Editing Magipunk:Species (section)

= Dwarves =

Dwarves average about 4'6" to 5' tall, and are very thick-bodied, usually weighing between 150 and 200 lbs. Their fingers are incongruously long and thin, and quite dextrous. All of the joints in their hands and fingers are "ball joints," capable of turning in any direction, and all of their fingers can mutually oppose. Dwarf hands look extremely creepy to many humans. Dwarves tend to have curly, thick hair, and their beards are generally heavy (though some Dwarves, of course, shave). Many Dwarves have patterns inscribed on their skin in thick, raised scar tissue. These patterns do not appear to have magical potency, and there is divided opinion as to whether they are aspects of the Dwarves' punishment, personal decoration, both, or neither. 

For the last forty years, the normal Dwarves of the world have retreated deep into their mountains, locked away from the rest of the world. The only Dwarves who still exist in the human worlds are those Dwarves who have been exiled from Dwarfish communities – a punishment the Dwarves reserve for their worst criminals. Every Dwarf in a human city is a criminal on the order of a murderer, rapist, kidnapper, or the like. 

Dwarves can generally find profitable employment in skilled trades: their smithing skills (of all sorts) and similar physical tradesmanship are legendary.

<i>Pseudo-game rules:  Dwarves should suffer a relatively severe penalty to their appearance stat.  They are generally strong (bonus to strength), and have excellent manual dexterity but unremarkable agility, if the game system supports that kind of detail.  Almost all Dwarves will have a number of craft skills at a high degree of proficiency.  Dwarves suffer a poor reputation among humans for being criminals (which they are).  Many, but not all, Dwarves are insane -- they either went insane and committed their crimes, or were driven insane by being too long from other company.</i>