Dwarf (Warhammer)

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This article is about dwarfs in Warhammer Fantasy. For other uses of the term, see dwarf (disambiguation).

The Dwarfs are a race in Warhammer Fantasy, very much akin to the portrayal of dwarves in many other fantasy worlds, such as Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons. Warhammer Dwarfs are highly driven by honor, and never forget a slight.

Contents

1 History
2 The War of the Beard
3 Physical Aspects
4 Society
5 Named Dwarfs
6 Dwarven Technology
7 See also

History

Little is known about early dwarf history but dawi as they were known were probably assisted in their development by the mysterious and enigmatic Old Ones. It is said that the dwarfs were foretold of the great catastrophe that befell the Warhammer world by their patron god, Grungni.

After the catastrophe of the Coming of Chaos, the dwarfs emerged to find their world changed and warped. Mutated Beastmen roamed freely throughout the land, slaying everyone in their path. Warriors of the Chaos Gods slaughtered all in their path and Daemons created nightmare realms, enslaving entire communities.

It was Grungni himself that forged the first weapons and armor, while teaching the dwarfs to do the same. Then after he forged the first magical runes, capturing the wild winds of magic and harnessing their power into them, creating even more potent weapons, axes and hammers, as well as runes that gave runic protection into armor and talismans. He armed the Ancestor God Grimnir with two axes and armor harder than the bones of mountains, and he and his first runesmiths armed the rest of the dwarves to do battle.

Soon after their re-emergence the dwarfs first encountered the High Elves from Ulthuan. The two races had a period of prosperous development but a disastrous war known to the elves as the 'War of the Beard' and to the dwarfs as the 'War of Vengeance' almost completely destroyed the two races. The dwarves now live in isolated strongholds of decreasing population and their once proud empire now lays in tatters.

The War of the Beard

The War of the Beard was the cataclysmic war that took place between the dwarfs of the Old World and the elves of Ulthuan shortly after the great catastrophe. The war was started by Dark Elves, pretending to be High Elves, attacking dwarf colonies and trading parties. The war received its nickname after High King Gotrek Starbreaker of the dwarfs sent an emissary to Ulthuan, demanding recompenses, doubled, for the loses incurred by the Dwarves. Phoenix King Caledor II returned the dwarf minus his beard several days later. To lose one's beard is the ultimate insult to a dwarf and thus the war was known as War of the Beard to the elves while the dwarfs, not to take such things lightly, call it War of the Vengeance.

Physical Aspects

Dwarfs are on average a good deal shorter than either men or elves of the Warhammer world making them ideally suited to the tunnels in which they live and work. Their bodies seem purpose built for manual labour, solidly muscled, broad shouldered and large thick fingered hands that belie considerable manual dexterity. Dwarfs are a very long lived race with lifespans that can run into centuries. As a dwarf becomes older so his beard becomes longer and thicker. Since dwarfs have a deep inbuilt respect for age it would be unthinkable for a dwarf to cut off or even trim their beards.

Female dwarfs are very rarely seen outside dwarf realms which has led many people to believe that dwarf males can have babies or that dwarf women have beards.

Two dwarf models

Society

Dwarf society is mainly Monarchistic and organised into strongholds each governed by a king. The kings of each stronghold are largely independent but during times of trouble or war it is The High King who takes ultimate charge. The High King can often be seen at the forefront of the battle, fighting on the front line and leading by valiant example. Outside of strongholds dwarves are orgainsed into clans. Clans are like an extensive family group, all sharing common ancestry although mostly not directly related.

Slayers

A notable aspect to Dwarf culture is the Slayer Oath. A Dwarf who has suffered a great shame, loss, or humiliation will dye his hair and beard orange, and cut it into a mohawk. Taking up his axe, he will go out into the world, seeking out an honourable death in combat, and in so doing undo his dishonor. Those who continue to survive their repeated attempts to get themselves killed (a Dwarf is, of course, psychologically incapable of either suicide or fighting to lose) become fearsome warriors. One of the most (or least, depending on your point of view) successful Slayers of all time is Gotrek Gurnisson, a Slayer made famous by the books written about him by his longtime companion Felix Jaeger.

One branch of the Warhammer Dwarf family tree is unique to the Warhammer universe. In ancient times, some Dwarfs moved far to the east, and were caught by the onslaughts of Chaos. Dwarfs are very resistant to the forces of Chaos, but they changed over time, becoming Chaos Dwarfs and, in many ways, mirror-images of their estranged kin. Where Warhammer Dwarfs shun most magic (save for Runic magic, which is unique to their race) Chaos Dwarfs have embraced it; where Dwarfs worship their Ancestor Gods, Chaos Dwarfs have turned to the worship of the evil Hashut, Father of Darkness. Where Dwarfs abhor slavery and "greenskin" races (Goblins, Orcs and the like), Chaos Dwarfs hold masses of slaves and are allied with or are overlords of many greenskin tribes, most of them Hobgoblins.

Perhaps the most famous of all dwarfs is Josef Bugman. Bugman was a master dwarf brewer who was world renowned for his famous beers, known as Bugman's XXXXXX. However one night, returning from a trading trip in the Empire, he found his brewery ablaze, attacked by a raiding party of Goblins. Since then Bugman and his rangers have travelled the old world fighting with the Goblins and Orcs.

The current High King of the Dwarves is Thorgrim Grudgebearer who carries the Great Book of Grudges and has sworn to make sure all of them are avenged.

Named Dwarfs

Thorgrim Grudgebearer - Josef Bugman - Gotrek Gurnisson

First Edition Characters: Sigurd Strongarm, Sigrat Blackbrow, Sigrun Slenderhank, Skeggi Brokenback, Saugron Brittlebone and Thorgrim Branedimm. Thorgrim wields the magical warhammer Foebane. They are the characters in the scenario The Ziggurat of Doom (situated in Dwarfstrangle).

Dwarven Technology

The dwarfs are by far Warhammer's most technologically advanced race, and are regarded as consummate engineers. Where other races use wooden ships to travel overseas, the dwarfs use ironclad dreadnoughts and nautilius, the Warhammer equivalent of today's battleships and submarines. They have also pioneered the development of black powder and steam technology such as cannons, handguns and Gyrocopters (helicopters). They have shared some of this technology with Humans, but still consider the work of the 'Manlings' to be shoddy in comparison to good dwarven work.