Dwarf

Dwarves were created by the dragons to serve as miners and servants for those who dwelled in the mountains. It was uncommon for dwarves to be found far from the mountains and were often housed in grand Thaigs or settlements on the nearby hill’s. Enduring from this time is a degree of distance common in dwarves who tend to keep to themselves. Those further inside the mountain tend to be more hostile to outsiders. Dwarves are the most knowledgeable of the draconic past with carved records existing in some Thaigs of the battles that occurred against the Imperium .
Less xenophobic dwarves tend to command the arcanum trade selling it to outsiders in supply restricted by enormous cartels intended to keep the price high. Dwarves are usually lawful individuals believing that evil and chaotic activity is disrespectful to their ancestors. Those exiled from dwarven Thaig's are branded as exiles and often forced to live among other races.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dwarves have a standard humanoid form with two arms and legs and reproductive organs. Dwarves are shorter in size and naturally more muscular and hairy than their mer counterparts. Though it is widely believed that women can grow beards it is merely speculation emerging from a tradition amongst warrior women to braid their long hair into a beard that hangs under their chin. 
Dwarves are slightly thicker skinned than other mer allowing them to tolerate the cold temperatures of the mountains and their peaks. They also enjoy a greater capacity for the heats of forges and lava falls granting them further measure as smiths and craftsman.
The Goblin strain are identified by more putrid skin tones often of grey, brown or greenish tints. They lack the muscular growth of other dwarves instead appearing slender with sharper warped ears, caused mostly from irregular bone growth. Goblins can be easily identified at birth for their deformed features which as they grow often become only more twisted from their expected form.

Biological Traits

Goblin Goblins are deformed dwarves caused from a rare genetic trait created by the cruel dragon Maglubiyet the Corrupter during the uprising. Goblins are reviled in dwarvish society and are most often thrown out the Thaig or mountain at birth so as they survive only by the ancestors mercy. Goblins that survive tend to flock together and are ruled by those who suffer less from the genetic disorder which leads to them being both physically and mentally impaired.
Goblins are easily dominated by other species who demonstrate great power though they prefer to take orders within their own chain of command and as such those that control them often appoint proxy chieftains. Goblins that encounter Hobgoblins are often assimilated into their ranks as low ranking foot soldiers and fodder or to form a nearby warren that mines resources for them. These warrens tend to be designed similar to dwarven societies albeit with simplifications in manner and style.
Duregar
While most dwarves fought the dragons for independence the duregar were trapped under the will of the Illithids. The original front line warriors in the Elder War when the slave species gained sentience duregar were denied this liberty as enduring thralls of the Illithids. It would take centuries for the duregar to break free from their mental prison and even longer until they found their way out of the Underdark and into the Dwarven Under-Roads. When they found the other dwarves however they were rejected for not helping them fight and treated as second class citizens. For generations the duregar worked among the dwarves to earn their place until the drow arrived and were granted land to build Thaigs. The duregar exploded in rage that their kin would chose eves over themselves and promised revenge as they retreated to the Underdark to create their own cities. Since this time they have waged a great war against the dwarves and drow who betrayed them.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dwarves reproduce through sexual reproduction and can birth children with the other primate descended mer. A dwarven child is gestated for 10 months except in the instance of those infected with the goblin gene which instead takes only 6 months and often leads to a difficult pregnancy due to its jagged bone deformities.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dwarves follow a standard humanoid cycle of life going from infants to old age experiencing puberty as a transition phase into adulthood. This cycle is also reflected among goblins who experience similar growth but rarely live beyond their sixties. 
The infantile stage of a dwarfs life lasts from their birth until their thirties when the dwarf is largely considered immature and undeveloped. Dwarves reach the 'toddler' stage of infantile life within their first two years but slowly develop from there towards their pubescent form over thirty years. Puberty usually begins with a transformation of their physical features with males experiencing the descent of their testicles and women growing breasts.
Puberty lasts around twenty years of a dwarf's life known as the 'forgling' years in common vernacular. In some Thaigs pubescent dwarves are separated from others in society to be trained and allowed to express their development away from civilised society. Pubescent dwarves are known to often be particularly willy, virile and aggressive until they find a calmer manner. Over puberty dwarves transition into adulthood developing much of their muscle mass, experiencing alterations of their body common to other humanoids and becoming able only at the end of the period to produce children. This is the result of alteration in the testicles and womb to begin the fertilisation process usually towards the early fifties of a dwarfs life. This final stage usually causes a maturing in the mind of the dwarf ending their pubescent stage.
Adulthood continues usually for the next two and a half centuries with dwarves only showing signs of their old age usually after their third century of life. Old age comes initially in the greying of hair and then the gradual decay of their physical strength and a weakening of the bones. Once old age begins to show most dwarves look forward to a final fifty or so years of life.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dwarves tend to enjoy a hearty diet of meats, mushrooms and carbohydrates.  Though more meat heavy than other groups dwarven transmuters have been known to create a crop from stone dust known as Rock Grain. Though greyish in shade this grain is full of flavour and nutrients and serves as the basis for numerous pastries and breads in dwarven cuisine.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dwarves possess similar magical abilities to those of the other mer but due to their often far larger arcanum reserves they tend to more readily use magic in their everyday lives. Dwarven magi are particularly known for their proficiency with runes which are present throughout Thaigs and Under-Roads.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Dwarves have simple naming customs in which children are given names by their parents in addition to the Family Name inherited from the father, unless in a matrilineal marriage.
Mountain Dwarves add to this name with the addendum ‘of X Thaig’ to denote their families lineage within the larger community. Dwarves who have migrated from one Thaig to another will continue to use the name of their former Thaig in this manner with their children using the new Thaig name. In this manner it is possible to trace Dwarven ancestry between Thaigs.
Dwarves who live among humans may also use the Common translation of their surname instead of its Dwarven form. This may be as a sign of cultural assimilation, ease of communication or other reasons. E.g. Barlun Aeducan would become Barlun Shieldguard.

Courtship Ideals

fter this the pair exchange iron bands, which in later years shift from bracelets to rings, that mark the pair as wedded.
In traditional dwarven weddings there is an observance of the three customs. Protection, Provision, Prestige.
During Protection phase the to-be-weds engage in combat to demonstrate that the lesser claned, or non-dwarven party, is able to protect the other and thus worthy of the marriage. Champions may also be chosen by either party with the acknowledgement that a strong ally is as key in protection as any.
During Provision each party, or the non-dwarven parties in mixed-race marriages, add a single ingredient to the other families barrel of brew. The patriarch or matriarch of the family then takes a drink from the barrel to decide if the flavour has been improved, giving their blessing or refusing. If the flavour is tainted and the barrel is forced to be destroyed the marriage is considered opposed by the gods.
During Prestige the best man and maid of honour speak to the credit of the to-be-weds demonstrating their worthiness for the bond and allowing any concerns to be met and dealt with before rings are exchanged.

Genetic Descendants

• Gnoll

Scientific Name

Sovok Yakki

Origin/Ancestry

Primate

Lifespan

300-400 years

Average Height

0.75-1.5m

Geographic Distribution

• Durundar Mountains

Related Organizations

• Clan Skov
• Clan Varcheg
• Order of Tatham