Location
Dwarven subraces are separated by location. The Hill Dwarves are the most commonly seen by other Cimmerians, residing above ground. Hill Dwarves are concentrated in Jord and Balin’s Holt, but there are smaller communities throughout the city-states. Mountain Dwarves live on the surface and inside caves of the Terror Mountains. Deep Dwarves live in the passages below the Terror Mountains. Duergar live under the rest of Cimmeria, with a higher concentration in Western Cimmeria where the Duergar Kingdom is located. While dwarves used to occupy the Dominarie Mountains, that realm is now a literal ghost kingdom filled with the spirits of dwarves killed by Kruk-Ma-Kali’s armies.
Relations with Other Races
The isolated homes of most dwarves result in them having few direct relationships with other races. Mountain Dwarves, Deep Dwarves, and Duergar all live far from the rest of Cimmerian civilization. While trade exists with the outside world, it all flows through the Hill Dwarf merchants that interact with the other kingdoms. Thus when most people describe dwarven relations with other races they are actually describing Hill Dwarves and not the wider dwarven race.
Cimmerian communities often turn to dwarves for smithing and cooking. Dwarves have a natural talent and long history in the smithy. If one seeks out the best blacksmith or whitesmith in any decently sized Cimmerian town, chances are they will be talking to a dwarf. As for cooking, while dwarves do not have the well-earned reputation of halfling chefs, the bearded people do make up for skill with culinary adventurism. Spices are rare below the ground so dwarves that come to the surface are often excited to try new ingredients and combinations that most other races would never consider. These creations often end in disaster, but occasionally a breakthrough is discovered and a signature dish is found.
Dwarves get along well with halflings and humans, often bonding over food or metalwork. Elves are viewed with suspicion, whether this is due to their physical differences or a competitive bent between the two races is hard to say. Dwarves tend to openly dislike all other races of Cimmeria. Orcs, goblins, kobolds, and others are adversaries to a dwarf. They are more likely to be met with a closed door or an axeblade from a dwarf than a kind word.
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