Background:
Dwarves are one of the most abundant races upon Telandron, though not nearly so as humans. They have slightly less numbers than Elves.
The majority of Dwarves live in the mountains in the Northlands. There are smaller colonies however in the mountains dividing Kaylon and Tan Kthol, and even smaller in Zandrith. These colonies all have tentative contact with each other, and all ultimately pay allegiance to Tormgar - mountain home of the Dwarves. Where Tormgar is has not been recorded. The Dwarvish people jealously guard this secret.
Dwarves are short in stature. Over half as tall as the average human, most stand nearly 3'9". The tallest Dwarf was the legendary Duragan Grimaxe, Lord of Allathorn, who was 4'2". They therefore specialize in weapons and armour that are crafted especially for their size. "Dwarven Mail" crafted by Dwarven smiths is prized highly by Dwarves, and is very rare and expensive.
Most of a Dwarf's actions are fuelled by one of its three great loves - wealth, story-telling and battle.
A Dwarf's family is judged how powerful it is partly by its history and party by its wealth. It is therefore most young clansmen's wont to go out on quests to gain prestige for his family. The more he fills the family coffers, the more respected he will become.
A strange thing has been noted among the few scholars who have had occasion to study Dwarvish psychology. A Dwarf would be prepared to fight all day, then march all night, to obtain gold, but once that is accomplished, the Dwarf turns in on himself. He guards his newly-found wealth jealously, becoming paranoid, and even suspecting his companions. It appears to be the only flaw in an otherwise honourable character.
The second great love is story-telling. Many of the greatest Dwarven heroes are preserved in bardic legend. Heroes like Duragan Grimaxe, Forgal Darkhill, and many others have had their exploits immortalised - greatly exaggerated of course. Among Dwarves it is an art to exaggerate a story as much as possible without being suspected...
Finally, Dwarves love battles. In this sense they have been compared to other, less intelligent and evil races such as Orcs and their ilk. However Dwarves look at battle in a completely different way to Orcs. They see battle as a way to prove themselves to their companions, and to die in a worthy way. Also of course battle is a fine opportunity for the Dwarven folk to crush lesser enemies.
Dwarves have a strong magical resistance. Some of the less powerful spells do not work at all on Dwarven metabolism. For this reason there are no Dwarven magi or sorcerers, although there can be Dwarven Clerics, as a Dwarf communes with his God to channel power, using himself as a conduit rather than the base of power.
Dwarves have tremendous stamina and strength. Their size is deceptive in this case. Despite their small stature, perhaps even because of their small stature, they will always be one of the most powerful adventurers in the party.
Role-playing:
Dwarves are hardy warriors used to cold conditions. Normally gruff and short with other races and people they haven't met yet. Takes them a while to unwind and open up to people. Quite used to tradition.
Advantages - bonuses to strength and constitution.
Magical resistance.
Disadvantages - penalties to speed and agility. Cannot be magi or sorcerers.
Specialized Racial Class - Fighter.
