue their old ways, mining the scant veins of iron that run beneath the tundra and crafting the finest weapons, armor, and tools available in Icewind Dale.
The dwarves of the dale are in a situation less bleak than a century ago, not so obviously doomed to eventual oblivion. Young dwarves are more commonly seen in the mines and tunnels of the valley, and laughter more often echoes in the halls. Not that the dwarves are any less gruff, stern, or taciturn; they weather the hardships of life in Icewind Dale with their characteristic stoic silence. But now, visitors from Mithral Hall arrive with nearly every caravan, come to visit kin. And rather than lament lost Mithral Hall, they toast its kings in their feasts - King Connerad, who sits on the throne now, and King Bruenor, who liberated it a century ago.
The dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn live in their mines, but some parts of the mines are more hospitable than others. As iron veins ran out, the dwarves converted the underground caverns into living spaces - homes, forges, shops, and the like. Roughhewn walls scarred by miners' picks were smoothed and squared or carved into perfect circles. Hearths were lit in alcoves where iron had been dug out from the stone. Doors were fitted into stone archways and floors were leveled, creating all the comforts of dwarven homes.

Life in the Echoing Halls

Image: Stokely Silverstream
Mining and smithing are the main work of the Kelvin's Cairn dwarves. In contrast to the rich mithral veins of Mithral Hall, Icewind Dale offers only iron ore and the occasional find of gold, and many of those veins are already played out. But the artistry of the dwarf smiths has not diminished, and the mines produce enough iron to keep them in business for years to come.
The dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn are part of Clan Battlehammer, but only a small part, distant from Bruenor's line. Stokely isn't a king - he uses the title "Dain," appropriate to the head of a small clan, and that only rarely. The warriors who fight alongside him are "Stokely's boys," with no pretense of military organization or rank. The dwarves give respect to their elders and honor to the smiths and warriors who distinguish themselves in their fields but otherwise live as equal members of the clan.
The dwarves revere Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain, at makeshift shrines scattered among the mines. Dumathoin is the patron deity of miners and shield dwarves, and he is said to guide the dwarves in their search for new veins of ore. A large temple cut into the western side of the valley honors Dumathoin alongside other dwarven gods.
Dwarven crafts are stamped with a smith's mark - in this case, the foaming mug that represents Clan Battlehammer. This sign stands for high quality in towns and cities across the North, which prompts some unscrupulous human smiths to imitate it on their own inferior work.
The dwarves have no formal representation on the council of speakers that governs Ten-Towns, but they have been known to send representatives to the council when situations arise that concern all the inhabitants of Icewind Dale.