Dwarves
The dwarves are one of the three founding races of Gaia. They were the first seed to awaken together with the orcs and goblinoids, and together they defeated the dragons.
As unbreakable and stubborn as the stone from which they emerged, they can hardly be dissuaded from their path or goal. No matter what the cost. This determination, coupled with their sheer endless stamina, led them to create the first global mortal empire, which fell apart in the wake of the Star Plague. Due to the decline of their old empires, dwarves are now only rarely to be found among the other races.
Dwarves are considered to be a hard-headed, traditional people who cultivate their own martial and craft traditions. In general, the dwarves place craftsmanship at the very top of their list, followed by martial skill and then the necessities of survival.
Most dwarves are somewhat pessimistic. Private life is also an absolutely private matter for them. Two dwarves in love are unlikely to be seen making out in public. Showing feelings so openly in front of strangers is considered extremely indecent among dwarves. In addition, all dwarves consider the honor and cohesion of their family and the performance of the individual for the entire dwarven race to be among the most important things in life.
As a general rule, the lives of the young are determined by the decisions of the elders, and the young are expected to show respect and a willingness to contribute to the family's reputation and wealth in life. These rigid dwarven structures, which provided for a clear separation of the sexes into typically female (home & hearth) and typically male (combat & craft) areas of responsibility, have been broken up and completely restructured by the sad, now almost universally known "secret" of the dwarves' low birth rate, so that today there are also many female heads of families, female fighters and female adventurers as a matter of course. It is assumed that about more than half of all dwarves, male or female, are completely infertile. Accordingly, the dwarves have long considered their race to be on the verge of extinction, which has led them to search for solutions to this problem over the last few centuries.
Dwarves are enterprising and may try to take advantage of others in trade. They like to keep to themselves, and when they seek diversion and amusement, they often come in groups and leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Dwarves are known for their hard drinking and for their taste in solid entertainment, such as binge drinking, brawling and good food.
Most dwarves are somewhat pessimistic. Private life is also an absolutely private matter for them. Two dwarves in love are unlikely to be seen making out in public. Showing feelings so openly in front of strangers is considered extremely indecent among dwarves. In addition, all dwarves consider the honor and cohesion of their family and the performance of the individual for the entire dwarven race to be among the most important things in life.
As a general rule, the lives of the young are determined by the decisions of the elders, and the young are expected to show respect and a willingness to contribute to the family's reputation and wealth in life. These rigid dwarven structures, which provided for a clear separation of the sexes into typically female (home & hearth) and typically male (combat & craft) areas of responsibility, have been broken up and completely restructured by the sad, now almost universally known "secret" of the dwarves' low birth rate, so that today there are also many female heads of families, female fighters and female adventurers as a matter of course. It is assumed that about more than half of all dwarves, male or female, are completely infertile. Accordingly, the dwarves have long considered their race to be on the verge of extinction, which has led them to search for solutions to this problem over the last few centuries.
Dwarves are enterprising and may try to take advantage of others in trade. They like to keep to themselves, and when they seek diversion and amusement, they often come in groups and leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Dwarves are known for their hard drinking and for their taste in solid entertainment, such as binge drinking, brawling and good food.
Civilization and Culture
History
The dwarves were the first to build cities in the mountains and write down laws. They produced brave warriors and talented craftsmen. They also built the first continent-spanning and most powerful empire Gaia has known to this day, in which prosperity, innovation and the sciences flourished.
When other people saw a fortress carved into the stone near them, they had no idea where it would eventually lead. Only later generations of the same people would one day wake up to the pounding step of a dwarven legion marching out of this fortress. In its heyday, long underground roads and magical portals connected all the important dwarven cities and fortresses. This allowed the dwarves to move the bulk of their well-organized armies quickly and unseen, while a smaller force could defend the heavily fortified stone gates to the surface. The dwarves' stubbornness often led to disputes within their own ranks, especially when a powerful general questioned the competence of his ruler. Uprisings and civil wars were just as much a part of life in the mountains as trade, crafts and conquest.
However, not all dwarves spent their lives in the mountains. Some left the shelter of the stones to seek their fortune in the open air. Some were outcasts, while others were in search of unknown treasures in the forests, deserts and valleys of Gaia. Most, however, were dwarves who wanted to surpass their forefathers by filling a barren desert or harsh icy landscape with life or creating a mighty kingdom without the natural protection of the mountains. Their own mountain brethren often mocked these dreamers, calling them derogatory "hill dwarves", as their achievements were mere hills compared to the mountain that was their empire. The "hill dwarves" accepted this title with dignity, as it reminded them of why they had left the mountains in the first place and it only proved the narrow-mindedness and lack of imagination of their brethren beneath the stone. When the gates of the old dwarven cities closed, most of the dwarven empire in the mountains vanished and in the ensuing Star Plague many of the dwarven kingdoms on the surface fell into ruin as well. Due to these two fates, the number of dwarves fell drastically, so that today it is considered a sign of either good or bad luck to see a dwarf.
When other people saw a fortress carved into the stone near them, they had no idea where it would eventually lead. Only later generations of the same people would one day wake up to the pounding step of a dwarven legion marching out of this fortress. In its heyday, long underground roads and magical portals connected all the important dwarven cities and fortresses. This allowed the dwarves to move the bulk of their well-organized armies quickly and unseen, while a smaller force could defend the heavily fortified stone gates to the surface. The dwarves' stubbornness often led to disputes within their own ranks, especially when a powerful general questioned the competence of his ruler. Uprisings and civil wars were just as much a part of life in the mountains as trade, crafts and conquest.
However, not all dwarves spent their lives in the mountains. Some left the shelter of the stones to seek their fortune in the open air. Some were outcasts, while others were in search of unknown treasures in the forests, deserts and valleys of Gaia. Most, however, were dwarves who wanted to surpass their forefathers by filling a barren desert or harsh icy landscape with life or creating a mighty kingdom without the natural protection of the mountains. Their own mountain brethren often mocked these dreamers, calling them derogatory "hill dwarves", as their achievements were mere hills compared to the mountain that was their empire. The "hill dwarves" accepted this title with dignity, as it reminded them of why they had left the mountains in the first place and it only proved the narrow-mindedness and lack of imagination of their brethren beneath the stone. When the gates of the old dwarven cities closed, most of the dwarven empire in the mountains vanished and in the ensuing Star Plague many of the dwarven kingdoms on the surface fell into ruin as well. Due to these two fates, the number of dwarves fell drastically, so that today it is considered a sign of either good or bad luck to see a dwarf.
Origin/Ancestry
Gaian
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