Dwarves

Dwarves
Dwarves see the original war as a result of not only excessive pride, but aggression. As their story goes, the 'Old King' brought devastation upon the Dwarven people and the world due to his pride in his own strength, and his aggressive consumption of resources and conquest of land. As the war resulting of the Old King's conquest raged and decimated the Dwarven people, five great Thanes arose from the people to correct these wrongs. These Thanes brought an end to the Dwarven involvement in the war, leading them once more underground and deep within their great holds. These Thanes came to be venerated by the Dwarven people long after their passing, elevating them to the position of Gammel Herre, or 'Old Lord'- Dwarven ancestors of such great influence that their sprits persist as Gods, welcomed into the Dwarven pantheon. Their Gods- the Gammel Herre- are....

Rolig, the Patient. He is the manifest body of 'calm', of the virtue of temperence in the face of aggression, and Dwarves call upon him when in need of restraint.

Hemmelig, the Wise. She represents wisdom, secret knowledge, and counsel. Dwarves address her when seeking to learn.

Forsvar, the Deep. He represents the depth and fortitude of the mountains, strength to weather storms and time. The Dwarven people look to him for the endurance to forge on.

Handel, the Crafty. He stands for the Dwarven adherence to strong economy, the value of trade and commerce, and the production of goods. Dwarven merchants carry icons of him in hopes of receiving his favor in their ventures.

Varme, the Smith. He represents the Dwarven proclivity for masonry and metalworking, as well as blacksmithing. No respectable Dwarven forge or smithy isn't adorned by at least one statue- if not a handcrafted iron icon- of his face.

While scarcely spoken of, there is technically one more member of the Gammel Herre. Set apart as 'Ond Herre', or 'Cursed Lord', is the Old King himself. It is considered dangerous to speak his true Dwarven name, and only those who wish to invoke him would use it. It is..

Knuse, the Conqueror. Called upon only in those most dire of times, or for the most grave of curses upon a foe. Knuse represents those vices with the Dwarves recognize as their deepest, and most dangerous- pride and violence.

Society
Dwarven society is largely divided into Clans, and the power of the Clans is decided by their relation to the Gammel Herre. The current High-Thane is the great Taergin Asger, originally Taergin Volsung. Thane of the Volsung clan.

Among the recently awakened Dwarves, Taergin is believed to be the most closely tied to the original five Thanes, some even saying his blood is that of Forsvar and Rolig, by some common relative of each. Stern, grave in resolve, and slow to anger is the High-Thane. The restoration of the world is his mind's focus, and his will to see it brought to peace and prosperity is as deep and rooted as the mountains.

Upon his selection as High-Thane, and his resolved decision to restore the scarred world above, he was named 'Asger' in place of his Clan. In the oldest dialects of the Dwarven tongue, 'Asger' means 'All-Shield', or 'Gods-Shield', and was thought the only name suitable for one who represents the whole of the Dwarven people.

THE DWARVEN ARMY.
Due to their cultural respect for patience, temperence, and clarity of mind in all things, the Dwarven Military is largely a defensive force of two wings, one tasked with guarding their holds and the other with guarding the aboveground. These wings are...

The Longtsyn, the 'Farsights'. These ram-mounted, mail-armored fighters carry light arms and patrol the lands above ground. Identifiable by their green and silver colors, and general useage of swords with no shields.

The Luksjold, the 'Deepshields'. These heavily armored, shield-toting Dwarven fighters defend the Dwarfholds at all costs, fighting with the utmost dedication and resolve. Often garbed in red and black, the traditional colors of the High-Thane, and toting a hammer as their only weapon beside their shield.

Little spoken of, and even more rarely seen, are the High-Thane's personal force. These men are not the best of the Luksjold- quite the opposite. They are the most talented fighters of the Dwarven people who were never able to be devoted to a wing of the military, due to the strength of their aggression or pride. It is the task of the High-Thane to reign them in, and direct them. They are...

The Raseri, the 'Rage'. Decked in light or heavy plate, and often toting axes, this force of Dwarven fury is never to be seen unless the High-Thane deems the battle to be of the utmost importance. These are the only members of Dwarven society given the express permission to carry images of the Old King.

On Dwarves and the Heat
As one would expect, the Dwarven people have a strong resistance to heat due to their deep dwelling and tendency towards metalwork. Culturally, however, something very different is the case. The average Dwarf household does indeed have a fire place- but rather than fire burning inside, hot coals are tended. Amongst the Dwarven people, there is a strong aversion to the idea and image of fire. For them, it symbolizes the wanton destruction of life and land of their forebear, and is often even used directly as a symbol of the Old King.

Figures of Speech
The Dwarves have very many figures of speech relevant only to them, due to their own history. Those that follow are a few key ones. 'I see fire.' A figure of speech equivilent to 'I am worried', or 'The future troubles me'. 'Herre keep watch.' This is a common farewell amongst the Dwarves in troubling times, a general request to the Gammel Herre to keep someone safe. 'Axes of the Dwarves.' A less common figure of speech than most, this is used to refer to things which do not- or should not- exist.

GREAT RELICS
The Dwarven people have only one relic of the Last War. It is a general belief amongst the people that any great works of smithing and enchantment which should represent their people ought to be crafted anew by them in the coming ages. Due to this, the only relic which remains for them is the one which they do not believe it is right to touch.

Krigkant, Edge of War
This two-handed axe is truly a marvel to witness. The entirety of it is steelwork, seemingly forged from a single, continuous piece of metal. This gives it a hefty weight, useable only by either one of great strength, or one with the physical constitution of a Dwarf. It's edge is serrated, and its head has deep gashes carved into it seemingly on purpose, for from within radiates a dim, red light cast by what feels like an eternal flame.

This is the blade of the Old King. And though none but the High-Thane and his watchful Raseri have seen the blade up close in recent years, it is said in hushed rumor that his spirit still grips its haft in anticipation of the slaughter to come.