Dwarves

Dwarves are a race in Middle-earth also called the Naugrim or Khazâd.

Appearance
Dwarves were human-like but were short. You could only tell the genders apart by their clothing; due to the fact both had beards. Female beards were shorter. You could also tell them apart by their voices.

Characteristics
Dwarves were a proud and stern race and were made to be sturdy to survive the dangers of the time. Dwarves were loyal friends as well. Dwarves lived up to two hundred and fifty years and had the ability to learn new skills quickly. A normal dwarf was usually stubborn and secretive, but they had the capacity to be loyal friends. Dwarves were not hurt by insults, but their hate lasted a very long time. A dwarf might have been greedy, but dwarves were not corrupt as men. The truth of this is shown by what happened to the Dwarven rings of power and their owners. Whereas the men who owned the nine rings were corrupted and became the Nazgul, the Dwarves were incorruptible. The only power that the rings had over them was the power to inflate a greed for gold. All the rings were cursed so that the gold hordes founded on them would be destroyed by Dragons.

Creation
Dwarves were not one of the original Children of Ilúvatar because they were created by Aulë the Smith, and were kept asleep until the Awakening of the Elves. Aulë created the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves, but because Aulë did not have the power of granting independent life, he repented to Ilúvatar; it was Ilúvatar who gave the Dwarves life. The dwarves became the Adopted Children of Ilúvatar.

Lives
Dwarves were taught special skills from Aulë and lived by mining for precious minerals such as gold, iron, copper, and silver all over mountains in Middle-Earth. In the ancient times, the dwarves also found mithril in the mines of Khazad-dûm. Dwarves did not farm and herd because they lived mostly underground. They traded smithcraft to men and elves in exchange for food. Dwarves also protected the females of their race from other races because of the females' rarity.

Ability
Dwarves were great smiths and crafted many famed weapons such as the Narsil, the sword of Elendil which later became the sword of Aragorn. They also made the first armor to withstand a breath of a dragon. Dwarves also did well at mining precious jewels. Dwarves were also known for reforging the gates of Minas Tirith and rebuilding the walls of Helm's Deep, after the Ring War.

Language
"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!"

-Ancient dwarven battle cry meaning "The axes of the dwarves! The dwarves are upon you!"

The Dwarven language was created by Aulë and was called Khuzdul. The dwarven language was strange to non-dwarves, but few learned to speak it because the dwarves kept it secret. The dwarves used the Elvish writting system Cirth as their written language.

Weapons
Dwarves usually used axes as their weapon of choice because it can be used as a tool or a weapon but in addition to axes they also used hatchets, mattocks, short swords, shields, pick axes, war hammers and short bows and arrows. Sometimes the dwarves threw their axes and hammers at the enemy. At the ends of battles you can often see dwarves collecting old axes because they don't have the heart to leave them behind.

The Seven Clans
The Dwarves' seven clans were:
 * 1. Longbeards.  Durin's Folk. Originally from Mount Gundabad they also founded the great Dwarf Mansion of Khazad-dûm (a.k.a. Moria or Dwarrowdelf) in the Misty Mountains, the Iron Hills, the holds in the Grey Mountains and, finally, Erebor (under the Lonely Mountain).


 * 2-3. Firebeards & Broadbeams.  Originally from the Blue Mountains, they were paired but Tolkien never cleared which tribe built Nogrod and which Belegost.


 * 4-5. Ironfists & Stiffbeards.  Originated somewhere far in the East.


 * 6-7. Blacklocks & Stonefoots.  Originated somewhere (else) far in the East.


 * Note: There was a 8th group of dwarves, Petty-dwarves, but they were hunted to extinction by the Elves.

Location
The Dwarves lived and mined in several places throughout Middle-earth many times, which included:

Moria or Khazad-dûm and other places in the Misty Mountains. Erebor, in the Lonely Mountain. The Emyn Engrin or Iron Hills. The Ered Luin or Blue Mountains, where the cities Nogrod and Belegost existed during the First Age. The Ered Mithrin or the Grey Mountains, although the dwarves were later driven out by dragons. Possibly the Orocarni or the Red Mountains of the Ea.

Names
The Dwarves called themselves the Khazad, the name Aulë gave them; this translates as the Hadhodrim in Sindarin, and the Casari in Quenya. Casari was the common word for Dwarves among the Noldor, but the Sindar usually called them the Naugrim or Nogothrim, the Stunted People.

Almost all the names of the dwarves of Middle-earth were taken from the Icelandic saga of Völuspá.

Known Dwarves

 * Thorin Oakenshield brought twelve Dwarves (Fili, Kili, Ori, Nori, Bori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin and Balin Lord of Moria) to Bag End to recruit Bilbo for their treasure hunt in The Hobbit.
 * Gimli joined the Fellowship of the Ring and befriended Legolas in The Lord of the Rings.
 * Durin, the first father of the Dwarves
 * Thrain
 * Durin the 6th, killed by Balrog
 * Dain Ironfoot, became King Under the Mountain after the Battle of the Five Armies
 * Thrór, Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather, was slain by Azog starting the Goblin-Dwarf War.

In the earliest versions of Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology (see: The History of Middle-earth) the dwarves were evil beings created by Melkor.