Dwarves

​Dwarves: craftsmen, warriors, children of Moradin. Dwarves were the least of the great races to be created, mere centuries before the War of Air and Fire. They make their homes in the highest mountains, and within the great Sky Pillars that hold up the dome of the sky. Dwarves are paragons of honor and duty; dying for one's lord is the greatest honor. They see the accumulation of wealth as a worth-while and admirable goal, though being stingy with one's family and friends is dishonorable.

Playing a dwarf
It's not difficult to imagine why a dwarf might leave their home and become an adventurer: treasure. But there are other reasons, such as to prove yourself or out of obligation, perhaps to someone who saved your life or that of a family member.

As a dwarf, you are almost certainly a part of a clan. That clan has a leader, and members of the clan, wherever they may be in the world, are expected to obey if their leader summons them for a war.

Classes
Dwarves, more than any other race, are renowned fighters. The mage-warriors of Quylun, the boar riders of the Nanjaengi, and perhaps most of all the Dowafu samurai, are all among the most capable fighters in Dytika.

All dwarves (more or less) worship Moradin. They are granted power through the intercession of their ancestors now in Lettheim, so dwarvish clerics and paladins can be found in any dwarven realm, and are generally regarded highly.

Among the Quylun, no hard distinction is made between mage-warriors that focus more on weapons and those that focus enough on magic to be what humans would call wizards. Those of the ruling cast, however, are expected to turn their attentions towards music. The Quylun are the finest crafters of musical instruments, and bards from all over come to play away their courts.

The nomadic Nanjaengi are unique among dwarves in that they rarely live below ground. They travel the vast tundra, usually in tribes, sometimes as individuals, and on occasion as whole clans in times of war. Barbarians, druids, and rangers can be found throughout the tundra, often furthest from the civilized mountains to the south.

The Dowafu leader is called the Doyen and was the leader of the Celestial Emperor's army before the Sky Pillar was closed. The title of Doyen is highly contested between Dowafu clan leaders, who make use of their saumrai but also hire rogue assassins. In the midst of this fighting are the many monasteries, home to monks of the radical Ginshin faith.

The lost dwarves, who wander the dwarvish and human realms, are the most likely to be warlocks.

As with all races, on rare occasion a dwarvish sorcerer is born.

History
Dwarves were crafted by Moradin near the end of the Age of Blood. At the Divine Council of Arcadia, it was decided that half of Rojopotis would be made into the sky, separated from the Ethereal Sea beyond by a massive dome. That dome was held up by four mighty pillars, and the dwarves were divided into four great kingdoms tasked with defending the pillars. One of the pillars fell to the Shadow King in the Age of Darkness and was destroyed, so now only three remain. Therefore when the Preateri empire neared the pillar in Dytika in the Ninth Age, the celestial emperor closed the entrances off. No one has entered or exited the pillar ever since, leaving the surrounding dwarven nations to rule and fend for themselves.

Dwarves were the mightiest race during the Iron Age, accumulating great wealth and building great halls that were home to the most beautiful art and music the world had ever seen. Some of that glory still remains, but it has diminished with the passing of ages.