Who are these dwarves anyway?

[noVus]

Where'd they come from? Are they stunted from smoking too much of the longbottom leaf?

Here's an excellant short article that describes their origins in non-Tolkien-technical terms.

Some terms to help you:

Iluvatar: The creator
Aule: A Vala, one of the mightest. The Vala live in Valinor (also called Aman), that you may have heard referenced in the movies. Only the elves are allowed in Valinor, or Aman. The Vala are the messengers of Iluvatar.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarves_(Middle-earth) (make sure you get the Middle Earth version)

www.glyphweb.com/Arda/d/dwarves.html

[noVus]

A little more regarding the origin of the Dwarves:

Dwarves were not part of the "original plan" per se. They were made in secret by one of the Valar; Aulë, the smith. Aulë made seven dwarf fathers (These are not[/i] the seven dwarves who recieved the dwarvish rings of power). The intent was to have pupils by which Aulë could pass on knowledge, but also it was driven by Aulë desire to create. Aulë already had other students, among them being Sauron (A Maia) before he was turned to evil.

But only Iluvatar could grant life, true sentience and free will. Once finished creating the Dwarves, Aulë recognized this, and went to Iluvatar, confessing what he had done. Aulë was very loyal to Iluvatar, but also very impatient, and confessed that he had only presumptuously created the dwarves out of the very desire to create that Iluvatar had instilled in him.

Iluvatar was not pleased to say the very least. He questioned Aulë at length. Again, Aulë confessed his wrong, and beginning to weep, he assumed that Iluvatar would want them destroyed. Loyally, he lifted his hammer to destroy the dwarves, his creation. But as the hammer began to fall, Iluvatar saw loyalty in Aulë and understood the reason why he had done this. The dwarves, seeing the hammer fall towards them, shrank down, expecting to be destroyed in seconds. Mercifully, Iluvatar stayed Aulë's hand. Iluvatar explained to Aulë that he, Iluvatar, had already granted them life, otherwise, they would not have shrank from the blow.

However, it was clearly explained to Aulë that although the dwarves were being "adopted" into Iluvatars plan, they could not interfere in what had already been planned for. That is, that the Elves were to be the firstborn race.

Therefore, Iluvatar had the dwarves sleep until Elves woke, and went about Iluvatars plan for them. He also explained to Aulë that since the dwarves existed outside of the plan, or "song" that there would be strife between the two races.