Editing The Delver’s Dominion (section)

== The Delver Dwarfs – Builders of Stone and Sovereignty ==
The Delver Dwarfs trace their lineage back to a desperate escape from bondage. Long before the human rebellion that ended widespread elven slavery, a single clan of dwarves managed a daring flight from their elven masters. Pursued and hunted, they disappeared into the uncharted underground, seeking refuge in the deepest corners of Bûrn. There, far from the surface and the reach of their slavers, they began anew.

In the darkness of the deep, they endured. They shed the trappings of their old lives and slowly became something else—no longer the mountain dwarves of legend, but the first Delver Dwarfs. What began as a desperate hiding place became a proving ground for their resilience and ingenuity.

These Delver Dwarfs underwent profound changes over countless generations, shaped by their subterranean environment. Most famously, they developed the extraordinary ability to digest stone. With a unique enzyme system adapted to the mineral-rich environment, they can consume and derive sustenance from certain types of rock—granting them an edge in a land where traditional food is scarce.

Their skin ranges from deep earthen browns to pale, ashen gray, blending seamlessly into their cavern surroundings. Their eyes are highly adapted to dim light, and their bodies are compact and robust, built to endure tight spaces and collapse-prone tunnels. Many wear thick, braided hair as both tradition and protection.

What began as a scattered band of survivors eventually transformed into a civilization. As they descended deeper than any dwarf had dared before, they discovered natural caverns of colossal scale. With their unmatched mastery of stonecraft, the dwarves forged these wild hollows into the foundation of a new kingdom. The First Hearth, Durin’s Cradle, became the beating heart of the Dominion.—bridging fissures, raising bastions, and mining the Dominion’s heart. Their cities stretch like veins through the rock, ablaze with forge-light and echoing with the clangor of hammers. Dwarven culture in the Dominion is rooted in patience, permanence, and purpose. To them, the Dominion is not just a home—it is their ultimate creation.