Sleglar

Sleglar is a term used in fantasy and speculative fiction to refer to a group or class of beings associated with underground life and metalworking. The exact concept varies by work, but the core idea often centers on a subterranean existence intertwined with mining, smithing, or other crafts tied to ore and fire. In some settings, sleglar are a distinct race; in others, a surname for a guild or caste within a dwarflike society.

Physical depictions of sleglar are diverse, but common themes include robustness and adaptations to low light. They are frequently described as stocky or sturdy, with skin tones ranging from ash-gray to bronze and eyes that are bright or reflective in dark environments. Their hands and fingers are typically portrayed as strong and skilled at shaping metal and stone.

Society and culture around the sleglar often revolve around clans or guilds. Apprenticeship, craft mastery, and oath-bound agreements play central roles, with mining, forging, and metalwork forming the economic backbone. Religious or cultural rituals may honor earth and fire, and social status is commonly linked to skill, lineage of smiths, and control of valuable ore veins.

Geographically, sleglar are portrayed as dwelling in cavern networks, mountain halls, or abandoned mines—cities shaped by geology, geothermal heat, and subterranean rivers. They frequently interact with surface cultures through trade, though depictions vary from isolationist communities to cooperative partners.

See also: dwarves, underground civilizations, fantasy metallurgy. The term is widely used across works and is not tied to a single canonical origin.