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Description
The character above was created via Hero Forge found here: www.heroforge.com

The information below is a world-building exercise for me and is not part of any existing franchises or universes.
Part of Erodas stems from a sort of head-canon universe centered around my own Isekai hero (not me, at all, to be clear) and will never see any sort of literature release outside of these independent bios.

This is but one of the different races involved in the universe.

Updated 6-25-2023 - Added lore on Dwarven Creation Myth and family structure.

Edit - 11-1-2023: Added James's Notes.

...

The Dwarves of Isekaido
Considered the second most populous species in the world behind humans, dwarves are some of the heartiest and bravest of the races. However despite their being the second most populous, they're strangely one of the rarer seen as most of the dwarves keep to their underground cities, preferring a life underground where well over half their populations toil away mining and smithing precious metals and gems, with dwarves being some of the finest miners, blacksmiths, jewelers, and gem cutters in the world. Their cities are almost always built into the mountains with usually only the entrances to their cites being the only source of natural light from the outside. As such its not uncommon for Dwarves to get day and night cycles mixed up as many a Dwarven business is open all day every day with multiple work shifts scheduled throughout the day in reflection of the Dwarven work ethic. An often overlooked specialty of the Dwarves, at least by outsiders, are their stonemasons, with beautiful and elegantly chiseled halls and buildings. Dwarves are the most industrious of the other nations, producing streamlined smelting processes that mostly require oversight but seldom direct intervention unless something has gone wrong.

Physically, Dwarves are no different from their counterparts in most other fantasy worlds (examples being Tolkien's Middle Earth and WarCraft's Azeroth), being short, often stout people with some finely kept beards, long but not immortal lifespans, typically living on average around three-to-five-hundred years. Dwarves hold no prejudice when it comes to gender, with men and women having equal opportunities to work and trade. It is often said that the only difference between a Dwarf man and Dwarf woman are their chins (Dwarf women have no facial hair), chests, and what they have between their legs, as Dwarf men and women are generally just as strong as one another in terms of build. As such there is an equality of opportunity between the sexes, yet despite this, Dwarf women often choose more domestic roles in Dwarven society as opposed to the more labor intensive jobs of mining and smithing. That all being said, there are some Dwarven cities ruled by Queens.

Dwarves are typically monarchal in their choice of government, with a hereditary King or Queen ruling over their cities. Their cities are often so large and so vast that they're essentially city-states of their own and usually autonomous, without need to trade but often do as a means of interacting with other races and nations. In some cases, Dwarven cities run straight through from one side of a mountain to the other side, often forming great underground highways that allow travelers a quick and safer passage through the mountains rather than going around. However, the Dwarves sometimes have to block up these passages depending on the diplomatic relations twixt whatever two nations they end up bridging. However sometimes these nation spanning dwarven cities end up acting as the neutral ground for diplomatic meetings between surface nations.

Dwarves are quite welcoming and warm towards most other races, including elves and many an elven business has flourished within a Dwarven city. The most popular non-dwarven run business though is often Elf run Hostess Clubs where often scantily clad Elvish women tend bar and flirt with their patrons. Dwarven society generally frowns on prostitution though. Where prostitution is legal though, it's usually nationalized, with state run brothels being run but this is rare. Non-Dwarves though do have fewer rights within most cities compared to full blooded dwarves, although the difference is minimal and mostly non-intrusive on the day-to-day life of non-dwarves. Dwarves are typically given first crack at jobs over non-Dwarves but that's generally the most egregious of differences. Dwarven beer halls are often huge chambers and buildings built into the mountains, welcoming large crowds of dwarves and other patrons, often at the end of a long shift, treating patrons to roaring fires, malt beer, and red meat off the bone. It is a hospitality shown to many a visitor and resident alike.

Socially, Dwarves are typically monogamist but polygamist marriages have been known to happen. Dwarves put a strong social importance on family, which can lead to bitter but seldom deadly rivalries. One example of this strong family unity is how they don't recognize the term "in-law." Families joined by marriage are recognized as fully part of one family. For instance a pair of brother-in-laws would call and consider each other a brother, not a brother-in-law. Families still are recognized by their surnames and lineage but their sense of brotherhood often overrides such distance. Controversially dwarves are also more prone to incestuous relationships, partly owed to various interpretations of the Dwarven creation myth where Thrui, the forefather of the dwarven race, is said to have married his sister and propagated the dwarven race with her, but this myth has several variations. Regardless, the dwarves typically are more accepting of such pairings yet even then such a pairing is exceptionally rare and there are typically no laws forbidding it.

Militarily, the Dwarves are often considered the most creative and the most industrious, capable of fielding massive armies nearly thirty-to-fifty thousand strong on average. Contrary to popular belief, Dwarves only built catapults for if they need to lay siege to a surface city which is exceedingly rare. They actually specialize in ballista's in terms of siege weapons. This is largely due to the fact that they need to be able to use the larger siege weapon in somewhat narrow caves and caverns where a catapult would be an ill choice. Like many a fantasy stereotype, Dwarves favor the axe as their weapon of choice, with a single axe often being passed down from generation to generation. These axes are largely ceremonial though. But Dwarves will also use war hammers, mauls, swords, and spears in addition to axes. They don't, however, often use throwing axes, viewing it as a waste of valuable steel to use throwing axes on the battlefield. Throwing axes are mostly used for sport but some soldiers will carry throwing axes anyway. The ranged weapon of choice for Dwarves are crossbows, being the first race to have invented the bolt throwers. They have rigged many crossbows though to fire full sized arrows, usually for range. Dwarven ingenuity has also led to the invention of the first automatic weapon, a crank fired crossbow weapon capable of firing one bolt a second from a magazine of bolts. Dwarven mages and wizards are fairly common as well, with mages often finding work in the mines as "Blasting Mages" who cast carefully targeted explosion spells to clear away and blast open parts of the mines. Militarily these same spells are put to use. Fire and earth magics are the most popularly chosen among the dwarves, mostly because they are most effective in the underground work and in more utilitarian functions such as during blacksmithing. In terms of cavalry, the Dwarves typically prefer large "Dwarven Rams" a breed of larger than average of rams which are their primary "warhorse." In addition to these special rams, the Dwarves also use large battle wagons as part of their cavalry. Battle Wagons are essentially chariots but with enough room for two-to-three dwarves or humans, to ride on.

While Dwarves only use catapults for surface sieges, when they do use a catapult, they field arguably the most advanced catapults ever designed. The Dwarven Catapult has a longer range than most other catapults, allowing Dwarven armies to fling boulders, building debris, flaming stones, and more quite a long distance, typically well beyond the range of most trebuchets. The Dwarven Catapult can also be loaded with a hollowed out metal sphere, inside which four to six elite Dwarven Berserkers (Elite Dwarven Warriors) can be carried in and then launched over the walls of an enemy's fortifications to allow the dwarves inside to attack enemy forces directly and sabotage their defenses. This tactic has proven fatal for many an opposing force, especially when the Dwarves coordinate the launches, hurtling dozens upon dozens of Dwarves behind enemy lines. This has earned the Dwarven Catapult the nickname of "The Dwarf Tosser" by many including the Dwarves themselves.

Dwarves seldom fight among one another on a national scale. Brawls are common though but usually are friendly scrums, with wrestling matches and even Dwarven Sumo (predominantly within the Island Empire of Nipponatto) being a popular sport. The biggest threat to the Dwarves though are the underground Daemons and monsters that they occasionally run into during their digs. Daemonsters, monsters that were bred by the Daemons as twisted bloodthirsty alternatives to the friendlier monster races, are often found seeking refuge underground. As such Dwarves often end up waging underground wars against Daemonsters. Their most common foes are D-Goblins (A twisted and more violent subspecies of the standard surface dwelling goblins), Uruks, and trolls with occasional gargoyle swarms and even dragons being found beneath the earth. Some Dwarven cities have even been lost to Daemonster infestations. Generally these abandoned cities are blocked off by the survivors with warnings posted outside the main gates. Survivors and other dwarven holds will sometimes mount efforts to reclaim and/or resettle their lost holds, often times with the backing of other dwarven holds and sometimes with the backing of surface human nations. The human nations often benefit from such actions as not only do they become entitled to a substantial financial reward, but it also eliminates the threat of potential daemonster breeding grounds within their territories.

Dwarven city-states are often the wealthiest compared to other nations of the other races. The only human nations to come close to matching even the poorest Dwarven city is the Kingdom of Erodas due to its own mines. Yet Erodas still is relatively poor compared to the average Dwarven Nation. Every Dwarf Nation has a state jewel, usually the most frequently found jewel in their mines. The most coveted of dwarven materials is mythril, the strongest metal in the world, very lightweight but comparable to diamonds in strength. An army kitted out with mythril armor and weapons are nigh unstoppable but due to the metal's rarity and difficulty in shaping into weapons and clothing, its value is extraordinary. The crowns and diadems of most Dwarven Kingdoms are often made of mythril, making them the most expensive and most valuable crowns in the world.

Dwarven nations often have very good relations with most surface nations, maintaining a neutral stance between rival nations but trading freely with all. Most surface nations have at least one or more Dwarven nations within their borders. Border friction is seldom ever an issue since the Dwarves mostly lay claim to all that rests under the mountains. Dwarves are often looked to as the financiers of the world and many a human nation will approach the Dwarves for loans or financial aid. Typically this is only done during times of economic hardship or in the preludes to war between human nations. Dwarves often will host an embassy to the human Kingdom they are closest to within their cities.

In terms of religion, the Dwarves are mostly monotheistic, worshiping Thrui, the forefather of the Dwarves in a form of ancestor worship, although some Dwarves worship the old Wold religion and the Church of the Holy Light usually has at least one church located within most Dwarven cities. Dwarves cremate their dead save for those of their royal families which they bury in great and elaborate tombs within their cities. The Dwarven pantheon largely focuses on Thrui, the forefather of the Dwarves. Their creation myth states that Thrui was a titan god who grew tired of life in the heavenly realms above the world, and came down to the world to find a new home. He tried mountains, beaches, valleys, the ocean, and more but none suited him. One day he found a hole at the foot a great mountain and upon looking inside, found it sparkling with golden ore and shimmering jewels, the materials he could use to craft great gifts for his fellow titans. However he could not fit in this hole in the earth in his own natural size, so he shrank himself down small enough to pass through the opening of the hole, becoming the first dwarf. Another myth talks about how Thrui would return to the Titan realm with a few of the golden treasures he'd forged in his home, offering to create a golden statue for the first titan goddess to walk through the door to his mountain home and consent to marry him. To his mixed dismay and delight however, the first titan goddess to walk through the door was his own sister. From there the story changes depending on the hold, with some variations saying that Thrui married his sister and that she is thus the mother of all dwarves, while other versions say she gracefully only came to aid her brother and that the second goddess to enter Thrui's mountain, Duria, married Thrui to be the mother of all dwarves. There is no consensus as to which is true, and some versions suggest that both are true and that Thrui married both his sister and Duria. Some dwarves cite the latter version as a justification for incestuious and/or polygamous marriages within dwarven holds.

Dwarves are unafraid of settling in volcanoes either, in fact they often prefer it as it grants them access to raw molten ore, allowing them to craft rare obsidian weaponry and jewelry as well as some of the purist metals they can. Volcanic settlements also tend to have the most fertile farmlands. Few ever think about Dwarven farms, but in truth, the Dwarves have long known how to build underground farms, utilizing hydroponics for the most part, but for sunlight, they use sunlight infused lacrimas referred to as sunstones, which they mount in the ceilings of their farm chambers to provide sunlight to their crops.

Dwarves sometimes will opt for the adventurer's lifestyle, embarking on quests for fame and/or fortune. Dwarven mercenaries, often called companies, are usually available for hire as well, with Dwarven Companies ranging in size from roughly a dozen to a hundred but rarely more than that.

In terms of interracial compatibility, Dwarves are compatible with most other humanoid races so interracial relationships are not viewed negatively or with any social stigma. Some Dwarf cities have even been ruled by such crossbreeds. There does exist a rare anomaly among Dwarven crossbreeds. Dwarf-kiin (Elf/Dwarf hybrids) specifically. They typically are around four to five feet in height, a middle-ground between the average Elf and Dwarven height and often have their Dwarf-parent's skin tones and their elf-parent's hair color. Like with Human-kiin, they have sharper senses than dwarves but duller than elves. However, among Dwarf-kiin, some exhibit an unusual form of gigantism. Some Dwarf-kiin, instead of having the average height of their parents, instead grow larger than their Elf-parent, growing to around anywhere between eight to ten feet tall. This gigantism isn't known to have any harmful effects as giant dwarf-kiin merely prove to be taller than average while possessing greater than average physical strength. Dwarven and Elven societies have not been known to discriminate against giant dwarf-kiin, and in some cases actually give preferential treatment since giant dwarf-kiin are so rare and typically prove to be several times stronger than the average dwarf. Some more spiritual or religious dwarves believe this may be some kind of reference to the origins of the Dwarven race, believing that they were originally giants who shrank in size as they came to dwell in the mountains. It is rare for these gigantic Dwarf-kiin to appear, typically only 1 in 20 Dwarf-kiin born will have this oddity. The Dwarves have referred to these giants as Titiins (a portmanteau of the word Titan and the Dwarven word "kiin" which is their spelling of the word "Kin").

In terms of language, the Dwarves have a unifying language similar to real-world Gaelic but is closer in similarity to the real world Manx language. This language is known commonly as Pure Dwarvish. Scottish and Irish similar dialects have also appeared in various Dwarven holds. Most Dwarves though learn the languages of the human (or Elvish) Kingdoms closest to their homes so as to enable trade more easily, and some Dwarven dialects have formed to incorporate parts of these languages with Dwarvish. Pure Dwarvish though is generally the same across the continent.

James's Notes: "If ever you want a warm welcome, the dwarves will provide it to you. They're a hearty and merry folk. Honestly if you've ever seen the Hobbit films, I wonder if perhaps Peter Jackson visited Isekaido to help him understand how he wanted dwarves portrayed because damn they're almost identical in terms of personality. When I finally got to meet my third wife Bea's family in her home of Dun Khazon, the gathering of her kin was a merry gathering indeed. Hearty songs, a feast for the ages, abysmal table manners, raucous laughter, and ale a plenty. Afterwards as things got more subdued, the warmth of her family shown through even more. And they showed no prejudice towards 'tall folk' either. To them family was family, no matter the shape and especially no matter the size. I did however get a private and serious discussion with her great uncle, her family patriarch, making sure I took good care of Bea, threatening to sever my kneecaps and grind them into mulch if I ever broke her heart. He even said he'd be willing to die trying knowing the vast power gap between the two of us but my reassurances were enough to earn a warm pat on the back and a hearty smile.

There are three Dwarven holds within Erodas, one to the north of the Capitol City called Khazumal, a highway city that cuts right through the mountain and exits into Crimonia on the other side. Travelers can pay a small passage fee to pass through but it's typically a day's journey to the other side. However they forbid armies from passing through. None have tried since relations between Erodas, Crimonia, and Melromarc are good but that's still a rule they enforce. Doesn't really come up unless on official state business but still, can't say as I blame them since they want to maintain a strong neutrality between the human nations. Another hold is to the south of Erodas City and is just within the Viras Provence on the western slopes of Erodas's southern mountain range. Loch Vidor is it's name and it borders a rather scenic lake fed by a waterfall from the mountains and flows out to sea. The third was technically in Illicia's territory, Dun Khazon, but is now within Erodas's territory since the annexation of Illicia. In having spoken with the King of Dun Khazon, it seems there was much relief and some celebrating when Erodas took the territory. Illicia weren't very good neighbors it seems and they've been enjoying the relaxed trade with Erodas.

The Dwarves I've met don't seem to have any issues with Erodas or with whatever neighboring kingdoms. They have some minor frustrations with the Sorcerer Kingdom and the mountains that surround them, but only because they're a bit worried that attempting to establish a mine within those mountains is a risky proposition. I don't think Nazerick has made any overtures for or against the dwarves in either case. The dwarves themselves are only erring on the side of caution."

Description
The character above was created via Hero Forge found here: www.heroforge.com

The information below is a world-building exercise for me and is not part of any existing franchises or universes.
Part of Erodas stems from a sort of head-canon universe centered around my own Isekai hero (not me, at all, to be clear) and will never see any sort of literature release outside of these independent bios.

This is but one of the different races involved in the universe.

Updated 6-25-2023 - Added lore on Dwarven Creation Myth and family structure.

Edit - 11-1-2023: Added James's Notes.

...

The Dwarves of Isekaido
Considered the second most populous species in the world behind humans, dwarves are some of the heartiest and bravest of the races. However despite their being the second most populous, they're strangely one of the rarer seen as most of the dwarves keep to their underground cities, preferring a life underground where well over half their populations toil away mining and smithing precious metals and gems, with dwarves being some of the finest miners, blacksmiths, jewelers, and gem cutters in the world. Their cities are almost always built into the mountains with usually only the entrances to their cites being the only source of natural light from the outside. As such its not uncommon for Dwarves to get day and night cycles mixed up as many a Dwarven business is open all day every day with multiple work shifts scheduled throughout the day in reflection of the Dwarven work ethic. An often overlooked specialty of the Dwarves, at least by outsiders, are their stonemasons, with beautiful and elegantly chiseled halls and buildings. Dwarves are the most industrious of the other nations, producing streamlined smelting processes that mostly require oversight but seldom direct intervention unless something has gone wrong.

Physically, Dwarves are no different from their counterparts in most other fantasy worlds (examples being Tolkien's Middle Earth and WarCraft's Azeroth), being short, often stout people with some finely kept beards, long but not immortal lifespans, typically living on average around three-to-five-hundred years. Dwarves hold no prejudice when it comes to gender, with men and women having equal opportunities to work and trade. It is often said that the only difference between a Dwarf man and Dwarf woman are their chins (Dwarf women have no facial hair), chests, and what they have between their legs, as Dwarf men and women are generally just as strong as one another in terms of build. As such there is an equality of opportunity between the sexes, yet despite this, Dwarf women often choose more domestic roles in Dwarven society as opposed to the more labor intensive jobs of mining and smithing. That all being said, there are some Dwarven cities ruled by Queens.

Dwarves are typically monarchal in their choice of government, with a hereditary King or Queen ruling over their cities. Their cities are often so large and so vast that they're essentially city-states of their own and usually autonomous, without need to trade but often do as a means of interacting with other races and nations. In some cases, Dwarven cities run straight through from one side of a mountain to the other side, often forming great underground highways that allow travelers a quick and safer passage through the mountains rather than going around. However, the Dwarves sometimes have to block up these passages depending on the diplomatic relations twixt whatever two nations they end up bridging. However sometimes these nation spanning dwarven cities end up acting as the neutral ground for diplomatic meetings between surface nations.

Dwarves are quite welcoming and warm towards most other races, including elves and many an elven business has flourished within a Dwarven city. The most popular non-dwarven run business though is often Elf run Hostess Clubs where often scantily clad Elvish women tend bar and flirt with their patrons. Dwarven society generally frowns on prostitution though. Where prostitution is legal though, it's usually nationalized, with state run brothels being run but this is rare. Non-Dwarves though do have fewer rights within most cities compared to full blooded dwarves, although the difference is minimal and mostly non-intrusive on the day-to-day life of non-dwarves. Dwarves are typically given first crack at jobs over non-Dwarves but that's generally the most egregious of differences. Dwarven beer halls are often huge chambers and buildings built into the mountains, welcoming large crowds of dwarves and other patrons, often at the end of a long shift, treating patrons to roaring fires, malt beer, and red meat off the bone. It is a hospitality shown to many a visitor and resident alike.

Socially, Dwarves are typically monogamist but polygamist marriages have been known to happen. Dwarves put a strong social importance on family, which can lead to bitter but seldom deadly rivalries. One example of this strong family unity is how they don't recognize the term "in-law." Families joined by marriage are recognized as fully part of one family. For instance a pair of brother-in-laws would call and consider each other a brother, not a brother-in-law. Families still are recognized by their surnames and lineage but their sense of brotherhood often overrides such distance. Controversially dwarves are also more prone to incestuous relationships, partly owed to various interpretations of the Dwarven creation myth where Thrui, the forefather of the dwarven race, is said to have married his sister and propagated the dwarven race with her, but this myth has several variations. Regardless, the dwarves typically are more accepting of such pairings yet even then such a pairing is exceptionally rare and there are typically no laws forbidding it.

Militarily, the Dwarves are often considered the most creative and the most industrious, capable of fielding massive armies nearly thirty-to-fifty thousand strong on average. Contrary to popular belief, Dwarves only built catapults for if they need to lay siege to a surface city which is exceedingly rare. They actually specialize in ballista's in terms of siege weapons. This is largely due to the fact that they need to be able to use the larger siege weapon in somewhat narrow caves and caverns where a catapult would be an ill choice. Like many a fantasy stereotype, Dwarves favor the axe as their weapon of choice, with a single axe often being passed down from generation to generation. These axes are largely ceremonial though. But Dwarves will also use war hammers, mauls, swords, and spears in addition to axes. They don't, however, often use throwing axes, viewing it as a waste of valuable steel to use throwing axes on the battlefield. Throwing axes are mostly used for sport but some soldiers will carry throwing axes anyway. The ranged weapon of choice for Dwarves are crossbows, being the first race to have invented the bolt throwers. They have rigged many crossbows though to fire full sized arrows, usually for range. Dwarven ingenuity has also led to the invention of the first automatic weapon, a crank fired crossbow weapon capable of firing one bolt a second from a magazine of bolts. Dwarven mages and wizards are fairly common as well, with mages often finding work in the mines as "Blasting Mages" who cast carefully targeted explosion spells to clear away and blast open parts of the mines. Militarily these same spells are put to use. Fire and earth magics are the most popularly chosen among the dwarves, mostly because they are most effective in the underground work and in more utilitarian functions such as during blacksmithing. In terms of cavalry, the Dwarves typically prefer large "Dwarven Rams" a breed of larger than average of rams which are their primary "warhorse." In addition to these special rams, the Dwarves also use large battle wagons as part of their cavalry. Battle Wagons are essentially chariots but with enough room for two-to-three dwarves or humans, to ride on.

While Dwarves only use catapults for surface sieges, when they do use a catapult, they field arguably the most advanced catapults ever designed. The Dwarven Catapult has a longer range than most other catapults, allowing Dwarven armies to fling boulders, building debris, flaming stones, and more quite a long distance, typically well beyond the range of most trebuchets. The Dwarven Catapult can also be loaded with a hollowed out metal sphere, inside which four to six elite Dwarven Berserkers (Elite Dwarven Warriors) can be carried in and then launched over the walls of an enemy's fortifications to allow the dwarves inside to attack enemy forces directly and sabotage their defenses. This tactic has proven fatal for many an opposing force, especially when the Dwarves coordinate the launches, hurtling dozens upon dozens of Dwarves behind enemy lines. This has earned the Dwarven Catapult the nickname of "The Dwarf Tosser" by many including the Dwarves themselves.

Dwarves seldom fight among one another on a national scale. Brawls are common though but usually are friendly scrums, with wrestling matches and even Dwarven Sumo (predominantly within the Island Empire of Nipponatto) being a popular sport. The biggest threat to the Dwarves though are the underground Daemons and monsters that they occasionally run into during their digs. Daemonsters, monsters that were bred by the Daemons as twisted bloodthirsty alternatives to the friendlier monster races, are often found seeking refuge underground. As such Dwarves often end up waging underground wars against Daemonsters. Their most common foes are D-Goblins (A twisted and more violent subspecies of the standard surface dwelling goblins), Uruks, and trolls with occasional gargoyle swarms and even dragons being found beneath the earth. Some Dwarven cities have even been lost to Daemonster infestations. Generally these abandoned cities are blocked off by the survivors with warnings posted outside the main gates. Survivors and other dwarven holds will sometimes mount efforts to reclaim and/or resettle their lost holds, often times with the backing of other dwarven holds and sometimes with the backing of surface human nations. The human nations often benefit from such actions as not only do they become entitled to a substantial financial reward, but it also eliminates the threat of potential daemonster breeding grounds within their territories.

Dwarven city-states are often the wealthiest compared to other nations of the other races. The only human nations to come close to matching even the poorest Dwarven city is the Kingdom of Erodas due to its own mines. Yet Erodas still is relatively poor compared to the average Dwarven Nation. Every Dwarf Nation has a state jewel, usually the most frequently found jewel in their mines. The most coveted of dwarven materials is mythril, the strongest metal in the world, very lightweight but comparable to diamonds in strength. An army kitted out with mythril armor and weapons are nigh unstoppable but due to the metal's rarity and difficulty in shaping into weapons and clothing, its value is extraordinary. The crowns and diadems of most Dwarven Kingdoms are often made of mythril, making them the most expensive and most valuable crowns in the world.

Dwarven nations often have very good relations with most surface nations, maintaining a neutral stance between rival nations but trading freely with all. Most surface nations have at least one or more Dwarven nations within their borders. Border friction is seldom ever an issue since the Dwarves mostly lay claim to all that rests under the mountains. Dwarves are often looked to as the financiers of the world and many a human nation will approach the Dwarves for loans or financial aid. Typically this is only done during times of economic hardship or in the preludes to war between human nations. Dwarves often will host an embassy to the human Kingdom they are closest to within their cities.

In terms of religion, the Dwarves are mostly monotheistic, worshiping Thrui, the forefather of the Dwarves in a form of ancestor worship, although some Dwarves worship the old Wold religion and the Church of the Holy Light usually has at least one church located within most Dwarven cities. Dwarves cremate their dead save for those of their royal families which they bury in great and elaborate tombs within their cities. The Dwarven pantheon largely focuses on Thrui, the forefather of the Dwarves. Their creation myth states that Thrui was a titan god who grew tired of life in the heavenly realms above the world, and came down to the world to find a new home. He tried mountains, beaches, valleys, the ocean, and more but none suited him. One day he found a hole at the foot a great mountain and upon looking inside, found it sparkling with golden ore and shimmering jewels, the materials he could use to craft great gifts for his fellow titans. However he could not fit in this hole in the earth in his own natural size, so he shrank himself down small enough to pass through the opening of the hole, becoming the first dwarf. Another myth talks about how Thrui would return to the Titan realm with a few of the golden treasures he'd forged in his home, offering to create a golden statue for the first titan goddess to walk through the door to his mountain home and consent to marry him. To his mixed dismay and delight however, the first titan goddess to walk through the door was his own sister. From there the story changes depending on the hold, with some variations saying that Thrui married his sister and that she is thus the mother of all dwarves, while other versions say she gracefully only came to aid her brother and that the second goddess to enter Thrui's mountain, Duria, married Thrui to be the mother of all dwarves. There is no consensus as to which is true, and some versions suggest that both are true and that Thrui married both his sister and Duria. Some dwarves cite the latter version as a justification for incestuious and/or polygamous marriages within dwarven holds.

Dwarves are unafraid of settling in volcanoes either, in fact they often prefer it as it grants them access to raw molten ore, allowing them to craft rare obsidian weaponry and jewelry as well as some of the purist metals they can. Volcanic settlements also tend to have the most fertile farmlands. Few ever think about Dwarven farms, but in truth, the Dwarves have long known how to build underground farms, utilizing hydroponics for the most part, but for sunlight, they use sunlight infused lacrimas referred to as sunstones, which they mount in the ceilings of their farm chambers to provide sunlight to their crops.

Dwarves sometimes will opt for the adventurer's lifestyle, embarking on quests for fame and/or fortune. Dwarven mercenaries, often called companies, are usually available for hire as well, with Dwarven Companies ranging in size from roughly a dozen to a hundred but rarely more than that.

In terms of interracial compatibility, Dwarves are compatible with most other humanoid races so interracial relationships are not viewed negatively or with any social stigma. Some Dwarf cities have even been ruled by such crossbreeds. There does exist a rare anomaly among Dwarven crossbreeds. Dwarf-kiin (Elf/Dwarf hybrids) specifically. They typically are around four to five feet in height, a middle-ground between the average Elf and Dwarven height and often have their Dwarf-parent's skin tones and their elf-parent's hair color. Like with Human-kiin, they have sharper senses than dwarves but duller than elves. However, among Dwarf-kiin, some exhibit an unusual form of gigantism. Some Dwarf-kiin, instead of having the average height of their parents, instead grow larger than their Elf-parent, growing to around anywhere between eight to ten feet tall. This gigantism isn't known to have any harmful effects as giant dwarf-kiin merely prove to be taller than average while possessing greater than average physical strength. Dwarven and Elven societies have not been known to discriminate against giant dwarf-kiin, and in some cases actually give preferential treatment since giant dwarf-kiin are so rare and typically prove to be several times stronger than the average dwarf. Some more spiritual or religious dwarves believe this may be some kind of reference to the origins of the Dwarven race, believing that they were originally giants who shrank in size as they came to dwell in the mountains. It is rare for these gigantic Dwarf-kiin to appear, typically only 1 in 20 Dwarf-kiin born will have this oddity. The Dwarves have referred to these giants as Titiins (a portmanteau of the word Titan and the Dwarven word "kiin" which is their spelling of the word "Kin").

In terms of language, the Dwarves have a unifying language similar to real-world Gaelic but is closer in similarity to the real world Manx language. This language is known commonly as Pure Dwarvish. Scottish and Irish similar dialects have also appeared in various Dwarven holds. Most Dwarves though learn the languages of the human (or Elvish) Kingdoms closest to their homes so as to enable trade more easily, and some Dwarven dialects have formed to incorporate parts of these languages with Dwarvish. Pure Dwarvish though is generally the same across the continent.

James's Notes: "If ever you want a warm welcome, the dwarves will provide it to you. They're a hearty and merry folk. Honestly if you've ever seen the Hobbit films, I wonder if perhaps Peter Jackson visited Isekaido to help him understand how he wanted dwarves portrayed because damn they're almost identical in terms of personality. When I finally got to meet my third wife Bea's family in her home of Dun Khazon, the gathering of her kin was a merry gathering indeed. Hearty songs, a feast for the ages, abysmal table manners, raucous laughter, and ale a plenty. Afterwards as things got more subdued, the warmth of her family shown through even more. And they showed no prejudice towards 'tall folk' either. To them family was family, no matter the shape and especially no matter the size. I did however get a private and serious discussion with her great uncle, her family patriarch, making sure I took good care of Bea, threatening to sever my kneecaps and grind them into mulch if I ever broke her heart. He even said he'd be willing to die trying knowing the vast power gap between the two of us but my reassurances were enough to earn a warm pat on the back and a hearty smile.

There are three Dwarven holds within Erodas, one to the north of the Capitol City called Khazumal, a highway city that cuts right through the mountain and exits into Crimonia on the other side. Travelers can pay a small passage fee to pass through but it's typically a day's journey to the other side. However they forbid armies from passing through. None have tried since relations between Erodas, Crimonia, and Melromarc are good but that's still a rule they enforce. Doesn't really come up unless on official state business but still, can't say as I blame them since they want to maintain a strong neutrality between the human nations. Another hold is to the south of Erodas City and is just within the Viras Provence on the western slopes of Erodas's southern mountain range. Loch Vidor is it's name and it borders a rather scenic lake fed by a waterfall from the mountains and flows out to sea. The third was technically in Illicia's territory, Dun Khazon, but is now within Erodas's territory since the annexation of Illicia. In having spoken with the King of Dun Khazon, it seems there was much relief and some celebrating when Erodas took the territory. Illicia weren't very good neighbors it seems and they've been enjoying the relaxed trade with Erodas.

The Dwarves I've met don't seem to have any issues with Erodas or with whatever neighboring kingdoms. They have some minor frustrations with the Sorcerer Kingdom and the mountains that surround them, but only because they're a bit worried that attempting to establish a mine within those mountains is a risky proposition. I don't think Nazerick has made any overtures for or against the dwarves in either case. The dwarves themselves are only erring on the side of caution."