Physical Description: Dwarves are noted amongst their neighbors as tireless workers who covet the wealth of the world without end. Dwarves are short, stocky but incredibly strong peoples. They are between four and four and a half feet tall and weigh around two hundred pounds. Their great weight, relative to their size, is a result of their increased muscle density, which makes them very strong and guarantees their legendary stamina. This also confines dwarves to land by and large, as their fear of water (their bodies being heavier than water means that they sink like stones) acts as a deterrent for many dwarvern naval excursions. Dwarves have large beards, of which they are very proud and a dwarf who has committed a crime is often punished by being shaven. Dwarves also have infravision that allow them to see well at night and underground.
Dwarvern Society: Dwarvern society is centered around the mines. Every member of dwarvern society, regardless of their position, is seen as being essential to keeping the mines open. This has generally created a community-centric view of society as all dwarves much serve the greater good. In modern times, this has become the central tenet driving the dwarvern worldview.
In Maradeen, the capitalists have risen to power by driving the ideals of tireless work and the greatest efficiency in extraction. Vast mining fiefdoms have been established by plutocratic robber barons who efficiently run their mines by employing millions of laborers. In Maclow, the traditional communal nature of dwarvern society has taken the form of a Marksist socialist revolution, which has installed a Communard government. The Communards established a government predicated on public ownership of all property, particularly the mines which were held as central to the dwarvern people. The hostility between the two camps, capitalist and communard, has permeated dwarvern thought and even dwarves outside of their nations are prone to argue with one another over economic theory, often leading to brawls.