Stories of Hübenarth - Of Khezalid
Where the Elves embraced Helo's light, the Dwarves, with their small eyes, took to natural caverns of the world. Soon they began digging deeper themselves, their tunnels reaching far into the ground. The Dwarves found that the dark world under the surface and found that they could shape the rock, make tools and other things. While the Elves may have created their civilization much faster and grew in numbers, the Dwarves slowly, but steadily built below ground. Sealing their underground tunnels off from the world, the early Dwarves pondered on how to defeat Chaos at the time they would return from their hold. Eventually, through their digging, the Dwarves came across metals and coal, generating the basic for the soon-to-be most advanced technological nation in all of Hübenarth. As they were sealed off, the gift of magic, the light of Ooloun, never shined upon the Dwarves. As such, Dwarves are, mostly, unable to bend the winds of magic to their will; everything a Dwarf builds is solid craftmanship. However, being able to use magic also exposes a creature towards magic from others. Dwarves are among few to be completely resistant to the uses of magic. A fireball hurled at Dwarf will vanish, a magic wall will crumble and a curse, will bend off if aimed for a Dwarf. Dwarves are easy to depict in a mass. They are less than half the height of even the relative short Wood Elves, however even the slimmest amongst Dwarves, are more broad-shouldered than any Elf. Where Elves have a more athletic body, Dwarves are short, but muscled. The Dwarves are built for work and for war. While Dwarves have short and thick fingers, one should not be fooled at how nimble the craftmanship, both in metal and stone, actually is.
The Dwarves first settled in the Khaz-Karak mountains, in Dwarven tongue "First or old Stronghold". Dwarven language, as well a Dwarven term for all the Dwarven lands, is called Khezalid, "The first tongue". Khezalid is an odd language, consistant of gutural and raspy sounds. Unlike the Elven language, which was first more sung than spoken, and only written down much later, the Dwarven Khezalid and it's runes was the first written language. Many words and sounds are used for Dwarves to describe the landscapes which they call home, for metals and in particular gold, they have multiple words to describe softness and uses. An often used word is "Karak", the Khezalid word meaning city, fortress or stronghold. Most of Dwarven architecture is found below surface, where the deep mineshafts, red-hot furnaces and impressive clan-halls can be found in any hold. Each Dwarven hold, a Bahz, is mainly the grounds just outside of a Karak. Very few Dwarf settlements are found outside of mountain regions, but usually the praised Dwarven Breweries are found here, due to the easier access to crops. These small holds have less saying in the courts of the Dwarves, as they are not as old. Usually a Brewery will have several small one-storage houses around it, and often a simple palisade made of logs. Dwarven law is simple; don't do anything dishonourable. However only a Dwarf's own clan can judge him, smaller cases are brought to the Longbeards, a clans elder members. Larger cases, often involving other clans, is handled by the Thane. Thanes are the head of a Dwarven clan, and highly respected members of any Dwarven hold. While each hold is able to defend itself, sometimes the call from the bronze horns found at-top in all mountain holds, will tell of the need of the Khazad, the Dwarven High King. The capital of all Dwarven land is no longer in Khaz-Karak, but instead have moved further east to the hold of Karaz-a-Karak, "The Mountain Hold" or "The Eternal Hold". Dwarves don't as such praise to gods of any kind, as religion isn't productive and thus a waste of time for Dwarves, instead Dwarves see their forefathers as god-like, the many small faces on Dwarven armor, stonework and accessories, are to represent these Dwarves. Dwarves live simple and by a strict honour-codex. Lieing is unacceptable. However, any wrong-doing done to a Dwarf will be revenged, even if it takes several generations to get it carried through. Dwarves never forget grudges, but they always pay their debt. It is curious, how Khezalid holds many words for retribution and pay-back, but not a single one for foregiveness.