Mountain Dwarf

Personality

Mountain dwarves are slow to jest and doubtful of strangers much like their cousin dwarves. Highland dwarves value iron, precious metals like gold, and platinum, highly. They tend to be tradesmen and weapon or armor smithies, but they are also known for their artisan in metal craft, which they enjoy using precious material to create wondrous items. Unfortunately they have been known to succumb to rage and anger quickly. They fight with honor and are fearless in battle, and their bravery is unmatched. Their sense of righteousness is strong, but at its worst it can turn into a longing for revenge.

Physical Description

Mountain dwarves also known as “RuRok” by other dwarves and often called highland dwarves by humans, and are often shorter than hill dwarves, standing close to four feet tall, with squat, broad bodies. Male dwarves grow thick facial hair. It is often a sign of extreme sadness and mourning for a dwarf to shave his beard. Some female dwarves have at times grown beards as well, though there is no position for them to gain by doing so. They have darker skin tones, and their hair colors include more reds and browns. Highland dwarves may be as heavy as lowland dwarves, but not always. Their life spans are comparable.

Relations

With regard to other races, the attitudes of highland dwarves stand out. They are less outgoing than lowland dwarves with gnomes and Halfling, but they have a fine appreciation of elven workmanship, even if the elves put too much attention on form and not enough on function.

Alignment

Highland dwarves are less traditional than lowland dwarves and are more likely to be neutral good than lawful good. The more outgoing and open-minded among them may even become chaotic. They are rarely evil, but prolonged association with evil races can corrupt a highland dwarf.

Mt. Dwarf Lands

Highland dwarves live in all of the major mountain ranges. They prefer the high peaks that offer safety and seclusion, so there are concentrations of highland dwarves in the Ka’Asa, P’Rorul, Elenon and Deshada ranges.

Religion

Highland dwarves favor worship of the Holy Mother, The Eternal Lantern, the Night Watchman, and The Mule. Regardless of whom they worship, their reverence is likely to be deep, but their commitment to organized religion and ceremony will be weak. They do not become clerics of faiths that require major signs of dedication, such as blindness or other maiming.

Languages

Rurok speak the same languages as lowland dwarves. They speak dwarven among themselves, but they prefer to use another language with an outsider. Since it is difficult to master, the dwarven language is difficult is difficult to comprehend and painful to hear when attempted by a non-fluent speaker.

Adventures

Highland dwarves become strong fighters, but make surprisingly skilled rangers as well, as well using their tracking abilities and familiarity with mountains to great effect.