Born in the warm heart of the world, dwarves are known as hearty drinkers and frequent brawlers. Their other side is that they are also the best craftsmen anywhere with metals, gems, and most other materials. It’s rumored that when the world was young the best dwarven and elven craftsmen labored to make the most perfect gift for the gods. The dwarf finished a wonderful representation of the world, while the elf to this day still labors for perfection.

Dwarves are nearly immortal — a dwarf two centuries old is still considered young by their standards. This long life sometimes makes dwarves seem stubborn and inflexible to their shorter lived companions. However, this is only a matter of perception as dwarves are able to make quick decisions when they must be made — it’s just they can afford to take a long look at any situation.

Most dwarves average around 3 to 3½ feet tall. They have broad shoulders, a thick waist, and stocky legs. Their skin tones typically range from a light nutty brown to a rich earthen brown, while a completely pitch black not impossible. Both their eye and hair color favors dark browns or black, with lighter hair color more common than a lighter shade of eyes.

Long ago, even by dwarven standards, the dwarves were given the greatest of magical gifts, crafting. Their magic was alive with the power of its creator. Statues moved, towers defended themselves, and weapons became extensions of their user in both action and thought. However, jealously and rivalries grew into war as dwarf fought dwarf in what became called “The Brother’s War.”

The earth shook with rage as the raging spirit held within looked upon her children fighting over her gifts. She unleashed the great fire dragons to the north, which swallowed the dwarven army whole. For three generations the surviving dwarves toiled for the Stone Giants in repentance for their crimes. When they were set free the gift of magic was torn from their bodies.

Dwarves cannot cast any form of magic, nor will items that draw from their owner’s mystical soul function. Pure alchemy, which requires no spark in the user, can be used by dwarves. It is said that dwarves can slowly drain magic from mortal-crafted items if they spend long periods of time in close contact.

The true masters of the lands beneath the surface, the dwarves have mastered their domain. At the height of their power their impregnable strongholds served as the center of their great commerce and trades. While it was the beautiful elven cities that dominated the golden age of the gods, it was the dwarves that made everything work. Their caravans moved the goods, their smiths forged the metals, their creations had the gift of life, and their powerful ships dominated the seas. Like the other godly races the dwarves fell from their lofty perch by their own greed.

In the dwarves case it was the Brothers War that caused their goddess Heartmother to turn them away from their homes and force them into slavery at the hands of the Giants. For a thousands years the dwarves spent in slavery paying for their sins until Heartmother allowed a dwarven child to be born that would lead her people against the giants and to freedom.

Slavery under the giants was a brutal experience that has left its mark upon the dwarves in the generations since their freedom. The dwarves have pulled together the strength of their family-clan and returned to their roots as devout worshipers of Heartmother. They are still revered throughout the world as the greatest of craftsmen, but now the clans work towards the common good rather than the good of their clan.