Dwarf

On average, both male and female dwarves stand 4 feet tall, and have broad, muscular bodies. While their legs are short, their arms are typically thick and muscular, and long enough to reach their knees without bending over.

Dwarves reproduce sexually.  A female dwarf might have as many as ten children during her lifetime.

Dwarf society relies heavily on clans, groups of families connected through blood and lineage with each other.  Each clan can often trace their lineage back to a single defining ancestor.  Among the clans, there is a definite established hierarchy of influence, with the older clans generally holding positions of authority and governance.  Of all the clans, Clan Guldskang has ruled over the dwarf people as their kings and chief leaders in living memory.   However, many younger clans, often named Hero clans by those associated with the young clans, or called surface clans derisively by the deep dwarven clans, do not bow to the precedent set and instead strive for greater influence, especially on the surface.  These clans typically embrace other Heritages other than just dwarf culture and traditions.

It is highly suspect to find an adult male dwarf without a long, braided beard. Beard growth is a rite of passage for dwarven men, and once they start growing their beard, they never shave it off, but instead groom them carefully, braiding them and often twisting precious metal wires in them.

It is well known that, as a race of people that come from underground, a dwarf has the ability to see even in the darkest of places.

Dwarf first names are typically short, one or two syllables.  Most dwarves identify themselves by their clan names, although some might use a epithet, especially if they are renowned in a skill or circumstance; for example, a gifted orator might be known as "Bofin the Gold-Tongued" or simply "Bofin Goldtongue" rather than by his clan name of Nattskang.

The majority of dwarves still live in underground holds, known as fasts or virki (virk, singular). Of these, the greatest is still Heim'Rikk, but others include Heim'Heitt on the western slopes of the Rampart Mountains on the border of Aurulant, and Heim'Askorin in the mountains south of Hobriland, the land of giants.   Above ground, dwarves can be found in all other nations in the Lands of Legend, but are most concentrated in Erynland, where a dwarf king rules.

Dwarves are often considered stern, serious, and downright dour when dealing with them.  This may be due to the fact that they rarely smile.  In dwarven culture, the showing of teeth is a challenge to fight, which led one sage to coin the saying, "When a dwarf frowns, barter.  When a dwarf smiles, run."

Dwarves are not native to the continent of Eosia. Legend tells that they fled a terrible cataclysm elsewhere by tunneling away from their homeland and enduring generations of darkness until they finally surfaced in this land. Much of this time is shrouded in myth, and remembered only hazily, as if it were a dream rather than true history.   What is known by historians and scholars is that dwarves are not mentioned in any translated First Age texts, nor are they depicted in any First Age art that survived. The first mention of dwarves comes in the Second Age. During that Age, they emerged into the Lands and forged their destiny, raising nations, fighting wars, and making history.   During this Age, the Dwarf Heritage saw a division among its ranks - while the majority of dwarves were content to live and work underground, emerging from their grand cavern homes only to trade or make war, a large contingent of dwarves, upon seeing the stars and sky, refused to return to the caves of their ancestors, vowing instead to remain upon the surface of the world. The Dwarf Heritage divided into the so-called surface dwarves (sometimes called hill dwarves), or Himin'Karli, and the deep dwarves (sometimes known as mountain dwarves), or Djupir'Karli. The Himin'Karli tend to be more progressive and outgoing, and comprise most of the Younger Clans, while the Djupir'Karli are often considered more traditional, conservative and hidebound, and are mainly from the more established Older Clans.   During the Second Age, Durgan Guldskang established the first dwarf kingdom in the Soaring Peaks mountain range. Named Heim'Rikk, known by the surface dwelling Heritages only as "the Kingdom of the Dwarves", it has stood since that Age through today.   At the end of the Second Age, Snorri Vindskang, a warrior scion of one of the Younger Clans and a Himin'Karli, joined a group of heroes and soldiers led by Brenton the Black to carve out a new country. Brenton declared himself king of this new nation, Rosalind, which before his death encompassed the full northern half of the continent. For his service and loyalty, Snorri was made The Lord Governor over the Province of Avernin. It was Snorri who negotiated with the Karhu clans in the mountains to join Rosalind. He made overtures to the kings of Heim'Rikk, but aside from some fairly tepid trade agreements, he had little success.   During the Third Age, the House of Essenkoff rose in authority, ultimately becoming one of the major noble houses of Rosalind and its leader a Duke in that nation. After the disastrous Crusades by the Matriarchy, dwarves joined with karhu and humans to rebel against the kingdom to form the nation of Erynland. A Guldskang scion, fourth child of his father who himself was a third son, joined the newly formed nation and rose to become its Hettaller, or chief speaker. Since that time, a dwarf of the Guldskang family has ruled Erynland.

Dwarves generally do not worship gods per se - there is no pantheon of dwarf gods. Instead, dwarves revere their ancestors, especially those who founded their clan or originated their craft.   There are two exceptions to this general cultural norm. Among Himin'Karli, many dwarves, especially inventors, smiths and craftsmen, will worship Kevastis the Maker. Some dwarves will pay homage to other major or minor gods of the Lands, but not in great numbers.   Among the Djupir'Karli, there is the persistent myth of Agni Hammerthief. Agni Hammerthief is a trickster, a dark and mischievous dwarf spirit who will mislay or steal tools, tempt incautious dwarves into unsafe tunnels, and sometimes even lead enemies through the darkness to dwarf settlements in the caves. Many dwarves in the caverns will wear a pendant in the shape of a hammer, often crafted out of precious metal, to give Agni a more tempting target to steal than their actual tools needed to survive.   The final myth believed by most dwarves is the Knockerman, the embodiment of death. While the Knockerman has no specific image or defined shape (as death can take many forms), dwarves believe that the Knockerman is heralded by a persistent tapping of stone on stone, which they believe is the Knockerman knocking on the door between the realms of life and death, calling a dwarf to answer and walk between these realms. Dwarf great halls are often fitted with one false door that symbolizes this myth and tradition.