Dwarf

Dwarves (Homo Validus) are short, stocky humanoids that typically make their homes within deep caverns.

Physiology

Dwarves typically stood between three and four feet tall. What distinguishes them most from shorter humans are their broad shoulders and short limbs relative to their body size. They tend to have pronounced noses and square jawlines. Males typically grow very long beards. Dwarves in general tend to have a lot of muscle mass for their size, suitable for their typical behavior for excavating and digging tunnels. Dwarves also have slightly larger eyes compared to other humanoids. Their eyes allow them to almost perfectly see in the dark.

Dwarves age slower than humans, reaching full maturity at age 40. Their lifespans are comparable to elves, with some of the oldest dwarves reaching age 600. It is thought that their rugged physiologies and general endurance have allowed them to fairly easily resist disease and other ailments.

Because of their general body composition, dwarves are unusually tolerant of alcohol. Prehistoric dwarves often relied on alcohol largely because it was the cleanest source of drink around, moreso than many of Subterra's underground springs due to often being contaminated with radiant ekati. Because of this, dwarves are often stereotyped as being obsessed with drinking - something which actually is not too far off from reality.

Dwarves do not have a strong affinity for magic. What comes easily for humans and elves takes far more effort for them to learn. As such, most dwarven societies tend to make use of non-magical technology. Of the uncommon dwarves that do study magic, most of them tend to specialize in earth and metal magic.

History

Dwarves are distantly related to humans, having descended from the first settlers of Khyorgan. Most dwarves trace their ancestry to the Archei Clans who were among the first dwarves to settle the Archei Mountains. While most other humanoid species preferred to stay on the surface, dwarves were fairly quick to colonize Subterra, starting off in the caves below Archei. Over time, they traveled across the world using Subterra's tunnels.

Dwarven polities

• Archei Clans
• Kalta Tribes

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