Medieval Fantasy Races

Dwarf

Dwarves (plural of "

Dwarf

") are an ancient race of Isilendor, originating from Delvheim. The Dwarves are considered to be hardy people and highly skilled laborers. They first arrived from a distant northern land, landing at the northern reaches of the mountains. Over time, they learned to dig into the mountain and develop tools to progress their journey inwards. Delvic Dwarves created tunnels, towns and a large underground city beneath the northern mountains of Isilendor.

Delvic Dwarves are surprisingly traditional despite their innovative past. Many generations of Dwarf sat upon the Delvheim throne. The kingdom recognises people with honorariums and titles related to their skills and achievements. Some names have been deemed as insults, such as Syrus Bronzeblood, named for being third-in-line for the throne. This was a slight against his birthright. Some Delvic Dwarves are named for the time of their birth, or the land of their parents. Moonbeam or Sunflare might represent the time of day or year they were born. While Hornridge is given by their homeland, or Silverguard is their job title in the Silverguard Company.

Delvic Dwarves are primarily known for their skill in mining, masonry and blacksmithing. They build their economy on the trade of weapons, stone and gems. While growing crops on the mountains is not easy, there are skilled farming communities that work primarily with mountain livestock and hardy crops.
 

Silverguard Company

The Silverguard Company are a

Dwarf

-led group that began as tunnel-runners, carrying messages across Delvheim. Their knowledge of the tunnel systems earned them recognition and they started using their services to guide travellers, trackers, hunters and guards.
 

The Sabulo Dwarves

A tribe of dwarves originating from the Delvheim mountains. They are a nomadic tribe formed from several

Dwarf

clans. Sabulo Dwarves were primarily surface-dwellers and didn't grow as tall as the average Delvic Dwarf. They were light on their feet and darker in skin due to following the direction of the sun. These Dwarves worshipped the sun gods, Helios and Solis, and migrated across to Akasuna, Eldathren and Braitheld where the sun was hottest. They spent their winters in Akasuna, then went to Eldathren in the spring, Braitheld in spring to summer, and Delvheim from summer into the autumn.
 

Half-Dwarf

After several thousand years, Dwarves have intermingled with elves and humans. These days, it's not uncommon to find people of Isilendor with a mixture of dwarf, human and elf. A Half-Dwarf in some cases has created generations of Halfling-like beings, especially Elf-Dwarf bloodlines.

 

Dwarf

mythology, that inspires medieval fantasy, primarily comes from Scandinavian folklore. They were a species of faerie-folk that inhabited mountains and mines. Their depictions were largely of old, beared, short men though there are some stories of beautiful, mystical dwarves.
The tribes were well organised with monarchies and armies. It is believed they hoarded gold and gemstones.

 

The idea of Dwarves in modern media takes large inspiration from the old Scandinavian tales. Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons and Elder Scrolls each feature dwarven races or dwarven-like races that make their homes in the mountains.

Gimli is a famed Dwarf from Lord of the Rings, with some of his family featuring in The Hobbit. Throughout the stories the Dwarves of Middle Earth are well known for their extensive mining, treasure hoarding and mountain kingdoms.

Dungeons and Dragons feature a popular playable Dwarf race. They are also known as the Deep Folk or Stout Folk. There are different sub-races of Dwarf in the Forgotten Realms lore. These include

• Inugaakalikurit - Arctic Dwarves: Living in the icy region of the Great Glacier, these dwarves are quite different from others. They are very small, even compared to other dwarves, and were adapted for the cold, harsh landscape.
• Gold Dwarves - Also known as hill dwarves, they are known for their confidence and aloofness. They are keen warriors, trained to fight creatures that manifested from the Underdark. They have tanned skin, brown eyes and black, gray or brown hair.
• Duergar - Duergar are the dwarves of the Underdark and are considerably more brutal and tyrannical than their brethren. Years of living in the deep parts of the Underdark has turned their skin grey.
• Shield Dwarves - the most common type of dwarf found in Faerûn, Shield Dwarves are known for their warfare. They have important roles in the political scape of the land and largely found in the northern parts of the continent.
• Urdunnirin - They are a forgotten sub-species of Dwarf created by Dumathoin, the Dwarf god. Not much is known about them any longer, as they retreated into the Underdark and sightings are rare.
• Wild Dwarves - a primitive jungle dwarf race. They reside primarily in the Jungles of Faerûn. They dislike strangers and are typically gifted with magic, with many of them being druids or clerics.

Are you a Dwarf or do you have any connections to the Dwarves of Isilendor?