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Dwarves
The dwarves were created by Aulė the Smith long before the Awakening of the Elves since he wanted creatures of his own to roam Arda.
Tue to this the dwarves are no children of Ilśvator even though he granted them life under the condition that they have to sleep until the Awakening of the Elves as the Firstborn children of Ilśvatar.
Like Aulė their maker, the Dwarves delighted in smithcraft and stoneworking; they mined and worked metals throughout the mountains of Middle-earth. The Dwarves kept themselves apart from the other races; their language, Khuzdul, was a closely guarded secret, and they told their true names to none but themselves (all the Dwarf-names in Tolkien are in the tongues of Elves or Men, not true Dwarf names).
Dwarves are very sturdy and endure many hardships since Aulė made them at the time when Melkor dominated Middle-Earth. They are subborn and very secretive even though they make loyal and good friends.
Dwarves live much longer than Men, having a lifespan of about 250 years. Elves and dwarves have different believe what happens to a dwarf that died. The Elves beliefe that the dwarves return to the stone from which they were made. The Dwarves themselves though believe that after their death Aulė gathers them in halls at Mandos set aside for them. There they will await the last Battle and the end of the World and aid Aulė in rebuilding Arda.
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