Dwarf

Proud, stubborn, and as varied as humans, Dwarves have been an integral part of world history since their wakening.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Short, stout, and hardy, dwarves are humanoids of medium size.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dwarves reproduce sexually, with males mating with females to produce offspring. Typical dwarven births range from 1 to 2 children and females are fertile well into their advanced ages, typically ceasing fertility around the age of 280.

Ecology and Habitats

Mountain Dwarfs prefer subterranean environments surrounded by stone and minerals beneath large mountains.  Hill Dwarfes prefer settlements above ground near mounds embedded within rolling grasslands.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dwarven families typically organize themselves by Clans which range in size from fifty to hundreds of members, in which a head of a Clan makes major decisions for their kin.  Clans typically live together in large households in the forge-cities.  Clan heads may be male or female and their they are typically advised by a council of other trusted family members of similar social stature. Clans typically have the most skilled artisans and tinkerers among Dwarven society and are responsible for many of the innovations in crafting and manufacturing seen today.
Smaller families are typically clanless, though no social stigma exists for smaller groups without a Clan. These families tend to be tight-knit, of middling economic means, and of the working class.  They form the bulk of Dwarven laborers and soldiery.
Per the Law of Champions, any Dwarven citizen, be it a lowly, single individual or a Clan of thousands, may be represented by a Champion. In official inter-Dwarven disputes, this Champion must be a Dwarf.  For unofficial, minor disputes, anybody may stand in place for a Dwarven Challenge, including mercenaries of other races.

Facial characteristics

Dwarves tend to have wider, rounded faces. Mountain Dwarves grow out their beards and hair whereas Hill Dwarves tend to have shorter hair and shaven or close-cut beards.  Dark Dwarves do not have a cultural need to grow out their hair but can be found with hairstyles that are a mix of both Mountain and Hill Dwarves.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Dwarves are mainly found on Esverde, with scattered outposts beneath the mountains on Rusolte.

Average Intelligence

Very intelligent, and Dwarves assert their natural wisdom exceeds that of Elves

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Mountain Dwarf culture is based heavily on the concept of honor and oaths, and as a people they have a reputation for industriousness and skill in battle. They value blunt truth, which has complicated diplomatic relations with other races such as Humans. They generally take their ancestral role very seriously, applying their ongoing efforts to the singular purpose of defending Urth from threats both domestic and foreign, with a particular focus on otherworldly threats.
Hill Dwarves trend towards the ideals of peace and harmony, preferring to master animal husbandry, agriculture, and cuisine as their forte.  They value kindness, warmth, and loyalty to friends.  While they are slower to anger than their Mountain cousins, Hill Dwarves are just as ferocious when provoked.  While they do not have the same resources in weaponry and technology as their mountain kin, Hill Dwarves make up for it with their mastery of beasts as allies.
Deep Dwarves or "Dorgan" value perseverance in the face of adversity and knowledge. Once heralded as the most studious and wise of the kin, Deep Dwarves spent much of their time studying the depths of Urth and the arcane ley-lines within.  Unfortately, When the Caladore invaded the Deep Ways, the majority of Forge-Cities they struck first were those of the Southeastern Clans of the Deep Dwarves.  Cut-off from their western cousins, the Dorgan endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of the Caladore until they managed to escape and resettle in the southwestern regions of the Deep Ways.  Embittered, many Dorgan clans have refused to reintegrate with mainline dwarven society, and wage their own war for revenge against both those they feel abandoned them and those who nearly exterminated them.

History

Dwarves have participated in every major conflict on Urth, having been recruited by the forces of Bahamut for the Dragon Wars of the First Age, allying with Elves against the Infernal Invasion of the First Age, allying with Elves during the Rusoltian Goblin Wars, and brokering the Alliance of Free Peoples during the War of the Black Inferno.
A schism occurred early in the history of dwarves, when several groups broke with traditional Dwarven beliefs. These groups believed that their purpose in protecting Urth would be better served if hey established closer relations with other civilized races, such as Elves and Saurians, and theorized that traditionally hostile cultures such as Orcs and Goblins could be turned into useful allies if an accord could be reached betwen the races. These dwarves left their ancestral mountain holds and forged settlements on the surface, usually near hills and at the bases of the mountains they once called home. These migrants would later be known as Hill Dwarves, who would form an almost entirely separate identity of their own, distinct from traditional Dwarven culture. 
During the First Age, shortly after the conclusion of the Infernal Invasion, a Dwarven Civil war erupted beneath Esverde, in which territorial mining disputes combined with an unclear line of succession for the seat of the High King led to massive numbers of Dwarven deaths. A council of Dwarven lords was called and after 3 months of deliberation, in which the various clans took the time to rest and recover from their losses, the Law of Champions was decreed, in which every Dwarven clan was granted the right to choose a representative champion. These champions, who had to be a Dwarf and would be forbidden assuming a lordship title from any clan, would settle inter-clan disputes through combat, and the victor's clan would have it's claims backed and supported by an elected senate of dwarven representatives from every major Dwarven settlement (excluding Hill Dwarves). Thus far, the Law of Champions has not only proved effective, but wildly popular, to the point where even minor disputes between commoners have adopted a lower-scaled version of the system to settle disputes, creating a market of champions-for-hire.
Following the 2nd Elvish Schism, Dark Elf incursions into the subterranean Deep Ways forced the widespread Dwarven cities into a protracted war with the militant Caldore. Unused to the degree of organization and ferocity found within the Caldore, the Dwarves lost many battles to their new foe before holding a defensive perimeter against the incursion. In total, the Dwarven High Kingdom lost thirty percent of its territory to the Dark Elves and suffered the loss of nearly 17 percent of its standing armies. It is for this reason that the Dwarves were only able to commit half their forces in the War of the Black Inferno, due to the remaining half being needed to prevent further advances by the Dark Elves.
Currently, The High Kingdom is focused on strengthening its presence in Rusolte, establishing embassies beneath the mountains and reconnecting with distant kin who were separated from the High Seat after the sundering of the world following the Dragon Age. Reclaiming lost lands from the Dark Elves remains a high priority, as does maintaining a strong political presence with the surface races. Hill Dwarves, by contrast, have focused on strengthening relations with other cultures, specifically Humans, Sylvan Elves, Free Orcs, and other non-belligerent races. They have stood firm in their belief that by joining with others, they have a greater chance of defeating the perils of the world. To this effect, they have concentrated their efforts into opening their culture to others in addition to encouraging their kind to explore the world and integrate with other races.

Historical Figures

King Arbram Stonemountain - Current High King of the Mountain Realm of Stonehearth, ancestral home of the Free Dwarven Peoples. Borger Strongheart - Current Chief Mine-master of Khaz'Ammyth, foremost Mythril mine of the Dwarven Kingdom. Geff Handhammer - Chief Negotiator for High King Ramsey Gorehammer, architect of the Alliance of Free Peoples (during the First Age).

Common Myths and Legends

Dwarven scholars insist that it was their peoples, not the Elves, who awakened first. Aware of the Elven myths, scholars postulate that the reason Elves were created from the elements of water and air was because fire and earth were simply not available after being used to create "the only race that matters". Dwarves are resolute in a unified belief that they are the truest keepers of the planet, being created of its very substance and thus are its natural inhabitants and defenders.
Dwarven lore emphasizes a deep connection to the spirit of Urth, revering beings they refer to as The Earthmother and The Stonefather. They believe that after millions of years of chaotic Elemental rule, the magic elements imported from the Draconius asteroid coalesced into the primordial consciousness that would combine with two of the greatest of earth elementals. Infused with magic and gaining an awareness of the world, these greater elementals perceived the infinite multiverses and the myriad planes within, learning of the origins of their world, the coming of the Dragons, the nature of magic, and the presence of otherworldly beings scattered across the planes. These early glimpses into the universe alerted the elementals to the the eternal forces of evil and their ceaseless war, the Infernal Waltz. Despairing at the potential for disaster should either force find a foothold on Urth, the elementals conceived a plan. Unbeknownst to these primordial forces however, was that both the Hells and the Void had already set their clawed feet upon Urth.
Before the elementals plan could even begin, gates to both the Hells and the Void opened where the planet's ley lines converged, and devils and demons alike poured through, discovering their eternal rivals and wasting no time tearing each other apart. Their foul blood spilled upon the ground, spoiling the earth and saturating the air with a horrid stench. Caught in between the fighting were a group of fire elementals, who had their energies enslaved and twisted by the fiendish beings for use in their own perverted versions of magic. The fighting did not last long, for as soon as the forces arrived, they had completely slaughtered each other, leaving behind a befouled and corrupted waste.
Horrified by the carnage and its aftermath, the earth elementals surveyed the area and found two raging fire elementals locked in battle with a handful of minor devils who had escaped the fighting. The fire elementals, after incinerating the devils, continued to burn and rampage, seeking to cleanse their world of any fiendish taint. Knowing their fury would not abate, the earth elementals reached out, hoping to secure the fire elementals as allies in their plan to safeguard the world. Instead, the fire elementals turned their rage upon the earth elementals, charging them with reckless abandon. Surprised by the aggressive infernos, the earth elementals could not react in time as the fire elementals barreled into them. The energy unleased by their collision combined with that of the nearby nexus of ley lines, and from the destruction emerged two new beings. These beings are who the Dwarves refer to as Arda the Earthmother and Stom the Stonefather.
Gifted with the ancient wisdom and knowledge of Urth itself and armed with the furies of its fiery core, Arda and Stom were the first of the Dwarven gods and creator of their race. Both gods perceived themselves as two halves of a greater purpose, the keepers of Urth, and blessed with a great task. Dwarven scholars agree that Arda and Stom set about to create a great army for their goals, made in their image which they perceived as perfect. These creations would not be mindless automatons or slaves to their will, as they had observed with the demons and devils, but would be a free and thinking peoples who could rise above and beyond their purpose and be capable of feats of heroism. Their children would be loyal to a fault, though their bonds may be hard to forge, they would always be true. Masters of fire and earth, their crafts would be unparalleled and their halls more glorious than any other. It is because of these principles that the Dwarves know how the 'first six', their original pantheon and progenitors came about, and why their race is superior to that of the Elves.
Dwarven legend lists the first children of Arda as Salitor, the God of Honor and Gerda the Goddess of Hearth and Home. Their creation underlined the core values of their race, honor in defense of their home. Next came Bronar, the God of Justice and War and Tolkas, Goddess of Peace, symbolizing the Dwarven will to fight all who would threaten their world and endanger its peaceful existence. Finally came the brothers Surn, God of Smithing and Oaths along with Kolvar, God of Merriment, Brews, and Wine, representing the Dwarven passions for creation in all aspects, both war and peace. Dwarves maintain that the values passed along by their forebears are what set them apart from the aloof and misguided Elves (who according to Dwarven scholars are, in fact, alien to this world and have no right to claim Urth as their domain to protect).
Years would pass as the Dwarves multiplied and spread throughout the world, and four other gods would eventually ascend:
Gregor Moltenfist, Chaotic Good God of Recklessness.
Steyla - Neutral Good Goddess of Rebirth.
Khoar - Chaotic Evil God of Deception.
Dorgar Earthseeker - Lawful Evil God of Magic and Tyranny

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dwarves currently enjoy warm relations with most other civilized species, with the exception of Lushanese Elves. They have active trade and non-aggression agreements with Sylvan Elves, Saurians, and most Esverdian human groups (the exception being the remnants of the Hassyth Empire) and enjoy a seat on the Free Assembly of Peoples in Freedholme on Rusolte. While they do not share the same degree of animosity towards Goblins that Elves do, Dwarves do recognize when they are a threat and take steps to control their population.
Most Dwarves view the Lushanese Empire as an abomination of freedom and have labeled the Elven High Council as oathbreakers, and thus do not treat with them except in the most dire of circumstances, and do so even then with great reservation.

Scientific Name

Terrae Majoris

Origin/Ancestry

Dwarven

Lifespan

350 years

Conservation Status

Dwarves are a populous race found on the two major continents of Esverda and Rusolte.

Average Height

4 to 5 feet tall.

Average Physique

Stocky, with strong musculature.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Dwarven skin color ranges from ruddy to coal black and they are fond of tattoos denoting their status in a clan.

Related Organizations

• The Kingdom of Volkarde