Hill Dwarf
Hill dwarves are a subrace of dwarves commonly found in lowland regions and known for their hardy resilience. Unlike the mountain dwarves, they are much more often seen outside of their strongholds and even have large populations in non-dwarven communities. They are typically darker skinned and shorter than their mountain-dwelling cousins but boast equal strength and stamina thanks to their dwarven toughness.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dwarves are known for their short and stocky size, with most dwarves standing well under 5 feet tall. However, despite their short stature, dwarves are far more compact than human, often weighing the same as a human two feet taller than the dwarf.
Hill dwarves are slightly smaller and less strong than their mountain dwarf counterparts. However, this is likely a result of the conditions in which mountain dwarves evolved, granting them improved oxygen retention for high altitudes. Conversely, hill dwarves are known for their extraordinary hardiness. They are superb fighters, able to endure hits that would kill a similarly trained mountain dwarf. It is unclear exactly why hill dwarves are so resilient but one idea is that while all dwarves exhibit some resistances to venom and poison, hill dwarves are more likely to encounter venomous or poisonous creatures and so nature selected even more hardy individuals in hill dwarf populations than in the more isolationist mountain dwarf communities.
Genetics and Reproduction
Dwarves reproduce in much the same way as the other mortal species. Unlike many of the other Elder Races, dwarves are not cursed with exceptionally slow gestation periods, bearing children after a period of about eleven months of gestation.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dwarves, like other Elder Races, are particularly long-lived. They mature at around the same rate as humans, but are considered still subadults by the community until age fifty. Dwarves typically live two centuries, though some blessed individuals have seen three hundred years.
Ecology and Habitats
Dwarves are highly adaptable, yet they fell most at home with great walls of stone—either natural or constructed—around them. Hill dwarves in particular, can survive in a variety of habitats. Hill dwarf populations persist in almost every terrain, from their homelands in the hills and grasslands and forests to more inhospitable landscapes such as deserts, tundra, jungles, swamps, and even Underdark colonies. Moreover, hill dwarves have pioneered the arcane creation several types of crops that can survive in harsh conditions. This includes blackstalk barley, which can be grown in poor, rocky soil and moon wheat, which can photosynthesize in the presence of candle crystals and bioluminscent fungus.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Dwarves are hardy individuals who enjoy drinking and eating great sums of food. Hill dwarves have a more varied diet compared to mountain dwarves and consume a larger amount of plant material. Still, few among them are vegetarian and the concept of going a meal without any meat is met with shock and derision. Hill dwarf cuisine includes such delicacies as blackstalk barley ale, moon wheat bread, wild and garden mushrooms, markhor haunch, rothé steak, wild boar pork, fermented yak milk, and salted snail.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Hill dwarves are found throughout Holos and in larger numbers than their mountain dwarf cousins. Many of them live in communities that are not entirely dwarven and unlike mountain dwarves, hill dwarves are quite comfortable living in cosmopolitan societies. Most notably, hill dwarves are found throughout the Shanindar Empire, central Férulad, the Maddrellan Highlands, the Rhapalkan of Iroa, the Travaskus Archipelago, the Mazabar of Hakoa, and even parts of Teroa.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Mountain dwarves have excellent vision and hearing, allowing them to navigate the dimly lit tunnels and passageways of their mountain homes. They can see in dim light as if it were open daylight and in total darkness as if it were dim light up to 60 ft.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Origin/Ancestry
Zwakhasis
Lifespan
200-300 years
Average Height
1.0-1.3 m (3'8"-4'9" ft.)
Average Weight
62-88 kg (145-190 lbs.)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Hill dwarves are swarthier than their mountain dwarf cousins. Their skin ranges from dusty tan to deep ebony brown. Their hair is usually of a similar shade, rarely growing paler than greyish-goldenrod.
Related Ethnicities
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