Dvergr / Dwarves

Long before the first settlers from the Golden Empire set foot upon the plains of the Southern Coast, two great nations thrived in the land that is Valencia. Calling themselves the Ogalthr Thjarl, the people of the earth, these short and stout humanoids are known in the common tongue as the Dvergr, or Dwarves. With pronounced facial features and typically of robust build, these always bearded folk claim to have sprung from the stone and soil of the earth itself. On the southern shores of Valenica, the middle realm is named Dwarforge as a constant reminder that although there are some human settlements in the area, the territory truly belongs to the Ornzar zana kjanth, the Iron Gem Clan. This great nation of dwarves populates a large portion of what is known as the Dragons Spires, a high-peaked mountain range that dominates the western portion of Dwarforge. Far to the East, across the Azurel Channel sea, the kingdom of Minaecia does not lay claim the Ashen Hills within its boundaries, as that is the nation of the Lag skeggar, known in the human dialects as the Long Beards.

The Iron Gem Clan:

The Dwarven nation of the Iron Gems has a vast population of several hundred thousand, almost all of which lives in various subterranean city complexes they have ornately carved throughout the Dragon Spires. These Orhim Kjol, commonly referred to as merely Kjol are vast underground kingdoms, the likes of which few mortal men have ever seen. The iron Gems have no king or single leader and instead are governed by the heads of the 17 great families. These Knor Garadik, meet in a central hall in the deepest heart of the largest Kjol and decide policies, laws, and also tend to the day-to-day details of governing their nation. The Iron Gem clans tend to favor deeply hued colors such as scarlets, emeralds, deep blues, and other pigments that resemble the ores, metals, and gems that they mine, refine, and polish. Known for their ornately wrought weapons and armor smithing, gem cutting and polishing, and their heavily detailed scrolling stone cutting and masonry, the Iron Gems are renowned for their skills and artistry. An Iron Gem forges weapon is a thing of beauty and strength, prized by those that wield them and coveted by those that see them. Many a lord has paid a hefty sum for Iron Gem masons to add intricate stone works tp their estates and castles.
The Iron gems themselves are not known for their sense of humor, seeming dour and serious to most humans. Prizing honor, courage, and determination, most dwarves of the Ornzar zana kjanth find humans to be too flighty, haphazard, random, and lacking in the solid, earthy determination that makes one a stout warrior or a skilled craftsman. However, the dwarves of the Iron Gem Nation are mostly on good terms with the humans and often trade their wares for foodstuffs, livestock, and various other wares. It is not rare, but uncommon, to see an Iron Gem dwarf in the Southern Coast or in Norland Reach. Somewhat rare, but not unheard of, is the occasional Dwarven band, or lone adventurer, in Longvale or Fieldmarch. Because their products are greatly valued for their quality and beauty, there are several merchant troupes of Iron Gems that brave the Azurel Channel Sea to ply their goods for profit in the lands of men.
Most larger towns and cities on the southern shores of the see see dwarven visitors often enough that the more respectable inns and hostels tend to have solidly built dwarf-sized accommodations and at least a small supply of dwarven-preferred stout, mead, and culinary fare.

The Long Beards:

As peaceful, serene, and unified the Iron Gems appear to be, the Long Beards, by contrast are warlike, hot-tempered, and prone to clan rivalries. Ruled by a single warlord, a Orzra Kjung, the lesser Kjung rule over their respective clans, each one vying and jockeying for more might, political power, and resources. Unified by love of freedom and of the lands they inhabit, clan rivalries can be easily forgotten as new pacts create alliances, or new rivalries, or if external threats impose upon their lands. the long beards tend to be of farier complexion that the Iron Gems, most of them having a light brown pigment to their skin, but some of them looking more like a tanned human in complexion. their features tend to be more delicate (by dwarven standards) and the length of their hair and beards is a matter of pride, often with them decorating and styling either or both.
The Long Beards are good stone cutters and masons and excellent weapons smiths and similar to the Iron Gems they make most of their homes by cutting into the living rock of the mountains they inhabit. Their Arhaims tend to have somewhat ornate facades that plainly mark the entrances to their underground empires. However some of the Long Beards also live above ground making squat, yurt-like homes out of stone that sprawl outwards with passages leading to other chambers. If th eLong Beards are famous for anything, beyond being some of fiercest warriors to have existed, it is for their mastery in brewing. Their meads, stouts, and ales are cherished throughout all of Valencia for the potency, balance, and flavor.
Long beards tend to favor more rustic, earthy tones such as furs, browns, tans, and other natural tones. Most male long beards wear leather kilts with their clan symbol embossed into the patterning. Their clothing, weaponry, and art is not as ornate as the Iron Gems but is still of superior quality. While the population of the long beards is nowhere near that of the Iron Gems, they are more common in Valencia as they are more prone to wandering and are on cordial terms with humans in general as they are not only surrounded by human kingdoms on every side, but they also share a loathing of magic and elves with humanity. The Long Beards have had a long-lasting treaty with the humans that surround them and both races have prospered from their coexistence. Due to their ferociousness in battle, Long Beard mercenaries have been known to hire themselves out for human wars, battles, and other martial duties.
Quite unlike their cousins to the South, Long Beards are known to have an excellent, if somewhat dark, sense of humor, but also share the dwarven honoring of valor, courage, determination, and honor.

The Dwarven Languages

While it is obvious to linguists that the two nations of dwarves share some common core root of language, the two languages are distinctly separate. The language of the Iron Gems, Thaga, is not the same language of the Long Beard, Gjathan. In Valencia, when an Iron Gem dwarf and a long Beard dwarf converse, they will typically use the common tongue of man unless one knows the other's language. In Valenica there is no sinlge Dwarvish language, there is Thaga (Iron Gem Dwarvish) and Gjathan (Long Beard Dwarvish). Likewise, most dwarves do not speak the common tongue of humans. Even in the groups that travel the lands of humans, only a few of the dwarves will speak the human common tongue or local dialect.