Dwarves

The Dwarven people inhabit the carved out tunnels within great mountain ranges. Their greatest city is Frostshield where many refugees from the Great War took shelter for many generations. Most of the people in Convergence today descend from these survivors.

## **Appearance**

Dwarves in Convergence (are bigger than most settings) average around 5 feet tall. They have complexions ranging from fair to the browns, greys, and reds of stone. Their ears are short and angular diamond shapes.

Dwarven men are known for their great beards, though some have thin or none. Both men and women will often braid their long hair and band it with gold or copper. Dwarven fashion is often practical in its intent, though wealthier families often do display finer, exotic materials like elven silks. Minerals and metals of all types are loved in dwarven culture, and not necessarily gold, silver and gems. One can display a creativity and subtly by using semi-precious minerals like turquoise and jasper.

Being accustomed to life underground dwarves often walk with a slow, intentional gate, careful to watch their head from hitting a low ceiling.

The Dwarves employ various bathing methods depending on what is available. Herbal and alchemical cleaning are common enough, though wealthier families have large stone bathes fed by aquifer.

## **Culture and customs**

The majority of dwarves survived the Great War in their underground cities. Their culture retains the greatest understandings and technologies. Magic creations are forged in tightly controlled dwarven facilities, and the dwarves often consider themselves the most enlightened and mature race, and perhaps they are, all races owe their survival to them. The years after the Great War, during the Anchorage when many peoples lived underground together and great mixing of races and cultures took place. While they still emerged during the Return as distinct peoples, all took somethings from the others and discrimination for “non-pure” bloodlines decreased greatly. Worship of Order or Chaos is banned in their cities, as they understand it is the conflict of these forces that brought the end of the world.

### **Governance**

Dwarves tend to be governed by Clan Mothers who appoint male Chiefs to represent them in council. Clan Mothers can revoke their appointments at anytime for any reason. There is no recorded instance of a Chief defying the wishes of his Clan Mother.

### **Faith**

The Dwarves have great reverence for their ancestors and remember them specifically in their clan records. They worship Eatora primarily and are careful to honor Her earth when they mine rocks and minerals.

### **Economy**

The city of Frostshield is the main Dwarven trading hub, though due to its remote location they are heavily dependent on costly teleportation magics and long shipping lanes. Frostshield is the main producer of new magical items, that is, ones that do not come from potentially cursed ruins. Many minerals come from various dwarven mines, but the ones from Frostshield have high transport costs that make other sources more viable. Most agree the best arms and armor come from Frostshield, but the dwarves are known for their forge craft in farming tools and other items. Frostshield is the main hub of enchantment services and various magical services. Master alchemist, herbalists, dimensionalists and others all make their home in Frostshield's merchant quarter. The wealthy and powerful from all over come to seek these services and arts. "Black Rabbit" is a dark ale loved among the dwarves. There is some conflict about who can make it and were, but if it tastes like Black Rabbit, most don't complain.

### **Language**

The Dwarven language is spoken all over Convergence. Only the most remote communities have forgotten it since all peoples lived together during the Anchorage.

### **Culinary customs**

Being underground the Dwarves of course have made fungi a staple food item, and any animal that can be sustained on them. They do have underground Sun magic, but it is costly so they are largely dependent on the outside for food. It is assumed during the Anchorage magic was used to produce food, but this is more costly than seafood and importing food on the sea lanes. Dwarves are often mocked as having poor taste in food, but they would prefer to say they are not picky eaters and people of practicality over wasteful indulgence. Food that keep a long time like cured meats, fish, and hard cheese are popular.

### **Structures**

The great tunnels and homes carved into mountains are tremendous technological feats. No other place than Frostshield has sturdy, permanent community living space deep in the rock. They prefer angular designs, though their tunnels are always the strongest arches possible.

### **Settlements**

Frostshield, the main city of the Dwarves.

### **Marriage, sexual relations, and childbirth**

Among the Dwarves marriage occurs in the wife's clan hall, if available. Guests drink, feast, dance, and even fight to exhaustion. The celebration lasts the entire day during which the husband and wife are seen together participating in the events and games. The man brings only a few possession with him when he joins his wife's clan.

The wife is free to end her marriage at anytime.

Pregnant women are relieved from any duties and cared for by her sisters and mothers. The men are expected to provide foods and other needs during this time especially.

A pregnant dwarf woman will often pray to Eatora for her child's health and a safe delivery. Offering precious metals and gems at the best temple available or simply her heartfelt love for her child.

### **Death**

The dwarves believe their ancestor spirits remain with the clan to look over and guide them.

A clan mother is given a place in a large, beautiful stone carved room and tomb along with many other ancestor clan mothers. Before Convergence it is said large ice caves were used to keep the dead in eternal ice, preserved so that their children may look on and remember them and the tremendous effort of family that brought them to that place, giving them a sense of eternity. However concerns about the bodies being used to create undead ended these practices and now only the clan mother entombment tradition exists, though they are extremely heavy, sealed, and stone.

Ancient traditions of the Dwarves demand that a defeated clan must be absorbed by the victor entirely and that warfare never be used to commit genocide. Clan mothers oversee this process, preventing further bloodshed, though the integration process is not entirely kind. Slaves are most often women and children. Children born by slave women into the tribe are considered full members.

The Dwarves believe it is bad luck to touch the body of a dead man whom they have not personally killed themselves.

### **Military**

Dwarven men are entirely in charge of fighting, though it is the women who appoint and dismiss the war chiefs. The Stoneguard, as dwarven warriors are called, prefer heavy armor, shields, and heavy spears intended for use in a shield wall. They keep axes of various sizes for specific situations.

### **Other beliefs and superstitions**

The Dwarves tend to mistrust the sea and ships. It is seen as a horrifically deep, dark and poison abyss. Exploratory sea travel is the most horrible idea, potentially into an endless waste of nothingness at best, and to be inviting terrible leviathans at worst. Close coastal and river travel is sometimes tolerated by Dwarves who cannot make use of teleportation.

Dwarves wonder and awe at the open sky, but never feel quite at home above ground, it is a place to visit, not to live.

An ancient prophecy of the Dwarves warns that the next Great War will end all life forever if it is not stopped.

The Dwarves believe that Order and Chaos cults are the primary malignancy that will destroy our world.

Some joke that Dwarves worship cats and others find their fondness for spiders strange.

Order and Chaos magic are forbidden among the Dwarves. Those so desperate as to turn to these poisonous magics are considered lost and marked for death.

The dwarves believe some places are abandoned by the Gods, the deep ocean and far into the Expanse are avoided as aberrations and ghosts are said to lurk there.