Races: My Elves and Dwarves are ... Part 1

Like many folks who engage in fantasy world  creation, I want to make my elves and dwarves (and maybe halflings and gnomes) different from the Tolkien / D&D template -- but not too different because:

1. I might as well do the Talislanta thing and not call them elves or dwarves
2. they may end up unplayable as races

One way to do that is to dip into myth and legend. And like most folks who've not really spent much money on that kind of reference material and have no easy access to libraries, I turn to the internet and Wikipedia for my research.

High Elves and High Dwarves

You know, this diagram has some things in common with the diagram for the Hollow Earth theory. I'm thinking about
combining the diagrams somehow, but I still have to work out the rest of the cosmology with the races and the deities.

In Enigmundia, the earliest elves and dwarves were set over certain aspects of creation.

The Ælvir -- aka High Elves for typing simplicity -- were set over the living aspects of the earth: the plants, trees, animals and all things that fly and walk and crawl. They were also charged with guarding gates and waypoints throughout the lands and seas of the world that lead to the many hidden Realms and Ages of Enigmundia. In Enigmundian lore, the High Elves are considered part of a pantheon of pagan gods who were strongly identified with Nature, Art, and Innate Talent.

The Duegar -- aka High Dwarves -- were placed in charge of the unliving wealth of the world: stones and caverns and gems and ore and the red and black blood of the earth ("You mean oil?" "I mean black blood of the earth!"). They were also charged with guarding the four main pillars / entrances to the Hollow World and were broken into the Founding Clans: Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri. In Enigmundian lore, the High Dwarves are considered part of the same pantheon of pagan gods as the High Elves, but were instead strongly identified with Artifice, Craft, and Learned Skill.

But neither of these are player character races -- because they disappeared from the view of the mortal realm during the time of the War in the Heavens.

I think that the Most High would probably have given them
a map very similar to this one. Besides, this is what I think of
when I think of dwarven and halfling thieves: Time Bandits.