Dwarves

Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of goblins and orcs—these common threads unite all dwarves.

Description

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk.
Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Personality

Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living dwarves often remember a very different world. For example, some of the oldest dwarves living in Citadel Felbarr (in the world of the Forgotten Realms) can recall the day, more than three centuries ago, when orcs conquered the fortress and drove them into an exile that lasted over 250 years. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and halflings lack.
Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.
Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Abilities

Dwarves are unusually tough. Dwarven stomachss are resistant to virtually all poisons and it takes less effort for a dwarf to get back on their feet than other races. Dwarves have dense bodies, making them difficult to push around allowing them to carry loads that other races might find hindering.
As a subterranean race, dwarves have evolved to have an unusually keen awareness of their surroundings. Dwarves can see in the dark, out to about 60 feet (18 meters). Many dwarves were raised in or have lived in caverns and have developed a knack for recognizing unusual patterns in stonework.
Dwarves are often unlikeable and typically lack the charm of other smaller races, like halflings or gnomes. Even dwarves that lack charismatic power are not unsocial and many have a natural knack for bartering or judging the value of an offer. What dwarves lack in charm, they make up for with their legendary crafting abilities. Many of the most skilled artisans and craftspeople across the Sarcon Archipelago are dwarves.

Society

Culture

Dwarves deeply value the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarven elders, ancenstral heroes, and clan founders are held in a place of great respect for their sound leadership and the wisdom of their experience. These values are so deeply rooted that dwarves will show deference to the elders of non-dwarven races.
Dwarves will also turn to their gods for guidance and protection more than most other races. Most dwarves look to the divine for comfort and inspiration, while wicked individuals look to their divine overlords for methods to obtain power over others. Individual dwarves might be faithless, but the race as a whole, regardless of subrace, has a strong inclination for religion and almost every community maintains at least one temple or ancestral shrine.

Clans

Most dwarven-led societies are divided into clans built along family ties and political allegiances. These clans are usually led by hereditary rulers, descended from the founder of the clan. Dwarves strongly value loyalty to these rulers and to the clan as a whole. Even the most objective dwarves tend to side primarily with their kin over other races or communities. These clan structures have promoted a tradition of inbreeding, which is largely considered to be one of the reasons for the dwarves' low birth rates.
Most dwarven clans focus on one or two kinds of crafting, such as blacksmithing, jewelry, engineering, or masonry. Dwarves strive to avoid overspecialization by sending some of their youths to other clans to serve as apprentices. This practice has also helped to foster racial unity and genetic diversity. Because of their long lifespans, dwarven apprenticeships might last decades.

Dwarf Names

A dwarf’s name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf’s name belongs to the clan, not to the individual. A dwarf who misuses or brings shame to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwarven name in its place.

Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Bruenor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal

Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra

Clan Names: Balderk, Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart

Interracial Relations

“The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years,” is a dwarf saying that might be hyperbole, but certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race like humans to earn a dwarf’s trust.

Dwarves get along passably well with most other races. Dwarven pragmatism and honor make them excellent diplomants and few reasonable societies cannot come to some level of agreement with dwarfs.
Dwarves are firm believers in the righteousness of their own ways but, because of their natural introversion, they tend to be surprisingly tolerant of other cultures. Polite dwarves normally decline to speak their minds about others regardless of their true feelings. As long as other races are exhibiting "good enough" behaviour, dwarves will gernerally consider the actions and culutral tradions of other groups to be none of their business. Only certain violent behavior might prompt more direct forms of response, but for the most part dwarves will live and let live.

Gnomes

Dwarves and gnomes had a history of cordial relations, mutually seeing each other as family, however distant. One dwarven myth proposed that the gnomes were once dwarves and Garl Glittergold a long-forgotten dwarven deity of magic known as Garal, who turned his devoted into gnomes. Dwarves held the outlooks the two had in common in strong regard, looking at gnomish culture with affectionate bemusement and gnomes often felt that dwarves had a grounding in the greater truths of the world that they themselves lacked. However, long-term contact between the two would likely cause irritation, for while they envied the dwarves, gnomes were unwilling to stick to their lifestyle. Dwarf strongholds were always open to gnomes, but few dwarves were comfortable enough with gnome ways to stay for long in their settlements.[

Halflings

“Sure, they’re pleasant folk. But show me a halfling hero. An empire, a triumphant army. Even a treasure for the ages made by halfling hands. Nothing. How can you take them seriously?”

Similarly to gnomes, dwarves had a fondness for halflings comparable to an older brother's concern for a smaller, more awkward sibling. Dwarves prized the halfling talent for fitting in and lending a hand, while halflings admired the strong family ties and industriousness (as well as the nose for profit) of the dwarves. However, dwarves were usually stodgy and somewhat provincial in contrast to the more adventurous halflings. Furthermore, halflings, who did not hold martial prowess as important, saw dwarves as too war-like. Some dwarves mistook their disinterest for inability and could prove patronizing, yet halflings quietly dismissed this overbearing and somewhat arrogant attitude as part of dwarvish nature. Dwarves remained blissfully pleased with their relations besides vague concern and diplomatic offers of military aid.[18][20]

Humans

“You take the time to get to know a human, and by then the human’s on her deathbed. If you’re lucky, she’s got kin—a daughter or granddaughter, maybe—who’s got hands and heart as good as hers. That’s when you can make a human friend. And watch them go! They set their hearts on something, they’ll get it, whether it’s a dragon’s hoard or an empire’s throne. You have to admire that kind of dedication, even if it gets them in trouble more often than not.”

More than any other race, humans were capable of dwarven behavior, readily absorbing their virtues and able to value them almost equally. They looked up to the tradition, honor, conviction, and family values central to them, and admired dwarven martial skill and stonecraft. The two races had always been cordial neighbors at the very least, and when humans modeled their societies after dwarves, it was a source of pride and joy. However, humans were so morally and ethically flexible that they could also be almost elf-like, seeming flighty to their slow-paced ways. What all human nations shared was a short memory, and human adaptability was countered in their minds by cultural inconsistency. Still, if dwarves were good at anything, it was finding potential hidden below the surface, and so even in the darkest times, they never gave up on humanity.

Elves

“It’s not wise to depend on the elves. No telling what an elf will do next; when the hammer meets the orc’s head, they’re as apt to start singing as to pull out a sword. They’re flighty and frivolous. Two things to be said for them, though: They don’t have many smiths, but the ones they have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come streaming down out of the mountains, an elf’s good to have at your back. Not as good as a dwarf, maybe, but no doubt they hate the orcs as much as we do.”

Dwarven and elven relations were infamously volatile, their vastly disparate perspectives on the relationship between the individual and society resulting in countless misunderstandings and feuds. While dwarves subjugated the individual in favor of the group, elves did the opposite, and while both ways of life worked for their respective races, it made it hard for the two to agree on specific plans. Dwarves were both frustrated and amused by their apparent flightiness, lack of family focus, and irresponsibility of a race that, given their long lives and magic power, should be some of the most responsible of all. The emotional elves usually saw the naturally reserved dwarves as too dour, foolishly failing to express themselves and their opinions. Dwarves and elves were both basically good however, and so agreed on the most important issues; like squabbling siblings, they jumped to the others' defense against outside forces despite their threats, shouts, and insults.[18][22]

Goliaths

Though primitive to their eyes, dwarves regarded goliaths as kindred spirits, followers of Moradin's ways even if not consciously aware of it. Dwarves perceived them as gentle giants and felt affection for their distant friends, leading them to make the extra effort of frequently visiting their villages for trade. For their part, goliaths held dwarves in high regard; most couldn't make their jewelry or metal crafts and held in high esteem those that could, wishing that they had a similar aptitude for weapon-crafting. They would eagerly trade furs and meat for dwarven (and gnomish) wonders, and some of the bravest of their numbers would traverse mountain caves to trade with dwarven communities.

Goblins and Orcs

Dwarves did not forgive past wrongs easily and the entire race had more or less declared war on goblins and orcs as a whole, wiping them out where they found them. Many dwarves viewed these races as a foul infestation of their mountain homes and felt it was their duty to purge them. Likewise, many dwarves viewed drow and grimlocks[10] with a similar hatred and few dwarves had forgotten their ancestral hatred of the giants who'd once enslaved them.

Kobolds

As competitors for underground resources, dwarves and kobolds frequently fought over subterranean claims. The anti-social sentiments and persecution complex of the kobolds made diplomacy difficult, and while the two didn't always attack each other, neither side needed much provocation to start fighting. Not helping their relations was how dwarves frequently allied with or fought for gnomes against kobold tribes. However, if the two ended up working together due to circumstance, they could discover a common work ethic able to form the foundation of respectful friendships.

Crossbreeds

Dwarves had few set opinions on half-elves, each being a reflection of whatever culture they were raised in. Perhaps more than that of elves or humans, the half-elf mindset was acceptable with that of the dwarf, combining the relative order of humanity with the long view provided by elven blood. Wise dwarves knew half-elves to be acceptable intermediaries when dwarves and elves desperately needed to cooperate, while half-elves also appreciated the dwarven understanding of the long view and lack of sheer pretention sometimes displayed by elves. However, half-elves could just as easily combine elven frivolity with human hubris, and their wanderlust was difficult for dwarves to understand. Half-elves generally saw dwarves as inflexible and unyielding, unable to understand their inability to negotiate and try new things.
Given the racial enmity between dwarves and orcs and the importance dwarves placed on lineage, it was easy to understand their temptation to hold distrust and resent half-orcs. Half-orcs meanwhile thought dwarves would be funny if not so dangerous, for despite their capacity for drinking and raucousness they were serious, judgmental, task-oriented, and strict. However, half-orcs held respect for the strength and martial prowess, and further admired dwarven skill with stone and honesty while sharing an appreciation for simple pleasures. Dwarves were predisposed to letting those so inclined prove themselves, and the two could be surprisingly staunch companions, to the point that less traditional clans would adopt particularly worthy half-orcs, demonstrating the possibility for even the oldest grudges to be wiped clean.

Subspecies

In regards to their distant cousins the azers, duergar, and galeb duhr, dwarven opinions vary. Many view their distant relations with sympathy for their prior enslavement. On the other hand, duergar and dwarves have long been enemies, though trade between them is a possibility.

Homelands and History

Like many races, the exact origins of the dwarves have been lost in myth and legend. While many non-dwarven scholars believe that dwarves were not native to Abeir-Toril or its successor worlds, most dwarves believed that their ancestors came from the heart of the planet itself, given life by Moradin after being made by the All-Father's hammer in the Soulforge. These legends held that the dwarves fought their way to the surface world, overcoming the dangers they faced below through strength of arms and skill.
The first known dwarven settlements on Abeir-Toril originated from the mountains of Yehimal. These dwarves settled underneath the junction between the three continents of Faerûn, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara, and migrated in all directions from there, spreading across the face of all the planet, except for those who migrated northwards and came to rest in the mountains of Novularond, becoming the ancestors of the arctic dwarves. Those who turned westward to what would eventually become the continent of Faerûn settled in what was later Semphar. The dwarves then migrated westward from there, founding many settlements. The first great kingdom of the dwarves was Bhaerynden, beneath the Shaar.
The dwarves in Bhaerynden prospered for centuries but gradually began to endure schisms and fractures, which drove the dwarves apart. The first of these schisms occurred around −11,000 DR when Taark Shanat, the so-called "Crusader", led a westward migration from the caverns of Bhaerynden. The descendants of these dwarves would eventually become the shield dwarves and forged the vast empire of Shanatar. The god Dumathoin created the urdunnir, who moved deeper into the earth and faded from common knowledge.
Some time after this, Bhaerynden fell to the drow shortly after their Descent following the Crown Wars, and these southern dwarves were driven into exile, ending the ancient kingdom. Their descendants became known as the gold dwarves and would return millennia later with the collapse of Bhaerynden into the Great Rift, forming a new kingdom. Another dwarven subrace emerged from some of these southern dwarves, who fled to Chult and embraced the ways of the jungle, becoming the wild dwarves.
The last dwarven lineage formed from the shield dwarves of Clan Duergar. These hapless dwarves who lived beneath the Shining Plains were in time captured and enslaved by the illithids, becoming the separate but related race known as the duergar. Over the ages, the twisting of illithid psionics caused the duergar to grow more and more distant from their kin.
In the middle of the 5th century DR, the dwarves who had controlled the World Pillar Mountains were enslaved or cast out by the nascent empire the yak-men.
Over the centuries, dwarves entered into a long decline and most of the ancient kingdoms that once stood had fallen by the 15th century DR. The shield dwarves saw parts of the North overrun and conquered by the orcs of Many Arrows while to the south the gold dwarves were largely driven from their underground kingdom in the Great Rift towards the surface world. In spite of this, the dwarves remained a proud and hardy people, unshaken by the pitfalls that had befallen them.
The most significant event in recent history for the dwarven peoples was the Thunder Blessing of 1306 DR, in which, after centuries of demographic decline, a sudden boom in fertility occurred, resulting in the births of many twins amongst the dwarves. The Blessing was widely believed to have been the work of Moradin, possibly as the culmination of a quest by a dwarven heroine or as part of some grander plan of the All-Father. One of the consequences of this sudden boon was, other than a demographic resurgence that helped bring the dwarves out of their decline, was a sudden shift in culture. The so-called thunder children were radical in comparison with their parents and during their lifetimes over the Era of Upheaval, dwarves took a more active role in the world and abandoned some of their oldest traditions, such as the ancient fear of magic and the arcane.

Homelands

Most dwarves prefer living underground in subterranean cities. These cities are often built mines that provide the raw materials needed for most dwarven crafting. Carved into stone, these cities might have taken centuries to complete but are practically ageless once finished. Though dwarves are typically a martial race by nature, these cities have civilian populations that made up about one fourth of the total population and which were made up primarily of the young, the elderly, or a few regular adults. Females typically composed as large a portion of the military as male dwarves did.
As of the 14th century onward, dwarves could be found all across Faerûn, although the greatest numbers were in the Underdark, the North, the Great Rift, and the Cold Lands.
In their own homelands, dwarves continuously carved out new living space, mining the mountains' riches as they did so. Dwarves in general stuck to these locales, disliking travel, particularly along waterways, but those who lived in human lands could make themselves quite comfortable. Most who did made a living as mercenaries, smiths, or artisans of various kinds. Dwarves were eagerly sought after as warriors, their reputation for courage and loyalty making them excellent choices for bodyguards.

Average Lifespan

350 years

Average Size

Medium

Average Height

4 – 5 ft (1.2 – 1.5 m)

Average Weight

150 lb (68 kg)

Abilities

Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Stonecunning

Subraces

hill dwarves, mountain dwarves, duergars or gray dwarves

Unique Language(s)

Dwarvish

Homeland(s)

Anios, Ozani