Dwarves, Seekers of Harmony

Physical description and overview
Male dwarves stand just under four feet to five feet tall and tend to weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. They tend to have long, ropy arms with short, thick torsos and surprisingly strong and graceful legs. Their hair tends to range from platinum blond to deep scarlet; many dwarves believe the color of a dwarf's hair directly reflects the disposition of their character, and oftentimes bitter rivalries are nursed over perceived slights about the hue of a dwarf's hair or beard. Typical male dwarves will never cut their beards and will eventually braid their beards into their hair, often alongside tiny bells or chimes. During their early adult years most dwarves will keep their hair relatively short, only allowing their hair to grow past their shoulders once they have completed their first master work. This grants the dwarf the privilege of braiding their hair into a single thick plait. A dwarf will continue dividing their braids into smaller and smaller increments as they produce more and more master works throughout their lives, with the braids growing longer and thinner reflecting both great age as well as great accomplishment. For each masterwork a dwarf will craft or purchase a token to weave into the end of their braid to represent the result of their work; a smith may craft a tiny mithral hammer, a singer a silver bell, while a mother of five may have five tiny golden hearts braided into her hair.

Female dwarves tend to be about the same height as their male counterparts but tend to weigh between 100 and 140 pounds. A female dwarf goes through a period of great change referred to as a Rapture as she hits puberty and gains a massive amount of strength and natural earth working talent as their sensitivity to the Aetherium massively increases. During this time almost all female dwarves serve as homeguards, mercenaries, adventurers, or Stoneshapers as their individual power peaks beyond what will be available later in their lives. This period of Rapture tends to last between eight and ten years, with some exceptional cases lasting as long as fifteen. Once their Rapture ends they will return to their communities and claim a home as they begin searching for a mate as they have only five to six years to bear children. A female dwarf returned from her Rapture will be cared for in every way as her only duty for the time remaining to her is to choose a mate and bear as many children as possible for the community. They spend their days entertaining suitors, visiting the workshops and studios of promising artisans, and taking day trips to the mines and fields to converse with as many dwarven men as possible in search for a soul that resonates with their own. Once selected a dwarven pair mates for life. During the mating period both male and female will be provided for by the community; males will continue to pursue their fixation while women serve as wet nurses, instructors, and chaperones for the children of the crèche.

Society
Most dwarves live in domed enclaves built into the sides of hills and mountains, or overlooking areas of great natural beauty or acoustic purity. A typical dwarf community consists of a crèche (communal nursery and housing for all children), a communal lodge for housing males of breeding age, a small collection of private homes for married couples, and a much larger number of solitary homes for those who have lost their mates and for married couples past breeding age. The remainder of the community tends to be private gardens, forges, workshops, and studios to accommodate the interests of the adult dwarves in the community. Much of the menial work in the community is accomplished by children on a rotating basis so that they can be exposed to as many disciplines as possible before they choose their fixation to dedicate their lives to.

Dwarven Master Works
A dwarf's master work can be a finely crafted sword, a beautiful piece of music, a daring work of art, a great boon to their community, a rich vein of ore...the possibilities are nearly endless. Even classifying a dwarf's master work can be difficult, as what constitutes such a feat for a newly matured dwarf may be child's play for a dwarf of several decades. Dwarves typically display trinkets signifying their accomplishments in their many braids; a sword or axe for a great battle, a note or instrument for a musical triumph, a stylized heart for bearing a child.

The ultimate crime of the Dwarven Race
Though for all their honest dealings there are some dwarves who claim accomplishments they do not deserve. This is one of the most grievous crimes in dwarf society, and the few repeat offenders who have shamed their communities are eventually exiled from dwarven lands to wander as skaalbrendt, the fatecursed. Before expulsion these dwarves are ritualistically shaved and stripped of all recognition for past deeds by the community's council of elders. They are then tasked with a great skaal, a fate, which they must conquer before their shame is expunged.