 |
 |
| Dwarf Dwarves are human-like beings that stand a little over a meter tall. They are a diverse-looking species, with their faces and other features varying as widely as humanity's does. Despite this, they are stereotyped as tough, heavy-drinking, cave-dwelling, armor-clad miners with beards. Dwarves can live up to a thousand years, aging rapidly in the first and last decades of their lives but remaining relatively stable and static in the middle. The only notable sign of aging between these two points is balding. Despite the rumors, female dwarves (usually) do not have beards or suffer from balding. Dwarves are blessed -- some would say "cursed" -- with a compulsive desire to build or create. This has led to their love of mountains and mining, which helps give them the materials they need to create a wide variety of objects. They work slowly but efficiently, taking years or decades to make one thing such as an ornate helmet. Contrary to the stereotype, they make more than just armor and weapons; there are numerous dwarf poets and artists. It is also untrue that all dwarves live in mines. While the dwarves live in the mountains, they have made comfortable and decorative homes underneath the surface. Dwarves have not lived in caves since before humanity existed. Currently, the dwarves lack a central government, nor do they particularly want one. Settlements and villages of dwarves are completely independent and separate from the rest of the world. Dwarves are the sworn enemies of dragons, which is appropriate as their mountains tend to be infested with the beasts. |
 |