Dwarves are most well known for their cities, which are few and far between. They do not have a variety of cities, towns, villages, and the like, they do just one kind: Large. Dwarves Smallest cities accommodate about 20,000 dwarves inside the city proper, and support another 10,000 residents in what they call “the low lands” of their cities.
These cities are all structurally similar. They are built into grand mountains, and the mountain is hallowed out and built out to be a large city. Older cities still often used hewn stone, but newer cities have seen dwarves and gnomes work together to create grand, worked stone structures in the cities that make most dwarven cities look stunning.
Outside of all dwarven cities exist what dwarves call “the low lands”. These are relatively newer to dwarven cities, where they found that instead of importing goods from all over the place, they can instead hire other races to work their own farms and flocks in the low lands.
Almost all dwarven cities use a very similar layout. There is a grand staircase built outside the mountain that leads up to the city gates, although there are many other “service entrances” around the mountains. All entrances and exits of the main city proper are guarded 24/7. Anyone wishing to use the service entrances (entrance or exits) must have paperwork issued via dwarven bureaucracy. In fact, all entrance to the city requires specialized entrances requirements, although those not using the service entrance usually just have to answer some questions.
At the entrance to all dwarven cities, first and foremost is the temple to the Three Dwarven Gods. Although not the only temple to them, it is always the largest temple. This largest and most luxurious temple is also where the central governing bodies for that city do their work out of. Although not strictly a theocracy, dwarven values run so deep within their worship of “The Three”, that their church is also their government. Around this temple is any other bureaucratic offices.
Once outside of this area, you will get into many city zones. These city zones are vastly different between city to city, and are almost like “urban areas” and “suburbs” of the mountain. The more urban-like city areas are often closer to the main entrance, with the suburbs being further away, and often times deeper.
Dwarves have many ways of getting up and down. There are many staircases, ramps, and “elevators” that operate throughout the cities. Most of the mountain is hollow, and there are many large supporting pillars around.
The main form of lighting in the city are stone lanterns and torches which are placed strategically on buildings all over. Much of the oil and coal found in the mines are used to light the cities up.
Dwarves realized that they had selected good earth for their homes. A few hundred years ago, they decided to stop importing much of the foods they did, and instead start growing their own food, raising their own livestock and the like. They do this in large, flat areas surrounding the chosen mountain, which all areas call the Low Lands.
The low lands are large collections of farms, and smaller towns that exist around the main major town. Although dwarves still make up the bulk of the population in the low lands, other races have started to live here as well, mixing in with dwarven society quite well.
Learning to farm for themselves lead to perhaps the largest shift in dwarven society ever. Although dwarves drank much alcohol, it was always for necessity due to availability of clean drinking water. Once they started farming, however, and learned how to filter water and grow the proper crops, alcohol went from a necessity, to part of the dwarven way of life. Even the church has taken a stance that it was always a core part of celebration.
The largest dwarven city in the world is Lightstone. Lightstone was built into one of the worlds largest mountains. Lightstone houses over 75,000 dwarves and gnomes in the mountain, and another 150,000 dwarves, gnomes, humans, and halflings in the lowlands around the city. This city is so grand, there are 3 entrances, hundreds of service tunnels, and many miles of lowlands. Lightstone temple is the largest and most beautifully crafted temple to The Three. Many dwarves make a pilgrimage to Lightstone at least once in their lives to visit Lightstone Temple.
The dwarven pantheon involves 3 deities that all dwarves worship. These deities are: Bulvein the Just, Rhendar the Diligent, and Kaladin the Loyal. These three deities incidentally are the three biggest virtues that dwarves consider to be “dwarvish traits” broadly.
Bulvein the Just represents lawfulness, justice, accountability, common sense, strength, toughness, the ability to defend yourself and homeland, and the knowledge of when to do so.
Rhendar the Diligent represents hard work, honor, understanding, patience, and above all, duty to others in your family, clan, and close friends.