Dwarves

* **Overview**

Deep below the earth, small creatures strike the earth and harvest the resources within.

They are known as the Dwarves, a short-statured race, most similar to humans but sharing little in common.

Revered for their high-quality crafts, ingenuity, and resilience; they dwell within their mountain homes and rarely venture far, only taking their animals to pasture or trading with other races.

* **Culture**

Stout and sturdy; the dwarves commonly despise foreign races, often called surface dwellers, they are fond of alcohol, which they produce en masse, having gained a reputation for the harshness of their ales due to the ability to clean paint from ships and their ability to rapidly consume the substances with no ill effects.

Though if an outsider manages to befriend dwarves, they would encounter how they act, mostly carefree, often enjoying themselves within their many taverns as they take breaks from their work, which they also enjoy thoroughly.

The only dwarves to remain on the surface are Exiled Dwarves, having committed acts in the underworld so heinous that the dwarven lords send them to the surface to live out their days, living in hovels above ground and living off the land, though as the number of exiles increases, and reproduce with one another, they eventually form Exile Cities which are allowed to exist only on the condition that they offer their resources gained in the overworld to the dwarves in the underworld, and they are strictly watched to ensure that the dwarves remain above ground, only being granted the ability to dig small divots in the ground to construct buildings, but never fully underground.

* **Architecture**

Being that they are so small and utilitarian, dwarves often dig the bare necessities in the earth for their tunnels, usually spanning the size of 5x5 feet, though it can vary wildly depending on many circumstances. Their largest rooms would most often be Drinking Halls in which they spend a large amount of time to socialize and, as the name would suggest, drink.

Dwarven cities spread wide throughout the world they've created below and on many layers. The entrances to the cities are located on the sides of the mountains in the form of a large stone gateway which is sealed closed by a massive iron slab, only being opened from the inside via multiple dwarves tugging on chains in separate rooms to lift the heavy object.

* **Organization**

The dwarves are ruled firstly by their god Therkuunaz, though his presence is sparse and infrequent so they rely mainly upon the guidance of a corporeal commander, the lord of lords, or in their tongue: Invuld.

The Invuld, or simply King for lack of a better word. The Invuld is seen as the pinnacle of dwarvenkind, the title originating through generations of bloody conflict to establish control, the Invuld typically in modern times rises to power through the choice of the previous Invuld, though many complications can arise and it is not uncommon for the old ways to be practiced wherein bloodshed determines the next fit ruler. Dwarves with claims to underland reserve the right to challenge the Invuld for his title should they become displeased or believe them a better choice, and as such, the Invuld must stay in peak performance for most his life to inspire his people and ward off any usurpers.

Dwarven Lords oversee all that the Invuld cannot personally command, acting essentially as vassals of a feudal kingdom, which dwarven government can be most closely compared to. They often act as a council to suggest or vote on decisions for and with the Invuld who may or may not seek or indulge in and is not required to heed.

* **Physiology**

Dwarves from a glance may seem to be simply small, fat, hairy humans, but one should not make such assumptions, as dwarves differ from humans in more ways than they relate.

*Vision*

All dwarves are cursed with shortsightedness, due to their history in living within small tunnels and caverns, rarely stretching past 50 feet, the common dwarf's vision begins to fade past 30 feet. But as this is caused by their living within the dark caves below, they've also been given the blessing of night sight; able to see in very dark conditions, dwarves can guide themselves with ease with lack of light.

*Facial Hair*

Dwarven beards are one of the most noticeable features among their kind; large, fluffy, and flowing, rarely

above the height of their pectoral muscles. Dwarves have beards at birth and they continue to grow until death. No beardless dwarves are known to exist.

Beard color is a special part of dwarven culture, attracting females and garnering the respect of others.

*Females*

Females are very often mistaken as males by humans, as their likenesses are nearly identical to all but dwarves; if one were to study dwarves, they would know that females tend to have smaller, upturned noses, larger earlobes, and enlarged nipples.

*Age*

The easiest way to determine a dwarf's age is by their nose, as they too continue to grow until death much like their beards, however, dwarves may occasionally trim their beards if they get too long so it cannot be used as reliably as by viewing their nose.

* **Language**

Dwarves posses 18 letters in their alphabet, known as runes which they carve in the tunnels of the underworld.

Most all the runes represent some part of their life and can easily be noticed, especially in how they use them in art.