Dwarves

A race famous for their toughness and resilience, the dwarves are short and stocky. Male dwarves are famous for their beards and despite standing significantly shorter than most humans they possess great strength. Dwarves are not famous for their looks, however, and they are easily discomforted on less solid terrain – and usually refuse outright to set foot on any type of ship or boat. Also note that dwarves are very accustomed to low light: they can see clearly in all but complete darkness.

Origin
The dwarves are believed to have originated from a nomadic people, reaching Umarald over the frozen lands north of the Northern Wilderness about 100,000 years ago. As giants controlled the land they were forced to retreat underground where they eventually evolved into the dwarven race. The first dwarven civilization rose about 5,000 years before the Age of Steel in the Draketooth Mountains.

Body & Characteristics
Dwarves are similar to humans in appearance, but rarely reach above 130 cm in height. They have a very thick skeleton which makes them quite heavy and very sturdy. Large noses, ears and pupils are a result of a life underground where it is important to rely on other senses than sight.

Aging
Dwarves age quite slowly, reaching full maturity after about 30 years. They continue to age at such a rate, with their bodies starting to deteriorate at about 75 years of age, with life spans of over 200 years being quite common. With their high resilience very few dwarves fall prey to sickness or disease, meaning most dwarves live to a very old age.

Reproduction
As life underground can become quite cramped, dwarves have a natural low reproduction rate and both male and females are fertile between 25 and 60 years of age, a relatively short span given how old they can become. This keep the population fairly low and stable even with their very long life spans.

Age of Steel & Age of Knowledge
Famous for their loyalty and honor the dwarves are a stout race whose strong traditions resemble that of the Empire and they generally get on well with humans from similar backgrounds. Most dwarves can be found in the Dwarven Cities of Umo and the Kingdom of Thzud, each ruled by its own kings and nobles. The social hierarchy is very strict and knowing your place is a keystone in dwarven society. Families are tied to professions and both sons and daughters are expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps, increasing the skill and repute of their clan as a whole. Failing to adhere to these codes means becoming an outcast, forced to leave the city for the outside world never to return. Having lived their whole lives underground many dwarves grow mad if forced to stay too long under the sun, but then some manage just fine as proven by the clanless dwarves who founded the Republic of Danea. Having lost their king and nobles these dwarves live very different lives, but loyalty, honor and tradition are strong values to them as well.

Age of Information
Since the forming of the Union dwarven society has been profoundly changed. Gone are the priests and strict hierarchies – replaced by the engineers and managers and the prospect of a business career. Some elders argue that dwarven society has turned decadent, but most dwarves would agree that the quality of life has improved. Dwarves remain a majority within their mountain strongholds but are otherwise well integrated with human society around the Union.