Strong, stubborn and ancient, the Dwarves of Autica have carved out their civilization in Dunbeath, a region of Rauquan, to the north of the plains of Hiplea and the desert of Rocfell.
Creations of Oldenkeeper Ysengrim, the dwarves were originally intended to be stewards of nature and the earth. Their lust for the gems and gold of the earth proved too much though, and they forgot their original charge, causing Ysengrim to forsake them.
The Dwarves made their way fine without the guidance of their creator, establishing immense cities in the mountain ranges of their homeland, and dedicating their lives to mastery of whatever craft they so chose. They crafted beautiful jewellery, masterful weapons, and carved statues so lifelike they could fool the subjects mother. Many dwarves took up the calling as scholars, collecting magnificent libraries deep in their strongholds, filled with ancient knowledge and powerful secrets. Some of Autica's most impressive places of learning are in dwarven cities.
Most dwarves are as unconcerned with divinity as their creator is with them, and those that do worship typically become followers of Ito, admiring his power of creation. Few dwarves still offer prayer to Ysengrim, and those that do are typically incredibly devoted to the Old Ways.
With few dwarven settlements outside of Dunbeath, the Dwarven sub-races did not undergoe the dramatic seperation that the other races underwent. While somewhat genetically distinct, both Mountain and Hill dwarves intermingle freely, and their government draws little distinction between the two.
The lands of Dunbeath are ruled over by a High King, elected from the royal bloodlines once every one hundred years at a great gathering at the dwarve's capital of Ballagulich. Local provinces are presided over by a King, and the regions of his province are relegated further to nobles of the king's choosing. The High King makes executive decisions, and has a final say in all matters, but is generally advised by the Stone Cabinet, a arrangement of fifty noblemen and women elected by the regions of Dunbeath. This cabinet is responsible for the crafting of laws, and major policy decisions. The size of the cabinet, the many formalities and small customs, and the stubborn nature of dwarves makes these meetings a notoriously tedious affair, with some meetings lasting weeks, or even months. To add to the tedium, once a final decision is reached, the High King has final veto on any measure passed by the Stone Cabinet, and if he uses that, the entire process must be restarted. The end result though, is that dwarven society is considered a pinnacle of lawfulness, and fair treatment. The beautiful cities, surrounded by the natural wonder of the mountain ranges, makes dwarven cities a popular destination for travelers.
This society harbors one major issue, however. A sinister plague sweeps through the dwarven race, one which neither the scholars nor the lawmakers nor even the kings can seem to find a solution for.
These problems, are the Urthbjorn, a caste of dwarves cursed from birth with a mysterious affliction. Babies born Urthbjorn are easily recognizable by their stony skin, and immense size, commonly up to half again as large as a normal dwarven child. This frequently leads to the death of the mothers, and that is just the beginning of their problems. These dwarves are supernaturally strong, and resilient, but possess intelligence only marginally greater than that of pack beasts. They also live incredibly short lifespans, reaching adulthood by the age of five, and typically passing by the age of twenty. As such, Urthbjorn are typically used as menial laborers, and their limited intelligence makes them easily exploitable.
Dwarven society is torn on how to handle this growing issue, as the rate of "infection" seems to climb slowly, but steadily over the years. Some advocate their use as laborers and pack animals, declaring them dwarves in nothing but shape, to be used as they use a beast of burden. Others advocate research into a cure, and the protection of these dim colossi.
Seeing an Urthbjorn outside of dwarven lands is rare, but some do create bonds with "handlers" that allow them to travel the world, using their immense strength and stamina to serve as bodyguards or hired muscle.
Mountain Dwarves:
The mountain dwarves of Autica are more concentrated in the northern part of Dunbeath, amongst the sweeping ranges that characterize the region. Mountain dwarves tend to the more deliberate, slow pace of the cities, and fit well as scholars and lawmakers.
Hill Dwarves:
The hill dwarves occupy the lowlands between the end of the mountain ranges and the wide plains of Hiplea. Avid miners, they build deep into the earth, with some cities seeming nothing more than a small hill from aboveground. They also supply most of the agriculture for Dunbeath, and these farming settlements tend to harbor the last remaining worshipers of Ysengrim and the Old ways, but even there, they are viewed as outsiders, or a little odd, for praying to a god that will not listen.
Hill dwarves are more impulsive than Mountain dwarves, and frequently clash with the Stout Halfling Khalisates to the south of them. Many still bristle over their defeat by the Great Khalisate of Great Perrin Khan, and will take any excuse to pick a fight with the small-folk.
(Statistics for the subraces remain the same as written in the Player's Handbook 5.0, with this exception: Mountain dwarves may choose to lose "Dwarven Armor Training" in exchange for proficiency in Knowledge (Arcana) and the ability to cast one (1) cantrip of their choice from the Wizard Spell list. If you do not have a spellcasting ability score (IE, if you are not already able to cast spells) your spellcasting ability for this cantrip is INT.)
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