Rhulfolk

ANCIENT AND PROUD

Western Immoren has been the home of both men and dwarves since before written history, when only word of mouth and song recorded their deeds. The Rhulfolk—so named after their long-standing kingdom—settled the northern mountains (Rhul) and assembled into a single nation long before mankind (Human) had risen from tribal barbarity. They are fittingly chronicled as the first civilization of the west, making theirs the longest unbroken culture of all the settled races. Indeed, when the elves first appeared in western Immoren as the refugees of a shattered empire, the dwarves were already a fixture in the mountains and valleys of Rhul.

Dwarves are equally stalwart in body and demeanor. They have a great lust for life, strong religious convictions, and rich codes of honor and law. Their culture is as distinct and substantial as the mountains they call home. It is common among Humans to think of Rhulfolk as fixed and unchanging, but this is not true. They are highly adaptable and have a firm grasp of the changing times. The dwarves of today are much the same as their ancestors, yet very different.

PRAGMATIC ARTISANS

Engineers without peer, Rhulfolk readily embrace the advances of Mechankia, the conveniences of steam power, and the improvement of all things manufactured. They once stood alone and isolated in far-flung Rhul, content to disregard the backward races teeming in the south, but the rapacious Orgoth taught them that they could not ignore humanity. Rather than view all humans as encroaching warmongers, however, the pragmatic Rhulfolk somehow accepted that man was every bit as varied and complex as any dwarf.

In time, a new sense of curiosity about the wider world swept the people of Rhul, and recent generations have learned to look outward from their stone halls, even opening their arms in friendship to the kingdoms of mankind. Many dwarves have now settled outside of Rhul to live among the human kingdoms, but today’s dwarves remain wary of ensnaring themselves in the politics of other races. They realize that humanity is always on the brink of a great conflict, and most dwarves are hesitant to be drawn into these disputes.

GRUDGE BEARERS

Dwarven culture defies an easy explanation. Clan rivalry is a way of life. Dwarves apparently enjoy fighting grim duels over minor insults, and bloody feuds have been known to last for generations. Dwarven clans battle openly to resolve their disputes, laying siege to their rivals over such things as the right to build on a plot of land. Yet this bloodshed is meted out alongside strict codes of law passed down through the ages, and clans carry out these campaigns with a sense of honor and propriety that seems alien to the Human practice of war. Large numbers of dwarves now live in Cygnar and Khador and have endured the hostilities between these rival nations, as well as the consequences of the Claiming.

AN UNBREAKABLE LEGACY

Feuding clans have been known to put aside their differences at the first sign of an outside threat, and most dwarves who have been reared outside of Rhul would drop everything in a trice to defend their homeland. The dwarven way is to preserve and build, not destroy.

For all their mastery of the art of war and their combat prowess, Rhulfolk strive to leave a legacy that will last through the ages. Sieges are conducted to win territory or prove mettle, never to pillage or plunder. Indeed, some dwarves have been found guilty of such crimes, for dishonor, treachery, banditry, and greed are not altogether unknown to them. Yet the desire to create monuments that long outlast a dwarf’s lifetime is intrinsic to their nature, and even the villains among them are not immune to the urge to be remembered once they are gone.

RHULIC NAMES

The dwarves of Rhul typically have short, simple first names rarely longer than two syllables. For male names, at least one syllable will be hard. Their surnames fall into one of two categories: descriptive names adopted by those seeking to portray their style or record their fame, and clan names adopted by more traditional Rhulfolk, some of whom use “of” to connect their first name and clan name—for example, Tholrick of Sigmur rather than Tholrick Sigmur.

Firearms Training.

You have proficiency with carbines.

Master Craftsman. 

You have proficiency with tinker’s tools. You can craft magic items in 50 gp increments instead of the normal 25 gp increments, and you can craft mundane items in 15 gp increments instead of the normal 5 gp increments.

Oathbound.

Rhulfolk of lawful alignment (the vast majority) take their oaths seriously and have been conditioned over millennia to obey them. A formal oath taken by a Rhulfolk dwarf cannot intentionally be broken in any way, nor do Rhulfolk look for loopholes to do so. When performing a task directly related to a sworn oath, you receive a +1 bonus on all skill checks. You may have one sworn oath at 1st level, a second at 7th level, and a third at 12th level. Oaths must be incredibly specific and long-lasting tasks that will take most of your life to complete. Good examples include “I swear to protect the children of my fallen comrade,” “I will never allow anyone to steal from the poor,” and “I will see the ancestral treasures of Clan Wroughthammer destroyed.” Bad examples include “I will always win a fight,” “I will kill all my enemies,” and “I will always persuade others.”

Related Organizations

• Shadow Council