Dwarves

The dwarves are an ancient, steadfast race that once occupied the entirety of Thedas’ underground. They are short and stocky compared to humans, with the males being notably wider than the females in most cases. This trait helps the females maintain their near-universal, to me at least, adorability. Unlike the other races of Thedas, they do not dream when they sleep, meaning they have no connection with the Fade, either. This also means that dwarves cannot perform magic and they are naturally resistant to it, which allows them to work with their primary export, lyrium, more than most others. Sturdy and strong, the dwarves literally carved an existence for themselves under the surface of Thedas in ancient times. Thousands of years ago, when the elves exclusively occupied the surface, the dwarves built an enormous subterranean empire that spanned the entire continent. An almost inconceivable undertaking, the dwarven empire consisted of twelve great thaigs, countless smaller cities, and a network of elaborate tunnels called Deep Roads connecting them all together and to the surface. This allowed them to trade with the ancient Tevinter Imperium, who needed the dwarves to provide them with lyrium. And then the darkspawn happened. During the First Blight, the monsters swarmed through the Deep Roads in seemingly endless numbers, catching the dwarves by surprise and forcing each thaig to isolate itself. Though the Blight eventually ended, that victory was only a reprieve for the surface of Thedas. The darkspawn live underground, always in search of a buried Old God, meaning they are a constant threat to the dwarves. As the centuries went on, the dwarves fought, and continue to fight, an endless war against the beasts. The thaigs, cut off from one another, were overwhelmed one by one. Today, only three remain: the capital city of Orzammar, Kal’Hirol, which was only recently reclaimed from the darkspawn, and Kal-Sharok, long thought by the rest of the dwarves to have been destroyed. The rest have all been overrun.

As a people, dwarves are rightfully proud of their history and many abide by traditions that date back thousands of years. Time-honored beliefs hold that the dwarves were birthed from the Stone herself and leaving her embrace is enough to have you completely erased from their history. Most dwarves remain in their subterranean thaigs and go their entire lives without seeing the sky. Though they fall short of treating the Stone like a true deity akin to the Maker, they do respect and honor her and the gifts she has given them. They also idolize the most noteworthy of their own people, called Paragons, as ideals to aspire to. Dwarven society is split into a rigid caste system that grants extremely limited chances for advancement. At the top are the royalty and the nobles. The middle consists or the Artisan, Merchant, Miner, Smith and Warrior castes. Then there are the members of the Servant caste, who occupy various menial, but still respected, positions. Finally, at the very bottom are the casteless, who are descended from criminals, rabble-rousers or other troublemakers and are given a facial tattoo in order to identify them. Quite different from the purpose of my own people’s face tattoos. Many casteless, with no other options, turn to the Carta, an organized crime operation, for opportunities. Adjacent to the casteless are surface dwarves, like my friend and renowned author Varric Tethras, those who have left their home and customs behind for whatever reason. Though their history has been filled with struggle and strife, recent victories have brightened the potential futures of all dwarves. Their resilience is well-documented at this point and though they may never reclaim their full glory, they will stand as strong as the Stone that birthed them and endure.