Dwarves

The Dwarves of the world are a sullen, greedy, and bitter race.  They struggled to build great kingdoms long before Humans entered the world, and now those kingdoms are but dust.  Each year another hold falls to goblins, orcs, or still worse creatures.  Many Dwarves see this as the failing of their own race.  They believe their kingdom was lost due to the avarice which grips their kind, and that on some level they deserve their lot in life.  Others blame the Lawful races.  Clearly it is their refusal to aid Dwarf kind that has led to such a sad state of affairs.

There are but a few who believe that their homes can be won back.  These Dwarves are often found in the realms of men where they offer their services as craftsman and goldsmiths.  Often Dwarves will try to recruit fool hardy adventurers to aid them in restoring a lost hold, or defending one that is in danger.  Though these Dwarves may seem more optimistic, they too are known to show the melancholy nature of their race.  They struggle to reignite a dying light, but each year that light grows dimmer and dimmer.

Dwarves are most known for their love of precious metals.  Their great mountain halls are truly little more than mining camps with armories attached.  All but the most noble or most impoverished of Dwarves participate in mining.  Dwarves use these metals to create beautiful things.  These usually wind up in the hands of Dwarven nobles, but it is not uncommon for Dwarf commoners to have one or two trinkets which would be far beyond the means of a Human of equal status.  They are even known to use these metals in personal grooming.  Many Dwarves who still live within a hold dye their hair great metallic colors to show their skill in mining and crafts.  A Dwarf with such an excess of metal that it could be used for such frivolousness is surely a rich one.  Of course it is not uncommon for creatures of any race to live beyond their means.

The Dwarf holds which can still be found in the world are supported by a network of surface dwellers.  Dwarf shepherds, farmers, and brewers exist in small villages near the entrance to a mine.  These Dwarves are usually social pariahs.  They are often Dwarves born with a deformity that makes them unable to see in darkness.  Others are Dwarves which have shown cowardice or whose house has betrayed the hold to goblins or some other wicked set of beings.

The Church is distrustful of Dwarves, as it is of all demihumans.  They see that Dwarves tempt men away from pious activities such as fasting and instead lead them to seek treasure and the pleasures of this world.  Most Humans do show a mild distaste for Dwarves though -- much like Froglings -- they are often seen as necessary evils.  One must have nice things to decorate one's home with of course, and many a Dwarf craftsman has participated in the building of a cathedral or an abbey.