Dwarf

The Dwarves of Aloria are a proud and sturdy race. They are renowned for their extensive martial training and their near flawless craftsmanship. The majority of Dwarves are good- hearted but known to be very greedy and possessive of their treasures, to the point of extreme paranoia. They hold close to the traditions of their people, most believing strongly in justice and camaraderie. Existing underground for centuries untold, they recently began moving to the surface to escape the Dakkar, who they have warred with heavily. Thus, they have a deep hatred for Dakkar.

While the exact origins of this race are unknown, they have lived below Aloria for many centuries. Underground, the Dwarves had large kingdoms and strongholds; however, most of these kingdoms were burned or sealed away during the Dakkar/Dwarf Holy War. The treasures within are still sought by adventurers today.

Contents

• 1 Defining Traits
  • 1.1 Appearance
  • 1.2 Speech
  • 1.3 Forging/Smithing

• 2 Culture
  • 2.1 Basic Beliefs
  • 2.2 Society

Defining Traits

Appearance

Dwarves are commonly referred to as “the stout folk” for good reason. Most stand at 4’3″ – 4’9″ at maturity. They can weigh anywhere from 150 to 250 pounds, depending on the Dwarf and their love for food. Most, if not all, Dwarves possess fair strength and, compared to other races, are incredibly hardy. Dwarves can take a beating that would kill a Human and get up to spit in the eye of whatever brought it upon them! Their beards can reach down to their toes and come in many colors. Brown, black, and red are common among Dwarves. A common Dwarf is one that is battle-clad—Dwarves are a very practical race, and are thus rarely seen in anything but chain or plate mail.

When thinking of a Dwarf most imagine a chain-clad Dwarven fighter, with an axe in one hand and a shield in the other. In combat Dwarves have simple rules: “The axe cuts the tendons at the back of the knee; the battlehammer breaks the kneecap from the front”. Most Dwarves will compliment their axe or hammer with a small shield. However, Dwarven berserkers will prefer to dual wield two axes or two warhammers. Dwarves brought the cannon with them when they moved to the surface, both of which they use extensively in combat and otherwise. After several decades living on the surface, the innovative dwarves creating the airship, and shared this craft with the rest of the goodly races.

Speech

The stout folk have a strong dialect, replacing most common words like “you” with “ye”. Dwarves can be a tad blustering when angry, as such most enjoy creating new insults to hurl at an enemy. “Orc-brained pile of ogre dung” is an often used phrase. Dwarves are usually divided into clans, but all Dwarves share a mutual brotherhood with each other. There are exceptions of course, but most Dwarves are part of a distinct group, with a singular Dwarf leading it. Unlike Humans, their leaders are not clad in gold and luxury. A Dwarven king is a practical one that leads by example and thus looks like any other Dwarf, other than his exceptional weapons and obvious skill. Most Dwarves wear simple tunics underneath their armor, which they don at almost all times.

Forging/Smithing

Dwarves, as commonly noted, are greatly skilled in forging weapons and armor. Dwarves are known to have an everlasting patience. For example, a Dwarf would take an hour to add a single scale to a suit of armor and should he make the smallest error, he would scrap the project and start anew. Dwarves take pride in all that they forge, and thus they forge little that is not exceptional. Dwarves have been known to pray to their god, Duindin for aid in the creation of magical weapons. Whether their god answers their calls or whether it is wizardly magic at work is left to scholars’ musings. Either way, Dwarven made items are in high demand everywhere.

Culture

Basic Beliefs

Most Dwarves follow the dogma of the god Duindin. Some Dwarven folk tales tell of all Dwarves being descendants of Duindin, who was in fact a mortal. Others say Duindin was a god, or a deity. Since earliest recollection, Dwarves have followed the dogma of Duindin: to pursue justice, to defend one’s kin, and to create works of art; to Dwarves, art would be powerful suits of armor and weapons. Those that worship Duindin most heavily are smiths and Dwarven fighters. Above all else, the dogma of Duindin teaches the simple phrase “Dwarf for a Dwarf”. In detail, it signifies the deep loyalty Dwarves have with each other. If pressed, a Dwarf would give his life for his kin. That Dwarf would die with a song on his lips, knowing he did what his kin would do if they had the chance. While not suicidal, Dwarves will fight furiously, almost to the point of blind rage.

Society

The social structure in Dwarven society is peculiar. There are no clear “superiors” in the society. There are commanders and veterans in combat who take the lead, but each Dwarf respects and cares for their kin, heeding their advice as well as they would their kings. While clans of dwarves are led by Kings, and practically take orders from said leader, this race has no superiority or inferiority in how they treat their kin. Loyalty is more than a word, it is a way of life for Dwarves. They would take pleasure in rescuing the lowest Dwarf, for saving an ally means much to them. For this reason, Dwarves make exceedingly good allies. The stout folk are also often given to revenge on an enemy. Sometimes a Dwarf may wait for decades to exact revenge on an enemy, for Dwarves are patient. Women in Dwarven society are respected as much as males. Often, in battle Dwarf women fight alongside their male counterparts with no distinction. And indeed, if the females have a beard, the distinction is doubly hard to make, for female Dwarves sound exceedingly similar to males.

History

The history of the Dwarven race is a sad one. Existing for centuries untold underground, they did not participate in the Void War. Instead, the Dwarves shut their gates to the evil, not wishing to kill themselves for the sake of strangers. During the time they were shut in the Dwarves began digging deeper and deeper. Then, all at once, it seemed, the Dwarves were in a full out war with the Dakkar, a race of fire-like humanoids. The Dwarves had many potent weapons, but few were effective on such beings in their territories. After a long, drawn out war, the Dwarves began to retreat to the surface. Nearly half of the Dwarven race had been killed in the wars. Moving to the surface as recently as 50 years ago, the Dwarves have split into many clans, some venturing into Human settlements on their own. The aforementioned separated clans have recently began to form small kingdoms, hoping to capture the prosperous times the race once enjoyed. A small amount of dwarves still live in refugee camps from the Holy War, but more and more are integrating into the society of the other races. To this day, Dwarves find good work at smithies across Aloria. Not to be forgotten is the viciousness of the diminutive folk, as they can hold a grudge for many decades, especially against the races they’ve wared with. A Dwarf would cut down a Dakkar without a thought should they come across one on the surface. The stout folk are steadily working to live prosperous lives on the surface, and chop an Orc’s head off along the way.