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Greetings,
Three years after Ëlwëth was born, there was born a boy utterly unlike his three siblings. They were all light skinned and light haired, but he was black as a moonless night reflected in a still, deep pool. His eyes were shining and black, lit from inside like strange lamps of darkness. His hair was thickly curled, also unlike his older siblings. He was tall, though, almost as tall as the paler twin brother and sister. But he was strong, very strong. And his strength only grew as he got older. He became unrivaled among his brothers for strength and endurance, and his body continued to harden and mature. He was named Keirgyndaso.
Another boy was born who was dark, but not as dark as him. Then came twin girls, utterly dissimilar. The first was beautifully dark like Keirgyndaso, but the second was golden and light-filled like Ëlwëth. The dark girl was named Gëndweidh. She grew up to be tall and stately, like Keirgyndaso, though not quite as tall as he. She was sleek and swift, and loved to run and climb. Her eyes burned from deep within with a reddish light that shone and wavered as she spoke. As she grew older and more adventurous, Keirgyndaso took to following her into the mountains as she explored, and they had great fun there. They made dams in the streams, and houses in the trees and clefts of the rocks. But they liked the rocks best. For years they contemplated and planned the construction of a great fortress in between two cliffs in the hills. It took great ingenuity and effort, but they at last created it, to their immense pride. As can be guessed, they grew to love each other more and more, and at last they wed.
They were always known for their skill with engineering and craftsmanship, and were frequently called down from their mountain retreats to help in the construction of the others’ homes and in the creation of inventions. It was by their wit and knowledge that the dragons were able to create the first explosive materials, although Keirgyndaso and Gëndweidh were the ones that used it most. Thus it was no surprise to any when they received the gifts that they did. They were given authority over stone and earth, and it was a great joy to them. With song and spoken command they would shape out clothing from pillars of solid rock that were of a special intricacy and beauty of pattern and design that was impossible to recreate on a forge. They designed amazing machines, complex and simple, driven by other machines held together and run by tiny, curiously made pieces. These became much sought after by the other tribes.
They were named the Aumchyloi, and came to be known much later as Dwarves. This was because they were rarely, if ever, seen by the common people, and since they lived underground mostly, they assumed that the Aumchyloi were short and stocky. But although the entrances and mines of the dwarves were small and unassuming (most of the time), the interiors of their living quarters were massive and full of majesty and grandeur.
When they rebelled with the dragons and men, the dwarves quickly became masters of creating weapons of destruction. They were the foremost creators of the Shivara, the Blessed Blades, and the Kinara, the RingBlades. These were swords and other weapons that had been given special properties. The Shivara were stronger, lighter, and faster than normal forged blades, and some of them were even skilled in swordplay, guiding the wielder’s hand. The Kinara were Shivara that could take the form of a ring at the will of the owner, and take its normal shape again at his willed or spoken command. There were very few of the Shivara made, only a few thousand, and even less survived the Deluge. A few were carried through by the Seven Lords, but most were destroyed. But their secret of manufacture was not lost, and many were created again for the Great War.
Over the years, the dwarves became known merely as great smiths and miners, and as they mingled with the other tribes and became crannish, they deteriorated until they were merely that. Few people remembered their former greatness, or even their true nature, except the Loremasters and the sages. But their architecture and their creations always remained, and these played a pivotal role in all of the wars.
How have you done dwarves in your stories? What do you think of mine? Do you have any questions or suggestions?
With joy and peace in Christ,
Sir Emeth Mimetes
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I do have the short people in my story too, but they are not a tribe of their own: gnomes.
Actually, I'm a little taken aback by that. Aren't gnomes demons?