Iron Dwarves

A subrace of Dwarves in the Nine-Lands of Goethe.

Also known as the Thenjade Clan, iron dwarves are comparatively forward thinking compared to their mountain dwelling kin. They are less apt to judge other races, tending to give individuals the benefit of the doubt. Though they are about as stubborn as their kin, they freely travel and trade with other races and cultures. Adventuring dwarves are most likely to be from the Thenjade clan.

Like their rock and granite dwarf kin, their main loyalties lie with family and clan. They are gruff and dour, but travel and trade freely with other races.

Iron dwarves inhabit the Thenjade Foothills on the western borders on Rockhome lands. They are protective of their lands, though they realize the value of interacting with the world and seek to cultivate relations with other races and settlements. They have good relations with rock dwarves, granite dwarves, forest dwarves, northlanders, gnomes, and silverhand halflings. Their relationship with elves tends to be lukewarm at best.

Most of the Mica clan venerate their patron, Metallus, though Lord Justice, Salvenscence the Healer, Crystallis, and Sentinel the Guardian are also worshipped freely as well.

Iron dwarves favor the earth tones of their mountain dwelling kin and functionality in their garb. Adornments are commonplace, though rarely overdone. Their skin is often deeply tanned, with a ruddy undertone, and their thick, wavy or curly hair can be black, gray, red, blonde, or brown. Unlike their mountain-dwelling kin, their beards are typically worn short and neatly clipped, though sometimes among the older generations you’ll see the long, flowing beards of old. Their eyes run brown, hazel, green, and rarely blue.

Age. Iron 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, though some live past 400.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Iron Dwarf Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Dwarvish (Iron).

IRON DWARF ADVENTURERS

Iron dwarf adventurers are far more common than those of their kin. Whether motivated by religious zeal, a love for excitement, or simple greed they consider adventuring an honorable profession and they are free to do so as they wish. Most iron dwarf adventurers take up martial or divine professions. Young iron dwarves are less mistrustful of magic than the older generations or the other dwarven clans, and though still a bit of a rarity, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards have become more commonplace since the dawn of the Third Era.

RELATIONS

Forest dwarves. “A little strange. Their skill as crafters rivals our own, even if they prefer substandard materials like wood and leather over metal and stone. Can hold their pints, too. Almost dwarves, though I ‘spect they gots some elf blood in ‘em somewheres.”

Granite dwarves. “Our cousins under the mountain. They be good dwarves, though they should loosen up a bit. Just a bit.”

Rock dwarves. “If dwarves is borne o’ stone like some say, rock dwarves is the quarry we was extracted from. ‘Course, like any source, the material was raw and unworked. Metallus made his fortress outta iron and granite, even put some lovely trees and bushes ‘round the palisade.”

Flight elves. “Heard tell there was some point-eareds o’ the land down southwest somewheres. Just what point-eareds need. To be flightier. Ha!”

Forest elves. “Great Granpappy use ta’ tell stories ‘bout the ol’ winter elves. ‘E said they couldn’t hack it up‘ere in dwarf country. They crafta fine prod, though, and we grab ‘em up any chance we gets.”

Noble elves. “Uppity point-eareds. Prolly have hollow bones, too.”

Half-Elves. “If’n you’re gon’ have an elf ‘round, they best watered down by human. Northlander if’n you gots the choice.”

Copperfinger halflings. “Chubby little buggers in the east, yeah? Only seem to care about a good meal and some good ale. Teach ‘em how to work some stone or metal and they might make good dwarfs! Ha Ha!”

Silverhand halflings. “Tough little buggers to survive in dwarf country with no stone over their heads.”

Gnowhere gnomes. “I met a gnowhere gnome over in Caste some years back. Had a school and was trying to teach illusion and whatnot to some northlander children. I hears he is still there.”

Riddlearth gnomes. “Might hafta head down south to talk to some of these riddlearth’s. I’m told they love their families, are mechanically inclined, and live in the mountains. How bad could they be?”

Eastlanders. “Back’n my adventurin’ days, I gets hired by some Southwind dandy to protect what he’s sendin’ to New Draconis. Puts me in charge of a squad of eastland mercs. Halfway to the Sliver we gets jumped by bandits. Outnumbered us 4-to-1, they did. Bronzers didn’t flinch. Followed orders ta th’ letter. Lost only one, the po’ bastid they caught by s’prise when they jumped us. Dunno about the rest of the lot, but these Bronzers was ok.”

Northlanders. “That our humans can survive in dwarf country puts them a cut above the rest. Now if they’d only spend less time growin’ too tall and save all that energy for the long haul.”

Southlanders. “Tanned, pompous asses. Everytime one of these puffed-up dandies opens their mouth, I hafta grab hold of something lest I slip in the oil slick that spews outta their open sewer. Got a free hand with the coin, though. Seems to have some talent among them fer slingin’ spells.”

Mongrelfolk. “Our ancestors didn’t trust magic. We’re better, maybe not by much, but better. Lookin’ at these poor souls, though, maybe it was with good reason.”

Sierran Orks. “There’s a bunch of greenskins what established a pretty meaty city in the forests on the other side of our mountains. None of that pointy log wall crap around it, neither! Actual stone and woodworkin. Not iron dwarf quality, ‘course, but none o’ tha’ crap the ferals in the mountains do, neither.

Heard they was friendly. Honorable, and partial to hammers and axes, too. Might’n to hafta head east and learn these greenskins about some proper stonework.

Frost Orks. “Met a coupla them pasty bastards up at th’ Port a whiles back. They come ‘round our way on some fancy lookin’ boat to do a bit o’ tradin.’ Decent, upstandin’ fellas, and could hold their cups, too. Definitely not yer grandpappie’s orc.”

Shadow Orks. “Let’s just slow the feck down here, ok? Some spankin’ new island shows up outta nowheres one day and the first thing we gets outta there is more orks? Heard they was sneaky ones, too. They’ll fit in well with them Bronzers out east, I’m guessin.

Half-Orks. “Humans’ll put it to anyone, won’t they? Heh, heh. Nah, tough as nails these ones are. Got the strenth’ of their ork papas, the forbearance of they human mamas, and that temperance stuff’n they learned from Cool Ree.. um, Choolie, Cruel.. taught them by they patron god.”