Dwarf

Strong Work Ethic, Perfectionism & Stubbornness

Dwarf artisans regard the fruits of their labors with the same love that members of other races reserve for their children. A dwarf’s works are built to last for centuries, to carry a legacy into the world long after the dwarf is gone. Each item a dwarf crafts is a milepost on the path to perfection, a step taken toward mastering a technique. Acutely aware of their mortality, they see the may centuries afforded to them as too short a time to risk wasting even a single day in indolence.
Although the dwarves’ obsessive pursuit of perfection in the art of crafting leads them to produce great works, it comes at a price. Dwarves value stability, repetition, and tradition above all else. Chaos and change cause distractions from the task at hands. Dwarves crave predictability, routine, and safety. A mind not fully focused can’t give a task its proper attention.
This rigidity in outlook, although a fundamental part of the dwarven psyche, can sometimes be a disadvantage. Dwarves don’t change their minds easily, and once set on a course rarely alter their strategy. The dwarves’ way of thinking leads to difficulties in their relationships with humans and elves. From their long-lived perspective, dwarves can’t understand the speed with which most human communities and civilizations rise and fall.

Clan Life

The clan is the basic unit of dwarven society -- an extended family that dwells together. Everything a dwarf does in life is devoted to improving or helping the clan, bringing security and stability to its members and greater glory to the group.
Most dwarven marriages are arranged by priests of Berronar Truesilver or by the heads-of-household for the involved families. Few dwarves develop romantic feeling for their spouses, at least not in the way that other races do. They view their spouses as collaborators and co-creators, their elders as respected experts to be obeyed, and their children as their most treasured creations. The emotion that underlies all of these feelings might not be love, but it is just as intense.

Dwarves and the Empire

As the Empire expanded, its armies topped many of the great dwarven strongholds that stood in its path. It is in this way dwarven culture was first assimilated into Rachina. With time, the dwarves of the Empire adapted to a new role -- many displaced clans re-settled in major cities and ultimately moved on to form a series of dwarven guilds for their smiths, armorers and crafters. It is a rare, but not unheard of feat, for a non-dwarf to be accepted into a dwarven guild. When such an instance occurs, it is understood that this individual is not only a master of the guild’s given craft, but that they also are someone who respects the dwarven culture and way of life. While they may be a member of the guild, they are also treated as a surrogate member of whichever dwarven clan founded said guild.
Dwarves became a vital component of the Empire’s army. There wasn’t a soldier in the Empire who did not value have a Dwarfen smith on hand to assist with outfitting their platoon, nor did they discredit having a red-blooded dwarf to fight alongside them.
After the collapse, dwarves were quick to retreat to their roots. Most clans have reclaimed the ruins of fallen strongholds, or have disappeared entirely into the mountains or hills. Some dwarven clans and guilds still remain in key cities.