Dwarves
The dwarves, known as the children of the Earth, are folk of a stubborn, assertive and unyielding nature. They are ferociously loyal to each other and wherever they call home, and are skilled craftsfolk, especially with metal and stone. Suranthi armaments are some of the finest one can hope to buy, and dwarven runic craft is some of the most stable and powerful sort of enchanted gear you could ever lay hand on, should you ever come upon a horde of a small dragon to pay for it.
The stout folk are slow to trust, as is their right, and are known to hold a grudge. But they make stout allies, and once you've earned their respect and loyalty, they'd willingly walk into the Void itself before they'd betray ya. If you've ever the chance to befriend a dwarven warrior, particularly one of the braserk or a Warpriest of the Storm Rider, do not hesitate. You'll have a valuable friend and companion for life, I promise you that.
Captain Jakob Evans, speaking of his friend and personal bodyguard Alrik Vorismac, the dwarven braserker, to one of his fellow sailors.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dwarves are shorter then humans, but taller than halflings or gnomes, standing around three and a half to four and a half feet tall. They are sturdy as mountain stone however, weighing anywhere between a hundred and seventy-five and two hundred and seventy-five pounds, often most or all of it solid muscle. They keep thick beards in intricate styles that are a method of communication of standing amongst their people, a complex way to mark profession and station within it, though it is a foreign idea to most other races, so much so that most can't really ever hope to learn to 'read' it properly.
Size: Despite being a bit short and stout, dwarves still fall into the 'Average' or 'Medium' size category.
Common Hair Colors Coal Black, Slate Grey, Sandstone, Silver, Gold, Copper, Loamy brown, Red
Common Eye Colors Stone grey, bright amber, brown, sand, silver, deep cobalt
Starting Racial Wounds: 5
Stat Adjustments: +2 Toughness, +1 Sagacity, -1 Persona, -1 Agility. Dwarves are a hardy and wise folk, given how long lived they can be. They are also skilled craftsmen, but they are not agile folk, nor are they the most well spoke. Blunt as the mountain stone, and not ones for flowery speeches to be sure.
Movement Score: Dwarves are not speedy, with a move speed of 20 feet.
Basic Training: Dwarves a race of folk whom are well trained by rite of their culture. Even those whom live far from the harsh lands of the Tundra Realms, this is passed down through generations. Dwarves, by virtue of their race and culture, are capable of naturally wearing up to medium armor and shields.
Starting Skills: Dwarves racially start play with the following skillsets at the noted levels of training beyond Untrained, which is where everyone naturally sits in every skill until they acquire ranks in it.
All skills listed above do count as Profession skills for a dwarf, regardless if the profession they are would normally count them.
Racial Traits:
Magick Resistance: Dwarves are inherently very resistant to magick, it is why they, of all the races, can mine manna crystals safely. Dwarf characters just full out ignore the first magickal effect that attempts to interact with them every day. They also always have the Momentum on saves to shake off the effects of magickal spells, abilities or traps. This only applies to magick of the Arcane, Divine Powers are a different thing entirely. This ability does not allow you to differentiate between friendly casters and enemy casters. So if your Magister of the Diamond is trying to say effect you with a spell, even if it is in a positive manner, if it is the first magickal effect that has interacted with you that day? It just rolls off of you, doing nothing. NOTE: This trait does NOT mean a dwarf cannot be a Magister, however if a dwarf player wishes to be a Magister, this trait is instead replaced with Second Sight, which grants them the Aethyr Sight Talent for free, as the only dwarves capable of wielding any sort of magick are the ones born with 'Aethyr Sight' as the dwarven folk call it. Also note, dwarven magisters are rare, and tenfold rarer still if they are not magisters of the Topaz Order. This does not mean you CAN'T play a dwarven pyromancer, one of the Ruby Order, for example, if you wish. But just be aware, your character would be very self aware of how....strange they are amongst their own kind.
Night Vision: Dwarves are used to working in dark tunnels deep in the earth with very little or even no light. However they interact with the surface world and light sources often enough to avoid any sort of sensitivity. They have pretty good night vision, and are able to see up to 60 feet from themselves even in full darkness. In low-light conditions, this range doubles.
Relentless Dwarven battle tactics are often compared to an avalanche. If you attack a target that you dealt damage to within the previous round, you have the Momentum.
Size: Despite being a bit short and stout, dwarves still fall into the 'Average' or 'Medium' size category.
Common Hair Colors Coal Black, Slate Grey, Sandstone, Silver, Gold, Copper, Loamy brown, Red
Common Eye Colors Stone grey, bright amber, brown, sand, silver, deep cobalt
Starting Racial Wounds: 5
Stat Adjustments: +2 Toughness, +1 Sagacity, -1 Persona, -1 Agility. Dwarves are a hardy and wise folk, given how long lived they can be. They are also skilled craftsmen, but they are not agile folk, nor are they the most well spoke. Blunt as the mountain stone, and not ones for flowery speeches to be sure.
Movement Score: Dwarves are not speedy, with a move speed of 20 feet.
Basic Training: Dwarves a race of folk whom are well trained by rite of their culture. Even those whom live far from the harsh lands of the Tundra Realms, this is passed down through generations. Dwarves, by virtue of their race and culture, are capable of naturally wearing up to medium armor and shields.
Starting Skills: Dwarves racially start play with the following skillsets at the noted levels of training beyond Untrained, which is where everyone naturally sits in every skill until they acquire ranks in it.
| Skillset | Training Tier (Name of Tier) | Consume Alcohol | Tier I (Trained) |
|---|---|
| Craft (Blacksmithing, Mechanical Engineering, or Stonecarving) | Tier II (Well-Training) |
| Intuition | Tier I (Trained) |
| Language (Dwarven) | Tier III (Journeyman Training) |
| Language (Valarian) | Tier II (Well-Trained) |
| Melee (Hand Weapons or Brawling) | Tier II (Well Trained) |
| Melee (Polearms or Great Weapons) | Tier I (Trained) |
| Ranged (Firearms or Explosives) | Tier I (Trained) |
All skills listed above do count as Profession skills for a dwarf, regardless if the profession they are would normally count them.
Racial Traits:
Magick Resistance: Dwarves are inherently very resistant to magick, it is why they, of all the races, can mine manna crystals safely. Dwarf characters just full out ignore the first magickal effect that attempts to interact with them every day. They also always have the Momentum on saves to shake off the effects of magickal spells, abilities or traps. This only applies to magick of the Arcane, Divine Powers are a different thing entirely. This ability does not allow you to differentiate between friendly casters and enemy casters. So if your Magister of the Diamond is trying to say effect you with a spell, even if it is in a positive manner, if it is the first magickal effect that has interacted with you that day? It just rolls off of you, doing nothing. NOTE: This trait does NOT mean a dwarf cannot be a Magister, however if a dwarf player wishes to be a Magister, this trait is instead replaced with Second Sight, which grants them the Aethyr Sight Talent for free, as the only dwarves capable of wielding any sort of magick are the ones born with 'Aethyr Sight' as the dwarven folk call it. Also note, dwarven magisters are rare, and tenfold rarer still if they are not magisters of the Topaz Order. This does not mean you CAN'T play a dwarven pyromancer, one of the Ruby Order, for example, if you wish. But just be aware, your character would be very self aware of how....strange they are amongst their own kind.
Night Vision: Dwarves are used to working in dark tunnels deep in the earth with very little or even no light. However they interact with the surface world and light sources often enough to avoid any sort of sensitivity. They have pretty good night vision, and are able to see up to 60 feet from themselves even in full darkness. In low-light conditions, this range doubles.
Relentless Dwarven battle tactics are often compared to an avalanche. If you attack a target that you dealt damage to within the previous round, you have the Momentum.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dwarves can live to see their fifth century, in fact High King Cormac, the Suranthi High King, whom just passed, lived to be 528, the oldest dwarf of modern record. However on average they can be expected to live until about four hundred and fifty years old. Their age table looks as follows;
| Childhood | Youth | Middle Age | Old | Ancient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-90 years old | 91-230 years old | 231-340 years old | 341-440 years old | 441+ years old[/td |
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Dwarves, as with all the races in the modern age, are found all about Valerick's civilized societies, though most often near industry towns and cities, especially those of a mining or quarrying nature. However they are most numerous, of course, in their homeland, Suranth, the Tundra Realms.
Cultural Perks (Optional)
Suranthi City-born Born in one of Suranth's large and booming industrial cities, you learned a skilled craft at a young age. Pick a singular Craft skill. That skill is a profession skill for you regardless of if it is on your profession list or not.
Suranthi Rural Upbringing you were born and raised in the more rural and wild areas of Suranth, and from a young age, had to be taught how to survive. Outdoor Survival is always a profession skill for you even if it is not on the list for your profession.
Suranthi-Street Rat You were raised not by a family, but by criminals in the seedy underworld of one of Suranth's cities. You learned 'gang diplomacy' at a young age. Intimidation is a profession skill for you, even if it is not on your profession list.
Foreign Raised You weren't born and raised in the Tundra Realms, but in one of the other nations. You may pick a Cultural Perk from another race's list of options.
Cultural Perks (Optional)
Suranthi City-born Born in one of Suranth's large and booming industrial cities, you learned a skilled craft at a young age. Pick a singular Craft skill. That skill is a profession skill for you regardless of if it is on your profession list or not.
Suranthi Rural Upbringing you were born and raised in the more rural and wild areas of Suranth, and from a young age, had to be taught how to survive. Outdoor Survival is always a profession skill for you even if it is not on the list for your profession.
Suranthi-Street Rat You were raised not by a family, but by criminals in the seedy underworld of one of Suranth's cities. You learned 'gang diplomacy' at a young age. Intimidation is a profession skill for you, even if it is not on your profession list.
Foreign Raised You weren't born and raised in the Tundra Realms, but in one of the other nations. You may pick a Cultural Perk from another race's list of options.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
So dwarven names are constructed in a fashion as befits those whom hold so much stock in family, kin and clan. They normally come in three parts. The first, their given name, will be as one might find familiar. A name given to them by their family, for whatever spiritual, sentimental, or personal reasons that the parents may have had.
Their second name will reflect a connection based on direct family lineage, taking the given name of a prominent and important family member, often whomever raised them, and attaching a suffix based upon their relationship with that person. The four most common of these suffixes are listed below;
mac.... meaning son of.
inionle meaning daughter of.
niade meaning nephew of.
neachtde meaning niece of.
Their last name will of course be their clan name. Many clans just don't use this often, as other races can struggle with the Dwarven tongue. The language of the dwarven people in Valerick, for those whom have a linguistic palette, is meant to be a bit of a kitbash of Irish Gaelic and old Norse combined, so imagine how you feel that would sound and look as a written language, and you'll get an idea.
So below are provided four or five examples of given names, lineage names, and clan names. These are not sacred nor by any stretch, extensive, so feel free to come up with your own completely. But it is to give you an idea of what dwarven naming traditions are like.
Male Given Names: Alrik, Balin, Coris, Morgrym, Vornal
Female Given Names: Nazril, Casil, Bronda, Gottri, Fenna
Lineage Name examples: Cormac, Balinionle, Vorniade, Fenneachtde
Clan Name Examples: Ironcliffe, Azulron, Barazbarak, Gnolundi, Feirmecliste
An interesting cultural note, when a High King (or Queen) is elected to the throne of Suranth, it seems it is to be a cultural tradition that they drop their given name. High King Cormac Ironcliffe, of course, was not named Cormac as a given name. His father was Coris Vornamac Ironcliffe. Thus Cormac was his Lineage name. His given name was Balin, which lives on with his son, Morgrym Balimac Ironcliffe. However once elected to the throne, the High King shed his given name. It seems the idea is to be that a dwarf upon that seat and office is to let go of their personal side, and remember they represent their people, and their nation, holding to that responsibility of kin, clan and country.
Their second name will reflect a connection based on direct family lineage, taking the given name of a prominent and important family member, often whomever raised them, and attaching a suffix based upon their relationship with that person. The four most common of these suffixes are listed below;
mac.... meaning son of.
inionle meaning daughter of.
niade meaning nephew of.
neachtde meaning niece of.
Show spoiler
For purposes of transparency and if you wish to utilize other relationships, these suffixes are simply made by using the translation of 'brother of' into Irish gaelic, as an example. Where the proper translation would be two words, such as inion le those two words are just smashed together. Nothing fancy, easy to do, go wild
Their last name will of course be their clan name. Many clans just don't use this often, as other races can struggle with the Dwarven tongue. The language of the dwarven people in Valerick, for those whom have a linguistic palette, is meant to be a bit of a kitbash of Irish Gaelic and old Norse combined, so imagine how you feel that would sound and look as a written language, and you'll get an idea.
So below are provided four or five examples of given names, lineage names, and clan names. These are not sacred nor by any stretch, extensive, so feel free to come up with your own completely. But it is to give you an idea of what dwarven naming traditions are like.
Male Given Names: Alrik, Balin, Coris, Morgrym, Vornal
Female Given Names: Nazril, Casil, Bronda, Gottri, Fenna
Lineage Name examples: Cormac, Balinionle, Vorniade, Fenneachtde
Clan Name Examples: Ironcliffe, Azulron, Barazbarak, Gnolundi, Feirmecliste
An interesting cultural note, when a High King (or Queen) is elected to the throne of Suranth, it seems it is to be a cultural tradition that they drop their given name. High King Cormac Ironcliffe, of course, was not named Cormac as a given name. His father was Coris Vornamac Ironcliffe. Thus Cormac was his Lineage name. His given name was Balin, which lives on with his son, Morgrym Balimac Ironcliffe. However once elected to the throne, the High King shed his given name. It seems the idea is to be that a dwarf upon that seat and office is to let go of their personal side, and remember they represent their people, and their nation, holding to that responsibility of kin, clan and country.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Opinion of Woad Elves: They be a strange lot, but decent enough. Strange affinity wit' trees they got though. Nae come between on of 'em an' their trees lemme tell ye. They love em like their own kindred! Still they grow good food, and are good enough neighbors. Not like them bloody Skye Elves.....
Opinion of Skye Elves: An interesting bunch ta be sure. Nah like their cousins, much more forward, up front, and in their own way, a bonny bunch. Nae be scared of a fight, and they can be damn reckless. Only good quality about the bastards, if we're ta be honest. I nae trust em otherwise. After all, twas their kindred whom fell, and fell hard. Sure we know now twasn't THEM who betrayed us during the Sundering.....but dwarves nae so easily forget.
Opinion of Humans: Oh aye, they nae be all the same, and we can tell the difference. But they all be cousins and lemme tell ye, that family nae as different as they like ta think. Tis nae fault of their own, their short life spans ya see, makes em flighty, prone to sudden changes o' direction and opinion. Nae get me wrong, the manlings have been stout friends to the dwarves, but be wary relying ta heavily on 'em. Nae consistency.
Opinion of Tanturs: A strange lot, these large folk from the jungles. They be built like tanks, yet talk softly and with great kindness. They are large, but capable with their hands and fingers comparatively for their size. Good people, though strange ta talk to. Don't know much about em, if we honest. They like ta keep ta their own affairs, which be fine by us.
Opinion of Halfmen: I nae trust 'em at all! Too happy, too flittery, to free with their hands and tongue! Bunch of rascals one and all!
Opinion of Gnomes: Ach the damn wee inventors. They mad, mad I tell ye. I don't like 'em, 'ow can I, they directly competing with me kin and me people. However I can respect 'em, ye have to. They may be mad as hatters and fools besides, but ye can nae deny their intelligence and creativity.
Opinion of Skye Elves: An interesting bunch ta be sure. Nah like their cousins, much more forward, up front, and in their own way, a bonny bunch. Nae be scared of a fight, and they can be damn reckless. Only good quality about the bastards, if we're ta be honest. I nae trust em otherwise. After all, twas their kindred whom fell, and fell hard. Sure we know now twasn't THEM who betrayed us during the Sundering.....but dwarves nae so easily forget.
Opinion of Humans: Oh aye, they nae be all the same, and we can tell the difference. But they all be cousins and lemme tell ye, that family nae as different as they like ta think. Tis nae fault of their own, their short life spans ya see, makes em flighty, prone to sudden changes o' direction and opinion. Nae get me wrong, the manlings have been stout friends to the dwarves, but be wary relying ta heavily on 'em. Nae consistency.
Opinion of Tanturs: A strange lot, these large folk from the jungles. They be built like tanks, yet talk softly and with great kindness. They are large, but capable with their hands and fingers comparatively for their size. Good people, though strange ta talk to. Don't know much about em, if we honest. They like ta keep ta their own affairs, which be fine by us.
Opinion of Halfmen: I nae trust 'em at all! Too happy, too flittery, to free with their hands and tongue! Bunch of rascals one and all!
Opinion of Gnomes: Ach the damn wee inventors. They mad, mad I tell ye. I don't like 'em, 'ow can I, they directly competing with me kin and me people. However I can respect 'em, ye have to. They may be mad as hatters and fools besides, but ye can nae deny their intelligence and creativity.
Lifespan
450 years is about the average. Randomizer for starting age= Roll 10d10+90
Average Height
An average dwarf is around four feet, or 1.2 meters, in height. Starting height randomizers;
3d6 inches+3 feet, or 3d10 cms+1 meter if you prefer
Average Weight
Dwarves on average weigh around 225 lbs, or a 102 kgs. Starting weight randomizers
175+10d10 lbs, or 75+5d10 kgs if you prefer
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