Dwarves
Attribute Bonuses: +2 Might, +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity
Dwarves and orlans are equally common in the Dyrwood, though dwarves are typically found in colonies, not the forested interior. Most historians believe dwarves originated somewhere in the southern hemisphere and have spread rapidly in waves over thousands of years, almost always via land travel. Many dwarf-heavy cultures are noted for being among the most aggressive terrestrial colonists in the world. However, these colonial expeditions fail more often than they succeed, and dwarven colonial ruins are scattered across the known world.
Physically, dwarves are known for being short (about 60% human height) and thick-limbed. They tend to be extremely sturdy and durable, often attributed to spending millennia living in rocky environments more suited to goats than people. Their natural lifespan is typically between 110 and 190 years.
Mountain Dwarves – Aptapo
(AHP-tah-po, from aptapolare “goat people,” Vailian)
Features: Broad-bridged, strong noses. Broad, square, inverted triangle or inverted heart-shaped faces. Broad jaws and necks. Almond or thin eyes. Deep-set eyes, very prominent brows.
Skin: Fair to dark brown, tough and leathery, often creased even among the young.
Hair: Blonde, strawberry blonde, red, auburn, brown, and black. Wavy, curly, or kinky texture.
Eyes: Green, hazel, gold, gray, brown, black.
Mountain dwarves originated in the continent to the east of the Dyrwood, but have spread through the area several times before, with most of the evidence being found in remote mountain ranges. Like all dwarves, Aptapo have always been smaller than humans. Unlike the frequently-abused orlans, the Aptapo have always directly fought back and fortified their residences rather than move on. Also unlike orlans, mountain dwarves are strong and tough for their size.
Mountain dwarves are common in the Vailian Republics and uncommon in the Dyrwood and Readceras. They are rarely encountered in Aedyr, most often traveling with Vailian trading ships.
Racial Ability
Hale and Hardy
Effects: Self: +20 Defense against Poison, +20 Defense against Disease
Mountain dwarves are the most well-traveled race in Eora. Their incredible journeys have exposed them to all manner of lethal poisons and horrific diseases. As a result, all living mountain dwarves have a strong resistance to both.
Boreal Dwarves – Enutanik
(eh-NOO-tah-nik, “people of the tundra,” Enutanik)
Features: Moderately wide, flatter noses. Broader, flatter, rounder faces. Almond, downturned, or thin eyes with epicanthic folds. Shallow-set eyes, not-prominent brows.
Skin: Tan to dark tan, tough and leathery, often creased even among the young.
Hair: Auburn, brown, black, grey. Straight, thin.
Eyes: Hazel, brown, gold, copper, deep violet, black.
Most boreal dwarves live in the remote southern island of Naasitaq, where they share the rocky tundra and snow-covered forests with migratory pale elves and the coast-hugging ships of aumaua. Some also live in the cramped, humid, towering cities of Aedyr, among the aggressive explorers who crossed an ocean to colonize theDyrwood. Like their northern cousins, Enutanik share an instinctive drive to explore and cover long distances in spite of their small stature.
Boreal dwarves are extremely rare in Aedyr, more common in the Vailian Republics, and seldom encountered in the Dyrwood or Readceras.
Racial Ability
Hunter’s Instincts
Effects: Self: +15 Accuracy against Primordials, +15 Accuracy against Wilders
In the traditional lands of the boreal dwarves, primordial creatures (oozes, sentient fungi and plants) and wilder (ogres, skuldrs, trolls, vithracks, and xaurips) have long preyed on isolated hunters. Generations of conflict with these creatures has given the boreal dwarves inherent Accuracy bonuses against them.