Dwarf

The dwarf is a short, stout humanoid found throughout the continent. Less numerous than humans or halflings, the dwarves have nevertheless settled far and wide, often in mountains where other intelligent races would find survival difficult. From these rocky beginnings have often risen powerful and influential realms, digging their wealth from the ground when they cannot till it from the soil.

The Thaner and the Kilthians are the most well known and influential of the dwarven cultures, though the Thaner have been vastly diminished by the dragon Inkrimane. Other dwarf cultures include the Gafhi and the Ibrit of the desert southeast of the Valen realms.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Dwarves are short, stout, and long-lived compared to humans. Their limbs are thick, and their bodies are hairy. However, they lack reach compared to humans, and have roughly similar dietary needs. Known for their hardiness, dwarves rarely fall ill and have been known to survive and even thrive in extreme conditions. Particularly mountainous regions have been settled by dwarves even when other peoples have shunned them. Their hardiness contributes to their lifespan, with particularly healthy dwarves living to 140.

Dwarves are also noted for their unusually keen eyesight in the dark, as well as their apparent immunity to altitude sickness. Whether this is a trait of the dwarven species or simply adapted due to most of them living in mountainous regions is unknown.

Civilization and Culture

History

Dwarves are undoubtedly one of the most ancient species in the known world, with evidence of their advanced civilization dating back to times when all other peoples had little more than sticks and stones. The Shaftbuilder empire spread across the continent 6000 years ago before being snuffed out by an unknown calamity, and many dwarf realms today claim descent from the Shaftbuilders of old. In recent times, dwarven realms have particularly suffered at the hands of the four dragons, who have sought to claim the mountains the dwarves have lived on for centuries.

Lifespan

90-140 years.

Average Height

Adult dwarves range from around 115cm to around 140cm, with males being generally slightly taller than females. However, differences in height are smaller than comparative differences between humans.

Average Weight

Adult dwarves tend to be between 60kg to 100 kg in weight, with males being broader. Even small and thin dwarves still appear very stocky compared to human proportions.

Related Technologies

• Shaftbuilder Devices