Dwarves

The descendants of the droda, dwarves are short, stout, nomadic creatures, often with a deep affinity for earthy crafts such as fieldwork, gardening or gem-cutting. Their inner connection to Vaala is strong, so much so that it manifests in their physical form, giving each dwarf bloodline a unique appearance seemingly linked to their environment. Thus, sky dwarves from the Jeweled Desert are upright and majestic, while cave dwarves are hunched and earthy, and frost dwarves are pale and dour. Dwarves of all kinds are clannish by nature but are often filled with individualistic ambition and a powerful wanderlust that sees them all travel the world to some extent during their lifetime.

As opposed to other mortals, who came about spontaneously from the essence of Protogons, dwarves were made (forged, they would say) by an unknown Protogon that survived into the Age of Mortals. The purpose of their creation is unknown, though most dwarves believe they were made to be stewards of the land once the Protogons were gone.