Dwarf

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**Dwarves** are a humanoid race common throughout Vedar. Dwarves tend to be a tough, tradition-abiding folk known for their strong martial traditions and craftsmanship with stone and metal. Dwarves are one of the most populous races in Vedar and have a long and storied history.

Dwarves are spread across the Known World in many different civilisations and nations.

## Dwarven nations

The most populous Dwarven nation is Akhmun. This is an almost purely Dwarven civilisation with little influence from other races.

In the northern lands of Vedar, many kingdoms and societies of Dwarves exist, where they were pushed by the Elders. The chief of these is the kingdom of Kazak-Kačer, where the Low King of Midgard, theoretical ruler of the Dwarves of central Vedar, resides.

Many Dwarves live in the Northern Kingdoms, the realm known as Jordgardr, both in the mountains and on the land with their human allies. Both the Dwarves of Jordgardr and Midgard worship the Great Pantheon, giving them names such as Wotan, Thor, and Freyja. These clans tend to have a reputation amongst the human nations as loving mining, ale and carousing. Many, especially the older, more conservative Greybeards, tend to hold a very strong grudge against the Elves, being instrumental in breaking the Elders' domination of the world.

Some Dwarves live within the dominion of the Aurelian Empire. Sometimes called Hill Dwarves, they tend to live in fortified towns (generally with humans) and monasteries, and brew good beer.

Although this group is concentrated within the eastern provinces of the Aurelian Empire, many more Dwarves, both Mountain, Hill and even some from Akhmun, live within the boundaries of the Empire. Coroa in particular has a large Dwarven population. Dwarves are generally viewed as equals by the humans of the Empire, having a long and proud history together. Dwarves can be found in all walks of life within the Empire, from the plains of Regio Sul to the halls of Aura herself.

A final 'nation' is the Deep Downers. These Dwarves live deep underground, and hold that mining is the true calling of all ‘proper’ Dwarves. Many, especially the Greybeards amongst them, almost see the surface world as a kind of boogeyman, and do not hold with Hill Dwarves or what they believe to be myths or lies of a land called Akhmun. The Deep Downers believe that they are the True Dwarves that all other Dwarves hail from.

To the Deep Downers, or Duergar, as they call themselves, work is the most important calling. Their leader can be loosely translated into the common tongue as ‘Head Miner’, though they also have religious leaders that push them ever onwards. While the Deep Downers keep slaves, work is the most important attribute – a good, strong, efficient slave can work his or her way up in their society (though this is significantly more difficult for any non-dwarves).

The Derro descend from enslaved dwarves in Deep Downer societies. While also dwarves themselves, they live as second-class citizens in Deep Downer holds and settlements, treated little better than the non-dwarf slaves. It is rare for a derro to reach a position of any importance in Duergar society. To non-dwarves, it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between a Deep Downer and a Derro, though to the Dwarves it is quite clear, and to call a Deep Downer a Derro would be a grave insult.