Dwarves

[Thrym]

Dwarves

The next most common race within Markshire is the dwarf. They are your typical, gruff, self-assured types. Metal armor is the norm and they tend toward axes. There are two distinct sub-races of Dwarf. There is the Hill Dwarf which is your relatively standard dwarf. Then there is the Deep Mountain Dwarf.

Hill Dwarves:



This sub-race of dwarves is what most people are used to. They comprise nearly 80% of the dwarven population of Markshire. Their skin tones range from darkly tanned to pale Caucasian with as many hair colors as humans have. However, it’s usually hard to tell their colorations under the packs, furs, and other gear they prefer to have about them.

The Mining Clan of Cona:

Hill Dwarves tend to live in the various towns of Markshire and most notably in the town of Cona to the north where their presence has grown recently with the expansion of their mines. The Cona clan of dwarves has called in every relative in Markshire to work and manage the mines. The Cona Mines are a combination of business and penal colony since the majority of criminals in Markshire serve terms as indentured miners.

Deep Mountain Dwarves:

These dwarves are a dark complexioned (nearly black) version with dark hair colors from red to black. The Deep Mountain Dwarves call Deephold their home which is located south of Markshire. They live miles beneath the earth. They are larger than their surface dwelling brethren as well as typically a bit taller. They don’t understand the concept of personal ranged weapons as they have lived underground for most of their lives. They do understand siege equipment quite well though. Deephold has a treaty with Markshire and does considerable trade with them. The Deep Mountain Dwarves are common sights now among the populace of Markshire though they do still tend to be isolationists.

The Mitheim of Deephold:

The underground city of Deephold is surrounded by a molten lake within a pocket cavern. Within the lake are pools of molten mithril that collect near the surface of the molten stone. The Deephold dwarves will harvest this mithril and maintain it in this molten state in massive and deep cisterns around the city. Since this is the largest source of mithril known to exist, Clanlord Drokan Forgethunderer created the Mitheim of Deephold. The Mitheim are an elite group of “shock” dwarves that can and do defend the mithril cisterns. The Mitheim are trained from an early age. Many become dwarven defenders in the process. They are given every consideration and treated as heroes.

Other dwarves:

Many dwarves prefer to work with the stone they grow up around and tend to hire out as builders and excavators. Others prefer to sell the goods created by their fellows and run shoppes and caravans around Markshire.

Many notable and notorious dwarves have stood out through Markshire’s history. They include:

• Stump Toothgrinder
  
• Hrogath