Dwarves

(S. "Naugrim" 'Stunted-folk', also "Hadhodrim, Khazad, "Nogothrim", "Nornhoth"; Q. "Kasallie", "Naukalie", "Nornalie"; Os. "Naugol"; rhov. "Dverger"; Orc."Gazat")

The Dwarves, or "Naugrim," are descendants of the Seven Fathers of the Khazâd, who were created by the Vala Aulë (The Smith) out of stone. Their seven lineages or houses settled in separate areas, but always in or by the mountains. All Dwarves consider mountains sacred. They also worship Aulë, whom they call "Mahal."

Although fashioned by the Vala Aule before the awakening of Men. this hardy but short race came into Endor after the Secondborn, Long-lived yet mortal they remain apart from both Elves and Men.

The Making of the Dwarves
Eru alone created the Flame Imperishable. In his thought, souls formed and life was born. Out of his Flame, spirits kindled. No life could be conceived without his leave, as Morgoth discovered. While life naturally fascinated the Valar, who were entrusted with cultivating the World, it first arose in Eru's mind and could not come to pass outside his plan. Nonetheless, the Vala Aule sought to create a living race, and he labored away from Aman, in secret, molding the Seven Fathers of Dwarves in a hall deep beneath the surface of Endor. In those days Aule endured torment, for the Smith under- stood that his conception was outside the scheme of the One; but he persevered and made his offspring strong, like the earth from which they came.

Detailed Description
Dwarves are rather short, stocky, and have a ruddy complexion. Males average about 4 to 5 feet in height. The western dwarves are often fair haired and fair skinned (especially the Firebeards are proud of their for the most fire-red hair) while their eastern brothers are often darker (particularly the Blacklocks).They grow long beards (foremost the Longbeard-tribe) which they often decorate or braid. Resistant to diseases and extremely strong, they live an average of 150-250 years. Some rare exceptions reach the age of 400.

The Naugrim have superior sight underground and in places of near total darkness. Their crafts are superb, and they are unsurpassed workers of stone. Like Orcs, they are masters of metalwork, although Dwarven works embody a sense of beauty as well as strength and utility. No race mines as well as Dwarves.

Relatively unfertile and slow to marry or reproduce (females constitute less than a third of their kind), Dwarves rarely sire young.But this seems to be a condition of the later times of decline.In the earliest times there were several Dwarves who are said to have had children in numbers of eight or seven, otherwise the dwarven race would not have been able to increase in numbers.

Military
The basical dwarven Host is called the Vabundhur consisting of arrays or Azashakur of medium armed Axemen, Spearmen,Halberdmen and Archers who are supported by light-armed Scouts, Rangers or Herdsmen armed with Bows and Axes and heavy armed Grimhammers wielding Thornhammers and Pikemen who fight in Phalanxes.Special Units are the differend Guardian and Warden Units, the [[Dûm-garal, Gehil-vindhur, Tharkarul, and Huval-Vindhur.Iron-Guards are armed with lighg Axes and Dwarven Swords or Crossbows while Khazâd-Guards use heavy two-handed Axes.Halberdmen Zealotic Shieldbreakers are special Units of Hammer-fighters.In Combat against underground Races as the Deep-Orcs and Cave-Trolls the Dwarves developed special tunnel-fighting teams or Vault Wardens, armed with long Spears andhigh Wall-shields, light and heavy ballistas and various mechanical War-Engines such as Battlewagons, Catapults and Demolishers.Command-Units are led by Captains who are accompanied by Hornists, Shield-bearers and Standard-bearers.King's Champions fight with two Axes and are sided by two Heralds.Few Dwarven Tribes also deploy small Cavalry Units of Pony-Riders.

Magic:
They know of magic and certain enchantments, but generally scoff at the ways of conjurers or the use of spells, preferring instead to use such power in the making of physical items.However there are dwarven Alchemists, Seers and great Runesmiths and Runemasters and the Ironfists developed a special order of Earth-Readers.

Tribes:

 * Longbeards Dwarfwar.jpg
 * Firebeards
 * Broadbeams
 * Ironfists
 * Stiffbeards
 * Blacklocks
 * Stonefoots

Dwarven Religion
The Dwarves revere Eru, the Allfather whom they call by a name kept secret among themselves.They revere the Valar as angelic powers, estimating Mahal, the Maker, highest.The Dwarves also see their Work and Art as a dedication to the World itself and it´s maker.The non-official semi-divinity of the Valar has often been a matter of criticism by devout dwarves who rejected all sorts of official priests, cults and clergy.However there is some degree of cultic reverence and sanctuaries, as the famous Khalarazûm exist.Also famous ancestors are revered in Song and art.The Khazâd believe that after their dead their souls will travel to the Halls of Waiting and will be revived to fight in the Last Battle and help to rebuild the world after it.

Exiled Dwarves
There are three known clans of exiled dwarves who are not counted as Dwarves of the seven Tribes anymore.Those are the Petty Dwarves, Mornaugrim and Dourhands every clan being exiled for a different crime and suffering a different fate.

Dwarven Delvings of Renown

 * Dwarvdelvings.jpg
 * Akhuzdah
 * Azagharbhun
 * Azanulinbar-Dum
 * Barazbizar
 * Bar Falin
 * Bâr-Shûal
 * Baraz-lagil
 * Barukkhizdín
 * Baruk-Zigil
 * Baruzimabûl
 * Danuk-Khizdín
 * Erebor
 * Gabilgathol
 * Gamil-nâla
 * Gundabad
 * Khazadbizar
 * Khazad-Dûm
 * Khazad-Madûr
 * Kheled-Dûm
 * Kheled-nâla
 * Kheledkhizdín
 * Kibil-Tarag
 * Krath-Zabar
 * Mablâd-dûm
 * Makalkukhizdín
 * Merlost
 * Namagaluz
 * Nárad-dûm
 * Naragûl
 * Nargubraz
 * Nibbingrod
 * Nurunkizdin
 * Radimbragaz
 * Thakalgund
 * Thorin´s Halls
 * Thunderdwelling
 * Tumun-Gabil
 * Tumunamahal
 * Tumunzahar
 * Zahar-gamil
 * Zarak-Dûm
 * Zeleg-ubraz
 * Zirakbhund