The Dwarfs

8–10 minutes

The Dwarfs are a stout and proud people, who in ancient times built a magnificent empire
they called Karak Anzor, the Everlasting Realm, in the World Edge Mountains. From their
high mountain keeps and underground strongholds they dominated the Old World before the
advent of Men, mining precious minerals under the mountains, crafting marvelous items and
erecting magnificent monuments and building. Though this age of wealth and splendor is
now gone, most of the strongholds lost to the invasion of the Greenskins and the Skaven,
but still some of the former glory endures even today.

Dwarfs are short but sturdy, with a passion for gold and gems that borders with lust. Their
most acknowledge traits are their endurance, stubbornness and high sense of honor: when a
Dwarf is determined to do something, it’s practically impossible to convince him otherwise.
Being long-lived, they tend to be patient and meticulous, but are not a forgiving lot: a Dwarf
will remember any slight, however minimal, and will harbor a grudge that could last a
lifetime, and could extend to the offender’s descendants. Great offenses to a Dwarf Clan or
Stronghold are recorded in a Book of Grudges, so that anyone could know what happened
and seek revenge. Having a long history of battles and conflicts, it is of no surprise that the
list of grudges recorded in such books is quite long.

All Dwarfs have a knack for manual labor and craftsmanship, and will never do a work
unless they could do it in the best way possible. They are the best smiths, stonemasons and
engineers in the Old World, and it’s their alliance with Men that allowed the Empire to
become the technologically advanced nation that it is now.

Dwarfs honor and respect family ties, and their whole society is
organized into Clans, extended families that trace their origins back to a common ancestor,
usually the first to settle a valley or build a hold where the clan lives. The first to discover
stonework and metallurgy, who built the foundation of the earlier Dwarf Empire are revered
as Ancestor Gods by present time Dwarfs. To honor their ancestors, Dwarfs sing their sagas,
treasure their relics and build memorial monuments. Though now most are in ruins,
ancestor statues can be found all over the Old World, their presence filling the heart of the
warriors with pride and resolve, for a Dwarf will do anything to prove his worth to his fathers.
 Each Stronghold is ruled by a King, but all answer to the High
King of the Dwarfs, Thorgrim Grudgebearer, king of Karaz-a-Karak. Committed to restore
the Everlasting Realm to its former glory, he is a supporter of ancient traditions and always
eager for new conquests, but he is also revered as a wise and insightful leader, willing to
accept any change that would benefit the Dwarfs. As the High King, he bears the Great Book
of Grudges, where the most dire offenses, those to the entire Dwarf race, are recorded. His
desire is to avenge every and each slight recorded in this mighty tome, a task that might take
more than a lifetime.

Legends among Dwarf warriors talk about a mysterious, hooded figure

that sometimes can be seen wandering around where battles are fought, only revealing
himself in the most dire moments. Wherever he appears, the White Dwarf‘s prowess and
valorous deeds inspire fellow Dwarfs to fight on, his mere presence enough to turn the tides
of battle. No one really knows who he is or where he comes from, as he always vanishes
when the fight is over, but many Dwarfs believe he is the reincarnation of Snorri Whitebeard,
the High King of old that was betrayed by Malekith’s Elves and started the War of the
Beards.

Many centuries ago, when Dwarfs ruled the Old World, a dwarf
adventurer known as Bronn the Bold discovered a vast veins of gems and gold in the south,
and founded a colony that eventually evolved in the rich stronghold of Krag Bryn. His last
descendant, Queen Helgar Longplaits, was torn between her Dwarven heritage and the
desire to rule – her subject not liking the idea to be ordered around by someone without a
beard, even if she was able to drink beard and wield an axe as any other dwarf!
 Though not all professional soldiers – most of them being craftsmen of
some sort in time of peace – Dwarf Warriors can wield an axe or hammer with deadly
accuracy and when the call for war comes, no one stands back. Strong and naturally
resilient, Dwarfs make exceptional fighters. Tales abound of Dwarfs emerging triumphant
from a fight despite being heavily outnumbered thanks to their discipline and stubbornness.

The most formidable Dwarf warriors in a hold are chosen to join the
ranks of the Hammerers, elite shock troops carrying the best weapons and armor. In battle
they often act as a personal bodyguard for a Thane or Lord, and will gladly give their life to
ensure their commander’s safety rather than face the dishonour of failure. Their finely crafted
two-handed hammers are not only weapons: they are traditionally a gift from their king and
as such they are seen as a symbol of the bond between a Hammerer and his lord.

Warriors from the mining clans that live under the mountain often form
regiments of Miners, armed with heavy mining picks equally fit for digging into rocks and for
cracking goblin skulls apart. Their knowledge of the underground environment allows them
to use underground tunnels – or dig them if needed – to circumvent enemy positions and to
launch unexpected attacks from the flank or rear.

Unique among the races of the Warhammer World, Dwarfs have

almost no affinity to the Winds of Magic. This in turn means that the Chaos has virtually no
influence on them, but on the other hand there are no true Dwarf wizards either: the arcane
tradition of the Dwarfs is being carried on by Runesmiths, who are able to entrap magical
power within runes they inscribe onto weapons, suits of armor and other objects to enhance
their qualities.

It was the Dwarfs who discovered gunpowder and first developed

weapons that employ its technology. Though for many years handguns were almost
exclusively used by engineers, now regiments of Thunderers are a common sight on the
battlefield. Methodically unleashing deadly volleys one after another, they keep firing until the
enemy gets to close range, only resorting to hand weapons as a last resort.

Dwarfs have a knack for technology, and their Engineers Guild

creates the finest war machines of the Warhammer World. The Gyrocopter is one of their
most marvelous creation, a steam-propelled flying machine used to scout the enemy
formations from up above and to attack the Dwarf’s foes with a payload of bombs and hot
steam that is vented out from the engine like a dragon’s breath. It takes an expert Engineer
to operate such a machine, not only because of its complexity, but also because most of the
honest-to-god Dwarfs would rather keep their feet on solid ground.

Cannons are the most common defensive weapon in

Dwarf strongholds, but it is not rare to see these war machines on the battlefield too. Their
firepower is enough to pierce through the thickest armor, to crack enemy fortification and to
kill large beasts like dragons and greater daemons. Magical runes of accuracy, fortification
and death are often inscribed on the weapon’s barrel and on the cannonballs, to increase
their reliability and damaging potential.

Devised to fight Night Goblins and Skaven in the

underground tunnels below the mountains, the Flame Cannon is one of the deadliest
inventions of the Engineers Guild. Its barrel unleashes a deadly stream of ignited oil and
molten tar on the enemy, burning flesh and armor alike. Being a crewman for a Flame
Cannon is a risky business, as the weapon’s short range means allowing the enemy to come
close before firing, and often misjudging the pressure of the flammable mixture or the ignition
time won’t give the crew a second chance.

Sent by the Guild, Master Engineers often accompany Dwarf armies

to supervise the deployment, operation and maintenance of war machines. During the battle
their task is to direct the aim of the war machine crew and to make emergency repairs.
Though grumpy – even for a Dwarf standards! – their presence is much appreciated as they
are exceptional at gauging the trajectory of projectiles and coordinating reload and firing
operations.