Dwarf

Dwarf
Race
Pronunciation	Dwoh-erf
Archetype	Dwarven
Nicknames	Keggers, Rum Junkers, Mountain Men, Earth Born
Languages	Common, Dwarven
Vampiric Conversion	Not Possible
Aetherial Affinity	Class C - Difficulty Casting Magic
Roleplay Difficulty	Easy
Racial Traits
Aetheriality	Physical
Max Age	180 Years
Strengths	Durable, Strong
Weaknesses	Greedy, Confrontational
Height	4' to 4'6"
Weight	160 to 280 lbs
Eye Colors	Brown, Hazel, Green, Silver, Amber
Hair Colors	Black, Brown, Blond, Gray, Red
Skin Tones	Ranging from Pale to Brown
Average Physique	Muscular to Colossal
Aetherial Limit	Power III - Control III
Significant Demographics
While this doesn't mean your character has to come from one of these places, it's recommended they do. Kingdom of Thandolin

Physical Characteristics

Dwarves are best described as stout, sturdy individuals that are only around 4' to 4'6" tall. They can live up to 180 years, usually keeping a youthful appearance until their fifties when they start to visually age. They are very thick, muscular, and tough, making them ideal for hard physical labor. Their noses are large, round, and stubby, however some dwarves do have pointier noses. They have really thick skulls, and headbutting opponents to disorient them or knock them out is a viable strategy.

Mental Characteristics

Dwarves are inherently stubborn and defensive. They hold grudges against others for seemingly ridiculous reasons and can have rivalries that last a long time. They are also practical and very frank, saying things exactly how they are. Despite these negative qualities, you will not find anyone more loyal, honorable, steadfast, or humorous then a dwarf. They favor routine, and have trouble accepting new ideas. They are capable of giving rise to innovations and breakthroughs that are only possible through their extreme dedication to their work.

History

The Kingdom of Thandolin was the first dwarven kingdom to be discovered, and to this day remains the only known dwarven kingdom among the denizens of the Exodius Continent. The dwarves of the aforementioned kingdom claim that their nation was founded in the year 567 AE at the hands of a dwarven expedition sent east, and to this day remains the only dwarven civilization to exist on an island. The Island of Khaz'Merith is home to a mountain of tremendous mineral wealth, assumed to have been formed by an ancient volcano many millennia ago. The dwarven island nation exported their great mineral wealth across the seas, and exchanged it for other commodities that they needed. They dwarves encountered the Island of Ae'Tezan along with it's Yu'Lorei inhabitants in the year 1527 AE. The dwarves took a liking to the elves, eventually resulting in the Island of Ae'Tezan becoming a protectorate of the Kingdom of Thandolin in the year 1723 AE.

In more recent years, interest in the origins of the dwarven race has increased greatly. This is attributed to the increase in dwarven demographics among human civilizations over the last few centuries. Many aspects of their history have been revealed as a result, however their ancient origins are up for debate. The Auchinben Continent is the cradle of the dwarven race, located to the west of the Exodius Continent. Not much is known about this continent, however the dwarves proved helpful in detailing some aspects of their ancestral homeland. They emphasize the existence of mythical beasts known as dragons, described as giant lizards with four legs and giant wings which roam the craggy peaks of the countless mountain ranges present on the continent. There are also mentions of evil fairies who do not hesitate to slay dwarves that happen to encounter them. There are also reported to be three dwarven kingdoms which exist on the Auchinben Continent, possibly even more. The continent is a great distance across the sea and proved to be unprofitable for human nations to consider investigating possible trade agreements.

The dwarves attribute their race's origin to be from the ground itself, and that the mighty titan Khronor is responsible for their making. They claim that Khronor would submerge his hand into the dirt and grasp the dirt with his extraordinary strength. The titan would then thrust his hand out of the ground and place a newly formed dwarf on the surface. This tale of dwarven creation is considered to be nothing more then folklore in the eyes of scholars, but the dwarves believe this story with all their heart. The dwarves detail the early days of their race as a great struggle against the harsh winter environment, and constant attacks from dragons and other titanic beasts that roam the continent. The dwarves were drawn back to the earth that made them, and so they made their homes within caverns and caves. The interiors of mountains were excavated and turned into great halls. The dwarves used the excavated stone to construct massive titanic walls around their kingdoms to keep the beasts at bay. Dragons are to this day a problem in dwarven cultures, however the Kingdom of Thandolin is exempt from this as dragons are claimed to only be found on the Auchinben Continent.

Society

Dwarven society is one of great labor and passion. Dwarves are known for their dedication to a discipline, and are able to mindlessly pursue their favored subject without ever tiring. They do lack in ingenuity, often succumbing to the daily grind or being caught up in a specific task. What they lack in originality they make up for in quality, they do not stop improving their craft until they have reached the pinnacle of perfection. Dwarven social circles consist of family and co-workers. Their craft is their livelihood, and their entire lives are based around the work that they do. Dwarves favor practicality, which is reflected in their architecture and manufactured goods. While working hard is considered the cornerstone of dwarven society, their leisure time is just as important. Dwarves love to celebrate hard and favor alcohol more then any other race. Hangovers are nothing out of the ordinary for a dwarf, and their kin will not hold anything against them. Sports are a common activity that dwarves partake in their leisure time, the most prominent being axe throwing, brawling and archery. Most dwarven societies are ruled by a monarchy, and hold the utmost respect for their kings. Dwarves are very loyal and will not go back on a promise, delivering even if it harms their livelihood. Dwarven nobility does exist, but occupies a small fraction of overall dwarven society and does not pose the same problems that human nobility often incurs.

Politics

Most dwarven kingdoms are not involved in external affairs due to the hostile conditions of their home continent of Auchinben. The Kingdom of Thandolin is an exception to this, being located not on Auchinben itself but an island some distance across the sea. Over the centuries they have focused their efforts on trading with the other nations of Amestria. What once started as humble dwarven traders carrying foreign wares to distant locations has turned into a trade empire. The dwarves have a solid foundation in almost every economy known to humanity and possess a fair level of influence. They are mostly known to leverage this influence towards extracting new innovations and ideas from other nations, which is then used to further their own national strength. Human inventors are careful about sharing their ideas, for fear that a dwarven talent scout may discover them and use their ideas for dwarven purposes.

Culture

todo compulsive consumption of alcohol

Magic

The dwarves fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to magic, primarily due to their reduced aptitude for manipulating aether. There are dwarven mages, but they primarily specialize in the elemental or infusion branches. Ultimately the dwarves rely on their advances in technology rather then magic to drive their society.

Religion

Some dwarves worship the titan known as Kronor, whom they attribute their creation to. Kronor is believed to have originated from Auchinben, where many such titanic beings exist. While the vast majority of said titanic beings are malevolent by nature, Kronor is believed to be a magnanimous being who favors honesty and hard work. Dwarves usually pray to Kronor before they begin their work day, as Kronor blesses the workplace with diligence and strength. There are yearly celebrations in honor of Kronor, which mainly involve excessive drinking and feasting.

Military

In the past the dwarves were not necessarily known for having any significant military presence, and their small physical size offsets their advantage in strength and endurance. In recent times however, the dwarves of Thandolin have constructed a mighty fleet of heavily armored warships which can easily destroy other nation's fleets using powerful and massive cannons. Despite their naval strength, the dwarves have remained peaceful with other nations having the fleet serve as hostility deterrence. They are lacking when it comes to land military, most of their populace is employed in naval or craftsmen occupations. Even the most powerful human navies are equally matched with the dwarves, and as such must think twice before engaging in battle.

Economy

The dwarves of Thandolin dominate the marketplace with their vast trade empire. They have traveled to the corners of the world in search of new economies to exchange with, and have amassed a great fortune. The dwarves also create a variety of their own unique goods which they sell to their patrons. Dwarven alloys are very well sought after and have been proven to not be reproducible by other nations, which has furthered their economic growth. The vast majority of dwarves are either craftsmen or sailors, as both occupations are essential to the continued growth of dwarven trade.

Technology

The dwarves of Thandolin are well known for having an advanced knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry. They were the original inventors of gunpowder and cannons, even to this day they continue to focus on further innovations in the field of ballistics. While by no means light weight or versatile, their newer cannon designs led to the inception of heavily armored warships which they use to protect their trade routes. Their emphasis on trade has given them opportunities to obtain new ideas from other nations to further fuel their merchant empire. Dwarven alloys are renowned for their superior quality and other nation's inability to replicate them. Many have tried to discover the metallurgic secrets of the dwarves, but they failed. Those who asked were refused, those who stole the secrets were killed. In more recent times, most accept the fact that the dwarves have their metallurgic secrets thoroughly guarded and don't intend on letting anyone else obtain them. The dwarves have recently started utilizing steam as a source of power by constructing intricate machines. They have kept the details of steam technology a secret, forcing human nations to investigate the technology independently.

todo lori collaboration and innovation

Assorted Info

• Dwarven cannons greatly 'dwarf' the size of any human cannon made in comparison.