The Mathar are descendants of the Seven Fathers, the original Dwarves who were crafted from the earth by the A-ar. Ilum is especially venerated by the Mathar. He was the finest smith of the A-ar and considered to be their creator. Following their birth the Seven Ilkhans formed clans based on their lineage and separated. Although these seven clans have since spread across Hylrexia, they have remained close and have spawned a universal reputation for ruggedness, practicality and unwavering loyalty. Most groups favor the rocky highlands and deep caverns of the mountains, for the Mathar remember their origin and heritage. Mathar are superb miners and craftsman, and unsurpassed stoneworkers. They live in tightly knit groups and favor underground cities that are cut into rugged hills and mountains.

The Mathar believe that each lineage has a common spirit that permeates them all and ties them together. They revere their ancestors above all things except Ilum, their creator, and believe that in each Ilkhan exists a part of his predecessors.

Mathar are sober, quiet, possessive, suspicious, pugnacious, introspective, and often very greedy. Tenacious warriors, they fight without quarter and never retreat. Each Mathar treats his kind as brothers and non-dwarves as lesser beings who, one way or another, are a constant threat. Their blood is thick and their bonds are deep. They enter into agreements with extreme care but, once made, honor them to the letter. The old adage is true: “No friend ever did a Dwarf a favor, no enemy a wrong, without being repaid in full.”

Dwarves are naturally dense, compact creatures. They stand no taller than 4-1/2 feet, but they have the breadth and depth of creatures nearly twice their height. Their arms are long for their height, their hands reaching down nearly to their shins. Their torsos are in proportion to their height, though, as are their legs. Both males and females are heavily muscled, with thick, well-rounded limbs and broad shoulders and hips. Dwarves have an extended lifespan, attaining adulthood at the age of 15 and considered middle aged around 240. Most do not live beyond the age of 400.

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