DWARVES

Hard as the rocks they live in,
Tongues, sharp as spades,
Minds full of gold and gems,
That's how the dwarves were made.

In the dark caverns they lurk,
Making their treasures gleam.
Selling off their childrens work
As the best that they've ever seen.

But when you feel the bite of the heel,
On your neck 'fore the final blow,
Know their best work is weapons steel,
But it's the last thing you'll ever know.
The original author of this fraction of script is unknown, but it is a well established belief that the dwarves who first heard it made him rich. They are well known artisans of stones and minerals and they are very selective of the people they trade with. They have only limited contracts with any humans but they have a good standing with the elven nation.

The dwarves of Meth'iir could be planted in any of a hundred other worlds, and fit right in. They arestoic, hot tempered, can hold a grudge for generations and be the best allies that one could find. They are mortal enemies of the goblin races, and the only way that will change will be if they, or the goblins, are wiped off the planet.

Their clan structures are not well known, and there are several tribes that reside in the Ghistmondst, their ancestral mountain regions. They are well planted in the mountains, and that has been their main defense for centuries. All passes are watched, and using underground networks that only the dwarves knowthe full extent of, they can amass a force of men quickly and efficiently when attacks occur.

Though there are several tribes of dwarves, they are ruled by 6 councilmen (or women) and their current reigning monarch. This monarch isn't hereditary, usually, and is considered the last word in all governing issues for the dwarven nations, even those that are seperated from the mountains due to geography. The kings word is law, at least to the other dwarves, but is a permanent fixture in their lives. When a monarch passes away, or loses the ability to lead his people, the heir immediately takes his place. It is always known who the current monarch is by the Geish stone. They mark the monarch himself no matter where he is, and when he passes the stone passes to the next king magically, disappearing from the former monarch and appearing on the brow of the new king. Who that king will be is not known until the time of the Passing.
The Geish stone is a sturdy band of enchanted mithril, and has at the center a woundrously cut blue diamond that has an inner glow. Who made it none will say, but it is definitely of dwarven make. Their ancient runes pass around the band and afford the wearer many gifts. What the gifts are not all can say, but the few things that are known of it make it an item of immense value.
The one thing of note are the Grushtik, a clan of dwarves that, under the auspices of reform, took it upon themselves to aide and ally themselves with the Mage Lords. They lived in the northern fork of the mountains, and were always considered 'odd' by their brethren. They formed plans that would allow the Mage Lords to access the caverns of the Dwarves home and bring about a 'change' that would leave them the Masters of the Hall not only in the own conclave but over all the dwarves.
When the plans were found out, the king mustered all of his forces at hand and stormed the conclave of the Grushtik. It was a bloody conflict, and there wre heavy losses on both sides. The Geish stone passed 5 times in three days during the conflict, and with its aid the Grushtik were forced from their homes and forced to the surface. A curse was laid on them that until the time that the Geish stone passed to them they would never return to their homes. Beaten, humiliated by their brethren, they turned to their new allies, seeking asylum with the realm of the Mage Lords.
They received mroe than they bargained for, however. The Mage Lords took them in, but for their own nefarious needs, and soon a yoke of servitude was placed on them. They were forced into the smithies to forge weapons for their new Masters. They became the sappers and shock troops for the human armies finding themselves fighting against their brethren. They have even found themselves working side-by-side with their most hated enemies, the goblins and orcs, with no say in the matter. They are forced to this through their women and children who were forced out with them, now enslaved and held in thrall to the humans.

Many would say they brought it on themselves, but many would say that their punishment was too harsh....