Dwarves

Dwarves

Calendar Stones and Seas of Night

When Dwarves first appeared to the various Folk of Ariath during the ancient days of the world, they were thought to be dream spirits or creatures of shadow. They were strangely reluctant to dwell with other Folk and rarely accepted strangers into their midst. The others came to call them 'Drogh' [drōg], a word with a meaning the Dwarves themselves found fitting; 'they of dreams’. A less gracious translation renders it as ‘they that deceive’ and the mysterious comings and goings of the Dwarves fed this sense of the name.

The history which has shaped the Dwarves is equal parts tragedy and glory, and like the pall of a disturbing dream after waking, Dwarves still feel the great and terrible past, if only after a fashion.

The dangers of primordial Ariath made life for the unwary both brutal and short. Dwarves therefore formed strong Rings of trusted kin and companions. Belonging to a Ring was a matter of Oath: to hold fast to others within the ring, see them fed and nurtured and safe, and to take a rune of sealing upon the skin, or simply swear before witnesses. From these powerful bonds many other Rings have descended; those of settlements, of outlaws, of companies of explorers. Abandoning one's sworn Ring or assuming its shelter unlawfully one was a crime and although rarely punished by death anymore, any similar act such as elopement causes repercussions other Folk have difficulty understanding.

In these gentler times Dwarves are pleased to dwell among other Folk, in their settlements or in others. Dwarves make their homes in mountains open to the sky and throughout the Inner Realm, that great expanse of wild lands deep under surface of Ariath. You will find Goblins and many burrowing Animals in their cities below, as well as transients wishing to explore that vast unknown. Dwarves settling "outside of the world" surround sites they call Dream Circles, ancient megaliths tied to the movements of the stars and moon.

The hearts of Dwarves are kindled by marvels of nature and cunning works of craft. Some aspire to explore the unknown expanses of the Inner Realm, others plumb the Dreams shared in Circles for hints of what it real and what is not. To Dwarves the world is old and full of endless secrets, and they are but young and have countless questions.

Common Racial Characteristics

In appearance, Dwarves have the same great variety of Earth's people, although Dwarves often display swath of somewhat darker skin below the eyes and across the cheekbones reaching back across the temples.

Dwarves commonly display signs of oaths and honors by adorning their brows or braided hair with precious metals or gems. Those living in the harsher places of the Realm favor ritual tattoos that are sustained by their personal faith, called Eidruna, or oath runes.

Resilient and willful, their endurance is exceptional against both spiritual or physical duress. Although not necessarily stubborn, they are the last to succumb to bleeding to death and mental attack. Some magic practitioners among the Dwarves continue a tradition where a pure metal, originally silver but it can be any metallic source, is rendered into a shining liquid which is then drunk as nourishment.

Mythic Race Dwarves are likely to resemble the ancient Drogh with Inborn Magic Method, Inherent Magic, and being Long Lived. Many Dwarves are deeply Oathbound, and no Dwarf is ambivalent to Oaths regardless of whether they honor or despise them. In rare cases the most extreme of magicians have rendered themselves wholly reliant on metals for their nourishment.

All Dwarves have the "Dwarf" racial trait often Subterranean or Sylvan. Those belonging to the Mythic Race of Dwarves acquire the “Drogh” trait in addition. Although Dwarven Soldiers, Dungeoneers, and Explorers are clearly recognized by observers, Dwarves greatly honor Faithful of the Moon and Wonder Workers, and have embraced the nature of Psions as a kindred art since its appearance in the world . Any Dwarf may possess the following Dwarven traits as racial signatures; Presence, Will, Crystal, Earth, Glamour and Sleep. Madness can appear as an attack trait due to their exertions beyond even their kind's exceptional limits.