Dwarves

Dwarves of Meaghana are a race small in number. Other than the now destroyed large dwarven city of Karak al Kazark they are very few dwarven settlements on Lerias. There are three divisions of the dwarven race present on Meaghana: Hill dwarves, Mountain dwarves, and Salty Dwarves.

Hill Dwarves:

The Hill dwarves are dwarves whose family cannot be traced to Karak al Kazark. Hill dwarves have average between four and a half feet in height, and between 130 and 170 lbs. Hill dwarves tend to keep their beards bushy and wild, and it is a status symbol among them to of the thickest longest beards. Hill dwarven women do not possess beards. It is also noticed that Hill dwarves have an intense dislike for Mountain dwarves, although a Hill dwarf would come to a Mountain dwarf's aid if necessary, the two could very easily end up each other's throats after the mutual threat was gone. Hill dwarves worship Folgrim Dwarflord as their protector. Hill dwarf settlements abound in any naturally hilly area of Lerias. The Dwarves of Ritsaku and Ralatut are often considered Hill dwarves, although they do not have the anamosity to their Mountain dwarves that the Lerisian Hill dwarves do, due to a lack of shared history.

Mountain Dwarves

The Mountain dwarves are dwarves who dwelt in Karak al Kazark or whose families can be traced to originating there. Mountain dwarves are approximately the same size as hill dwarves, although they keep their beards much more under control. It is typically Mountain dwarf practice to braid ones beard and to keep it brushed and cared for. Mountain dwarf women do have very small beards, which are kept cropped short and treated with oils to keep them soft. The Mountain dwarves reciprocate the hatred shown them by their hill dwelling cousins. According to the Mountain dwarves this hatred stems from a betrayal by the clan who began the hill dwarves, which was exiled from the great under city. Mountain dwarves tend to worship two gods as their protectors: Hosia and Folgrim Dwarflord. Since the Mountain dwarves sided with the Grey Elves during the last Elf War, their city was destroyed and it is thought that less than 200 mountain dwarves are still alive in various settlements around the world.

Salty Dwarves

In the year 125 BC, the Dwarven Nation of Karak al Kazark closed itself off from the rest of Meaghana. This broke the connection between the Dwarvish king and the Thanes of the other dwarvish citadels. Among dwarves this act was known as the great betrayal. Most people know that the hill dwarves were created by this, but another group of dwarves separated themselves during this time. The mountain dwarves had a citadel under the island of Felros, off the coast of Fetesca. The dwarves had reached this island by tunneling from Karak al Kazark, under the Grey Sea. The closing of the dwarf nation collapsed these tunnels, trapping the dwarves on the island. Rather than dig the tunnels all over again, the dwarves of Felros decided to learn the live on the island. Eventually the dwarves discovered how to make great ships, and their hunt for survival lessened their natural reliance on law and order. These dwarves began to become involved in sea faring trade, and the occasional piracy and privateering. Upon seeing these dwarves, the human sailors began to call them “Salty” Dwarves. The dwarves, not being as learned in the ways of the sea, took this name as a symbol of honor, and began the proud traditions of the Seafaring Thanes of Felros.

Creation of the Dwarves

Recently is has been uncovered that, unlike most of the mortal races, the dwarves were not created by Brilla's warping of the Oudonti. A historical text, dating from 1036 (BC) revealed that they were originally created by the powers of the Stone Giant empire as a perfect servitor race. All dwarves descend from Kalak and Corinda, the two dwarves that were originally created by the Stone Giants.