Coalheart Dwarves
The Coalheart dwarves are a mixture of diverse outcasts retreating to the South to establish their own land, willing to endure threats of dragonfire to preserve their beliefs. The chief of all these beliefs is greed brings providence, and with it, victory. Most Coalhearts live up to their name and are cruel in their greed, using subterfuge of true brute strength to obtain what they want. While some try to break the perspective that all Coalhearts are evil, the evidence towards slavery, treachery and ruling through might has made it difficult.
Physical Description:
Lacking the same resilience of other dwarves, Coalhearts make up for it with raw strength. They tend to be slightly stockier than the average dwarf, somewhere between 175 to 225 pounds but around the same height. Their skin tones are the most variable of all the dwarven societies, ranging through normal flesh tones all the way to a deep blackened color. Their hair ranges from black to red, sometimes with the vibrance of flames. Some suggest that there is some Ifrit blood among the highest castes of the Coalhearts, but none dare say it to their face.Society:
Overall one of the richer people of the Dycides, their cornering of the marketplace in mithril has lead to great financial gains, made even greater by their use of slavery of any foolish enough to be caught by a Coalheart abduction team. Navigating one’s way through the nobility of the Coalheart culture is said to be more difficult than swimming across an ocean. The propensity for betrayal and backstabbing of their own is the main aspect of their culture that keeps them from greater success.Relations:
Dycides citizens at large consider Coalhearts to be a sad but necessary evil. The mithril and other precious metals they provide to many economies are crucial. Any attempt to bring threat of war has been met with complete defeat. While truly despised by many races, none hate them more that the Silverblood and Free Peaks dwarves for turning their back on Torag. The Coalhearts have few friends, most notably the Half-Orc Deep Dwellers, to whom they share their kingdoms. Their relation with the Shadowstitched Halfling is deep as they essentially created the group from enslaved halflings, and now serve as disturbing allies.Alignment and Religion:
Likening to their own history, Coalhearts have been lead to believe that Torag was false to them and worship his fallen smith Droskar. Droskar believes that one should be free to do whatever is necessary to accomplish one's goal, even if that includes lying, cheating, exploiting others, or even worse, committing crimes. With Droskar at the forefront of their culture there is a tendency towards Evil, but not every member of their people is a true believer.Adventurers:
While Coalhearts detest the Silverbloods, they have in common with them the tendency to stay in their home unless acted upon by an outside force. The one most common motivation to break away is greed for something. Whether the need is status, or to prove themselves above their kin, or simply riches, greed motivates Coalhearts into working for others to get their share of power or glory. Their skills usually tend towards roles where strength or wisdom can suffice so they are often found in the ranks of barbarians, fighters or warlike clerics.Stats Block
Ability Score: (+2 Str, +2 Int, -2 Cha) Coalhearts are both strong and calculating, but also horrifyingly cruel. Size: Coalhearts are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Type: Coalhearts are humanoids with the dwarf subtype. Base Speed: (Slow and Steady) Coalhearts have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance. Languages: Coalhearts begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Coalhearts with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Halfling, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon. Stability: Coalhearts gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground. Greed: Coalhearts gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones. Stonecunning: Coalhearts 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. Darkvision: Coalhearts can see perfectly in the dark up to 120 feet. Weapon Familiarity: Coalhearts are proficient with battleaxes, Bolas, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon. Desert Delver: Coalhearts have adapted to the extremes of cold and heat that can suddenly occur in both the harsh deserts and the mountain tunnels around their caravan routes. Coalhearts with this racial trait gain cold and fire resistance 1 and treat the temperature as 20 degrees cooler or warmer when determining the effects of extreme heat or extreme cold environments. Skilled: Coalhearts gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks. Rope Master: Coalhearts a +4 bonus to CMB when restraining a pinned or helpless target.
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