Dwarves are dour, proud, taciturn, and markedly inflexible. They hold grudges and lust after gold. Dwarves have a deepseated, morbid dislike and mistrust of all strangers, nondwarves in particular. More than simply wanting to greedily amass all the wealth they can, which is the common human and halfling view of dwarves, the Deep Folk love worked beauty. They prefer beauty through skill, somehow improving on nature, rather than the beauty of nature "as is," the beauty prized by "lazy" elves.
Dwarves are also a devout folk, a race that looks often to its gods who, in turn, serve their steadfast worshippers diligently. Dwarven traits such as grim defiance and greed are not implanted or forced upon the dwarves by their deities, but are things inherent in a dwarf that the gods recognise and play upon.
Dwarves are usually pessimists, as is revealed by their common sayings "every fair sky hides a lurking cloud" and "the gold you have yet to win gleams the brightest". As such they always prepare for the worst, preparing back-up weapons, food caches, escape routes, and 'booby traps' for potential enemies.
Some even see the hand of fate as a real, powerful force that acts upon their lives. Some dwarves have been known to feel their own deaths approach. Others have glimpsed tantalising images of important scenes in their lives to come. These images are given, it is said, by the gods, to ensure that each dwarf knows when an encounter, decision, or deed is especially important to the Folk as a whole, so he might act accordingly. These fateful images make the dwarves respectful and obedient to the gods, willing to obey their laws and rules.
Dwarves therefore tend to keep their word, whatever the cost. By way of example, the village of Maskyr's Eye, in the Vast, is named for a wizard who asked the dwarven king Tuir for land. The king, not wanting to give up any land to humans, but also not wanting to face the attacks of an angered wizard, said the land would be Maskyr's only if the wizard plucked out his right eye on the spot, and gave it to Tuir. Maskyr, to the astonishment of the court, did so, and Tuir then respectfully kept his end of the bargain.
The dwarves have always had close relations with gnomes, and workable relations with ha!flings. They have always harboured a special hatred for ores and other goblin-kin, and they have never gotten along with their own deep-dwelling kin, the duergar.
The deep religious beliefs of the dwarves - that their gods are real beings who will aid them if they have performed acceptably, and who want them to do thus and so - are not dealt with in this chapter. For religious topics, see instead The Gods of the Dwarves and The Priests of the Dwarves. Rather, we look here at things that most dwarves believe to be true about life and Daerun, whether these beliefs are true or not.
All giants, orcs, and halflings are liars.
Humans and ores both mate constantly, whenever they have opportunity and with any partner. That's why they are so numerous, where we are so few.
Elves secretly lust after beautiful things fashioned of metal as much as dwarves do. They only pretend they don't, so as to get the best price - or opportunity to steal - such things in their dealings with other races.
Elves can steal magic out. of items simply by touching them.
Humans can tarnish some metals merely by touching them.
Drinking the blood of a dragon heals wounds, banishes disease and poison, and may add a year or four to a dwarf's life. Hot dragon blood, freshly taken from the dragon, is best.
Somewhere deep beneath the earth is a river of pure, molten gold. Those dwarves who find the River of Gold can simply dip out all they can carry, but they must use stone containers, for the molten gold is so hot it will melt all other metals. The river is dangerous; it seems to take dwarven lives in payment if too much gold is taken. It will never be found in the same deep caverns twice, but must be hunted anew in the deepest and most remote delves and cracks.
Some dragons excrete gems, and these fall about the dragon's lair and the terrain under which the dragon flies. The gems can usually be found on mountain pinnacles.
To call someone a 'longbeard' means that he or she is wise, experienced, a dependable veteran, and is a compliment. To call someone a 'no-beard' or 'shorthair' is an insult. All dwarves grow beards, male and female, but some dwarves, usually females, shave.
To call a dwarf 'little' or 'human' (or to combine the two, as in 'little man') is to issue a nasty insult. Conversely, 'standing tall,' as in 'You stand tall among us, Thorgar,' is a term of admiration and respect. Strangely, the actual height of a dwarf does not influence his or her treatment by, and relationships with, other dwarves in any way.
A dwarf may introduce himself to a stranger of another race, as 'Narnden, of the dwarves.' If Narnden is his real name, this is only a subtle insult, reflecting that the dwarf doesn't trust the stranger well enough to give his clan (last) name. If the stranger is a dwarf, it is an unfriendly greeting. If the dwarf gives the name 'Narnden' falsely, it is meant as an insult.
Dwarves have many customs that appear strange to humans. Those immediately apparent to any visitor to dwarven habitations is that dwarves prefer to live underground or, if aboveground, they prefer dark, massive stone structures that mimic conditions underground. Dwarves seem to hate and fear the sea. Dwarves also speak as little as possible, and tend to be surly or sarcastic. Dwarves tend to like games even gambling, of all sorts. They enjoy rhythmic drumming in music, disliking flutes and other wind instruments. Dwarves enjoy dancing, either among themselves or watching others when in human dominated communities.
Dwarves are also a devout folk, a race that looks often to its gods who, in turn, serve their steadfast worshippers diligently. Dwarven traits such as grim defiance and greed are not implanted or forced upon the dwarves by their deities, but are things inherent in a dwarf that the gods recognise and play upon.
Dwarves are usually pessimists, as is revealed by their common sayings "every fair sky hides a lurking cloud" and "the gold you have yet to win gleams the brightest". As such they always prepare for the worst, preparing back-up weapons, food caches, escape routes, and 'booby traps' for potential enemies.
Some even see the hand of fate as a real, powerful force that acts upon their lives. Some dwarves have been known to feel their own deaths approach. Others have glimpsed tantalising images of important scenes in their lives to come. These images are given, it is said, by the gods, to ensure that each dwarf knows when an encounter, decision, or deed is especially important to the Folk as a whole, so he might act accordingly. These fateful images make the dwarves respectful and obedient to the gods, willing to obey their laws and rules.
Dwarves therefore tend to keep their word, whatever the cost. By way of example, the village of Maskyr's Eye, in the Vast, is named for a wizard who asked the dwarven king Tuir for land. The king, not wanting to give up any land to humans, but also not wanting to face the attacks of an angered wizard, said the land would be Maskyr's only if the wizard plucked out his right eye on the spot, and gave it to Tuir. Maskyr, to the astonishment of the court, did so, and Tuir then respectfully kept his end of the bargain.
The dwarves have always had close relations with gnomes, and workable relations with ha!flings. They have always harboured a special hatred for ores and other goblin-kin, and they have never gotten along with their own deep-dwelling kin, the duergar.
The deep religious beliefs of the dwarves - that their gods are real beings who will aid them if they have performed acceptably, and who want them to do thus and so - are not dealt with in this chapter. For religious topics, see instead The Gods of the Dwarves and The Priests of the Dwarves. Rather, we look here at things that most dwarves believe to be true about life and Daerun, whether these beliefs are true or not.
All giants, orcs, and halflings are liars.
Humans and ores both mate constantly, whenever they have opportunity and with any partner. That's why they are so numerous, where we are so few.
Elves secretly lust after beautiful things fashioned of metal as much as dwarves do. They only pretend they don't, so as to get the best price - or opportunity to steal - such things in their dealings with other races.
Elves can steal magic out. of items simply by touching them.
Humans can tarnish some metals merely by touching them.
Drinking the blood of a dragon heals wounds, banishes disease and poison, and may add a year or four to a dwarf's life. Hot dragon blood, freshly taken from the dragon, is best.
Somewhere deep beneath the earth is a river of pure, molten gold. Those dwarves who find the River of Gold can simply dip out all they can carry, but they must use stone containers, for the molten gold is so hot it will melt all other metals. The river is dangerous; it seems to take dwarven lives in payment if too much gold is taken. It will never be found in the same deep caverns twice, but must be hunted anew in the deepest and most remote delves and cracks.
Some dragons excrete gems, and these fall about the dragon's lair and the terrain under which the dragon flies. The gems can usually be found on mountain pinnacles.
To call someone a 'longbeard' means that he or she is wise, experienced, a dependable veteran, and is a compliment. To call someone a 'no-beard' or 'shorthair' is an insult. All dwarves grow beards, male and female, but some dwarves, usually females, shave.
To call a dwarf 'little' or 'human' (or to combine the two, as in 'little man') is to issue a nasty insult. Conversely, 'standing tall,' as in 'You stand tall among us, Thorgar,' is a term of admiration and respect. Strangely, the actual height of a dwarf does not influence his or her treatment by, and relationships with, other dwarves in any way.
A dwarf may introduce himself to a stranger of another race, as 'Narnden, of the dwarves.' If Narnden is his real name, this is only a subtle insult, reflecting that the dwarf doesn't trust the stranger well enough to give his clan (last) name. If the stranger is a dwarf, it is an unfriendly greeting. If the dwarf gives the name 'Narnden' falsely, it is meant as an insult.
Dwarves have many customs that appear strange to humans. Those immediately apparent to any visitor to dwarven habitations is that dwarves prefer to live underground or, if aboveground, they prefer dark, massive stone structures that mimic conditions underground. Dwarves seem to hate and fear the sea. Dwarves also speak as little as possible, and tend to be surly or sarcastic. Dwarves tend to like games even gambling, of all sorts. They enjoy rhythmic drumming in music, disliking flutes and other wind instruments. Dwarves enjoy dancing, either among themselves or watching others when in human dominated communities.