The Dwarven Artisans

As I reread the many legends and myths surrounding the dwarves it’s their deep and abiding shaping and forging of metal and jewels that comes to the fore. A curiosity and a love of craftsmanship, that sense of creating something that has never been seen before, of the magical artifice of weapon, armor, and jewelry that no god or human could outrival. Plus, this sense of pride and emotion, laughter and camaraderie. Even if they were deeply skeptical and cunning in their appraisals of men or gods they were among each other loyal to a point of absurdity, and yet it is this sense of fellowship and connection that kept their kind alive in the ancient mythologies as creatures of the underworld, rulers of stone, mountain, and volcano. It’s this that I’ve kept working with in my thoughts for a few days now if not years to capture in both a fantastic and realistic way.