Dwarves

Ice Dwarves

Duergar

Urdunnir

Korobokuru

### Distinctions

Physically durable, insightful, primarily dwell underground, some females capable of growing beards

**Dorgoth Finally Broke the magical seal and the team walked through the great archway, Their eyes widened as for miles and miles of marble and granite glistened in light brought through the mountain through expertly crafted mirrors. "That's it'll be it lass" holding back tears The dwarf Kuldu planted the haft of her axe firmly against her shoulder. "The Lost Realm of Clan Durnheart" She began to curl a few fingers through her short beard a smile developing above it.**

## Description

Dwarves are a short race, as their name implied, standing from 4'3"–4'9" (1.3–1.45 meters) on average, with Ice dwarves a bit shorter. What dwarves lacked in height they made up for in bulk; they were, on average, about as heavy as humans. A dwarf could weigh anywhere from about 160–220 lbs (73–100 kg). Dwarven males were a bit taller and heavier than their female counterparts. Like humans, dwarves had a wide variety of skin, eye, and hair colors, typically pale among shield dwarves and deeply tanned or brown amongst gold dwarves. Hazel eyes were common throughout the race, with blue eyes more common amongst Stone dwarves and brown or green eyes found amongst the Bog dwarves.

Male dwarves were often bald and grew thick facial hair, which was sometimes used to display social status. Unusually for humanoids, both sexes naturally grew ample facial hair. This hair was often dark in hue, though among shield dwarves blond or red hair was just as common.

Dwarves were a long-lived race, though not so much as elves, and reached physical maturity somewhat later than humans. A dwarf was traditionally considered an adult once he or she reached age fifty. Dwarves aged much like humans but over a longer period of time, remaining vigorous well past 150 years. Most dwarves lived to see their bicentennial and a few lived to be over 400. A dwarf was considered to be young until they reached the age of 50.

## Abilities

Dwarves were unusually tough for humanoids, in more ways than one. Dwarven stomachs, for instance, were resistant to virtually all poisons and it took less effort for a dwarf to get back on their feet than other races. Dwarves also had dense bodies and were difficult to push around as a result, as well as having the capacity to bear loads that other races might find hindering with little ill effect. Dwarves also had a sense about them that few races did, with a preternatural awareness of their surroundings useful for a subterranean race as well as good judgment all-around in general.[7]

Many dwarves were difficult to like and lacked the charm of many other smaller races, such as halflings or gnomes, though this was not a trait common to all dwarves and some possessed a great deal of charismatic power. Furthermore, dwarves were not entirely unsocial and more than a few had a natural knack for bartering or judging the value of an offer, something that sat well with their legendary crafting abilities.

Dwarves could see in the dark, out to about 60 feet (18 meters). Many dwarves had an affinity for the caverns in which they lived, possessing a knack for recognizing unusual patterns in stonework that could seem almost supernatural at times.

## Subraces

There existed several dwarven subraces. The best known are listed below:

#### **Ice dwarves**

Squat and hardy dwarves from the isolated northern reaches of Aroura.

#### **Bog Dwarves**

Strange Magical Dwarves who mine coal deep in the many Swamps across Aroura.

#### **Stone dwarves**

Tall dwarves, by comparison, who populated the Large mountains in Kerathia

#### **Urdunnir**

Stocky and muscular dwarves living in the Underdark.

#### **Duergar**

Duergar were dwarves, separated by generations of divergence and slavery under the illithids.

#### **Korobokuru**

Simplistic Farming Dwarves from Xian, who ended up getting lost in the foothills of Zeth Provence

#### Personality

Whether or not the dwarven claim that they'd been carved from the world's stone was true, dwarves shared many qualities considered similar to the stone they lived with. Strong, hardy, and dependable, dwarves were polite, particularly to elders, and possessed a wisdom beyond that of many other races. Dwarves valued their traditions, regardless of the subrace they came from, and looked for inspiration from ancestral heroes. Dwarves were also known for their stubborn nature and cynicism, traits widespread amongst the dwarves but which contributed to and were commonly offset by their bravery and tenacity.

Dwarven friendship was hard to earn, but was strong once won. Naturally dour and suspicious, the stout folk were slow to trust others, specifically those outside their family, suspecting the worst of an individual until the outsider had proved their good will many times. Once this trust was gained, dwarves held their friends to it and viewed betrayals, even minor ones, with a vicious propensity for vengeance. A common gnomish oath, remarking on this dwarven sense of justice, was "If I'm lying, may I cross a dwarf."

For dwarves, loyalty was more than a word and they felt that it should be both valued and rewarded. Dwarves believed it a gift and mark of respect to stand beside a friend in combat, and an even deeper one to protect that ally from harm. Many dwarven tales subsequently revolved around the sacrifice of dwarves for their friends and family. Just as dwarves were known for their dependability as friends and allies, dwarves also harbored grudges far longer than many other races. This might be on an individual basis between a dwarf and one who had wronged them, or against entire races, even if warfare with the enemy had long since ceased.

Dwarves were careful and deliberate, with a more serious disposition than other races, who they sometimes viewed as flighty or reckless. A dwarf did all things with care and a stubborn resolve, with brash or cowardly behavior unusual for them. However, dwarves did succumb easily to wrath or greed, which were their most common vices.

Dwarves who left their homeland to become adventurers did so for a number of reasons. In part, a dwarf might be motivated by simple avarice, given the dwarven love of beautiful things. As often, however, a dwarf might be motivated by a drive to do what was right for others (particularly their clan) or a love of excitement because, as settled as dwarves were, they rarely tired of thrills. But even these wayward dwarves retained the spirit of their brethren, hoping that their accomplishments abroad could bring honor to themselves, their clan, or both. Given that successful dwarven adventurers were likely to recover rare items or defeat enemies of the dwarven people during such challenges, this was a hope not entirely without merit.

### Society

#### Culture

Dwarves highly valued the ties between family members and friends, weaving tightly knit clans. Dwarves particularly respected elders, from whom they expected sound leadership and the wisdom of experience, as well as ancestral heroes or clan founders. This idea carried on to relations with other races and dwarves were deferential even to the elders of another, non-dwarven race.

Likewise, dwarves, perhaps more so than most other races, turned to their gods for guidance and protection. Non-evil dwarves looked to the divine for comfort and inspiration, while the wicked looked to their divine overlords for methods through which to obtain power over others. Individual dwarves might be faithless, but the race as a whole, regardless of subrace, had a strong inclination for religion and almost every community maintained at least one temple or ancestral shrine.

#### Clans

Most dwarven societies were divided into clans built along family ties and political allegiances. These clans were usually led by hereditary rulers, often monarchs of a sort and descended from the founder of the clan. Dwarves strongly valued loyalty to these rulers and to the clan as a whole and even objective dwarves tended to side primarily with their kin over other races or communities.

These clan structures promoted a tradition of inbreeding. This was so excessive that it was considered one of the reasons for the dwarves' low birth rate.

Most dwarven clans focused on one or two kinds of crafting, such as blacksmithing, jewelry, engineering, or masonry. Dwarves strove to avoid overspecialization by sending some of their youths to other clans to serve as apprentices, which also helped to foster racial unity. Because of their longevity, these apprenticeships might last decades.

#### Homelands

Most dwarves preferred living in underground cities near the surface and above the Underdark, built around mines that provided much of their livelihood. Carved into stone, these cities might take centuries to complete but were practically ageless once finished. Though dwarves were typically a martial race by nature, these cities had civilian populations that made up about one fourth of the total population and which were made up primarily of the young, the elderly, or a few regular adults. Females typically composed as large a portion of the military as male dwarves did.

At the Beginning of the Second Age, The elves and dwarves formed a pact, Giving the land both above and below their mountains to the dwarves. At first the Dwarves only lived in the northern reaches of Kerathia in Archinfjord and the lost realm of Krutenhold. But have since spread all across Aroura and Dwarves can be found in all three continents as well as Dalindwell.  On Aroura Dwarves rule over 13 kingdoms, 7 The Stone Dwarves Rule over 7 kingdoms, Ice dwarves three frozen kingdoms in the great glacier and 3 kingdoms ruled by the Duergar. The Bog dwarves do not rule independent, but hide within the lands of other races where every they can find coal and oil.  On Dalindwell The Dwarves who have made the journey have taken over ancient dal underground cities called Vols, where they have found heavy deposits of Steel Copper and a material called Hard oil.

In their own homelands, dwarves continuously carved out new living space, mining the mountains' riches as they did so. Dwarves in general stuck to these locales, disliking travel, particularly along waterways, but those who lived in human lands could make themselves quite comfortable. Most who did made a living as mercenaries, smiths, or artisans of various kinds. Dwarves were eagerly sought after as warriors, their reputation for courage and loyalty making them excellent choices for bodyguards.

#### Interracial Relations

Dwarves did not forgive past wrongs easily and the entire race had more or less declared war on goblins and orcs as a whole, wiping them out where they found them. Many dwarves viewed these races as a foul infestation of their mountain homes and felt it was their duty to purge them. Likewise, many dwarves viewed drow and grimlocks with a similar hatred and few dwarves had forgotten their ancestral hatred of the giants who'd once enslaved them. Because of this, dwarves generally viewed related races, such as half-orcs, with distrust.

Dwarves from the "Surface" have great distain for the Duergar, since they come from a Clan that started a civil war during the First Great Dirge War.

In regards to their distant cousins the azers, duergar, and Urdunnir, dwarven opinions varied. Many viewed their distant relations with sympathy for their prior enslavement. On the other hand, duergar and dwarves had long been enemies, though, trade between them was a possibility.

Dwarves got along pretty well with gnomes, with whom they shared a love of fine crafting, and passably with humans, half-elves, and halflings. However, most dwarves commonly believed that true friendships could only be forged over long periods of time and a common saying was that "the difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years", meaning that few members of the shorter-lived races ever forged strong bonds with dwarves.

The Dalkin and Dwarves have not had a lot of contact outside of human lands, but what little interaction has seemed promising, Since both are very traditional and family based they get along well once a relationship has been established.

### Game Stats

The Dwarves of Aurora come in many kinds, the three most prominent, (to surface dwellers that is) are the mountain dwelling Stone Dwarves, The Glacier Carving Ice Dwarves, and the Mysterious Bog Dwarves, Each one has Forged its own notch in the world of aurora. NOTE: Dwarven Combat Training is replaced by each Sub-races Weapon Training'

#### ***Dwarf Traits***

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn Abilities, part and parcel of dwarven Nature.

* *Ability Score Increase:* Your Constitution score increases by 2.
* *Age:* Dwarves mature at the same rate as Humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.
* *Alignment:* Most Dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of Fair Play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.
* *Size :* Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.
* • \*Speed: \* Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing Heavy Armor.
* *Darkvision:* Accustomed to life Underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray.
* *Dwarven Resilience:* You Throws against poison, and you have Resistance against poison damage.
* *Tool Proficiency:* You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
* *Stonecunning:* Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the Origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your Proficiency Bonus to the check, instead of your normal Proficiency Bonus.
* *Languages:* You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.