Dwarf

Dwarves are the most civilized of the underground races and one of the oldest humanoid peoples. They live all over the known world but gather mostly in the mountains; a few small clans are said to live on islands, though these are very rare. Wars against trolls and goblins have cut their numbers so sharply that few large clans are thought to survive.

Dwarves are short and stocky, plain-featured and dark-brown-eyed, with skin from tan through ruddy reddish-brown to black and hair of auburn, brown or black. Men and women alike grow beards, so a beard is a great mark of honor among them, and the longer the better.

Like elves they live long and have few children. By nature they are serious and industrious, with little taste for celebration unless there is strong drink to be had. They are excellent miners and smiths, with an inborn gift for mining and stonecutting and a deep love of gems and precious metals; no dwarven settlement lacks a sound forge and at least one productive mine. All dwarves speak the Dark Tongue, an ancient language shared by many subterranean races. Dwarves have infra-vision and gain +1 on saves vs CON. They name rocks and minerals correctly 95% of the time, and a successful save vs INT lets one notice stonework that is unsafe.