Dwarves and Other Races

own. If the accommodations become too uncomfortable, couples can either strike out on their own as settlers, move out of the clanhold, or petition to build a home of their own in the clanhold if space permits. Children are considered a blessing in dwarven life, whether male or female, and are often called “the soul of the clan.” The dwarves’ birth rate is far lower than that of humans. While children are primarily the responsibility of their birth parents, every person in the clan is expected to play some part in their upbringing and education. By the same token, the elderly are considered to be “the memory of the clan.” Dwarves place a great deal of pride in their ancestry and heritage, and the oldest among them are looked on as living embodiments of the past. To neglect or act disrespectfully to an elderly dwarf is one of the greatest offenses anyone can make in dwarf society. Both males and females are trained in household duties, professions, and warfare. Females expecting a child are recommended to retire to their homes as the pregnancy progresses and make ready for the new arrival. They suffer no stigma for doing so, because other clan members are expected to pitch in and help perform the mother-to-be’ s duties while she ensures that the new addition to the clan is born healthy and well cared for.

The pragmatic temperament and honorable nature of dwarves serve them well in their dealings with other races and cultures. While some of their alliances have better diplomatic records than others, there are few reasonable nations with whom the dwarves cannot come to some level of agreement.

Elves: Elven and dwarven diplomatic relations are renowned for their volatile nature. The differences in mindset between the two races are vast indeed, and they have led to countless surface disagreements and misunderstandings over the years. The elven and dwarven outlooks are based in very different perspectives on life, duty, and the place of the individual in society. Dwarves are by turns frustrated, angered, and amused by the seemingly flighty ways of a race that should be among the most responsible of all, given their long lives and great magical power. Still, despite their differences, the two peoples usually end up seeing eye to eye on the most basic—and most important—issues. Like quarreling siblings, they might threaten each other with curses and insults until they run short of breath, but let an outsider threaten one, and the other will be the fi rst to jump to his defense.

Gnomes: The dwarves look on the gnomes as family— distant family, to be sure, but relations nonetheless. According to dwarven legend, the gnomes were once members of the dwarf race who separated from the larger group to devote themselves to a long-forgotten dwarven deity of magic named Garal. The deity was so pleased with the acts of his followers that he remade them to better suit his needs, changing them from dwarves to gnomes. As such, dwarves feel a mixture of affectionate bemusement at gnome inventions and culture, and a strong regard for the many virtues and outlooks the two races hold in common. Gnomes are always welcome in a dwarf stronghold, though few dwarves feel comfortable enough with the gnome way of life to return the favor for any length of time.

Goliaths: Goliaths are well regarded, striking the dwarves as gentle giants who understand the ways of Moradin, even though they might not realize it themselves. Although they choose to live on the surface world in a culture the dwarves view as primitive, goliaths are seen as kindred spirits in many ways. Dwarves frequently travel to goliath villages to trade, making the extra effort due to the affection they feel for their distant friends.

Half-Elves: The dwarves have no set opinions of halfelves, since each individual tends to reflect the culture in which he was raised. If anything, the half-elf outlook would seem more acceptable to the dwarf than either the elf or the human mind-set. In a half-elf, chaotic elven ways are tempered by the human notion of order, and short-sighted human tendencies by the long view of elven blood.

Halfl ings: Dwarves are fond of halfl ings in the same way that an older brother is fond of his awkward smaller sibling. Halfl ings have a knack for fi guring out how to fi t in and making themselves useful, both traits that dwarves prize highly. At the same time, halfl ings as a race do not hold strength in battle in high regard. Although they can fi ght, they often choose to avoid confl ict—an attitude that some dwarves mistake for an inability to fi ght rather than a lack of interest. Luckily, if the halfl ings are insulted by this patronizing attitude, they keep it to themselves. The dwarves remain blissfully pleased with the relationship between the two races, other than a vague concern about halfl ing safety and continued diplomatic offers of martial training or equipment. Half-Orcs: No dwarf has ever been well disposed toward orcs as a whole. Given both their racial enmity and the importance dwarves place on family and bloodlines, it is easy to understand the dwarven temptation to hold the sins of the parent against the child. At the same time, dwarves are tolerant and predisposed to let those who are so inclined prove themselves worthy. Half-orcs hold a similar respect for strength, simple pleasures, and martial prowess. On rare occasions, particularly worthy half-orcs have been adopted into some of the less traditional clans, proving that even the oldest of grudges can be wiped away.

Humans: Human nations vary from place to place, but what they all seem to have in common are their short cultural memories. Dwarves sometimes feel they have the most in common with humans, a group that can readily absorb nearly all the virtues of dwarven culture and value them almost equally. Humans can come closer to acting as true dwarves than any of the other races. At the same time, they can be almost elfl ike, or even as dark as the monsters that lurk in the deep places below ground. That moral and ethi-