Dwarves
The dwarven people claim they were the first to inhabit the world. Dwarven legends tell that Gaibhne the Smith forged them by hand to help the god lay the foundations of the earth, and that to this day, every dwarf is designed in the mind of the Great Smith. The weight of stone itself supports such tales, for traces of dwarven architecture can be found in the deepest bowels of the earth, all the way to the highest mountain spires. Today, dwarves are quite rare. Most have amalgamated into human societies and live openly amongst them, dedicating their lives to skilled trades, masonry, and mining. Notably, there are a few dwarven clans who still hold on to their ancient ancestral roots and occupy mountain strongholds and deep mines found in the Glimmer Mountains and Ironhelm Ridge. Dwarves are the only non-human people who hold large city-states of their own, though they do not rule any nation.
History
Remnants of dwarven masonry lay at the base of many cities, and many sewers and aqueducts are built from ancient dwarven tunnels and canals whose original purpose is lost to history. Indeed, dwarves say these ruins come from a time when they built vast cities that spanned the world until a great age of winter sent them all deep underground into the heart of the planet to survive. During their legendary journey through the Deep Dark, they constructed a nearly endless span of tunnels, halls, and artificial caverns searching for the core of the earth, where they could survive beside the molten heart of Danu, a place called Vol Danun in Dwarven. The myth claims the dwarven people built a sprawling metropolis there, where they lived for thousands of years. Of course, there are no records remaining that indicate where the city might be found or how to get there. While only a handful of dwarves truly believe this story, once in a while an intrepid youth or elder will pack their bags and venture into the deeps in search of Vol Danun.Creating Dwarven Characters
Many dwarves keep personal interpretations of the Old Faiths; some dwarves are apt at harnessing primal and divine magic as druids and clerics. The dwarves have a strong martial tradition, and dwarven paladins devoted to Danu, Gaibhne, and Nuada are amongst the few known paladins outside the Faith of the Sacred Flame — a religion that most dwarves regard as hogwash. The few dwarves who do take up the human faith are regarded as mad by their kinsfolk. Dwarves are seldom mageborn, and so are extremely unlikely to be found amongst the Amethyst Academy. However, a rare few do acquire arcane powers. Dwarves have long held traditions for crafting magical items, and many dwarves resent the Amethyst Academy’s exclusive right to manage the sale and manufacture of magical items.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
