Dwarves
Dwarves
Three thousand years ago, when the Starless Nights last struck, dwarves did not exist. It is only in the millennia since then that a group of humans living in the Dwar Fell region evolved into dwarves through the ingesting of diluted kinfire. Despite their human origins, dwarves have such great physiological differences, that they are seen as an entirely distinct species.
The Origins of Dwarves
The Humans of Dwar Fell
Nearly two thousand years before the return of the Starless Nights, a group of primarily humans living in the Dwar Fell region began to experiment with kinfire. The Starless Nights had not yet been forgotten, but the danger seemed so distant. After all, there had been no hint of the strange phenomenon returning in over a millennium.
The people of Dwar Fell were a scholarly and curious people focused on learning about the world around them and discovering ways to improve their quality of life. At first, they resisted removing the kinfire embers from the lighthouses. But the temptation became too great and little-by-little, Dwar Fell’s restrictions against manipulating kinfire fell away.
It was known by all that kinfire was a magical flame, a source of nearly inexhaustible energy. But it had its dangers and its limits. The scholars took their time studying it, but it quickly became clear that kinfire could do so much more than just protect from a mystical storm.
Communion
A human scientist in Dwar Fell named Cadmus Godforger discovered a method of physically ingesting kinfire in a way that didn’t harm the body. Once it became clear that this process resulted in longer lifespans and greater access to magical energy, others began to take part. The physiological effects were also discovered to pass from one generation to the next.
This process of ingesting kinfire became known as Communion and was adopted as a ceremony performed when young people finished their education and entered adulthood. Over the course of several generations, the majority of humans in the city of Dwar Fell were born with kinfire running through their blood. Their lifespans doubled, their hair grew uncontrollably, and their statures were stunted. They could clearly no longer be considered human, and so the kinfire-touched peoples of Dwar Fell became known as dwarves.
For more, see: Communion.
Physiology
As a result of generations of kinfire ingestion, dwarves are typically of shorter height, reaching to that of the average human child. Their skin color varies and sometimes takes on a blistered or charred appearance, while their eyes glow with a fiery intensity. Their lifespans are also double that of a human's.
The blood of a dwarf runs hot with kinfire from the day they are born. As a result, their body temperatures are far warmer than other creatures and their skin and hair are resistant to high heat. Dwarven wounds must be treated with great care by non-dwarves as their glowing-hot blood will burn at the touch.
Nearly all dwarves are born with a lock of bright iridescent hair, giving them a distinct white stripe across their head and beard. Adult dwarven hair appears in a variety of colors and grows rapidly along the scalp and face. While there are some dwarves who attempt to remain clean-shaven, the work involved leads most to wear long beards, including dwarven women.
Among dwarves, the care of one’s beard in particular has become a point of pride. An unkempt beard indicates carelessness and its owner is at risk of being judged as uncouth and boorish. Most dwarves take the time to comb, trim, and condition their beards with balms and tonics. While some prefer to tie their beards in intricate braids, it is perfectly acceptable to allow one’s beard to flow free, as long as it is trimmed and free of split ends.
It is also en vogue for dwarves to sport tattoos inked with diluted kinfire. These tattoos shimmer and glow, particularly when their owners experience strong emotions. Due to the high price of these tattoos, many dwarves substitute true kinfire tattoos with standard ink magically enhanced to imitate the appearance of kinfire.
Myths & Stereotypes
Flame Spirits
Due to their glowing red eyes, rumors have spread that dwarves are actually the spawn of evil flame spirits rather than the product of a scientific process. Before the return of the Darkness, this theory was especially popular among citizens of the Luminated Alliance, who had been at war with the mostly-dwarven peoples of Dwar Fell for hundreds of years (see the Great War).
In the time since the return of the Darkness, this rumor has faded, particularly within the city walls of Din'Lux where elves, humans, and orcs are now living side-by-side with dwarves. Outside the city walls, however, some of the smaller towns, unhappy with their new dwarven residents, have organized campaigns to force dwarves to leave their villages. As a result, dwarven populations outside Din'Lux are most often found in clumps rather than scattered.
Scholars
One stereotype that haunts some dwarven individuals, while pleasing others, is the belief that all dwarves are knowledgable in the fields of mathematics and science and that they would rather study a book than socialize with others. While this is certainly true for some dwarves, there are others who don’t especially enjoy studying and research and are fond of late-night drinking, fishing, politics, or other activities that don’t involve long hours of reading.
Warmongers
The Great War led to the spread of many false rumors as well as political propaganda. In the Luminated Alliance, propaganda painted dwarves as violent, selfish, and profane. Once the Darkness returned and the war ended, dwarves became a common sight in Din'Lux. Many of the original residents still harbor great bitterness and even fear against their new neighbors. “Warmongers.” “Murderers.” “Soulless.” These words have unfortunately been heard spat at many a dwarf in the streets of Din’Lux.
Dwarven Populations
Dwar Fell
The dwarves emerged in Dwar Fell about 1600 years before the Darkness returned, and it wasn’t much later that the early conflicts of the The Great War between Dwar Fell and the Luminated Alliance began. Because of this, large populations of dwarves didn't spread far in the world of Atios and have mostly been concentrated in the region of Dwar Fell. Small populations, however, did make their way to the Berian Empire and could also be found in other areas of the world.
Most of the dwarven groups living far from the city of Dwar Fell either knew little about the Great War or didn't care to take part. On the outskirts of the region, many small villages continued on in complete ignorance of the battle that was being waged. Some families and larger groups left Dwar Fell in the hopes of finding a more peaceful way of life elsewhere. Many wound up in the Berian Empire while others migrated to the Forests of Gargal north of Dwar Fell to seek out the civilization of forest-dwellers rumored to live there.
Undirfell
One group of dwarves, led by a dwarven man named Fridur of Veyden Fell, gained a lot of attention in Dwar Fell for their calls for peace with the Luminated Alliance. They accused Dwar Fell’s leaders of spreading propaganda. Fridur and his supporters attempted a non-violent coup but were unsuccessful. As a result, Fridur and his supporters were excommunicated. They would no longer be allowed within the region of Dwar Fell and were forced to flee and seek out a new place to settle.
Fridur and his followers saw this excommunication as an opportunity to create a community based on peace and committed to improving quality of life. After finding themselves in the territories of the Luminated Alliance, Fridur and his group took refuge in an abandoned complex of caves not far from the city of Aes'Tos. Here, they began a new life far away from the war. They remained hidden underground for many years, establishing a government, a system for gathering and sharing resources, and even a laboratory for continuing their studies and research. This newly founded city became known as Undirfell.
After the Darkness
When the Darkness returned and threatened to swallow the whole of Atios, the only protection against it was the kinfire flame burning within the Great Lighthouse of Din'Lux. The armies of Dwar Fell were trapped outside the walls of Din'Lux, where they had been laying siege to the city. As soon as it became clear that it was kinfire keeping the Darkness at bay, the armies turned their catapults, aiming at the lighthouse itself. They gave Din'Lux an ultimatum: let us into the city or we shall all be overcome together. The Hierophant relented and ordered the gates to be opened to their enemy.
The Great Lighthouse of Din’Lux was the last kinfire lighthouse still standing, the rest having been destroyed by war. So it was assumed that anyone and anything beyond its protective glow were gone. If that was true, the only dwarves left in this world were those now living in the city of Din’Lux, Dwar Fell’s sworn enemy.
In the first few years after the Darkness returned, the dwarves in Din’Lux faced a difficult transition. The war, which had been fought for hundreds of years, was now over. Not only that, but they were now living side-by-side with their former enemies. Many of them were treated poorly by the residents of Din’Lux and, in turn, many hurled abuse on their hosts.
The newly formed City Council agreed to transform the rocky island at the south end of the city into a home for the refugees (see the Boroughs of Din'Lux). This borough is now known as the Horseshoe and is populated by mostly dwarves along with a mix of orcs, revenants, and humans.
Although peace has never fully settled in and many dwarves have found it difficult to integrate themselves into the city’s day-to-day life, most of them are happy to finally have a place that feels like their own. And although the Horseshoe differs greatly from Dwar Fell (particularly in its haphazard architecture and winding streets), the residents here have done their best to rebuild. The Scholars’ Circle, a group of researchers and scientists, has even been able to establish a headquarters, although it is still a mere shadow of the grand structures they were used to back in Dwar Fell.
Dwarves
Dwar Fell
Undirfell
Related Organizations
Scholars' Circle
Related Articles
Communion
Humans
Related Legends
The Legend of Cadmus Godforger
Comments