This file be a mix o' stuff from letters ta new members o' tha Clan. Tha parts that be talkin' bout dwarves in general were put 'ere fer our kin. They be a right proud lot, eager ta ken more bout tha great dwarven legacy.

Dwarves and Roleplay

Dwarves, as a general rule, are a race of extremes. A dwarf does nothing without throwing himself into body and soul, wether it be fighting, singing, drinking, or mining. This single mindedness is one of their finest, and at times one of their worst, qualities.

Dwarves are skeptics at heart, fueled by a deeply woven pride in all things dwarven. Because of this, they can sometimes come off as eliteist, seeming to believe that all things dwarven are inherently superior. While they don't deny that the others of the Alliance have achieved grand things and are critical to the success of the Alliances survivial, they are convinced that these races would eventually make a muck of it all were the dwarves not around to help keep them out of trouble.

On the brighter side, dwarves are likely the most fiercely loyal companions to be had. It is not an easy thing to befriend a dwarf, but it is definitely worth the effort. A dwarf will stand by a chosen life friend through thick and thin. A dwarf that turns his back on a friend is lower than a trogg in the eyes of his kindred. When you make a dwarven friend, you make a friend, and an ally, for life.

Dwarven Attitudes

There are several classic dwarven attitudes that can be reflected in the role playing of your dwarf. While not every dwarf will exhibit every attitude, it is a rare dwarf that does not exhibit at least one of them. Remember, these are archetypes - simplified guidelines. Be creative!

Grumpy
The Grumpy dwarf is displeased with everyone and everything. The weather is always too hot or too cold, the food never tastes like it should, and his companions never appreciate him. This dwarf is not a whiner, however. While a grumpy dwarf loves too complain, it will always carry with it the message that at least he/she is a dwarf and is able to bear the burden of the adversities presented by the world.
"Hmph! Blasted tallfellows, dragging me around this stank grub bush, caked in foul spiders an' smellin' of wet burlap! If I weren't a dwarf earthen, I'd never have the patience to keep this Alliance! Tallfellows be countin' themselves lucky on this torst."
Superiority
Most dwarves, if not all, consider their race to be inherently better suited to most tasks than any other. Elves are too focused on Elune's will to know what's going on in the world right around them, humans are loud mouthed and always in a hurry, and gnomes take too much pleasure at the expense of others. While dwarves recognize that other races may have achieved great things none of them have reached the level of civilization of the dwarves. The superior dwarf will take any opportunity to point out the deficiencies of others, often creating friction when there would otherwise be none.
"Ye had to let that blade go fer only three gold!? Ye tallfellows be foolish as a smith with a rubber mallet!"
Warmonger
This dwarf simply loves to fight. He doesn't care what the fight is about, or who started it. If he sees a fight going on, he will choose a side and jump right in. Battle is a joyous thing, to be sung about with ale and cheer in bandages and blooded armor. This dwarf sees combat as the ultimate expression of his being.
"To arms! I'll have yer life on me ax as me ale hits me gullet tonight!"
Leader
This dwarf has a penchant for taking charge of any situation. He or she sees what needs to be done, and sets about getting everyone around him together and leading them to accomplishing the goals at hand. Note that this dwarf may not always know the proper thing to do, but he certainly believes he does!
"Gather around, kin, I've got me a solution fer this."
Stoic
The classic dwarf, the stoic bears any situation without complaining. When others begin to buckle, he considers them to be whiners and unfit for managing their own skin. Faced with any obstical, be it an army of troggs or a dragon, the stoic will observe simply, "This could prove to be a challenge." He'll then heft his ax and head forward into the fray. Threatening a stoic dwarf is a waste of breath, since he will never budge nor flinch.
"At ready, Elder."
Greedy
Dwarves are well known for their love of riches of the earth: precious ores and gems of all sorts. This should not be mistaken for the more generic forms of greed; most dwarves simply love these things for their beauty, usefulness, and as kin to the earth itself in their history as the Earthen of Azeroth. Some dwarves do take this to an extreme and become obsessed with ownership as a fundamental, resorting to dastardly methods to gain more and more property.
"Precious gold!" *hefts pickaxe and sprints full tilt*
Dependable
Dwarven loyalty cannot be taken lightly. It bleeds into many things: family, friendship, and a fierce dedication to their commitments and place in society. This sort of dwarf lives to be useful. She will always step up to get the job -- whatever it may be -- done. Most often, these dwarves have a certain humility about the accomplishments they achieve through their work ethic as it is simply how they exist.
"It will be done."

Dwarves and Downtime

Of course, not all of your time will be spent adventuring with your dwarf. You will find yourself, at times, in an inn somewhere, taking a brief respite from your travels. What, then, does a dwarf do, when he isn't swinging his axe or pulling ore from the earth?

A Fine Lager
Dwarves love their ale, possibly more than life itself. Many a family feud in dwarven history has been due to competing breweries and the like. A dwarf can lay down enough ale to send a dozen humans into rigor mortis and still swing an axe clean and true. Ales, lagers and fine mead are the preferred drinks of dwarves. Wine is no better than water, and is the drink of longears and aristocrats.

A Fine Smoke
Smoking from a darkwood or stone pipe is almost as comforting as downing an ale. Many a dwarf find themselves enjoying a warm, well flavored puff of the pipe to warm from the everwinter of Loch Modan. Some dwarves take exceptional pride in creating images with the smoke from their pipes, and those truly skilled in the art can create complex pictures with pipe smoke.

Storytelling
Few dwarves can resist a well spun tale, and those dwarves that can tell a good story are highly respected amongst their kin. The best tales paint clear visions of grand dwarven heroes, as dwarves take great pride in the accomplishments of their kin.

Singing
Dwarves love a good song. Skalds of dwarven society (dwarven war poets) sing songs which are always highly emotional, portraying anger, sadness, battle lust and other powerful emotions. Many dwarven songs bring many dwarves into the performance, adding character and involvement in a good sung tale. Few who experience the depths of dwarven song find themselves emotionally placid.

Dwarven Disdain

Demon Magic
Dwarves have tremendous distaste and mistrust for the demon magic of worlocks of Azeroth.

Open Water
Dwarves are leery of the sea, it being much more unpredictable than the living rock they make their homes in. Hence, boat rides are uncomfortable at best and absolutely out of the question at worst. Sometimes, a few good drinks will help a dwarf overcome this discomfort. It is perhaps because of this that dwarves bathe somewhat less frequently than most races.

Wine
No real dwarf will ever drink wine. It's no better than sour grape juice.

Being Called Short
Dwarves aren't short. Tallfellows and longears be gangly! An' don't you forget it!

A Final Note

Please keep in mind that the information in this file is meant as a guideline only. Feel free to disregard some or all of its advice. The range of dwarven personalities is wide. Very few dwarves exhibit all of the characteritics given here, and some don't exhibit any at all. The only true guideline is to create a dwarven character that is believable and enjoyable to play. However, if you deviate too far from the dwarven norm it is advisable to explain why your dwarf is so different from all of the rest. This will add to the depth of your character, and will hopefully add to your enjoyment as you play him. Most of all, have fun, and never forget yer keg!