Ale, Hammers, Beards! - A Guide on Dwarves

[Djura]

As I have noticed, we are lacking a guide about Dwarves! This I find immensely disappointing and horrifying. Thus, I have decided to write a guide!

Dwarf Appearance

Dwarves are short, stocky creatures, just between humans and Gnomes in size. They have all five fingers and toes, unlike Gnomes. As many of you know, they have magnificent beards, and, aside from that, they are usually devoid of hair on their head. They have large noses, sausage fingers, short legs and small but wide bodies. This generally doesn't give them the most appealing look, when it comes to males, at least. I'm not saying they're ugly, but they certainly do not share an appearance with Elves, for example. Dwarven females, on the other hand, are, essentially, compressed humans. They're short and stocky, but aside from that, they're almost identical to human females. Except, they're Dwarves, they're naturally more epic than humans.

Dwarves are naturally strong due to eons of life in mountain peaks, and are almost certainly stronger than humans. I'm not exactly sure how strong they are, but I think it's safe to assume that they are one of strongest races of Azeroth.

Dwarf Culture

Many play Dwarves like this: "Hammer Elves. Drink ale." I'm guilty of that too, sometimes, but this conception of Dwarves is far off from what a Dwarf is. Dwarves are naturally proud, hardy and make excellent (drinking) buddies.

A very important part of Dwarven culture is loyalty. In CappnRob's words: "They are the broest brorace." Meaning, betrayal cuts deep for them. This is exactly why they aren't very fond of Blood Elves. This is why there are very little Dwarven deserters, they'd rather die as heroes than live as cowards. Loyalty is something that is praised, thus, a Dwarf working for an enemy faction is often shunned in Dwarven society.

It is also worthy of mention that Dwarves enjoy combat. Not GRR SAVAGE BRUTAL MURDEROUS COMBAT, no, they enjoy sparring from time to time. This is why there are so many bar fighters and brawlers among the Dwarves, it is an influential part of their culture. It is also why the predominant professions chosen by Dwarves are the paths of a Warrior and Hunter. I do believe guards in Ironforge do not interfere in bar fights unless things get dangerous and serious injuries occur. But that's a guess; do not take my word for it!

Dwarves are fond of technology, though not to an extent as Gnomes are, and their technology has been, more than once, influenced by Gnomish, and vice-versa. Their machines are akin to their look: burly, tough, and not keen on appearance. Take Siege Tanks for example. You don't see a whole lot of pretty ones, do you? At most a machine would have a crest on it, but... that's pretty much it. One thing that they are most proud of, however, is the gun. It is a relatively new invention, but also the most popular one amongst marksmen. While all the races can learn to use the firearm, Dwarves posses a certain knack for it, making them ideal for such weaponry.

There are three most commonly used types of rifles: the blunderbuss, the flintlock pistol, and the long rifle. A blunderbuss is mostly used in short range, where it can effectively blast lots of shrapnel at the enemy. It contains a few shots, though they are seldom used more than once, as once they are, they get thrown away and real melee fighting begins. Flintlock pistols are medium-ranged firearms, lacking in power compared to the other two guns, but make up for it with portability. One can carry more than just one flintlock, it is not uncommon for a Dwarf to have 5 or more strapped all over him, just so he can fire off a few shots in hopes of hitting something. The third most commonly used rifle is the long rifle. Most of the time, they are as large as the Dwarves themselves! It's range is gigantic, and on top of that, it is very precise, being able to shoot straight on distances up to 2 miles! Unfortunately, it can carry only one shot, and must be reloaded after each one fired.

Dwarves are also some of the finest smiths in all of Azeroth. Their entire capital - aptly named Ironforge - is built around a giant forge. The center of the city is called the Great Forge. It is here where the finest Dwarven weapons are crafted. In the very center of this forge is a huuuge anvil, surrounded by great forges and lava falls. Their weapons and armor may appear as crude, at times, but they do as good of a job as any fancy Elven battlegear.

But wait! There is more! Living in the cold peaks of Dun Morogh, it is natural to assume that Dwarves make excellent survivors as well as hunters! Indeed, what better place to hone your hunting skills than a mountain forever set by snow? Dwarves have learned to tame rams and sometimes bears as pets, mounts, and compatriots. Why yes, they have bear cavalry. Screw your silly birds and horses, we have bear effin' cavalry.

So, how do Dwarves react to other races? This varies greatly from Dwarf to Dwarf, but their general opinion on humans is that they are cool and swell. Same goes for Gnomes as well. Now, Elves and Space Goats Draenei are a fairly complicated topic. On one hand, a Dwarf may hate both, or tolerate both, or hate one and not the other, and so on. The general opinion is that Dwarves like neither of those races, but, you are free to make an Elf/Draenei-loving Dwarf anytime! In fact, I encourage you to do so! (For example, see Hrodebert and Jami.)

Now onto the part that defines the essence of a Dwarf: THE ACCENT
Their accent is somewhere between Irish and Scottish, if I am correct, and they will usually swallow some letters in their words, as well as replace some of the letters. Here are some examples:

to = ta/tae
now = noo (nooh)
I = Ah
my = mah/me
the = th'/tha
what = wha'/whot/wot
And so on. These are just the most common words used in RPs.

Dwarven Clans

There are three major clans of Dwarves in WoW, and those are, as follows: The Bronzebeard Clan (Ironforge Dwarves), The Wildhammer Clan and the Dark Iron Clan. Two of these are playable, the Bronzebeard and the Wildhammers. Dark Irons are unplayable due to their hostility to everyone.

I would cover the Wildhammers and Dark Irons here, but I am lazy and can't bring myself to plow through information and then chew it for you. Will be updated soon, though!

Dwarven Classes

Warriors - If you've seen how they look like, it will come off as no surprise they make excellent front-line fighters. Their bulging muscles and stocky build make them quite capable of taking punishment.

Hunters - Dwarves like meat. No question about it, but how will you get meat if all the lakes are frozen? By hunting of course! Eons of living in mountains has made their eyesight more perceptive than, say, a human's, and as you may know, there are plenty of boars to hunt for!

Priests - Being allies for so long with the humans, they were bound to share philosophies and teachings. One such example is the Holy Light, and the Dwarves' faith and views upon it are similar, if not identical to the human ones.

Paladins - Same situation as Priests, but instead of wearing cloth and staying behind the lines, Paladins said: "Hell naw, Imma use the Light -and- beat you up close."

Rogues - Despite not being the most ideal build for a Rogue, Dwarves are rather short, and as such, they can hide behind objects pretty well. They are also stronger than an average human rogue, but have the same disadvantages as any other rogue.

Death Knights - Well, you served for the Argent Dawn and died. How simple is that?




Note that this is a WIP, and I have plenty more to add, such as the history, the clans, but it's rather late where I live and I have more productive things to do. Like sleep.

[Jonoth]

A great start! Hope to see more added (War of the Three Hammers, etc). Also notably absent is the most commonly used Dwarven invention, the rifle.

[CappnRob]

I'll help you work on this! I've been wanting to do a Dwarf guide myself!

[Uguu]

Don't forget the accent!

[Djura]

Updated with accents, guns, combat and loyalty. Still have to write the clans and history, though.

[Brutalskars]

I like it, and look to the Shademourne's Guide for any other bits you may want to add. It has quite a bit of awesome talk of the War of the Three Hammers and stuff.

[Dukica]

A good guide to dwarves, but it will get better when you add more. Have a cookie.

[CappnRob]

Should it be considered that dwarfs are artisan masters? Their weapons aren't showy or pretty, but just look at the artistic work in Ironforge's gates.

[Djura]

This should be updated by Thursday. Still looking for some additional info.

(Just to note that this has not been abandoned)

[Ural]

This varies greatly from Dwarf to Dwarf, but their general opinion on humans is that they are cool and swell. Same goes for Gnomes as well.

Great start, but I think you underplayed their great ties to the Alliance, specifically towards Gnomes and Humans.

Here's some fodder from the wiki.

They encountered the humans, perhaps their most important allies, ca. 1800 years before the First War and at the same time the high elves as the elves and humans were already allies. Interaction between the dwarves and the humans increased, and the two races soon became allies. For instance, it was the humans who taught the dwarves how to write in common. The humans also introduced the dwarves to the Holy Light.[8] The dwarves on their side used their knowledge to craft powerful weapons for the humans (such as the Ashbringer).

200 years ago the dwarves also met the gnomes which they shared a flair for technology and creativity with. Since this union began, the gnomes and dwarves have often been treated as one faction instead of two. By helping each other building amazing devices and weapons, this union has served the Alliance well, supplying the front lines with heavy artillery and explosives. One of the most important events deriving from this friendship was the building of Gnomeregan where both races built the city of gnomes together. When Gnomeregan later was overtaken by troggs after the Third War the gnome refuges moved to Ironforge in order to plan a counterattack.

...dwarves still stand as one of the core parts of the Alliance.

IMO think long and hard before you play a gnome-punting human-bashing Dwarf. Also I believe dwarves and Night Elves are quite wary of each other due to their use of techology, destructive warfare and mining.

I have no idea / suggestions about Draenei. Otherwise, keep up the great work! We need more well-played Dwarves.

[CappnRob]

I think dwarves are in an interesting position as far as relationship with the Draenei go, as the Draenei are technologically advanced followers of the Light, like they are, but also very humble, pious people with close connections to the earth.

Then again you can argue dwarves have a closer connection to the earth than you'd expect because they live underground so much and just believe more in getting use out of it than preserving it as it is. At any rate, Dwarves don't wreck the environment maliciously, at least not to the degree say, Goblins do.

They encountered the humans, perhaps their most important allies, ca. 1800 years before the First War and at the same time the high elves as the elves and humans were already allies. Interaction between the dwarves and the humans increased, and the two races soon became allies. For instance, it was the humans who taught the dwarves how to write in common. The humans also introduced the dwarves to the Holy Light.[8] The dwarves on their side used their knowledge to craft powerful weapons for the humans (such as the Ashbringer).

This I always found a tad bit weird. Humans allied with the dwarfs shortly after allying with the high elves, meaning this was essentially the core founding of the Old Alliance. Despite this fact that the three core races were basically on the same side now, apparently the dwarves had a trade taboo with the elves? I can't be the only one who finds this a bit strange, even if assuming dwarves and elves kept each other at arms' length.

[Ural]

...At any rate, Dwarves don't wreck the environment maliciously, at least not to the degree say, Goblins do. Tell that to the Night Elves. And what about the whole Draenei crashing into the ground? I couldn't resist, I've been doing the Draenei Shaman quests.

They encountered the humans, perhaps their most important allies, ca. 1800 years before the First War and at the same time the high elves as the elves and humans were already allies.

This I always found a tad bit weird. Humans allied with the dwarfs shortly after allying with the high elves, meaning this was essentially the core founding of the Old Alliance. Despite this fact that the three core races were basically on the same side now, apparently the dwarves had a trade taboo with the elves? I can't be the only one who finds this a bit strange, even if assuming dwarves and elves kept each other at arms' length.

True, according to the all-knowing, completely infallible wiki...

The two races had no special bond and tended to distrust one another. When allied, it was through their common ties to the humans.

I suppose this describes their 'first contact' relations. I blame the humans and their diplomacy for mucking it up.

The Wildhammers desired to open up trade with the high elves, considered taboo at the time, and would serve as one of the catalysts for their war. When it ended, the clan became close allies to the high elves. The two races were united through a mutual appreciation for nature and other cultural similarities. They would soon become each other’s closest friends within the Alliance.

I wonder how the Bronzebeards felt about this?

A very important part of Dwarven culture is loyalty. In CappnRob's words: "They are the broest brorace." Meaning, betrayal cuts deep for them.

I'll quote you both and leave it at that. Now whurr's m'coffee...

[Djura]

Seeing as my sleep schedule has been completely massacred, I cannot promise any update until Monday.

(I blame too much coke)

[CappnRob]

Remember, I did say "not to the degree goblins do". Many dwarves probably abuse the earth, but you could assume a good few revere it too.

[Jonoth]

Great strides being made! Kudos! Also glad to see more Dwarves around on the server in general!

(I blame too much coke)

*hopes you mean cola*