I view dwarf beards as similar in function to cat's whiskers. Part of their earthsense. They have large eyebrows too. Teshnan Mostali appear to have a few longer whiskers (say, 4 or 5, 40cm long eyebrow hairs ) but are less bushy than their brethren. Bushy beards are a reaction to operating in the open air so those isolationist Teshnans who wrap their heads in protective cloth do not suffer from excessive "growth"..yuk!
Those dwarfs in the rest of the world who stay underground do not have those dreadful beards.
Keith
>
> LC:
> > Well, other than laziness, is there any reason people have given to have
> > beards on dwarves in the first place?
>
> For True Mostali, it's a useful source of spare wiring--especially if a fuse blows.
>
> Stew.
>