Dwarves

Incomparable Architects

Perhaps the most spectacular and lasting of structures were built by the Dwarves, who live merrily in the frozen woodland ranges of the North; the land they so lovingly call Bashnia. The Dwarves live reclusively atop the mountains, which they have carved and molded to build great strongholds in which they hide from the winter. The climb down to the woods for resources but spend most of their lives in the intricacies that bustle within their fortresses.
Dwarves were also the ones who discovered and perfected gunpowder. The sound of ‘thunder’ is common in Bashnia, as the mountain denizens blast away the endless peaks which they’ve made their mission to conquer. The rest of the country is mostly uncharted and the small groups of dwarves that live on the ground level are usually left to fend for themselves in the harsh wilderness. There, they face the wrath of the Ursine, who have battled them ever since their Deep Sleep ended (centuries now). But those are the obviouse threat, their old enemies, who's pelts they wear and image immitate to show prowess. But in the dark and silent corners of the wood a more sinister foe stalks the dwarf when it ventures out from its impenetrable fortress. The Ikwiikwii, whom the Dwarves have fought in short bursts ever since they began to settle The Pale, ambush them constantly and commonly make examples of their victims so that they won't dare venture further. Though the Ikwiikwii's numbers are small enough for them to be an occasional threat as opposed to a constant one, the dwarves still fear them as creatures that are almost of a supernatural evil.
This on-and-off conflict does not bother the Dwarves, however, as they believe in the Valka; the endless state of war that the world is in. As they see it, they must be bold and warring now, as the living world is a temporary victory of this ‘Valka’, and one day defeat will come and the world will end.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Bożena, Cyryl, Halina, Izolda, Lidka, Maryla, Rüta

Masculine names

Anatoli, Dmitri, Esfir, Isay, Maxim, Yakov

Family names

Ivanov, Gusev, Utkin, Mazur, Wozniav, Kowalski

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These names are derived from Russian and Polish first and last names. Typically, women's names are Polish and Men's names are russian, but this is interchangeable.

Diverged ethnicities

• The Horned Riders

Related Organizations

• Bashnia
• Unegui
• Valka Belief

Related Myths

• The Creation of Sulfur

Languages spoken

• Lillian