Dwarves
"Rule Um-Kal, Um-Kal rule the caves. KalI never never ever again shall be slaves!"
"...Worldsmith bless what our hands work has earned us, and keep us healthy, hence we can further provide for our family with our hands and minds.... And see to it that no one takes away our works fruits, as we won't ever take it from others... Never Again! whole table shouting: "NEVER AGAIN!"
Basic Information
Anatomy
The dwarven build is stocky and the bonestructure slightly more dense than that of a human. The typical dwarf ranges in height from 4 feet (120 cm) to 5 feet (150 cm). Although rumoured to be much stronger than humans, due to the dwarven aptitude with heavy gear and also armor, this aptitude is more of an aqcuired social trait and not a genetic one.
Genetics and Reproduction
Dwarves, just like Goliaths, are a subspecies of the Humans , and thus belong to the seeding genotype, like Wolven and Yuan-Ti and a good quarter obf species which live on Ardu.
This gives them two ways of procreation, the so called seedbirth, which is unique to creatures of the seeding genotype, and the faebirth.
The Seedbirth
All dwarven males, provided they are healthy, are able to create seed, which, when injected into the sex of a dwarven female during intercourse, can fertilize her and sire a child. This seems to be possible only at a certain timewindow per month, during which the female is fertile, usually about 10 to 16 days after the woman has had her period. Unlike the Faebirth, this way of procreation is entirely independent of the actual will to procreate: There are known incidents of pregnancies, where both parents believably affirm to not have intended to sire a child, which, with a Faebirth would be impossible. For this way of procreation to work, both partners must be human or of human subrace (humans, dwarven or goliath) or be at least partly human halfbreed. Thus a dwarf can conceive via seedbirth not only with another dwarf, but also with a human, a goliath, or any half human (half Goliath / half Dwarven) halfbreed. The conception via seedbirth with orther races is not possible, not even with other species of the seeding genotype, like Wolven or Yuan-Ti.The Faebirth
Just like any living being on Ardu, dwarves produce fae. This personal fae, also called Ki by some monks, plays a central role for the conception via faebirth: During the act, if triggered by the will to procreate, the personal fae of both partners joins, samples genes of both partners and creates a new life in the female body. The will that drives this process is usually the will of both partners, however, if the will of one partner is strong enough, or enhanced by magical means, the singular intention of one partner might suffice to trigger the process. This, however, is considered a crime by all dwarves, as it is with most human and goliath societies. For this way of procreation to work, both partners must have at least comparably complex thought processes, as the personal fae of both partners must interact with each other, and thus needs enough structure to work on. If the minds of both partners are self conscious, a bridging between species is possible. As such, half breeds between almost all self-conscious creatures on Ardu, yet also with pure fae creatures, like demons from the counterrealm, are a possibility. An exception to this rule are the Yuan-Ti and Saurians, because of their severed connection to the Fae, which leaves them unable to conceive via faebirth. For further general information regarding procreation and halfbreeds see also:Additional Information
Social Structure
"For freedom to die, all it needs is for good people to do nothing"
"Those who won't give away power, do not deserve Power"Dwarves were once humans who evolved in the mines of the Slaver cities, which formed not just their stocky and short body, and their ability to see in the dark, but also their opinions about slavery and power as a whole. Most dwarves despise the concept of Slavery and they fear power in the hand of the few, if left unchecked by checks and balances. Thus they created what today is Ardu's only parliamentary republic, the Dwarven Union of Um-Kal, oftentimes only called "the Union" by the dwarves.
The political structure of Um-Kal
The Municipalities and their Local Government
The dwarven Union consists of 63 quasiindependent regions, each of which is governed by a local council of elected elders. The council is structured similarly to the central council of elders in Tso-Kal, and consists of seven Elder Servants and a High Servant.The Two elections
Once every five years each dwarf of 21 years or older, who is not imprisoned at this time, can elect the representatives of the local and central government chambers. There are two chambers, the Council of Servants and the Council of Watchers. In one election, held every ten years, the dwarves elect the representatives for the central Council of Servants in Tso-Kal and the local High Servant. In the second election, also held every ten years, but offset to the first by five years, the dwarves elect the representatives to the central Council of Watchers, also located in Tso-Kal, and the representatives for the local Council of Servants.The Council of Servants
The Councils of Servants are the legislative organs of the Dwarven Union. There are two different kinds of the Council of Servants, the local ones, one for each of the 63 Dwarven dwarven Municipalities, and the central one, each with different authorities regarding the legislative power. This is because of questions in which the municipalities enjoy a degree of autonomy from the union and are free to choose legislation. The central Council of Servants holds power to define legislation in all other questions. It has 352 seats and is located in the so called Hall of Servants to the Left hand of the Makers Cauldron in Tso-Kal. Next to their legislation tasks, the Councils of Servants also elect the seven Elder Servants which, together with the High Servant, form the Elder Councils. Depending if it is a Local council of servants, or the central one, decided legislation does not immediately become law. In case of the central Council, the legislation first has to pass through the council of watcher, which can ratify it, or send it back for rework. Being a member of the Elder Council, be it now local or the central one in Tso-Kal, is a great Honor. Although each seat in the council is responsible for one branch of the dwarven executive, it is, in the dwarven mindset, understood as a service first and foremost, and not a tool of power, which is reflected in the term Servant for the members of said organ.The Watchters Council
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance"The Council of Watchers consists of 352 seats and only exists as part of the central union government located in Tso-Kal. Because each municipality sends a similar number of representatives into both chambers of the central government, The Watchers Council consists of 352 seats too. The representatives in the Watchers Council are called "Watchers". They are paid out of a secondary tax and are thus independent from the cash boxes governed by the Council of Elders. The Watchers Council sits in the Hall of Watchers, a hall strikingly similar to the Hall of Servants, but located to the right side of the Makers Cauldron in Tso-Kal. The Watchers have two tasks. They debate and ratify the legislation proposed by the Council of Servants. Without being ratified by the Watchers council, a proposed legislation cannot become law. If a law cannot be ratified it is send back into the Council of Servants to be reworked. Ratification of a legislation happens by simple majority. The Watchers council also elects the High Servant who, together with the Elder Servants elected by the Council of servants, forms the Elder Council.
The Elder Council
The Elder Council (also called Council of Elders) consists of 7 Servants, each responsible for one branch of the executive, whom are called the Elder Servants. It is presided over by the High Servant. Each Elder Servant has authority over questions related to "his or her" branch of government and is entitled to decide it's matters within, and only limited by, a certain financial frame agreed upon every five years, whenever New Elder Servants or a new High Servant are elected. Each Elder Servant also has an information duty about all made decisions, which are recorded by the Archivists that the High Servant has appointed. This is to ensure that the each remaining member of the council can have a look over the decsions and put them to a vote, if either three other Elder Servants or the High Servant himself agree. The High Servant can simply force a vote, and much of his work, as it befits a role appointed by the Council of Watchers, is to look through the reports of daily decisions and decide what has to be voted upon. Failing to inform the appointed archivist about a decision can lead to the exclusion of an Elder Servant from the council by simple vote of the remaining members, a vote in which the High Servant only has a single vote. The vote and the reason for the vote are made public by the archivists, even if they touch matters of national security. The High Servant: The High Servant can force a councilvote of the elder council. During Councilvotes he or she has two votes to break a tie. If an elder councilmember has a feeling that a decision of one of the other Elder Servants interferes too much with their own branch, they can propose a discussion and a councilvote, which can be forced if either the High Servant or four of the seven councilmembers (excluding the High servant) agree that it should be held. Regarding the question if a councilmember shall be excluded from the council and replaced, the High servant only has a single vote. The High Servant also proposes the seven Archivists to the Council Of Servants, which can ratify them or deny them by simple majority. The Elder Craftsman The Elder Craftsman is responsible for questions of Infrastructure and its Construction. Depending on how strict or generous the High Servant is, the Elder Craftsman enjoys a smaller or bigger budget to preside over, beyond which he usually has to face a councilvote to finance projects. He is also responsible for questions of Food production and Healers services. The Elder Priest The Elder Priest, usually but not always a member of the ecclesiarchy, is responsible for all questions regarding the Church of The Worldsmith. Like the elder craftsman he is equipped with a budget, beyond which church projects should be approved by vote in the Elder council at discretion of a councilvote or the High Servant. The Elder Sage The elder sage is responsible for all questions of science and education in the Union Um-Kal, this includes libraries, schools and potal service. The Master of Coin The Master of Coin is responsible for aqcuiring the coin necessary to finance the different undertakings of the Council. he or she is also responsible to look after investments done by the ther councilmembers being profitable in order to not empty the Federations cashboxes. he is also responsible for questions of trade, taxes and tarriffs. The Elder Diplomat The elder Diplomat is responsible for foreign policy and Master of Spies. The Elder Guard The elder Guard is the leader of the policeforce and responsible for domestic security. The Elder Warrior The Elder warrior is the head of the military forces and responsible for border security. He and by extension the forces under his command are not allowed to interfere with the branch of the Elder Guard, nor can the Elder Guard call upon the military forces to enforce domestic security, except with unanimous vote of the elder council. The Archivists The seven Archivists are proposed by the High servant and ratified by the Council of Servants through simple majority. Each Elder Servant has one Archivist. Their task is, in cooperation with "their" Elder Servant, to record all decisions made by the Elder Servant and inform the remaining council, such that a decision by the respective Elder can be put up to vote, should the council, or the High Servant, decide so.The Public Archive and the Archive of Secrets
Each member of the Elder council is liable to have their decisions regarding the Union recorded by their Archivist, who then makes them known towards the other councilmembers before they can take effect. Each member of the Elder Council can then demand a vote, which will be held if the High Servant or three other members of the Elder council agree. The Decisons of the council, should they not fall under the umbrella of confidentiality, or be exccempt because it is a vote to exclude an elder servant from the council, are recorded (together with whom voted how) and sent to the Public Archive after being on display for three days. Confidential information, deemed such by a simple majority of the members of the Elder Council, except the vote about which member must be excludedm which can never be deemed such, is recorded and sent to the Archive of Secrets, to which only the High Servant or the Elder Councilmembers together with their Archivists have access. After ten years in the Secret Archives, the documents are declassified and brought to the Public Archive, where they can be reviewed by the public.The Keepers
The law stops for no one, not even the High ServantKeeper of Justice is the official title (translated from Dwarvish of course) of a Judge in Um-Kal. The title is often shortened to "Keeper" though. They are the ones tasked to administer the law in court as it was kept by the archivists over the centuries. To become a Keeper of Justice it is necessary to study the archives and the judgments of former Keepers for at least 5 Years and successfully pass an oral exam held by a dwarf who is, or has been, Keeper. In case he is not a keeper anymore it is mandatory that he has been honorably discharged after his service. This however does not mean that the dwarf becomes a Keeper immediately. In order to become a Keeper three more conditions have to be fulfilled. At first 6 Witnesses that hold, or have held a public office and were honorably discharged, must vouch for the trustworthyness of the respective dwarf. Then the High Servant has to propose them for the job, and the Council of Servants has to ratify the choice by simple majority. Once this has happened, the respective dwarf becomes a Keeper and is allowed to hold court and adminster the law until he either dies, becomes physically or mentally unfit to perform the work, is discharged dishonorably by the Elder Council via vote, or ten years of service have passed, a time after which he can be reinstated by the High Servant, again provided the choice is ratified by the Council of Servants through simple majority. In order to prevent a blockade of Keepers by the Council of Servants, their legislative power is also limited, should the number of Keepers fall below a certain threshold. This is because a fixed number of Keepers has to provide witness with their signature to the fact that a new law has been ratified. The number of Keepers necessary, which may differ from municipality to municipality, is of course based on a fixed key, which usually coincides strongly with the number of Keepers necessary to guarantuee a relatively timely adminstration of law in the respective Municipality. The number of Keepers of the Union, which is the name given to the judges ratified by the Central Council of Servants in Tso-Kal , is twelve.
Facial characteristics
Contrary to the common belief, many dwarven men do not even sport a beard. Dwarven faces are slightly broader and bigger compared to the rest of their body, when compared to the humans. Otherwise Dwarves look like normal Humans.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Most dwarves (Kal) live in the dwarven nation Um-Kal , the dwarven Nation, yet there are Dwarvish settlements to be found in Aquira(Region) (Kalla's Hope), Odhal and Ulthwe, also Dwarves provide a little but present minority in many cities of Kingdom of Aquira , Odhal , Ulthue, the southern Caldaven and the northern Orom . Dwarves have been spotted in Haven , where they are allowed to follow the Church of The Creator (The Worldsmith) if they acknowldge that The worldsmith and The Creator are essentially the same. Dwarves in Weyland or the regions behind the Dragon Stones are exceedingly rare, although they are known. People there, and sometimes in Haven , Culmeria and Aesgard tend to connect the subterranean lifestyle more with the Undergelf than them though.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Dvarves are particularly well adapted to the life in subterranean caves and mines: One feature that sets them apart from the humans from which they evolved is the fact that their eyes are able to catch much more light, and it takes a lot less time for them to adapt to darkness. In dim light they can see everything within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. They can't discern color in darkness though, only shades of gray.
Civilization and Culture
Common Taboos
The Value of good work
Trade and Honor
The value of a Kal shall be determined by what he does, and not what he has. Never again shall those who own rule over those who create. Especially shall it not be possible to own the fruits of labor of another being, without paying a fair price for the time and artistry of a work.Dwarves have been at the bad end of slavery for over a millennia, and it has burned itself into the soul of the dwarves, more een it has formed their very body and self. "Never Again" was the scream shouted when they rose up, and to this day it echoes through the dwarvish society, even though the dwarves have long risen over their humble beginnings. Probably nothing reflects that more than the dwarven attitude regarding trade. To haggle with a dwarf is a courtesy, yet at the same time it is also a delicate matter, for it can easily turn into insult if done wrong. Dwarves despise nothing more than being forced to sell goods under value, and although they will do so in order to survive, something they well learned during the KhoRaaTuum (Time of Slavery), the very act of, for example, abusing an emergency situation for personal gain is something they will not condone and even swear revenge in extreme cases. At the same time it is also nothing they would do themselves. A dwarf will always demand a fair price for their goods, yet they it is not unheard of, ather common even, that they insist in paying the true worth of a product if they think the vendor is selling under worth. At the same time delivering anything less than the quality that was paid for is a matter of great shame for any dwarven vendor, and he will go to great length to reestablish the trust of his customer. Note though that this relates to the quality that was paid for. A dwarf has no problems selling cheap trash to people who are not willing to pay the price. Fair is fair after all.
"I accuse you, Kiryuk Rendo Gormikul, of usury and extortion. You enhance the prices of the herb because you know that our group is in dire need of healing!" "Soooo... dunh... obviously. Your friend is bleeding all over my potions. So what... whatcha gonna do about it?This being an honorbased System, a dwarf guilty of it becomes a subject of great contempt. Therefore the question, if a dwarf has violated the principles of fair trade, be it now by paying too little for a good work, or demanding too much for a bad one, can be a question of great controversy, so much so that it becomes a matter that has to be settled in court. Usury and fraud is not a trivial offence for dwarves. On the other hand accusing a dwarf of it behind his back can be considered the dwarven equivalent of slander, and it is equally frowned upon and can also lead to an, according to dwarven law, legal claim before a dwarven court.
Slavery
Dwarves despise slavery and those who employ it, and many a "freedom fighter" out there can trace his genealogy back to dwarvish ancestry, if not being a dwarf himself. Slavery, or the abuse of others in pursuit of personal wealth or other gains is so frowned upon in dwarven society that it is considered criminal. And while it is common for prisoners to work, each little bit they earn during their "time in" is saved for the day of release and repaid, such that they can use it to start a new life.History
"It was unfair, monstrous really. And by design. Children inherited the crimes of their parents, and with it their punishment, lifelong service to the masters of the Slaver Cities: Xandattaway, Gohamman, Arsis... of whom many are now are crumbled to dust and ruin. In the beginning it began inconspicously. Small shifts in power really, buying "security" in an insecure time, when citystate fought citystate for dominance over the region. Bit by bit the inhabitants gave away their liberty, so the city could "defend" itself.When they finally realized what they had done it was too late. The Citystates, once a place of freedom and prosperity for everyone, belonged to a caste of few who ruled with iron fist. Those who refused to speak up when their neighbors were brought away to work in the mines, now faced the same fate, lifelong slavery not just for them, but for them and all their descendents, often for nothing more than not being able to pay a tribute. Generation after Generation of our ancestors slaved away in the mines, hoping for the day of reckoning, when the Worldsmith would cast his gaze onto the slaver cities and do away with them. And when this day came, when the Worldsmith brought over the ships of the east and north and with it the warriors under whose heels the slaver cities would fall, the Kali rose up and broke their chains. Yet when the people of Eru offered us the rights to the mines, a way to get payback for almost a millennia of slavery... we declined the offer. There would just be another rulers in the seats of power, violence would again turn family against family, and sooner or later another poor child would have to stumble through the shafts as punishment for something it didn't even do. "No More!" declared the First council of Servants. "We are not like them anymore, and we shall not have part in this. The east is wild and unexplored, there we shall go to and forge an empire in which NO ONE will ever be a slave, in which we all decide what is best for us, and in which any citizen may earn the fruits of their labor without fear of them taken away again. And we shall call it Um-Kal, the new Dwarven Home, and it shall be a shining light. And thus it was done, and the Long Trek began"
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
70 years
Average Height
1.20 to 1.52 m
Average Weight
45 - 70kg
Average Physique
Humanoid, very much like humans but more stocky and short, of denser build and thus stronger, Dwarves are very sturdy and able to endure things which would Kill the average Human.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Dwarves, like Humans, come in all kinds of skincolor, with the darker skins more prevalent in regions close to or in Orom, whereas lighter skin tones are usually found with the dwarves in the north, so in the Northern parts of Um-Kal , Kingdom of Aquira, and Caldaven.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
D&D 5e Stats
Dwarves
Ability Score Increase +2 Con. +1 Str
Size Medium
Speed 25 ft Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor
Size: 4 - 5 ft (1,20 - 1,50m)
Dwarven Traits:
- Darkvision: Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Dwarven resilience:You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in the “Combat” section of the Players Handbook).
- Dwarven Proficiency: You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
- Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
- Stone Cunning: 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.
- Dwarven Toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
- Dwarven Armor Training: You have proficiency with light and medium armor.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Dwarven.
Pathfinder 2e Stats
See also the Feats at the Bottom of the page
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