Dwarf

## Appearance

### Distinction

Short, hardy, solitary, long-lived, artistic, wise, grows thick nontrimmable beards, high muscle mass

## Sociology

### Languages

Dwarvish

The **dwarves** are a race of humanoids that are found infrequently in the wilds of Bastria and Arborea, and apocryphally elsewhere. They are fiercely independent, though adhere to old Dwarven traditions and are rigid and almost mechanical in their thinking.

Dwarves lead isolated, hermetic lifestyles and only trade with travelers for particularly outsized instances of material wealth. However, what is best known of the dwarves is their generous nature, and the free dispensing of resources and hospitality to those who come across their lodgings. They pass on wisdom and share in their traditional alcoholic beverages to any who enter their domain, though hostility is met in kind.

Dwarves are noted for being the progenitors of multiple languages, as their own written language was among one of the earliest developed and served as the basis for Common, Giant, Orcish, Goblin, and numerous others. Their artistry has also inspired generations of design and architecture in many civilizations, particularly the Dinamid Republic.

Though they bear passing resemblance to the Subrason, there is no know connection in their lineage nor their interactions.

## Origins

Dwarves have little recorded history, with nearly all of their writings encompassing philosophy, art, topical commentary, religion, and science. Because of this, it is impossible to remotely assess how long dwarves have existed. Even more discouraging is their strict literary tradition. Though their adherence to the original dialects of Dwarvish make it easy for modern-day speakers to read ancient works in the language, the lack of evolution over time precludes and investigation into regional or chronological development.

Dwarves have existed since Preliturgy, with the earliest commentaries in existence describing the ancient Tirahni peoples of Tyrrhos. They also have records of Muzdash explorers, Perthic emissaries, and the earliest ancestors of the Dinamians in Merovia.

Their own religious mysteries claim they were birthed from stone as children of the god Alphar, the First Father. Little evidence exists to support these theories.

## Physiology

### Stature

Dwarves are noted for their short stature compared to other humanoids, with the tallest dwarves standing as high as the shortest of humans. Their height is not to be interpreted as weakness, however. Dwarves of any background will almost certainly bear incredible strength and musculature, and no matter their diet, can continue to maintain this physique throughout their lives.

### Low-light Darkvision

Dwarves, like many humanoids, have the capability of seeing even when light is low or nonexistent. The reasons for this are unknown, though their hovels and typically hermetic nature suggest it suits them to have such vision as most of their time is spent indoors or underground.

### Sexual dimorphism

The only dwarves recorded thus far have been male, with female dwarves being something of a legendary being. Dwarves are typically evasive about this issue, and what can be gathered from the few that do discuss this topic is of especially religious dwarves, who believe that there are no female dwarves. They instead believe that, like the Alphar of their mystery cults, they mate with stone to reproduce. This has not been confirmed nor replicated.

### Tensile beards

The most prominent feature of dwarves have been their beards, which are more akin to the whiskers of a beast than the hair of a humanoid. Their beards are composed of fine, flexible, yet strong fibers that are not capable of being trimmed even by the sharpest blade. Dwarves typically take pride in this, and will style their facial hair to represent their clan, heritage, philosophies, and deeds. An unkempt beard is considered obscene in most dwarven cultures.

## Society

### Traditional lifestyle

The traditional dwarven life is nearly uniform and unchanged since they were first recorded in the First Era. Dwarves divide themselves among a complex network of familial relationships called clans, which are found in various regions across Neuphany and the world. Dwarves live solitary and hermetic lifestyles, spending most of their long lives on their own, practicing the arts and philosophy in isolation.

Dwarves will only contact other members of their clan to share their works, of which they will create dozens of copies to share among them. Clans can usually be identified by their collections.

Dwarves typically live in discrete locations that receive little light, which includes swamps, forests, mountains, and even underground. Their culture emphasizes self-reliance and stoic self-actualization, which they interpret as requiring infrequent communication with the outside world.

Through a strict legacy of cultivation and careful selective breeding, dwarves have developed a very efficient system of horticulture that makes up most of their diet. This diet is almost entirely made up of fungi, especially mushrooms. This staple can be found in nearly all of their foods, and their ability to raise such slow-growing and fickle cultivar remains exclusive to their race.

### Views on exchange and charity

A note of importance for dwarves is their self-reliance. That is, they do not value or often participate in trade with even each other, much less outsiders. Though nomadic dwarves are an unusual exception, the common clan dwarf is opposed to the exchange of goods.

In sharp contrast, dwarves are happy to share their surplus goods, including food, water, shelter, and information. They emphasize charity for those who need it in many of their works, though this is seen less as exchange and more akin to generosity.

### Philosophy, language, and art

The dwarven culture has remained nearly congruent to its origins thousands of years ago, with its language being identical to its iterations in the earliest of texts. Style is unique from individual to individual, yet phonology and their alphabet is the same as runes found in tablets across Neuphany.

Most dwarven philosophy is stoic in nature, with their writings encompassing many aspects of life as well as science and metaphysics. They also produce unique forms of art, responsible for many movements in other cultures, usually best described as "realism." This form of art represents the world as it is, almost a form of documentation, but stylized as such to demonstrate a much emphasized moral lesson.

## Game mechanics

*Use this as your guide to creating a dwarf character. Note that*
all dwarves in this world are made by using this same template.

***Ability Score Increase***. Your Constitution increases by 2.

***Speed***. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

***Languages***. You know all dialects of Dwarvish and one additional language of your choice.

***Darkvision***. Accustomed to the lonely darkness of caves and mountains, you have superior vision in dark areas. 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 cannot discern color
 in darkness, only shades of grey.

***Dwarven Combat Arts***. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

***Dwarven Craftsmanship***. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.

***Natural Eremite***. You are proficient with the Survival and Nature skills.

***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.

***Resilience***. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

### Altitude and clan organization

Dwarves form loose family groups called clans, and while they usually live in isolation, the way they interact with one another in these clan groups distinguishes them greatly. This mainly varies by geographic location and altitude.

#### Mountain clans

The clans that exist in mountainous or treacherous geography rarely receive visitors. They also do not have consistent communications with their clans, and thus they will usually have idiosyncratic beliefs, social interactions, and philosophies.

***Ability Score Increase***. Your Strength increases by 2.

***Defense of the World**.* You are proficient with light and medium armor.

#### Hill clans

Those dwarven clans that exist in hills or forests interact frequently with travelers and maintain tight communications with their clan. They are gregarious and often become elders or gurus for other communities, and can be considered extensions of greater civilization.

***Ability Score Increase***. Your Wisdom increases by 1.

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

***Defense of the Man***. You are proficient with light armor.

#### Cursed clans (duergar)

A dwarf infected with dragon's blood does not undergo a typical transformation. Instead, they suffer a cursed known to the dwarves as becoming a *duergar*, or "dark dwarves." These dwarves are said to be cursed for their greed, which is a trait reviled by the dwarves, and they are sometimes actively hunted by clans who seek to eliminate them.