Dwarves

Dwarves are a bold and hardy race known skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are broad and compact, known for courage and endurance/

Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are earth toned. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, can be black, grey, brown, red or even blond. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, and if slighted will be known to hold a grudge until the end of their days. They respect the traditions of their clans, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge.

Individual dwarves are determined and loyal and true to their word to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Dwarves are typically artisans, especially weaponsmiths, armorers, and jewelers. Some become mercenaries or bodyguards, highly sought after for their courage and loyalty.

Mountain and Hill Dwarves
Mountain and Hill Dwarves have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. Mountain dwarves are strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. They tend to be on the tall side (for a dwarf), and lean toward lighter coloration.

Duergar
The duergar, or gray dwarves live in cities deep in the Underdark. These vicious, stealthy slave traders raid the surface world for captives, then sell the unfortunate souls to the other races of the Underdark. They may have innate magical abilities to temporarily grow to giant size.