Duergar

**Duergar**, also known as **gray dwarves**, **dark dwarves**, and **deep dwarves**, are a race of dwarves that lives in the Underdark or in places shaded from the scorching sun.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

    Duergar are characterized by ash-gray-colored skin and white, pupil-less eyes.

### **Abilities**

In the deep underground world, duergar became hardier, physically enhanced, and adapted toward the surrounding darkness.

* Duergar Magic: When not in sunlight, can cast certain spells on oneself without material components, once per day each: at 3rd level, can cast *enlarge*, and at 5th level, can also cast *invisibility*.
* Superior Darkvision (120-foot range)
* Psionic Fortitude: Advantage on saving throws against being charmed or paralyzed.
* Sunlight sensitivity: Disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks when the duergar or the target is in direct sunlight.

## **Culture**

### **Tal'Dorei**

The duergar of the Emberhold seem to have very similar technological styles to the other dwarves. They had a king and queen, but after they were killed, the bloodline of a lesser war-duke, Thangrul II, took their place in the hierarchy. In 812 PD Tal'Dorei, the duergar were widely considered evil, and the dwarves of Kraghammer had little idea of why the duergar kept launching raids against the city. The duergar, in turn, whispered fearfully of the mind flayer colony of Yug'Voril. As of 836 PD, many duergar harbored a secret hope to ally with their other dwarf kin, only waiting for someone brave enough to reach out with good faith.

The duergar of the Emberhold have domesticated basilisks as weapons to be used in combat.

#### **Religion**

The people of the Emberhold have worshiped at least two different entities, possibly at different times:

* **Laduguer**, god of power, strength, and conquest who supposedly freed the duergar from the illithid's control. He was worshiped or mentioned by this name until the stronghold was destroyed in 15 Quen'pillar 810 PD.
* **Azgrah**, an extremely old duergar champion who is adored by the dark dwarves of the Emberhold and the surrounding Underdark. He was worshiped or mentioned by this name in the interval between 812 PD and 836 PD, not long after the massive changes in the Emberhold society.

There are similarities between them, but they have different alignments and while Laduguer has his own clergy, Azgrah is a patron of warlocks.

Additionally, the nobles and monarchs worship the Crawling King, who sends monsters whenever he detects impiety among them.

### **Wildemount**

A small portion of duergar peoples agreed to join the Kryn Dynasty and live within the auspiciously shaded lands of Xhorhas, making up 7 percent of Rosohna's population, while the more conservative kind are fighting against the dynasty for their own territory beyond the Underdark.

## **History**

### **Pre-stream**

Some speculate that duergar are descended from a group of dwarves who delved far into subterranean Tal'Dorei countless centuries ago, predating even the chronicles of Kraghammer. The magic changed the dwarves who settled deep in the underground realm, transforming them into duergar.

### **Campaign One: Vox Machina**

Vox Machina fought many duergar during their time in the Underdark as they investigated incursions into Kraghammer. They discovered the duergar had started working alongside the mind flayers of Yug'Voril. Ultimately they infiltrated the Emberhold, killed the king in battle, and gave chase to The queen after she flooded the throne room with magma as she retreated. When they caught up with the queen, she was remotely killed by K'Varn, who drew Vox Machina down to Yug'Voril. When Vox Machina took down K'Varn, they released the duergar from

## **Known duergar**

* **King Murghol**: King of the Emberhold and a formidable fighter, he was decapitated by Scanlan in combat.
* **Queen Ulara**: Queen of the Emberhold and a sorceress; psychically killed by K'Varn.
* **Murghol and Ulara's daughter**: Only six years old at the time of her parents' death
* **King Thangrul II**: Following the death of King Murghol, this war-duke was coronated in 812 PD as the king of the newly rebuilt Emberhold, and still ruled the domain in 836 PD.
* **Unidentified duergar prince**: A nobleman of the grey dwarves in the Cliffkeep Mountains who died shortly after being captured in battle, sometime before 812 PD.
* **Unnamed General**: Head of the duergar army underneath Kraghammer. He was killed by Clarota.
* **Besh Turmin**: Shopkeeper in Rosohna.
* **Roguun**: A blacksmith working for Huron Stahlmast in his lair above Hupperdook.

## **References**

1. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 22.
2. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 23. Also see p. 62
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 162.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 62.
5. ↑ A duergar general enlarges himself.  See "Attack on the Duergar Warcamp" (1x04) at 1:52:26.
6. ↑ See "The Trick about Falling" (1x05) at 34:12.
7. ↑ Even the *Daylight* spell has this effect, though the spell does not specifically say the light is sunlight, like the spell *Dawn* does.  See "Attack on the Duergar Warcamp" (1x04) at 1:59:47.
8. ↑ "[D]uergar bloodlines are averse to sunlight [...] twelve hours of daylight each day can become painful and physically detrimental to those beings adapted to subterranean life." See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 142.
9. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, pp. 22–23 and 62.
10. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 71.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*, p. 153.
12. ↑ See "Breaching the Emberhold" (1x06) at 1:04:25.
13. ↑ See "The Throne Room" (1x07) at 2:37:55.
14. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 40.
15. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*, p. 40.
16. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 142.
17. ↑ This is much of the action between "Strange Bedfellows" (1x03) to "Glass and Bone" (1x08).
18. ↑ See *Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn*, p. 101.
19. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 232.

**Art:**

1. ↑ Depiction of duergar, by Eva Widermann from *D&D: Monster Manual 2 (4th ed.)*, p. 92. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
2. ↑ A duergar (left) in comparison with a mountain dwarf and a hill dwarf, by Bryan Syme ([*Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*, p. 22 source]). Used with permission.