Of all the races of Xadune, the dwarves are the most unchanged by time. They reside deep in their caves mining, forging, and searching for the ultimate treasure or just on the foothills of the world enjoying things to the extreme. Where the Gnomes and Goblins excel at tinkering, the dwarves dominate in forging and enjoying life. Often other races approach these stout creatures for their smithing. When not working hard, though, these hearty, yet light-hearted people can often be found drinking and joking about.
Dwarves love to create, to build, and to battle. They tend to be very stubborn and will defend their beliefs to the end. They are excellent blacksmiths, and have an eye for stone work of all types. Dwarves are excellent fighters, and prefer two weapons: the war hammer and the Dwarven war axe.
All Dwarves pride themselves in their long beards, even the females. They tend to have round noses. They are stout and strong. Their heights range between 3’4″ – 4’6″ on average, with males being taller than females.
Average Life Span: ~110
Average Number of Offspring: 1
Maximum Number of Offspring: 4
Dwarven History
Tharmödin, the capital subterranean city of the Dwarven tribal nations, has been locked away now for three years. No one goes in or out, and trade is scarce with this once rich provider of arms and armaments. But this doesn’t mean Dwarves are not about… Above ground, the dwarves that did not see eye to eye with the Clans of the Mountains remained in the foothills and valleys above ground and prospered. These dwarves did not live under a monarchal rule of any single dwarf and always were lead by council, but did group together like the mountain dwarves and as a whole governed themselves by dwarven council. The surface dwarves and mountain dwarves still do not see eye to eye, and their views and ways often differ greatly. For one, surface dwarves are far more common to be seen, and often much more open to people and other ways. Seventy-five percent of the time, if a person meets a dwarf, it’s a surface dwarf.
Dwarven Cultures
Norur – The Hill dwarves, still live both underground and above. They dwell just in the foothills and never burrow deep. Most of their cities are visible from the surface as they protrude halfway from a hillside or cliff. When most people think of a dwarf, these are the ones they see. They are the mix of the mountain dwarves and surface dwarves when it comes to views and ways, but in the end they always sway more towards the side of a surface dwarf; like them, they do not view the mountain dwarves in a nice light. Norur are very loud in every aspect–their voice, their footfalls, everything–and are not known for being stealthy. Additionally, the Norur cannot swim and greatly dislike water and all things related to it. They tend to have a short attention span but will return to a topic hours later.
Ovim– The Surface Dwarves. Most do not think of dwarves as surface dwellers, but it is speculated that in the beginning all dwarves were. These often lighthearted and fun fared dwarves group together in other cities or in one of the few purely Ovim villages scattered about Xadune. They are loud, although not as loud as their Norur brethen, and will share their opinions without hesitation. These dwarves are known throughout the world for their lovely crafted weapons and armor and for the extreme length of time it takes to make them. Most accredit this to their almost constant state of drunkenness, but to an Ovim it is merely a fact that great things take time. Ovims as a rule are claustrophobic and detest going underground, although they do not like to admit it.
Tharmödin – Not much is known about the Tharmödin Dwarves. They remain locked in their underground city, and no one has heard from them in a long time. They were once a rich provider or weapons and armaments.