Dwarves are a race of short, stocky demi-humans. They range in height from 3 1/2 to over 4 feet tall. Despite their height, they often weigh in excess of 150 pounds due to their broad build and musculature. Their skin color is typically deep tan to light brown, with ruddy cheeks and dark eyes. Hair color is brown, black or grey, with some having a reddish tint, and all male Dwarves are bearded, as are some females. They favor earth tones with small bits of color in their clothing. They tend to adapt dour, even grim, visages when dealing with outsiders. Dwarves can live as long as 400 years.
There are several groups of Dwarves in the Three Lands, and they are divided into two broad categories: Mountain Dwarves and Hill Dwarves. Both groups are similar in outlook and temperament, but Mountain Dwarves are slightly taller, darker in color, and longer lived. The Dwarves themselves make little distinction among the two types, and in reality this distinction is of little consequence.
Dwarves prefer to live below ground. They are matchless miners and stone-workers, constructing elaborate underground cities in which to dwell. These subterranean labyrinths can range in size from small warrens to cities comparable to human ones on the surface. Many of the vast underground ruins beneath the Three Lands were built by Dwarves, though they may now house other, evil creatures.
Dwarves are clannish in nature, though they will sometimes recognize the authority of a supreme leader--a king in some areas. Dwarven rulers, besides dealing with external matters, are central in the planning and execution of the endless construction projects this race has the innate desire to perform.
In addition to their skill in stonework, Dwarves are matchless craftsmen with metals and jewelry. They are known for their great skill in the construction of all manner of arms and armor, tools, and treasures. They are highly sought out for their works, both artistic and utilitarian. This, and their penchant for mining, has made them the richest of the Demi-human races. Indeed, Dwarves are best known for their great wealth, a fact that has led to much trouble from greedy neighbors. Many wars have been fought over the treasures of the Dwarves, while Dragons have been known to destroy entire Dwarven cities in order to pillage their great wealth. Dwarven wealth has been at the root of nearly every conflict that they have ever had.
Dwarves are unlike the other demi-humans in that they conduct much trade with humans. Dwarven merchants are common throughout the Three Lands, and human merchants are welcome in many Dwarven settlements. Humans trade food, cloth, and other items for Dwarf-made wares, valuable metals, and gems. These arrangements have generally proven to be quite successful for all involved.
Despite this mercantile attitude, Dwarves still remain reserved with outsiders. Dealings with humans are kept professional, and personal lives are not discussed. They generally don't trust non-Dwarves, at least not easily. This is not to say that Dwarves won't befriend outsiders. Rather, it just takes a great deal of time or some great occurrence to get past their innate reservedness. Dwarves are staunch friends, but otherwise avoid entangling themselves in the affairs of others. This had led some humans to believe that Dwarves are uncaring and unfeeling. This is not true of most Dwarves.
Dwarves are often described as dour and taciturn. Though they may present this front to outsiders, this is not necessarily the case. When among friends, Dwarves are usually jovial and even boisterous. They enjoy singing songs of past glories as well as humorous stories. Dwarven camaraderie usually consists of much ale and singing, along with some good-natured boasting of one's accomplishments. Non-Dwarves that have been befriended are sometimes allowed to participate in these sorts of festivities. For Dwarves, the idea of "work hard, play hard" is an important part of their culture.
Dwarves are strongly driven. They pursue their tasks with great tenacity, and they are stubborn beyond belief. This dedication pushes them to perform to their utmost, thus explaining their unmatched craftsmanship. On the other hand, any slight to a Dwarf is remembered forever and once one is made an enemy, peaceful resolution of a conflict is nearly impossible. Dwarves view matters in terms of absolutes. Tasks are either finished or not--there is no halfway. For this reason, Dwarves can become possessed of a single-mindedness bordering on the irrational. But this is usually a positive trait.
If Dwarves have a weakness it is their innate greed. Possessors of great material wealth, Dwarves have become ever more greedy and grasping. Many Dwarves pursue wealth with such single-mindedness that they often miss much that they might have otherwise enjoyed. Some Dwarves are so greedy that they would not spare a copper coin out of a King's ransom to feed starving Dwarf children. Every Dwarf is greedy to some extent, which makes them somewhat less popular among other races. Of course, not every Dwarf is a miser.
Dwarves do not practice magic, per se, and are not themselves magical in nature. However, many of their works become imbued with magic as they create them. This magic comes both from the incredible workmanship put into some items, as well as the blessings of their gods. Many Dwarves will, at some point in their lives, create an item so well made that it becomes magic in some way. The exact way this occurs is unknown even to the Dwarves themselves, but the fact remains that it does occur. Dwarven magic items are much sought after by non-Dwarves, for they are often artifacts of great power.Dwarves worship a number of gods unique to themselves. By far the most important is Moradin, the Soul-Forger. This god is said to have created the Dwarven race in the forgotten past on his anvil using the stone of the earth, and breathing part of his soul into them. Dwarves look to him as the source of their existence and the basis of their culture. Dwarven religion tends to be personal in nature. Large worship ceremonies are limited to their rare holy days, and each Dwarf communes directly with his deities on a day-to-day basis. Dwarves are religious on the inside, not the outside. Their faith is innate and assumed, and requires no outward trappings. Dwarven priests are rare.
There is a long-standing rivalry between Dwarves and Orcs, Goblins, and giants. This is largely because these races prefer to inhabit the same terrain. Competition for premium tunnel space and mines is fierce and bloody, and wars between these races are common. Constant warfare has taken its toll on the Dwarves, who reproduce much more slowly than their enemies. In many regions, Dwarves have been confined into narrow areas and hemmed in by their numerically superior foes. Only the Dwarves' great skill in battle coupled with their intelligence and unmatched weapons and armor has allowed them to hold on in these situations. In the past dozen centuries, many Dwarven Kingdoms have fallen, including Kirzigrim in the Lindhir Mountains and Thorbardin in the Castle Hills. Before that, ancient Dwarven realms were destroyed on the Ilmoria Continent while Drow and their human allies destroyed two kingdoms in the Karakendl Mountains 2 millennia past. Now, only two great Dwarven Kingdoms remain, Khwarizm in the Anchor Mountains and the Dwarven Federation in the south. Fortunately, these two realms remain strong and face no serious threats. And though Dwarves still dwell in the lands of many of their ancient kingdoms, they in no way reach the glory of the past.
One of the most ancient of civilized races, Dwarven discipline and intelligence led them to create some of the first great civilizations on the planet, long before humans rose above barbarism. However, long ages of warfare with other races and among themselves led to a slow but steady decline in their power. Now, only a few great Dwarven realms remain. Among humankind, the names of a number of Dwarven realms are known to scholars.
ψ Dwarven Federation - created in 611 YM from a collection of six smaller kingdoms (The six smaller kingdoms were, in the order they joined the Federation,Kolidor, Krazlik, Duzku, Tharlin, Rogdam, and Kaldam), the Dwarven Federation is the strongest Dwarven realm in the Three Lands. The smaller kingdoms, rife with internal dissent and even occasional warfare, saw unification as a means to strengthen themselves against the aggression of an expanding Southern Kingdom. The unification was by no means easy, but in the centuries since, the unity of the Federation has held. For more information, see the entry for the Dwarven Federation under Political Divisions.
ψ Khwarizm - the only other extant Dwarven kingdom is Khwarizm in the Anchor Mountains. Originally, only a small number of Dwarves lived in these mountains. But after the destruction of Kazar-kazak and near- destruction of Durrovar during the First Drow War, refugees from these kingdoms fled to the Anchor Mountains and formed this new kingdom in -662 YM. The original impetus for forming the kingdom was primarily from the refugees of Durrovar, as they were both more numerous and wealthier than the original natives and those from Kazar-kazak. However, as both ruling houses had been exterminated during the First Drow War, a new royal house was chosen from among the nobles of Durrovar, though this newer line had no direct blood ties to the former rulers. Khwarizm has maintained very close relations with the neighboring Elven Kingdom of Neldoreth, and the two have fought many wars in support of one another. There is no closer relationship between Elves and Dwarves anywhere in the Three Lands. For more information, see the entry for Khwarizm under Political Divisions.
∞ Kirzigrim - once an ancient kingdom of Dwarves in the Lindhir Mountains, this kingdom fell to marauding humanoids in 272 YM, though Dwarves remain to this day in ever-dwindling settlements. During the Great Lormyrrian War, the late arrival of this kingdom's army to the First Battle of Caranthir was a key component of Dolmirís victory. Later in that war, they remained aloof, though they did allow free passage of the Western League's forces across their mountains and provided material aid. They did send a force to fight in the final battle of the war, though of course no real fighting occurred. After this, they settled back into an aloofness from human affairs. This proved to be their undoing, as the subsequent rise of humanoid tribes in their mountains resulted in nearly a century of warfare that, without outside aid, led to the diminishment of Kirzigrimís wealth, and the eventual sacking of its capital in 272 YM. The royal family was massacred and the kingdom ceased to exist from this point onwards, though this ironically resulted in forcing the neighboring humans and Elves to deal with the victorious humanoids. For more information, see the entry for the Lindhir Mountains under Geographical Gazetteer: Mountains.
∞ Kuraz-Durak - located in the Lindle Hills, this ancient Dwarven realm was wracked by a series of bloody civil wars fought over a disputed succession to the throne. After the carnage of the last war, in -190 YM the Dwarves expelled their entire royal house, including all the pretenders to the throne. The Dwarves proclaimed a republic, which lasted a total of 4 years before it, too, collapsed into anarchy when various cities and towns began seceding from the tyrannical Kuraz Republic. The Republic sought to reassert control by sending an army to crush the insurrectionists, but was defeated at the Battle of Morgoil. All support now lost, the Republican party fled the Lindle Hills and never again were able to influence Dwarven politics in the region. The Dwarves, tired of warfare, did not seek to reestablish any form of central government and were content to remain locally ruled.
∞ Thorbardin - this ancient and once wealthy kingdom in the Castle Hills is among the most ancient in the Three Lands. They had long traded peacefully with other races, even while remaining aloof from their affairs. But in -10 YM, they allied themselves to Lormyrr during the Great War, providing material aid and later even soldiers. During Valdorís raid, the Castle Hills were invaded, which further cemented the alliance with Lormyrr, as the Dwarves were incensed at all the plunder taken from them. After the Great War, Thorbardin remained on friendly terms with the Lormyrrian Empire, and there was much trade between them. But in 202 YM, Baron Folquin of Druinland convinced his Emperor to invade Thorbardin and thus began the War of the Castle Hills. The war started well for the Dwarves, but the Empireís shift to the construction of castles began to take its toll on the Dwarves. In 209 YM, the kingdom reluctantly surrendered. The last king, Thorismund II, voluntarily abdicated the throne, taking the title of Clan Master of the Citadel of Thorbardin. In exchange for dismantling the kingdom and for tax collections, the region was granted local autonomy and not subjected to the threatened, brutal military occupation. After the fall of the Lormyrrian Empire, there was a brief push to restore the monarchy by Clan Master Kuranes, heir to the ancient throne, but this fell on deaf ears. By this time, the Castle Hills region was already far in decline for mineral resources, and local leaders had no desire to give up what little control they had by now long possessed. The desire for a rebirth of the Kingdom has come to the fore again in recent times, led by Kuranesí son Kurin Stonecraft, but without any real prospects for success. For more information, see Thorbardin under Political Divisions and the Castle Hills under Geographic Gazetteer: Hills and Highlands.
⊗ Durrovar - another very ancient kingdom, Durrovar had controlled a sizable portion of the Kara-kendl Mountains for uncounted centuries. In -668 YM, Durrovar provided significant aid to its neighbor Kazar-kazak against Drow and Sendaran invaders in the First Drow War. Later, its last king, Orric, appealed for aid from all the neighboring human and Elven regions and formed a new alliance that would eventually destroy Sendaris and defeat the Drow, though at very great cost. Such was the destruction of that war, and the subsequent rise of the undead lords in now-desolate Sendaris, the surviving Dwarves fled to the Anchor Mountains, eventually forming the core of the new Kingdom of Khwarizm.
⊗ Kazar-kazak - the neighbor of Durrovar, this kingdom had fought a few wars with it in ancient times. During the Drow and Sendaran invasion of the First Drow War, they begged for aid from their neighbors, but only received it from Durrovar. The aid was insufficient, and the Kingdom was destroyed and its Dwarves scattered, most fleeing either to Durrovar or the distant Anchor Mountains. Though the kingdom was later reconquered by the alliance of men, Elves and Dwarves, no Dwarves ever dared dwell there again.
⊗ Kuzdul - this ancient kingdom in the Thyatian Peaks was the largest Dwarven realm in Ilmoria. For long centuries, they dwelt somewhat aloof, but peacefully, among the various human races around them, being most friendly with the Olmegs. More than three millennia ago, the terrible dragon Miragalon appeared and conquered the central portion of the Thyatian Peaks from them, splitting the Kingdom of Kuzdul in half, the north remaining under the rule of the Dwarf King and the south descending into chaos, breaking into a number of petty realms. Kuzdul was forced to make massive payments of tribute to the Dragon to ensure its survival, and the Kingdom was in constant fear of destruction, and was often attacked for no reason by the Dragon's minions. Those Dwarves unhappy enough to fall under the control of the Dragon Empire were reduced to slavery under Miragalon's tyranny.
During the Dragon War, the Dwarves of Kuzdul suffered much, as the Dragon demanded vast sums of tribute and slaves for his wars. The Dwarves say they resisted as best they could, but the Ilmorians said the Dwarves fell rapidly under the Dragon Empire's sway. In any case, some Dwarves did fight with the human armies during those years. In the end, Miragalon was slain and the tyranny ended, though Kuzdul was left a shattered wreck compare to its former self, and much of its wealth had been either lost or carried off by the victorious Ilmorians. Still, Kuzdul attempted to restore its control over the entirety of Thyatian peaks, though some Dwarves resisted.
In time, some Ilmorians began to grumble that the Dwarves had secretly taken much of the Dragonís wealth, wealth that should by rights belong to the heirs of the Dragonís slayers. The Kuzdul War that followed lasted a generation, but the Dwarves were simply still too weak to resist effectively. In -2020 YM, their last great city of Kraz-karak fell. The Ilmorians, in an unusual fit of bloodlust, proceeded to viciously massacre the surviving Dwarves. Those that could fled north seeking aid from the Wood Elves, or to the coasts. Some few were said to have sailed across the Cold Sea, seeking refuge with their cousins to the east, carrying with them rumors of the wrath of the Besanni. The only great Dwarven realm on the Ilmorian Continent ceased to exist.
⊗ Modsognir - another very old Dwarven realm, this kingdom in the northern Lorington Mountains was destroyed by dragons in 1122 YM. Its last king, Kuranes, was also slain in what the Dwarves refer to as the ìNight of Fireî or ìThe Year of Lamentations.î The kingdom was not particularly large, but was rumored to be fabulously wealthy. Evil creatures had sought to plunder it for centuries, as had humans, but with little or no success. Now, the exiles live in human lands, especially Goldburg on the North Sea, too weak to retake their halls by force. Rumors persist that King Kuranesí heir yet lives and is recognized as a king in exile by his people. The veracity of these rumors has never been determined.
⊗ Zakash - another kingdom in the Lorington Mountains, this one was destroyed by hordes of humanoids in 126 YM, before ever the Lormyrrian Empire expanded into the region. The survivors were scattered, with some going north to Modsognir and others traveling further afield to either the Castle Hills or as far as Khwarizm. Little else is known of it, aside from its ruins, which were explored long ago by intrepid Lormyrrian explorers.
Key
ψ - still a Dwarven Kingdom
∞ - no longer a Kingdom but still occupied by Dwarves
⊗ - no longer a Kingdom, no longer occupied by Dwarves