Драгонэйджпедия, Гномы
Тут ошибки с преподом еще не разбирала, так что, если что-то бросается в глаза - всегда признательна за поправки. :)
Dwarves of Thedas are similar to dwarves in all other fantastic worlds: they are short but strong and solid, bearded, they are good builders, warriors and extremely good miners. It is also usual that dwarves don’t have the magical abilities but they are resistant to magical influence instead.
It has given them a huge advantage in Thedas because only dwarves can safely mine the most valuable mineral in this world - lyrium. This mineral has a lot of unusual characteristics: physical contact with raw lyrium ore can cause serious injury and psychological damage to humans or elves and can even kill mages. Additionally, it is extremely volatile and sometimes explodes for no reason. But this mineral is absolutely necessary for the magical rituals, creating the magical stuff and for the connection with the Fade. Lyrium helps mages in increasing and supporting their abilities and it also gives to the Templar Order a possibility to suppress magic and it is the only way to control mages themselves.
Dwarves from the miners’ caste are capable to process the ore safely into a less dangerous and more useful form. They supply lyrium into all countries of Thedas and actually the whole world depends on these supplies outright. It would seem that such a power could allow dwarves to rule the whole Thedas, but every race usually suffers from a set of internal and external contradictions which prevent their developing development and dwarves were not an exception.
In fact, dwarves were doing quite well over the centuries. While elves reigned on the surface of Thedas, dwarves created the underground kingdoms which were equally great and beautiful. When the humans came to these lands they also created stable trade connections ties with dwarves. The dwarven settlements (thaigs) were built under every human’s kingdom and kilometers of the Deep Roads connected them. Every underground building was a masterpiece of engineering; halls and roads were heated and illuminated by flows of boiling lava, so travelling from one side of underground Theads to another was safe and comfortable.
Dwarves of Thedas are similar to dwarves in all other fantastic worlds: they are short but strong and solid, bearded, they are good builders, warriors and extremely good miners. It is also usual that dwarves don’t have the magical abilities but they are resistant to magical influence instead.
It has given them a huge advantage in Thedas because only dwarves can safely mine the most valuable mineral in this world - lyrium. This mineral has a lot of unusual characteristics: physical contact with raw lyrium ore can cause serious injury and psychological damage to humans or elves and can even kill mages. Additionally, it is extremely volatile and sometimes explodes for no reason. But this mineral is absolutely necessary for the magical rituals, creating the magical stuff and for the connection with the Fade. Lyrium helps mages in increasing and supporting their abilities and it also gives to the Templar Order a possibility to suppress magic and it is the only way to control mages themselves.
Dwarves from the miners’ caste are capable to process the ore safely into a less dangerous and more useful form. They supply lyrium into all countries of Thedas and actually the whole world depends on these supplies outright. It would seem that such a power could allow dwarves to rule the whole Thedas, but every race usually suffers from a set of internal and external contradictions which prevent their developing development and dwarves were not an exception.
In fact, dwarves were doing quite well over the centuries. While elves reigned on the surface of Thedas, dwarves created the underground kingdoms which were equally great and beautiful. When the humans came to these lands they also created stable trade connections ties with dwarves. The dwarven settlements (thaigs) were built under every human’s kingdom and kilometers of the Deep Roads connected them. Every underground building was a masterpiece of engineering; halls and roads were heated and illuminated by flows of boiling lava, so travelling from one side of underground Theads to another was safe and comfortable.