Dwarf

Alchemically based subraces

* Dwarf-Ogre

### Range

* The World (They can be found all over due to their general usefulness and likability amongst the races)
* Nidavelir (Original Dwarven Homeworld)

### Habitat

They favor cities, mines and places with stone and metal

### Predators

* Monsters
	+ Dragons (Have been known to eat a dwarf on occasion)

**Dwarves** or the *svartálfar* as they were originally called are a race created during the Era of the Grigori as part of a series of beings known as the Longaevi.

Dwarves are not native to the World and come from a world called Nidavelir. They are distantly related to gnomes possibly even made by the same being, Gridona, a Grigori who is the patron goddess of the Forge and Craftsmen.

After the Gnomes, the Dwarves came to settle in the World followed by the Elves.

## Physiology

Dwarves are a short and stocky race, generally around the height of a human male's chest (or approximately 1.3 meters tall). They are generally more sturdy than a human, which makes them tougher and stronger, a key factor that makes them ruthless in combat. They usually grow long beards, which the women are also fully capable of growing and the females are said to possess beards as soft as a kitten.

Female dwarves have a reputation to be quite to extremely unattractive by human standards, as such, they are generally only desired by male dwarves, despite the males believing otherwise and being very protective of their wives and daughters.

## Abilities

* **Dwarf Physiology**: As a dwarf, one has the abilities of one.
	+ **Decelerated Aging**: **Dwarves** age slower than humans and potentially have a long lifespan.
	+ **Enhanced Combat**: Due to their culture, **Dwarves** generally possess proficiency, capabilities, and knowledge regarding general combat with hammers and axes.
		- **Blunt Weapon Proficiency**: Usually through training, **Dwarves** are masters of the use of blunted implements; objects, or tools that have been used since the most ancient of times, for the sole purpose of applying heavy blunt force trauma, either for construction, demolition, or combat.
		- **Axe Proficiency**: Usually through training, **Dwarves** are masters of wielding axes, a bladed implement that has been used for millennia to harvest wood, wielded as a weapon, and even carried as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol.
	+ **Enhanced Condition**: Due to their racial abilities, a Dwarf in some ways are superior to humans.
		- **Enhanced Crafting**: **Dwarves** have a natural affinity and talent for crafting weapons, armor, items, etc.
			* **Dwarven Craftsmanship & eye for detail**:
		- **Enhanced Strength**: **Dwarves** possess strength beyond that of any average human (especially for their size).
			* A dwarf can carry weights that are too heavy even for humans, for long distances to boot.
		- **Enhanced Stamina**: **Dwarves** can function for long periods of time without tiring or straining themselves.
		- **Enhanced Speed**: possess speed beyond that of any average human (especially for their size).
			* A dwarf's pace is too much for a normal human to keep up with even the witcher Geralt of Rivia had trouble keeping up with Zoltan Chivay's party.
	+ **Small Size**: **Dwarves** are naturally smaller than humans.
	+ **Subterranean Adaptation**: **Dwarves** are able to survive and adapt to underground, stuffy, low-light terrene conditions like caves/tunnels with senses, endurance, and breathing adapted for such (perhaps also adapted for intense heat, if adapted for areas closer to the earth's core).

### Weaknesses

Standard physical weaknesses of a mortal race: Decapitation, Dismemberment, Immolation, etc.

#### Hanged Man's Venom

**Dwarves** take more damage when struck with a sword covered in the witcher blade oil known as Hanged Man's Venom.

## Culture

Their culture varies by region, but they tend to share a love of mining and the mountains. Although in the case, for example, of the dwarves present in territories such as Zangvebar and Apumayu Basin, they prefer open-pit mines to which, once finished, they give them another use, which over the ages has caused their skin to become darker to better protect themselves from the tropical sun. Unlike in the north, the southern dwarves, usually have more influence on human cultures and are not so reclusive. A clear example is how the dwarven social organization, especially the economic one, ended up influencing the Apumayu territory and its revolutions.

### Pledges

Dwarves are a very honor-bound race as such two pledges exist among the dwarves.

#### The Pledge of the Axe

The Pledge of the Axe is a pledge a dwarf can exchange with someone as an oath to always fight for and protect someone with all their martial might.

'I, *insert name*, pledge my axe to your cause, *insert name*. May you honor this bond so my blade never is tarnished.'

#### The Pledge of the Hammer

The Pledge of the Hammer is a pledge a dwarf can exchange with someone as an oath to swear all of their loyalty as well as their mercantile and smithing skills.

'I, *insert name*, pledge my loyalty and hammer to *insert name*.'

## Racial Bias and Relations

### Gnomes

Out of all the other sentient races, Gnomes are the race that dwarves get along with best as they usually work together as craftsmen the two races are often friendly with one another to the point that a Gnome colony is located in the safety of the dwarven state of Mahakam.

### Humans

Dwarves don't mind humans except for times when their xenophobia (usually fueled by religion) runs high but dwarves are useful enough that humans rarely just go out of their way to kill them except for pograms.

## Well-known Dwarves

### Male

* Brurclard Benmerda
* Gwennis Zigrin
* Rhulrialran 'Rhul' Vauglas (Smith)
* Rodolf Kazmer (Merchant)
* Zoltan Chivay

## Gallery

Zangvebarian Dwarf art by Pixoloid Studios for Netflix's The Witcher.
## Notes

* The **Dwarves** are a canon race this is the expansion page for the fanon as such you are free to use them in stories and articles, all I ask is that you honor the lore present and if you make one add their name and a link to this page.
* This version of the Dwarves is a non-canon reimagining as a artificially created race of hominids made by the Grigori.