Dwarf (Fjelldwerg)

As a mountain dwerg, you're strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. You're probably on the tall side (for a dwerg), and tend toward lighter coloration.
Ability Scores: Choose one of: 

• (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 
• (b) Choose any +1; choose any other +1; choose any other +1

Size: Medium
Speed: 25 ft. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: Smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools.
Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dwergish kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains where the dwerg mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwerg this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can't find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwergish goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in dwerg settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.
The chief unit of dwergish society is the clan, and dwerg highly value social standing. Even dwerg who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan identities and affiliations, recognize related dwerg, and invoke their ancestors' names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwerg.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

There are two kingdoms of Fjelldwerg on the world of Verdraxis. The Kingdom of Brotenheim within the Mythilfjell mountains of Northern Aetrus, and the Kingdom of Breenheim within the Jernfjell mountains of Midgard.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A dwerg's name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwergish name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwerg's name belongs to the clan, not to the individual.
A dwerg who misuses or brings shame to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwergish name in its place.
Male Names: Adrik, Alberich, Baern, Barendd, Brottor, Bruenor, Dain, Darrak, Delg, Eberk, Einkil, Fargrim, Flint, Gardain, Harbek, Kildrak, Morgran, Orsik, Oskar, Rangrim, Rurik, Taklinn, Thoradin, Thorin, Tordek, Traubon, Travok, Ulfgar, Veit, Vondal
Female Names: Amber, Artin, Audhild, Bardryn, Dagnal, Diesa, Eldeth, Falkrunn, Finellen, Gunnloda, Gurdis, Helja, Hlin, Kathra, Kristryd, Ilde, Liftrasa, Mardred, Riswynn, Sannl, Torbera, Torgga, Vistra
Clan Names Balderk, Battlehammer, Brawnanvil, Dankil, Fireforge, Frostbeard, Gorunn, Holderhek, Ironfist, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart

Beauty Ideals

Both male and female dwerg take great pride in their hair. Men grow out their beards to great lengths, and both genders keep their hair clean and braided with metal beads.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwergish. Dwergish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwerg might speak.

Common Taboos

Dwerg take offence to the word dwarf. They feel it is an insult to their height at the worst, and at best it is just a word that lazy humans use because they don't feel like pronouncing dwerg properly.
A hairless dwerg is a rare sight indeed. These dwerg were most likely shaven as punishment for a dire crime. They are to be avoided at all costs.
To touch a dwerg's beard is an open invitation for your hand to remove itself from your wrist.
Never toss a dwerg.

History

The first fjelldwerg were carved from stone by Mordrum, the god of the forge within their fabled city of Mithilheim. within this city they created wondrous works of metal and stone craft dedicated to their god. They managed to amass so much wealth that they eventually drew the envious gaze of a young black dragon whom the dwerg began to call Brolch (a dwarvish verb that means "to loose ones lunch"), due to its habit of spitting up acidic bile. Each time the dragon would enter the city in an attempt to steal the dwerg's treasure, and each time the dwerg would drive the beast away. Brolch had become a master at evading the dwerg and would always manage to escape deep into the mountain. Unfortunately for the dwerg, as the years went on, the dragon only grew larger and more powerful. Brolch eventually unleashed a mighty onslaught, laying waste to the city of Mithilheim and slaying countless innocent dwerg. Any who survived were forced to flee, and the dragon made sure they could never return by collapsing the caverns behind them.
Many of the dwerg who survived moved closer to the surface of the Mithilfjell mountains, where they built the new city of Brotenheim. They opened up their gates to the human cities above in hopes that opening trade routs would one day return them to their glory days. Some dwerg eventually left the city, some traveled north into the highlands, forsaking their mountain homes in favor of stone fortresses. Others crossed the seas to the land of Midgard. These Fjelldwerg built the city of Breenheim and joined the Midgardians in their fight against the evil Jotun.

Common Myths and Legends

Ancient tales speak of the lost city of Mithilheim, the ancestral home land of the dwergish race. Its whereabouts are unknown to this day and some even question if it exists at all.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dwerg often do not get to know humans well as they live longer than the average human, and prefer to become friendly with the human's family in general. Dwerg do not trust half-orcs, and fail to appreciate elves, with whom they only ally in their many battles against orcs, goblins, evil giants and trolls.

Lifespan

Dwerg mature at the same rate as humans, but they're considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

Average Height

Dwerg stand between 4 and 5 feet tall

Average Weight

They average about 150 pounds.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Fjelldwerg often have light skin coloration due to the fact that they rarely see the light of day. Their hair is in contrast very dark ranging from black to a dark brown.

Related Ethnicities

• Midgard
• Northern Aetrus