Underkin

Far beneath the ground most peoples walk upon reside the Underkin, a race of small folk who travel a labyrinth of tunnels underground. They have skin and hair of stone, their eyes are precious jewels embedded in their face. Their voices carry the gravel that they leave behind their mining-trails; their scent is that of long forgotten air. They are respected everywhere for their diligence and skill, and many of the most marvelous pieces of architecture in Eruwë are built by Underkin. But recently, they have become a more rare sight outside of their Tunnel-Kingdom of Morad.

UNDERKIN HISTORY

Over the course of her reign, Gormierre the Architect had many husbands and wives, most for the sake of political allegiance. Clovis the Small, however, was her first and said to have been her favorite, for it is he who used his crafting skills to fashion for her the Rosary of Stars. Due to his condition, he could not father any children with Gormierre; and so, as a gift and symbol of their love, Gormierre gave to Clovis a vial of Celestial Water, which he in turn used to create his own children out of stone. These children sought to imitate their creator, and so they made themselves small and carved beards out of the stone of their faces to make themselves in Clovis' image. It was then that Clovis, in an effort to distance himself from the political games of Oskil and his wife, fled into the tunnels of Bazek, along with his children. These children of Clovis henceforth became known as the Underkin.
Beneath the earth, the Underkin built a kingdom from the tunnels. Digging out from the Great Tunnel of Zeduul, they built the city-state of Morad, carved out from the depths. Despite all of this, Clovis descended farther into the depths, isolating himself and never to be seen again. As such, rulership of Morad was deferred to the most feared and respected Warlord. During the reign of Nivriel Oskilor, relations between Lord Vi'Duura the Giant-Slayer and Oskil were very favorable, leading to an end of Morad's previous isolationism and a time of great mutual prosperity called the Days of Harvest. However, after the death of Nivriel Oskilor, Vi'Duura became increasingly paranoid for his own life and as such, shut the gates of Zeduul, only to be opened under very specific circumstances directly approved by himself. The Underkin residents of Morad are free to leave at will, but are warned that if they do, they shall likely never be welcomed back home.

UNDERKIN CULTURE

The Underkin are, first and foremost, miners and craftsmen. When Clovis hid himself away in the Far Depths, the Underkin made a collective oath to dig deep enough that one day they might find him and be reunited. To this day, miners among the Underkin are seen as holy pilgrims, seeking the Father of the Small. Craftspeople are also highly respected, for they are following in the footsteps of Clovis. Because of the passion they put into this work, Moradite tools, weaponry, and crafted goods such as jewelry are some of the most valuable in Eruwë, and the coffers of the Tunnel-City remain full of precious gemstones. Although Morad operates as a militocracy, led by a fearsome warlord, they are not actually a warlike people, far preferring to be builders than fighters, hence Underkin architecture's nigh impenetrable fortifications. Although they are now largely isolated, many Underkin long to see an end to the hiding away imposed by Lord Vi'Duura.
Due to the fact that Underkin are made rather than born, a High Priest oversees the carving of new Underkin and annoints the statue with Holy Water, awakening it. Underkin typically live just over a century before their body erodes and their soul grows too weary to maintain life. During the carving process, it is determined whether the individual will be a Dwarf or a Gnome. Dwarves are larger and more equipped for battle and mining, whereas Gnomes show greater natural talent for the finesse of craftsmanship.
Every year, a number of Underkin pull together a caravan to leave Morad in search of better work or adventure. Known as "Foldash" ("Surface-wanderers"), these Underkin know that their choice will permanently separate them from the rest of their folk. Often, these Foldash are religious emigrants, seeking to be united with their cults outside of the walls of Morad.

UNDERKIN TRAITS

Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common and Undercommon
Superior Darkvision: 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Earth Walk: You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement. Stonecunning: Whenever you make a History check related to stonework, add double your proficiency bonus.
Subrace: Dwarf
Size: medium
Dwarven toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1 every time you level up
Dwarven resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance against poison damage
Dwarven Combat training: you have proficiency with light hammers, warhammers, and warpicks.
Subrace: Gnome
Size: small
Gnomish resistance: You have advantage on Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws against spells
Gnomish training: You have proficiency in one set of artisans tools of your choice
Gnomish magic: You can cast pass without trace once per long rest without material components or expending a spell slot.