Mountain Dwarf

Mountain dwarves are a subrace of dwarves who spend most of their time in homogeneous dwarven communities underground or in highland keeps. They are typically larger than hill dwarves and paler skinned and often found at higher latitudes and elevations.

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.
Mountain dwarves are often considered to be slightly stronger than hill dwarves, though this is likely a difference in endurance rather than pound-for-pound athleticism. Mountain dwarves are used to performing labor-intensive tasks at higher altitudes than hill dwarves, as well as working for much of the year in the dark, cramped quarters of their mountain halls. This means they have much better oxygen regulation than hill dwarves and can survive in areas with thinner air.

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. Mountain dwarves in particularly, are highly suited to high altitudes and subterranean habitats, able to regulate their oxygen intake much better than other mortals. Their fair skin retains vitamin d and their fair hair acts warms them in the face of their tunnel's darkness or the bitter winds of the mountains they call home.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dwarves are hardy individuals who enjoy drinking and eating great sums of food. Few dwarves are vegetarian and the concept of going a meal without any meat is met with shock and derision. Subterranean dwarf societies usually grow moon wheat, mushrooms, and other subterranean plants to supplement their diet of markhor haunch, rothé steak, yak meat, and pork.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Mountain dwarf clans can be found throughout Holos. Notable populations include the High Shanindar, the Basceron, the Maddrellan Highlands, and the Rhapalkan of Iroa. At one point, the Bluefrost Mountains on the Varangian Peninsula boasted a large population of mountain dwarf clans, but those kingdoms crumbled and are almost entirely extinct now thanks to the migration of the Varskogan peoples some two hundred and fifty years ago. The survivors of that invasion and their offspring now live in thralls to the largely human Varskogan population and have all but forgotten their Old Varangian customs thanks to cultural eradication efforts on the part of their masters.

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.

by Wesley Lin

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Dwarf

Origin/Ancestry

Zwakhasis

Lifespan

200-300 years

Average Height

1.2-1.5 m (3'9"-5'0" ft.)

Average Weight

68-90.7 kg (150-200 lbs.)

Average Physique

Mountain dwarves are noted for being slightly stronger than their hill dwarf cousins. This is likely more a matter of endurance ability, as mountain dwarves are more used to performing labor-intensive tasks at high altitude compared to the hill dwarves.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Mountain dwarves are known for their paler complexion and fairer hair than other hill dwarf populations. Their skin ranges from tawny leather to pale alabaster and their hair runs the gambit from white-gold to deep red to dark brown.