Dwarves
Dwarves are another of the elder races of Nor, though one that is in peril. Dwarves are said to have an innate connection to the earth. Some say it accounts for their stubbornness and Stoic natures. Dwarves have always defined themselves through their hard work and skill with their hands. Many humans say that they have a deep, innate connection with the earth itself, and that this explains their traditions of mining and craftsmanship.
Dwarves are one of the oldest races of Nor. They claim that they are the oldest, older even than the elves, but few outside their tunnels will agree with them about that. Dwarves have stories about themselves going back to the days of the Overlords, most of which tell of their ability to avoid the worst of the troubles of the era by living and working underground. These stories also contain plenty of long, lovingly detailed accounts of elven treachery and double-dealing, which is the dwarves’ explanation for the two races’ tradition of hostility and mistrust.
In general, dwarves take great pride in their racial reputation. They agree with the view that they are the best workers of stone and steel that Nor has ever seen and are, in general, disdainful of the stonework and metal work of other races. Their opinion on the elves’ preference for wood and other natural materials is lower still.
Dwarves feel that it is important to leave something behind when they are gone, even more so now that many feel their time is running short due to thier low fertility rate. They know that if they build or create something great it will outlast them and leave a legacy behind so people remember them, and their descendants (should they have any) will have ancestors to be proud of.
The practice of learning through family apprenticeship, with no real schools or academies of the kind found in human or elven settlements, often leads to a lack of new ideas. Dwarven culture already puts great emphasis on respect for the master craftsmen of previous generations, and the deep stubbornness found in many of them exacerbates this issue. While it is true that the traditional way usually works, Dwarves are not know to be innovators and rarely some up with new ways of doing things. Sheer pride also contributes to this, as many dwarves simply cannot admit that they may have something to learn about their family craft – especially from someone outside the family.
After a male dwarf finishes his apprenticeship he goes on a small journey and spends some time alone. When he comes back him family will usually have a wife picked for him. Because there are many more males than females dwarves, only the dwarves who are considered the top of their class are usually arranged for a marriage. Others prepare for a life of loneliness.
Dwarven females have it tougher. They are coddled from birth, and much of their young life is completely controlled to protect them and ensure they reach the age where they can have children, Dwarves strong sense of tradition make it possible for them to accept this life even if it would not be their first choice.
Communities are often monarchies with a stable line of succession. Should a king die without an heir, which is much more common than with other races (especially recently), the dwarves actually choose a new king, usually from the most famous dwarves in the community.
In some areas, dwarves have taken to the One. The older version of this god has considerable appeal to a people who tend to view the world as full of enemies, and who are certainly willing to go to war as needed. The Alexandrite version of the faith has little appeal to the dwarves.
The decline in birth rates has affected dwarves here especially. A society with no young people cannot really afford to fight, and so dwarves have been forced to abandon a number of their settlements over recent decades.
Sorcerers occur among the dwarves, though less often than among other races. The influences of strange bloodlines occur as they do among other folk. However, such events show that the family of the dwarf in question is not purely dwarven. This is usually quite embarrassing, and often causes the dwarf in question to either leaves the city and travel or hide his talents as best he can.
Zhufbar was a smaller settlement, located further south than Thoradon. It, too, was regularly besieged by forces loyal to Takhene, as her clergy sought to remove the pockets of creatures that refused to bow before her from the midst of her domains. As the city was never anywhere near the size of Thoradon, it could not afford such defenses. Eventually, it fell before the hordes of orcs flowing from the west, leaving the dwarves’ greatest temple to Utua abandoned and presumably desecrated. Occasional stories tell of the foul creatures created when the Mother of Monsters and her mortal aides were able to work with and corrupt dwarven stock….
Karadin is the third of the great dwarven cities built along the mountains east of Eroth. It is far enough north to have escaped the attentions of Takehene’s forces, or at least most of them. While the city is suffering from the same depression that looms over the rest of the dwarven people, it still stands. There are portions of the city that are more or less ghost towns now, but the inhabitants continue to work as they always have. This city, more than any other, trades metals and manufactured items to Eroth (and sometime to several of the Free Cities) in exchange for food, cloth and other products that are difficult to make from solid rock. The city also has a long tradition of itinerant architects and stoneworkers who travel through the human lands around them to profit from their legendary expertise. They have left a number of the most admired buildings in both Eroth and the Free Cities, but also provoke a considerable amount of resentment among the humans who feel displaced by them.
Azgal is built in the mountains in southern Amador. Amador prides itself on its military and sees itself as foes of all that is evil, though it's idea on what is evil may be suspect. They are a very xenophobic people and believe that non-humans have some kind of taint in their blood line. They do not trust their dwarven neighbors, and the dwarves of Azgal have had to fight repeatedly to preserve their independence. Historically, they took pride in their long record of resistance to the Nation. However, the steady decline in population over recent decades has caused them to lose confidence in their ability to continue the fight. Therefore, they have reluctantly agreed to supply the armies of Amador with weapons and armor in exchange for an end to the assaults. The Amadorians proclaim that Azgal is now under the protection of Amador. The dwarves do not agree, but, though it deeply offends them to do so, feel unable to say so publicly.
The last of the great Dwarven Cities is Gorodon. This city is as ancient as Thorodon, but has never been as large as it is in the Ice wall and the dwarves that live there have a harsh life. The Ice wall is also the home of many creatures including the largest Frost Giant Clan on Nor. Because of this it is a constant struggle for the dwarves living here. MAny beleive it is just a matter of time before it suffers a similar fate to Thorodon.
Dwarves are one of the oldest races of Nor. They claim that they are the oldest, older even than the elves, but few outside their tunnels will agree with them about that. Dwarves have stories about themselves going back to the days of the Overlords, most of which tell of their ability to avoid the worst of the troubles of the era by living and working underground. These stories also contain plenty of long, lovingly detailed accounts of elven treachery and double-dealing, which is the dwarves’ explanation for the two races’ tradition of hostility and mistrust.
In general, dwarves take great pride in their racial reputation. They agree with the view that they are the best workers of stone and steel that Nor has ever seen and are, in general, disdainful of the stonework and metal work of other races. Their opinion on the elves’ preference for wood and other natural materials is lower still.
Dwarves feel that it is important to leave something behind when they are gone, even more so now that many feel their time is running short due to thier low fertility rate. They know that if they build or create something great it will outlast them and leave a legacy behind so people remember them, and their descendants (should they have any) will have ancestors to be proud of.
The practice of learning through family apprenticeship, with no real schools or academies of the kind found in human or elven settlements, often leads to a lack of new ideas. Dwarven culture already puts great emphasis on respect for the master craftsmen of previous generations, and the deep stubbornness found in many of them exacerbates this issue. While it is true that the traditional way usually works, Dwarves are not know to be innovators and rarely some up with new ways of doing things. Sheer pride also contributes to this, as many dwarves simply cannot admit that they may have something to learn about their family craft – especially from someone outside the family.
After a male dwarf finishes his apprenticeship he goes on a small journey and spends some time alone. When he comes back him family will usually have a wife picked for him. Because there are many more males than females dwarves, only the dwarves who are considered the top of their class are usually arranged for a marriage. Others prepare for a life of loneliness.
Dwarven females have it tougher. They are coddled from birth, and much of their young life is completely controlled to protect them and ensure they reach the age where they can have children, Dwarves strong sense of tradition make it possible for them to accept this life even if it would not be their first choice.
Communities are often monarchies with a stable line of succession. Should a king die without an heir, which is much more common than with other races (especially recently), the dwarves actually choose a new king, usually from the most famous dwarves in the community.
Religion
Oxor, a demigod is considered the god of Dwarves. He was once one of the great gods, but as the dwarves diminished in the world so did his power. Oxer, is the god of crafting and even those dwarves that do not worship him directly have a great respect for him. There is a great Temple to Oxor in every Dwarven settlement. These Temples are wonders to behold, and are second only to the Hall of Ancestors that are also found in any large Dwarven stronghold. Some dwarves also worship Grazon as the God of Tradition and Loyalty. There is also a great respect for Dwarven ancestors, who are known for great deeds. Statues of them line the Hall of Ancestors and the dwarves respect them almost as much as the Gods themselves.In some areas, dwarves have taken to the One. The older version of this god has considerable appeal to a people who tend to view the world as full of enemies, and who are certainly willing to go to war as needed. The Alexandrite version of the faith has little appeal to the dwarves.
Military
Dwarves do not fight many wars against humans, or even elves. This is because neither of those races has much interest in the dwarves’ mountain homes, and they are usually content to leave the dwarves alone and trade with them peacefully. However, there are plenty of other creatures that do share the mountains, and dwarves do not generally deal well with them. As a result, all dwarven settlements are built for defense, with strong gates and numerous internal chokepoints and barriers to impede invaders.The decline in birth rates has affected dwarves here especially. A society with no young people cannot really afford to fight, and so dwarves have been forced to abandon a number of their settlements over recent decades.
Magic
Dwarves are not a magical race. While they certainly are capable of the dedication required by wizardry, they do not like the flexibility of thought required to use it to best advantage. In addition, they regard it as a poor substitute for real, honest work – and the associations of magic with elves doesn’t help.Sorcerers occur among the dwarves, though less often than among other races. The influences of strange bloodlines occur as they do among other folk. However, such events show that the family of the dwarf in question is not purely dwarven. This is usually quite embarrassing, and often causes the dwarf in question to either leaves the city and travel or hide his talents as best he can.
Runecraft
While Dwarves tend not to practice regular magic like that seen by humans often, they are master at runecraft. The ability to store magical forces in a perfectly marked rune. Some dwarves that specialize in this craft carry these runes around and use them as a wizard would use spells. These runes are also used to enchant objects, especially dwarven crafted weapons.Prominent Settlements
The largest of the dwarven settlements, and the traditional seat of their greatest kings, was Thoradon. Located in the mountains between Lain and Eroth, the city could trace its origins back to the underground refuges built to escape the Overlords. It resisted the monsters and armies of Takhene, from both Lain and Condor, for many years. Numerous sieges were mounted by orcs and their allies from the west, and the human armies of the Great Queens of Lain from the east. Neither could make a significant dent in the dwarves’ superbly built defenses, but eventually Thorodan was breached and most of the inhabitants there killed. It is a mystery of what caused the devastation. Most of the survivor spoke of a great unseen evil that commanded hordes of Orcs and Goblins, and other creatures. It is the goal of many Dwarves to return one day and discover what happened and perhaps reclaim the kingdom.Zhufbar was a smaller settlement, located further south than Thoradon. It, too, was regularly besieged by forces loyal to Takhene, as her clergy sought to remove the pockets of creatures that refused to bow before her from the midst of her domains. As the city was never anywhere near the size of Thoradon, it could not afford such defenses. Eventually, it fell before the hordes of orcs flowing from the west, leaving the dwarves’ greatest temple to Utua abandoned and presumably desecrated. Occasional stories tell of the foul creatures created when the Mother of Monsters and her mortal aides were able to work with and corrupt dwarven stock….
Karadin is the third of the great dwarven cities built along the mountains east of Eroth. It is far enough north to have escaped the attentions of Takehene’s forces, or at least most of them. While the city is suffering from the same depression that looms over the rest of the dwarven people, it still stands. There are portions of the city that are more or less ghost towns now, but the inhabitants continue to work as they always have. This city, more than any other, trades metals and manufactured items to Eroth (and sometime to several of the Free Cities) in exchange for food, cloth and other products that are difficult to make from solid rock. The city also has a long tradition of itinerant architects and stoneworkers who travel through the human lands around them to profit from their legendary expertise. They have left a number of the most admired buildings in both Eroth and the Free Cities, but also provoke a considerable amount of resentment among the humans who feel displaced by them.
Azgal is built in the mountains in southern Amador. Amador prides itself on its military and sees itself as foes of all that is evil, though it's idea on what is evil may be suspect. They are a very xenophobic people and believe that non-humans have some kind of taint in their blood line. They do not trust their dwarven neighbors, and the dwarves of Azgal have had to fight repeatedly to preserve their independence. Historically, they took pride in their long record of resistance to the Nation. However, the steady decline in population over recent decades has caused them to lose confidence in their ability to continue the fight. Therefore, they have reluctantly agreed to supply the armies of Amador with weapons and armor in exchange for an end to the assaults. The Amadorians proclaim that Azgal is now under the protection of Amador. The dwarves do not agree, but, though it deeply offends them to do so, feel unable to say so publicly.
The last of the great Dwarven Cities is Gorodon. This city is as ancient as Thorodon, but has never been as large as it is in the Ice wall and the dwarves that live there have a harsh life. The Ice wall is also the home of many creatures including the largest Frost Giant Clan on Nor. Because of this it is a constant struggle for the dwarves living here. MAny beleive it is just a matter of time before it suffers a similar fate to Thorodon.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dwarves are a long-lived race compared to humans or Halflings, though not elves. They can expect to live to 350-400 years old if left to their own devices. Physically, they are shorter and stockier than humans and their limbs are thick and corded with muscle. Even portly dwarves have a lot of muscle underneath any flabby parts. Dwarves usually have ruddy skin, and coarse hair, ranging from black to red. Blonde haired dwarves are rare, except for the dwarves of the Icewall, who tend to be fairer. They are not noticeably less agile than humans, and their shorter legs limit their speed quite a bit. Dwarves can go days without food and water but when they do indulge they have voracious appetites as well as a deep love of strong drink. They have the ability to eat a lot and store that energy for long periods of work. A dwarf’s diet consists of the meat of creatures hunted in the tunnels like rothe, and fungus and vegetable grown on moist walls. In addition, they regularly trade the products of their mining and manufacturing to other (usually human) settlements for more food. They never trade their best items, though.
Genetics and Reproduction
These days Dwarves are a dying race. It started with a great imbalance in the number of Females dwarves being born. Males were being born 4 times as often as females. Then fertility rates drop almost completely. In fact, there is no current record of a Dwarf under the age of 50. Only their long lifespans have saved them from being extinct as a race. No-one has yet proved the reason for this, though there are a number of theories. Some contend that the dwarves offended a god (the identity of the god depends on who’s telling the story), others that there is an ancient curse from the days of the Overlords that has finally begun to affect them completely. Some dwarves contend that the problem is more elven treachery, though they do not explain how this would work.
Trying to discover the source of this problem is a common object of research for the race. Dwarves from all communities have spent considerable time trying to determine the source of the problem, but none have yet succeeded, or indeed even made noticeable progress towards a solution.
Trying to discover the source of this problem is a common object of research for the race. Dwarves from all communities have spent considerable time trying to determine the source of the problem, but none have yet succeeded, or indeed even made noticeable progress towards a solution.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dwarven births are great event that are celebrated by the entire Dwarven Clan. The parents are showered with gifts as well as the new born. From that point on the baby is the responsibility of the family and clan. While it's parent remain close through its younger years, the entire family take a part in raising the Dwarven child. Their first priority it it's protection. From an early age, a dwarf is taught how to care for itself. Dwarves live in area that can be dangerous and all dwarfs need to know how to defend themselves, and live off what can be found in their underground worlds.
When the dwarf enters it's teenage years, it begins its training in what ever craft or service the family is known for. The dwarf is expected to master the craft of the family it was born into. Rarely a Dwarf will have not talent for their families' craft no matter how hard they work at it. In that case another family that fits more with the dwarf's talents may "adopt" the dwarf. This only happen when a dwarf truly has no ability to learn it's family's craft. This is seen as a failure by both the family and the dwarf and can cause shame on the family. The dwarf is also usually subjected to being treated as a bit of an outcast. At least until he proves himself to his new family.
During this time the dwarf is usually apprenticed to a master. The relationship between a master and apprentice is a strong as from a parent to a child, sometimes even stronger. The master is not only responsible for teaching the dwarf his trade, but also for ensuring he mature into a well respected dwarf. That transgressions of a dwarf apprentice also reflect on his master.
Once a master has determined that he has taught his apprentice all he can, he end the apprenticeship and the th dwarf become an adult in the eyes of the clan. If he is truly promising he may even be granted a wife. From there the Dwarves life is his own. An adult dwarf it always looking for a way to make some great contribution to his clan, so his name will be remembered and if great enough, his likeness will be enshrined in the Hall of ancestors, the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon an dwarf.
During this time the dwarf is usually apprenticed to a master. The relationship between a master and apprentice is a strong as from a parent to a child, sometimes even stronger. The master is not only responsible for teaching the dwarf his trade, but also for ensuring he mature into a well respected dwarf. That transgressions of a dwarf apprentice also reflect on his master.
Once a master has determined that he has taught his apprentice all he can, he end the apprenticeship and the th dwarf become an adult in the eyes of the clan. If he is truly promising he may even be granted a wife. From there the Dwarves life is his own. An adult dwarf it always looking for a way to make some great contribution to his clan, so his name will be remembered and if great enough, his likeness will be enshrined in the Hall of ancestors, the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon an dwarf.
Ecology and Habitats
Dwarves favor large underground communities. They prefer mountainous terrain, as the rock makes a more stable building material and a better source of the minerals they use for crafting and commerce. The long lives, work ethic and sheer skill of the dwarves allow these settlements to grow to substantial size, despite having to be manually tunneled out of the solid rock.
The settlements are usually broken into sections based on the type of work done as well as the families that live there. Because of this, most families come to be associated with a single profession. Before the recent collapse of the birth rate, this led to a tradition of passing crafting skills down from generation to generation. It a large reason for the dwarves’ aptitude in these fields. The deep stubbornness dwarves are famous for means that an individual will work for as long as necessary (and often longer) to complete a task. Dwarven culture values producing the best possible item, one capable of lasting centuries, over efficiency and the ability to produce a number of serviceable items in the same amount of time.
Communities are often monarchies with a stable line of succession. Should a king die without an heir, which is much more common than with other races (especially recently), the dwarves actually choose a new king, usually from the most famous dwarves in the community.
Communities are often monarchies with a stable line of succession. Should a king die without an heir, which is much more common than with other races (especially recently), the dwarves actually choose a new king, usually from the most famous dwarves in the community.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Dwarves live in a society based on clans. A dwarf is a member of a family, and that family is a member of a clan. Clans are usually dedicated to abroad type of work. Mining clans, crafting clans, farming clans, and then families that specialize in specific types of that work are members of the clan. While there are cases of whole families moving from one clan to another it is pretty rae and it usually the result of the family moving to a new community.
Facial characteristics
Dwarves are known for their beards. They start to grow a beard when they hit 50 years old and from there a dwarf usually spend a certain amount of time each day maintaining it. While some dwarves trim their beards most let it grow as long as they can. Dwarves respect the work of their elders and the best way to tell an elder is by the length of his beard. Unlike some tales, dwarven women do not grow bears, but many grow the rest of their hair long as a symbol of their age.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Dwarves have no difficulty seeing in complete darkness. They also have the uncanny ability to know where they are in relationship to the world around them when deep underground in featureless caves. Most dwarves can tell you which direction they are facing, how far underground they are and where the nearest exit is without difficulty.
Dwarves also seem to have a strange sense around certain races. Some believe this is back form a time were dwarves were not as civilized and had to share hunting grounds with Goblins and Orcs. they claim to be able to feel when these races are around and can feel a "taint" when close to objects or structures created by them.
Dwarves also seem to have a strange sense around certain races. Some believe this is back form a time were dwarves were not as civilized and had to share hunting grounds with Goblins and Orcs. they claim to be able to feel when these races are around and can feel a "taint" when close to objects or structures created by them.
Lifespan
300-400
Average Height
4-5 feet
Average Weight
150-200
The World of Nor
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