Dwarven Races and Ethnicities

Varieties of Little Dream, for Player Characters

Dwarven Races in Little Dream

There are many different kinds of Dwarf living in Brohd Zellor, divided mostly by geography. Mostly they are the same as those in Little Dream, and that’s the case all across the multiverse. They are the “traditional” Dwarves (mountain dwarves). But there are others, and these others also exist throughout the multiverse; they are just less common:
“Traditional” (Mountain Dwarf)--Dwarves that llive throughout many mountainous regions of Little Dream. Sometimes dwelling in the hills here or there, but always tunneling and mining their cities in the bare rock. Not a single being, dwarf or otherwise, can match them for their stone-cunning. They are perennially fighting against eternal foes: trolls, giants, orcs, or dragons, among others. It seems that there will always be a back-and-forth between good and evil, in Dwarven lands. Dwarven people usually represent a Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral force, while their foes are chaotic and evil. /li]
More information? --> Mountain Dwarf

Hill Dwarves: A shorter, squat race of dwarves, Hill Dwarves are hardy to the extreme. No Dwarf (in few if any other lawful humanoids) can match them for pure toughness. They are miners by trade, often living in hastily shantied towns in rich or newly discovered mining areas. Hill Dwarf groups that strike a very rich vein can become very rich very fast.
These are much like the “traditional” dwarves, except somewhat stockier and hardier. Their intelligence is a bit lower, but they are steadfast in battle, and loyal as friends. They are suspicious of outsiders and tend to stick with their own communities. More information here:
Hill Dwarf

Schnyde ("Shnyden") Dwarves: Thinner, taller, narrower features… move more quickly and are more nimble while retaining the Dwarven grit; mysterious to the Traditional dwarves, live in outlands, out of the way, in hidden places, or further up towards the top of the mountains… knowledge of them is not wide-spreads.
More information? --?Schnyden Dwarves

Scramp’em... miniature dwarves...the size of gnomes and otherwise just the same as larger dwarves… considered freaks by many; origin unknown but possibly some strange magic gone wrong, or some curse. Scramp’ems are known for their jolly-ness, kind of crazy and cheery.

Very rare, and looked upon as strange by the other dwarves, the scramp’em are particularly small--almost as short as a halfling--and extremely stocky for their size. Their small size makes them more difficult to fight, and people often underestimate them as a potential foe. Their behavior tends to be more like gnomes: Tricksters and Jokesters and lovers of Good Fun.
More Informatioin --> Scramp'em Dwarves


Kresh’nar (“Brikk’zizz” - - blue skin): ...(More information here-->) Kresh'nar Dwarves
...Dignified and a bit taller; like Forests in build but fully filled-out with sky-blue skin and dark black hair and beards. Dress in loose, billowing sleeve shirts of their own silk (or go shirtless, even in cold weather): with pants to match, with thick cloaks against the weather. Congregate in larger dwarven cities, usually in their own area. Have their own language in addition to Dwarven. Rumored to have a strange religion all their own. Come from a faraway, strange plane of existence, perhaps not even material.

The Kresh'nar are brilliant wanderers of the mountains, able to survive in the harshest conditions of sun, rain, wind, or snow. They are consummate hunters and gatherers. These tall, burly blue dwarves visit cities rarely, for various reasons, but mainly to drink and carouse. They don't always have social experience except within their nomadic clan. In short, they can be very awkard except for drinking and brawling.

They are a bit taller, and well filled-out. Most strikingly they have bright blue skin and jet-black hair. Their eyes are a bit droopy, but that shouldn’t fool you; they have keen senses and are ready to do battle at any time. Generally though they are patient and slow to anger.

Dwarves and Brohd Zellor ("Stone Home" of the Dwarven People)
All ethnicities of Dwarves live in Brohd Zellor, spread throughout the Great Mountains, both mythically and materially. This region is the only place that all of them can be found in the same space. The Schnyde are still very rarely seen, and sometimes there are quests of curiosity begun to go and find them, visit them, and learn more about their strange race, perhaps befried them and make alliiances.
In the other-planar Brohd Zellor, the Kresh'nar are more strongly allied with the Mountain Dwarves, and although they still drink and carouse--and enter wrestling contests in the taverns--they show up in the mountain cities far more often. In the material world of Brohd Zellor, they are much more reclusive and Neutral in alignment. Scramp'em--the Little Dwarves--are usually found where Zellor Gnomes are found; the two races are tight and have a strong alliance in places where both are found. Scramp'em are more common on the mythical plane of Brohd Zellor, and more secretive and reclusive in the material.
So as the mythical and spiritual home of the Dwarves, Brohd Zellor is a place even more vibrant in Dwarven ethnic diversity. The material Brohd Zellor is mostly Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf (notice the latter does not appear at all in the mythical land), with exceptions scattered about.
The Rest of the Dwarven Lands in Summer's Tale hold pockets of rare Dwarven ethnicity, but far and away the most common are Mountain and Hill Dwarves, anchored fast to the material world and its stone. Most of these Mountain and Hill Dwarves believe the more rare ethnicities to be only mythical and not materially actual.

Over-Clans

Dwarven Cultural Notes, Different Over-Clans

Dwarves of the Maul: An extremely aggressive faction of Dwarven people, residing in clans throughout hill and mountain, restless and hungry for war. Also called “the grey dwarves,” referring to their often tinted skin color. Their greed for the blood of orcs is insatiable. They are among the original races of the Circle, but derivative of the Mortar Dwarves.
Dwarves of the Mortar: A Dwarven race more focused on stone and metal-craft, wanting to be more settled, to build great cities and create beautiful things. Also sometimes called “the pale dwarves.” There are mighty warriors and others of all kinds among them, but they seek battle and war less often. They are among the original races of the Circle.

The Singhar and the Kroll

There a two more races whose existence is lost to history. The Scholars of the First Age recorded two types of Dwarf that made their way in and out of the city now and then. Mostly, they visited the university's library to research and gather their knowledge. They are known to the current scholars as the Singhar and the Kroll. Details about them are lost. An obscure reference describes them as taller, and somehow with ruddy skin and dark beards.

Since the First Age no encounter with them has been recorded, although travelers of the roads--far and wide--have met with strange, silent, deeply hooded Dwarves--enchanters, they say. Are these the lost Singhar, or the Kroll, elusive and mysterious ancestors?  What happened?  Were they charmed and left to wander the mountains anonomously?  Those who sighted these apparitions sometimes wake with their purses gone, and sometimes with a gift of precious metal or stones.