Dwarves

Basic Information

Anatomy

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 in their millennia-long battle against the Darkspawn.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dwarves are known to be increasingly infertile due to their proximity to the Darkspawn, a situation which has given rise to anxiety for the future of the race

Additional Information

Social Structure

The dwarven social hierarchy is ruled by complex, interrelated, and rigid castes. The casteless, commonly known as "dusters" after their ghetto of Dust Town, are the lowest rung of dwarven society; outcasts in their own city, unable to take up work among the higher castes, nor to defend their honor in the fight of the darkspawn to protect the city. Dwarves who are exiled or born on the surface are also officially casteless - but with an increase in the number of higher-caste dwarves choosing to live on the surface, it is becoming difficult for some surface dwarves to be considered permanent exiles. The average dwarf will never see the surface, and often will have superstitious beliefs concerning surface-life (such as falling into the sky, or the sun falling to the ground)

Civilization and Culture

History

They once were the most expansive kingdoms in all of Thedas. However their world was all but destroyed during the First Blight, and they are now a race in decline. The single-mindedness of the dwarves is credited for the race's survival. Their ability to dedicate their efforts to a cause helped them survive in conditions that no other race would have long been able to and gave rise to a level of technology that far surpasses anything else in Thedas.

Geographic Distribution

• Orzammar

Related Materials

• Lyrium