Dwarves

  Dwarves are a race of people native to Essaria. After the fall of the Pliscian Civilization, they fled underground in the Harkuldir Mountains, where they remained for about 1,000 years before emerging once again. Almost immediately, they were assailed from all sides by giants and humans alike. It took many years before their presence was accepted, but once they were, their numbers have spread across Allethra.   Due to their long isolation, and their reemergence into an unkind world, dwarves are typically slow to trust strangers. Once gained, though, their bonds last for a lifetime.   Dwarves born in the Harkuldir Mountains belong to a clan. From the richest merchants to the poorest laborers, when a child is born into a clan, they are forged and gifted a clan dagger to represent their heritage. These clan daggers must be forged deep within the tunnels of the mountains, and signify the ability for a dwarf to own property, freely work, and have full citizen rights in dwarven society. Dwarves who are born outside the mountain range are a point of contention. Culturally, they are viewed as "clanless," and are not considered part of dwarven society proper. Some dwarven immigrants forge their own clan daggers outside the mountain, but these are not officially recognized in Harkuldir.