The following is a summary of Seņor Barnett's report on dwarves. No, these aren't otherwise ordinary humans that are disproportionately small in places, but the mythical race of dwarves - or, at the very least, representatives of that species that have made our world their home of late - Mike 013.

According to some mythologies, not to mention actual accounts from several of these beings, dwarves seem to have originated in the chaotic plane of Ysgard, a realm peopled by the Norse gods and their servants - not to mention a bunch of other people who share their 'in your face' mindset.

This is curious in that dwarves as a whole don't seem to bear this chaotic aspect in their culture. Sure, you're bound to come across an axe-wielding maniac with an orange mohawk and a hard-on for mass murder now and then, but these are the exceptions to the rule, for dwarves are normally orderly beings.

Perhaps having something to do with their affinity for earth, dwarves tend to live highly structured lives, building businesses and working in their chosen craft until their expertise is second to none. Of course, such businesses and crafts often make use of the earth - or what dwarves typically find beneath it.

Thanks to their elemental link with the earth, dwarves make excellent miners, capable of forging vast networks of tunnels beneath the surface. They seem to know better than most where to find things of value underground and rarely, if ever, get lost while wandering about below ground.

For one thing, dwarves can usually tell how far below the surface they are at given point in time, and have the ability to see underground regardless of their depth - or the availability of light. The exact nature of this latter ability is unknown, but it works even with a complete lack of ambient light or heat.

It should also be noted that dwarves are also rather long lived, usually having a lifespan that is at least four times that of an ordinary human, usually more. This may also contribute to their slow but steady ways, for dwarves know they have plenty of time to get things right, and rarely feel the need to rush them along.

Finally, as planar entities, dwarves usually have the power to perceive the borders between universes. They can spy doorways between the universes naturally, even if these gates are otherwise invisible - this may explain their ability to populate multiple planes of existence with ease.

This latter ability, more than anything else, is probably why the Agency has noted an increasing number of dwarves on earth. While these beings are often shocked and awed by the power of human technology and culture, they have the ability to assimilate quickly, and often attain positions of power with haste.

This is because a dwarf has no problem working himself to exhaustion in order to prove himself worthy, a trait most humans lack in this age of modern conveniences. Dwarves also make excellent adventurers, due to their being slightly more durable than their human counterparts.

A lust for material things coupled with a drive to succeed makes for a dwarf with a mission, and in our world this means that these beings often hook up with groups of like individuals in order to attain their goals; dwarves have no problem being team players, as long as they get their fair share of the loot.

Since they are still somewhat rare, though, you're unlikely to spy a full-on group of dwarves engaging in adventure of some sort or another, but will find one on a mission by himself, or along with a team of so-called 'heroes' easily enough. That's how I ran across the first two I met, in fact.

Granite, a geomancer specializing in earth magic, and Och, a proxy of Yohann Ericson, the Short Dwarven God of Mining, are two adventuring sorts that first tipped me off to the presence of dwarves on our world. Since then, I've met a bunch more, most of which were less, well, magically inclined.

But they've adjusted to life in our world just as easily, if not moreso...!

To go along with Barnett's report, here is a 'roster' of sorts, listing all the dwarves known to currently live on our world - though there are undoubtedly more than we've managed to find thus far. I also provided a 'base' listing of dwarves in general, so you'd have a better idea what to look for in the field - Mike 013.