Appearance

Dwarves are the shortest of the humanoid species, rarely growing taller than four feet, and are thickly muscled and stocky creatures. Like humans, they vary widely in skin color, though many dwarves will tend toward darker tones from working forges. Eye color ranges as well; it is said that Ganthor used different gems to create them, giving dwarves some of the purest and most beautiful eyes in Antarsia.

Abilities

Dwarves are not particularly skilled in the ways of magic, and though the occasional mage does turn up in their populations, these are uncommon and relatively weak compared to other races. Instead, this stout people relies on physical strength and stamina, as well as craftiness with materials in order to hold their own within Antarsia. They are far stronger than any other race in terms of power-to-body ratio, and are renowned for their hardiness. This is mostly in thanks to their stature, which allows them to use fewer muscles for balance and posture as opposed to lifting and working.

Dwarves are also very nimble and efficient with their hands. The members of this species are adept at intricate crafts of stone, metal, gems, and other earthen materials. Inventions can range from weapons to fine, delicate jewelry, and dwarven-crafted materials are highly sought after in other parts of Antarsia for their endurance and high quality.

In addition to these skills, royal dwarves are stronger than their brethren, and are able to transform the base material of an earth-based object into a completely different kind (and back, if necessary). This, however, is a very slow, energy-consuming process, and is used rarely; usually only ceremonies involving the combined power of the five ruling lines warrant this display.

History

Dwarves are believed to have been crafted carefully by Ganthor, from the molten rocks deep beneath the craggy mountains of Sleibte. It was said that the god of stone gave these creatures a stout build, the strength to carry far greater than their own weight, and sturdy but nimble hands that could create things of stone and metal nearly as well as Ganthor himself.

The original dwarves he created were gifted a second set of abilities, not by the god that created them but by the goddess that saw them and fell in love with them: Lithrina. As the patron of war, she granted these first dwarves with superior strength, and the ability to change any rock-based material into other rock-based material. For example, now the Royals had the ability to change metal to gems, rocks to gold, and other such transformations.

As the dwarven population increased in number, the royals began to grow greedy, and wanted the best mining locations to themselves rather than share with other members of the Royal lines. Soon, to Lithrina' delight, a war broke loose, with five different lines fighting for claim over the place rumored to yield the largest gems and metals.

Though Lithrina originally thought that the war would not last very long at all, it tore on for months, becoming bloodier with every battle, until it seemed that the dwarves would destroy themselves from within; however, the goddess, being the patron of love as well, could not allow this adored species to die, and thus stepped in to help the dwarves reach an agreement.

From this time on, the dwarves were split into five nomadic clans, which rotated throughout the different mining areas every year. Though they did not rejoin into a large group, Lithrina made certain that strong alliances and bonds were formed between the clans, for she did not wish to risk the destruction of the dwarven species.

Though the dwarves lived in relative peace amongst themselves, after a while there came a new threat in the form of the colorfully scaled, winged beasts that called themselves dragons. These dragons became interested in the gems and shining gold that the dwarves hoarded, and, fearful of losing their stores and land to these enormous creatures, the dwarves reacted with hostility, driving the dragons away with their ntoed ferocity and strength.

Soon, the dragons had been driven back, and though the occasional raid by the winged beasts would take place, the number of attacks lessened until a grudging coexistence was formed between dwarf and dragon. The former lived in the tunnels of the mountains of Sleibte and the latter lived aboveground, favouring caverns that saw the sky. This is the way that the dwarves live even to this day, rotating through the mining sites and living in the complex network of tunnels under the peaks of the Dannedd y Ddaear and Naminoishi Mountains.