Dwarves of the Barbaric Frontier

Physical description

Dwarves are small stout folk, very stubborn. Standing about 4' with muscular body. Males grow long beards  

and moustaches. Females grow long hair usually braid them. Their hair color range from black, through red to light blonde.

Social structure

Dwarven society is divided into kins(or houses)-kvikmyndahúsum(house name is made of the name of its protoplast and suffix -ætt; e.g.: Snorri-ætt). Dwarven society is matriarchal, despite the fact that kin's name is derived from male ancestor's name. As for marriage - dwarves have polyandry(many husbands for one wife).

Religion

Dwarves revere their holy ancestors, great heroes of the past. They do not possess any kind of priest-caste, all religious rituals are cultivated individually, though it often happens in so called “houses of remembrance” dedicated to ancestors of whole dwarfdom. Skalds sing songs of past and deeds of their ancestors during religious festivals.

Relations

They try to avoid contact with any other races except for exiles from their society who live among humans. Dwarves have long history of struggle against underground monsters. Elves are not their enemies, but they are suspicious in relations with them. They are outrightly hostile towards beastmen, skraelings and for most of the barbaric tribes.

Male names: Ari, Baldur, Brynjar, Eyvindur, Fannar, Hakon, Halldor, Haraldur, Hinrik, Hrafn, Pall, Sindri, Snorri, Sverrir, Tryggvi, 

Female names: Asdis, Brynja, Eydis, Frida, Halldora, Hildur, Pala, Svana, Svanhildur, Unnur, Valdis, Vigdis.