Dwarves

There are a few widely recognized types of dwarves for historical reasons.

Mountain Dwarves are known to be very isolationist. They have low regard for many races, taking bigoted views and stereotypes to heart. This combined with homes carved into the high peaks of mountains and underground living drives them to not mix with other cultures. They deeply value their own culture and families. They believe in hierarchy and the sanctity of loyalty and authority. Dwarves are consummate craftsmen and such dedication to a craft is important within their culture.

Labor is by Hands, a Profession needs Time,Craft uses the Mind, Beauty mirrors the Heart,but for Art you must give a piece of your Soul.Art is Everlasting.

Dwarven stoneworking is the most common skill. Even if a dwarf is quite mediocre at it, they will have done that work. It is taught as basic as reading and writing. Dwarven smiths are famous, more perhaps by myth than reality. Even a plain, mediocre skilled smith can find high payout in the world, simply because they are dwarven. Mountain dwarves are known for their stonework, but there is a mystique of mastery over all things metal. The outside world will pay highly to have a dwarf in their forges, and dwarves can take commanding positions in quarries.

The dwarves have toleration for Forest Gnomes, so much so that the Gnomes commonly work for them. Gnome famas (winding and dispersed farming towns) often spread out near dwarven cities. The Gnomes farm food for the dwarves and the Gnomes receive metals, minerals, stone, and gems from dwarven mining. Living underground and in the high carved mountainsides reduces their access to foods and materials from the sunlit world.

These are the hairy dwarves of old. They braid their beards, often with beads and jewelry of their house, family, or craft. Their skin is often ash to gray or tan to brown, although some say the latter is just because they are always so dirty.

Many mountain dwarves are descendants of the kingdoms of the Iron Teeth. The Iron Teeth are a point of great pride in their history. There the dwarven kingdoms hunted and killed many of the fire dragon's nestings in the Iron Teeth mountains. There are many proud heroes and kings from these times. But the Iron Teeth is also a source of sorrow, as the wealthy dwarven kingdoms fell to greed, sickness, and madness when the kings and noble houses were struck by Dragon Sickness. This was due to false mythrall mined from the former lairs of red dragons. The Iron Teeth are now the greatest collection of dwarven tombs in the world.

Hill and Dale Dwarves are far more integrated with other cultures. They tend to be a counterweight to the predominant dwarven traits made famous by underground empires within history. They participate in village and city life as merchants, militia, politics, and social gatherings. Quick to volunteer and assist they seem to overcompensate for the fame of their unfriendly famous cousins. They rarely live underground, some even living in treetops. The giant bloodstone trees, whose outer layers must be worked as stone, are often used as buildings for dwarves. Elves see these blood-red dripping trees as an evil fed by the Underdark.

Hill and dale dwarves still excel at stonework as open-pit quarries are commonplace throughout the world. Living in the quarry is a sight, as the edges of the quarries are the carved homes of the dwarves working and living there. The homes have baroque details inside and out. The age of the home is clear by how much of the outside and inside are covered in carved patterns or inset colored stone patterns. Their craftsmen often excel at woodworking as they have open access to woods their underground cousins rarely did once their mountaintop were harvested bare. A custom that flourished in some of their communities was the shaving of the face and skull top. They would leave a thick crescent of hair around the back of the head from ear to ear. The hair might be grown long--hill and dale dwarves often have straight smooth locks, unlike others. It can also be cut to nape length or shaven short. With longer lengths, it may still follow the dwarven custom of braiding with beads, trinkets of identity, or in tight rows against the scalp.

Deep Dwarves are also known as the Duergar. These pale, ashen skinned dwarves are remnants of the original dwarves in the Iron Teeth kingdoms. In the final days, when most had fled, some dwarves instead enjoyed the madness that overtook them. They stayed amongst the empty halls and tomb cities. They eventually sank deeper into the Underdark and spread, abandoning the light of day and the sanity of the world. In the Underdark, it is said that mad whispers can be heard. The deeper you descend the louder they become. Stories say these dwarves found comfort in the madness of the Underdark's singsongs. So they left the Iron Teeth to live deeper, across the world of the Underdark.