Mountain-Folk

The mountain-folk are a humanoid race, notable for their diminutive stature, their dedication to craft work and their love of precious materials. In past days they were known as dwarves&mdash;an term which they later deemed offensive.

Description
Mountain-folk are possessed of roughly half the height of an average human and tend to be of a strong, stocky and broad-shouldered build. They have an very insular traditional society, and frequently dislike mingling with outsiders&mdash;a trait which may have its roots in their characteristic love of wealth&mdash;given the paranoia which such obsessions can bring. In addition to the extraordinary fondness that mountain-folk show for precious metals and gems, they also frequently possess an equal zeal for workmanship involving such materials, and are well known for the beautiful and well-made items they produce.

History
In the earliest days of Sosaria, the mountain-folk were not an infrequent sight among the general populace of the land, and could be found throughout in a multitude of trades. As the centuries passed, however, many of the folk left the fold of their isolationist culture and intermarried with humans. By the time of Britannia's christening, the people of the mountains were scarce enough to seem nonexistent.

Still, some small number of mountain-folk kept to themselves over the years, pocketed away from the majority of civilization. It was only when Sir Cabirus, a visionary knight who sought to settle the Great Stygian Abyss, put out the call for colonists that the mountain-folk resurfaced, with Chief Goldsword demanding a place within the proposed settlement. This experimental attempt to civilize the wildest of Britannia's dungeons ultimately failed, but during the time when the colony remained stable, it was reported that the mountain-folk made invaluable fellow-citizen, even going so far as to put aside their traditional animosity for the trolls which also dwelt therein.

It is unknown what eventually became of the mountain-folk, for although they allegedly resettled along with the other Abyss colonists in the Dungeon Destard, no lasting trace of either this second settlement or the race of craftspeople who had been a part of it were found in times to come.

Notable Examples

 * Goldthirst: the leader of the mountain-folk in the failed Abyss-colony, as met by the Avatar in Ultima Underworld; proved to live up to the dwarven reputation for greed; set the hero on a quest to slay a marauding gazer which had infiltrated his peoples mines
 * Shak: a blacksmith of unsurpassed skill within the colony of the Abyss; was capable even of repairing the broken Sword of Justice, Caliburn.
 * Ironwit: an insane architect, whom the Avatar may have assisted in finding his lost blueprints
 * Brawnclan: the guard to the chambers in which the mountain-men of the Abyss dwelt
 * Hewstone: a miner whom the Avatar may have met prospecting in the gold-veined tunnels of the Abyss-colony's mines

Trivia

 * In early games, dwarves receive a racial bonus to their Strength statistic.
 * It is rumored that the mountain-folk are the craftspeople who originally carved out the passageways of the Abyss on the Isle of the Avatar.