Dwarves

Bold and hardy, Dwarves are renowned for their craftsmanship of stone, metal and minerals. Though they stand between 4 and 5 feet tall, Dwarves are a broad and weighty people, and can often weigh as much as a Human despite the height difference. With thick skin and a stubborn attitude, a Dwarf can easily match any of the larger folk in both courage and endurance. Dwarven skin can vary as much as their Human cousins, but typically have a paler hue due to their time spent underground. For those that live above the surface, a deep tan or varying shades of earthly light brown is common. Their eye colours can be found in browns, blues and greens, and all Dwarves have vision capable of seeing in darkness slightly. Dwarves often let their hair grow long, with braided, simple stylings quite common. It can range from dark blacks and browns, to fairer blonde colours and red. Male Dwarves all have a beard, which they regard highly and treat with upmost care.

Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, with the oldest Dwarf on record being well over 500. This often leads to the older generation remembering a very different world to their younger brethren. Dwarves typically have a much greater perspective of time, more so than the much shorter-lived Humans and Halflings. Reaching maturity at roughly the same rate as Humans, Dwarves still consider themselves young until the age of 50.

Despite their origins in their mountain homes, many Dwarves have moved and adapted to lives above ground, amongst the other Races of the world. This has led to a subtle difference and the formation of "sub-races" of Dwarves. These are roughly separated in to the Hill Dwarves - those that dwell above ground, and the Mountain Dwarves - those that remain in their mountain kingdoms.

Origins of the Dwarves

It is widely believed by the Dwarves that they were forged by their Gods - The Dwarvish Pantheon. The Goddess Elfra, the Mother of Fertility, is said to have viewed the dark caverns beneath the mountains and here she made many stone statues in the image of her beloved, the God Aldin, Father of the Gods. She then breathed life in to these stone statues, creating the first Dwarves.

As the Dwarves lived and developed, many of the Gods of The Dwarvish Pantheon came to them and bestowed gifts and knowledge, helping the Dwarves forge their first great city and the Kingdom of Rhyk-Durgen. It is unknown how long the Dwarves have been around on Varda, but the Dwarves themselves claim to have records of their civilization that goes back thousands of years.

Finding Dwarves in the World of Varda

Dwarves are an old race, and have spread far and wide around the world of Varda. Over the thousands of years, they have ventured out and made several smaller Kingdoms and Mountain-Realms. They have also spread amongst other Regions of the world, integrating with other Sentient Races in their own uniquely stubborn way. Dwarves are found in the following places:

• Kingdom of Rhyk-Durgen
• The Mountain Realm of Val Garom
• The Kandarom Heights
• City of Higdaruhl
• The Kingdom of Arden
• Therrezia
• Free Cities of Xebellia
• The Royal Colonies
• The Shattered Kingdoms

Dwarf by ncorva

Related Organizations

• Kingdom of Rhyk-Durgen
• Thalios
• Therrezia