Dwarves
Appearance
Dwarves range from four to four and a half feet tall. They have a broad wide build and always appear like a muscular, walking block of stone. Their skin is fair, although may appear bronze-colored from the heat of their forges or dirt-covered from their diggings. Their hair, which is braided in the style of Bremingarders, is black, brown, or red and goes gray early in life. Dwarves have wide foreheads, broad noses, and big ears. Their eyes are always brown. Dwarven men always have beards. It is sign of their manhood and the longer the beard the better. The beard is trimmed but never cut. Dwarves live a long time by human standards, often five hundred years or more. Dwarves never willingly mate outside their race. To do so is a great shame.
Abilities
Dwarves have more physical strength than humans and have far better endurance. Some say dwarves are just stubborn and refuse to quit when others would have. This may also be true, but dwarves can withstand more attacks in battle than most. Dwarves also have a strong will and do not turn from their chosen path easily.
Dwarves are trained for battle and combat as soon as possible and are most accomplished with the axe, war hammer, or mace. In times of peace, dwarves study construction and craft skills and are expert miners and craftsmen of metal, wood, and stone. They also learn to speak Khuzel (dwarven) Thalacian, Elven, Goblin, and Orcish.
Dwarves are resistant to magic spells. A small number of dwarves have the ability to wield magic. These select few practice alchemy and rune magic. Some dwarven mages have the gift of enchantment and learn how to make magic weapons and armor.
Most dwarves prefer to live underground among the solid rock of the mountains, but some go out into the world to seek their fortune to live in cities and among men. Living underground gives most dwarves the ability to see in the dark and to smell gold and silver. Sometimes the ability turns to smelling of other metals or gems.
Dwarven greed is legendary and has been the cause of most of the tragic events in their history. Equal legendary is the dwarves hate of water and being wet. As a race of miners, this is very understandable; mine flooding is a constant thread. However, some believe the hatred goes deeper since dwarves will not travel on ships for fear of them sinking and are very miserable in the rain. Most dwarves never learn to swim.