This is a split from the thread "There is no reason to play a nonhuman except to use stereotypes." (https://www.therpgsite.com/pen-paper-roleplaying-games-rpgs-discussion/there-is-no-reason-to-play-a-nonhuman-except-to-use-stereotypes/)
The title is intentionally ironic. I don't think there's any one thing that dvergar/dwarves should be like. I love Tolkien, and I recently ran a one-shot game in Middle Earth where all the characters are dwarves. However, I get annoyed at a tendency to insist that all fantasy needs to conform to Tolkien.
The current campaign that I'm playing in is a weird cyberpunk campaign loosely based on Norse myth. In it, the dvergar are a race native to Muspelheim and Svartalfheim that look like this:
(http://clanless.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/dvergar/dvergr-female.webp/medium.jpg)
http://clanless.wikidot.com/dvergar
In the campaign, dvergar are distinguished most by their need to eat flame, being largely immune to fire, their asymmetric mottled grey looks, and (for Muspelheim-native dvergar) their ability to conjure temporary material out of nothing. Dvergar are described as being so an inch or two shorter than human average, so their height isn't remarkable. Within variation, it is easy for a dvergar to be taller than a human.
I'm not saying that this is the one true version of dvergar. But I do think that people are often tied to Tolkien in largely unrelated fantasy. In early Norse myth, dvergar are highly magical creatures - sometimes considered the same as creatures called svartalfar (dark elves). They live underground and their home is Svartalfheim, and they may turn to stone in the light of the sun. They were associated with magical afflictions or madness, as well as crafted and possibly magic gold and jewelry.
Thus, Gygax's drow are one reinvention of dvergar -- and Tolkien's dwarves are another reinvention of dvergar. I think their association with the underground and riches of the earth is core to them, but there are a lot of possible variations.
Are there versions of dvergar, dwarves, and/or dark elves that stand out to others?
From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(folklore)):
QuoteDiversity and vagueness
Rather than existing a "true" single nature of a dwarf, they vary in their characteristics, not only across regions and time but also between one another in the same cultural context. Some are capable of changing their form entirely. The scholar Ármann Jakobsson notes that accounts of dwarfs in the Eddas and the section of Ynglinga saga regarding Sveigðir lack prominence in their narratives and cohesive identity. Based on this, he puts forward the idea that dwarfs in these sources are set apart from other beings by their difficulty to be defined and generalised, ultimately stemming from their intrinsic nature to be hidden and as the "Other" that stands in contrast with humans.
So, the choice is between mystical/magical/fairy-tale type of dwarf, and a sociological/mundane/Tolkien type of dwarf. Almost every game I've ever heard of or read tilts towards the latter, which inevitably, in this political climate, leads to leftist political ontologies being dragged in, which is about the least magical thing to happen to dwarves/dwarfs I can imagine.
That's all I have off the top of my head. Full disclosure: I don't run or play in games with dwarfs/dwarves. Not my thing.
Quote from: jhkim on February 06, 2025, 01:46:34 PMAre there versions of dvergar, dwarves, and/or dark elves that stand out to others?
The dwarrows of Tad Williams'
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series are quite evocative of this, being creatures who are established to be as fluid in crafting their own forms for the needs of their surroundings as they are in crafting items of magic.
It's insane how people think Tolkien invented something that existed thousands of years before (dwarves in ancient folklore).
There's dwarves and their many 'cousins' in my settings:
Duergar (evil dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/3/31/Monster_Manual_2_1e_-_Duergar_-_p61.jpg)
Azers (fire dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/7/74/Azer-1e.jpg)
Derro (half-dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/7/71/Derro-1e.jpg)
Mythologically, dwarves have had numerous descriptions as the "race" draws its origins from numerous cultures (i.e., bearded dwarves are a manifestation of Germanic mythos, primarily). Many ancient cultures even depict dwarves as spirits lacking physical forms, although shape-shifting was a usual dwarven ability as well.
But we're in the Disney Age: people copy what's popular. So, regarding D&D dwarves, it's a Gimli kinda world. Gimli is what most people in the hobby imagine, whether it's consistent with the mythos or not.
I say, as usual, at our tables we make the rules, characters, settings and monsters whatever we want.
(https://media.tenor.com/Lb1Cfi8IT0oAAAAM/lord-of-the-rings-aye.gif)
In The Hobbit there is a mention of evil dwarves that worked with goblins. I always saw them as akin to Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer Fantasy Battle with a wicked sense of humor that enjoy blowing things up.
Quote from: bat on February 06, 2025, 03:21:47 PMIn The Hobbit there is a mention of evil dwarves that worked with goblins. I always saw them as akin to Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer Fantasy Battle with a wicked sense of humor that enjoy blowing things up.
Chaos Dwarves sound cool from reputation, though I think Tolkien had something very different in mind.
As I recall, a significant fraction of the dwarves allied with Sauron, just like many humans did (Easterlings, Haradrim, Dunlendings). I've been running Middle Earth games that run closer to Tolkien canon. I think for my evil dwarves, I might play up their anti-elf feelings. They're militaristic and cynical, and ready to ally with anyone who will support them in throwing down the scheming and untrustworthy elves.
Quote from: Theory of Games on February 06, 2025, 03:18:27 PMIt's insane how people think Tolkien invented something that existed thousands of years before (dwarves in ancient folklore).
There's dwarves and their many 'cousins' in my settings:
Duergar (evil dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/3/31/Monster_Manual_2_1e_-_Duergar_-_p61.jpg)
Azers (fire dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/7/74/Azer-1e.jpg)
Derro (half-dwarves)
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/7/71/Derro-1e.jpg)
Mythologically, dwarves have had numerous descriptions as the "race" draws its origins from numerous cultures (i.e., bearded dwarves are a manifestation of Germanic mythos, primarily). Many ancient cultures even depict dwarves as spirits lacking physical forms, although shape-shifting was a usual dwarven ability as well.
But we're in the Disney Age: people copy what's popular. So, regarding D&D dwarves, it's a Gimli kinda world. Gimli is what most people in the hobby imagine, whether it's consistent with the mythos or not.
I say, as usual, at our tables we make the rules, characters, settings and monsters whatever we want.
(https://media.tenor.com/Lb1Cfi8IT0oAAAAM/lord-of-the-rings-aye.gif)
He largely created the modern image of fantasy dwarves. I just looked it up and the Disney Snow White (which Tolkien hated) came out the same year as The Hobbit, in 1937. That's the other pop culture image out there. I think people are generally aware that they're involved with Norse mythology and have been around a long time.
Quote from: jhkim on February 06, 2025, 09:19:52 PMQuote from: bat on February 06, 2025, 03:21:47 PMIn The Hobbit there is a mention of evil dwarves that worked with goblins. I always saw them as akin to Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer Fantasy Battle with a wicked sense of humor that enjoy blowing things up.
Chaos Dwarves sound cool from reputation, though I think Tolkien had something very different in mind.
As I recall, a significant fraction of the dwarves allied with Sauron, just like many humans did (Easterlings, Haradrim, Dunlendings). I've been running Middle Earth games that run closer to Tolkien canon. I think for my evil dwarves, I might play up their anti-elf feelings. They're militaristic and cynical, and ready to ally with anyone who will support them in throwing down the scheming and untrustworthy elves.
I do agree and I am sure Tolkien had something else in mind, in that description in The Hobbit, where goblins are introduced, the goblins like engines of war and destruction and Chaos Dwarves, with their little rocket launchers and love of fire seemed a reasonable model in my noggin.
I hate to say it, but I think warhammer fantasy get closest to my ideal of dwarves (in as much as I know about the setting, which is very little). Long lived bearded underground-dwelers with a penchant for mining and weaponcrafting, ill tempered, clannish, grudge holding.
Why is the iconic weapon of dwarves, master miners and earthworkers, an ax? Why not something more suited to their usual environment like a pick? Easy. Elves live in trees.
OD&D Dwarves were mostly just... there. Make of them what you will. Same for the BX ones.
Even the AD&D Dwarves are mostly a blank other than mentioning they dwell in mountains and hills and mining.
QuoteRocky hills are the favorite abode of these sturdy creatures. Dwarves
typically bond together in clans which are not mutually exclusive or hostile
but are competitive.
Although only 4 or so feet tall, they weigh no less than 150
pounds due to their stocky muscular build. They live for no less than 350
years on average.
Individual settings and campaigns were whatever someone wanted them to be.
Greetings!
Dwarves. When considering Dwarves, for my world of Thandor, I have been very much traditionalist in outlook and interpretation. I have Celtic-Influenced Dwarves, and Norse-Influenced Dwarves. Then, there are Gray Dwarves, that live exclusively in subterranean realms. The Gray Dwarves are bearded, tattooed, and love jewelry. Like other dwarves, they are skilled in mining, engineering, blacksmithing, and jewel crafting. The Gray Dwarves are also more influenced by Magic, and embrace a religion focused on worshipping the God of the Underworld. The Gray Dwarves also eagerly practice institutionalized slavery, torture, and the ritual sacrifice of humanoids on basalt altars, lit by flickering braziers of torchlight. The Gray Dwarves practice a dark and savage religion, which embraces dark mysticism and ancient, Pagan rituals.
Dwarves are DWARVES, firmly rooted withing European History and Mythology. I have no use for modernistic "Deconstruction" of Dwarves, or any BS nonsense interpretation that depicts Dwarves as rainbow fucking bakers and masseuses.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
The mention of deconstruction and European roots made me think of different versions of dwarves in some D&D settings.
In Christopher Dolunt's
Nyambe, there are versions of the original core races - with dwarves adapted as
Utuchekulu. They are also bearded and squat, with wild black hair and blood-red teeth. They gain a bite attack in addition to standard D&D dwarf traits (stonecraft, axe use, ...), and are known for their ritual cannibalism.
(https://i.imgur.com/cfE9zf7.png)
In Gygax's
Oriental Adventures, the
Korobokuru (based on Ainu folklore) are a barbaric race who live in the wilds, with no connection to underground. They still have infravision but have wilderness skills instead of stonework detection. They are described as having arms and legs slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than humans. Most are bow-legged. Their arms and legs are hairy, and the men have sparse beards.
(https://darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/img/korobokuru.jpg)
In my Lands of New Horizons setting, dwarves are one of the four core races of the Solar Empire - along with elves, humans, and orcs. Dwarves were the first race of the world, with a deep and magical connection to the earth, and are responsible for the amazing stonework of the Solar Empire (like Machu Picchu etc.). They were created before the Sun and Moon and stars were put in the sky. They are stat-wise the same as D&D dwarves, but there are some important distinctions in color:
- They don't have big beards and aren't particularly hairy. Incans have very little facial hair, and also the Incan underworld is associated with snakes, which doesn't make dwarves reptilian, but they are reptile-friendly.
- They don't use metal tools because there is no iron. So no picks or axes. They use maces and clubs like everyone else, but it isn't iconically theirs.
- They are grounded but also very magical - at least in connection with the earth. This is consistent with the mythic dvergar but not Tolkien dwarves.
I've also wondered about a version of dwarves that is more explicitly identified with the dokkalfar or svartalfar of Norse myth. The dokkalfar inspired Gygax's drow. Tolkien made dwarves and elves into polar opposites, but in Norse myth, dark elves typically are considered the same creature as dvergar. The dvergar are quite magical.
(https://darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/img/dokkalfar.jpg)
I don't think the choice is just Tolkien dwarves or deconstruction. There are a lot of varied options.
Quote from: Zenoguy3 on February 07, 2025, 01:19:46 PMI hate to say it, but I think warhammer fantasy get closest to my ideal of dwarves (in as much as I know about the setting, which is very little). Long lived bearded underground-dwelers with a penchant for mining and weaponcrafting, ill tempered, clannish, grudge holding.
Why is the iconic weapon of dwarves, master miners and earthworkers, an ax? Why not something more suited to their usual environment like a pick? Easy. Elves live in trees.
It bugs me that the axe is seen as the iconic weapon of dwarves, because it stems from imitation of a single character, Gimli. It's not even true in Tolkien that axes are the iconic weapon of dwarves. Thorin and company mostly used swords, while Dain's army used mattocks and broadswords.
Quote from: SHARK on February 08, 2025, 12:40:03 AMDwarves are DWARVES, firmly rooted withing European History and Mythology. I have no use for modernistic "Deconstruction" of Dwarves, or any BS nonsense interpretation that depicts Dwarves as rainbow fucking bakers and masseuses.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Why not stat out rainbow dwarves so you have new enemies to throw at your player's characters? There's probably an entire stat book to be made out of these fucking woke critters. Most fantasy games could use another 0-1 HD critter.
;)
Personally, in my aspiring game designer n00b but veteran player view, I view it as the job of the game system to set the stereotypes in whatever flavor you want and for individual players/GMs to break the mould as they see fit. A relatively simple declaration at the beginning of the rules stating that those are just the typical examples of the type for the setting (dictating to what the "world" will respond typically) and that variations can and do exist is enough for me personally.
Quote from: jhkim on February 08, 2025, 02:47:20 AMThe mention of deconstruction and European roots made me think of different versions of dwarves in some D&D settings.
In Christopher Dolunt's Nyambe, there are versions of the original core races - with dwarves adapted as Utuchekulu. They are also bearded and squat, with wild black hair and blood-red teeth. They gain a bite attack in addition to standard D&D dwarf traits (stonecraft, axe use, ...), and are known for their ritual cannibalism.
(https://i.imgur.com/cfE9zf7.png)
In Gygax's Oriental Adventures, the Korobokuru (based on Ainu folklore) are a barbaric race who live in the wilds, with no connection to underground. They still have infravision but have wilderness skills instead of stonework detection. They are described as having arms and legs slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than humans. Most are bow-legged. Their arms and legs are hairy, and the men have sparse beards.
(https://darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/img/korobokuru.jpg)
In my Lands of New Horizons setting, dwarves are one of the four core races of the Solar Empire - along with elves, humans, and orcs. Dwarves were the first race of the world, with a deep and magical connection to the earth, and are responsible for the amazing stonework of the Solar Empire (like Machu Picchu etc.). They were created before the Sun and Moon and stars were put in the sky. They are stat-wise the same as D&D dwarves, but there are some important distinctions in color:
- They don't have big beards and aren't particularly hairy. Incans have very little facial hair, and also the Incan underworld is associated with snakes, which doesn't make dwarves reptilian, but they are reptile-friendly.
- They don't use metal tools because there is no iron. So no picks or axes. They use maces and clubs like everyone else, but it isn't iconically theirs.
- They are grounded but also very magical - at least in connection with the earth. This is consistent with the mythic dvergar but not Tolkien dwarves.
I've also wondered about a version of dwarves that is more explicitly identified with the dokkalfar or svartalfar of Norse myth. The dokkalfar inspired Gygax's drow. Tolkien made dwarves and elves into polar opposites, but in Norse myth, dark elves typically are considered the same creature as dvergar. The dvergar are quite magical.
(https://darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/img/dokkalfar.jpg)
I don't think the choice is just Tolkien dwarves or deconstruction. There are a lot of varied options.
Excellent points.
These are the dwarves from one the settings my husband and I created. In this world, all of the standard humanoid races are descended from a mixing of human and faerie. Dwarves are a race made from mixing human blood and that of the earth fae:
The Cruach are thought to be descended from the fae of the mountains, beings of earth and stone. The Cruach are shorter than regular humans and thickly built, with pale white skin, white or light gray hair, and light gray eyes. The Cruach are very traditional people, who speak the ancient fae language first and the language of the Tuatha secondly, they seldom learn other languages. Tuatha is covered with ancient stone structures created by the Cruach and their ancestors.
The Cruach are extremely conservative and patriarchal, with duty and loyalty to family as one of their most cherished virtues. Men are expected to be warriors, to be brave and stoic without fail. A woman is expected to completely obey her father and then her husband. Cruach women watch the home and hearth, bearing and raising children, while the men rule and war. Because the females so seldom leave the home, some people outside of the Cruach lands have come to the erroneous conclusion that either all Cruach are male or that the female Cruach are indistinguishable from men. This is entirely false, Cruach have the same sort of sexual dimorphism as normal humans, including facial hair for men and none for women.
The Cruach are very long lived, even for fae blooded. It is not uncommon for a Cruach to live four or five centuries before starting to show signs of old age, sometimes considerably longer for those whose Fomori blood is particularly strong.
Contrary to the myth of female Cruach not existing, they actually outnumber the men. The Cruach practice polygamy and young men often have to prove themselves in battle or service to their family in order to procure a wife – leading to a higher attrition rate for men.
The Cruach are known for their incredible strength and durability as well as their martial prowess and bravery. They have an even deeper sense of honor and code of conduct than other fae blooded and feel that they each have a duty to their family as well as the humans under their watch, though their ancestors most of all.
The Cruach make some of the finest steel in the world, crucible steel made from iron and the ashes of a cremated Cruach ancestors. The ashes of the greatest warriors are said to create the highest quality steel, though as a matter of pride most Cruach will only own a weapon or suit of armor made from their own ancestor. It is seen as a terrible insult for a non-Cruach to wield a weapon made of Cruach steel unless it is a weapon gifted by Crom Cruach himself.
Those Cruach who have accomplished things in their lives – great warriors, leaders, or craftsmen, mothers who have given birth to many children, those who have lived to great age – are cremated after death so that their spirits may move on and their essence used to create Cruach steel. Those whose lives were cut short are buried beneath the earth so that their spirits may return to the earth and so be born again to live a more full life in the future.
Cruach have what may be the oldest recorded history in Tuatha, perhaps the world, with stone tablets recording events related to the Cruach and their ancestors going back thousands of years. The Cruach language is thought to be identical to that spoken by the Fomori ancestors, preserved for thousands of years while the other Fianna families allowed the true language of the Fomori to degenerate.
Cruach worship their ancestors in temples made of stone. The most sacred have been formed out of massive stony mountains, immense structures that even the greatest of Cruach stone workers cannot replicate it. In the hills and valleys, where many Cruach dwell, temples consist of circles of huge standing stones.
The king of the Cruach, in fact of Tirna Nairn, is called Crom Cruach or also The King of the Mountain. All Cruach adults swear oaths of loyalty to Crom Cruach. This obedience must be absolute, any command of Crom Cruach must be obeyed without question, even taking ones own life. Crom Cruach is seen as heir of the first King of the Mountain, the greatest of the elders who helped to create the earth, and he sits upon the Quartz Throne, that none may approach save upon their knees in supplication to Crom Cruach. For all practical purposes, he is seen as a god-king to the Cruach and serves as both the secular and religious authority of the nation.
Honor is almost everything to the Cruach and it is nearly universally seen as better to die than to act in a dishonorable way. In practice, some more sly Cruach can technically act within the bounds of honor while violating the spirit – for this is rare. The Cruach have a tradition of dueling, though unlike many human cultures where the aggrieved party challenges his target, the Cruach go directly to their king and ask permission from him. If Crom Cruach grants the request, then both people must accept his conditions, if Crom Cruach refuses permission, then the topic must be dropped and forgotten and no duel can happen.
When the Cruach go to war, the typically fight in a way reminiscent of hoplites, with large round shields, long one handed spears, a short sword, and with mail armor. Often the Cruach will carry several war darts to hurl at the enemy before or after an engagement. Cruach seldom use other missile weapons save for slings, though with their great strength they can hurl large stones or bullets a great distance. It isn't unusual for the Cruach to carry slings in the event that missile weapons are required to attack a more mobile foe. A few Cruach arm themselves differently, either with long pikes or great swords, both of which are a minority within a large unit of men with spears and shields. The swordsmen (who sometimes wear heavier armor) aggressively charge into enemy ranks, sometimes to create breaches in shield walls, while the pikemen attack from behind or move forward to receive cavalry charges. Cruach seldom make use of horses or other riding animals in warfare, though sometimes they will bring mounted human followers to supplement their forces.
The castle of Crom Cruach is Mynad Bael. It is a vast complex carved from the stone of the mountain which shares the same name. It is said that Mynad Bael was created by the Fomori themselves to serve as home form which to rule over mortals, and indeed the artistry and engineering used to create this mountain fortress is not understood by even the most skilled Cruach architects or engineers. The fortress itself is impregnable, no enemy has breached it in the long memory of the Cruach.
All Cruach men are expected to participate at least once in the Clan Wars, a great battle held once every 12 years where the Cruach Clans fight each other in ritual combat.
The Clan Wars, or Dalaigh Codach in the Cruach language, are a major cultural ritual in Tirna Nairn. The great Clans of the Cruach arrange to have wars with each other, where the warriors of each extended family take to the battlefield to fight, and even to kill, other Cruach Clans. These wars happen every 12 years unless the Cruach are engaged in a war with some outside group, in which case the Clan wars are skipped. The Clan Wars are a Cruach tradition that goes back many thousands of years and so are important because of the Cruach's love of tradition, but they are also seen as a way to maintain the valor and martial traditions of the Cruach people in times of extended peace.
The Clan Wars are a highly ritualized sort of warfare. The combatants obey a strict code of honor where injured men are not attacked, opponents who lose weapons are allowed to retrieve them, halts are called for the injured to receive treatment and for the dead to be removed from the battlefield, no hostages are taken nor is there looting or conquest. The violence remains strictly on the battlefield. Fleeing soldiers are also not attacked, though to flee in the heat of battle is seen as worse than death among the Cruach and so is exceedingly rare. Dishonorable conduct of any kind during the Clan Wars would carry terrible shame for not only the perpetrator, but his entire family.
Another odd quality of the Clan Wars is that there is no anger or hostility associated with it. After a day's battle, members of both sides retire form the battlefield and join each other in great feasts where the regale each other with talk of the day's fighting, making a point never to boast of one's own deeds but those of other's especially the enemy. While a Cruach who lost a brother on the battlefield would be sad, he would bear no ill will against his brother's killer if the killing was done under honorable circumstances – the killer would be seen as one who gave the beloved brother an honorable death.
There is no looting or sacking during Clan Wars. Civilians, as well as castles and fortresses, are left alone completely. Though sometimes warriors who are particularly brave or talented might be given a gift by the Clan Patriarch, the opposing Clan, or even the King. The Clan who has the most and greatest victories are declared the winner of the Clan Wars by Crom Cruach, which give this Clan an honored position until the next Clan Wars.
When the Cruach king dies, a special Clan War is held, called the Great Clan War, or Dalaigh Bael Codach. The Patriarch of the winning Clan of the Great Clan War becomes the new Crom Cruach. The Clan of the last Crom Cruach is prohibited from taking part of the Great Clan War, so that the dominant Clan changes between reigns, though during the Great Clan War the next of kin of the deceased Crom Cruach serve as acting Crom Cruach, though with less authority.
All Cruach males are expected to participate in the Clan Wars at least once. In fact, doing so is a passage into manhood – if you have never tasted battle then you are but a boy among the Cruach. A Cruach warrior who has shed blood or been injured on the battlefield is said to be "blooded" and considered better than merely participating in the Clan Wars.
Quote from: ShieldWife on February 12, 2025, 01:54:27 AMThese are the dwarves from one the settings my husband and I created. In this world, all of the standard humanoid races are descended from a mixing of human and faerie. Dwarves are a race made from mixing human blood and that of the earth fae:
That is an absolutely righteous wall of text.
Are you posting more of this elsewhere, or is this all homegame? Please tell me the former, this word sounds awesome.
My absolute favorite is the redesign by the artist "Monstergarden":
(https://i.redd.it/gbxpr4g4m60d1.jpeg) (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aogay0)
Quote from: ShieldWife on February 12, 2025, 01:54:27 AMThe king of the Cruach, in fact of Tirna Nairn, is called Crom Cruach or also The King of the Mountain. All Cruach adults swear oaths of loyalty to Crom Cruach. This obedience must be absolute, any command of Crom Cruach must be obeyed without question, even taking ones own life. Crom Cruach is seen as heir of the first King of the Mountain, the greatest of the elders who helped to create the earth, and he sits upon the Quartz Throne, that none may approach save upon their knees in supplication to Crom Cruach. For all practical purposes, he is seen as a god-king to the Cruach and serves as both the secular and religious authority of the nation.
Interesting. Crom Cruach is a pagan idol that has usually been interpreted as a worm-like demon in Christian times (and was adapted into Cthulhu mythos by Clark Ashton Smith). He may not even have been particularly nice in pagan times, but there's plenty of room for interpretation given scant evidence.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/St._Patrick_and_Crom_Cruaich.jpg)
How are these dwarves and their god-king Crom Cruach seen by other races? With their seemingly-male-only nature, their fanatical devotion to their god-king, and their ritualized warfare, they sound ominous at best.