Dwarves
"What Tarwa started thousands of years ago survives to this day--another fine example of the dwarves' divinely inspired craftsmanship."
-Klei the Recorder in 'A Western Look at Halinor'
Longtime rivals to the See and children of Navarre, the dwarves of Halinor stem from a long-lived population originating in the [name] mountains in the storied halls of Tarwa'kem. Short, stocky, and clannish might be reductive, but they serve up part of the truth. Dwarves tend to be some shade of brown skin with dark hair (particularly in Tarwa'kem), but the range varies across the whole spectrum of light and dark. Indeed, some of the dwarves settled in Carinthia even have some blonde in their beards and might even be called pale!
Like one might expect of dwarves from other media, craftsmanship and artisinal skill is a highly sought after skill in many clans, particularly those in Tarwa'kem, the dwarves' ancestral home where money reigns. Generations of socialization in this regard has given the dwarves a justly earned reputation for crafts, for adherence to tradition, and moreover loyalty. Even the lowest dwarf has a long history to reflect his people's nobility, strength, and tenacity.
Character Traits
Dwarves characters start off with the following modifiers to their stats and abilities
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age
Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they're considered young until they reach the age of fifty. On average they live as long as elves or even longer, about 150-200 years.
Size
Dwarves stand between four and five feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced for wearing heavy armor.
Darkvision
While dwarves do not live exclusively underground, they are particularly adapted to those conditions thanks to 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
Dwarven Combat Training
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.
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.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is a consonant heavy alphabet whose unique vocalizations, untranslatable idioms, and emphatic repetition make adoption by other peoples difficult. Dwarven numerals are in widespread adoption.
Southern Dwarf
As a Dwarf from the 'south'--aka any place not Carinthia--you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience. You gain the following abilities in addition to those above.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Dwarven Toughness
Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Northern Dwarf
As a northern dwarf--one whose family has long lived in Carinthia--you're strong and hardy, accoustomed to life in the harsh cold of the north. You're probably on the tall side for a dwarf and tend toward a lighter coloration--even so far as to be pale and light-haired. You gain the following abilities in addition to those common to all dwarves.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2.
Dwarven Armor Training
You have proficiency with light and medium armor.
Dwarves in Halinor
Historically the dwarves were the bastions of the west, leaders of a confederation of their own people and D'yadyan tribes against the westward expansion of Navarre. Their kingdom continues today even though the dwarven dynastic families are no longer in the center stage of control. They remain incredibly wealthy and influential members of Tarwa'kem; consulting engineers and soldiers in the north, fighting against dragonkind; and stubborn salt-miners in the dried up lakebeds of the west. While many remain happy nearby the rest of their families and clans, others have taken up travel across the continent. Many generations ago families settled in Carinthia, joining the elves in defense against Wodr's brood.
Aqualonde
Dwarves are uncommon in Aqualonde--far as it is from their ancestral home and their general comfort levels. While the rivalry between the Clan of Tarka and the Navarresean See is long defunct, old prejudices are hard to die out. Those dwarves that find themselves here tend to be free-thinkers, averse to the traditions of Tarwa'kem and rarely there on the business of business. Druids, tied to the earth as dwarves are wont to be, are a popular reason why a dwarf might find themself in the Fauconwood. Artisans may also enjoy learning from or touring the different styles in eastern Halinor.
Avosa Tesota
Similarly free-thinking and tradition-averse as the Aqualondian dwarves, the ones that find themselves in Avosa Tesota tend to be more mercantile in nature. Of course there are those adventuring sorts that take to the sea with the same spirit of romance and excitement as anyone else, but dwarves are not frequently ready to divorce themselves from solid earth. Avosa Tesota offers the merchant or artisan a chance to pursue their trade or craft in a vibrant, ever-changing market rife with new ideas and constant innovation.
Carinthia
Generations ago the call of need arrived in Tarwa'kem and a clan of dwarves answered at once. Migrating from their home in the warm part of the continent to the frozen home of the elves, Clan Farok made their new home in unfamiliar places in order to protect the continent against the dragons' rage. They have served and integrated over the generations, providing insights into stonework, architecture, warfare and more with the drive to fight back wyrmkind. Their colorations have lightened over the years, welcoming even blonde and pale-skinned dwarves into a landscape usually darker.
D'yadya
Dwarves from D'yadya tend to be refugees now living in Tarwa'kem, whether that be in one of the smaller refugee villages or mingling amongst the native dwarves of the capital city. The sense of something lost might be more profound for these dwarves--gone are many of your own ancestral trappings and traditions, after all, and many of these dwarves bind themselves more tightly to family. Clans are important to dwarves in any case, but amongst these displaced people, it becomes all the more important.
Shurevaire
The scholarly 'city' of Shurevaire welcomes the learning and discipline of their dwarven students, and while the distance may be difficult to manage apart from one's clan, their long life and outlook on time tends to off-set this. Shurevaire hosts and patrons a number of dwarven scholars, and the focus and discipline that tends to come with dwarven kind lends itself well to the structure and deep dives into research that comes with the university.
Tarwa'kem
The ancestral home of the dwarves caters to their people even if Tarwa's line has technically ended. The city itself is sized more toward the magnificent for your stature, and all around you the history, the culture, and the traditions are tailored to your own. Your people are directly impactful in the long-term and day-to-day running of the city. You have family here, contacts through contacts, and you might reasonably expect to always find some measure of comfort and success because of these things.
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