Dwarves

Master crafters and steadfast traditionalists, dwarves view themselves as chosen by Jhormun, their connection to stone and forge serving as testament to their divine mandate. Their clan-based society centers around mountain strongholds but maintains active presence in surface communities throughout The Crescent.

Physical Characteristics

Dwarves possess short, stout builds naturally suited to underground work and mountain living. Males grow thick, elaborate beards that serve as both protection and status symbols, while all dwarves develop exceptional physical strength and endurance through generations of stone-working and mining.

Most dwarves stand between 4'0" and 5'0", reaching full maturity around age 40. Their natural lifespan extends 150-200 years, allowing master craftsmen to spend decades perfecting single techniques. This longevity shapes their patient, methodical approach to both craft and relationships.

Culture and Governance

Dwarven society operates through clan-based systems with strong allegiance to hereditary clan leaders. Social hierarchy depends on both clan affiliation and demonstrated craftsmanship skills. Young dwarves grow up hearing legends of ancestral masterworks, carrying the weight of expectations they may never fulfill. Young dwarves undergo stone-tasting ceremonies to determine their future specialization, sampling different minerals to find their calling.

Religious practices center around Jhormun and deep spiritual connections to stone itself. The sacred Heartforge in Bhel Kurzum serves as the spiritual center of dwarven culture, where master smiths create works that merge divine blessing with exceptional craftsmanship. Dwarves believe their craft channels divine will through carefully placed runes and traditional techniques passed down through generations. When a piece cracks in the forge or runes fail to hold their power, the smith questions not just their technique, but their worthiness to channel Jhormun's will. Beard-braiding serves as both art form and record-keeping, with intricate patterns signifying life achievements and social standing.

Sacred Forge Mysteries

What does "channeling divine will" through Jhormun actually mean for dwarven craft?

Veteran smiths speak of:

• Techniques passed down through bloodlines
• Runes that must be carved while the metal still remembers the mountain's heart

What ancient knowledge do the clan forges guard from outsider eyes?

Traditions

Echo-mapping: Dwarven communities practice using sound reverberations to navigate underground spaces and map cave systems. Masters of this technique can identify stone composition, structural weaknesses, and hidden chambers through acoustic analysis alone.

Hammerstrike: Celebrated on the 7th of Crown, this traditional celebration honors ancestral crafting spirits and Jhormun. The festival features craft competitions, oath renewals, mountain blessings, and masterwork displays where clans showcase their finest achievements. While these displays celebrate clan achievements, they also create quiet pressure. Master smiths spend months preparing pieces worthy of public judgment, knowing that mediocre work brings shame not just to themselves, but to their entire clan lineage.

Relations with Other Peoples

Dwarves maintain the strongest alliance bonds with Humans and Halflings, forming integrated communities that weather hardships together. These three peoples share practical worldviews and complement each other's skills naturally. Intermarriage between dwarves and Humans creates particularly strong kinship networks.

Duergar: Dwarves consider the Duergar their wayward cousins, sharing mountain homes and cooperating on major projects despite philosophical differences about magic and tradition. The centuries-long Deep-brothers Forgewar over mining territories and prime forge sites created lasting tensions, though both peoples now work together in cities like Bhel Kurzum.

Deep-brothers Tensions

The centuries-long Deep-brothers Forgewar may be officially ended, but clan memories run deep as mineshafts.

• Dwarves still grumble when duergar "upstart magic" gets recognition
• Duergar bristle at being called "wayward cousins"

Mixed adventuring parties may find old grudges surfacing during tense moments, especially when deciding how to handle magical items or ancient dwarven sites.

Gnomes: Deep technological partnerships exist with Sprocket Gnomes, particularly in Bhel Kurzum where they collaborate on mechanical and magical innovations.

Elves: Dwarves maintain complicated relationships with elven peoples. While they appreciate Eldar business acumen, tensions run particularly high with Sylvar, whose forest-focused traditions clash with dwarven mountain development and mining practices.

Character Creation Notes

Dwarves work well as fighters, clerics, paladins, and artificers, reflecting their martial traditions and craft expertise. Consider which clan your character belongs to and how that shapes their specialization and worldview.

Regional Backgrounds: Mountain clan crafters, surface community traders, temple forge-keepers, or expedition archaeologists represent common dwarven paths.

Cultural Integration: Dwarven characters often understand human and halfling customs well, having grown up in mixed mountain communities or trade partnerships.

Key Motivations: Dwarven urgency comes from perfectionism and clan honor rather than mortality. What drives your character to excel in their chosen craft or bring honor to their clan name?