Ashenfolk

History

The Ashenfolk are a sub-race of Dwarves exclusively located on the continent of Reshyk, under the Basalt Peaks mountain range in the Ashlands. They have the appearance of normal Dwarves, but with the exception of their ash-colored skin and pale eyes.

The Dwarves believe that the Ashenfolk get their ashen appearance from the ashfall that gave the Ashlands its name and appearance, and that their extended time underground caused them to pale and their eyes to go white. However, this is not the case, and the Ashenfolk have a much darker origin.

Thousands of years ago, when the first civilization of Dwarves was destroyed by the Voidspawn, many Dwarves survived and went on to rebuild and isolate themselves in Reshyk. However, not all Dwarves who survived did so unscathed. The Voidspawn partially devoured the souls of many of the Dwarves of the first civilization. It is these Dwarves who became the first Ashenfolk. The loss of their souls resulted in their ghostly appearance and robbed them of strong emotions.

The Dwarves of the first civilization who did not suffer this fate believed their Dwarven brethren had been corrupted by the Voidspawn and turned into evil revenants, and they drove them out of the rebuilt civilization, forcing them to live under the mountains of the Basalt Peaks. This caused bitterness with the Ashenfolk, and many lashed out, renewing the fear associated with them and damaging their relations with the Dwarves, to the point that Dwarves began to use the Ashenfolk as a boogeyman story.

However, time has caused many Dwarves to challenge the beliefs of their ancestors, and relations with the Ashenfolk have begun to heal, with the Dwarves establishing a town in the Ashlands called Midcairn which serves as a trade hub between the two peoples. But there is still tension between the peoples due to thousands of years of fear and the Ashenfolk's belief that Dwarven technology is apostasy and not to be trusted.

Culture

The Ashenfolk society is a monarchy, currently ruled over by King Thorfin Hardak.

They do not trust the technology of the Dwarves and are more traditional. They see the Dwarven technology as apostasy against Aellor.

Relationships

The Ashenfolk have a complicated history with the Dwarves of Reshyk. Throughout most of history, the Dwarves believed Ashenfolk to be evil, vengeful spirits or revenants whose life's work was unfulfilled. They are seen as bogeymen by Dwarven children and even some adults, and have been ostracized or even chased out of Dwarven society. However, many modern Dwarves have challenged these beliefs and, while still skeptical and at times fearful, have attempted to repair their relations with the Ashenfolk, establishing the colony of Midcairn in the Ashlands so the Dwarves could establish trade with them.