The Hill Dwarves
You descend from a people that were brought into existence underneath a great mountain, but long ago your ancestors decided that they needed to feel the sun on their skin in order to feel truly alive. There was something tomb-like about living under the mountains that your forebears found uncomfortable. Leaving the safety of the mountain, though, exposed them to new dangers... new diseases... new poisons in the air and plants around them. But they were Dwarves... hardy, resilient, and adaptive. They learned to cope with these new dangers and make a life still among the rocks, but under the sun instead of vaults of stone.
Cultural History
Your people left the Delves long ago, feeling an urge to make a place in the world closer to the sun. And so your ancestors came out from under the mountain and into the foothills in order to find a new home. But... still being Dwarves, venturing down to the grassy plains and tree-covered forests was further than they were comfortable in going. There was still a need for the feeling of comfort brought about by exposed rock and stone. Your ancestors settled in the foothills not far from their Delves, and they built their houses of stone. The settlements of the first Hill Dwarves have, in some places, become sizable cities, the largest rivaling the cities erected by the Humans. In fact, it is said that many of the great buildings claimed by Humans were the result of Hill Dwarf architects and masons.Geographic Distribution
Most sizable Hill Dwarf settlements can be found within a day or two journey of one of the Delves, though there are a few scattered elsewhere around Cartyrion. A few Hill Dwarves have also made their homes in the cities of other Folk - especially among the Awkwana, who prefer to build their cities atop mountains.Roleplaying a Hill Dwarf
Interacting with Other Dwarves
You are most comfortable among other Hill Dwarves, for only they understand the balance of life above the ground, but surrounded by stone that you are most comfortable with. You hold the Stone and Firstborn Dwarves in high regard, though they may have a slightly lesser opinion of you. Like the Stone and Firstborn, you are not sure what to make of the Wanderers or Seafarers - you don't understand the appeal of that life. But you are a little bit closer to understanding than those cultures that never left the mountains.Interacting with Folk of Other Ancestries
Being above ground, your people have had - and continue to have - much more interaction with the Folk of other ancestries. You have a better understanding of them than your Stone and Firstborn cousins, and to those other Folk, it is your people that are most representative of what Dwarves are like.Interacting with Your Adventuring Party
You will look upon your adventuring companions not for what they are, but for who they are. As a Dwarf, you value loyalty and reliability, and as long as your companions display these qualities, you will trust them. Hill Dwarves are known to make friends among the other Folk much more easily than their Stone and Firstborn cousins.Naming Conventions
Hill Dwarf naming conventions are somewhat looser than those of their cousins that never left the mountains. While most children receive "traditional" Dwarven names -- names that usually deviate from those of a parent or famous relative by one or two consonants or vowels, it is not unusual for a Hill Dwarf to name a child after a close friend or companion - even one of another ancestry. The traditions surrounding naming, though, are unchanged. They are shared by all Dwarves - even the Seafarers, who all other Dwarves consider the oddest of all.Traditions and Taboos
In all Dwarven cultures, the Naming Day traditions are unchanging. A newborn is not immediately named. In fact, the infant will be nameless for its entire first year. On its first birthday, however, at a Naming Day ceremony that involves the entire clan, the infant will be given its name before all Clan members that are availalbe. The Clan Dagger will also be ceremonially presented to the child at this time as well. Among the Hill Dwarves, the hilt of a Clan Dagger can be crafted of either stone or wood, though stone is preferred. When stone is used, the dagger may resemble the daggers of other cultures until the runes and symbols are examined.Likewise, in all Dwarven cultures, it is absolutely taboo to ever cut one's beard. Dwarven males and females alike consider their beards and their Clan Daggers as two possessions more important than even their lives. (It should be noted that female Dwarves, while bearded like the men, can be distinguished by their lack of a moustache.)
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