Dwarf

Written by amykyst

Sprung from stone when the world was new, the rocklings that became dwarves are one of the realm's eldest races. Hardened by primordial flame and ash, they survived until water and seed blessed Toran with flora and the light of the sun. Crawling from their caves, the first children that left the comfort of the darkness became blind and had their skin coloured by the sun. At night, the small dwarves were eaten by predators of the moon. Many returned to the caves and began building the great halls modern dwarves are known for, eager for the space of the outside world in sunless safety. The brave few that remained above ground could be counted as the first of man. Over ages of time, the sun became more bearable for these creatures. Their bodies elongated so that they might run faster and tower over the creatures that scurried on the ground. The race of man and their exploits is another matter entirely, but know that their ancestors were much shorter.
As thousands of years became hundreds of thousands, the dwarves became fascinated with the lodes of the earth, preferring subterranean glimmers to sun and the sky. Man ventured to the caverns of his ancestors and offered the wealth of bread and honey to the stolid dwarves. In exchange for the life-filled wonders of the world under the sun, the dwarves procured primitive artifacts and tools in return. This relationship would vitalize individual technological and cultural advancement, and the disparity between races would lead to as much war as cooperation.
The dwarves' relationship with man became more friendly in centuries to come, yet the distilled distrust of each other crept through the generations. With systems of government and morals established through religious practice, the ill will between dwarves and men has settled to a simmer.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Short and stout with a squat humanoid form. Some may be quite fat, but none are ever seen over 170cm tall.

Biological Traits

Dwarves possess the ability to effectively see in the dark and have excellent skill at precision handwork from crafts to martial arts. Dwarves are considered children until about 35 years of age. Many dwarves that strictly dwell in the darkest caves may survive up to 700 years, with 1000 years being an extreme maximum. In the current era of the world, dwarves spend on average 1:2 their time outside to inside, and could live up to 450 years with this practice.

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The first rockling dwarves that left the caves for the harsh light of the outside world became the first humans, and as these two races predominantly held sway in the early years of Toran, they share a long, contrasted history of feud and cooperation. Today their disparities are less and relations friendly, but lingering resentment from ages and events long past persists in the shadows.

Genetic Descendants

• Human

Origin/Ancestry

Rockling

Lifespan

400

Average Height

1.3m

Geographic Distribution

• Balderdash
• Balgowaith
• Eradrin
• Gulag