The Dwarf

Dwarves may have short legs, but courage in the butt.
Don't annoy the dwarves or an axe will cut.
Dwarves may have small hands, but fury drives them nuts.
Don't annoy the dwarves or you lie in blood.

(Drinking-song of the dwarves of the Anvil) In this song the dwarves may praise their temperament, but even more typical for a dwarf is their stubbornness, but now for something completely different. The hall of the mountain king Arambolosch is exactly 100 times 200 steps, the biggest height in the rounded roof in 12 steps. This mighty hall was not only cut thoughtfully out of the surrounding basalt, the whole surface was ornamented and flattened by fingerthick chisels and afterwards grinded with water, sand and leather, finally polished and ornamented with silver. To perform such a work you will need an awful lot of hands and time - exactly, the kind of stubbornness we were talking about, the one that is unique in Arkania.

Fickleness is unknown to the dwarves. They are reliable - whether as friends or enemies. Whosoever once won the friendship of a dwarf, can be quite sure of it forever, no intrigue or bad speech will let it drift apart again. But the one who becomes an enemy of a dwarf has to be very cautious. The dwarf will follow him through steppe and woodlands, through dark tunnels and across the glowing sand of the desert. And if he finally settles down to stand against the dwarf it may well be that the clan of dwarves will send an avenger.

Background

Dwarves live in the halls at home during their youth, where their mother teaches them the belief in Father Angrosch (as Ingerimm is known by the dwarves as their creator) and his mother, the earth-mother Sumu. In the age of 20 they start an apprenticeship at their father or an uncle and specialize in their craftsmanship. So they learn how use axe, hammer and crossbow, since war is part of any craftsmanship of the dwarves. By the age of 35 they are full members of the dwarfish society after a ritual called the fire baptism. Then they have the right to dig own tunnels, to get own claims or to leave the halls of home. Many dwarves, however, seek to find adventure in the outside world to "test foreign beer". On their journeys they hope to gain glory in songs or build a fundament to their personal treasure, which they will take to Ingerimm on the day of their funeral.

Dwarves are very small with a maximum of 1,4 steps, but their massive bone structure gives them a weight of a normal man.

The female dwarves are similar to the male ones, they are as robust as them, but they rarely leave the home of the clan. The beardless, blush beings are often equipped by a remarkable bust. Female dwarves are an important treasure of the clans because history shows that there are 3 times more male dwarves born than female.

Most dwarves know a lot more on minerals, ores, rocks and mining than even the specialists of the human folk. They know how to forge and how to recognize architectonical particularities of buildings - like traps or secret doors.

The role of a dwarf

Dwarves are not little human beings - only to pronounce here again. So do not try to play your dwarf as a little human warrior. Try to think like the figure, try to imagine its strangeness. Imagine how you would feel under the gleaming sun, when you do not like sunlight as such. Think about some handsome curses that you could whisper throughout the whole march. Murmur. On the other hand think about the yell of a dwarf, when he finds the perfection of nature in a vein of ore or in a perfect statue of marble. ("This must be a dwarf's work..." is the highest honour a dwarf may express).

One point is very important: Dwarves can be incredibly stubborn. Be as you are a man of compromises, but when it comes to playing a dwarf, leave him as he is, stubborn. ("No, no, no, we do it this way, the father did it like this and the grandfather did the same !") Try to bring the group of adventurers to a state of despair sometimes.

Quotes

"This is no 'subterranean passage', Mr Elf, this is a 'flatly inclined directed adit'."
"I will go alone, then..."
"By the silvern curls of my beard..."
"Ho, holla, hong - there is something wrong."

A dwarf's equipment and appearance or his talents may be found here.

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