Dwarves

## Location

Dwarves originally lived all throughout Matrihm, until they were invaded about 1200 years ago by the Coptic survivors who were outcast by the rise of the Kelwynd Empire during Velios' raid. After the Coptic people invaded Matrihm, the Dwarves spread to eastern Matrihm to escape slaughter.

## Appearances

Dwarves have very dark skin, some looking almost coal-black. This helps them hide from predators like the giant lizards that reside in the dark caves they live in. They tend to have wide noses and frizzy hair that puffs out as it grows. They are short, the tallest of them reaching 4’6”, and they tend to have fairly strong, wiry bodies.

Ritual scarring, tattoos, and piercings are extremely common amongst the Dwarves. In fact, it is hard to find a single dwarf older than an infant without at least a piercing or two. As they get older they tend to have more piercings, scars, and tattoos. These are seen as a sort of status  symbol in their culture although body art is not restricted by class.

## General Religion

Dwarves worship the Moon Goddess Fengari. Being nocturnal beings, the Dwarves exit their caves at night to hunt, socialize with other tribes, and worship Fengari. They see the moon as heralding relief from the desert heat, bringing peace, and light with which they use to hunt. Fengari is not the only dwarven god but she is the only one that demands worship.

A shaman is chosen for each tribe by Fengari during the Trials of Fengari. The Trials are a series of events that involve tests of religious, athletic, and martial skill. Once over, the winner is named the tribe’s shaman. The shaman then interprets signs from Fengari, blesses the people, mates with many females, and presides over festivals. In times of war, the shaman is expected to be the best fighter and lead at the front of every charge. Shamans do not typically live very long because of this and the Trials of Fengari are held as soon as possible following the death of a shaman. The older a shaman is, the more respected he is, and with good reason.

## Society

Where the tribe’s shaman presides over religious affairs and leads men into battle, the Chieftain is chosen as the source of secular wisdom. A chieftain is chosen for life through an election of peers rather than a religious trial and is expected to facilitate dialogue between tribes, strategize in times of war, and keep the peace. In many tribes it is unclear whether the shaman or the chieftain holds the most power.

Female dwarves have all of the same rights as the men but can not become chieftains or shamans. As the Moon Goddess Fengari provides peace, clarity, and sociability, the females are expected to take care of children, become healers, advise their husbands, and host social events. Female Dwarf fighters are extremely rare but not exactly frowned upon. If a female dwarf chooses to be a warrior, she is then treated like a man and expected to not have kids.

Dwarves employ various practices when it comes to body modification. Ritual scars can sometimes be a sign of a man’s martial prowess as he tallies up his kills by marking his chest. A slave can be denoted by a tattoo on the cheek or forehead. A family can all wear a certain kind of earring. It all depends on the personal preference of each dwarf or tribe.

**The biggest status symbol a dwarf can have besides being a chief or shaman is being a rhino rider. The rhino riders are seen as champions among the dwarves and even chieftains and shamans have been unable to properly ride a rhino in the past. The rhinos, through selective breeding in the dark of the caves, have also grown to become nocturnal and see better in the dark like their dwarven counterparts.**

## Combat

Dwarves tend to stick to guerilla warfare and rhino charges. The rhino riders are the best of the best of the Dwarves and so they are deployed rarely and effectively. Their weapons consist of spears, bolas, slings, shortbows, shotels, and all manner of odd swords, some made specifically for the user’s preference. Their smithing techniques are not advanced by any means but they do have an excess of iron on their island.

Dwarven armor varies from none at all, to halfhelms, mail hauberks, and padded jacks.

## General Attitudes

Self-Seen:

Dwarves see themselves as noble, beautiful, and strong. They recognize the fact that other races are better at certain things but the dwarves believe themselves to be the superior race.

How they are perceived:

The rest of the world is either ignorant of them or sees them as freaks to be gawked at. In battle, however, they are a force to be reckoned with when rhino riders and guerrilla warfare is involved.