Dwarf

The Dwarves of Antaris are a people shaped by war. The clans were unified by their struggle against the fiery hordes of Wer Cyn'da, the first Brimstone War. The first fractures of the great Kindgom of Darsun were formed with the rise of the war god Duchar, and the final breaking occurred when the five War-Generals declared themselves the War King of their own territories and kicked off the Beryl Kings.

Physical Description

Dwarves are a short and stocky race, and stand about a foot shorter than most humans, with wide, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance.
Dwarven skin is typically rough and maintains a coppery or sometimes golden complexion, through the Duroc’s years of life living within the deep caverns of the Crags’chimtar have turned their skin into a silver hue. Their eyes are typically a bold and striking green, red, purple, yellow or blue. Hair falls between red, brown and black, and turns grey as dwarves grow into old age. The Duroc, due to their unique environment, typically only appear in black or silver.
Male and Female dwarves are capable of growing facial hair. Fashions vary between the kingdoms regarding how hair (and facial hair) is worn. In fact, hair and jewelry are about the only things a dwarf would even consider the fashion implications of. That being said, there is no stigma around “shaved” dwarves, since there’s usually a practical justification for doing so. Dwarves almost universally spurn makeup. Clothing is typically plain and practical, though metal accessories and jewelry and piercing are commonplace.

In Society

The dwarves’ isolation from much of Temnia, along with their generally taciturn nature, has been the cause of a great many misconceptions about the dwarven people. Many see them covetous, secretive and distrustful. Their disdain for art and their complex and opaque sense of honor has given the dwarves a reputation as boorish and quarrelsome. Those few that interact with dwarves typically deal with dwarven merchants who seek to establish supply lines or generate gold for their respective kingdom’s struggles against their rival kingdoms.

Relations

Dwarves have the strongest relations with the humans, specifically the Varyag, the Dayrin and the Karrak. Dwarves feel that human ingenuity and industriousness is commendable, even if they can’t stay focused on a task long enough to do it properly. Some humans are insufferably obsessed with decadence and frivolity, but dwarves make it a point not to ascribe those flaws to all humans. Dwarves admire the Ylvani and their austere sense of beauty, even if it oddly tied to such ephemeral things as plants and animals rather than more immutable aspects of the earth.
Orcs rarely encounter dwarves, as the kingdoms have no interest in delegating their noble calling to war to an outside force. There is a clear respect for orcs’ military capabilities, but no society that so readily disregards history and ancestry can be trusted by a dwarf. The Shi’ruul have almost the opposite problem in dwarven eyes. They are so wrapped up in contemplating what their ancestors would condone that they can never seem to do anything.
Halflings inspire a great deal of pity in dwarves, as they have both lost much to giants. There is also an element of cultural shame, as the dwarves did abandon the halflings to their fate (even if they had perfectly sound reasons for doing so). To say that the dwarves think of gnomes as savage would imply a level of intimidation that the dwarves would scoff at. The gnomes are too lazy to engage in barbarism. The dwarves see the gnomes as a people dedicated to sloth and ignorance.

Naming Traditions

Dwarves will typically introduce themselves by their full name, which is comprised of their given name, their war name (if they have earned such), their clan name (Cras’nm) and their allegiant name (Gors’nm), which corresponds to the kingdom to which they belong. This means that a proper dwarven name would be Grioghr Blacksnake cras’Erstul-gors’Rasmussen.
Outside of the Kingdoms, dwarves have come to accept that they will only be referred to by their given and honor names, as others typically don't have the patience to recite their entire name properly. For their part, dwarves tend to refer to others by their full name, giving them the reputation of being overly formal, but those who were born outside the kingdoms (or who have lived many years outside of them) will drop this habit.
Male Names: Kalder Redarm cras’Syrrhn gors’Feldcroghten, Cargus Alechanter cras’Tirgral gors’Thrumsul.
Female Names: Salla Frozen Eyes cras’Oraninn gors’Rasmussen, Dalenna cras’Gidren gors’Duroc, Hylder Ironhammer cras’Aszghik-gors’Crigorhan

Alignment and Philosophy

Dwarves are driven primarily by duty and tradition. While they are often stereotyped as curt and even cold, those who have earned the friendship of a dwarf discover the depths of love and loyalty found in the hearts of no other race. Dwarves strongly gravitate towards law, and somewhat towards good.

Adventures

Dwarves rarely adventure for themselves; Personal glory means little, and wealth as a reward unto itself holds little sway for dwarves. A dwarf rarely leaves the duties of his home and kingdom, and if he does it is typically for reasons stemming from those duties. Some have chosen (or have earned) exile from the kingdoms, but even such circumstances rarely tarnish the love and loyalty they hold towards their home.

Racial Traits

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma.
• Size: Dwarves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type: Dwarves are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
• Base Speed: (Slow and Steady) Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Orc, Terran, and any human language. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

• Defensive Training: Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the fire subtype.
• Hardy: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Stability: Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Greed: Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
• Stonecunning: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

Senses Racial Traits

• Darkvision: Dwarves can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

Offense Racial Traits

• Hatred: Dwarves gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the fire subtype because of their special training against these hated foes.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.

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Dwarven Subraces

Dwarves of Antaris

Deep Dwarves

Deep Dwarf by Walter Renan

The dwarves of the Duroc clans have a distinctive look to them. Most outside the Darsun Kingdoms would say this is due to the underground environs in which they live, but the truth is the Duroc bloodlines are strongly influenced by the first people, the d'Werg Ahr. These deep dwarves, sometimes known as gray dwarves or dark dwarves, made their homes beneath the mountains well before the Duroc clans retreated there in full, and have strange power provided by the Risal'calon.

Alternate Racial Traits

Deep dwarves receive the following alternate racial traits by default:

• Hardier (4 RP): Dwarves gain a +3 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces hardy.
• Minesight: Dwarves with this racial trait increase the range of their darkvision to 90 feet; however, they are automatically dazzled in bright light and take a –2 penalty on saving throws against effects with the light descriptor. This racial trait replaces darkvision.

Dream Dwarves

In the days before the first Brimstone War, there was a clan of the dwarves who had lived among the others, creating enclaves within most of the cities an strongholds of the time. They were the d'Urym'dw Ahr, the people of the living earth. Their famous usage of oneiromancy and their conception of Inkarha as a "sleeping goddess" earned them the name Dreamers or Dream Dwarves. The Dream Dwarves suffered a great deal of targeted violence and discrimination during the rise of the Duchari faith. Many innocent lives were lost, and ultimately, dreamers were exiled for their perceived crime, a precursor of the exile of the Inkarha worshipers that would occur a few hundred years later.

Alternate Racial Traits

Dream dwarves receive the following alternate racial traits by default:

• Ability Score Modifiers: Dream Dwarves are as tough as their Steel Dwarf cousins, and more personable, but slower to act and clumsier. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Dexterity. These ability score modifiers replace the standard ability score modifiers.
• Dream Sight (Su): A dream dwarf can see ethereal creatures as easily as she sees material creatures and objects. A dream dwarf can easily distinguish between ethereal creatures and material ones, because ethereal creatures appear translucent and indistinct. This racial trait replaces defensive training.
• Earthbond: Dream dwarves have a natural rapport with earth elementals and similar creatures. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made with creatures of the earth subtype. This racial trait replaces hatred.
• Earthbound Magic: When in contact with the ground, a Dream Dwarf's effective caster level when casting divination spells or spells with the earth descriptor increases by 1. This increase applies when determining level-dependent spell variables and on caster level checks.
• Minesight: Dwarves with this racial trait increase the range of their darkvision to 90 feet; however, they are automatically dazzled in bright light and take a –2 penalty on saving throws against effects with the light descriptor. This racial trait replaces darkvision.

Gold Dwarves

Gold Dwarf by Walter Renan

The dwarves of the lowland hills are the most well known of the dwarven people on Temnia, though their mountain dwelling cousins are more numerous overall. The term Gal'dw Ahr translates to "people of the hills" and the term "hill dwarf" is the one most dwarves will use in the common speech. However, "gold dwarf" is an name that has stuck tenaciously. They are so called by the non-dwarves both for their skill at mining, gem-cutting, whitesmithing and engraving, as well as for their large mercantile presence across the world.

Alternate Racial Traits

Gold dwarves receive the following alternate racial traits by default:

• Ability Score Modifiers: Gold Dwarves are more personable than their Steel Dwarf cousins, but not as coordinated. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Dexterity. These ability score modifiers replace the standard ability score modifiers.

Steel Dwarves

The dwarves of the mountain ranges are the most common of the dwarven people, though they are not nearly as often seen outside of the Darsun Kingdoms as the gold dwarves. The Shyl'dw Ahr are well known for the their skill with smithing and metalurgy, and are accomplished warriors as well. That reputation, along with their colder and harder demenor than their lowland cousins, has given them the name steel dwarves (or sometimes shield dwarves). The term Shyl'dw Ahr actually translates to the "people of the mountains," and dwarves will refer to them as "mountain dwarves."
Steel dwarves are the "default" dwarven race, as outlined above.

Dwarves of Kronnin

The linguistic and physical similarities of the Dwarves of Kronnin suggest that they have a common history with the dwarves of Antaris. If such a connection did exist, it has been lost in the mists of time, as even the deepest lore and legends of Antaris make no mention of other dwarf peoples.
The dwarves of Antaris speak Darsun, which is often called "Dwarven" in the common tongue. The dwarves of Kronnin speak Aulsun, a language that is distinct from Darsun, but has an alphabet and grammar structure similar enough that people have taken to calling it "Dwarfish" or "Western Dwarven."

Shale Dwarves

The dwarves of Athil are a stout and resourceful people. Physically powerful, astonishingly durable, and mentally flexible, they are one of the few peoples capable of establishing a civilization in the southern deserts of Kronnin. The name "shale dwarf" comes from the term Shae Elduar, which means "tall peoples" in their language. "Shale Dwarf" endures as a name because of the rocky homeland, the stoneware they sell to outsiders, and their rough, hairless skin.

Pearl Dwarves

The dwarves of Aul Reigyn built a idyllic civilization during the Age of Dragons. They were powerful and prosperous traders and craftsmen, enriched by their kinship and alliance with the sea-dwelling civilizations of the Western Seas. During the great cataclysm, the island on which Aul Reigyn was built sunk into the sea, but the people lived on, having adapted to breath underwater. Whether this was already within their power, or if it was granted by an external force is unclear. The dwarves of the sea call themselves the Pur Elduar, which translates to "water peoples" in Dwarfish.

Dwarves of Quan Shu

Unlike the Darsun and Aulsun dwarves, the dwarves of Quan Shu appear to have no cultural or linguistic connections to their northern kin. Legend has it that the Dwarves of Quan Shu were formed atop the Zhi Huto, the great mountain at the center of the world, formed for the corpse of Huto, the living earth. When Tzin Tusai slew Huto, he took what wisdom, grace and dignity there was in the primordial titan and gifted it to Bing-Mo, and with it the title of one of the 13 Pilliars of the World. What was left of Huto's spirit, the savage, destructive and dishonorable impulses, were leeched out into the Da-Woru. Bing-Mo sealed these creatures in ice, but the prison eventually broke into three pieces. One fell into a mighty river and was washed into the Low Sea. One tumbled down the mountain it the Valley of Bones. One remained on Zhi Huto. From these three pieces came the three Da-Woru

Bone Dwarves

Bone dwarves are a savage and brutal people. They have no civilization, only a collection of small tribes that scatter across the Valley of Bone. Accounts of the Bone Dwarves describe them as short, bestial creatures with unnatural strength for their size. Their faces prominent brows, wide, powerful jaws and thick teeth strong enough to snap bones. They have oversize feet and hands, with arms long enough to walk on their knuckles. Their shaggy, matted hair is always black as midnight, and grows in thick patches over their jaws, the back of their hands and the top of their feet.

Frost Dwarves

The dwarves of the mountain tops are a cold and distant people. Acclimated to the near airless heights and the unfathomable cold of Zhi Huto, the sight of a Frost Dwarf within the Dominion is all but unheard of. Stories of the Frost Dwarves appearing before those foolish enough to try scaling Zhi Huto descibe them as white of skin and hair, with eyes of a bright, glowing blue.

Swamp Dwarves

The Dwarves of the Low Sea are the most commonly seen in the Dominion. They are among the least of people in Dominion society, often pressed into most dangerous, degrading, or dehumanizing jobs available. Swamp Dwarves have yellows pink skin, sunken eyes, and long eyebrows that grow down past their jaw line. They have a thin coating of hair that typically covers only the back of their head, and do not seem to be capable of growing facial hair.

Gold Dwarf by Walter Renan

Random Starting Ages

Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
3d6+40	5d6+40	7d6+40

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Random Height & Weight

Gender	Height (inches)	Weight (pounds)
Male	2d4+45	(2d4*7)+150
Female	2d4+43	(2d4*7)+120

Races of Temnia