Dwarves

Dwarves are the second longest lived of the humanoid races, only outlived by the elves. They primarily live in the vast mountains of Duergar which span across the western side of Anorien. The surface dwarves of Duergar have long been ruled by The Iron King, a moniker passed down from generation to generation, along with the iconic iron mask. However, in recent times, due to the slaying of the most recent Iron King, and, the disbandment of the iron council, the surface dwarves have been without central and meaningful leadership.

Physiology

Dwarves have a similar rate of living to the gnomes, reaching adulthood by the age of 40. They naturally live for centuries, the oldest of which reach almost 500 years of age. Dwarves are about a head shorter than humans, but, weigh roughly the same, due to their natural stoutness.

The Story of Creation

The dwarves believe that the known world was originally created by Torag as a fortress in the battle against Rovagug. Though Torag shares a mutual opposition to Rovagug, his followers rarely worship gods outside of the dwarvish pantheon. The dwarvish pantheon consists of: Torag, Folgrit, Torag’s siblings Angradd, Magrim and Dranngvit, and, the children of Torag and Folgrit, Bolka, Grundrinnar, Kols and Trudd.

According to dwarvish lore, Torag cast the original dwarven bodies out of the hewed stones of the darklands. Magrim then sheparded the souls that Folgrit birthed and nurtured to the lifeless husks. Angradd, then, filled each dwarvish belly with molten fire, giving dwarves their renowned courage and determination.

Quest to the Surface

According to dwarvish lore, they were the original denizens of “Di Xunderlor”, otherwise referred to as “The Darklands” or “The Underdark”. The first surface dwelling dwarves were led out of the Underdark by the self-acclaimed prophet of Torag known only by the moniker of “The Iron King”. This quest to the surface led to a massive societal upheaval between the dwarves. The three main sides of the long spanning civil war were the Angda of the north, the Wyrgda of the south, and, the Duerra of the west.

The war would end with The First Sundering, when, in a display of great might, the Iron King split the Duergar mountain range into three, creating the great divide of Au Sabrak, and, stranding the Duerra into the western sea. The surface dwarves, whose complexions turned fairer, united under the flag of the Iron King, and, took up the title of the Dawi. Those that remained under the surface, dubbed the old Duergar, retained their dark complexion.

The Second Sundering

As history goes, the surface dwarves found that they weren’t alone on the surface. The war between the elves and dwarves lasted for centuries, until a ceasefire was called, following The Second Sundering. (See The Song of Stone and Stars)