Dvergar
Contents
Appearance
Dwarves stand around half as high as the average man, and they usually have thick beards, heavy brows, and relatively large noses. Most dwarf clans put great value in their beards, and traditional dwarven societies judge an individual by the length, thickness, and neatness of his beard, even using terms like “shortbeard” for younger individuals and “longbeard” for clan elders.
Culture
Most humans view dwarves as ugly, short-tempered, stuffy, and stubborn. These are common dwarf personality traits, but so are loyalty, honesty, and steadfast (even hard-headed) determination. It is also a mistake to assume that dwarves are “fat” because of their short and broad physique. If an individual makes the mistake of mentioning this in the presence of a dwarf, they might just learn the hard way that most dwarves are made almost entirely of muscle.
Dwarves are considered a magical race because of their innate connection to the elements of earth and fire, and their knowledge of ancient runes. This adds to the humans' mistrust of them. Their home realm is Nidavellir, where they build great underground cities and ride Khepridnir beetle mounts.
Of all the magical races, the dwarves probably have the most dealings with humans, since men place great value in the gold, gems, and metals they mine and craft. Dwarves are exceptionally skilled craftsmen, and legend has it that the Aesir gifted them with all their power of craftsmanship upon their creation. They are masters at forging from the rarest of metals that they mine deep within the earth, such as Deepsilver, Deepgold, and Void Iron. They guard their trade secrets closely and have a reputation for greed because they value their merchandise so highly. They have a very powerful trading guild on the surface called the Iron Gauntlet.
Races
Mountain Dwarves
The most common type of dwarf, the Feldvergar or Mountain Dwarves are the most human-like of the dwarves in nature and appearance, and they trade with humans the most frequently, and thus can be found somewhat commonly in human towns, although they rarely actually live there. Many humans view them as greedy, however, because of their tendency to hoard great wealth in their mountain halls. Those who dwell deeper in Nidavellir are sometimes called Deep Dwarves, but the distinction is vague at best, so they are not considered a separate race.
Desert Dwarves
The Sandvergar or Desert Dwarves, dwell in the South, where the people of Kemhet have embraced them, for they ride on mounts that look like the sacred scarab beetle. Having lived long under the blazing sun, most have darker skin and hair than their northern cousins. They are often hired as household guards by the local Kemheti population, who have adopted the dwarven ancestor-god of their clan, Bes, into the Kemheti pantheon.
Frost Dwarves
Dwelling in the far North, in glaciers or along the frozen peaks of the Jagged Edge, the Skadvergar or Frost Dwarves seldom interact with other societies, save other dwarves on occasion. They are more magically-inclined than other dwarven races, with an innate power over cold, and their craftsmen are just as skilled at making weapons from magically-enchanted ice as from metal. They worship the goddess Skadi.
Hill Dwarves
Commonly considered the “least dwarf-like” of all dwarves, Haudvergar or Hill Dwarves are a relatively peaceful people who live in grottoes dug into the dirt of small hills, rather than deep tunnels under stone. Although one might expect them to be more commonly seen on the surface, the opposite is actually true, as hill dwarves are experts at remaining hidden. Also, their preference of farming over craftsmanship leaves them with less to trade with humans, although they do sometimes trade food for tools and weapons with the mountain dwarves.
Sea Dwarves
One of the rarer types of dwarf, the Sjordergar or Sea Dwarves dwell in rocky coastline caverns and are at home where sea-mist and the smell of salt-water fills the air. They worship Njord, the Nordic god of the sea, and are rumored to build great armored ships that can submerge beneath the waves, appearing like giant, monstrous sea turtles. They are a little taller than most dwarves in general, and tend to be more nimble and dexterous.
Magma Dwarves
The most mysterious of all dwarf races, the Eldvergar or Magma Dwarves are attested only in ancient legend, where they are said to dwell deep in the world's core, where the heat of volcanoes is formed. Such tales speak of their dark, black skin, glowing red eyes, and fiery orange hair and beards – which some say are quite literally formed of fire. These rumors may contain little or no truth, but every now and then a magically-forged item appears in the hands of some wandering adventurer that bears the strange runes of the magma dwarves, and which nothing but the hottest of flames – usable only by the eldergar due to their immunity to heat – can alter.
