Feldvergar

Two mountain dwarves of different clans fighting alongside each other.

The most common type of dwarf, mountain dwarves (or feldvergar) are so named because their clan-halls usually rest under the foot of a mountain. They are the most human-like of the dwarves in nature and appearance, and they trade with humans the most frequently. Many humans view them as greedy, however, because of their tendency to hoard great wealth in their mountain halls.

Appearance

Mountain dwarves average about four feet in height, and their hair comes in a wide variety of colors, such as red, blond, brown, or black; their hair begins to grey after several hundred or thousand years (the exact date varies widely). Those with entirely white beards may even be a millennium old. Their eyes are also usually light colors, such as blue, green, grey, or light golden-brown. Their skin is light, like that of Northmen, and its tone ranges from pale to ruddy depending on the amount of sun exposure.

Culture

The most important rule in mountain dwarf culture, although this applies to most all dwarven cultures, is to respect one’s elders. Since most dwarves highly value their beards and almost never trim them, and since they can live for hundreds of years and hardly change in appearance, age is usually determined by beard length and color. The very oldest dwarves have white beards that must be heavily braided and tucked into their belts to avoid dragging the floor. Although female dwarves are encouraged to be good homemakers and to raise the young (and thus are rarely seen by humans), they are more often found in the military than is the case with most human societies. Although dwarven clan leaders are usually male, their mates are often of equal importance, and a clan elder’s wife is just as respected as the elder himself.

The mountain dwarves worship the Aesir, the same gods as the humans of the North. However, the main god in their religion is not Odin, but Thor, god of warfare and craftsmanship, and thus their patron deity. They also worship many minor dwarf gods they call the Ancients, who typically go unrecognized by Northern humans. Most of the Ancients were once great dwarf elders who now sit at the side of Thor in his golden hall. Each great dwarven clan has one or more patron Ancient ancestors, the most renowned of their bloodline.

Smithing

Perhaps the best-known element of feldvergar culture is blacksmithing and engineering. Mountain Dwarves are famous for their ability to craft exceptional weapons, armor, tools, and siege engines. They are the only race - besides the dark elves - who mine and shape the extremely rare and powerful metals of deepsilver, deepgold, and void iron. With these metals, they create masterpieces that no other race could hope to match. Dwarven arms and armor are almost unmatched in their quality. Dwarves also know many secrets of runic magic, and they sometimes use this to enhance their creations - though anything imbued with a rune is generally not traded to outsiders.