Dwarf

### Ethnic Groups

Agate Dwarf, Amber Dwarf, Amethyst Dwarf, Basalt Dwarf, Citrine Dwarf, Cobalt Dwarf, Copper Dwarf, Dagrite Dwarf, Diamond Dwarf, Emerald Dwarf, Flint Dwarf, Garnet Dwarf, Gold Dwarf, Granite Dwarf, Iron Dwarf, Jade Dwarf, Kronium Dwarf, Lead Dwarf, Malachite Dwarf, Marble Dwarf, Mithril Dwarf, Nephrite Dwarf, Obsidian Dwarf, Opal Dwarf, Peridot Dwarf, Platinum Dwarf, Pyrite Dwarf, Quartz Dwarf, Ramsteel Dwarf, Ruby Dwarf, Steel Dwarf, Sapphire Dwarf, Silver Dwarf, Stone Dwarf, Titanium Dwarf, Topaz Dwarf

## Appearance

### Skin Color

white to brown
gray for obsidian dwarves

### Distinctions

Physically durable and magic-resistant. Beards signify experience, longer beards meaning a more experienced dwarf

**Dwarves** are a short and sturdy race known for their great beards, stubbornness and skill in smithing. The race originates from the underground holds beneath the Serpentspine Mountains east of Escann, but have since made a home in the surface across the world, primarily in Cannor, due to the fall of their civilization long before humanity built their first cities.

## Founding Myth

According to Cannorian Creation Myth the dwarves were created by Halanna, the earth goddess, in the Tree of Stone province of Earthseed, in order to aid her in creating the world and its environments. It is said that during the Rule of Dragons and the Rule of Giants, which saw dragons and giants war for rulership of the earth, that the Dwarovar, the underground system of roads and infrastructure that connects the Serpentspine was made.

## History

Dwarven civilization is said to be one of the oldest in history and were said to have grown from individual independent holds into a unified dwarven empire around 23,000 BA during the Rule of Giants, likely as an eventual reaction to the rise of the Frost King Gerud.

It is not known when the Last Days of Dwarovar were, but it is very much agreed that it did not last days, but instead aeons. It was a long and incredibly slow decline marked by the infighting of rival holds and the collapsing authority of the dwarven empire, Aul-Dwarov. For much of history the dwarves also saw goblins as their principal enemy within the Serpentspine, but it was only until the rise of the orcish race that historians took account of the threat of the other underground denizens when it came to the Last Days of the Dwarovar. It has never been agreed when the orcs rose, or what their origin is with some say they were made by the precursor elf Ducaniel but there is clear evidence of dwarven tablets noting their appearance dating back to 6000 BA.

By the founding human empire of Castanor in 639 BA any semblance of a unified dwarven empire had long fallen. Indeed, many dwarves had been living amongst the burgeoning human civilizations by then, either through functioning surface holds such as Grôzumdihr in Rahen or as surface dwarves like Balgar the Builder, who was famously an exile from the hold of Khugdihr that went on to serve as an advisor to Castan the Progenitor and created works such as the Castanorian citadels.

It is only after the Greentide of 1424 that saw dwarves return to their ancestral homelands en masse. By this time the majority of the surface dwarves in Cannor had either lived in Escann like their forefathers did or amongst the wealthier lands around the Dameshead like the Empire of Anbennar. Seeing an opportunity of a Serpentspine more devoid of orcs and goblins than usual due to being led to invade Escann during the Greentide, many dwarven adventurer companies were founded in hopes to reclaim the lost holds of the Dwarovar. This period of time is known as the Dwarven Reclamation.

## Society

### Relations with Other Races

Dwarves are often a proud and traditional race, and due to their stereotypical stoic demeanour can be seen as quite cold to most races. Despite this, dwarves have had a long and cooperative relationship with humanity as a whole, as many dwarves found themselves amongst the human tribes of the world after the Last Days of Dwarovar. Dwarves were largely responsible for guiding early human societies and molding them in to true civilizations, with many concepts such as economy and architecture originating from dwarven tutelage - as such dwarves have been a fixture in many human nations across the world, and out of all races are generally treated with the most respect by humans.

In terms of enemies, dwarves have many. The many wrongs against dwarfkind are taken personally by many dwarves, especially when it relates to the fall of their civilization. The oldest of these 'ancestral enemies' are the goblinoids, which had long infested the Serpentspine Mountains which the dwarves called home - but the most hated of these races are the orcs, which many dwarves largely attribute to being the main cause of their civilization's decline. Other races include giantkin for their association and cooperation with true giants, another ancestral enemy. While in more multiracial and tolerant cities this can manifest into friendlier relations, during most of the Reclamation of the Dwarovar many of these 'ancestral enemies' warbands and squatter clans were killed on sight in order to reclaim their home and right the alleged wrongs done upon their forefathers: for conservative dwarves, the sins of the father do apply to the sins of the son, and their sons and their sons and so on.

Another race of note for the dwarves are the elves, who they often disagree with due to their temperament and attitudes. To the dwarves, the elves are arrogant and view themselves to be morally superior, they are prissy and impractical, preferring to spend time debates and rhetoric when a dwarf would prefer blunt talk and action.

### Notable Members

* Balgar the Builder
* Dagrin Everbeard