Dwarves

2007 by CL

When the world was new and the first breath of life was taken, the elves were born. Tall and lithe, their beauty rivaled that of nature itself. Then came the sundering, the time when the self-indulgent and narcissistic were twisted and infused with the blood of the Fae. Some escaped this fate, their hearts devoid of the taint that doomed their brothers and sisters. The Keepers saw this, and in their wisdom allowed them to leave. The few that remained perished in the terrible experiments performed by a handful of deranged would-be scientists.

As the refugees poured into the hills, caves and tunnels were opened by the hand of Ruohr who had come to love the selfless elves. With a whisper he gave them a new name: Dwarves. This name honored their tall, slender bodies, and referred to the way they towered above the other creatures that shared the world.

Soon enough, the newly formed race learned the beauty of shiny things. They carefully mined the mountains, and from the ores and gems found they created beautiful things; their very doors were gilt with precious metals. To this day very few venture into the sun, but those that make it to the cities find their wares are considered rare and valuable.

On Being A Dwarf

Hidden deep in the mountains lie cities of unfathomable beauty, carved by the loving hands of the Dwarves. Curved arches, smooth walls and streets, and each building accented with gold, silver, and jewels. In the heart of each mountain there is a particularly amazing sight to behold: a park filled with trees, shrubbery, and flowers. Those gifted of Ruohr have constructed magical lights that fill the halls with sunshine, allowing the vegetation to grow normally. The soil that houses the roots is also a gift of Ruohr.

The Dwarves love organization, and have elected tribal leaders. Each tribe lives separately, each taking up three or four mountains and all the earth beneath. Often there is a space of a few miles of neutral territory throughout which there are connector tunnels, but also traps and pitfalls for the unwary usurper. The populated areas have fewer traps due to the sheer force of numbers that guard them. More than anything they wish to hide from the world, guarding their secret world as well as their own hearts from the evils beyond.

One of their most guarded secrets is that they retained their immortality after the sundering. This alone could cause another rash of crazed scientists to hunt them down and destroy them, as some elves still cannot live with what they consider ugliness. The fear of discovery is nothing compared to the fear of genocide. Aside from this looming darkness, they live long, happy lives, and most only leave their precious mountains and hills when they finally decide to leave the known world and retire to the hidden isles of the Keepers.

The Power That Is

Immortality is the main gift of these most beautiful of creatures. This does not mean they cannot die, but merely that without outside forces interfering they will continue on indefinitely. To compound this, they are immune to all diseases, including the plague created by their cousins, the elves.

Because of their chosen dwelling and the deep bond with the Keeper, dwarves are the most often chosen of Ruohr. Fully one-fourth of all dwarves have been gifted with control over the earth, the very rocks of the mountains, which explains how the delicately carved cities that they dwell in came to be. Their home, so close to the center of Nyecia's gravity, also makes them far sturdier, despite their frail builds. Knocking one down is quite a feat, and would take a powerful blow.