Introduction: The stoic dwarves of Ironforge are an ancient race of robust humanoids who live beneath the snow-capped mountains of Khaz Modan. The Dwarves have always been fast allies with the Humans, and they revel in the prospects of battle and storytelling alike.

In past ages, the Dwarves rarely left the safety of their mountain fortresses. However, whenever the call to battle sounded, they rose up to defend their friends and allies with unmatched courage and valor.

Due to a recent discovery that uncovered fragments of their ancient origins, the Dwarves have undergone a remarkable transformation. The discovery convinced the Dwarves that the mighty Titans created them from stone when the world was young. They feel that their destiny is now to search the world over for more signs and proof of their enchanted heritage and to rediscover the Titans’ hidden legacies.

To this end, the Dwarves have sent out their Prospectors to all ends of the world in the hopes of discovering new insight into their shrouded past. These journeys led to Dwarven excavation sites all over the known world, some of which serve as outposts and some of which serve as potential hunting grounds for enemies of the Dwarven race.

Dwarf Information

Affiliation: Alliance
http://www.wowwiki.com/Alliance

Additional Intro: In ages past the Dwarves cared only from riches taken from the earth’s depths. Then records surfaced of a god-like race said to have given the Dwarves’ life… and a enchanted birthright. Driven to learn more, the Dwarves devoted themselves to pursuit of lost artifacts and ancient knowledge. Today Dwarven archaeologists are scattered throughout the globe.

Leader: King Magni Bronzebeard
http://www.wowwiki.com/Magni_Bronzebeard

Capitol: Ironforge
http://www.wowwiki.com/Ironforge

Main Language: Dwarven
http://www.wowwiki.com/Dwarven_(language)

IC RP "Speak”: "Scottish/Irish/English”, from crude to proper – accents vary

Main Groups: The Explorer’s League, Bronzebeard (Ironforge) Clan (main player clan), Wildhammer Clan (Stormpike Clan), Dark Iron Clan ("evil”)

Main Faith/Philosophy: The Holy Light (philosophy), The Makers (Titans)
http://www.wowwiki.com/Light
http://www.wowwiki.com/Mystery_of_the_Makers

Allies: Humans, Night Elves*, Draenei, Gnomes
*some minor conflict/predjudice possibly still from the past

Racial Enemy: Scourge
(Also shaky truce – enemies with Horde forces)

Basic Height, Weight & Age:
Male Height: 3′11″-4′7″
Female Height: 3′9″-4′5″

Male Weight: 134-226 lb.
Female Weight: 104-196 lb.

Adulthood: 40 years.
Middle Age: 125 years.
Old: 188 years.
Venerable: 250 years.
Life Expectancy: 252-450 years.

OOC Culture Reference: A mix of Scottish, Irish, Germanic and Nordic cultures.

Imagine if you were raised in a culture who took playing in the mud very very seriously. As a young lad or lassie, your parents advised you that it would be wise of you to learn digging as your profession, and they hoped that one day you would marry a forger. Your people loved the earth so much that they built their homes and cities underground, and reached as deep as they could into the ground to see what they could find there.

Then... imagine if, just a few years ago, someone discovered evidence that your people had once been made by giant Titans out of the very stone and earth you now craft with such care. Wouldn't you be pretty psyched?

There's so much more to dwarves than just a Scottish accent and short stature, you see. Dwarves are the Indiana-Joneses of World of Warcraft. After eons of digging into and sculpting the earth of Azeroth, they suddenly have a clue as to where they came from and how everything came to be the way it is for them. They are now spread across distant places of the world, digging and plumbing ancient ruins in order to unravel the mystery of their existence, and discover the ultimate reason for being.

Dwarven nature

You know, of course, that dwarves are just about 3 and a half or 4 feet tall, with craggy skin you could probably sharpen a knife on. Dwarves are also able to periodically harden their skin to be much more like stones than normal. Most dwarves you see tend to have lots of hair, with not a male in sight who doesn't take pride in his beard. Even some female dwarves are said to have beards, though we haven't yet actually seen any bearded ladies in the game. Their skin color ranges from pale tan to dark brown just like humans, but also includes all the shades of grey from chalky white to charcoal black.

Dwarves are the first race introduced in this series so far to have a lifespan quite different from humans, which causes certain problems as far as roleplayers are concerned. First of all, we know that dwarves reach "adulthood" at about 40 years of age, reach "middle age" at about 125, and finally get "old" at about 188. A venerably ancient person might live as long as 250 years. This seems seems pretty simple on the surface, but it raises questions like, "is this 'adulthood' actual physical maturity, or is it merely the age at which dwarven society considers people adults in a social sense?" The way the ages are given in the Warcraft Pen and Paper RPG book seems to indicate the former, that dwarves the age of 25 or 30 might be going through puberty of a sort. What puberty might feel like after going through 25 or 30 years (rather than just 10 or 12 for us) is up to you to imagine. (It might not seem too hard to imagine now, but wait till we get to extremely long-lived races later on.) In any case, if you've read The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, then you probably remember Bilbo Baggins feeling that 50 years of age is not so old, certainly not too old to be going on adventures as a burglar. It seems life just moves at a slower pace for hobbits, and for dwarves in World of Warcraft as well, and as roleplayers it's important to pay attention to that. A dwarf ought not to go around saying "Aye lassie... Ye be lookin at a handsome 25 year old!" as this would be tantamount to, "Hey check me out ladies -- I'm 9 years old!" for a human.

Being a dwarf is all about your connection to the earth, though not in the same sense as some other races might think. The dwarven approach is inherently scientific. Although the dwarves have a strong connection to the Holy Light like humans do, their main passion for countless centuries has been mining and engineering. Discovering the hidden properties and uses of various metals and ores feels to them like discovering some part of their own nature. As dwarves discover, metals and ores are a part of their nature, and they take pride in this fact.

Dwarven history

Your characters' parents or grandparents might have been around during the time when all three dwarf clans were still united and ruled by the great king of Ironforge, Modimus Anvilmar. When he died, however, civil war ensued -- the Bronzebeards, the Wildhammers, and the Dark Irons all fought for possession of Ironforge, with the Dark Iron dwarves revealing themselves as the nastiest of the lot. Now, although the ties between the Bronzebeard Clan (also known now as the Ironforge Clan) and the Wildhammer Clan have mostly smoothed over, the Dark Irons are still dire enemies of the other dwarves, and continue to practice great evil under the bowels of Blackrock Mountain, not too to the south of Ironforge Mountain itself.

But all that would have been the talk of previous generations. Growing up in Ironforge city, your character would have been immersed in your studies of all things earthy until the great events that rocked the whole world during the Second and Third Wars, when your long-time allies, the humans, called out for your aid, and you helped them drive off the orcs, demons and undead.

During those upheavals, which we have discussed previously, your character might have had the opportunity to travel farther than he or she could have ever imagined growing up. As the dwarven people opened their eyes to the world, they were amazed to discover hidden ruins and ancient relics which contained hints to the mystery of their creation.

Initial reports from the field of archeology, which your character would have undoubtedly heard, indicate that the dwarves originated as one of the first creations of the Titans who shaped Azeroth. Back then, they were called "Earthen" and were entirely made of stone, not flesh as they are today. What caused them to change into their current state remains a mystery.

Just a few years prior to the beginning of World of Warcraft, King Magni Bronzebeard heard about these great discoveries and declared a bold new direction for the dwarves -- possibly the greatest shift they've ever taken in their society -- to move from mining and engineering into archeology, and uncover everything they can about their origin and true nature. Of course this is not to say that they left mining and engineering behind completely, nor is archeology such a great departure from other forms of digging in the earth. The difference is that now dwarves have a kind of manifest destiny, a birthright which entitles them --indeed demands of them -- to explore, to seek out, and to discover the truth of what makes them who they are. This impulse has driven dwarven expeditions out of their secluded state and into the vastness of the world, as far afield as the Badlands, Tanaris, Mulgore, and even Northrend.

Dwarven heroes

Every dwarf knows of the great Bronzebeard family: King Magni Bronzebeard is the great ruler of the dwarves; his younger brother Muradin Bronzebeard was the founder of the Explorer's League, a great hero in the Alliance, and is believed to have been slain in Northrend at the outset of the Third War; and finally Brann Bronzebeard, the most famous, most mysterious, and most widely-traveled explorer ever known in Azeroth.

You may also dream of being a great hero of the dwarves, like the Bronzebeards. Whatever professions your character chose (even if these are other than mining and engineering -- someone's gotta plant the flowers and stitch the clothes!) he or she likely wants to achieve great excellence in this great quest of the dwarven people around the world. They are excited to the bone to be part of such a grand enterprise, whether through diligent study, the vanquishing of great enemies, the exploration of unknown lands ... or even just the digging through masses and masses of mud.

Dwarf Views

The Alliance

Draenei: The draenei arrived at a very intriguing time for the dwarves. Had they arrived even a few years earlier, they would likely have been welcomed with open arms as living embodiments of the Light. However, with the dwarves swinging around to Titan worship, the draenei may now have an incendiary effect within their society – They’re powerful advocates for a philosophy the dwarves are now questioning. While paladins and Light oriented priests are likely to be reservedly enamored of them, those who are leading the charge to the Titans are in turn likely to see them as throwbacks, as outdated and dangerous to Dwarven society. In addition, the dwarvish society may not be as anti-magic as the Night Elves, but it’s clear they put very little truck with the arcane. The draenei, by contrast, are a society steeped in the arcane, a fact that frustrates their dwarvish supporters and lends credence to their detractors. As such, those who disapprove of the draenei probably do so often and with vigor.

Bah! Look, live and let live, but the draenei, they ain’t right. Strange folk, they are, and don’t trust one for a moment. It ain’t their fault, it ain’t. But they’re tearing dwarvish society apart…

Gnomes: The gnomes have been allies of the Dwarves for years upon years, pretty much from the moment the two nations met. This is an incredibly rare occurrence in the real world, enough so that I can’t think of any real world parallel off the top of my head. However, the dwarves seem to be mostly the more outgoing of the two, and they certainly have a larger economy. (The Great Forge bespeaks a roaring economy; probably founded on arms.) It may very well be that the gnomes were something of a client state to the dwarves, the dwarves sponsoring their research and capitalising on it by providing it to the humans and high elves. If this is the case, then it’s likely that there’s a fair amount of dwarven pride and sense of duty to the gnomes, but not a lot of sense that the gnomes are really an equal in the partnership. (The political parallel here is the USA and Israel.) This is probably only increased by the gnome’s childlike manner, but it probably has less of an effect on dwarves than other races; the dwarves aren’t a whole lot bigger than the gnomes, and they’ve had the longest to accept gnomes as full-adults rather than precocious children.

Ach, the little buggers need their city back, they do. We shoulda been there for them back when things were goin’ southerly; breaks me heart it does. They’re absolutely brilliant at what they do, and we gotta watch out for them, y’hear.

Humans: Unlike the gnomes, there’s an immediate real-world parallel to be had for the dwarves and the humans. Both nations have a long history together, with one of the two (humans) being a reckless but successful nation, the other an unquestioned ally but regarded as steadier and more constant in temperament. Basically, they’re the USA and Canada. (A similar dynamic would be Australia and New Zealand.) There’s probably a lot of jocularity in the relationship between humans and dwarves, with the dwarves seeing humanity as basically the same as themselves, with most of the same values. If only they could keep their heads screwed on for a little while and stop upsetting the apple cart all the time. Your average dwarf likes humans, but may very well see Admiral Proudmoore as a more typical human than his daughter, and the story of Arthas Menethil and Maurdin Bronzebeard still gets told, in hushed tones, as proof that the humans remain a risk.

See, here’s the problem with that lot. They need to learn to let things grow a wee bit, let ‘em all settle. You do that, and they have a tendency to grow all on their own. But nae, the humans have to have everything right now. I’ll grant ‘em that it gets results; without ‘em there wouldn’t be an Alliance at all. But without us, where would they be?

Night Elves: Much like most of the Alliance, the dwarves are still getting used to the idea of the night elves as allies. (The two forces were as much enemies as the orcs were during the Third War.) And traditional fantasy tends to pair up elves and dwarves as tenuous allies at best; an unspoken difference in philosophy making rivalry between the two inevitable. But this may not actually be so in Warcraft. In fact, there’s reason to believe that the two have closer philosophies than (say) humans and night elves. If nothing else, look at the classes: Both races can be warriors, rogues, hunters, priests, and a single ‘specialty’ class. Neither can be mages, warlocks, or shamans. In short, both societies clearly have similar philosophies regarding magic specifically, and maybe even life in general. Heck, even their building philosophies are really quite similar – Darnassus is a model of economy in design that the dwarves would be proud of. So the dwarves dig down and the elves grow up. So the dwarves have a bit more time for technology. So what? The real difference between the two is in appearance, not substance, and as such it may very well be that after a few years as allies, the two races wind up with surprising mutual respect and admiration.

You only gotta know one, y’know? They ain’t bad people, it’s just whispers what get around. They’re a little shady, but what would you expect from ‘night’ elves? Point is, they mean what they say, and they have good values. I don’t think they’ll stab us in the back like those other elves did.

The Horde

Blood Elves: The newest enemies of the dwarves, of course, have a long history with the Alliance – A fact that is likely to mean they may well be the most hated of the Horde’s races amongst all of the Alliance members. This is, however, probably most true of the dwarves. Unlike the Night Elves, the dwarves fought with the High Elves. (You can even see them doing so in Warcraft III – dwarvish bombers fight alongside high elven priestes. But unlike the night elves (with whom the dwarves have surprising similarity), the high elves have all the classic hallmarks of the antagonist elf/dwarf relationship – the magic-wielding, artful and fanciful elves against the dour and practical dwarves. As such, the betrayal probably surprised the dwarves least… and bit most harshly at the same time.

See this? This is what happens when you rely on fancy-pants magic and parlour tricks instead of good honest labor. Ruthless bastards now too – Don’t ever turn your back on one, not even to flee. Cut ‘em down as quick as possible – And if you’re sharin’ a city with ‘em, walk down the other street if you see one.

Orcs & Trolls: The orcs have been the ancestral enemies of the Alliance since they can remember, and while the dwarves missed the First War, they were there from the Second War onwards. As such, they have strong memories of these two races. Unlike humans, however, they’re unlikely to distinguish much between the two. The orcs are green, short and muscular; while the trolls are skinny, tall and more likely to chuck spears at you. In the end, though, both count as "them bastards you’ve been fighting for years”. That said, it’s been a couple of years now where the hatchet has been semi-buried between the Alliance and Horde. Unless you’re fighting them over Alterac Valley, it seems likely that there’s been an opportunity to see the orcs and trolls at their best, and at their best the orcs are noble and even spiritual warriors. One of the ironies in the dynamics between the orcs and the dwarves is that they are, in many ways, flipsides of each other: Both are furious warrior races with a spiritual bent. Most dwarves still probably see the orcs and trolls as rampaging monsters, but it is probable that an increasing percentage are starting to respect their long-time foes.

They’re a frightenin’ mob, make no mistake, and they’re the last thing you ever want to see on a battlefield. The scourge, the Legion, me wife when I come home plastered… none of ‘em have half the fury of an orc in a rage. (Well, maybe the wife gets close.) But y’know, they don’t exactly fight honorably, but I can see they fight honorable battles. Does tha’ make any sense? When you’re facin’ one down, you want him dead, he wants you dead, and you’ve both got yer reasons. Tha’s fair as you can get in war.

Tauren: While the Tauren are enemies of the Alliance, and the dwarves know this, there’s not likely to be an undue amount of hatred and anger for the Tauren. Probably there are some agitators within Ironforge who’ve cooked up anti-Tauren propaganda and stirred up hate, but there’s really not a whole lot to go on. By the time the Tauren joined the Horde, after all, the Horde never really got into an extended campaign against the Alliance. (There were a few skirmishes in Kalimdor, but not many.) By that stage, the Night Elves and

Y’can trust one in a city to not lob an axe into yer back, I’ll give ‘em that much. If I were to see one of these lot fighting some scourge abomination, I’d fire at the abomination, not the tauren. Mind you, I’d be keeping a bloody tight aim on the tauren soon as the dead thing stopped movin’. Just to be safe, mind you.

Undead (Forsaken): This is a more complex relationship. There is unlikely to be as much sympathy for the undead than the orcs, trolls and tauren, because the Scourge were one of the major enemies of the Third War. The undead Scourge were an all-consuming, horrifying force, one that has most certainly not been forgotten. That said, the dwarves (like the humans) by now know that the Forsaken are not the Scourge. They have intelligence, free will. But I have to think that to most dwarves, I suspect this just makes them worse. The same motivations (kill destroy eat flesh) are likely to be ascribed to the Forsaken as were ascribed to the Scourge, and their added intelligence simply makes them more dangerous. That said, there are probably a few dwarves (particularly those in the Argent Dawn) who have seen the Forsaken’s hatred of the Scourge and can at least accept them as a lesser evil. This doesn’t mean they like them, but they accept that the Forsaken aren’t the major worry… yet. If diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggie’ until you can find a rock, then this is advanced diplomacy: Letting two dogs fight it out until one dies, at which point you’ll have found your rock.

If it moves, an’ it’s dead? It ain’t meant to be. They ain’t natural, and they oughta be in the ground. We’re always happy to help them there.

Viewing the Classes

Death Knight: While I’m not in the beta and thus can’t authoritatively say for sure how the Death Knights will work as introduced; it seems pretty fair to say that as former elements of the Scourge, the Death Knights won’t be trusted. Expect, at least early on, to see Death Knights to be barely tolerated. Spitting on them, cowering away from them, all would be good responses. If you’re playing a Dwarven Death Knight, it may very well be that you leap at the developing Titanic religion – The Holy Light may well have a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth these days.
Druid: The dwarvish religions are open, very friendly to the layperson, and evangelical. (In the literal sense of that term; they seek to get others to join – Other dwarves, at least, in the case of the Titans.) The druids are, by contrast, a closed off, exclusivist religion. Dwarves probably see them as a sect, a cult. While there is likely some level of respect toward them (once you’ve seen a bear go ballistic on your enemies and save your ass, it’s hard to keep up too much hate) there is probably always a slight measure of distrust toward the druids.
Hunter : While a night elven hunter may love all animals, there are probably more dwarven hunters who love all animals cooked lightly with a good sauce. The very inorganic, materially focused dwarves just probably don’t have that many nature lovers among them, and so their hunters are probably more about the hunt than anything else. Of course, they probably adore their pets, and they have a high respect for how dangerous nature can be. But when they see a bear, they’re likely to first think, "Threat!” or "Food!” than "Oh, how majestic.” Good shooters are also likely to be very respected in dwarvish society. As the race that invented firearms, they’re likely to revere them.
Mage: The dwarves don’t trust magic. You can’t see how it works, and that means you can’t rely on it. Unlike the night elves, they don’t see it as an inherently evil force, merely a foolish one. At the same time, mages tend to be incredibly intelligent and clever, traits the dwarves have a lot of time for. But you can be very intelligent and foolish at the same time. Dwarves probably treat mages with a slight level of contempt by default, although (as with all of these descriptions) individual experiences can overpower this basic instinct.
Paladin: Paladins are, in many ways, probably an old guard amongst the Dwarves now: Their devotion to the Holy Light remains currently something they have in common with dwarvish society. (According to the World of Warcraft RPG, the Titans haven’t become gods to the dwarves yet.) But they represent a link with the past for the dwarves, at a time when the dwarvish people are clearly excited about the future, and a changing way of life. One wonders if paladins aren’t seen a little bit the way that royalty is perceived today: still respected, but disregarded as a force.
Priest: Dwarven priests probably find themselves in a very curious position. The developing interest in the Titans is becoming its own religion – Fast. This erodes your power base, if you are a priest of the Light. In addition, you’re probably worried about your parishioners, since after all, the Holy Light is a much better faith, surely! (If you’ve been so moved by it to become a priest, then you likely think this way.) At the same time, the discovery of the Titans has galvanised dwarvish society like nothing else. What should you do?
Rogue: Unlike the humans (who do have SI:7), dwarvish rogue elements seem to be purely criminal in intent. Since they don’t tend to prey on their own, they seem to be roughly tolerated, but your average dwarf certainly doesn’t trust a rogue. Think of them as a good European might have thought of privateers. It’s good they’re on your side, but you’d really rather not have them around at all.
Shaman: The dwarves are currently knee deep in the study of the elements. Could the shamans not intrigue them? While there’s probably a good bit of distrust toward the shamans in total (as a group who’ve not traditionally been part of a very traditional society) there’s every good chance that a dwarf is going to look at the draenei shamans (or even the horde shamans!) with more than a small dose of curiosity.
Warlock: A menace. Traitors, each and every one of them. The only question is whether or not an individual dwarf sees all warlocks as irredeemably evil, or if they can make an exception for some of them.
Warrior: Dwarven warriors are highly respected. The dwarves range from stoic arms and protection warriors to rampaging fury beserkers, but lean toward the former more than the latter. There are few things more implacable than a wall of dwarvish troops. Most warriors among the dwarves are likely to be soldiers or ex-soldiers.

(Daelus' Guide)
Greetings all, welcome to my second guide for the EchelonedWoW community. As you may have guessed, this guide will be centralized around Dwarves.
The Dwarven clans of Warcraft are perhaps the most unusual harmony of conflict and similarity in regards to the rest of the playable races. If you have chosen to roleplay a Dwarf, I commend you. Dwarves are very amusing and diverse people full of personality and vibrant character development opportunities.

As a Dwarf you will be more inclined towards different activities and attitudes depending on which of the major clans you hail from.

The Bronzebeard Clan
The Wildhammer Clan
The Dark Iron Clan

Each possesses their own domain and way of life which tends to differ, yet bare strong similarities to each other.

Phase One: Personality and Background

To understand the Dwarven personality, one must understand their origins. Like any other race, they have a history that has divided them and made them stronger.

It all started in the time lost by living memory. The great mountain Kingdom of Ironforge was (and still is) the grand capital of Khaz Modan. It housed the united Ironforge Clan which was made up of three sub-clans. The Bronzebeard Clan, The Wildhammer Clan and The Dark Iron Clan all held the most influence in Khaz Modan and all three wanted power in Ironforge. With the death of High King Modimus Anvilmar, the three clans went to war. The furious Dwarven civil war raged under the earth for many years until the Bronzebeards finally forced their cousins out of the city.

This is a brief story and analysis of each clan…

The Bronzebeard Clan were once (and still are) the ancient defenders of Ironforge and Khaz Modan, boasting a large professional military force. They were the closest clan to High King Modimus Anvilmar before his death and held most of the influence in Ironforge. In the War of the Three Hammers, the Bronzebeard Dwarves came out on top, forcing the Wildhammers and the Dark Irons out of the city. When the Dark Irons made their attack against both Ironforge and Grim Batol (The new home of the Wildhammers) it was the Bronzebeard Clan under the leadership of Madoran Bronzebeard that rallied all Dwarves together (along with the Wildhammers) to take charge upon the Dark Irons. They were successful and in battle they forged their steady friendship with the Wildhammers once more.
To this day, the Bronzebeard Clan shifted from an industry of minerals and industrial forging to archaeology, trying to establish the origins of their kind. They remain the dominant clan of Dwarves, controlling all of Khaz Modan.
Personality: Bronzebeard Dwarves have an organized military force that understands authority and structure. It is often said that the Bronzebeard clan have always governed the daily activities of Ironforge like clockwork, with efficiency and professionalism. They value order and competency, for they dabble in many military and industrial actions. Like any Dwarf, they enjoy a "hardy brew” and there is much competition between the Thunderbrews and the Barleybrews. Their standing with the Alliance is almost as solid as any Human; it would take something furious to shake them from their allegiances after all this time.

The Wildhammer Clan held much influence around the fringes and foothills of Khaz Modan, before the death of High King Modimus Anvilmar. They sought more power in Ironforge and certainly made their presence known in the civil war, fighting for Ironforge just as much as the Bronzebeards and the Dark Irons. After they were inevitably expelled from the city, they established another Kingdom in Khaz Modan by the name of Grim Batol and were comfortable enough in their defeat to settle there and not cause harm to anyone. When the counter-attack of the Dark Irons built up into full motion, the Sorceress-Queen of the Dark Irons, "Modgud" attacked the Wildhammers at Grim Batol. The hardy Dwarves fought ferociously and crushed the Dark Irons as their King, Khadros Wildhammer killed the dark Queen. The sinister taint of the Dark Iron magic ultimately left Grim Batol uninhabitable. After aiding their Bronzebeard cousins in crippling the Dark Irons, they migrated to The Hinterlands and established the lodge city of Aerie Peak. It was here that they became attuned to the Gryphons and learned an entire new way of life. Preferring the open outdoor environment and gliding upon the winds with their loyal companions. They would ferociously defend their lands with the aide of the Stormhammers, a form of Shamanistic magic.
Personality: Unlike their Bronzebeard cousins, the Wildhammer Clan seemed to have developed a more casual and humble way of life. They care not for massive stone structures and the orderly workings of industry, for they have no official standing army. They are Shamanistic, which is a trait they share with no other Dwarven clan. Like the Bronzebeards, they happen to be extremely friendly should you mean them no harm and approach them with respect. They are also loyal members of the Alliance and have grown much closer to the Bronzebeards since the Second War.
They ride upon Gryphons and use their "mighty Stormhammers” to strike their foes from above. Nearly every single Wildhammer is a Gryphon Rider for it is the backbone of their way of life.

The Dark Iron Clan lived amongst the shadows of Ironforge, plotting their ascension to the throne of the great mountain Kingdom. When the High King passed away, they took their chance to lash out against their cousins. The war came to an abrupt end with their defeat, casting them away to the Redridge Mountains where they established the mountain city of Thaurissan (named ever so modestly after their leader. It is currently known as Blackrock Mountain). Although the Dark Irons possessed much prosperity and wealth in these mountains, they still could not shake the bitter and humiliating defeat they suffered in Ironforge. Their failed counter-attack resulted in the united Bronzebeard and Wildhammer Clan laying siege to their city. In a desperate attempt, Thaurissan called a "terrible darkness” which erupted from the earth and forced the Bronzebeards and Wildhammers to retreat. To this day, the other clans see these lands as a curse and blight, fearing whatever the Dark Irons summoned.
Recently the Thorium Brotherhood broke away from the Dark Iron Clan and began doing business with both the Alliance and Horde. It is also believed that the Dark Iron Clan will be split in two, one half rejoining their cousins (can just imagine how awkward that will be) and the other defecting to the Twilight's Hammer.
Personality: Dark Irons see themselves as superior to other Dwarves and as such, dabble in extremely dark and unpredictable magic. To this day, they are bound to serve the raging fire elementals of Ragnaros, holding onto what is left of their mountain Kingdom in the very depths of its shadowy halls. The Dark Irons seem to prefer the shadows, for their cities are only very faintly lit. Like their Bronzebeard cousins, they value order and competency. They are generally cruel, industrious and ferociously opposed to the other clans, still bitter and twisted about their defeat.

How do I put this into perspective?

Well I’m a person who loves detail, but I can understand the need for summarizing information rather than just presenting you a wall of text.

• If you are a Bronzebeard, you generally value Industry, Organization and the Military.
• If you are a Wildhammer Dwarf, you generally value Gryphon Riding, Shamanism and Open Spaces.
• If you are a Dark Iron, you generally value Deep Dark Environments, Order/Authority and Dark Magic.

There are of course many other activities and roles that the different clans are involved in, I feel that this should be left to you as the roleplayer to decide this.

The general attitude of Bronzebeard and Wildhammer Dwarves is often very similar, even if they live very different lifestyles. They don’t generally take themselves too seriously, they’re always friendly enough to offer you a brew and they value strength and honor.

Dark Irons however tend to have a much more snide and cunning attitude, seeing all other people and creatures to be inferior. They take pride in everything they are and what they do and rarely have time for outsiders, often taking them in as slaves and nothing more. - An exception lies with the Thorium Brotherhood, though they have been considered enemies of the Dark Iron Clan.


Phase Two: How should I create my Dwarven character?

The maximum life expectancy of an average Dwarf is between 252-450.

You may be confused about how to name your Dwarf, so let’s start with the last name or "clan name”. Although the major clans are Wildhammer, Bronzebeard and Dark Iron, it is a good chance that your Dwarf does not share that clan name. Instead they probably hail from a sub-clan of any of those three, but your clan name must still be appropriate to the major clan.

Example:
Wildhammer Clan – Strongfeather Clan, Wildbeard Clan.
Bronzebeard Clan – Thunderbrew Clan, Goldhammer Clan
Dark Iron Clan – Shadowforge Clan, Darkbeard Clan

You should always look towards the interests of each clan. Generally, Dwarves are interested in Beards, Weapons, Booze and Forging. The only slight difference is that Wildhammers are inclined towards Gryphons as a key part of their society, and Dark Irons possess a dark twist on Bronzebeard Clan names.

If you are unsure about what to name your clan of origin, use an NPC clan name (I would never call that lore abuse unless the clan name were Wildhammer, Bronzebeard or Dark Iron.) All of my Dwarvish characters tend to belong to the Stoutfist clan. If you wish to use that, by all means go right ahead. Stoutfist needs more hardy Dwarves!

The first name of a Dwarf should be easier to develop. Dwarves tend to possess very bold and tough names (Even the females). This goes for each clan (Dark Irons sometimes having a sophisticated twist) but I’ll list a few lore names and generated names to give you an idea of what to use.

Lore Names
Kurdran Wildhammer
Khadros Wildhammer
Madoran Bronzebeard
Magni Bronzebeard
Brann Bronzebeard
Muradin Bronzebeard

Generated Names
Thoral Stoutfist
Bolfvar Goldhammer
Bolgar Stormtalon
Drumar Blackhammer
Ingrid Boldforge (Female)
Magtha Strongfeather(Female)
Neela Darksteel (Female)

This should give you a pretty good idea of how to name your Dwarf, if not. I suggest looking up a Dwarven name generator. (Yes they do exist.)

Appearance

Wildhammer and Bronzebeard Dwarves are similar in appearance but with some differences.

The Wildhammer Dwarves are said to be slightly bigger and bare clan (or perhaps shamanistic) tattoos all over their body. They often dress in leather bound apparel which is sometimes reinforced with light plating. The Stormhammer is their weapon of choice.

The Bronzebeard Dwarves tend to dress in very regal military or civilian apparel. Grand natural colors usually line their cloth, and hard forged metal armour is usually the trappings of war. They are never ashamed to always add a sense of grandeur to their armour and weapons, with either gold lining or sophisticated emblems. They use a variety of weapons in combat.

The Dark Iron Dwarves appear to have skin which has become darkened, ranging from gray to black. They usually have black or dark coloured beards (Sometimes white and orange) and always dress in dark apparel, whether it is dark iron (mineral) forged plate or the shadowy garb of their magi. This offers further evidence towards their love of the shadows and dark place of the world, perhaps tunneling deeper than their Bronzebeard cousins. They use a large variety of weapons.

Language

Dwarves have their own language but usually speak in Common due to their extensive relations with humans. However, when roleplaying your Dwarf, always think of the Scottish in everything you say. A good way to learn how to speak as a Dwarf is to read the Warcraft Novels. I will give a few examples as to how a Dwarf would speak.

Normal: I don’t know if that is possible, it cannot be done.
Dwarven: I don’ know if tha’ is possible, it cannae be done.

Normal: Yes, we can, friend.
Dwarven: Aye, we can, lad.

There are modifications that people use to emulate the Dwarven accent, but I tend to do it freestyle. It’s a better way to develop your roleplaying skills.

Conclusion
With all this in mind, you should be ready to develop your Dwarven character, remember to consult lore articles and the Warcraft novels for a better result, but I hope this guide was able to help you as a decent starting point!

(Written by Daelus)