Dwarves

**Culture:** "Dwarves are a stoic but stern race, ensconced in cities carved from the hearts of mountains and fiercely determined to repel the depredations of savage races like orcs and goblins. More than any other race, dwarves have acquired a reputation as dour and humorless artisans of the earth. It could be said that their history shapes the dark disposition of many dwarves, for they reside in high mountains and dangerous realms below the earth, constantly at war with giants, goblins, and other such horrors.

Dwarves are lovers of history and tradition, and their long lifespan leads to far less in the way of generational shifts in attitudes, styles, fashions, and trends than shorter-lived races exhibit. If a thing is not broken, they do not fix it or change it; and if it is broken, they fix it rather than replace it. Thrifty as a rule, dwarves are loath to discard anything unless it is truly ruined and unable to be fixed. At the same time, dwarves’ meticulous, near-obsessive attention to detail and durability in their craftsmanship makes that a rare occurrence, as the things they make are built to last. As a result, buildings, artwork, tools, housewares, garments, weapons, and virtually everything else made by dwarves still sees regular use at an age when such items would be relegated to museum pieces, dusty antique shelves, or junkyard fodder by other races. Taken together, these traits create the impression that dwarves are a race frozen in time.

Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as dwarves are both thoughtful and imaginative, willing to experiment, if always keen to refine and perfect a new technique or product before moving on to the next one. Dwarves have achieved feats of metallurgy, stonework, and engineering that have consistently outpaced the technological advances of other races, though some non-dwarven races have used magic to supplement and perfect their own creations to achieve the same ends through mystical rather than mundane means. They are also a race typified by stubborn courage and dedication to seeing tasks through to completion, whatever the risks. These traits have led dwarves to explore and settle in extreme environments that would cause other races to quail and retreat. From the darkest depths of the underworld to the highest mountain peaks, from rusting iron citadels along desolate rocky coasts to squat jungle ziggurats, dwarves have established their enclaves and redoubts, holding them against all comers or perishing to the last and leaving only their enduring monuments to stand as their legacy. While it is said that dwarves are not venturesome or inventive, it would be more accurate to say that they maintain a focus on and dedication to each task they undertake and every change they adopt, vetting such changes thoroughly before adopting them wholeheartedly. When faced with new circumstances and new needs, they react by applying tried and true tools and techniques systematically, using existing methods whenever possible rather than trying to invent novel solutions for every situation. If necessity requires, however, they throw themselves with equal vigor into developing the next perfect procedure for demolishing the obstacles that get in their way. Once their desired goal is obtained, they focus on consolidating each new piece of territory or conceptual advance. Dwarves thus rarely overextend themselves, but they also may miss opportunities to seize the initiative and maximize the advantages they create.

The great distances between dwarves’ mountain citadels account for many of the cultural differences that exist within their society. Despite these schisms, dwarves throughout the world are characterized by their love of stonework, their passion for stone- and metal-based craftsmanship and architecture, and their fierce hatred of giants, orcs, and goblinoids. In some remote enclaves, such as those areas where these races are uncommon or unheard of, dwarves’ fixation on security and safety combined with their rather pugnacious nature leads them to find enemies or at least rivals wherever they settle. While they are not precisely militaristic, they learned long ago that those without axes can be hewn apart by them, and thus dwarves everywhere are schooled to be ready to enforce their rights and claims by force of arms. When their patience with diplomacy is exhausted, dwarves do not hesitate to adopt what they call “aggressive negotiations.”" *-d20PFSRD/Paizo*

**Biology:** Dwarves are short with dense bones and musculature suited for living underground. Male dwarves average about 4'8" (4'5" - 5'2") in height and 150 pounds, females are 4'4" on average (4'0" - 4'7") and 100 pounds. Pound for pound, dwarves are incredibly strong, so much so that even Orcs know better than to underestimate their significantly smaller foes. Because of their rugged choice of habitat their bones are very resistant to compression making breaks and fractures a rarity, and thus they are treasured materials by Goblins and Kobolds for crafting weapons, armor, and tools. Dwarves are also famous for their prodigious hair growth, both males and females grow their hair long, cutting it only as a sign of mourning or dishonor. In the case of male dwarves, the length and thickness of their beards is a sign of virility and is a matter of great pride, to pull on or intentionally cut it is an insult that has deadly consequences for the offender. Dwarves also have excellent eye-sight even in little or no light.

They enjoy incredibly long lives well into their 300s and are not easily taken by sickness or poison.

In the matter of mating and relationships, dwarf society is fiercely monogamous and family oriented. Dwarf men are expected to respect their wives and treasure their children, dwarf women are expected to honor their husbands and of course to make sure the children are well-cared for. Dwarven courtship is a drawn out affair that could take a decade or more before the decision to marry is made, and is traditionally arranged through matchmakers though this is not a hard rule. Unlike Humans, Elves, or heaven-forbid, Gnomes, the Dwarven libido is fairly subdued by comparison and their sexual tastes are considered by many to be woefully plain. Homosexual males are exceedingly rare and dwarven lesbians are practically unheard of, in either case such lifestyles are kept private. In pregnancy, females are able to stay active up to the last week or two before giving birth, and thanks to their strong constitutions, new mothers are back on their feet after only a few days.

**Relations:**

 Humans: More than any other race, dwarves and humans get along the best. The industriousness and hearty appetite for ale and meat endear humans to dwarves, and so the two races trade quite frequently.

Elves: While they don't have the same bloody history as that between men and elves, dwarves generally do not mix well with elfkind. Dwarves find elves to be too self-absorbed and self-righteous, while elves likewise look down on dwarves for being narrow-minded and miserly.

Half-Elves: Dwarves have no particular dislike for Half-Elves, often treating them as if they were just very long-lived humans as opposed to short-lived elves.

Halflings/Gnomes: There is a certain amount of kinship most dwarves feel with whom they view as their shorter cousins. They adore halfling spirits and gnomish inventiveness, but are put-off by the halflings' predilection for sloth and the short attention-span of gnomes.

Half-Orcs: The hatred that exists between orcs and dwarves is seconded only perhaps between elves and drow, as such, dwarves do not treat with half-orcs, shunning or oppressing them even though this animosity doesn't necessarily run both ways.

Drow: Though not as hated by dwarves as by elves, dwarves recognize drows as terrible and dangerous competitors for the deep places of the world. The two don't often come into conflict however, as drow understand that dwarves are far more at home underground, and so save their ire and military assets for their more hated foes.

**Alignment and Religion**: Their focus on community and family makes Dwarf society predominantly lawful, but not out of a desire to oppress, merely to preserve a race that has learned that against the pressure of the very Earth, they are strongest together. Dwarves with almost no exception worship Torag, The God of the Forge, though those with evil in their hearts may bow before Gorum or one of the Archfiends.