Dwarf

The Dwarves of Aerith are broken up into two distinct, yet equal sub-races, and seemingly made of the mountains they were gifted as they first strode onto the world. The Earth Dwarf is seen more on the surface while their cousins, the Stone Dwarves  tend to the cities and caverns beneath the mountains and the earth. They are a noble race of lawful protectors of good; steadfast defenders of the mountains and hills that are scattered across the continent.
The Aerithian Dwarf is short and stocky but weighs as much as a full grown Human. Both types of Dwarves grow long beards, frequently braided as symbols of their status. Dwarf women can grow beards but Earth Dwarf women rarely do so. Stone Dwarf women have been known to grow long beards, just as their male counterparts but it is not strange for them to shave them off also.
They laugh loud but not often in the presence of non-Dwarves and they have a great abiding love for the shiny works of the mountain, namely gems and metals. They also love to dance and sing amongst their own kind but rarely show this side of their nature when around strangers. When it is time for a Dwarf to work they are diligent and hardworking, rarely taking breaks unless needed. They can sometimes become impatient with others who do not share their hard working manner and many consider non-Dwarves to be lazy, at best, or a hindrance, at worst.
The diplomats of the Earth Dwarves are very canny and make friends easily with the Elves, the Human, and the Halflings of the region. As they have more contact with other races Earth Dwarves tend to take on a few more traits of their neighbours than their Stone Dwarf cousins do. They can be gregarious if required and they make wonderful storytellers. They are the traders and merchants that secure the goods needed to keep the Dwarven communities running smoothly. They are slow to make friends but equally slow to abandon one. If an Earth Dwarf is angered it is best to stay out of its way as they do not keep their anger bottled up, however slow they are to rise to anger.
Stone Dwarves are less social than their Earth Dwarf cousins when it comes to interaction with other races. They leave that job to the Earth Dwarves and they continue on with their work. They can be quite social in Dwarven communities or festivities and when they are not working they do enjoy drinking or singing, sometimes both. They prefer to wear drab and plain clothes and their beards are kept long but tidy. It is not uncommon for a Stone Dwarf to tuck his beard in his shirt when working, for safety reasons, but they will always remove it at the first chance they get.
Dwarves organize into clan structures with a clan chief at the top called a Durzok. The only remaining Dwarf king is the king of the Earth Dwarf capital of Shalehaven. The failing line of the Stone Dwarf capital of Forgehome left the ruling of that city under The Triune, an organization made up of the three strongest Stone Dwarf clans. All Earth Dwarves officially roll up into the King of Shalehaven, while all Stone Dwarves officially roll up under The Triune. However, in practice that is rarely the case. Most Dwarf cities are friendly and allied with each other but the running of their clans and cities is left to their own devices.
Dwarves protect all Dwarfdom, therefore they consider all Dwarves their kin, regardless of distance. Dwarves from the Helm of Denethen in the north are considered equally important as the Dwarves on the Barrier Guard. That is not to say that Dwarves do not compete or fight against each other, however, the bonds of their race are strong and not easily set aside. Dwarves will go to great lengths to help each other out, even putting their own city or clan at risk to help out a neighbouring clan.
The Human city of Essillion has a long-standing alliance with the Dwarves of the Barrier Guard and they trade freely and often with the Earth Dwarves. In times of great struggle both sides can count on the other to lend aid when needed, either in the form of supplies or men to fight. The Dwarves protect the mountains and by extension, Essillion, from the marauding Goblins, undead hordes that travel from the ruins of Starhelm, and The Fallen that covet the rich ore and gold that is contained in the chain.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Environment: Mountains
Notable Locations: Forgehome; Shalehaven; Crystalhope; Cragguard; Deep Delve; Goldencrest; Hurendaal; Prism Tower; Astoria; Voldurok; Marblewell; Mir Denkal; Shardhold; Silverhearth

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

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

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Worship: Denethen; Terralin; Ignis

Racial Features

Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak

Speed: Your base walking speed is 25 feet. 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 (explained in chapter 9, “Combat”)

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

Genetic Descendants

• Duergar
• Earth Dwarf
• Stone Dwarf

Lifespan

Dwarves 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

Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall

Average Weight

150 lbs

Average Physique

Dwarf size is medium

Geographic Distribution

• Denethen's Helm
• Denethen's Mantle
• The Barrier Guard of Denethen