Helladvergar

They fled at the beginning of the Dark War. Those who didn't -- who still call themselves the Svirfneblin -- are dead or conscripted to fight for the other powers in the Underdark. Theirs is a pitiful lot, mostly as fodder for the front lines, or forced to cast until exhaustion if they have any arcane skills. But they are still recognizably Svirfneblin, even in chains.

The Helladvergar, as they have taken to calling themselves, are not. Their kin would be aghast at what they have become - every taboo of the gnomes, deep or surface, have been either embraced or ignored. They don't embrace life like the gnomes you know -- death is their calling, and they have adapted to it. The worst of them have taken to filing their teeth to sharp points, using them to bite and rip the flesh of their enemies. And their enemies are everyone who is not them.

I believe the war, and what they did to escape, broke them. Those who could not embrace their new attitude couldn't escape in the first place. They had to kill -- not just Drow or Duergar, but each other -- to get away, often with nothing but teeth and nails as weapons. They had to be ruthless in cutting down their enemies, because they were surrounded by those who saw them as nothing more than slaves not yet captured.

Could you have remained sane when surrounded by death and destruction? Could anyone? I don't judge the Helladvergar too harshly, because I understand them. I understand what it is to have enemies at your throat, to be unable to save your friends or family, barely able to save yourself. I know what that does to a person, no matter the species. The Helladvergar have fully embraced what the war did to them, and it is how they will survive. Perhaps one day, after the war is but a memory, they can find their way back to who they were. Or maybe not, and maybe that's better. They have learned a fundamental lesson on life - it's brutal and it's short, and you have to fight for it.

— Malenkya Smert, Marshal
Dark Ridge Hold, 882 Af.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

The most common names are the same as other gnomish groups. Examples include Arigrya, Eiliwise, Hesli, Nytra, Spisys, or Ylonia.

Masculine names

The most common names are the same as other gnomish groups. Examples include Alcorin, Bilyur, Grajin, Jorlin, Lanston, Tratis, or Xolen.

Unisex names

Most of the Helladvergar have kept their original names, meaning most are still named with the same convention as other gnomes. Some have changed their names to reflect their new circumstances, and these names are considered unisex so far. Examples include Andlat, Drepsott, Haetta, Mordingi, Saerdid, or Strid.

Family names

The Helladvergar are an offshoot of the Svirfneblin, and share the same naming conventions. The number of family names is limited to the names of those who escaped the Dark War. These consist of a few dozen names that are common among the Svirfneblin. A small number of the Helladvergar have abandoned their previous names, and simply adopted Helladvergar as their new clan name.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Beauty is not a concern for the Helladvergar, at least as it is seen to those above. Most have visible scars, and their extent is seen as a stand-in for how much the person has endured. This applies to noticeable deformities from trauma as well - things like bent noses from past breaks, missing digits, ears, eyes, or even limbs. As long as they can still function as well as others, the more visible trauma one shows the more attractive they are to other members of the group.

Gender Ideals

Gender is not currently a factor in the community, as there are no split gender roles. All founders had to fight to escape, and have taught their children the same. Men and women perform the same roles. The only significant difference is in who gives birth.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships beyond a night are rare among the Helladvergar. Children are still being conceived and born, but the father is unknown as often as known. The children are still cherished by the entire group, and everyone works together to ensure they are raised properly, for the current Helladvergar ideal.