Native to a rocky, dry, and isolated continent on the Garden World, the dwarves managed to resist the encroachment of others into their lands for considerably longer than many other sapients. This was due to both their isolation and their predilection for carving homes out of raw stone, which provided shade, shelter, and water in their unforgiving natural environment.

Though the Dihuang humans eventually extended their dominion over the area as well, they did it via a treaty that granted the dwarves considerable self-government and reserved many rights for them. With the abandonment of the Garden World, the dwarves consider the agreements to be abrogated, whild the Heavenly Empire holds them as vassals still.

This has led to no end of conflicts, naturally, but the dwarves’ preference for harsher worlds and underground life has meant that they are able to hold their own on the galactic stage. They are often hired as mercenaries by other groups, especially for ground combat.

The dwarves tend to organize themselves around fealty to noble houses, though the extend to which each House is able to exert its control varies. House Ignin is the strongest house, with an autocratic Lord constrained by an elected council. House Etamor has only a figurehead Lord with a fully democratic system and is focused on commerce, while House Diment has pledged its full fealty to the Heavenly Empire and is little more than a puppet.

By tradition, each of the Houses meets in a grand Council to discuss matters of import, with one vote per house; in times past this has led to the election of a Lord of Lords to coordinate a conflict. In the latter days, though, it is more of an ambassadorship and debating society.

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