Dwarf

## Talents

**Metallurgy**

You are a master of the science and art of molding raw metallic ores into usable alloys and finally fine works of craftsmanship. You know how to extract imperfections from raw chunks of ore, combine different ores into a stronger alloy, and form these alloys into useful or aesthetic objects. You know the name and use of every tool found in a typical forge, along with several more exotic tools.

**Industrious**

You are an extremely hard-working individual that never shies away from any amount or intensity of manual labor. Your hands are calloused and your muscles are well toned from many days spent laboring in fields, caves, or anywhere else where a strong back can lead to a strong wage.

**Appraise**

Your knowledge and experience with precious metals and gems makes your ability to quickly and accurately determine the quality of most objects second to none. This skill does not end with metal and gemstones, your experience with trading for other objects has given quite a great deal of insight into the value of all manners of items and services.

**Pride**

You are proud of your creations and efforts, but most of all any metal and gem working that you have made. You will never sell any of your creations for less than their true value and anything less than total praise for your creations will break through your otherwise grounded mental defenses and cause you a great deal of offense.

**Grounded**

You are very grounded, both mentally and physically. Your physical build gives you are very low center of gravity, making it very difficult for even much heavier and larger creatures to push, trip, or otherwise force you to move against your will. Mentally, you are very stable and difficult to offend, except when your pride is wounded. You approach every situation with a calm head and demeanor, and generic insults and offenses will usually find no purchase against your mental defenses.

**Mining**

Your people have been expert miners for as long as they have lived in this realm, and this knowledge and experience has been passed down to you. You are very comfortable in a mine, you are an expert at using picks and other mining related tools, and know all of the safety and efficiency secrets that your people have spent generations learning.

## Notable Members

Chief Historian Pommel Soulsplinter of Umbrin (Whisperstalkers Guild)

## Little Details

Dwarves are at their very cores extremely confrontational and are very unlikely stand down from any type of confrontation. They are also very proud beings, especially when it comes to their personal craftsmanship, and will constantly seek out praise for their accomplishments. Not praising a Dwarf for their craft or asking who made a particular piece that the Dwarf made themselves is a very personal insult that is likely to provoke an outburst or disappointment or rage against the offender.

They are also very greedy, especially for gemstones and alloys that have been crafted into weapons, armor, adornments for their homes and places of business. They prefer a few fine pieces over a large collection of lesser quality and valued objects. This is a cultural change over time after many large Dwarven settlements were raided by Wyrms looking to greatly increase their hordes with a single conflict. Since Wyrms seek large amounts of wealth more often than smaller collections of extremely valuable objects, the Dwarves shifted their desires accordingly.

They are master miners that prefer living underground in huge, carefully carved out halls in the sides of mountains or further underground. They have developed secret mining techniques and Arts that assist them in their never-ending search for exotic and valuable minerals and gemstones deep underground. They have also learned over time how to smelt and forge even the most stubborn of ores into useful alloys and carve the hardest of gemstones into beautiful cuts.

A Dwarf's ability to work is everything to them, a disability that hampers their ability to work hard at their chosen profession is akin to losing a significant part of what makes them who they are. Disabled Dwarves usually spiral into a deep depression and either claw their way out of it with their identities in something new or give up on life entirely and wither away from life into death.

Hard workers that are loathe to accept anything even remotely resembling a handout. In a time of great need, a Dwarf will be willing to accept help in exchange for something much lesser in value, but will also remember this generosity and will repay the lender with interest when their condition improves. they are well known by other races for this strong work ethic, and are widely sought after for a variety of jobs because of this; this results in Dwarves very rarely wanting for work in settlements largely populated by other races. they also know what their time and effort is worth and will not accept less than what they are worth as compensation for their work. Dwarves also keep track of employers that do not pay what they promise, or not at all, and tell others about these people, generating a type of blacklist of unacceptable employers.

Boisterous individuals that are more than happy to elaborate on and even steal for their own personal use tales of other people's bravery in the face of danger. Their three favorite activities are forging, drinking, and bragging. In that order.

They have short, stocky builds that make them very stable physically and are nearly impossible to push or pull around. Mentally, they are very stable, resilient, and grounded, and even the psionically gifted Kindred and those mages specializing in mind alteration and control will find a Dwarf a particularly difficult target to apply their abilities against. Many have attributes this to extensive dust inhalation during their time mining and smelting ores, which then somehow hardens their minds against mental assault. Dwarves can live up to 300 years, but the average lifespan is a little over 200 years.