Post by Trippy Hare on May 20, 2006 15:37:17 GMT -5
Dwarves at a glance, appear to be brutish, war-mongering people, obsessed with reclaiming the mountain passes from the Stygians. This is partially true, as the retaking of Doshor Irethe is high in their list of priorities, Dwarves are not nearly as combative and crude as once believed.
The average Dwarf stands about four feet to five feet tall, and weighs about 300 to 350 pounds. They are humanoid in appearance, and more closely resemble Humans than any other race, and in some cases, can pass for human. They tend to have very pronounced musculature and dense body structures, with little visible fat. This accounts for their fairly high weight-to-height ratio. They are capable of using magic, though few see it as an effective means to aid the struggle against the Stygians. Dwarves live on average 70 years, though anyone over 50 is seen as combat-ineffective.
Dwarven society has been completely retooled, as a reaction to the rout they suffered as a people during the Stygian attack and their subsequent exodus into the harsh desert environment. The primary focus of Dwarven culture prior to their exile had been the accumulation of wealth, in the form of precious metals, gems, and trade goods. Craftsmen were held in the highest regard, especially artisans.
However, the recent restructuring of Dwarven society has made them far better equipped to deal with outside aggression. Where the 'old' society depended solely on the extremely difficult to navigate terrain of their subterranean holds, the 'new' society is strongly militaristic, instilling a sense of duty at a very early age. Every individual Dwarf is raised to be an individual fighting force, able to hold its own in combat and survive the rigors of the wild without assistance, while at the same time, all Dwarves are extensively trained in unit cohesion and role specifications, to maximize the effectiveness of any Dwarven military unit.
This has earned the Dwarves a reputation for being savages, out looking to start a fight simply for the joy of fighting. In reality, Dwarven society is almost fanatically pacifist. They seek to avoid combat with almost all the races, and have indeed made a veritable fortune selling arms and armor to all sides of a conflict. The only enemy the Dwarves will actively engage is the Stygians.
This strict pacifism and neutrality creates a strange dichotomy with the harsh, military upbringing. Although strange, this dual purpose serves to make the Dwarven race as a whole incredibly formidable and enduring, while at the same time ensuring that they are not seen as such a threat as to be attacked, and thus weakened, by other kingdoms. The sum goal of this polarization is to keep the Dwarven people as fit and ready for battle as possible, for the day they storm the mountains and retake their homeland.
Dwarves seldom travel, but when they do, always travel in groups. Dwarves, generally speaking, do not mind the company of other races, so long as there is one or more dwarves to watch their back. Individual Dwarves are seen often in the Colosseum, though these are usually exiled criminals. Dwarven law does not execute criminals: those who commit the greatest crime by taking the life of another Dwarf are exiled, and since Dwarves are mistrusted by other societies- especially a lone murderer- most wind up in the Colosseum, to eke out a living doing what they know best.
The average Dwarf stands about four feet to five feet tall, and weighs about 300 to 350 pounds. They are humanoid in appearance, and more closely resemble Humans than any other race, and in some cases, can pass for human. They tend to have very pronounced musculature and dense body structures, with little visible fat. This accounts for their fairly high weight-to-height ratio. They are capable of using magic, though few see it as an effective means to aid the struggle against the Stygians. Dwarves live on average 70 years, though anyone over 50 is seen as combat-ineffective.
Dwarven society has been completely retooled, as a reaction to the rout they suffered as a people during the Stygian attack and their subsequent exodus into the harsh desert environment. The primary focus of Dwarven culture prior to their exile had been the accumulation of wealth, in the form of precious metals, gems, and trade goods. Craftsmen were held in the highest regard, especially artisans.
However, the recent restructuring of Dwarven society has made them far better equipped to deal with outside aggression. Where the 'old' society depended solely on the extremely difficult to navigate terrain of their subterranean holds, the 'new' society is strongly militaristic, instilling a sense of duty at a very early age. Every individual Dwarf is raised to be an individual fighting force, able to hold its own in combat and survive the rigors of the wild without assistance, while at the same time, all Dwarves are extensively trained in unit cohesion and role specifications, to maximize the effectiveness of any Dwarven military unit.
This has earned the Dwarves a reputation for being savages, out looking to start a fight simply for the joy of fighting. In reality, Dwarven society is almost fanatically pacifist. They seek to avoid combat with almost all the races, and have indeed made a veritable fortune selling arms and armor to all sides of a conflict. The only enemy the Dwarves will actively engage is the Stygians.
This strict pacifism and neutrality creates a strange dichotomy with the harsh, military upbringing. Although strange, this dual purpose serves to make the Dwarven race as a whole incredibly formidable and enduring, while at the same time ensuring that they are not seen as such a threat as to be attacked, and thus weakened, by other kingdoms. The sum goal of this polarization is to keep the Dwarven people as fit and ready for battle as possible, for the day they storm the mountains and retake their homeland.
Dwarves seldom travel, but when they do, always travel in groups. Dwarves, generally speaking, do not mind the company of other races, so long as there is one or more dwarves to watch their back. Individual Dwarves are seen often in the Colosseum, though these are usually exiled criminals. Dwarven law does not execute criminals: those who commit the greatest crime by taking the life of another Dwarf are exiled, and since Dwarves are mistrusted by other societies- especially a lone murderer- most wind up in the Colosseum, to eke out a living doing what they know best.