Dwarfs

The Firstborn of Tet are the dwarfs. They are also called the Stoneborn, and this is a very literal term. A little shorter than elves, they are broad and solidly built, and much heavier than their robust build could explain. While their flesh is like that of other sympatics, their bones are made of stone, and they claim to have been shaped from granite. They are also noted for having a number of redundant organs: a third lung and second liver, two pairs of kidneys, and even a secondary heart.   Their skin is tough and leathery, ranging from pale honey coloured to almost col black, and their hair - which grows almost everywhere - is thick and wiry, again ranging from blonde to black. Both male and female dwarfs sport thick, luxuriant hair and beards, which they elaborately braid and arrange. Their eyes are large, but deep set in heavy brows, and although they can be blue, grey, brown and even red and orange, they often appear black thanks to the huge pupils which give them their superlative night vision.   Strong jaws, literally rock-hard teeth and an efficient digestion allow the dwarfs to thrive on a meagre diet when necessary, and to grind and ingest the hardest grains, nuts, and even bone. They are true omnivores, and extremely resistant to poison. This same robust physiology, however, makes them challenging to treat medically. They rarely succumb to illness, but diseases which do affect dwarfs can decimate entire holds.   Family is important to all dwarfs, and their societies are ordered by a nested hierarchy of increasingly extended families. One of their most important, common rites is a coming of age ritual in which a young dwarf recites their entire line of heritage. Completion of the recitation is marked with the presentation of a dwarf's hixxon, a hair ornament bearing their name and the names of that ancestral line. To cut a dwarf's hair without leave is a gross violation, and a visible one since it takes such a long time to grow back. Breaking a dwarf's hixxon is either a mark of banishment or the most terrible insult imaginable.   Dwarfs live in communities which include both surface and underground areas. They are most comfortable 'under stone', and have strong traditions in mining, stone and metalwork, and tunnel fighting.