Dwarf

Dwarves are a proud race, known for their committment to honour, clan and family. Found in large numbers in their own settlements among and below the mountain ranges of the world; dwarves are also seen far and abroad, living among the surface settlements of Vallanna.
Skilled miners and metalworkers, many dwarves may go for years at a time without seeing the surface. Indeed, the largest of the dwarven cities are ancient underground metropolises with only a few surface entrances belieing their prescence to the outside world.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dwarves are bipedal humanoids, generally of a stocky build, standing on average a foot shorter than the average human.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Ruled over as a nation by a High King, from the city of Steinstad, the majority of Dwarven society is organised into a clan structure. Each clan has a patriarch and a matriarch, and may consist of hundreds of individuals related in one way or another by blood or by marriage.
Dwarves cherish their standing within their clan; invoking ancestors in times of strife, carrying the grudges and responsibilities of their clan as if they were their own personal burdens, and taking up arms in defense of the clan, above all. To be cast out from one's clan is the ultimate shame for most dwarves.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Much like humans, dwarves perceive the world through a pair of eyes, a pair of ears and a nose. While possessing comparable senses of smell, taste and hearing to humans, dwarves possess an impressive degree of nightvision; accustomed as they are to lives underground.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Dwarven names are structured as Forename + Clan-name. Dwarves who bring dishonour or shame to their clan may be stripped of their clan-name and forbidden from taking on another dwarven name in it's place.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most dwarves speak Dwarvish as their first language, and many, especially those who travel beyond the bounds of the dwarven cities, will learn to speak Common fluently.
Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.

Lifespan

350 Years

Average Height

1.2-1.5m (4-5 foot)

Average Weight

~150lbs