Dwarven Rogues

Assassin+Theif/Dead Clans

Dwarven Assassins and Thieves are rare, as hundreds of years of military control have changed their culture to put less emphasis and value on material objects. To the point that some of the more propagandistic amongst them will earnestly claim that there are no dwarven thieves. That does not mean it does not happen, however, rather those that do are usually forced to join a Dead Family. These families die due to falling out of favor, or by more literal means due to infighting or war. They are then ‘adopted’ into the family, which grants them certain rights, such as the ability to own a business, sell things in the open market, etc. This ‘family’ officially should not exist and to start one you either need a considerable amount of bribes, clout with authorities, or a really good Paperman (Fancy name for lawyer/accountant/geniologist) After becoming a part of the family it is assumed that you are loyal to it until such time that you start your own, or die. Due to the open secret nature of these families, they are held in disrepute but are difficult to get rid of due to their power and influence. A few notable thief guilds are masquerading as old clans, such as Clan Silverhorn, Clan Flinthelm, and the Shadowbuckle Family. Assassin clans are rare and usually don't advertise openly, appearing to outsiders as miners, merchants, or other more normal trades. Those with insider knowledge, however, can contact these clans if they need to remove a political foe. Examples include, the Clan Oreveiw, the Clan Whitblade, or the Leatherback Family.

Arcane Trickster/Ashdancer+The Hidden Hand

Dwarven Arcane Tricksters usually come from one of two groups, the outpost dwarves who fall within the Ashdancers. Born out of a necessity to defend their northern outposts from overwhelming foes, the ashdancers first gained prominence during the aarakocran raids called the Eerie Wars by the dwarves. This series of attacks and raids were stymied in a large effort by the small platoon-sized group of soldiers trained in both stealth and magic. Utilizing ash, dust, and sand to create thick cover, the ashdancers were able to negate the bird people’s arial advantage. Forced to fight at ground level, they were ambushed by hidden squads of archers and other fighters. Though at first just a test program headed by a single dwarf, the ashdancers were then expanded to a company, and placed all over the border. Underdark dwarves have a much more pronounced hatred for stealth, and subterfuge, though they still have a group of arcane tricksters. Called The Hidden Hand they use ambush tactics and stealth to kill enemy mages. Their mastery of the spell mage hand allows them to stealthily transport bombs and the like right under their foes' noses. After detonating, the practitioners of the hidden hand will then swoop in and use the confusion to kill their targets and escape in the chaos. Famed for their ability to wield an extra weapon in their mage hand they make for deadly foes, especially enemy wizards who cannot cast spells while being harried by the Hidden Hand Practioner's third arm.

Rogue: Inquisitive/Dark Mantle Rogue

Dwarven Inquisitive Rogues either were inspired, or trained by The Dead Six, a famous group of dwarven adventurers known for digging up ancient mysteries. In their old age, they founded The Dark One's Mantle, Inn and Tavern, though it is commonly called the Mantle Inn to most. Since then they have spent their days telling tales and operating the establishment. In the process, their fame has grown, and many eager adventurers flock to their establishment for any hint of lost treasures, or ancient vaults left unplundered. The Dead Six take great pride in cultivating new talent and encouraging others to train their minds as much as their bodies. Murder mysteries are played out weekly, and the tavern is unusually quiet, filled primarily with people playing games, or whispering to one another. Those who accomplish one of the Dead Six’s famous quests, or legendarily difficult challenges will receive a dark black and purple cloak. Completing this challenge is called ‘donning the mantle’ and is a point of pride for any dwarf who does so. Others have attempted to copy their success, but few have managed to reach the level of the mantle.

Rogue: Mastermind/Office 16

Dwarven Masterminds are usually members or pawns of “Office Sixteen.” A secret, and officially non-existent office that exists on a floor that also doesn't exist. Named after a dwarven joke, they do in fact exist and operate directly under the ruling The Clan Council. Almost nothing is known about these secretive operatives as they are one of the very few dwarven groups who wholeheartedly embrace the use of stealth and other ‘undwarflike’ tactics. Incredibly effective, those who work for Office Sixteen are renowned for their intelligence gathering. So good are they that some claim that a captured Survorad gifted them a part of its power. Their membership is a closely guarded secret, though defections have happened, most notably the dwarf Hernagog Blutjaw. Hernagog retired to the northern outposts where he opened a small school to teach his secret ways to any with coin. Since they officially do not exist, no one has recognized Hernagog’s departure, though the dwarf claims to receive weekly assassination attempts.

Rogue: Phantom/The Voiceless

Phantom Rogue Dwarves are called The Voiceless, and they come to be after an individual becomes surrounded by the dead while they are the only ones left alive. Survivors of brutal battles, children saved from butchered towns, and the sole survivor of a large-scale accident, all can become one of the voiceless. Once that requirement is met, these individuals often find themself visited by a ghostly figure that moves amongst the dead. Descriptions vary wildly, but all claim that they are clad in a white cloak that covers almost all of their features. After this survivors continue to appear normal, save for gaining a haunting gaze, but it is when they speak that the true change is made apparent. Their voice becomes deeper, distorted somewhat, as if it is coming from a deep well rather than the mouth of a living creature, unnerving all who hear it. As such most take on vows of silence, or otherwise speak as little as possible. So long as they continue staying close to death their connection to it grows, and they become more powerful with time. Eventually, they become deathless, unaging, and increasingly distant before simply disappearing. Notable Phantom Rogues is the bard, Urvad Icebrew, famed for his haunting vocals and loud performances.

Scout/Earthdiver+Bonecrawler

Scouts, at least in dwarven society are divided between two main jobs, the first of which are the Earthdivers; A diverse group of guides, and spelunkers that use their scout training mostly to avoid harm while guiding expeditions deep into the earth. These skilled and dexterous rogues are in high demand due to the incredible lethality of the deeper caverns. Those that manage to obtain training in the field, either through apprenticeship, training in a related military field, or through self teaching usually do only a select number of 'dives' before they retire for a number of months or years. The highly stressful nature of their job has led many earth divers to quit, only to be lured back by the promise of greater wealth or prestige. Being one of the very few jobs that are allowed to make more then the minimum, and bearing a slight exemption to the oppulance laws, a talented Earthdiver can enjoy a life of luxury few dwarves experience, though not usually for very long. Those that live longer than most usually find themselves being poached by powerful or influential dwarven general keen on keeping their expertise for themself.

Where the Earthdiver is largely a respected and sometimes even venerated position usually reserved for more honorable dwarves, the Bonecrawler is none of those things. The job of a Bonecrawler is to guide much like their 'diver' counterparts but what they guide their charges to is an infamous black market hidden at the edge of The Outer Darkness. There a group of dwarven outcasts and criminals operate a small mercantile empire away from the prying eyes of the clan council, as well as the meddling of the dark elf kabals. Free to operate as they see fit, these individuals trade with any who have coin, even, if rumours are to believed, The Dark Ones, though this is unconfirmed. As it lies at the very edge of the outer darkness, the boneyard as it is called, shifts from location to location whenever the fey wind blows, forcing guides to adapt. Though there are always signs, and symbols left behind by other crawlers, not all are correct, and some lead to traps, the crawlers preying upon their sometimes incredibly wealthy charges, or eachother. Adept guides, skilled survilists, and experts of stealth, they are much sought after, but never trusted.

Soulknife/Aederkin/Order Of Jarkeld

In an effort to break the minds of various creatures, the mind brood experimented on many captured entities, be they dark elf, dwarf or simple denizen of the underdark. Most of these unfortunate souls would perish, but some survived, such as those who were rescued from the Halvor Depths, within a dark one citadel. The liberators knew not of the prisoner's status, but when they located them, the dwarves saved all they found, even facilitating a trade for the captured dark elves they found in a rare show of mercy, though perhaps it was more accurate to call this exchange a simple transaction rather than an altruistic act. Regardless, the people that had been kidnapped were returned to their families, or in some cases, interred in long-term care facilities or mercifully executed. Those who survived found that their minds had been twisted in strange ways leading to a multitude of issues like memory loss, visions, or other even more unpleasant side effects. Though the effects seemed purely determintal, in time some began displaying odd powers like the ability to read minds or detect emotions even through solid objects. Most of these abilities were minor, and given the damaged mental state of the individuals, were simply brushed off as the ravings of the mad. These abilities only manifested after the survivors began to start families of their own, somehow passing along their condition to their children and refining it through the act of passing on their genes. Though some display mental instability, these effects are minor, unlike their abilities, most notible of which being the ability to manifest a psychic blade capable of cutting through flesh and light armor. Already feared due to their heritage, these individuals found themselves thrust to the fringes of society, where enterprising criminal organizations saw an opportunity. Until that point individuals could still physicly petition whatever ruling clan dominated the city it was placed in charge of, confident that their magic dampeners and thorough searches could stop any assassination attempts. The Aederkin were able to bypass this, ushering in the "Rain of Daggers" where numerous uncorrupted politicians were murdered by Aederkin assassins. The most high profile of which was Jarkeld, a distant relative of the crown who had been drumming up support for his claim to the empty throne. This act alone created an entire cult made mostly of Aederkin who saw this act of murder as an almost holy act. Spawning an entire twisted semi religious organization of assassins that kill mostly for the show of a high value target then any true monetary reward.

Swashbuckler/Freebeards

To understand the freebeards and the free clans of the northern ocean, you must understand a small caveat of dwarven law. For when they penned the bounderies of what is their land, they used a specific word choice which designates that it ends where the land does. Meaning that the moment one steps foot on a boat they have left dwarven lands behind, leaving much room for unique interpretations of this particular word choice. Though this distinction rarely came up at first, as more and more of the surface lands claimed by the dwarves were colonized, it became a problem to some, and an opportunity for others. Coastal settlements could create floating black markets, pleasure vessels that were exempt from oppulancy laws, or entire floating structures that did not have to follow the guidelines of the clan in charge of the local area. Though this dodging of the laws was frowned upon, the boon it granted was well worth it in the eyes of the surface clans operating in the area who had been largely ignored by the clan council. Stuck without proper trade routes, or supplies, they relied on these 'freebeards' to acquire it either through raiding tieflings, or trading with the goliaths to the east. Though a law has been put through that would officially claim the coastline, dwarves know this process could take a century or possibly two before it would be fully past. Allowing them to continue their life style without concern of governmental oversight. That also means that they do not have the protection of the army, forcing them to create their own military force outside of the purview of the great dwarven generals. Part of this orgnization is the Swashbuckler, who find themselves primarily employed as one part internal police, and one part entertainer, enticing locals to visit their floating markets, gambling dens or pleasure vessels whenever they make port. Dealing primarily with criminals who attempt to break their fleet's code of conduct, the swashbuckler is a skilled duelist, and expert in fighting both on land and at sea. Though this posting may be quieter then most, especially when they are posted on the small rocky islands their native fleet calls home, the swashbuckler participates as all freebeards do, in the occasional raid, their aggression allowed and ignored by the celestial compact due to their status as free agents.