The Dwarves

Short, squat and powerfully muscled, the Dwarves inhabit great Halls and Caverns carved into the tall mountains surrounding Iskitaan. Males all have beards, females do not. Most Dwarves have a life span of between 125 and 250 years, a rare few known as ancients can live to be up to five hundred years old. Dwarves mature at a slightly slower rate than elves and humans, reaching sexual maturity between 30 and 35 years. While there are dozens, possibly even hundreds of clans of dwarves, from a human perspective, there are two. Those of Karak and those of Karaz. Though the efforts of King Gelyon made great strides in reconciling the two dwarven nations from the Breaking of the World, there is still animosity and tension between them. While dwarves are somewhat innately magical, only a rare few are able to manipulate the ley lines, meaning dwarven wizards are a very, very rare breed. Most dwarven magic is in the form of magic items, wrought by master runesmiths, capable of bringing out the inherent magical qualities of the materials they work with.