Bug Hug

Concerning Dwarves:
The Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda, had this to say on dwarves: "The dwarves had first received shape and life in the flesh of Ymir, and were then maggots; but by decree of the gods had become conscious with the intelligence of men, and had human shape. And nevertheless they dwell in the earth and in stones. Módsognir was the first, and Durinn the second; so it says in Völuspá" (Gylfaginning).

In the context of Darkworld, there's a glimmer of factuality in this mythological description. These maggotlike little monsters are gifted with human minds, reason and feeling; ancient beyond telling, they prefered to keep to their own hidden warrens, shaping the earth, humming to the gods, content in their seclusion. The apocalypse changed that; now they, too, have to contend with the forces which vie for the souls of all, including theirs.

As a species, they are actually fairly amicable; your average kwaergr (as they call themselves) is a diligent, friendly, and genrally pleasant homebody with a flair for carving and shaping things. They also give our hapless hero lots of big, warm, maggoty hugs (see above) for his assistance to their survival of their dimminutive - and very much mortal - kind.