Marble dwarves' aetherial power allows them steady feet in the mountains, climbing skills, and a talent with knowing their way around in the high ranges. They also have powers from happiness resonance, including drunken fighting skills, skill at brewing, and an understanding of comedy. Too much happiness resonance, however, can make them permanently inebriated. They gain earthpower from their crafts, but they must gain happiness resonance if their craft makes someone happy.

All dwarves are known for their steady feet, their inborn toughness, and their shrewdness.

Marble dwarves live in sprawling, loose clans spread out among many villages along the mountain sides. Each village has a constable who is ostensibly in charge, but usually defers to the elders of the town in complicated matters. Each clan is led by elders who gather every decade at a moot to decide on important issues. Clans are sometimes hard to determine, as intermarriage is common and children outside of marriage are as well. As such, clan membership is often determined through light-hearted contests such as drinking games or gambling for entry into the clan if something is unclear. Making an elder laugh can also work, or bribery, or just being likeable.

Marble dwarves take their crafts seriously, but they don't have much time for guilds and rules. Instead, they have informal trainings. Oftentimes, a dwarf decides to learn a craft and just starts drinking with a master until they're accepted.

Families are open and accepting, for the most part, and rarely have a strong structure. Instead, new births are celebrated and everyone around takes care of the children. Who belongs to whom isn't always clear, but children usually end up knowing more often than not. Schools exist but are optional. More important is the social aspect of the village, which has regular dances, festivals, celebrations, and holidays, usually two or three times a month.

The faithful are not uncommon, but organized religion is relatively loose. A local cleric or priest or other religious leader serves the village but answers to no one especially. There is no large military, but every family and village and clan has warriors in it. These warriors are informal, trained as a matter of course growing up in a rough village, and organize themselves based on an understanding of who is the best leader locally.