Dwarves , v2 Content . In our previous discussion on the dwarves ( or " Dwemer " in the more correct , scholarly terminology ) , we looked into the properties of dwarven architecture and metallic craft . In this continuing discussion of Tamriel ' s Lost Race , we shall examine the ways in which dwarves waged war and kept out trespassers . Unlike many other cultures still existing today , the dwarves built and relied on increasingly complicated machines for a wide variety of martial tasks , and weapons and armor created solely for the purpose of being wielded by dwarven warriors show remarkably fewer points of progress beyond the basic designs . Let us begin by analyzing those basic weapons and armors . Anyone who has held a dwarven axe or worn a dwarven helmet can testify as to the ancient , ever - lasting quality of dwarven craftsmanship . Weapons do not deviate too greatly from their base function . Swords pierce through light armors with incredible effectiveness , owing primarily to the remarkable sharpness of tempered dwarven metal , and owing to a far lesser extent to its simple , double - edged design . Compare and contrast a sharp , angular dwarven dagger to a curved elven blade , and it becomes a small logical leap to say that dwarven weaponsmiths relied almost exclusively on creating quality materials first , and merely allowed the form of those materials to flow from the method that weapon was intended to kill people . As a culture that built almost exclusively underground , it ' s no surprise that dwarven armors are built to withstand incredibly heavy blows . Again , the fact that they are also resistant to being pierced by arrows or small blades is more of a testament to superior dwarven metallurgy over superior dwarven armorsmithing , but it would be erroneous to thus conclude that dwarven smiths did not take the manufacture of their weapons and armor very seriously . Every piece of war crafts I have examined show a remarkable amount of unnecessary detailing and personalization that is just as evident today among the most ardent blacksmiths . A dwarven smith probably came from a long tradition that distinguished itself in way that , say , the grip of a mace would feel , or the design of the head of individual arrows . Although , due to the paltry lack of any cultural artifacts outside the weapons and armors themselves , this is only mere speculation . The last , but probably most important discussion in this volume , pertains to the existence of dwarven machinery . Dwarves created and manufactured on a very broad scale thousands of mechanical apparatuses of varying complexity . The most simple of which is the standard " arachnid " design used to ward off trespassers . We are so far uncertain as to how the dwarves were able to bring to life these remarkably intelligent machines , but I have witnessed one stalk a highly trained thief for several hours , only to ambush him as he was dealing with a lock to some room or treasure trove - I admit to have forgotten the details past the point at which it began spouting lightning at him . Dwarven military machines also range from the human - sized " Sphere " warrior , which patrols the interiors of the ruins as a harmless ball only to emerge from it as a fully armed and armored automaton fighter , to the justly feared " Centurion " whose height ranges from twice to several hundred times human size depending on which reports you believe .