Dwarves of Erde
Dwarves of Lonwick
In Lonwick, dwarves are definitely second class citizens. While they are not considered slaves by any means, they are not very far past it. The vast majority of them live in the coastal mountain range between the Great Lonwick Valley, mining metals and quarrying stone, primarily gold, silver, iron, and copper. They manufacture stone blocks for use in buildings built by their architects in the valley, while they live in buildings made from lumber from their mountains. While they are not expressly prohibited from leaving the mountains, any dwarves caught traveling the roads are interrogated before it is strongly suggested that they return home.
Dwarves stand roughly three and a half to four and a half feet tall, while being generally as massive as most men, between one hundred fifty and two hundred pounds. Brown, black, or red hair is the norm, while there are occasional blonde outliers. Brown eyes are overwhelmingly the most represented, followed by green, with blue nonexistent. They are extremely skilled in both metal and stone work, but whether that is a racial quality or just the effects of their lives remains to be seen. They are prohibited from owning weaponry, in general, but they can still sometimes be found with swords that seem to be forged specifically for their kind or with large axes or warhammers. Archery and hunting do not come naturally to them, as they prefer to raise their meat themselves rather than hunt for it. Some of the livestock they manage are goats, various poultry, and deer.
Dwarves of the Northlands
North of Lonwick, in the mountainous Northlands, dwarves hold a very different position in society. As complete equals to humans, dwarves come and go as they please throughout the societies of men. Skilled craftsmen who work with metal, stone, wood, and bone, the dwarves of the North produce many of the tools and weapons used by the men of the Northlands, as well as some of the more impressive structures. Skilled at architecture and the sciences, dwarves are considered wise, shrewd, intelligent members of Northern society.
Generally standing the same height as their southern relatives, they are somewhat stockier, weighing in between two hundred and two hundred fifty pounds. Their hair ranges from brown to blonde, though red is the most heavily represented color. Brown and green eyes are both common, and their skin is as fair as that of the men they associate with. They seldom travel into Lonwick, reacting poorly to the treatment they receive at the hands of the elves there, who fail to differentiate between them and the dwarven citizens of the southern country. When armed, they tend to favor battle axes and broad bladed swords, but the occasional dwarven pike has been used to great effect. One thing that has yet to be seen, however, is a dwarf on a mount; the dwarves of the north tend to eschew riding in favor of marching or riding in horse drawn carts.
Dwarves of the Burning Sands
In the deserts east of Lonwick’s mountainous border, dwarves enjoy a bit of a prestigious position. Much like the dwarves of the Northlands, the dwarves of the desert are master architects, but where their northern cousins specialize in large, sturdy, rugged structures, the dwarves of the Burning Sands are more known for the intricate sophistication of their works. While the walls of their cities do tower above the landscape, it is under the ground that their true skills come to light. Underneath the bustling cities around the occasional oases in the desert lie expansive cities, irrigated from aqueducts from the glacier lakes of the east, and lit with the innovations from the laboratories of the alchemists.
Their complexion is significantly darker than their western cousins, ranging from a deep leather brown to a lighter tan. They exclusively have black hair and brown eyes, and though they are roughly the same height as the rest of their race, they tend towards being more slender, though still stocky by human standards. They tend to avoid combat, preferring to wait out any conflict in their underground strongholds, but when they must, they tend to carry short, curved swords and daggers. More often, though, their fighting is done by human servants and guards.