While life in and on the mountains is not harsh, it is dangerous. Many of the creatures of the Hierarchs – Goblins, Orcs, Trolls and Ogres – have taken refuge and live there. Stone and ores of all kinds are their chief export. The underground lands of the Mountain Dwarves provide little of the sustenance for their people, instead Mountain Dwarves mine, and mine with a great tenacity.

Their society has its share of farmers, herders, and craftsman, mostly among the Hill Dwarves. There is one king of the Dwarves who rules over all Dwarven people. There are Dwarven knights and lords, but no known high nobles. The closest Dwarven kingdom to Avalon is found in the Black Hills, the mountain range north and west of Avalon. Though they consider themselves one people, most non-dwarves recognize two races of Dwarves the Hill Dwarves who live in the lower hills near the mountains and the Mountain Dwarves who live deep inside the mountains.

Said to be old enough as a race to have known the Ancient Elves, the Dwarves have changed little over the long years since their appearance. Dwarves as a people suffer from a magical deficiency that makes it difficult for them to become mages of any kind. The Dwarven nation appeared in the mountains of this part of the world well before the founding of any human settlements.

Mountain dwarf vs hill dwarf