Dwarves

## THE DWARVES

Within this world, dwarves live just short of the average human lifespan. They stand between 4' and 5' 2" on the average, and tend to be slightly stockier than the average human. Their hair is generally coarser than most human races, but otherwise follows similar conventions. Dwarf women are unbearded.

Occupying more central lands within the world, dwarves historically served as a center of trade. They developed a knack for negotiation, and wealth tended to settle in their lands. As such, their banking infrastructure is some of the best in the world. To defend this wealth, they also have historically been some of the greatest weapons developers. If it goes boom, a dwarf probably made it first.

While the advance of technology and the resultant shrinking of the world drew good portions of these industries from the dwarvish lands--just as they did the dwarves themselves--the stout folk of the Centerlands still hold some of the richest and strongest Corps in the world, and any Corp based out of another city almost certainly has a large branch office in their capitol.

Once, the dwarves were a very clannish people, ruled over by a council of chieftains in a unified manner when warring city states were the norm of the world. Now, that clan system has diminished to be nothing more than a tradition, an establishment of extended family. With the intermigration of peoples of all races and nations, clans became obsolete. Some transitioned into Corps, of course, but even so it can't be denied that they are now something quite different than what the dwarf clans once were.

## VARIENTS

### Ferraweave Dwarves

To ferraweave is something extrodinary, for sure. Native to the dwarves, the technique of embracing the emberweave to change the physical properties of materials--primarily metals--is as ancient as memory can serve. Still, ferracists--as such practitioners are called--are few and far between. Non-ferracists even argue the techniques not worth the effort. Still, a ferracist construction always seems just a little nicer, a little better, but such things come at a cost. Prolonged exposure to the emberweave  effects the mind, granting insights others lack, true, but at the cost of impulse control. Such constant and ready access to the weave tends to leave a dwarf ready and willing to pursue wants, desires, or needs with little thought to consequence, and their mind is more easily overwhelmed by subtle but significant underlying insights to stimuli granted by their increased attunement to the emberweave.

## TEMPLATES

### Base Dwarf

Bra: 2

Agi: 1

Int: 2

Cun: 2

Wil: 3

Pre: 2

Wound Threshold: 11 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10 + Willpower

Starting XP: 90

Starting Skills: Begin with 1 rank in negotiation, which cannot increase past 2 at creation

Stubborn: Dwarves add 1 setback to social skill checks targeting them

Tough as Nails: Once per session, spend a story point after suffering a critical injury and determining the result. Set the result to 1.

### Ferraweave Dwarves

Bra: 2

Agi: 2

Int: 3

Cun: 2

Wil: 1

Pre: 2

Wound Threshold: 11 + Brawn

Strain Threshold: 9 + Willpower

Starting XP: 85

Starting Skills: Begin with 1 rank in perception, which cannot increase past 2 at creation

Ferracist: Ferraweave Dwarves add 1 result (equal to a one advantage) to any successful crafting result. This trait stacks with the Creative Design talent.

Stroke of Insight: Once per session, spend a story point to roll your next check using Int or add one boost die to a crafting check.