Dwarves

Description

The dwarves are a short, stocky race of humanoids who appeared on the surface not long after the dawn of the present age, about 800 years ago. They are known to be insular and dour, but their stone and metalworking is famous. Within their clans, honor and loyalty are valued above all else.

Dwarves average 4 to 5 ft tall, but weigh about as much as humans. Beards are universal among male dwarves, often braided and adorned with jewelry. Hair, eye, and skin color ranges significantly among the seven clans. Dwarves are considered adults at about age 30, and often live to be more than two hundred years old.

Game Rules

Racial Traits

• +2 Constitution, -1 Charisma: Dwarves are hardy folk, but generally stubborn and reserved.
• Dwarf base land speed is 25 ft. However, their steady gait is barely slowed by armor or heavy loads. Medium loads do not reduce their speed, and heavy loads reduce their speed to 20 ft.
• Dwarvencraft: Dwarven art is carved and forged, and every dwarf knows something of these crafts. Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Craft and Appraise checks when working with stone or metal.
• Greed: Dwarves have a connection to valuable things, especially precious gems and metals. This connection inspires dwarven artisans to create their unparalleled masterworks, but it also has a dark side. When in the presence of an item of great value, a dwarf may be forced to make Charm save to resist this instinct. If they fail, they become covetous of the object, desiring it for themselves. Many dwarven heroes have been ruined by the lure of a treasure they could not possess.
• Poison Resistance: +2 on saves against poison. Dwarves are well adapted to resist the foul vapors and poisons of the deep caves. They are even more adapted to alcohol.
• Stonecunning: Dwarves have a +2 bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, and they are entitled to such checks (as if they were actively searching) merely by passing within 10 feet of unusual stonework. They gain a +5 bonus on Perception checks made while underground and can also sense their depth within the earth to a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Subraces

All dwarves possess the characteristics listed above, but each also belongs to a subrace.

Clanless Dwarves are exiles from dwarven society, cast out of their ancestral homes by their kin or by some great disaster. They often live among humans, who value dwarven skill and do not understand the ignominy of their condition.

• Gain Endurance as a bonus feat: Clanless dwarves are hardened by their nomadic lifestyle.
• You learn one additional language: Cast out of their homes, they learn the languages of the outside world.
• Canny: +2 bonus on Gather Information and Sense Motive checks.

Mountain Dwarves live in well defended cities within the great mountains. Loyalty to one’s clan is paramount; oaths must be kept, grudges must be remembered (often for centuries).

• You have proficiency in light and medium armor and shields: Every full clan-member is comfortable in armor; some feel naked without it.
• Clan Runes: If you have proficiency with heavy armor, you gain an additional bonus when you reach second level. You may inscribe a suit of armor with the ancient runes of your clan, symbols to protect and empower you. These runes are said to grant a blessing to you (and only you) when you wear the armor. You need not create the chosen suit of armor yourself, but it must be dwarf-made. Inscribing these runes takes at least 24 hours of work. Once a dwarf has etched a suit of armor with their clan runes, it is their armor for life. It is a great shame to abandon or neglect one’s armor; losing it would be a still greater sin. Dwarves improve their armor rather than replacing it, even reforging suits from the tiniest scraps of destroyed armor.

History: The Seven Clans

Dwarven legend says that Usisad shaped the first dwarves from veins of metal and gemstones. Certainly, the ancient city of Foremvur was divided into seven clans; when the city fell, those clans migrated to the surface and founded new holds, each built around a foundation-stone taken from Foremvur. Some clans, like the Oridri, founded many holds; others founded only one. The Balyri never reached the surface at all, but were lost in their subterranean exodus.

Clans generally at least respectful towards each other. They rarely compete directly, and the shame of Foremvur has made war between dwarves taboo. Despite this, the history of the clans after the fall is not totally without bloodshed.

A clandwarf who visits a strange hold can be sure they will be well treated as a guest, so long as there is no bad blood between their particular clanline and their host's. Holds of the same clan usually view each other as siblings, and can expect warm treatment. Clanless are invariably unwelcome, even more so than uninvited humans.

Dalmiri (Gold Dwarves)

The Dalmiri holds are clustered in the mountains of Pesh. They trade dwarven goods to the rulers of Pesh in exchange for slaves.

Glorvali (Silver Dwarves)

The Glorvali dwell deep in the mountains of Unlas. They only founded a single hold, and are said to be rigidly traditionalist.

Dorali (Copper Dwarves)

The Dorali holds are found exclusively in the barrier range, north of the sand sea. They are largely reclusive and hostile in the face of imperial expansion, but have had better relations with the old emperors.

Oridri (Iron Dwarves)

Found in the Dragonmounts and the barrier range.

Those of the Dragonmount holds of Arzinvur and Gurandolim do good trade with the northern states. Between them lies the ruined hold of Menkaashvur, former home of the archivists of Clanline Lotekar.

In the barrier ranges, a single Oridri hold still trades with the empire, but xenophobia and expansionism now sour this old alliance. Still worse, this same imperial expansionism has caused serious tensions with the Dorali, who feel betrayed and unsupported by their fellow dwarves.

Corrindri (Ruby Dwarves)

Also called sapphire dwarves; the dwarves recognize these gems as the same. Skilled inventors who sold war machines to the old eastern kings. Their hold was ultimately destroyed by the same kings, their little remaining population escaped to wander as clanless.

Balyri (Diamond/Adamantine Dwarves)

A legendary clan, solely entrusted with the secret of working adamantine. All extant pieces were created by them and traded to other dwarves; the Balyri never found their way to the surface. They are the subject of many dwarven legends.

Mogtari (Emerald Dwarves)

The wandering clan, often called mad. A dwindling lot, endlessly searching the various deep caves and mines for the passage back to Foremvur. Their clan leaders claim their incredible longevity (near immortality) is a sign of their direct descent from Usisad. This longevity is only achieved through the consumption of powdered emeralds, and the elders are plainly turning to stone.