Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their knowledge of the earth's secrets, their hard work and their capacity for drinking ale. Their mysterious kingdoms, carved out from the insides of mountains, are renowned for the marvelous treasures that they produce as gifts or for trade.

All Dwarves are descendents of one of the five original Clans within White Skull Mountain.   According to popular folklore, the Dwarves came into being at the time of the worlds creation, when the god Azlah foresaw the need for a hardy race to mine and work the world's metals.   The dwarves themselves are all too familiar with this, and many take offense to the notion -- often complaining that they are no 'storybook creatures conjured up to suit a talespinner's fancy'.  However, sightings of dwarves away from their ancestral home on Telvor are rare enough that many people consider them to be just that.

Shield Dwarf

The Shield Dwarves are the descendents of the three clans who left White Skull Mountain many thousands of years past - Clans Agmark, Arnsmidh, and Gim-Kha.  They have spread their roots wide throughout Khalidine, with scattered small strongholds found on many continents.  Still, they are not numerous in any one place, and are infrequently seen.

Gold Dwarf

Even more rare than shield dwarve are the gold dwarves.  Few dwarves of clans clans Mangis and Galdenis left the White Skull Mountains at all.  There are no noticable physical differences, but the gold dwarves are more inclined to be shrewd and knowledgeable traders.

Duergar

Male and female duergar are bald, and women do not grow beards. They are much thinner than other dwarves, with gray skin and hair -- leading to the appelation of 'grey dwarves'.    Other dwarves often refer to the as the "Forgotten"; nobody knows (or will admit to) which of the five Clans they originated from. 

Like many other races, individual duergar run the full range of personalities.  On Khalidine, they are not predisposed to evil;  the tale of the duergar is one that shames both Shield and Gold dwarves.  Those few who even know the tale never speak of it to outsiders.  Their attitude towards the grey dwarves is one of mingled shame, pity, and contempt; it is said that many more knowledgable dwarves view the duergar as a failing of some sort. 

The most commonly held belief is that the duergar had their origins as dwarves who delved deeper into the White Skull mines in their search for more of the earth's riches.  Too deep as it turns out, for many they were taken by other creatures who lived deeper still. Over the ensuing generations and under dark magics, they acquired their characterisic grey tones, their intolerance for bright light, and in so doing lost something of what it meant to be dwarves.