Dwarves

Description
The Dwarves (Homo svartas)(Khazad in their own language of Khuzdul, humans call them Dwed as a bastardized version.) are stocky, short, and bearded humanoids. They tend to have significantly longer lifespans than humans, and are said to have, "the nimblest yet sturdiest hands of any creature," which many were said to utilize in their crafts. Legends state they came from the Far North, a land beyond Rathnir. Not much is known about the dwarves, as only one group has immigrated to Rathnir. It is unknown if other dwarves still exist in the Far North.

History
The only Dwarven kingdom in the Far North known to Rathnir is Khazad-dum. The king, Durin VII, was killed in battle between the orcs and goblins of the north. It was rumored that the northern orcs and goblins successfully wiped out all of the dwarves of the Far North, not just Khazad-dum. Durin's son, King Óin II, made a offering to Yora, the Goddess of the Dwarves in their religion Tokora, wishing them a safe passage. Oin then took the crown, several precious treasures and the survivors far south.

They eventually came across the lands of Ryzan. The leader of Ryzan, CanadianToss, offered a small kingdom in the Golden Hills to the king, in exchange for their loyalty and their conversion to Tossanism. There, Óin constructed Erebor. However, the city quickly fell into disrepair as tensions between the two leaders increased. Óin took his people once more, this time, to the central mountains of the Kutnubad.

However, by the time Óin arrived to begin construction of the second Dwarven city of Rathnir (Beþenk-dum under the newly declared Kingdom of Khuzdurin), many of his people had passed, from starvation, neglect, disease, or banditry. The conditions became so harsh that the state ran out of miners, so the king himself was forced to mine to survive. His older age and lack of experience in the mines lead him to accidentally cause a cave-in and perish. His son, Thorin IV, would take the mantel of king. He inherited the rule of a dwindling population. He himself became the last Dwarf King in Rathnir. He mysteriously vanished one late afternoon. No body has been found, nor whisper of his location heard.

Culture
The dwarves of Rathnir are a hardy people, though very few in number. They tended to feast and drink often, and around Rathnir they celebrated a single known holiday known as Durin's Day, in honor of their former king, around the winter months. According to the historian Havi Ymirsson, Durin's Day festivities included, "getting plastered beyond belief while you danced around Sweet Berry Bushes and campfires in the snow. Burns and cuts were incredibly common." The Dwarves worshipped the pantheon known as the Tokora, a relic from their past that the kept when they fled their homelands.

Thorin and Óin claimed that dwarven society (in its prime) is normally composed of a strict social pecking order, made up of various clans and groups. Dwarves supposedly have never been fully united while they existed, always living in city-states carved into mountains and remaining as neutral as possible in world conflicts. Both kings attempted to maintain their state the way a normal Dwarven state would behave, with the aforementioned neutrality and social order. But due to its dwindling population they never succeeded.

Dwarven Clans were numerous, but having to flee their Northern Homes, only a handful are known to remain. These are:

-Clan Torum: Masters of Masonry, the Torum's equal is few and far between. While joining Oin in his flight Southward from the Northernlands, the Clan's ship sailed far westward, ending up on the continent of Eldham. They settled the settlement of Varn Torum, creating huge wallways carved of the mountain. The Clan leader is GarriGoyle, but do to some stoneification, his speaker is Sueyuet, who speaks on the High King's behalf.

-Clan Stonebeard: Once filling most holds with craftsmen, miners and warriors, few survive to this day. The Stonebeards once forged ancient artefacts such as 'The Anvil of Ungrim' which was used to create 'Yitinrith', the pickaxe that carved the cave of Khro-Korhaz. Ungrim Stonebeard is revered as a venerated Ancestor, worshipped as a local god in the settlement. Ungrim carved out the cave of Khro-Korhaz, before falling to a witch who banished him from the realm and proceeded usurp his work.

Other clans may have survived the journey, but currently it is unknown.

Nations
There were two nation in Rathnir that belonged to the Dwarves, however their times have passed into History. They were the Kingdom of Khuzdurin and the Kingdom of Erebor.

However, there is one Kingdom known to be ruled by the Dwarves in Eldham, called Varn Torum. It is ruled by the High King GarriGoyle, and seeks to bring in the Dwarves of Eldham into one nation where their people can live freely.