Dwarf
Most dwarves in the Kingdom of Karameikos come from the Kingdom of Rockhome or the city of Highforge. As a PC, a player can choose to take the stats of a Hill or Mountain dwarf. See the PHB for the full trait list.
Hill dwarf: +2 Con, +1 Wis, Dwarven Toughness.
Mountain dwarf: +2 Str, +2 Con, Dwarven Armor Training. Appearance: Mystaran dwarves are short, stocky demihumans, between 4 and 4 1/2 feet in height, with ruddy cheeks and bright, almost metallic eyes. Their skin varies from light tan to deep brown, and their hair ranges from black to gray to shades of brown.
Hill dwarf: +2 Con, +1 Wis, Dwarven Toughness.
Mountain dwarf: +2 Str, +2 Con, Dwarven Armor Training. Appearance: Mystaran dwarves are short, stocky demihumans, between 4 and 4 1/2 feet in height, with ruddy cheeks and bright, almost metallic eyes. Their skin varies from light tan to deep brown, and their hair ranges from black to gray to shades of brown.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Names: Dwarf names are a bit hard-sounding and weighty. Typical men’s names include Thoric, Boldar, and Togyar. Typical women’s names include Friya and Brunna. Family names, often descriptive, also can reflect war-time deeds or professions, such as Shieldcracker or Ironboot.
Rockhome-style names:
Male names: Belfin, Belfur, Bifin, Bofin, Bolto, Dofin, Dorfin, Dorto, Duric, Dwalur, Glofur, Goric, Korin, Kuric, Morur, Noar, Oic, Orin, Thoric, Thrumbar, Thuric
Female names: Bali, Balis, Bifi, Bifia, Dia, Duris, Fara, Filia, Gilia, Konla, Kori, Koris, Nais, Noris, Thori, Thrais, Toris, Wharif
Clans: Buhrodar, Everast, Hurwarf, Skarrad, Syrklist, Torkrest, Wyrwarf All dwarven names derive from a fairly small number of stems, to which are added any of a number of traditional suffixes: the male suffixes are -ar, -ed, -ic, -in, -lum, -or, -to, and -ur; the female suffixes are -a, -as, -i, -ia, -if, -il, -is, and -la. Family tradition usually dictates that a child will share either the stem or suffix of the parent of the same sex (thus, Belfin’s son might be named Durin or Belfic). All Rockhome dwarves belong to one of the seven great clans. Instead of family names, the given name is followed by the parent’s name plus the suffix -warf (son of, daughter of). Thus Dia Farawarf is Dia, daughter of Fara; Orin Noarwarf is Orin, son of Noar. Over the centuries, the dwarves have borrowed many similarly sounding names from their human neighbors to the northeast (Ostland, Soderfjord, and Vestland) - such names are treated exactly as other dwarven names. Dwarves with particularly common names often adopt epithets: Thoric Redhand, Kori Fire-Eye, Belfin Elf-friend, Gilia Songsmith, Morur Blackheart, and the like.
The Buhrodar Family is descended from a dwarven religious fighting brotherhood, the " Order of Golden Ban!e"-or " Buhrad-hrodar." The order, conceived nearly two thousand years ago, regarded the struggle against nonhumans (such as orcs and goblins) to secure Rockhome's borders as a holy crusade. Over a period of 500 years, the Buhrad-hrocdar were instrumental in pushing the nonhumans out of Rockhome's borders, but their numbers were whittled down to practically nothing in the process. Today, the Buhrodars are a theocratic clan: they believe that the power of Rockhome government should be in the hands of the clerics devoted to the Immortal Kagyar. Kagyar had given them their first laws and commands, and what is government, after all, but an organization dedicated to the carrying Out of laws? They are not, however, malevolent clerics plotting to rake over the nation; patient and industrious, they work to fulfill the needs of their people, and take on all the duties and responsibilities they can manage, thus keeping a strong hand in the management of the kingdom of Rockhome. Relations With Other Clans: The Buhrodar families tend to be on good terms with the militaristic Torkrests. They are on fair terms with the Everast clan - would be on better terms but for their slow, patient efforts to jockey power away from the Everasts. They are on more or less neutral terms with the Hurwarfs, Syrklists, and Wyrwarfs, but do not like the Skarrads, believing that the intense pursuit of technology detracts from the pursuit of faith and philosophy.
"Everast," which has been often mispronounced in human tongues as " Everest," simply means " High Mountain."' It is the name of one of the oldest dwarven clans: dwarf genealogists say that the legendary dwarf-king Denwarf was created on the slopes of the highest of Rockhome's mountains, itself called Everast or The High Mountain, and that one of the first dwarves created to serve Denwarf took that name as his own. Since that time, and since the legendary disappearance of Denwarf, many members of the Everast clan have been kings of Rockhome. They usually took the name Everast as their coronation name, as has the current king. By tradition, the dwarves of the Everast clan are thoroughly grounded in the trades of diplomacy and administration. The general belief among the families is that ruling is a profession, best accomplished by trained specialists (nobles), and that all the best interests held by clerics and traders and builders won't mean a thing if the nation is poorly run. Consequently, the Everast clan families rend to be very aristocratic, but also very accomplished at organization and at rulership. Relations With Other Clans: The Everast families are on fair terms with the Buhrodar and Torkrest clans, and would be on better terms but for those clans' meddling attempts to increase their power. They are on good terms with the Skarrads and Syrklists, whom they see as of pursuing ends very much in the interest of Rockhome. They are neutral to the Wyrwarfs, and on bad terms with the Hurwarfs, whom they see as working against the best interests of Rockhome.
The clan name Hurwarf translates literally as "Caveborn." There is acrually no Hurwarf Family; the Hurwarfs sprang not from the leadership of a specific family but from the cooperation of several families which share a philosophy, that philosophy is Isolationism: The theory that dwarves have their nation and their mountains, and that they don't need any other race, nor does any race need them. Were the Hurwarfs to come into power, trade with the outside world would gradually be shut off, the mountain passes to the outside world further fortified , and the dwarves of Rockhome would live their existences with little or no contact with the human world. Despite the unsociable nature of this philosophy; the Hurwarfs are not mean-spirited or angry dwarves; they are as merry and industrious among their kind as any other dwarves, but are ten times as surly and suspicious when in the presence of nondwarves Hurwarfs are good miners, engineers, and explorers of cavern systems. Relations With Other Clans: The Hurwarfs are on bad terms with the Everast families, whom they feel are ruling along poor and harmful lines; with the Skarrad families, who encourage the exchange of information with outside nations and races; and with the Syrklist families, who thrive on trade with outside races and nations. They are on neutral terms with the Torkrest, Buhrodar, and Wyrwarf clans, whom they feel are doing proper dwarven tasks, even if they're not helping to crack down on all this free trade and communication with nondwarves.
The clan name is corrupted from "Skyr-rad," or "Ironforge." The Skarrad families, in general, are experts in me advancement of architecture and engineering, but are more widely known for their developments in the creation of machinery and technology. Though a dwarf belonging to one of the Skarrad families does not have to be a technological whiz himself, he is likely to be a firm believer in the Skarrad philosophy. This is the idea that only by pursuing the arts of mechanical engineering and mechanical sciences can dwarves keep enough of an edge or advantage over the other humanoid races to remain powerful and free. Consequenty, they strive to put Skarrad representatives in key dwarven policy·making positions to advance their cause. They are notorious workhorses, even for dwarves. Relations With Other Clans: The Skarrads are on bad terms with the Hurwarf families (because the Skarrads oppose the Hurwarfs' isolationist ideals) and the Buhrodar clan (as the Skarrads don't have the time or inclination for all the philosophical fol-de-rol about which the Buhrodars are so concerned). They are on a neutral basis with the Torkrests and Wyrwarfs - they have nothing against these clans, and very little in common with them. They are on good terms with the ruling Everast and Syrklist dans; the Everast families support the increase of science in Rockhome, and the Syrklists dominate trade, which helps make scientific advance possible.
The term "Syrklist" refers to a very specific color - in human terms, the hue of freshly polished plate silver in the brightest of light. It is the name of the mining and trading family which eventually came to dominate other such families and became the head of the Syrklist Clan. Members of Syrklist families rend to be miners, craftsmen, and traders, They are disinterested in politics, except to keep restrictions on mining and trade light and tolerable; they are interested in adventure as a way of gaining precious materials and knowledge about the level of craftsman-ship among orther races in the outside world. Collectively, the Syrklist families are wealthy and influencial. Relations With Other Clans: The Syrklists are on good terms with the Everast and Skarrad clans, because of the mutual interests the three clans have; they are neutral to the Torkrest, Buhrodar, and Wyrwarf families, who just do their duties and leave the Syrklists more or less alone; and they are bitterly opposed to the Hurwarfs' isolationist policies, more so even than the Skarrad families.
The Torkrests are another of the oldest of Rockhome dwarven families. famous for their fighting abilities. The name is a corrupted version of "Tor -Kres," meaning "Strongtooth," who was the eponymic founder of the clan and was a hero during me reign of me Iegendary King Denwarf. The Torkrest families are mostly fighter-clans, and Torkrests dominate the officer ranks of the Rockhome military. They work hard to influence Rockhome politics; they want to make sure of profit for the cream of Rockhome society and scientific advances to strengthen the already formidible Rockhome army. It is a reasonable assumption of the Torkrest minds that members of the disciplined and efficient military are best suited to the rule and future planning of the nation's dwarves. There is no likelihood in the near future of a military coup - Rockhome is sound, its dwarves are happy, and there is no need (yet) for a military takeover. Should the nation go soft or slack, though, the Torkrests are ready to rake the responsibility for the future of Rockhome. Relations With Other Clans: The Torkrests are on good terms with the Bulhrodars. who have a history of precise military application in the interests of the dwarves. They are on fair terms with the Everast families, who understand the nation's need for these capable military personnel but mistrust them. They are neutral to the Skarrads, Hurwarfs, and Syrkiists, with whom they have little in common. They are on bad terms with the Wyrwarfs, whom they hold in contempt.
The term "Wyrwarf ' translates roughly as " Born to Hunger." It's a derogatory term the dwarves apply to a variety of lower-class families: criminals and descendants of criminals, outcasts from the more respectable clans, and farmers (especially farmers). Dwarves hold the menial chore of growing food to be the work of the most lowly and unfortunate dwarves. It was during a long-ago meeting of the dwarven Grand Council that one dwarven senator laughingly referred to the nation's farmers and other unfortunates as the "Wyrwarf Clan;' a cruel and joking comparison of the most despised segment of the nation's population to a powerful clan. It was a prophetic jest, though. Not long after, several farming families of the Stahl Lowlands banded together to protest the abuse that the Stahl garrison tended to heap upon them. They did so by withholding crops due to the tax-takers and then ambushing and savagely beatng a company of soldiers that arrived to seize the taxes by force. Brought before the King of Rockhome, the protesters were exonerated and freed, the Stahl garrison punished, and the "Wyrwarf Clan" had its first success. Over the next several decades, the farmers of Rockhome banded together and began to exert more and more pressure on the nobles of Rockhome, based on a simple and unspoken threat: "Leave us be or go hungry." Over a period of two centuries, this political leverage has given the Wyrwarfs official recognition as a clan and places on the Senate. Most of the other clans of Rockhome have chosen to ignore the Wyrwarfs, now regarding them as just another clan with a working specialty, albeit a sorry and somewhat despised one. Reladons With Other Clans: The Wyrwarfs are on neutral terms with most of Rockhome's clans. The exception is the Torkrest clan, which still considers the Wyrwarfs to be contemptible upstarts who need to be broken up and put back in their place.
Male names: Belfin, Belfur, Bifin, Bofin, Bolto, Dofin, Dorfin, Dorto, Duric, Dwalur, Glofur, Goric, Korin, Kuric, Morur, Noar, Oic, Orin, Thoric, Thrumbar, Thuric
Female names: Bali, Balis, Bifi, Bifia, Dia, Duris, Fara, Filia, Gilia, Konla, Kori, Koris, Nais, Noris, Thori, Thrais, Toris, Wharif
Clans: Buhrodar, Everast, Hurwarf, Skarrad, Syrklist, Torkrest, Wyrwarf All dwarven names derive from a fairly small number of stems, to which are added any of a number of traditional suffixes: the male suffixes are -ar, -ed, -ic, -in, -lum, -or, -to, and -ur; the female suffixes are -a, -as, -i, -ia, -if, -il, -is, and -la. Family tradition usually dictates that a child will share either the stem or suffix of the parent of the same sex (thus, Belfin’s son might be named Durin or Belfic). All Rockhome dwarves belong to one of the seven great clans. Instead of family names, the given name is followed by the parent’s name plus the suffix -warf (son of, daughter of). Thus Dia Farawarf is Dia, daughter of Fara; Orin Noarwarf is Orin, son of Noar. Over the centuries, the dwarves have borrowed many similarly sounding names from their human neighbors to the northeast (Ostland, Soderfjord, and Vestland) - such names are treated exactly as other dwarven names. Dwarves with particularly common names often adopt epithets: Thoric Redhand, Kori Fire-Eye, Belfin Elf-friend, Gilia Songsmith, Morur Blackheart, and the like.
Clans
Every dwarf belongs to a dwarven family, and every dwarven family belongs to one of the seven major clans of Rockhome. These clans are:Buhrodar
Theocratic Do-GoodersThe Buhrodar Family is descended from a dwarven religious fighting brotherhood, the " Order of Golden Ban!e"-or " Buhrad-hrodar." The order, conceived nearly two thousand years ago, regarded the struggle against nonhumans (such as orcs and goblins) to secure Rockhome's borders as a holy crusade. Over a period of 500 years, the Buhrad-hrocdar were instrumental in pushing the nonhumans out of Rockhome's borders, but their numbers were whittled down to practically nothing in the process. Today, the Buhrodars are a theocratic clan: they believe that the power of Rockhome government should be in the hands of the clerics devoted to the Immortal Kagyar. Kagyar had given them their first laws and commands, and what is government, after all, but an organization dedicated to the carrying Out of laws? They are not, however, malevolent clerics plotting to rake over the nation; patient and industrious, they work to fulfill the needs of their people, and take on all the duties and responsibilities they can manage, thus keeping a strong hand in the management of the kingdom of Rockhome. Relations With Other Clans: The Buhrodar families tend to be on good terms with the militaristic Torkrests. They are on fair terms with the Everast clan - would be on better terms but for their slow, patient efforts to jockey power away from the Everasts. They are on more or less neutral terms with the Hurwarfs, Syrklists, and Wyrwarfs, but do not like the Skarrads, believing that the intense pursuit of technology detracts from the pursuit of faith and philosophy.
Everast
High-Brow Aristocrats"Everast," which has been often mispronounced in human tongues as " Everest," simply means " High Mountain."' It is the name of one of the oldest dwarven clans: dwarf genealogists say that the legendary dwarf-king Denwarf was created on the slopes of the highest of Rockhome's mountains, itself called Everast or The High Mountain, and that one of the first dwarves created to serve Denwarf took that name as his own. Since that time, and since the legendary disappearance of Denwarf, many members of the Everast clan have been kings of Rockhome. They usually took the name Everast as their coronation name, as has the current king. By tradition, the dwarves of the Everast clan are thoroughly grounded in the trades of diplomacy and administration. The general belief among the families is that ruling is a profession, best accomplished by trained specialists (nobles), and that all the best interests held by clerics and traders and builders won't mean a thing if the nation is poorly run. Consequently, the Everast clan families rend to be very aristocratic, but also very accomplished at organization and at rulership. Relations With Other Clans: The Everast families are on fair terms with the Buhrodar and Torkrest clans, and would be on better terms but for those clans' meddling attempts to increase their power. They are on good terms with the Skarrads and Syrklists, whom they see as of pursuing ends very much in the interest of Rockhome. They are neutral to the Wyrwarfs, and on bad terms with the Hurwarfs, whom they see as working against the best interests of Rockhome.
Hurwarf
Isolationist ZealotsThe clan name Hurwarf translates literally as "Caveborn." There is acrually no Hurwarf Family; the Hurwarfs sprang not from the leadership of a specific family but from the cooperation of several families which share a philosophy, that philosophy is Isolationism: The theory that dwarves have their nation and their mountains, and that they don't need any other race, nor does any race need them. Were the Hurwarfs to come into power, trade with the outside world would gradually be shut off, the mountain passes to the outside world further fortified , and the dwarves of Rockhome would live their existences with little or no contact with the human world. Despite the unsociable nature of this philosophy; the Hurwarfs are not mean-spirited or angry dwarves; they are as merry and industrious among their kind as any other dwarves, but are ten times as surly and suspicious when in the presence of nondwarves Hurwarfs are good miners, engineers, and explorers of cavern systems. Relations With Other Clans: The Hurwarfs are on bad terms with the Everast families, whom they feel are ruling along poor and harmful lines; with the Skarrad families, who encourage the exchange of information with outside nations and races; and with the Syrklist families, who thrive on trade with outside races and nations. They are on neutral terms with the Torkrest, Buhrodar, and Wyrwarf clans, whom they feel are doing proper dwarven tasks, even if they're not helping to crack down on all this free trade and communication with nondwarves.
Skarrad
Progressive TechnocratsThe clan name is corrupted from "Skyr-rad," or "Ironforge." The Skarrad families, in general, are experts in me advancement of architecture and engineering, but are more widely known for their developments in the creation of machinery and technology. Though a dwarf belonging to one of the Skarrad families does not have to be a technological whiz himself, he is likely to be a firm believer in the Skarrad philosophy. This is the idea that only by pursuing the arts of mechanical engineering and mechanical sciences can dwarves keep enough of an edge or advantage over the other humanoid races to remain powerful and free. Consequenty, they strive to put Skarrad representatives in key dwarven policy·making positions to advance their cause. They are notorious workhorses, even for dwarves. Relations With Other Clans: The Skarrads are on bad terms with the Hurwarf families (because the Skarrads oppose the Hurwarfs' isolationist ideals) and the Buhrodar clan (as the Skarrads don't have the time or inclination for all the philosophical fol-de-rol about which the Buhrodars are so concerned). They are on a neutral basis with the Torkrests and Wyrwarfs - they have nothing against these clans, and very little in common with them. They are on good terms with the ruling Everast and Syrklist dans; the Everast families support the increase of science in Rockhome, and the Syrklists dominate trade, which helps make scientific advance possible.
Syrklist
Free-Trade AgitatorsThe term "Syrklist" refers to a very specific color - in human terms, the hue of freshly polished plate silver in the brightest of light. It is the name of the mining and trading family which eventually came to dominate other such families and became the head of the Syrklist Clan. Members of Syrklist families rend to be miners, craftsmen, and traders, They are disinterested in politics, except to keep restrictions on mining and trade light and tolerable; they are interested in adventure as a way of gaining precious materials and knowledge about the level of craftsman-ship among orther races in the outside world. Collectively, the Syrklist families are wealthy and influencial. Relations With Other Clans: The Syrklists are on good terms with the Everast and Skarrad clans, because of the mutual interests the three clans have; they are neutral to the Torkrest, Buhrodar, and Wyrwarf families, who just do their duties and leave the Syrklists more or less alone; and they are bitterly opposed to the Hurwarfs' isolationist policies, more so even than the Skarrad families.
Torkrest
Military ImperialistsThe Torkrests are another of the oldest of Rockhome dwarven families. famous for their fighting abilities. The name is a corrupted version of "Tor -Kres," meaning "Strongtooth," who was the eponymic founder of the clan and was a hero during me reign of me Iegendary King Denwarf. The Torkrest families are mostly fighter-clans, and Torkrests dominate the officer ranks of the Rockhome military. They work hard to influence Rockhome politics; they want to make sure of profit for the cream of Rockhome society and scientific advances to strengthen the already formidible Rockhome army. It is a reasonable assumption of the Torkrest minds that members of the disciplined and efficient military are best suited to the rule and future planning of the nation's dwarves. There is no likelihood in the near future of a military coup - Rockhome is sound, its dwarves are happy, and there is no need (yet) for a military takeover. Should the nation go soft or slack, though, the Torkrests are ready to rake the responsibility for the future of Rockhome. Relations With Other Clans: The Torkrests are on good terms with the Bulhrodars. who have a history of precise military application in the interests of the dwarves. They are on fair terms with the Everast families, who understand the nation's need for these capable military personnel but mistrust them. They are neutral to the Skarrads, Hurwarfs, and Syrkiists, with whom they have little in common. They are on bad terms with the Wyrwarfs, whom they hold in contempt.
Wyrwarf
Dwarven PariahsThe term "Wyrwarf ' translates roughly as " Born to Hunger." It's a derogatory term the dwarves apply to a variety of lower-class families: criminals and descendants of criminals, outcasts from the more respectable clans, and farmers (especially farmers). Dwarves hold the menial chore of growing food to be the work of the most lowly and unfortunate dwarves. It was during a long-ago meeting of the dwarven Grand Council that one dwarven senator laughingly referred to the nation's farmers and other unfortunates as the "Wyrwarf Clan;' a cruel and joking comparison of the most despised segment of the nation's population to a powerful clan. It was a prophetic jest, though. Not long after, several farming families of the Stahl Lowlands banded together to protest the abuse that the Stahl garrison tended to heap upon them. They did so by withholding crops due to the tax-takers and then ambushing and savagely beatng a company of soldiers that arrived to seize the taxes by force. Brought before the King of Rockhome, the protesters were exonerated and freed, the Stahl garrison punished, and the "Wyrwarf Clan" had its first success. Over the next several decades, the farmers of Rockhome banded together and began to exert more and more pressure on the nobles of Rockhome, based on a simple and unspoken threat: "Leave us be or go hungry." Over a period of two centuries, this political leverage has given the Wyrwarfs official recognition as a clan and places on the Senate. Most of the other clans of Rockhome have chosen to ignore the Wyrwarfs, now regarding them as just another clan with a working specialty, albeit a sorry and somewhat despised one. Reladons With Other Clans: The Wyrwarfs are on neutral terms with most of Rockhome's clans. The exception is the Torkrest clan, which still considers the Wyrwarfs to be contemptible upstarts who need to be broken up and put back in their place.
Common Dress Code
Dress: Dwarves wear Thyatian styles during formal occasions, but the rest of the time they prefer the more practical adventuring apparel of humans.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Attitudes: Most of the dwarves of the Known World originally come from Rockhome, a dwarven nation north of Darokin and Ylaruam. The dwarves living in Karameikos are either members of the Stronghollow clan in the gnome community of Highforge or have immigrated into Karameikos, often serving as professional soldiers under the command of the king or one of his barons.
If they have a preference at all (which is uncommon), dwarves favor the company of Thyatians, whom they consider practical, unlike the superstitious Traladarans. In turn, dwarves are dour, depressing, taciturn, and unimaginative when dealing with tasks beyond mining, metalsmithing, and warfare.
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