Dwarven explorer
Dwarves are a species of small and stout humanoids that dwell within the mountains of the Earth.
Description[]
Dwarfs are often described as short, stocky, yet sturdy and are fairly strong, able to wield heavy swords and shields with ease. Both male and female dwarves roughly resemble humans though dwarven women are often quite muscular.
While male dwarves were robust and typically had an abundance of facial hair, female dwarves were rather beautiful and stunning, though some were almost as robust as their male counterparts. Some female dwarves even had facial hair of their own but would style theirs in a manner different to males and a majority of them would even shave them off. A few others would tie their hair into braids and fashion them around their head and below their chin to resemble a beard.
Overview[]
Dwarves were said to have been molded by Hephaestus, the smith god, to be used as his aids within his volcanic forge. It is also said that a majority of these Dwarves came to work for other smithing deities until they decided to live independently from their masters and established long standing in kingdoms within the Earth, each with its own kings, chieftains, and armies. It is believed that in the time of the Ice Age, the Dwarves came to inhabit the vast subterranean halls of the Hollow Earth, where they acquired mastery in the art of mining and collection of gold and precious stones from the subterranean world around them.
They were principally famous for their skill in all kinds of metalwork, having a profound knowledge of minerals, the forging of magical swords and rings, including being skilled at working with them, but they were also credited with profound wisdom and secret knowledge, having power to foresee the future, assume other forms, and make themselves invisible. The average Dwarf was also variously associated with wisdom in the arts of smithing, mining, and crafting. In fact, many mythical warriors including gods have wielded items with vast mystical power that were crafted by dwarves. Due to this many of the gods have developed a level of respect for the Dwarves, even gods who embody the art of blacksmithing like Hephaestus himself have come to admire their skills in the crafting arts.
Dwarves have also been worshipped as gods themselves. While Dwarves do not seek worship from others, they do demand respect and fair payment for their services. Several human tribes were said to perform rites below the mountains where dwarves dwell as a way to appease them, for they are said to possess power to give life to the mountain or wipe entire villages off the face of the Earth.
Personality[]
Strong, hardy, and dependable, dwarves were reliable and possessed great wisdom. Dwarves valued their traditions, regardless of the sub-race they came from, and looked for inspiration from ancestral heroes. They are also blunt, crass, and straight-to-the-point which completely contrasts the personalities of elves and also part of the reason as to why the two races do not get along since elves are eloquent and polite while dwarves are crass and rude.
Dwarves were also known for their stubborn nature and cynicism, traits widespread amongst the dwarves but which contributed to and were commonly offset by their bravery and tenacity. Services rendered to them were often repaid by gifts of gold from their hoards; but those who stole their treasures either met with great misfortune thereafter or found the gold turned to dead leaves when they reached home. Payment is only given from individuals the dwarves are not familiar with but to someone they know and are genuinely fond of it is more of a favor to help a friend. Dwarves would also demand payment for their deeds, but mostly when it came to crafts that require resources outside the norm of what they usually make.
Dwarves highly valued the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarves particularly respected elders, from whom they expected sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders. This idea carried on to relations with other races and dwarves were deferential even to the elders of another, non-dwarven race.
Many legends also show dwarfs as kindly beings, generous to those who pleased them but vengeful when offended. The Swiss dwarfs, or “earth-men,” sometimes helped in agricultural work, found straying animals, and put out firewood or fruit for poor children to find. In Scandinavia and Germany also they were friendly to men, but occasionally they can be quite mischievous towards fae folk; example is where they would steal their corn and teased their livestock or maidens.
