Dwarves

A proud race residing in the mountain, the dwarves once lived in the Depths of Linnath until they were redeemed for the purpose of waging holy war on the beings of evil and darkness. As a result of this redemption, the dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and can be rather intolerant toward races such as orcs and goblins or anyone else who does not meet their own ‘divine’ sense of justice.

## Appearance

In general, dwarves look very much like stout humans. They stand on average at just four feet tall, and are about 150 pounds. From their time underground, dwarves have pale skin, and small, keen eyes which can see in even the darkest conditions. Dwarves, even female ones, have somewhat more masculine features than those of humans, and the men have especially impressive beards. Further, most dwarves have callused hands from the hard work even the highest among them perform in the name of their kingdoms.

## History

When the grey elves were banished into the Underdark during the Separation, a power vacuum was created in the mountains. Soon, other races from the Depths and Rassekiletak’s Plane started to emerge into the mountains, spreading their influence onto the surface. These goblins, orcs, ogres, and other brutish races, like most races native to the Depths and Planes, prefer to create as little as possible. As such, they immediately began to raid elven towns, razing and pilaging the countryside.

Seeing this destruction, Septark brought forth thirteen clans from another race in the depths of the earth. Imbuing them with strength – not just of body, but of spirit and mind as well – the diminutive creatures which had once raided others for nearly everything they had would now learn craft. Smithing, farming, herding, and masonry became their gifts… as well as war. The tactics of these beings stayed relatively similar; brute force would disguise the surprising cunning which they would use now to smite the godless not for food and tools, but for glory and honor.

In a matter of decades, the dwarves had established themselves within the Hammer Peak Mountain Range, and expanded further into the Blue Mountains pushing the evil races out. These races slithered away into the wilderness of the surface, too single-minded and driven to be defeated entirely. Even with this victory, the mountains are filled with tunnels to the Depths, not to mention the portals that lead directly to the dark world, and the dwarves must constantly strive to uphold the standards of their new god, Katelikessar and the unspoken conditions of their redemption. Each portal and each tunnel must be carefully guarded against attacks from below.

The dwarves would quickly have to learn a new skill – diplomacy. Distrustful of any race coming from that dark realm they had banished their kin into, the elves were wary of the sudden arrival of the dwarves, and were slow to accept them into the surface world. Unfortunately, the dwarves never truly learned diplomacy either, and the tension between these two races has remained to this day.

When humans were created the dwarves finally found a race they could agree with. The hard work and determination found in the human race, while not as far ingrained as the dwarves would like, was something to relate to, and the two races quickly became allies against the forces of evil.

This alliance would take a dark turn in the Sancterram Conquests, as the tension between the dwarves and elves blinded the proud race to the evil of the oppression they would force upon the elves when they allied with the new nation, subjecting the Red and White Woods and establishing a new empire upon Linnath. And so the redeemed race from the Underdark began what has been called by some the darkest page of their history, many beginning to embrace the heresies of the humans.

## Abilities and Traits

Dwarves are master crafters, from stonework, to metalwork, and even to brewing, they desire, perhaps more than anything else, to make. As such, they are adept nearly at birth with various tools of various trades.

The only passion of the dwarves which could match this love of craft is the dwarven love of glory. While to the outside observer, the dwarves seem to suffer from an intense bloodlust; in reality, they have a strong sense of valor and glory from combat instilled in them by Septark. This leads to an emphasis in the dwarven community on battle prowess and clever strategies. A dwarven youth is not considered a man until he has killed at least one orc or goblin, and all dwarves are expected to serve a term in the military.

Dwarven strength goes beyond battle and craft, however, as the race even has a fortitude unmatched by others, able to shrug off poisons – including the effects of alcohol and tobacco – when most others would keel over.

## Culture

Being redeemed from the Underdark, the dwarves are all too aware of their legacy of pain and pillaging. As such, they can tend to overadjust in their desire to overcome the inheritance they gained from beneath the earth and embrace the gift they gained from beyond it. Dwarves love their new ability to create so much that to not use it is an affront to them. As such, dwarves view the idea of using products from other races to be nearly equivalent to theft, and taboo.

The dwarven military is also very extensive. Every man and woman is expected to serve a term once they are considered to be adults. Military units mostly hunt evil races and protect portals to the Underdark, which dwarves view as their religious duty.

The dwarven Hammer Peaks – and by extension the Blue Mountains, then, are totally self-sufficient. Extensive step-based irrigation waters crops in the mountains as goats and alpacas graze, and various meaty game is hunted. Within the depths of the mountains; ores are mined, metals are smelted, and tools, weapons, and armor is forged. Even dwarven criminals are taken into prisons in the mountains.

Dwarven art is limited to their crafts, thought that far from limits their beauty. Armor, weapons, tools, and buildings made by dwarves hold true to the virtues of strength and unity. Anyone who visits a dwarven city would not hesitate to say that they can make the stones feel just as alive as the trees of the elves. Many who have seen the arches of Varkhaven would say that the architecture and stonework is unequaled in any other city.