Dwarves

The first other species to make contact with humans, dwarves have traded with the Vaelsh for as long as either race can remember, and they remember a time of trade with Niellenor before the Years of Terror.

Living in the wooded hills of the Thorn Wood, dwarves are excellent hunters, trackers, and gamesmen. They are exquisite woodsmen like the elves, but in a different way. Dwarves are careful lumberers, excellent builders, and proficient trappers, taking from the forest without the pretense of being its guardians.

Dwarven culture is very strict in requiring each member of society to be able to feed and cloth themselves, and dwarves are fiercely independent, often travelling far from their home.

Dwarves are available as a PC race.

Physical Nature and Appearance

Standing between three and a half and four and a half feet in height, the word dwarf is not very descriptive as there are many species smaller, but it has stayed attached to this species over the years.

The dwarves of the Wyrld are a light haired people, causing some to speculate about the large musculature and light features of the Vaelsh. Blond or red hair is the most typical, with an occasional brunette. Hair covers the head, including thick beards. Male dwarves never cut the hair on their head, while females keep it well trimmed making the different sexes immediately identifiable, even to those not familiar with dwarves.

Wide shoulders and sturdy limbs make the strength of a dwarf obvious. The large torsos of dwarves house large lungs, and dwarves are reknowned for their endurance. Though they walk slower than most other species, dwarves can run apace, and their unfaltering steps often put them ahead at the end of a day of travel.

Like the other woodland race, the elves, dwarves are able to see in darkness, though their night vision is superior. Dwarves can actually see in total darkness, for their eyes give off a faint glow detectable to any with similar vision. One or more dwarves in a group with infravision will allow all to see.

The dwarven life cycle is simple. Born after a year in the womb, dwarves are completely helpless for almost five years before their bones harden and their musculature develops sufficiently to allow them to move about. For the next twenty to thirty years the young dwarf learns at the feet of its clan. Upon reaching maturity dwarves live another hundred to one hundred fifty years, aging gradually the entire time.

Social Structure

Almost all dwarves spend a life time outdoors providing for themselves. Their stout frames and thick bones make them sturdy in all sorts of physical endeavors, and most dwarves live for the joy of working with their hands, either being workmen, warriors, or artists of a certain sort, mostly carvers and sculptors. The fiercely individual society of the dwarves means that almost every dwarf knows how to hunt and prepare food, forage, build at least a passable shelter, and sew hides or leathers into clothing.

Though very individualistic, dwarves have very strong families or clans. Care and responsibility are shared across the clan, allowing dwarves to do the tasks to which they are best suited in ability and desire, and sharing the undesirable work across many backs and hands.

Governance among dwarves is a strange thing not well understood by outsiders. Dwarven officials are elected, but it is no contest, rather a punishment or lottery. As a rule, dwarves attempt to avoid government roles if at all possible. Nevertheless, they recognize the need, and so elect each other to terms of political servitude to the clan. Dwarven officials are simply called Clan-servants, and speak for their family in all things.

Dwarven muscles and discipline make these stout beings legendary with the bow. Dwarven bows come in two sorts, both of which have more pull that those of other species. The infamous dwarven war bow is as tall as the archer that uses it, shooting long arrows weighted at the tail to balance heavy arrow heads. For hunting and most other purposes dwarves carry their dhuka bows. Small and heavily recurved, these bows are ideal for use within the confines of the forest, being maneuverable and offering a rapid rate of fire to those trained in their use.

The love for drink and carousing that labels this species comes with the ease dwarves have living in human cities. Because their craftwork is fine and in demand dwarves need not work long hours to support themselves in human cities. As such they have much time to spend in the pursuit of enjoyment. Their apparent inability to be embarrassed provides the remainder of the facts necessary to understand the stereotype.

Ethics/Morality

Because of how heavily they value their own freedom and individuality dwarves find it inconceivable to curtail that of another, even a non-dwarf. "Whatever fills your cup," is a common dwarven saying that expresses their view of many things.

The complete moral relativism that might come from such an attitude is alleviated somewhat by the incredibly strong clan ties that dwarves possess. Each generation is ingrained with the thinking of the previous generation, and dwarves generally possess very high ideals, even if they know that they don't live up to them, and have little expectation for others to.

The rare dwarf who becomes a priest is a further expression of this attitude. Dwarves become priests in almost any religion that is not overly hierarchical (which excludes many), though they almost always bring their own vantage to things. Dwarves typically see all reasonable (in their estimation) religions/faiths as instances or manifestations of a single underlying truth, though they don't claim to have a better idea of what that truth might be that any other. Dwarven priests tend to be very eager to help others with their talents.

Language

The language of the dwarves is suitable to calling out through the deep bowers of the forest. Most words are short and gutteral, allowing them to be barked out. At the far extreme from the flowing language of the elves, the dwarven language is consonant heavy and involves many noises made in the throat.

The dwarven language does not lend itself well to song, and the dwarven physique does not lend itself to dance, but dwarves are prodigious chanters, and remember much of their history via long chants and oratories.

Homelands/Dwellings

Dwarven buildings are typically made from the logs of large trees that have been felled to make a clearing. A central area for clan meetings is surrounded by houses and other buildings that have stockades connecting them allowing the whole town to be walled off. Dwarves typically attach their shops and businesses to their homes, seeing no reason to separate them.

The inside and outside of buildings, as well as tall poles spread throughout the town, are used for the display of crafts and art, giving a homey feel.

The typical town has at least one watchtower with a huge horn in it to sound the alarm. The chances of the tower being occupied are not great unless the town has reason to expect trouble, but once the ladders are pulled up the towers make almost inaccessible places from which the dwarven archers can defend the town.

Wyrldscape is a free form play-by-post role playing game created for the enjoyment of interaction and creative writing. This compendium exists to aid those who would play in its infinite vaults. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use. All contents and information are © 2000-2003 Wyrldscape Consortium; all rights reserved.