Dwarves

Sturdy and strong, dwarves are perhaps the oldest race native to Aborea. Born from the earth, dwarves are tough and stalwart- able to endure difficult conditions and travel for long hours. Whether they be plateau-dwelling nomads, deep-mountain architects, plains traders, or stalwart sea captains, dwarves across Korthos fit into many roles where strength, endurance, and ingenuity are important.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dwarves are stocky humanoids- shorter than humans and elves but taller than small races like gnomes or halflings. Although not (necessarily) incredibly muscular, their bodies have heavy bones and thick flesh that gives them lots of toughness and fortitude.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Dwarven faces are generally square or round with prominent brows and jaws, usually with facial hair and piercing eyes.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Dwarves originate from Central Aborea but have spread out to many different locales across Korthos. They generally- courtesy of their sturdy bodies and their strong fortitudes- favor high altitudes or other relatively inhospitable locales.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Although armed with dark vision and experiential learning of skills for spotting threats in mountainous climes, the strangest of their sensory abilities is something that dwarves call "stonecunning". Dwarves raised in mountains or caves with this sense, have the ability to sense unusual earthen construction nearby them pternaturally.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

All dwarves grow hair quite rapidly, especially facial hair, and most dwarves across Korthos put high value in their appearance and grooming- hair is usually plaited or braided with gold, beads, and stones that represent various parts of cultural existence in dwarven cultures. However, various dwarven cultures- and even various towns- will rarely share the same meanings for these arrangements of hair and jewelry, which can cause confusion between dwarves from different homes.

Relationship Ideals

Although often very interested in social interaction, most dwarves have difficulty forming concrete bonds and interactions with those around them due to a combination of cultural isolation and others' perceptions of dwarves as gruff and stern. Because of this, dwarves often isolate themselves from their companions, seemingly following a stereotype OF gruffness. However, most dwarves do seek out familial connections, and the relationships they seek are generally primarily emotionally driven.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most dwarves learn common at early age, but they also use a Dwarven as a spoken language and occasionally a script. Dwarven literacy is more and more common in modern times, but generally even so more dwarves are literate in Common or regional languages than they are in Dwarven. Dwarven, as a written language, is a syllabogrammic and occasionally logogrammic language that is written in glyphs that have images of the natural and dwarven world. Written dwarven is found on paper and book, painted with brush pens, but originally intended to be carved into stone. In fact, in most dialects of dwarven there's no distinction between stonecarving and language- bas relief images and murals convey linguistic text and meaning as well as artistic images.

History

Dwarves are an ancient humanoid race. They have a long history dating back eons in the mountains and plateaus they inhabit. The oldest known surface dwarves lived a similar life to modern Ranga dwarves- nomadic herders who cares for livestock during the warm months before retreating underground. However, before rising to the surface, most dwarven scholars believe that dwarves originated deep in the underground tunnels of Aborea, toiling and digging to the surface. The so called Duergar, or "gray dwarves", never left these depths, still leading their underground lifestyles and often considered emotionless and dispassionate at best and coldly cruel and dangerous at worst. After piercing the surface in the Ranga Holds, dwarves spread across Aborea and are one of the more numerous races calling that continent home- ranging from the cliffside dwarves living upon the Armada Archipelago to the nomads in the Holds or travelling warlords in Khurla's wide plateaus.

Lifespan

Dwarves are long-lived and slow growing, usually living to between 300 and 400 years of age.

Average Height

Dwarves are between 4 and 4 and a half feet tall, on average.

Average Weight

Dwarves are stocky, and generally weigh between 150 and 250 pounds.

Average Physique

Most dwarves are sturdy and stocky, with heavyset bones and powerful bodies. With barrel chests and strong limbs, dwarves are often wider and more "square" than other humanoids, even if relatively short. Few dwarves are toned, however, instead having functional heavy muscle layered with fat.