ToD - Character Creation
Feb 21, 2020 2:53:01 GMT -8
Post by Daos on Feb 21, 2020 2:53:01 GMT -8
Races of Krynn
This is an overview of the playable and non-playable races of the setting. They will be divided into the following categories: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Restricted. "Common" means these races are found in large numbers in Central Ansalon. "Uncommon" means these races are found in Central Ansalon, but not in large numbers but their presence can still be explained. "Rare" means these races aren't usually found in Central Ansalon at all, and some explanation will be needed for their presence. "Very Rare" means these races would need a very detailed justification for why they are in Central Ansalon. "Barred" means these races are not playable at all, unless the DM gives special permission.
Common - Human (Solamnic, Nerakans, Taman Busukans), Hill Dwarves (Neidar), Mountain Dwarves (Hylar, Daewar, Klar), Dark Dwarves (Theiwar, Daergar, Zhakar), Gully Dwarves (Aghar), Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears)
Uncommon - Half-Dwarves, Elves (Kagonesti, Qualinesti, Silvanesti), Half-Elves, Kender (True, Afflicted), Half-Ogres
Rare - Human (Ergothian, Abanasinians, Kharolians, Nordmen, Khurs, Icefolk, Saifumi, Arktos, Plainsfolk, Horselords, Ithin’carthians), Gnomes (Tinker, Wild), Half-Kender, Draconians (Baaz, Kapak, Bozak, Sivak)
Very Rare - Sea Elves (Dimernesti, Dargonesti), Gnomes (Thinker), Half-Gnomes, Minotaurs, Ogres (Irda), Centaurs, Kyrie, Phaethons, Tayfolk, Thanoi, Ursoi, Draconians (Aurak), Noble Draconians (Frost, Venom, Vapor, Flame, Lightning)
Barred - Half-Goblins, Ogres (Fallen)
Humans
Humans are by far the most populous race on Ansalon. They are also the most adaptive and ambitious, dominating whatever land in which they live through sheer numbers and collective force of will. Much of this stems from a deep-seated desire to experience and accomplish as much as possible during their comparatively brief lives. Being the children of the gods of balance, humans fully embrace the gift of free will. Humans run the gamut from the purest, shining example of good to the most debased, vile specimen of evil, in contrast to the elves and ogres who tend towards either end of the moral spectrum.
Humans can be divided into two distinctly different, yet still physically similar, groups. Civilized humans are the men and women who have chosen towns and cities over the wilderness, while the nomads remain close to nature, living and dying at the whims of the land. Neither group is inherently better than the other, but both look at life in very different ways. Both groups tend to look at the other with disdain; the city dwellers considering their nomadic cousins to be ignorant savages, while the different tribes tend to think of city folk as pampered and weak.
Humans have also developed cultures in other lands beyond the oceans surrounding Ansalon. The three human cultures on the small continent of Ithin’carthia, the Tarmak, Damjatt, and Keena, have made new homes on Ansalon’s shores through the invitation of Ariakan. Although outwardly quite different from other humans, they are nonetheless a prime example of the varied and diverse nature of humanity.
History
When they were born into the world in the Age of Dreams, the Ogres had already claimed the mountains, and the elves had claimed the forests. The humans were left to dwell in the plains for a period of time, and the wild nomads comprised shelters and lived off the land as best they could. However within a few generations, the ogres left their mountain realm and began enslaving the humans to work in their mines. For the first several thousand years, humans were completely subjugated by the ogres, until their mighty slavers were thrown into disarray during Igraine's heresy in 5980 PC.
The fall of the ogres was the rise of the humans. Throwing off the shackles of oppression, the humans returned to the plains in great numbers and began developing their settlements further. Learning of bronze-smelting in 3900 PC, amongst other developments, humans began to properly arm themselves against their enemies, and developed their borders further a field. Minor warlords sprung up across Ansalon, however it wasn't until the united tribes under Ackal Ergot, that the first true human empire was created in 2600 PC. In the later part of the Age of Dreams, more and more human kingdoms were formed, until the short-lived race has developed kingdoms across most of the face of Ansalon. Humans even began to create a number of organizations, including a knighthood, which only they may be part of, excluding all other races as members. The Knights of Solamnia were formed.
The continued advancements of humans and their empire building continued throughout the Age of Might, and culminated with the ever-growing holy nation of Istar. Humans installed a Kingpriest as the moralistic and righteous leader of all mortals, who ruled Istar. The "benevolence" of the Kingpriest and Istar, forced all other races to bow before the goodly humans or face the Istarian legions.
The might of the Solamnic Knights waned before the power of holy Istar. Human arrogance led to the enslavement of many other races and ultimately resulted in the gods throwing a mountain upon Istar. The Cataclysm was caused by the arrogance of humans and the people of Ansalon are punished. A human was given the chance to stop the Cataclysm (Loren Soth), however he failed in his duty and the ravages of the Cataclysm are felt by all.
With the Cataclysm, humans abandoned all faith in the gods, feeling betrayed by them. After a number of centuries, the true gods were spoken about in the same breath as legends and folklore. Cults and false religions sprang up throughout human communities to fill the void. Without the aid of clerical magic, disease ran rampant throughout settlements, leading to a great many deaths.
The War of the Lance returned the true gods to Krynn, and saw humans choosing sides between the Whitestone Forces and the Dragonarmies. The cults and false religions mostly vanished, to be replaced by human clerics of the true gods, wielding the legendary divine magic of old. The age saw a return for many to darkness, as people resume following the dark gods and the forming of further organizations and even a dark knighthood, in the form of the Knights of Takhisis.
Of the first forty years of this new Age of Mortals, the most notable developments among the humans were the creation of the Legion of Steel, largely led by former Dark Knights and Solamnic Knights who lost faith in their Orders; the emergence of the Academy of Sorcery and the Citadel of Light, two centers of magical learning and knowledge in an age that keenly felt the loss of the gods; the arrival, beginning in the Chaos War but increasingly so in the decades after it, of the Tarmak Brutes from the small continent of Ithin’carthia; and the gathering power of Ergoth, a nation virtually untouched by all of the major wars in the past century. Ergoth was not only home for many of the Solamnic nobles in exile by the Dark Knights or the Dragonarmies many years before that, but it held on to the strongest centers of academic learning, fostered a growing mercantile trade network, and became a leader in the incorporation of mysticism and sorcery in its upper classes as a tool for just government.
The current era began with the War of Souls. This conflict, which brought together the feuding Dark Knight factions under one charismatic, young dark paladin of Takhisis, also saw the expulsion of the elves from their homelands, the end of Dragon Overlord supremacy in Ansalon, and the return of the gods. At the war’s end, the Dark Queen was killed, Paladine was made mortal, and the reins of destiny were handed over to the humans and their allies. As Solamnia is reclaimed, Ergoth emerges as a major power once again, the nomadic tribes of Ansalon look to new and younger leaders, and the Dark Knights bicker and feud with each other, it appears that the humans are perhaps the only race on Ansalon which can lay claim to an optimistic future.
Common Traits
Humans are the most diverse of all the races of Ansalon. They are often incapable of seeing the other races as more than humans with additional traits or extremes of personality, perhaps because of their own incredibly varied physical appearance, cultural diversity, and sheer numbers. Humans are tall or short, dark-skinned or lightskinned, slender or stocky. Those physical characteristics they do have in common with one another are, as a result, characteristics they share with all other humanoid races.
As a general rule, humans are Medium-sized, usually between five and six feet in height, although there are significant examples of taller or shorter individuals. Their average weight falls between 115 and 225 pounds. Women are usually shorter and lighter than men, but in some cultures, this may be reversed. Humans have no inherent extraordinary or supernatural abilities, such as enhanced vision; however, their ability to learn, grow, and acquire extraordinary talents is well known. Indeed, some of Krynn’s greatest mages, priests, warriors, and artisans have been human.
Solamnics
For centuries, the people of Solamnia were known for their relationship with the Knights of Solamnia. While some Solamnics would argue, most people not of Solamnia said the people of the region were just extensions of the Knighthood. In many ways, those people were right. Living with the Solamnic Knights instilled much of the knightly honor and way of life into the Solamnic people, making them generally hard working and trustworthy. They remained as such even through the years of hardship after the Cataclysm, though a bit a cynicism crept into their psyche. Now that their country has played an integral role in winning the War of the Lance, the Solamnic people can see great things on the horizon.
The average Solamnic citizen is steadfast, loyal, and hard working. Centuries of living under the rule of the Knights of Solamnia reinforced these traits in most of the population. The Cataclysm left much of the population cynical and bitter, though still good under the surface. In aftermath of the Chaos War, the Solamnic people began to change.
Those who stayed in the north after Khellendros claimed it for his own were forced to live under the rule of the Knights of Neraka. While the Dark Knights treated those who followed the laws fairly, this changed the generation born under their rule in subtle ways. No longer was the virtue of good upheld in their lives, only those of order and subservience. Young adults who grew up in this way are still proud of their nationality, and most have no love for the Dark Knights, but they also don’t automatically cling to the old ways of honor taught by the Solamnic Knights. These people welcomed Shinare into Solamnia and believe in a more practical approach to life.
The people of southern Solamnia changed little in the aftermath of the Chaos War. They clung to the Knights of Solamnia and their views of loyalty and honor. The Knighthood depend on this as they support Jaymes Markham as he drives the army of the half-giant Ankhar out of Solamnia.
Life for many Solamnics is in turmoil. There is war in the southern regions of the country, which has all of Solamnia working to support Emperor Jaymes Markham’s armies of knights. While for some life continues as always, most of Solamnia has a war mindset. Many places also see the return of some of the families who fled Khellendros for other areas of Ansalon.
For most of Solamnia, the culture of the people and the culture of the Solamnic Knights is the same. Holidays, customs, and naming conventions are all shared between the Knighthood and the people they protect. The Solamnic Knights embody the principles and the culture of the people of Solamnia, for it is said all Knights are sons and daughters of Solamnia. Thus, the Order grows and changes as its members grow and change, sometimes for the worse but usually for the better.
Solamnics are light-skinned people of Ergothian and Kharolian stock, although they are essentially an ethnicity all their own after 1,500 years of independence. Their hair color ranges from black to light brown and occasionally blonde, with redheads more common in the western isles such as Sancrist. Although the Solamnic Knights are famous for their distinctive moustaches, few Solamnic men outside of the Orders affect one.
Nerakans
The Nerakese people take their name from the Valley of Neraka and the city of the same name, although which holds true for each Nerakan depends on the current political climate. Most are ethnically Kalinese, a mixture of mountain nomad and Istaran survivors. Adult men are generally shorter on average for humans, though they are swarthier, stockier, and typically hardier than their neighbors to the west. Nerakan women are often taller than the men, widely known for their exotic looks and razor-sharp temperament. As a group, civilized Nerakans embody the brutal, backstabbing, cutthroat, and mercenary approach to daily life of their distant Istaran ancestors before the Holy Orders took over. With a century of cults to Takhisis and other dark gods playing a major role in Neraka, these traits have returned vigorously in the Age of Mortals.
Jelek, Neraka, Telvan, and Kortal are the major population centers of Neraka and the Taman Busuk region. Civilized Nerakans live entirely within the walls of these settlements or in extensive fortified compounds nearby. Nomads, ogres, and worse have taken the rest of the mountainous region. The Dark Knights and their various factions dominate Nerakan life, though in the years after the War of Souls, the faction aligned with Baltasar Rennold and Galen Nemedi seized political power. Every wealthy Nerakan has one or more family members in the Dark Knights, though typically the head of the household is not one of them. Since even conducting an everyday business transaction carries with it the threat of a knife, Nerakans of all social classes are known as paranoid, mistrustful, opportunistic, and cunning.
Although they are no longer a part of Neraka, the people of Sanction may be considered Nerakan.
Taman Busuk Nomads
The mountain folk of the Taman Busuk region comprise the greater proportion of humans living in the Khalkists and the valleys snaking through them. The civilized Nerakans have good reason to fear their savage cousins, for while the two groups share a common ancestry, the mountain nomads of the Taman Busuk have no patience for those who do not respect the land nor live directly upon it. Although the Queen of Darkness recruited most of these bloodthirsty people for her armies in the War of the Lance, alongside the men of Jelek and Sanction, the Dragonarmy officers soon learned to keep them as separate as possible from their city-dwelling neighbors.
Mountain life is rough, and the Khalkists are home to a host of terrible and fierce creatures. Ogres, goblins, and trolls are the least of a nomad’s worries. Even before the Cataclysm, when the natives of the region were ignored provincial subjects of the Kingpriest, each nomad lived and died in the basalt spires of his homeland, and each generation has grown progressively stronger. Death is quick and sudden for the Taman Busuk nomads, but the nomads across the plateaus and peaks have survived tremendous challenges already.
Ethnically, the Taman Busuk nomads are related to the Abanasinian Plainsfolk and the Ergothians; Ackal Ergot was from this region. They are rugged, swarthy folk with skin ranging from light to dark, depending on the individual tribe. Nomads organize themselves into extended family tribes with individual totems, icons, ancestor spirits, or other quasi-religious trappings; those who live near the ancient ruins of Godshome adopt one of the true gods as a tribal patron, assigning the deity a measure of ancestral honor. Therefore, it is common for outsiders to find extraordinarily detailed shrines and temples in the middle of nomadic settlements.
Human Racial Traits
Humans have all the same racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook.
Hill Dwarves (Neidar)
To the other races of Ansalon, when referring to a dwarf, the dwarf in question is mostly likely of the Neidar clan. The term Neidar was first coined in Thorbardin to describe a clan of dwarves who dwelt above ground. Since that time, the term has been used to refer to nearly all dwarves who prefer to live on the surface of Krynn rather than beneath it. They are the most well known of all dwarves, because they interact with the outside world more than their mountain dwelling brethren. Known to most races simply as hill dwarves, the Neidar are sturdy fighters, shrewd merchants, and master craftsmen.
More curious about the world around them than their mountain-dwelling cousins, hill dwarves have traveled far and wide, spreading their culture and plying their trade in every nation of Ansalon. Nearly every mountain in Ansalon has a settlement of hill dwarves somewhere along its base. Dwarven adventurers will most often be Neidar, as they are usually the only dwarves willing to leave their homes in search of greater fortune. In their dealings, Neidar tend to be fair and honest, but will haggle for every last copper. Hill dwarves are loyal friends if one can penetrate their grumbling manners and gruff exterior.
Physical Appearance
Hill dwarves tend to be short and stocky. They stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall. While not tall, their girth still makes them physically imposing. Male hill dwarves tend to weigh anywhere between 150 and 200 pounds; female dwarves usually weigh slightly less. They have a dense bone structure that lends to this added weight and makes them less buoyant than other creatures. As such, dwarves sink, rather than float, in deep waters. Of course, this only adds to their natural aversion of large bodies of water.
The Neidar often have darkly tanned skin from years spent outdoors working fields, harvesting lumber, and traveling to and from nearby settlements for trade. Wrinkles are common, beginning around the early age of forty, making hill dwarves appear older than they truly are.
Neidar eye colors are predominantly dark brown with the occasional exception of green or hazel. Many hill dwarves tend to be nearsighted. Their heavy eyebrows hang over their eyes, giving them a natural scowl when tired or preoccupied. This is a large reason why non-dwarves believe they are always cross.
A dwarf ’s hair is a source of pride and occasionally a sign of their social status. Dwarven males love their facial hair. “You can tell a lot about a dwarf by the way he keeps his beard,” is a common dwarven saying. It is common practice for a dwarf to keep his beard tucked into his belt, provided it’s long enough; this way, the beard stays out of the way while he are working. Beards are occasionally braided and tied. While this is functional, additional ornamentation is considered gaudy for males. Keeping a beard clean and healthy is the general accepted practice.
Hair color ranges from family to family. As a rule, hill dwarves have the widest spectrum of hair color, ranging from blonde to black and everything in between. Their hair will begin to turn a silver-grey as they reach adulthood and white as they reach old age. Many male hill dwarves tend to go bald while they are still young. Female hill dwarves, however, often enjoy thick heads of hair their whole life. They take as much pride in their hair as their men. While they do not have beards, they do have long hair, often tied up in a bun to keep it out of the way when performing the day-to-day tasks; they let down it at night and for special occasions. Ornamental hairnets, jeweled pins, and fashionable hair clips are brought out during festivals or community get-togethers.
Psychology
Hill Dwarves believe in hard work and commitment. A good life is comprised of a day of hard labor followed by a mug of spirits and the satisfaction that you have done something worthwhile for your family and community. Creature comforts are important once work is complete. “A good chair can outlast a good friend!” is an old dwarven saying. Though many more hill dwarves than mountain dwarves are adventurers, the majority prefer to remain dedicated to their family and community. Dwellings are often adorned with trappings to make the house more comfortable. While all dwarves covet gems and precious metals, hill dwarves do not usually feel a need to flaunt their wealth.
Like all dwarves, if an individual can establish a bond with a hill dwarf, that person can always depend on them. Rock solid and never wavering, a Neidar will defend his friends and family to the death. Their stubborn nature, which keeps them from returning to the mountains or forgetting any slight against them, can be a powerful force when it is used to protect a loved one.
Social Structure
Most hill dwarf villages have a mayor or elected official who passes judgment on internal conflicts and oversees the local laws and customs in the village. If it is ever discovered that the official is working against the good of the community as a whole, he is quickly and often ruthlessly removed from office. A number of dwarves also work as local law enforcement, helping settle disputes and patrolling the borders of the hill dwarf territory.
Since most dwarves are trained for combat, everyone is expected to be involved in the militia. Most dwarves have their own weapon and suit of armor; sometimes handed down from one generation to the next, antique armor is not unusual among the hill dwarves. Female dwarves often take on tasks behind the front line, such as protecting children or gathering supplies, but this doesn’t prevent a determine female fighter from joining the men. When confronted with a threat to the community, every dwarf who can wield a weapon is welcome to join the fight.
There are two primary concentrations of hill dwarves on Ansalon. The first is the in foothills of the Kharolis Mountains. These are the dwarves who joined forces with humans to attack Thorbardin in the Dwarfgate War. They can still be found there, farming, hunting, and continuing their lives much as they have since that dark time. The second settlement is among the hills surrounding the Garnet Mountain Range. The prosperous dwarven province of Kayolin, located deep beneath the Garnet Mountains, has long been a shining jewel among the dwarven kingdoms. It has never known great civil unrest like Thorbardin or destruction and disease like Thoradin. Even during the dark times following the Cataclysm, Kayolin left its doors open to the hill dwarves in the surrounding territory, easing tensions and saving lives.
Hill dwarves are not exclusive to these regions, however. They have found homes all across Ansalon; small clans of dwarves have settled in nearly every corner. The Emerald Peaks of Nordmaar are home to the Stonedrum clan of wild Klar who picked up and fled far from Thorbardin after the Dwarfgate War. Among the cliffs of Port Balifor, the Stonesplitter clan has settled and even assisted the citizens against the dangers of dragons by building escape tunnels and cliff-side residences. In Khur among the desert tribes, the Shalecutter dwarves are renowned for their metal and stoneworks. With the possible exception of the Minotaur Isles, hill dwarves can be found nearly anywhere on Ansalon.
Family Life
Elders within dwarven communities are highly respected and often referred to as grandfather by all dwarves, regardless of their true family affiliation. Families often work together, lending their talents to the good of the community. It is not unusual to find some Neidar villages where everyone is related to everyone else by blood. Unlike the Theiwar, however, inbreeding is frowned upon and not very common.
It is common for family grudges to be passed down from one generation to the next, grandchildren willingly taking up arms against another family for a slight committed against their family hundreds of years ago. More often than not, disputes between families boil down to a perceived offense that occurred decades before the combatants were even alive.
Among hill dwarf society, love and relationships are rarely spoken of, except perhaps by the whispers of young dwarf maids or serious discussions between two families, determining if the young dwarves are right for one another. While love happens in one form or another for nearly all races, the hill dwarves are usually guarded about their feelings. Overt displays of love and affection are not common. Young lovers will occasionally sneak away to be alone or make excuses to spend time with one another. When a young couple decides they would like to be married, they must always ask their parents first. As long as there is no feud or past offense, the heads of the respective families will confer and decide if the couple may wed. Often times there is little problem, but occasionally, young lovers will be denied the opportunity to marry and must decide if they abide their families wishes or leave their family and clan to forge a new future on their own.
After a long life of hard work and comfortable living, many hill dwarves look to the time they will no longer be part of the world. All dwarves take death very seriously. The deceased are buried in simple cairns or within family crypts. All dwarves who pass are considered part of the Kingdom of the Dead. The old dwarven saying “More of our kind dwell among the dead than the living,” honors their beliefs in their ancestors and their place in the afterlife. They consider this kingdom to be a real place, and they honor those who have passed into that realm in song and memory.
Names
All hill dwarves have a family name of which they are extremely proud, and they always do their best to increase the prestige associated with their family name in all tasks they perform. Some examples of Neidar clan family names are: Fireforge, Coalfist, Greeneyes, Winterseed, and Broadland. Hill dwarf children are given individual names at birth. Often times, they are named after previous relatives as a method of honoring that ancestor. Common males names include Amos, Aylmar, Cale, Flint, Garth, Holden, Ruberick, and Tybalt, while Fidelia, Glynnis, Helta, Jetta, Mica, Mileen, Ruby, and Tuilen are usual among women.
Everyday Activity
In the warmer months of the year, farming, hunting, harvesting lumber, and craftworking are in full production. The industrious dwarves can usually produce nearly twice as many goods as any equivalent human population. Hill dwarf merchants load wagons and take their wares to nearby villages for sale and trade. Younger dwarves work the fields and assist at the forges as older dwarves oversee projects and plan out new strategies for increasing productivity.
Reading, writing, and the art of combat are usually taught in the winter months when fields are bare and the weather too inhospitable to spend much time outside.
Arts and Industry
Life among the hill dwarves is comprised of hard work, expert craftsmanship, and simple creature comforts. Among the Neidar, the art of smithing is as prevalent as it is among the clans under the mountains. There are blacksmiths who have refined their skills over literally hundreds of years. This expert craftsmanship also extends to stonecutting and shaping. Generations of dwarves have studied the art of crafting stone and best ways to apply that craft awe-inspiring works of architecture.
Unique among all dwarves is the hill dwarf natural talent of crafting wood. It is common for a hill dwarf to want to keep busy. While stone and metals take heavy tools and lengthy processes to mold, a solid piece of wood can be worked to produce a finished product in a matter of hours. Small wooden carvings can often be found in most hill dwarf homes.
When at home or traveling about, most hill dwarves wear simple clothing spun of cotton or wool. They require clothing that is durable enough to work in and rugged enough to handle traveling. Animal hides are often used for vests or the trim of certain articles of clothing. Most male hill dwarves prefer subdued colors of white, brown, or gray. Bright colors are occasionally worn during festivals or special occasions. Colorful clothing is usually reserved for female dwarves. Olive greens, subdued yellows, purple, and blues are common colors for blouses and skirts. Hats and helms are occasionally worn, depending on the work being done. Wide brim hats are worn while tending the fields or working the garden. More fashionable, colorful hats are worn for celebrations. Lighter fabrics that are damaged easily, such as silks, are only worn by women and usually only during weddings or funerals.
The Neidar harbor a love of history. They can tell you of their great grandfather’s exploits in great detail and with a good bit of exaggeration. Although the details of the tale grow, the moral usually remains the same. Many of the stories handed down from parent to child are morality tales or teaching tools. Not surprisingly, most of them tend to teach young dwarves that no one but hill dwarves can be trusted. However, not every tale is a lesson. Some are told for sheer entertainment or to pass down the history of the family. Dwarves have an innate need to understand where they came from and how their family acted and was treated before they arrived. For a dwarf, to lose his memory is an unsettling prospect.
Songs are a large part of the lessons of tradition and history among the hill dwarves. Although most hill dwarves would vehemently refuse to sing in public, it is common at festivals and get-togethers in dwarven communities to belt out a familiar tune or two.
Magical Practices
Arcane magic is, in the words of many Neidar, “just plain unnatural.” Few hill dwarves have ever attempted to become sorcerers or wizards, and those who have quickly found themselves outcasts among their people. Divine magic is accepted and rationalized by hill dwarves; clerics are respected, although it is still common for them to be regarded with some trepidation by many hill dwarves. Mysticism is also becoming widely accepted among hill dwarves, since the hill dwarf Jasper Fireforge was such an instrumental part of establishing the Citadel of Light.
Religion
The Neidar tend to be a spiritual people. They venerate Reorx as the highest of all gods. Incredibly stubborn and not willing to take things at face value, most Neidar believed Reorx was teaching them a lesson after the Cataclysm and never stopped worshiping him. When their prayers had seemingly stopped being answered and the clerical worship of Reorx drastically fell into decline, the dwarves refused to believe Reorx would abandon them. After the Dwarfgate War, however, many families took a different view. They began to believe that Reorx, like the mountain dwarves, had forsaken them and turned away from him. Conflicts over religion fractured the Neidar; it was only after the War of the Lance and the return of their god that these wounds began to heal, and the Neidar came together as one again.
After the Anvil Summer, the Chaos War, and the passing of the gods, the hill dwarves stubbornly held on to the belief that their god would not again be silenced. Reorx had tamed Chaos once, and he would do it again. The one moon, the changing constellations, and the lack of magic only meant that things had changed, but it did not mean Reorx had been defeated. When mysticism and the Power of the Heart were discovered, many hill dwarves believed it was Reorx’s parting gift to them and explored this new power. Later, when the gods returned once more, many rejoiced and worshiped Reorx and the other gods, but a few held on to the dear gift of the Power of the Heart.
While Reorx is venerated as the highest god among the pantheon, the Silver Mistress (Shinare) and Mesalax (Mishakal) are both highly respected among the Neidar—the Silver Mistress for her dedication to industry and Mesalax for her healing arts. Stories of the famine and disease that followed the Cataclysm are still told to younger generations of dwarves as a reminder of that terrible time. They also tell how it was Reorx who defeated Chaos and the god of the One Moon, as he smashed that grey moon from the sky with his great hammer and returned the moons and the stars of the past to their proper locations.
Every dwarven village has at least one chapel dedicated to Reorx, Mesalax, or the Silver Mistress. While organized worship is not mandatory, it is encouraged, and it is not uncommon for many dwarves to visit their town’s temple on holy days to pay their respects, assist in maintaining the temple, or donating supplies for the priests and the poor of the community.
Folklore
Hill dwarves have a long oral history in which they pass down tales of their ancestors and the trials of the dwarven race. Among the most common tales is the story of the Smiths—the dwarven creation myth.
Reorx, beloved of all the Gods, was given the task of crafting the most important item in the entire universe, Krynn itself. He grabbed his hammer and wrestled with Chaos. With an iron will and the strength of a hundred dwarves, he placed Chaos upon his anvil and pounded the beast into the form he wished it to take. As he smote Chaos with his immortal hammer, pieces of his weapon fell away; the hot and fiery sparks from his creation became stars and the cinders formed the moons.
The Smiths were also born from the very substance of Hammer of Reorx. Pieces of the immortal hammer broke away and landed on the world. They formed a people who were strong of mind and sturdy of body with lustrous beards. As the Smiths awoke, they discovered the world in progress around them. A world populated by dragons and magical beasts of all kinds. So the Smiths chose to hide away until Reorx, the Tamer of Chaos, was done with his creation. They excavated homes out of the earth for protection against the hostile world. Wars between dragons and gods waged across the face of the world, and the wise Smiths kept themselves safe below ground.
When peace arrived, Reorx called upon his people, and they came out of the earth. They joined the elves of Thak the Hammer (Paladine), the ogres of Tamex (Takhisis), and the humans of Gilean in populating the world of Reorx’s creation. But the races of the other gods were jealous of the Smiths. The ogres invaded their mountain homes and drove them into the forests of the elves. The elves were jealous of the Smiths and drove them from the forests. The Smiths made their way to the grassy plains and built their homes there among the humans. However, the humans were a warlike race, and they fought with the other races and with one another. The Smiths tried their best to stay apart from these wars, but were inevitably involved.
When Reorx saw the way the other races treated his people, he made plans to move them to a new land, a land where they could be safe and worship him. He gathered all his people together. These were not humans as some might think, but the descendants of the original Smiths. He set them in great ships upon the turbulent ocean. With the guiding hand of Reorx the Creator at the helm, the ships arrived in the new land and founded Kal-Thax, the first dwarven settlement of Ansalon.
Language
From time to time, scholars have debated the origins of the dwarven language. If it is true that both dwarves and kender are descended from gnomes, might it stand to reason they would all share the same language? This certainly does not seem to hold true; gnomes and kender both have adopted new standards for communication over the years, while the dwarven language seems to have changed only slightly. Ancient dwarven texts still require some skill and knowledge to unravel, but the basic structure of the current language remain largely unchanged.
The dwarven language is comprised of a primary base set of words that are either defined by context or modifiers, such as prefixes or suffixes. Dwarves do not use an alphabet; instead, they use a set of dwarven runes depicting these different words. The runes are straight, angular, and easy to reproduce. Many times, these symbols can be found etched into stone or metal. Each family and clan also has its own distinctive symbol.
The dwarven language is one of many hard consonants and few vowels. It is a rough language and difficult for non-dwarves to speak properly. Kender say it sounds like an avalanche coming out of the dwarf ’s mouth. Lots of grumbling and harsh clicks do indeed make it sound like rocks knocked together.
Hill dwarves rely primarily on an oral tradition to pass along their history from one generation to the next, so they have very few actual written texts. Those texts that do exist are often discovered in ancient caves and ruined dwarven fortresses.
The dwarves have a number of different phrases and sayings. The following phrases and meanings are a few of the more common in hill dwarf culture.
“Eyes High!” This phrase is common among dwarven scouts to bring attention to something they have spotted or to remind a companion to stay alert.
“Sometimes a stone is just a rock.” This is a phrase used by dwarves to warn another not to get their hopes up about some event.
“The gods look after fools, children, and drunks, and kender count for two out of those three.” This a common phrase that often comes up when dealing with kender. It is especially pertinent after a kender has escaped some disaster… usually one he produced.
Racial Relations
While hill dwarves are seemingly intolerant of nearly everyone, it has never stopped them from dealing and trading with nearly every race at one point or another through the ages.
Despite their differences, hill dwarves have generally gotten along with Qualinesti elves. It was mainly the hill dwarves of Thorbardin who assisted in the creation of the elven kingdom. Since the Cataclysm, much of that camaraderie has faded. Contrarily, since the razing of the elven kingdom, it is not uncommon to find the odd group of elves living among dwarven communities who opened their homes to the refugees of the fallen nation. Outside of the region around Thorbardin, meetings between elves and hill dwarves can be uncomfortable affairs.
Hill dwarves regard gnomes with some trepidation and annoyance. This may be because the dwarves can see something of themselves in the hardworking gnomes.
However, the gnomish drive to go far beyond what any sensible dwarf would consider and their knack for failure scare hill dwarves. Dwarves and gnomes can work well together, however, as long as the dwarf can establish the leadership role.
Hill dwarves seem to understand half-elves. A race of outcasts from not one, but two different societies reminds the many hill dwarves of their estrangement from the clans beneath the mountains. Not as hot headed as humans and not as pretentious as elves, the personalities of most half-elves appeal to hill dwarves.
Humans have interacted with hill dwarves for longer than either race can remember. To the dwarves, humans are warlike, over-eager, and greedy, but at the same time can show compassion and respect for tradition. One thing all humans tend to do, at least in the eyes of the hill dwarves, is recklessly spend their wealth and personal gain. Hill dwarves are more than happy to oblige in taking it from them if it means an honest day’s work for them.
If there is any race on the face of Ansalon that totally mystifies and frustrates hill dwarves, it’s kender. How the kender race has managed to survive is as baffling to hill dwarves as how gully dwarves remain in the world. Kender are foolish, careless, and lazy. They are also clearly a race of thieves, lawless bandits, and compulsive liars. They can’t be trusted any farther than they can be thrown, no matter how many times you throw them.
The Neidar see minotaurs as an honorable race, even if they are evil. Occasionally, hill dwarves have been known to trade with minotaurs, but just as often, they have fought against them. When dealing with minotaurs, hill dwarves come armed with a good bit of suspicion and a hand on their axe.
Hill dwarves detest draconians on general principle. They consider a race of magically deformed dragon children crafted from dark magic to be unnatural and twisted. Hill dwarves have little to no contact with them that isn’t violent. There is a nasty rumor circulating that it was a hill dwarf who gave the draconians instructions on how to find the dwarven ruins of Teyr. However, it’s generally believed that any self respecting hill dwarf would never do such a thing.
The ogre race has been at odds with the dwarves since the dwarves’ creation. The only dwarves known to interact with ogres have been the Zhakar, who traded with the ogres of Blöde. Even some of those meetings ended in bloodshed. Unlike half-elves, half-ogres are not treated with the same respect from hill dwarves. The taint of their ogre parentage is hard for any hill dwarf to ignore.
Character Classes
Barbarian: Hill dwarves are not known for being barbarians, but the concept is not unknown. A hill dwarf barbarian is probably from some of the more wild reaches of Ansalon, such as Khur, Taman Busuk, or Nordmaar.
Bard: Hill dwarf bards who use sorcery are extremely rare. Those who make a habit of using it would gain a bad reputation among their clan rather quickly and possibly face being outcast from dwarven society.
Cleric: Hill dwarf clerics of Reorx and Shinare are common among the Neidar clans. However, they are open to worship nearly every god.
Druid: Druidry is a rare choice for hill dwarves. Those who do follow this path tend to dwell in isolation, though they may watch over a village from a distance. Hill dwarf druids who find a reason for adventuring are even less common.
Fighter: This is the most common class for hill dwarves. Every dwarven community is in need of hardy warriors to help protect them from outside threats. Almost every hill dwarf is taught some form of fighting starting at an early age. The hill dwarf ’s high constitution and innate resistance make them formidable warriors.
Monk: Monks are rare and dwarven monks even more so. Even though hill dwarves have a lawful tendency, few find little use for meditating or spending their days in quiet contemplation. Hill dwarves tend to enjoy creature comforts too much to give up worldly ways. If a hill dwarf did take up the monastic life, it would probably be because of some tragedy in his younger years that drove him to isolation.
Mystic: Given their strong inner sense of self, the Power of the Heart is a natural fit for hill dwarves. Spellcasting based on Wisdom instead of Charisma makes this class that much more appealing.
Paladin: Hill dwarf paladins are rare and only manifest in times of great need. As honorable warriors, the class is a natural fit for hill dwarves, but their lowered Charisma can hurt their paladin abilities.
Ranger: Hill dwarf rangers are fairly common. The dwarves’ rustic lifestyle leads some to revere nature. Their lowered Charisma hampers interactions with animals, but this is somewhat expected when dealing with dwarves in general.
Rogue: Neidar rogues are not entirely common, since most hill dwarves are usually respectful of others’ possessions. Those who do become rogues tend to focus on the finding and disabling traps, picking locks, and listening and observation skills, and are more useful for breaking and entering than hiding and sneaking.
Sorcerer: Due to their innate revulsion of the arcane arts, hill dwarf sorcerers are few and far between. Any hill dwarf sorcerer who displays their skills would be shunned by his people. The penalty to Charisma also makes this class a tough choice.
Wizard: Hill dwarf wizards are extremely rare. The few who do choose this path immediately become outcasts from dwarven society. The rare dwarves who do take up wizardry often focus on item creation.
Warlock: Few Neidar become warlocks, and those that do are often shunned from their clans. Their lowered Charisma makes them inadequate warlocks.
Hill Dwarf Racial Traits
Neidar use the same racial features for hills dwarves found on page 20 of the Player’s Handbook.
Mountain Dwarves
While hill dwarves are most commonly encountered by other races, they are only a small percentage of the entire dwarven race. The mountain dwarves of Ansalon consider themselves the true dwarves of Krynn. Among the mountain dwarves are the noble clans that were established thousands of years ago. In the depths of Thorbardin dwell the royal clan of the Hylar, the spiritual Daewar, the erratic Klar, the treacherous Theiwar, and the ruthless Daergar. At the height of their glory, mountain dwarves controlled three kingdoms and were considered a major force of trade on the continent, forging trade agreements with the nations of Solamnia, Ergoth, Qualinesti, and Istar. It wasn’t until the Kingpriests of Istar began to impose their laws upon all the people of Ansalon that the dwarves closed their doors to the world. However, nothing could save them from the Cataclysm.
With the fall of the fiery mountain from the heavens, the kingdom of Thoradin was destroyed, leaving the Theiwar clan to suffer alone. Under Thorbardin, the mountain clans remained safe from the hazards of the Cataclysm, but they could not escape each other. Civil war erupted between the clans, lasting decades. Even the peace following the War of the Lance only lasted until the Chaos War. Then the kingdom under the mountain erupted into a war that destroyed the ancient cities of the dwarves and reduced the population to a fraction of what it once was. The only mountain dwarf kingdom to survive relatively unscathed is the kingdom of Kayolin beneath the Garnet Mountains of Solamnia.
Physical Appearance
Mountain dwarves typically stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall and nearly as wide. The dwarves of the Daewar clan are among the tallest, some even standing over 5 feet in height. Daewar dwarves often have golden hair and lustrous braided beards. Of all the dwarves, they are the most vain and prefer to wear fine clothes of bright colors.
The Hylar also prefer to where fine clothes to demonstrate their noble status among their people, but colors are muted compared to the flashy Daewar. Typically, Hylar hair color ranges from sandy-blonde to dark brown. They often style their hair into complex patterns and keep it clean and brushed.
This is in stark contrast to the Klar clan that prefers to let their hair rest where it may in wild tufts. The Klar have been known to tie trinkets into their beards, such as beads or even the bones of enemies. The dwarves of the Klar clan wear tough, simple wool clothing that can resist the wear and tear of the physical labor they often perform.
Psychology
Mountain dwarves are generally gruff and possess shrewd minds. When it comes to their people, they are fiercely devoted to clan first and then to all mountain dwarves. They are willing to defend their homes to the death and are some are literally raised with hammers in their hands. They see the world as a creation of the god Reorx—something to be revered and crafted into shape by skilled hands. To outsiders, mountain dwarves appear introverted. Most prefer to dwell apart from the world, below the surface, never seeing the light of day. Although they can make steadfast trading partners, mountain dwarves rarely stray far from their mountain home. Among the Hylar and Daewar, a good day’s work should yield riches and wealth. They work hard, so they deserve the best. Mountain dwarves appreciate the finer things in life and are not ashamed to flaunt it. Unlike hill dwarves, they are not modest and dress as regally as they can afford. This display of wealth, their success in industry, and secrecy of their mountain home are reasons many folk believe dwarves hide mountains of gold in their underground kingdoms.
The Hylar are the most outgoing of the mountain dwarf clans. They and the Daewar have more experience with the surface world than other clans. Honor, respect, and tradition are the tools by which a Hylar views the world. If a nation fails to respect its people or fails to honor its pledges, they are unworthy of trade or association. Among their own kind, the Hylar can be bit self-righteous, but other races find them to be rough and no-nonsense. The Hylar are considered the most noble of the dwarven clans.
When they are not suffering from problems within their own clan or withdrawn into their mountain city, the Daewar dwarves are actively seeking trade with all who will trade with them. Worship of their gods and industry are indistinguishable. The Daewar live to give shape and purpose from raw substance and further the concepts of trade and engineering. Daewar priests work the forges day and night, showing their faith by the hours spent working. Warriors sing dwarven chants to the gods as they meet their enemy on the battlefield. “May their hearts and pockets be rich,” is a prayer many Daewar merchants often utter before every sale. They are a spiritual people and honor those who respect them and their beliefs. Intense and loud, the golden-haired Daewar are often easy to recognize.
The wild Klar are natural explorers. Unlike many other dwarves, Klar have a knack for dealing with the natural wonders of the world, especially plants and animals. Even so, few Klar are willing travel far beyond their mountain home, preferring instead to explore the details of their own mountains before looking to the world beyond. However, a touch of insanity is prevalent in the Klar clan, and has produced some odd dwarves. Some have willingly left to make their fortune in the surfaceworld or even taken up the art of wizardry.
Social Structure
A mountain dwarf ’s life revolves around his clan and his place within it. Each clan is led by a Thane who represents his clan’s interests on the Council of Thanes. The original Council was established to be the ruling body of all dwarves upon Ansalon, but now each dwarven kingdom has its own Council.
In Thobardin, there are nine chairs on the Council of Thanes, one for each clan of seven clans, a chair for the Kingdom of the Dead—a nation of honored ancestors who have passed on before and the adopted clan of all dwarven clerics—and a chair for the High King of the dwarves. The High King of Thorbardin is the dwarf who rightfully claims the Hammer of Kharas. Without it, a dwarf may claim sovereignty, but he will never be accepted by all the clans as the true ruler.
Hylar (“Highest”): The Hylar clan has long been considered the ruling clan of the dwarves. They are noble in stature and commanding in nature. Hylar dwarves are expert architects and engineers, and are responsible for many of the great wonders found in the underground dwarven kingdoms. In Thorbardin, the Hylar have been reduced to a fraction of the power they once held. Many of their members were killed in Palanthas during the Chaos War and even more beneath the elven city of Qualinost when it collapsed. Also during the Chaos War, the entire stalactite city of Hybardin was destroyed, crashing into the Urkhan Sea. Jungor Stonesinger now claims the throne of the sealed off kingdom of Thorbardin, while exiled former king Tarn Bellowgranite resides in Pax Tharkas with his followers. The largest concentration of Hylar is now in the kingdom of Kayolin.
Daewar (“Dearest”): The mountain dwarves of the Daewar clan have long been allies with the Hylar clan. They are a zealous clan with a love of religion. Unfortunately, their frevent nature has often led to conflicts within the clan. Daewar warriors are often hailed for their wisdom and respect for the law. Daewar can often be found in positions of public safety and public works, and as healers. They are also instrumental in keeping safe a number of traditional dwarven ceremonies and sacred texts. During the Chaos War, the Daewar clan was too busy with dealing with civil unrest to assist the Hylar. Consequently, when the forces of Chaos attacked their city, they were unprepared and many lost their lives. In Thorbardin, the current Thane Granite Glitterstone represents the clan. In Pax Tharkas, General Otaxx Shortbeard speaks for the Daewar. In the ancient kingdom of Thoradin, Severus Stonehand rules over the Daewar and all the dwarves of that realm.
Klar (“Crazed”): The Klar clan has long existed to serve the Hylar. They are the most unpredictable of the dwarven clans. Since the arrival of the Hylar to Thorbardin thousands of years ago, the Klar have served both above and below the mountain. Some factions left Thorbardin after the Cataclysm and can be found in small enclaves across Ansalon. During the Chaos War, they were persuaded to turn against the Hylar and assisted in that clan’s downfall. Currently, Smeargash Splintershield speaks for the Klar in Thorbardin.
Neidar (“Nearest”): The hill dwarf clan of the Neidar consists of any dwarf who chooses to dwell above ground rather than beneath it (see Hill Dwarves). It is the largest and most widespread of all clans. Neidar representation on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes has been sparse, and Neidar Thanes have come and gone. Currently, the Neidar chair has been removed completely since the kingdom has been closed off to the outside again, and relations have become strained between the mountain dwarves and hill dwarves in that region. In Kayolin, there is no single voice for all Neidar; instead, hill dwarf village elders express their concerns on behalf of their village.
Theiwar (“Thankless”): The Theiwar are dark dwarves, a sadistic and cunning people. Unlike other mountain dwarves, they prefer secrecy and subterfuge to outright honesty. They are allergic to sunlight, and generations of inbreeding and isolation have given them distinct physical attributes that differ from other dwarves. They are also the only clan that has ever shown an interest in the arcane arts, which has set them apart from other clans. Currently, the female Theiwar Thane Brecha Quickspring represents the Theiwar in Thorbardin.
Daergar (“Deepest”): The dark dwarf clan of the Daergar has always been composed of deep dwellers, or dwarves who prefer the depths of the earth to the light of day. They are a physically strong and brutal folk, many of them do nothing other than working at the forge their entire lives. In the past, the Daergar supported the Hylar, but generations of bitterness about the Hylar hold of power in Thorbardin created a great resentment against the light-loving dwarves. The Daergar and Theiwar have often intermingled. Those dwarves known as Dewar represent parentage from both clans. In Thorbardin, Sleram Axedelver leads the Daergar.
Aghar (“Anquished”): The Aghar clan, better known as gully dwarves, has been an embarrassment to the dwarven race for thousands of years. They are small, disgusting creatures who scurry about like rats, living off gods know what and producing nothing of real value. Now that Thorbardin has fallen, the gully dwarves have spread into many of the ruined cities, running from teams of feral Klar and other more dangerous creatures that have made their lairs among the ruins. In Thorbardin, the current Thane of the Aghar is Grumple Nagfar. Thorbardin is not the only place they are found, however. Communities of gully dwarves can be found all over Ansalon.
Zhakar (“Accursed”): The only clan not currently represented on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes, other than the Neidar, is the Zhakar. This clan was formerly a part of the Theiwar stranded within their city beneath Thoradin after the Cataclysm, where a mold plague took root in the city and nearly killed everyone. Yet enough folk fought off the disease and the clan remained. However, the disease afflicted the dwarves and all their descendents. Their bodies are disfigured, and sunlight burns their skin. In the recent past, the Daewar Severus Stonehand traveled to Thoradin and proposed to cure them of their affliction for their servitude. Many agreed and were cured; others refused and were driven from the mountain. Now they live in various locations in the Khalkists Mountains, plotting their revenge. The last known leader of the Zhakar was Lord Brule Vaportwist, a cunning and ruthless dark dwarf.
Family Life
Most mountain dwarves will spend their entire lives beneath the earth. For hundreds of years, dwarves toil at the forge for family and clan, growing up, finding a mate, raising families, and retiring in wealth or dying honorably in battle. While mountain dwarves frequently seem commanding in nature, they can often become defensive when matters of a personal nature are brought up. Although dwarves are open about many aspects of life, true love is a private matter. Most dwarves find a suitable mate between the ages of forty and sixty. Male dwarves must impress the female dwarf and her family before declaring any intention of marriage. Dwarves mate for life; once married, they stay with their spouse until death. Even after one spouse has passed, it is considered immoral and distasteful for the widow or widower to marry again, as they consider doing so a dishonor the dead.
“From earth to earth and stone to stone, we give back what Reorx has delivered unto us.” This common phrase is uttered at many dwarven funerals. Mountain dwarf tradition dictates that honored dwarves must be buried in the earth upon their death. In the kingdom of Thorbardin, that tradition is upheld by placing the dead in a sacred valley above the underground kingdom known as the Valley of the Thanes. Thanes and dwarven nobility are given locations along the edges of the valley in the rock walls. Giant burial chambers with circular stone plugs house their bodies and, in some cases, the bodies of their honored ancestors. All other dwarves are given plots within different locations around the valley based on their clan affiliation.
When a dwarf is laid to rest, he is often buried with personal effects, such as weapons, armor, jewels, and tokens of respect from their family and friends. When the burial ceremony is complete, the tomb is closed or the grave covered with small boulders. In Thorbardin and Kayolin, each city also houses a great collection of stone burial chambers expertly crafted to hold thousands of dwarven dead. Following the Chaos War, the Life Tree of the Hylar collapsed into the Urkhan Sea and was renamed to the Isle of the Dead. Once a year, the mountain dwarves hold a ceremony known as the Festival of Lights, where thousands of lights are lit on the island and are marked with the symbol of a family that perished when the city fell. Lanterns are lit and songs are sung in honor of those who perished.
Names
Mountain dwarves use family names, such as Bonecutter, Hammerstand, Ironmaul, Longslate, and Thornwallen, with each family belonging to a larger clan. Individual names are given at birth; these often reflect an aspect of their clan values or the name of an honored ancestor. Male names include Blaxter, Handil, Hopton, Jerem, Shard, and Tarn, while common female names are Amelista, Andean, Girasol, Jett, Nebba, and Tera. Hylar dwarves pick names that are strong or commanding in nature. Often times, these names are related to the earth, such as Granite Stonesinger or Jade Stonetooth. Daewar dwarves prefer flashy names such as Olim Goldbuckle or Crystal Truesilver. In the Klar clan, they prefer names that are warrior-like in nature, such as Rilt Smeargash or Fara Greenblood.
Everyday Activity
Among the dwarves, the Hylar are known as inventors; they are responsible for a number of innovations such as aqueducts, pulleys, lifts, and underground cart systems that link together many of the sprawling dwarven cities. Their feats of engineering made it possible to build a city within a massive stalactite in Thorbardin.
For the Daewar, religion is ingrained in everyday lives. From the time they are young, Daewar are taught the importance of steadfast worship of the gods. Their lives are filled with rituals, birthing sacraments, naming ceremonies, and rites of passage all before adulthood.
Children are educated in the way of the forge and receive religious instruction from an early age. The dwarven saying “He was born with a hammer in his hand” is an apt expression regarding the early years of the majority of Daewar. Most children are visiting the forge by the time they can walk and hefting a hammer soon after.
Stone masonry and architecture are also part of a young dwarf's training. Instruction in the use of a hammer for building and warfare is tradition. Adults in the clan are charged with increasing the honor of their family within the community. Daewar often feel that appearance equals status, so the more flamboyantly a dwarf dresses or the more ostentatious his home, the greater his status in the community.
The dwarves of the Klar clan endure lives of servitude under the mountain. They are a clan of laborers and warriors, serving the most powerful clan under the mountain. Once they were a content clan of hill dwarves who lived above ground, but generations of mining quicksilver poisoned the minds of their people. Since they refused to give up the practice, their insanity continues. When the Hylar arrived in Thorbardin, they were given a city beneath the mountain for their assistance in building the kingdom. Now they live below Thorbardin, serving the king and occasionally siding with the dark dwarf clans if it serves their purpose.
Klar are born into their trade. Oftentimes, young dwarves are sent to work with their mother or father to learn their place in dwarven hierarchy. Since the Klar have a natural affinity for plants, they are often put in charge of maintaining the food warrens of Thorbardin and Kayolin.
The most well known territory belonging to the mountain dwarves is Thorbardin, located in the Kharolis Mountains south of Abanasinia. It was the first place all clans of dwarves joined together on Ansalon to create a massive underground kingdom. A great underground lake supplied fresh water, and a massive stalactite hanging from the cavernous ceiling allowed the Hylar to construct an entire city within it. Around the edges of the lake, the other dwarven clans established their own cities. Unfortunately, the kingdom was mostly destroyed during the Chaos War, and the surviving dwarves moved into the Northgate Complex, renaming it Nobardin.
In the Garnet Mountains of Solamnia, the dwarven province of Kayolin was constructed as the Age of Might was beginning. This dwarven realm, established by the Hylar and Daewar clans, has seen nothing but prosperity since its founding. The effect of having two clans so close in alliance with one another and the lack of the dark dwarf clans has allowed Kayolin to prosper where the other kingdoms have faltered.
The most recent addition to the lands of the mountain dwarves has been the recovery of the kingdom of Thoradin. The Daewar Severus Stonehand took many of the Daewar clan and dwarven refugees from the Chaos War, and traveled to Zhakar to reclaim the ancient halls of Thoradin from the dark and twisted dwarves who had laid claim to it. Severus Stonehand and his followers descended upon Zhakar and offered to heal the dark dwarves in exchange for their allegiance. Most of the dwarves refused and were cast from their homes. Severus declared himself king of Thoradin and claimed the realm for his people.
Arts and Industry
While the gnomish race often claims to be masters of technology, anyone who has ever visited the underground kingdoms of the dwarves would be quick to disagree. The mountain dwarves of Ansalon have accomplished feats of architecture and engineering at which many non-dwarves can only marvel. In Thorbardin, crystal suntunnels descend from the surface hundreds of feet through solid stone, allowing sunlight to reach the cities below ground.
This allows the mountain dwarves to determine night from day, even though few actually experience the passing of the seasons outside.
To travel between cities in Thorbardin, massive tunnels large enough to allow for marching armies were constructed. To ascend and descend between the various levels of the kingdom, great lift-and-pulley systems were designed. One of these lifts was instrumental to travel in the stalactite city of Hybardin before its fall. Thousands of expertly hidden ventilation shafts allow the air of the underground kingdoms to circulate and allow the escape of smoke from thousands of burning hot forges which are constantly in operation.
Magical Practices
Mountain dwarves believe divine magic to be a gift from the gods, and arcane magic is a curse. Mysticism has been widely accepted as dwarves can understand tapping into the power of their own being; thus, mystics are permitted and even encouraged. Arcane magic, however, was born of the Graygem; therefore, it can’t be trusted. In ancient times, dwarven craftsmen would take their work to clerics to be blessed and imbued with divine powers. This practice was common until the Cataclysm. Powerful dwarven magic items have not been made since that time. Even now, as dwarven clerics are returning to the world, generations will pass until the dwarves can produce weapons and armor to match the best of what they could do in the Age of Might.
The only clan that tolerates arcane magic is the Theiwar. Ever since the arrival of the Wizards of High Sorcery in Thorbardin thousands of years ago, the Theiwar began to look to arcane magic as a way to garner more power within the dwarven clans. They experimented with magic; eventually, this experimentation began to taint the dwarves and change their appearance. Over generations, the Theiwars’ skin turned yellow and their hair turned white. They accepted these changes, knowing it unnerved the other dwarves of the mountain.
Up until the War of the Lance, all dwarven wizards were renegades. They cared nothing for the Orders of High Sorcery and practiced wizardry by handing down the knowledge from one dwarven mage to another. Just before the War of the Lance, a dwarven wizard by the name of Vosil Grudgeback made contact with and joined the Orders of High Sorcery. Within the next decade, the dark dwarf founded an organization known as the Obsidian Circle, which worked to establish the Orders of High Sorcery within Thorbardin. This organization was short lived, as it fell apart when the Chaos War descended upon the dwarven realm and High Sorcery disappeared along with the gods of magic.
Religion
Mountain dwarves respect religious traditions and incorporate them in their daily lives. Even in those ages when the gods have been silent, some dwarves continued their veneration. However, in the centuries following the Cataclysm, many dwarves gave up hope, believing the gods had abandoned them. Some temples to Reorx were converted into places of learning, while others were abandoned entirely.
Following the War of the Lance, the dwarves were reunited with Reorx once again, and the forge fires at the heart of each temple were reignited. The sounds of hammers ringing against steel, and the comforting chant of the dwarven clerics echoed through the underground halls. After the Chaos War, many dwarves turned to the Power of the Heart in order to keep their traditions alive, although this practice did not come without a price; the use of mysticism brought its own problems. Some dwarves believed it was a betrayal to use this new magic.
In the Daewar clans, the use of this magic brought civil unrest as the dwarves hotly debated the use of magic. Severus Stonehand made the use of mysticism even more questionable by using his magic to persuade many of the Daewar clan to follow him out of Thorbardin, an act that fractured the already unstable Daewar clan. The eventual return of Reorx and the rest of the gods following the War of Souls helped ease that tension. Now with the return of the clerics, the use of mysticism is being reconsidered as a gift from their god.
Most mountain dwarves observe religious holidays and ceremonies. Among the more common rituals are naming ceremonies of newborns, weddings, and blessings of artifacts.
While Reorx is considered the high god of the dwarves, he is not the only one worshiped. The Hylar traditionally prefer to remain to true to Reorx, although Shinare also has a small following. The Daewar generally feel open to worship any of the good or neutral gods. Among the favored are Thak the Hammer (Paladine), Kijo the Blade (Kiri-Jolith), the Silver Mistress (Shinare), and Sirrion the Firemaster. Among the Klar clan, many dwarves venerate Reorx, but a fair number also worship Chislev, who they often refer to as the Living Earth. The Klar are the only mountain dwarf clan known to have druids among their people.
Folklore
Mountain dwarves love folktales and use them to instruct younger generations. One of the oldest folktales describes the account of Kitlin Fishtaker and his encounter with the Graygem. The story teaches young dwarves the dangers of meddling with magic and the general incompetence of other races.
Reorx, Master of the Forge, was led astray. The gods in the heavens asked him to craft a jewel from the very essence of Chaos. Knowing the danger it could present, he first received pledges that it would remain in the heavens. Unfortunately, this was not to be so. When the gemstone was finished, it was delivered into the hands of the gods. Now no one knows for sure how the Graygem was lost; some tales say it was gnomes with a ladder that climbed to the heavens. Others say it was simply dropped from the heavens by a careless or mischievous god. Whatever the reason, the gem was taken from the heavens and delivered to a human king.
Only one thing could have been worse than the magical stone being in the hands of a human—having it in the hands of a gnome. The gnomes claimed the gem was theirs, and they stormed the keep. Eventually, one of their inventions accidentally destroyed a wall of the keep, and they captured the stone. After recovering the jewel, the fool gnomes set it free. Now the abomination was free to roam the world.
The gem rampaged across the land. It was a force without reason, a power without logic. The arcane energies twisted and distorted the creation Reorx himself had worked so hard to create.
Then one day, it crossed the path of a dwarf known as Kitlin Fishtaker. Kitlin was a dwarven spearman. He made his trade by catching fish along the shores of Kal-Thax and trading the fish to a nearby human settlement for supplies. As he stood on the shore holding his two-pronged spear, he gazed into the water. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flying magical stone. Thinking fast, Kitlin decided to capture the stone before its foul magic could spread further across the world. The dwarf tossed his spear into the skies, and his aim was true. He hit the stone, and the Graygem fell into the shallow waters.
Kitlin rushed forward and captured the stone, but the power of Chaos was too much for even the mightiest dwarf to resist. The stone punished the dwarf; it placed magical sigils in each of his palms. The dwarf could feel the taint of the arcane magic throughout his body. Shocked by his affliction, Kitlin let go of the stone, and it escaped into the sky. From that day forward, anyone who touched Kitlin Fishtaker would also catch the magical disease. The dwarven spearman became an outcast among his people and lived the rest of his life alone and miserable.
Language
All dwarves share a common language. Each region and clan tends to have its own dialect, however. When one dwarf speaks to another, he can usually determine where that dwarf was raised and to which clan they belong. The mountain dwarf dialect has changed little over time, even less than the hill dwarf, due to the fact that mountain dwarves rarely mix with other races and cultures. The spoken language is harsh and choppy. Even when spoken fluently, it sounds harsh to the ears.
Dwarven does not use an alphabet, but a system of runes. These runes have evolved very little since their creation. Each clan and family also have their own rune.
These are often etched into the items mountain dwarves create. There are few ancient dwarven texts, but those that exist are usually found in the possession of mountain dwarves. The Hylar of Thorbardin have long kept extensive histories and genealogies of their people and accomplishments. Many of these were destroyed during the Chaos War. The Daewar clan also keeps a number of written religious documents and histories.
The dwarven language is designed for use in engineering and architecture. This may have been a natural evolution of the culture. The language allows for easy explanation of various processes, revealing an exacting amount of detail and precision. Planners and designers use it to get their point across to engineers, who in turn can relay that information to workers and laborers.
“Rust and Tarnish.” This phrase indicates dissatisfaction with a situation. The decay of metal is a commonly used in the dwarven language to express discontent or frustration.
“By Reorx’s Beard!” This is a common cry among dwarves on the battlefield. It is also often exclaimed when a dwarf is taken by surprise.
“Don’t be fooled by a crumbling jewel’s luster.” This phrase is a warning of caution to another dwarf to not trust what they see without looking closer.
Racial Relations
Mountain dwarves deal with other races on a limited scale. While many mountains dwarves are merchants, they rarely leave their underground kingdoms, preferring to sell just to their own kind. Views about other races are often developed from second-hand hearsay or brief encounters when representatives of that race have visited the mountain dwarf home.
On the whole, mountain dwarves consider elves to be haughty and reclusive. The kingdom of Thorin traded with Silvanesti, and the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin built up a strong relationship with the elves of Qualinesti. Yet those relationships were severed with the occurrence of the Cataclysm. The elves retreated into their forest homes, and the mountain dwarves retreated underground. Following the Chaos War, Tarn Bellowgranite tried to convince the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin that the elves could once again be strong allies. Unfortunately, his plan ultimately failed when thousands of dwarves and elves perished in the fall of Qualinesti. Now, with the elves exiled from their lands, it seems highly improbable that such a relationship could be restored.
Mountain dwarves find gnomes amusing in a pathetic way. Dwarves live among some of the greatest examples of architecture and technology Ansalon has ever known. Gnomes are clearly cursed. This is painfully obvious in their so-called inventions and their illogical methodologies. However, mountain dwarves admit they admire the gnomish desire to create and their tireless work ethic.
Mountain dwarves do not quite understand half-elves. Often, they simply assume they are humans. However, half-elves do seem to be amiable and understanding, and relations between mountain dwarves and half-elves often work well.
Humans are often too unpredictable to place in any one category. While many humans make good trading partners, just as many want to rob you blind. Dwarves deal with humans on a case-by-case basis.
Mountain dwarves find kender as irritating as gully dwarves. Thankfully, not many of them make it below ground. In dwarven eyes, they can’t be trusted.
Mountain dwarves have no love for minotaurs. They rarely trade with them and know very little about them, beyond the fact that they are large, smelly, and like to fight.
Draconians, ogres, and goblins fall in the same category. No self-respecting dwarf would waste time dealing with them.
Barbarian: The Klar are perfect for the barbarian class. They are wild, and in some cases, insane and prone to fits of rage. Daewar are also just as passionate, but their society is too lawful and does not lend itself well to barbarism. Hylar dwarves would rarely take this class.
Bard: Much like hill dwarves, mountain dwarves find arcane magic atrocious. Even so, the most likely candidate to be a bard would be a Daewar dwarf. The Daewar are the most tolerant of sorcery among the light-loving mountain dwarves. However, if any Daewar is discovered using sorcery, he becomes an outcast rather quickly.
Cleric: The Daewar clan has always been highly religious, sometimes to their detriment. Clerics are common among Daewar dwarves. Reorx, Shinare, Sirrion, and Kiri-Jolith are the usual deities worshiped. The Hylar and Klar also have clerics among their ranks as well.
Druid: The only known dwarven druids have been from the Klar clan. The Klar seem to have the closest connection to the living earth, as they refer to it. Through the living earth, they learn of all the creatures of the world, even those above their subterranean homes.
Fighter: Every dwarven clan has fighters. Not just warriors, but effective well-trained fighters. They focus mostly on melee combat, but dwarven fighters are experts at drawing enemies into deadly traps and ambushes.
Monk: Mountain dwarf monks are rare. Although the Hylar and Daewar prefer a structured and ordered lifestyle, there have never been any official dwarven monastic orders. If a mountain dwarf learned martial fighting and monk abilities, it would be outside their underground kingdom.
Mystic: Some mountain dwarves have taken up mysticism, but few ever travel outside their home in order to explore it fully. They use their abilities for the good of their clan within the mountain. In Thorbardin, mysticism has garnered a bad reputation due to Severus Stonehand and his exile from the dwarven kingdom. The other dwarven kingdoms have accepted this new form of magic.
Paladin: Daewar occassionally produce a Paladin, but they are unheard of among other clans. The Daewar martial ability and religious nature make this class a good fit.
Ranger: The Klar fall naturally into the role of the ranger. These rangers focus their skills on scouting new caverns and dealing with underground threats. Not surprisingly, these rangers have a stronger connection with burrowing animals.
Rogue: All clans have dwarves who will do whatever it takes to gain great wealth. Among the Hylar and Daewar, these rogues often work as con-artists and dishonest merchants, focusing on Diplomacy and Bluff. Klar rogues are more likely to be thugs who skulk in alleyways, waiting for unsuspecting dwarves to rob.
Sorcerer: Like the bard, this class is extremely rare among mountain dwarves. Dwarven sorcerers, like any dwarf using arcane magic, are banished from their clan if discovered, unless they come from the Theiwar.
Wizard: The only mountain dwarf wizards are outcasts. The Theiwar are the only dwarves who openly accept the use of arcane magic, much to the consternation of the other clans.
Warlock: The only mountain dwarf warlocks are outcasts, as well.
Mountain Dwarf Racial Traits
Mountain dwarves use the same racial features for mountain dwarves found on page 20 of the Player’s Handbook.
Dark Dwarves
From the lightless depths of the dwarven kingdoms, the dark dwarves of Ansalon plot and scheme against the clans of their light-loving brothers and against each other. The dark dwarves of Ansalon come from one of three tribes: the Theiwar, Daergar, or Zhakar. Dark dwarves struggle for power below, and sometimes above, the surface of Ansalon, with each clan doing so in their own unique way.
Physical Appearance
The Daergar are similar to their light-loving cousins in appearance. They range from 4 to 4 ½ feet in height and are often nearly as wide as they are tall. Hair color ranges from light brown to black; their eyes cover the same spectrum of color.
The Theiwar, through centures of inbreeding and isolation, have developed two interesting physical traits. First, they are extremely fair, with many true albinos among their number. Second, while they are roughly the same height as other dwarves, they tend to be somewhat skinny and are more wiry than their bretheren.
A Zhakar begins his life looking as any other dwarf. However, as his life progress, the mold plague carried by his clan changes his appearance to something considered grotesque by other dwarves. By middle age, all of the Zhakar’s hair will have fallen out, and his eyes will have become a milky-white. His skin will be discolored and splotchy, with odd patches of skin that molt continuously. Not enough time has passed since Severus Stonehand cured some of the Zhakar of their plague to know what impact this will have on the the clan and their appearance.
Psychology
Dark dwarves are naturally suspicious of others. They tend to keep to themselves and only surrender information when they feel it is necessary; trust is almost an alien concept. Dark dwarves trust only the backstabbing nature they see in every race. They usually only interact with other races if they feel they can gain something in the exchange. If a dark dwarf saves a companion in a fight, it just means the dwarf has other uses for that person.
Dark dwarves are quite aware of how other races view them; this is part of what defines the dark dwarf personality and their drive for power. They automatically assume everyone fears them and will try to use this to their advantage. When presented with a situation that defies this logic, dark dwarves assume there must be some hidden motive for others to consider them less than evil.
Daergar are often loud and demanding. In Daergar settlements, many disputes are settled in short violent encounters. Even if a dark dwarf is not the leader in a party, he acts as if he is and gives orders, instead of asking others what they believe to be the best course of action.
Social Structure
The Theiwar and Daergar clans each have Thanes who represent them on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes before the High King. While most Theiwar and Daergar say they would follow the High King of Thorbardin, none have made any such commitment to the dwarven King elected by the Council. Regardless of the pledges their Thanes may make, however, there is always some dark dwarf faction willing to betray anyone at any time.
Among the Theiwar, the position of Thane is potentially the most dangerous. Theiwar Thanes come to power by assassinating their predecessors. However, the current Thane, Brecha Quickspring, took the reigns of power from her father when he perished during the Chaos War. Thane Brecha is loyal, for a Theiwar, to the current High King Jungor Stonesinger. Instrumental in assisting the Hylar attain power, Brecha is in a position of power no other Theiwar has ever attained.
The Daergar clan respect strength, so to no surprise, their Thane is normally determined in a trial by combat. However, the current thane, Sleram Axedelver, did not reach his position in this manner. He was appointed by the current High King for his loyalty to the crown. Many Daergar are infuriated with this assignment, and it won’t be long before new Daergar Thane will be challenged. Among the Zhakar, there is no Thane. The position of king was held by whoever had the most influence over the various factions within the community. Now that the clan has been scattered, there is no central ruler. Various family groups work independently of one another. The largest group of Zhakar outside Thoradin is lead by a dwarf known as Lord Brule Vaportwist. He is a cruel military leader who has protected many of his people against the invasion of Severus Stonehand. Working alongside Lord Vaportwist is a mysterious Zhakar dwarf known as Coal Flamebringer, also known as the Bringer of the Black Flame. The Flamebringer and his followers worship a great fiery worm-like creature that dwells in the depths of Thoradin.
Family Life
Within Theiwar society, it is common for families to war against one another in an attempt to gain control of precious resources. This internal struggle keeps the Theiwar from gathering enough power as a clan to gain much power of their own. There are many secretive partnerships and organizations within the clan that work to control different aspects of society.
The Daergar take a different view and prefer to have the physically strongest leader in a position of power. Rather than scheme and plot behind the scenes against one another, families organize their own militias to war against their neighbors. Much like the Theiwar, Daergar spend more time and energy fighting amongst themselves than they do fighting external foes. The few times a strong leader has taken the reigns and forced the Theiwar to cooperate internally, the power they have possessed has been frightening to the other clans.
Land & Settlements
The largest collection of dark dwarves in Ansalon resides in the city of Nobardin in the mountain kingdom of Thorbardin. The Theiwar and Daergar clans dwell in the depths of a massive dwarf-made crevice known as the Anvil’s Echo. Prior to the Chaos War, each clan had two cities in Thorbardin. The Theiwar lived in Theibardin and Theiwarin, and the Daergar had the cities of Daerforge and Daerbardin. These cities were reduced to ruins during the Anvil Summer, and the dwarves were forced to evacuate to the Northgate Complex, renamed to Nobardin.
The Zhakar clan once claimed the ancient dwarven realm of Thoradin as their own, but since their forced exile at the hands of Severus Stonehand, they now dwell in scattered cavern systems throughout the Khalkist Mountains.
Throughout the rest of the continent, dark dwarf enclaves have been discovered from time to time. This is often followed by a violent attack from the dark dwarves and their disappearance underground. Under the Desolation, adventurers have returned with many tales of evil creatures, including gangs of dark dwarves. It is believed these dwarves left their clans for some purpose, but no one can say exactly why.
Names
The Theiwar prefer names that denote magical ability or craftiness, such as Pounce Quickspring, Kera Shadowfist, and Relghar Cutshank. The Daergar prefer names that will strike fear into an enemy: Vog Ironface, Brack Blackblood, and Gurt Rockgutt. The Zhakar naming traditions are similar to the Theiwar, but they tend to incorporate their deformities into their names, such as Toldec Two-teeth, Glome Scarback, and Harpy Crookedstep.
Everyday Activity
In the lightless bowels of the Anvil’s Echo, the Theiwar clan lives out its daily existence. Their city is comprised of a tangled sprawl of homes, stores, forges, and factories. For a city of dwarves, it is surprisingly quiet. The Theiwar go about their business, careful not to draw attention to themselves. Theiwar are taught from an early age that it can be dangerous to stand out. There is no laughter or yelling, and conversation is usually held in low whispers. The only sound is the tireless echo of hammer striking metal and the commotion from the Daergar clan nearby. There are very few lights; in places where lights are common, they are just as often supplanted by arcane magic—magical fires giving off no heat and unnatural colors.
The lowest levels of the Anvil’s Echo are reserved for the Daergar clan. The only light from their city comes from the countless forge fires. Coal dust and smoke are heavy in the air and coat everything with a thin black layer of ash. In opposition to the Theiwar, the Daergar are loud and angry, and their yells echo alongside the noise of the forges. The stone buildings of the Daergar are simple and functional. They do not waste time with intricate detail or believe in wasting valuable metals for simple viewing pleasure.
While the Zhakar once had a great city, they now dwell within caves. Their introverted nature is even more extreme than the Theiwar. Embarrassed by their disease, most Zhakar prefer to remain apart from the world. Their cavern homes are well hidden by skilled stone masons. Settlements are often dark and quiet, making it difficult to know the exact number of Zhakar present at any one time.
Religion
All dwarves revere Reorx as the high god. Dark dwarves are no different; they give Reorx the Creator the proper respect. However, most dark dwarves crave power and to this end, many of them worshiped Tamex the False Metal (Takhisis) and prayed for her assistance. Additionally, the Theiwar venerate Hitax the Flaw (Hiddukel); the Daergar honor Sargonax the Bender (Sargonas); and the Zhakar revere Morgax the Rustlord (Morgion).
Language
All dark dwarves speak Dwarven, plus the languages of their natural enemies, such as Ogre or Goblin. All dark dwarves are taught to understand Hammertalk, the dwarven tradition of tapping hammers on stone in various codes. Theiwar assassins have developed hand signals, known as Flash Talk, to communicate certain ideas while remaining completely silent. Dark dwarves rarely engage in idle chat.
Racial Relations
Despite the fact that dark dwarves are evil at heart, the Hylar believe all dwarves can live together in peace. This was certainly demonstrated during the Age of Might when each clan had a role to play in the success of the dwarven nations. Unfortunately, centuries of isolation following the Cataclysm brought out the worst in all clans. The clans of Thorbardin have been forced to deal with one another on a daily basis since the Chaos War. Most of the taverns of Nobardin are open to dwarves of any clan, so it’s not surprising to find a Theiwar and Daewar drinking together. On the whole, however, there is much resentment between
the dark dwelling and light loving dwarves.
The Zhakar hate any dwarf who is not of their clan, blaming the other clans for their misfortunes. Some Zhakar have even gone so far as to make alliances with the ogres of the Khalkist Mountains in order to increase their strength against Severus Stonehand and his followers.
Throughout the ages, dark dwarves have worked with every evil race at one time or another. The Zhakar have fought along side ogres almost as often as they have fought them. If an anyone, whether human, elf, ogre, or draconian, makes an offer of power or wealth, the dark dwarves will usually ally themselves until it is apparent they will not gain from the alliance.
Most humans have proven to be greedy and selfserving. Dark dwarves believe it’s just part of human nature and depend on this when dealing with them. They find concepts such as sacrifice for the greater good and selflessness weaknesses to be exploited.
Kender and gnomes are irritating but can usually be manipulated easily enough. However, they can’t be trusted to get anything important done.
Elves are only as useful as the jewelry around their necks. They are better off dead and don’t belong in the dark dwarven world.
The only race dark dwarves have been known to get along with are minotaurs. Their evil tendencies appeal to dark dwarves. They trust minotaurs to stab them in the front, rather than the back.
Character Classes
Dark dwarves make excellent rogues, with their racial bonuses to Hide and Move Silent skills. Their darkvision is also extremely useful when skulking in dark places. As far as the individual clans go, the Daergar are very martial, and it is common for them to select fighter as a class. Not surprisingly, High Sorcery is a natural selection for a Theiwar character. Most Zhakar are rogues, but an elite disciplined group that serves the Cult of the Black Flame includes a number of monks.
Dark Dwarf Racial Traits
Dark dwarves use the following racial features in addition to the Dwarf racial features found in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +1 racial bonus to your Dexterity.
Superior Darkvision. You have darkvision up to 120 feet.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and wisdom (perception) checks when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Sneaky. You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when trying to hide in lowlight conditions.
Gully Dwarves
Gully dwarves are a race many consider to be the lowest form of sapient life. They are considered members of the dwarven race. Among the dwarves, their clan name is Aghar, meaning “Anguished”, a sentiment many true dwarves feel this race embodies. Most races know them as gully dwarves. Dirty, smelly, socially inept, and natural scavengers, the dwarves of the Aghar clan are rarely seen in public, unless they have been put into the service of someone brave enough to use them. Occasionally, the rare gully dwarf climbs out of his or her dung heap in order to start an adventuring career.
Physical Appearance
Gully dwarves are short and squat, averaging 3 1/2 to 4 feet in height. They are not as stocky as other dwarves, with slender arms and fingers. Most gully dwarves, regardless of gender, have potbellies. Skin tones range from pasty, pale white to dirty gray brown. Eye colors run from a pale watery blue to dull hazel. Males have long, scruffy beards, while females have small tufts of hair on their cheekbones.
A gully dwarf will dress in anything, or nothing at all, depending on what is available. Warts and sores cover a good portion of a gully dwarf ’s body; a thin coat of filth is always present.
Psychology
Aghar are traditionally known to be stupid, lazy, and even cowards.
This is actually far from the truth. The Aghar actually possess a great deal of talent from their forefathers, the gnomes and dwarves of Krynn. Aghar are actually wiser, and sturdier than both of those progenitors.
The Aghar are one of the most rugged of all "dwarven" clans. They are nearly immune to all known diseases and poisons. They can subsist on little amounts of food and water. They can withstand large conditions like cold and hot weather. They can survive anywhere, in even the worse of conditions. It is this talent that is also their bane. Because they can survive in such conditions that other races would call filthy or destitute, the Aghar can be found in such areas where they can live peacefully. Other races tend to look down on the Aghar because of their living conditions, but Aghar in their wisdom, seldom complain. The typical Aghar is actually a victim of the culture and surroundings of "superior" races who are very likely to enslave and kill Aghar. Aghar, given their violent life know that to run away is to live another day. Tomorrow is the reward for safety today. Their "sad" conditions are actually environments of safely and protection from other races.
This survivability allows the Aghar to ignore things that other races would consider vastly important. For example, an Aghar that works at an inn might be known for accidentally spilling drinks and lapping up the spilled ale by licking the floor. To other races, this displays the worst of the disgusting Aghar. But to the Aghar, who is nearly immune to any disease it is no bother. Human conventions, like keeping drinks clean and dirt-free, is to promote healthy food. But to the Aghar, such contrivances are not necessary, as the dirt only adds flavor, and doesn't do any harm. Spoiled food, like a rotten apple, while causing sickness to a human or other dwarves, is only a flavorful ripe fruit to the Aghar, who wouldn't be harmed by such things. The Aghar ability to live in harsh environments means they can live in areas of refuse in major cities without paying rent or owning land. The needs of the Aghar, are therefore, quite simple: survive against other races with weapons.
Aghar are actually vastly cagey, and intelligent, especially their leaders. The Highbulp in Xak Tsaroth, caught between the dragonarmy forces and the Innfellows deliberately sent Tanis to a trap in the hopes the Heroes kill Onyx, or die trying. The Clans are known for their lack of education, but that is not based on their lack of intelligence. They can learn, adapt, and even the legendary Flint Fireforge was trapped by Aghar in the shadow years before the War of the Lance. The Aghar are known for "not knowing two" as a sign of their lack of intelligence. However, many Aghar live a lifestyle where the need to know numbers aren't necessary. To the Aghar, "two" translates as "many".
The Aghar, when cornered, and forced to fight, can be voracious fighters.
Social Structure
The greater Aghar clan is split into a number of different tribes. Each tribe has its own leader whose name is the specific tribe’s name with “High” added to the front, such as Highbulp of the Bulp clan or Highglorp of the Glorp clan. While the High Chief of Thorbardin serves as the Thane on the Council of Thanes, he does not represent all the tribes across Ansalon. It is doubtful that many of the tribes outside of Thorbardin even know of the place. Each High Chief is usually any gully dwarf who asserts himself and can build up enough support from friends and family. Once a High Chief has been established, their rule is law.
Each High Chief is different and has his own agenda; most of the time it simply includes making sure he is fat, safe, rich, and happy. Secondary considerations are caring for the tribe and making sure they know how to make the High Chief fat, safe, rich, and happy.
Family Life
Gully dwarves live together in large interconnected families. Each family has gully dwarves who inevitably fall into different roles; some are the best hunters and some the best gatherers. They do this out of an instinct for survival more than anything else. The ruler of the entire clan is usually the most charismatic dwarf who is strong enough or crafty enough to take away leadership from the last ruler.
Lands and Settlements
Gully dwarves have spread to every corner of Ansalon. They exist in small groups in nearly every city and in larger tribes in many ruins. Where other races only see destruction and devastation, gully dwarves see opportunity and riches. The largest collection of gully dwarves can now be found in the ruins of Thorbardin. The Aghar clan claim a small stretch of land on the outskirts of Daerforge, known as Agharbardin.
Other than Thorbardin, other tribes have found lives in other places: the sewers of Palanthas, under the docks of Flotsam, in the cavern systems below Sanction, and numerous ruins throughout the continent. Gully dwarves have never had an ancestral land; they have always been nomadic. When some disaster occurs or the High Chief of the tribe decides it is time to move on, the tribe dutifully follows their leader in search of This Place. No one is quite sure of where This Place is, but when the High chief finds it, he knows. The entire tribe settles down once again.
Names
When gully dwarves are born, they are often given simple names. Names like Jeb, Pog, Grub, Blip, Bupu, and Guk are common. As gully dwarves grow older, they often change these names, depending on new words they have heard or deeds they have performed, such as Clout, Squat, Ratt, Rags, Twitch, Scab, Thump, Scatter, Verm, Maggot, and so on. Tribe names follow the same pattern of simple one or two syllable words: Gug, Plug, Hak, Churp, and Bung.
Everyday Activity
Wherever filth, decay, and ruin can be found, there are gully dwarves. They dwell in the places on Krynn generally only reserved for vermin. They have no need for homes, and they have no skilled workers; gully dwarves forage for nearly everything they need. As such, gully dwarves do not build settlements. Any place a gully dwarf can curl up and fall asleep is a good enough place to rest for the night. Usually only the High Chief demands some kind of chamber, but even then, it is shared with other members of his tribe.
Gully dwarf communities dwell in natural caverns or the forgotten ruins of other races. They live by hunting and foraging from day to day, digging up roots, collecting weeds, snails, beetles, rats, and anything else that might be edible. Clothing is stolen or salvaged from the waste other races. Basic tools and weapons are similarly found. The actual worth of an item generally depends on how often it can be used or its shininess. Trading for services is common in the rare instance a gully dwarf actually has a service to provide.
Oddly enough, despite their generally dirty living habits, gully dwarves make excellent cooks. They have a knack for making even gross, unconventional ingredients into something palatable and more often than not fairly tasty. If a gully dwarf is given a properly stocked kitchen, the food that comes from it can be amazing. However, other races will rarely trust a gully dwarf to prepare their food.
Religion
Reorx, the high god of all dwarves, failed the gully dwarves. While other folk live lives of luxury, gully dwarves live in squalor. It’s not that they mind, but it only proves Reorx forgot them. So gully dwarves in turn do the same. They have discovered that the only people you can truly rely on are your own friends and family. To this end, the gully dwarves tend to worship their ancestors. They believe their loved ones are watching and guiding them. Giving thanks now and again can improve your fortune.
Aghar also believe inanimate objects can be given true magical powers. This usually coincides with some personal event and an object they are holding at the time.
A tribe usually has a shaman of some sorts, a wisedwarf who has ideas and grasps the concept that there are numbers beyond two. Sometimes these shamans claim to speak with the spirits of the dead.
Language
The gully dwarf language is an amazing thing. Known as Gullytalk, it seems to be a constantly evolving language. To non-Aghar, it is harsh and headache-inducing. Even to full-blooded dwarves, the language is a seemingly incomprehensible garble of slang and broken regional words. Hand gestures are an intricate part of Gullytalk and serve to communicate as much as words. Gullytalk does not support any complex or detailed conversation.
Racial Relations
Most gully dwarves spend their entire lives running away from the other races of the world, so most have little knowledge of what to expect when confronted. Most simply assume all the other races of the world are out to get them. If they are with other gully dwarves, they often feel comforted and safe until any threat presents itself.
In Thorbardin, the gully dwarves live off the refuse of the other dwarves. Most consider it a form charity, but they still realize they are not accepted. In Kayolin, gully dwarves are treated fairly and given jobs, such as cleaning city streets or harvesting poison mushrooms. In either case, the gully dwarves are simply content to live their lives as they always have.
Sometimes, they cannot distinguish the difference between an evil race and a good race. Ogres and elves appear to treat them with the same revulsion and arrogance. Universally shunned by nearly all races, gully dwarves often assume they are never wanted and rarely form any lasting opinions.
Character Classes
Barbarian: This class is a great fit for gully dwarf characters. The hit points and natural gully dwarf resistances make the character extremely difficult to kill. Plus, when backed in a corner, most gully dwarves fly into a frenzy. The barbarian rage would address this aspect perfectly.
Bard: This is an interesting concept and would be a challenge to roleplay. The idea of a gully dwarf inspiring people to greatness would be difficult to grasp. However, it may be possible if the gully dwarf was more of a jester. In addition, the idea of an ode sung by a gully dwarf could be an amusing prospect.
Cleric: Gully dwarf clerics are rare. As a rule, gully dwarves mistrust the gods. However, a particular character may believe the god she follows was once a long lost ancestor, granting her miracles.
Druid: The gully dwarf druid would also be a rare individual. A druid draws on a broad number of abilities to be effective. A gully dwarf druid could have a dire rat companion and only cast a limited amount of spells, but he believes ancestor magic allows him to change shape into various animals.
Fighter: Gully dwarf fighters are fairly common. Among every tribe, there are certain members who are known for their fighting ability. This usually concerns fights between members of the tribe. As they are not penalized in Strength and have a bonus to Constitution, gully dwarves make effective fighters.
Monk: This is another rare class for a gully dwarf, but it is more likely than others. A monastery may be one of the few places any gully dwarf might find acceptance. Their bonus to Dexterity could also make them exceptional at tumbling and acrobatics. Since Wisdom is not negatively impacted, this could be one of their better scores. Working against them is their small size, cowardice, and general lack of discipline.
Mystic: Gully dwarf mystics began to appear at roughly the same time as mystics from other races. Their belief in the power of certain inanimate objects allows them to focus their inner energies through the object to manifest as mystic spells and abilities. Few gully dwarves ever realize their potential as spellcasters. Instead they use the magic for stunning rats or catching spiders. Many are convinced that without this special object (be it a dead lizard, snail shell, or old necklace), their powers would cease to function.
Paladin: A gully dwarf paladin would be a unique character, the only one of his kind ever. Since gully dwarves do not normally worship the gods, it would be unusual for one to select a gully dwarf as a champion.
Ranger: The class suits the idea of gully dwarf, one who primarily spends all his time tracking, foraging, and moving about in a stealthy manner.
Rogue: Aghar are naturally adept at sneaking, so this is a decent path for them to take.
Sorcerer: Gully dwarf sorcerers would know few spells and have fewer skill points, but they would most likely have more hit points than most sorcerers.
Wizard: A gully dwarf would make very poor wizard because of their complete lack of education.
Warlock: It's difficult to imagine any greater being would make a pact with a gully dwarf, but stranger things have happened.
Gully Dwarf Racial Traits
Gully dwarves have the following racial features rather than those for dwarves found in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. You receive a +2 bonus to both your Constitution and Dexterity scores and a -4 to your Intelligence score.
Size. Gully dwarves average height is between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base speed is 25 feet.
Survival Instinct. You are driven to survive. Toward that end, you have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks when you take the Hide action.
Hardy. You are resistant to the effects of poison and disease. You have advantage on all Constitution saving throws made to resist these effects.
Pitiable. Gully dwarf diplomacy consists of begging, crying, groveling and pleading, and you have honed this ability to a fine art. You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to convince an enemy not to harm you.
Cowardly. You have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist the effects of fear.
Languages. Common, Gullytalk
Goblins
Some call them the slave race. Others refer to them as the unwashed mob. Still more consider them worse than gully dwarves. They have been dominated for centuries and forced to serve in mines or made to work as foot soldiers and messengers. In some of the worst realms of Ansalon, goblins struggle ceaselessly as lackeys for humans or ogres. Stray dogs and kender are treated better than goblins.
The free goblins who roam across Krynn are a skittish lot, cowardly unless their tribe is of significant numbers, and always fearful they’ll end up under the thumb of a more powerful people. Cunning and resourceful, they manage to survive in the shadow of Krynn’s greater races, foraging and raiding the smallest human settlements for food, clothes, and weapons. In some cases, they even form cities.
Their bigger cousins, hobgoblins and bugbears, are slightly more respected because of their size and ferocity. When hobgoblins or bugbears are found with goblins, the former are almost always in charge and receive the best of the spoils. Their presence motivates and emboldens the smaller goblins, which in sometimes has elevated goblinkind to rare heights of glory. For the most part, however, a goblin is a goblin—the weak, sniveling, scavenging underdog, waiting for a chance to break out of its cursed fate.
History
The goblin race first surfaced in the Age of Dreams, following the wandering path of the Graygem upon the landscape. Prior to the Graygem’s mutagenic effects, legend does speak of high ogre breeding projects designed to produce a slave race to make up for the loss of humankind. These tales suggest that smaller ogres were interbred with captive elves, and the commingling of these bloodlines with the foul work of the high ogre priests of the Darklady was to blame. Others dispute this, claiming ogrekind was beginning to splinter into various offshoot races already, and the proto-goblins had no elven blood at all.
Kept as slaves, like so many other races before them, goblins spent the Age of Dreams changing, separating into the three major subraces of the current era. Whole tribes of escaped goblins, led by larger and more intelligent members, spread from the ogre-controlled lands of the Taman Busuk, Kharolis, and Blöten. The larger goblins, thanks to the incredibly high birth rate among their people, became the hobgoblins and bugbears after only three or four generations. The smaller goblins shrunk even smaller, to a size and stature similar to the kender and gnomes.
Only a handful of goblin tribes managed to remain independent as the other races claimed larger and larger territories left behind by the fading light of the ogre civilizations. As humans built cities, elves raised their forests, and dwarves delved into their mountains, the goblins of Krynn slipped through the spaces in between, usually coming up into bitter conflict with these races. The consequence of this long period of growth and warfare was a people divided into small, self-identifying, and selfloathing tribal groups.
As other periods of war arose, so too did the presence of the goblins in history. During the Second and Third Dragon Wars, goblins were forced into military service as foot soldiers and disposable cavalry. Goblin slingers and wolf-riders supported the Dark Queen’s army under Warlord Crynus against the Knights of Solamnia. In skirmishes along the borders of Ergoth and the ogre lands, goblins were a constant presence. When the Kingpriest signed the Declaration of Manifest Virtue in 118 PC, goblins were near the top of the list of races to wipe from the land.
Although the might of Istar did much to reduce the goblin population, the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears were able to escape annihilation in some parts of Ansalon. Ergoth, in opposition to some of the policies of Istar, was home to a very persistent and stubborn tribe of goblins living in the Sentinel Mountains. These goblins, led by a wily goblin chieftain named Snagglefang, had fought for many years against the Empire of Ergoth, but when Istar flexed its religious muscle and began making demands of the West, both sides found they had a common enemy. This alliance between goblinkind and humankind was entirely one-sided for two generations; the humans had no idea Snagglefang and his united tribes were aiding them against Solamnia and Istar. Snagglefang’s son Deathwielder eventually convinced Emperor Gwynned V of his people’s remarkable understanding of tactics and warfare, and from that point onwards, he and his descendants formed a small but important element of Ergoth’s military.
The Cataclysm was devastating to all of Ansalon’s inhabitants, although it affected the goblins least of all. Within the first century of the Age of Despair, the population of the goblin race had surged across Ansalon. Those on the new mainland who had survived Istar quickly settled in ruins, abandoned cities, and regions stricken with loss of life. Ergoth’s goblins formed the nation of Sikk’et Hul on Northern Ergoth, following a somewhat distracted Emperor’s gift of land to the goblin chieftain Shadowstalker.
The War of the Lance was a pivotal period for the goblins. Not only had some of their kind found success in the Dark Queen’s armies, such as the cunning hobgoblin Toede, but the forced migration and invasion of Ansalon’s people by the Dragonarmies left some regions open to settlement by marauding goblin bands. Throt was the most significant of these; the city of Throtl was seized and the plains of the Throtyl Gap between Solamnia and Estwilde held. This occupation has continued through recent history. Even the Chaos War failed to unseat some of these new goblin population centers, although the Dark Knights enslaved many more goblins as grunt labor. Despite success in Northern Ergoth and Throt, the majority of goblins in the Age of Mortals persist as slaves to bigger races, dragons, or warlords.
However, the shamans of the goblin races speak of a time to come when their kind will rise above the tall folk, seize back the lands owed to them by virtue of their distant ogre ancestors, and shake off generations of slavery. The winds of change carry the stink of the goblins—and to the goblins this is the smell of a glorious future.
Goblins
While the term “goblin” applies to all examples of goblinkind, it is usually used to describe the lesser, common goblin of Krynn. Short in stature but large in number, common goblins make up almost seventy percent of the goblin population on Ansalon, even more on other continents. Although they outnumber their larger cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears, they are hindered by a racial imperative to remain subservient to them.
A few goblins break out of this groveling mindset, and these are the chieftains and heroes of legend, like Snagglefang, Deathwielder, and Shadowstalker. Predictably, the bards and skalds of humans, elves, and dwarves have never heard of these legendary goblin champions. For the goblins, this is considered more a sign of the other races’ ignorance than a sign of their own kind’s doomed future. A well-known aphorism among the bards of other races is this: “Set a goblin free, and you free a hundred others.” This saying is possibly more prophetic than the bards will ever know.
Physical Appearance
Common goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin ranging from a pale yellow through russetorange to a dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and 1/2 feet tall, goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift movement.
Goblins dress in leathers, skinned from any animal they can swarm upon and bring down; some tribes decorate or tattoo their warriors and chieftains with vivid markings or practice ritual scarification. Jewelry, mostly copper or bronze, is favored by females in the form of body-piercings and by males in the form of bracelets, torcs, and trinkets.
Psychology
Goblins value and respect power and strength. They aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large group. This strongly resembles the manner in which wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely confident.
Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible. Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed.
Because they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger creatures, including humans, even the more civilized goblins of Sikk’et Hul are constantly on guard for a smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or something poisonous in the food.
When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger character.
Social Structure
In the absence of bugbears or hobgoblins, the strongest and largest of the common goblins rules a tribe. Often leadership is won in combat, whether honorably or through trickery and assassination. Some leaders, called rukras, have been known to slay other strong members of the tribe, especially if they might pose a threat to their leadership. Rukras lead through strength, viciously striking down those who oppose them or who are weak and ill, forcing the tribe to slow down on their constant march. Despite their callousness, the rukras have the best interest of the tribes at heart—food, survival, and staying miles ahead of their enemies.
In mixed-breed communities of goblins, which include the larger subraces, the leader will always be a hobgoblin or bugbear, known as a murza. A murza will sometimes work with existing goblin rukras if the tribe is particularly large, delegating authority. Normally, the sheer difference in size and physical power makes it difficult for any goblin to stand up to the larger goblinoid breeds, so falling into the rukra-murza relationship is quite natural. Goblin tribes that live in mountains are more likely to have bugbear murzas, while goblin tribes living in warmer climates or near hills are more likely to have hobgoblin murzas.
Family Life
For the most part, goblins are nomadic. Because they are frequently bullied and enslaved by more powerful races, they have learned not to settle in one place for too long. Those who live above ground tend to carry their communities with them, their lodgings being little more than small hide tents and a collection of tools and baubles. Often they only carry crude weapons and personal wealth, such as it is, making tents from the hides of animals they kill in their new location or from the goods and wagons of traveling merchants they raid. These goblins leave their makeshift homes behind, scarring the land with the refuse and carcasses of their kills.
Goblins living in the caves and underground passages rife in Ansalon’s mountain ranges have an easier life, as they always have shelter from the elements. Mountain goblins move into existing or abandoned mines, tunnels, and ruined dwarf settlements; the densest population of cave-dwelling goblins on Ansalon lies near the lower Dargaard Mountains beside Throt.
Whether above or below ground, goblin communities are noted for being unkempt and filthy, littered with the bones of creatures they’ve snared or the discarded spoils from travelers they’ve raided. They make no attempt to clean up after themselves, so often a goblin camp can be smelled before it is seen.
The goblin tribes in Sikk’et Hul are a clear example of goblins trying to become civilized despite their shortcomings. Their homes are made of wood and stone, often patterned off the buildings in nearby human settlements, though on a smaller scale. Most of the homes are built against hill slopes; only three walls need to be constructed. A few of these tribes keep livestock and have been known to trade with merchant caravans traveling through the passes. Goblins in other regions of Ansalon, outside of the Sikk’et Hul influence, will only live in permanent dwellings if they can find them already made by humans or other races.
Names
Goblins are named by their parents at birth. Birth names are often quickly lost, especially if a goblin does something to distinguish himself. Initially, a goblin is named either to reference a parent, leader, or landmark, such as Wee Gnasher of the Crooked Khur Peak or Belter’s Son of Sharpteeth’s Tribe. The longer the name, the more likely it will be discarded. Goblins change their names when something momentous happens. If a warrior slays a bear by himself, the tribe could rename him Bearkiller or Redfur Bearkiller, if the fight was particularly bloody. Such a name is likely to stick with the goblin for the rest of his life, unless an even more momentous event occurs to warrant another renaming.
Names can be derived from horrendous events, too. The lone survivor of a Dark Knight raid might be called Lone Griever or Lone Walker. Goblins who do something shameful can be marked with a name that draws attention to their misdeed and could ultimately force a break with the tribe, such as Pelt-Stealer, Dung-Eater, Backstabber, or Always-Hides.
A goblin joining an adventuring party likely will make up a new name for himself, no doubt one sounding important. Unless the other members of the band are familiar with goblinish customs, they will not know that their new companion has renamed himself.
Everyday Activity
Goblins are simplistic but tied strongly to their cultural obsession with fighting, killing, being browbeaten by larger goblins, and doing what others tell them to do. As shortsighted as they are, most goblins cannot plan ahead more than a day at the most, which means their society is one of impulses if left to their own devices.
Goblins can be found anywhere on Ansalon, even in the coldest and harshest of places. They prefer temperate climates to extremes of temperature, and the largest concentration of goblins can be found in scattered tribes in eastern Solamnia, Throt, Northern Ergoth, Qualinesti, and the Taman Busuk. Mountain tribes share territory with nomadic humans, while goblins of the plains and forests continually struggle against centaurs, humans, and elves.
Religion
In centuries past, goblins worshiped Krynn’s gods—namely Hiddukel, known to the goblins as Usk-Do, and Takhisis, known as Mwarg. A small percentage still reveres those gods, but they tend to do so secretly. The majority of the lesser goblin tribes worship no one, and these goblins proudly call themselves the Godless Folk. The gods did nothing to help them, they reason. The gods allowed goblinkind to be subjugated, beaten, and enslaved. The gods made the other races, even the hobgoblins and bugbears, stronger; they allowed goblinkind to be hunted. The gods forced goblins to be like rats, scurrying from one hole to the next to avoid being someone’s puppet or meal. These goblins have decided that they do not need Krynn’s gods. They rely only on each other, hoping to someday elevate one of their own to godhood.
Usk-Do has had tremendous influence over the goblins of Throt, Lemish, and Estwilde in recent years. Not once, but twice has the Lord of Lies risen a champion up among the goblinkind of that region. On both occasions, however, the champion has not actually been a goblin; Two-Faced Grom was an ettin, and the warlord Ankhar, who so vexed the Solamnic Knights, was a half-giant. In the end, neither could have accomplished what their god demanded had it not been for their goblins.
Folklore
Goblin legend relates that goblins were birthed in the valley of Neraka, shaped by Usk-Do from the yellow-red clay that stripes the land; the largest of them went into the Khalkist Mountains, evolving into hobgoblins and bugbears. Some goblin elders claim there are places of power hidden in the Khalkists and the valley of Neraka, places where the first goblins came into being and the arcane energy is a strong pulse beating through the ground. However, the presence of the Dark Knights and other humans prevents the goblins from searching for that magic and tapping into it.
Language
Goblins and their larger kin share a language, Goblin, which to outsiders sounds like a series of grunts and clacks. In truth, it is a rich, complex tongue relying on pauses, intakes of breath, and gestures to convey whole meanings. It varies little from tribe to tribe, though those goblins living isolated on islands have developed different dialects.
Some goblins, especially slaves, have picked up human regional languages, such as Nerakese or Estwilde, having learned them from their masters. Others have learned a smattering of languages like Solamnic or Ergot from merchants they’ve captured or from studying nearby human settlements. Sikk’et Hul goblins attempt to learn to read and speak Ergot in order to present a more civilized front to the humans of Northern Ergoth. Some goblins will repeat and use phrases uttered by their superiors, even if they don’t speak the language.
Goblins have no written language. However, some of the underground tribes use symbols to indicate safe or treacherous passages. Educated goblins find that their racial tongue is best represented by the Ogre language or, in the case of those living in Sikk’et Hul, the Ergot script.
Racial Relations
Goblins rarely get along with other races, as almost all of them are more powerful and present a threat. They view humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, and even kender and gnomes with hatred and contempt. They associate primarily with their hobgoblin and bugbear cousins, and they have been known to welcome a number of other somewhat related creatures into their tribes, such as grimlocks.
The relationship between goblins and the intelligent worg-wolves of Ansalon is widely known. Even unintelligent wolves, such as dire wolves, have formed a strong partnership with their goblin allies. A successful goblin tribe keeps one or more packs of wolves around as mounts and aid for hunting. Rarely, a pack of barghests from the Abyss or one of the smaller border realms near that evil plane finds its way to Krynn, and the ability of these fiends to assume goblin shape has allowed them to integrate into a tribe for mutual benefit.
In Neraka, the Dark Knights and their allies have subjugated the entire goblin population and forced them to work in mines. As the Dark Knight factions continue to feud with each other, however, their attention has strayed from these goblins.
Character Classes
In general, goblin characters should take advantage of a goblin’s higher than average Dexterity. Ranged combat is a goblin’s best option in a battle, although mounted combat with a wolf mount can offset many of the goblin’s weaknesses.
Goblins make able rogues and rangers, the former because they are small, dexterous, and prone to skullduggery and dishonesty. Goblins excel as rangers, because they are close to the land and reliant on it. Most of them are natural trackers, a skill helping them find game and stay away from creatures that would hunt them.
Goblin rangers always take wolves or dire wolves as animal companions and favor the archery combat style, which allows them to excel at slings and short bows.
A few goblins are magically inclined and prized by the adventuring bands they join. These goblin sorcerers and mystics, or stone-tellers as some call them, channel the primal magic that flows through the land and can manipulate it into various enchantments. They are able to combine their incantations, producing ever more powerful spells. The more goblin casters in a spell circle, the greater the enchantment woven. Few other races on Krynn have managed to master combining ambient magic in this fashion.
Goblin Racial Traits
Not as large or strong as your cousins, you make up for your diminutive size by being quick and nimble. Goblins tend to also favor mounted combat.
Ability Score Increase. You receive a +2 bonus to your Dexterity Score and a +1 bonus to your Wisdom score.
Size. Goblins average between 3 to 4 feet in height. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as thoughit were dim light.
Nimble Escape. Goblins tend to move quickly, using distraction and evasion tactics they learn as children.You can take the Disengage and Hide actions as bonus actions.
Mounted Combatant. You gain proficiency in vehicles (land). You may add your proficiency bonus to Strength and Dexterity ability checks and Saving Throws made to control your mount.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Goblin.
Hobgoblins
Brawny and militaristic, the hobgoblins of Ansalon occupy a significant place in the heirarchy of goblinkind. They are stronger than the smaller common goblins and more disciplined and organized than their larger bugbear kin. Hobgoblins thrive on war, terror, and the ever-present impulse within them to oppose all other races. There is hope yet, however, for within their ranks are many independent hobgoblins whose understanding of social networks exceeds their thirst for conquest. Rising out of the hobgoblin war machine, these donek, or renegades, are but one sign of the changing face of goblinkind’s strongest breed.
The most famous hobgoblin of Ansalon is Lord Toede, the current Mayor of Flotsam and former Dragon Highlord. His situation is somewhat unique; other famous hobgoblins are nowhere near as well known outside of goblin, ogre, and Nerakese circles. The half-giant Ankhar, champion of Hiddukel, consulted with his adopted hobgoblin mother and high priestess, Laka; a line of mighty and brutal hobgoblin kings of Throtl ended in recent years with the disappearance of King Uhkrin. As donek abandon their brutal pasts and seek places among the more civilized goblin tribes, and as huge armies of hobgoblins are splintered by opposition from the Solamnic Knights and their allies, Toede will soon find company in infamy.
Physical Appearance
Hobgoblins resemble their smaller goblin cousins—flattened facial features, pointed ears, sharpened teeth, foul odor—but they are much stronger and at least as large as an adult male human. They have deep tan to dark red skin, yellow eyes, and black or brown hair. Compared to a human, a hobgoblin is faster and can withstand more punishment. Often clad in heavy leather brigandine or chainmail, hobgoblins favor the appearance of disciplined soldiers and use either the traditional longsword or a keenbladed axe in battle.
Psychology
Hobgoblins enjoy structure, order, and an established hierarchy within which to operate. They prefer the vertical rungs of command rather than the horizontal qualities of a team; it is easier to motivate a hobgoblin with promises of promotion, recognition, or reward than it is to reinforce any kind of equity with his peers. Although they favor battle and glory, hobgoblins are almost always honorless fighters. They do not see the value in upholding some kind of higher code, like the Oath and the Measure, and see such things as chains worn by the weak-minded.
Hobgoblins love to fight, debate strategy, and be called on to achieve some kind of objective. When left to his own devices, a hobgoblin bores easily and will pick fights with his inferiors. A hobgoblin in an adventuring party quickly determines where he is in the group’s chain of
command and will stand between weaker members and their opponents.
Social Structure
Hobgoblin tribes, or auls, are lead by a murza, who surrounds himself with a troupe of bodyguards, assassins, shamanic advisors, and at least one traitor who wishes to see him dead. If bugbears are in the group, many hobgoblins answer to them and not their own murza. If lesser goblins are in a group with the hobgoblins, the murza finds he has an army of willing followers.
Family Life
Hobgoblins live in semi-nomadic auls, dedicated to warfare and conquest. Many also live within much larger goblin tribes, forming an elite caste from which the murza comes. A rare few hobgoblins eschew their auls and either become donek or find work in a human mercenary company, such as those in Lemish.
Hobgoblin settlements are much like common goblin villages—largely tent-like or built from wood in such a way that they can be uplifted and moved across most hilly or plains terrain. Otherwise, they stay where they are, clustered around a hill for burials, rituals, and forming defensive positions. It is not uncommon for hobgoblins to have permanent winter homes, which they leave in the early spring and return to in the late autumn, after a long year of nomadic life.
Names
Hobgoblin names are very much like goblin names and consist of one or more syllables. Common male names are Kargam, Mogrut, Nezgam, Tazkar, and Zorok. Hogni, Laka, Ozjura, Simka, and Ulgi are female names. A hobgoblin will usually abandon his birth name in the same manner as a goblin, not because he finds it immature or weak but because all hobgoblins aspire to some level of greatness. Thus, fierce-sounding epithets are even more common among hobgoblins than among their smaller kin.
Everyday Activity
Most of Ansalon’s hobgoblins, at least until a few years ago, lived in and around Throt, the windy and desolate pass between Solamnia and the Qlettaar midlands of Estwilde. Prior to the War of the Lance, this large population lived in the Taman Busuk mountain region. After Jaymes Markham’s rise to power in 425 and 426 AC, the Estwilde/Throt hobgoblin population was widely scattered. Now, hobgoblins can be found as far south as the Plains of Dust and as far north as the Northern Wastes. Groups have defected en masse to the Sikk’et Hul nation on Northern Ergoth, seeking a new home.
Religion
Religion among hobgoblins varies in extent from aul to aul, sometimes being little more than knowing what oath to say before removing a foe’s head in a battle. When a shamanic advisor channels the will of one of the gods, it is seen more as a means to engender fear, despair, and grief than as a revelation. Hiddukel is chief among the hobgoblin faithful in the wake of the War of Souls. Known to goblins as Usk-Do, the Prince of Lies has deep roots in the hobgoblin auls. Those hobgoblins who have made the pilgrimage to Sikk’et Hul are satisfied with mysticism and their own martial dogma, seldom investing in the external connection with the gods.
Language
Hobgoblins speak and use Goblin, the same language as goblins and bugbears. Hobgoblins make use of Camptalk more than other goblins, and many officers and warlords seek to learn the language of the enemy. Unlike bugbears, who have a sense of racial pride in the Goblin tongue, hobgoblins regard it merely as a tool to bring about a stronger and more unified goblin culture.
Racial Relations
Hobgoblins as a people have, at one time or another, been involved in open conflict with almost every other sentient race on Ansalon. They pride themselves in quickly turning a discussion into a declaration of war. They get along, so to speak, with goblins and bugbears; many murzas make brief alliances with ogres, trolls, even humans. Otherwise, hobgoblins maintain a considerable level of belligerent détente with their neighbors.
Character Classes
Hobgoblins share some of their cousins’ skills, but it is rare to find a spellcaster among them. They are better suited to being soldiers and warriors. Their heavy frames are equipped to handle the bulkiest of armor, and their large hands wrap comfortably around the pommels and hafts of weapons. In adventuring bands, they often become the principal fighter, and they become listless if there are no creatures or other foes to challenge them.
Hobgoblin Racial Traits
Bigger and stronger than the goblin, with a stronger martial instinct and more inclined to live in structured societies, your race is often seen as the leader among goblin-kin.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 bonus to Constitution and a +1 bonus to Wisdom.
Alignment. Hobgoblins tend toward evil. However, they also tend to be lawful, as they often build more ordered and structured societies than their goblin and bugbear cousins.
Size. Hobgoblins range between 5 ½ and 6 feet in height. Your size is medium.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as though it were dim light.
Martial Advantage. Once on your turn, you can deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier to a target creature if that creature is within 5 feet of one of your allies and that ally isn’t incapacitated.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.
Bugbears
The largest and wiliest of goblins are the bugbears, so named by humans because of their hairy pelts and bearlike noses. They have become the worst nightmares of many human settlements in mountainous areas. Aggressive, muscular, and quick, bugbears represent the segment of the goblin population about which the more civilized races—and the goblins of Sikk’et Hul—have the most to be concerned. Unhindered by the strict militaristic dogma of the hobgoblins or the tendency towards groupthink of the common goblins, bugbears are the ideal marauder race.
Physical Appearance
Bugbears are large, muscular goblins, standing as tall as 7 feet and towering over other goblin races. They are covered in coarse brown, black, or piebald hair; coloration varies greatly even among family groups. Bugbears have the same flattened faces as other goblins, although their ears are even more pronounced, their noses broader and more ursine, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth and tusks. Despite their hulking shapes and awkward gait, bugbears are just as stealthy, swift, and agile as their smaller cousins.
Psychology
Bugbears are always keen to get into a fight, although unlike other warlike races, such as ogres, they don’t rush into conflict. They aren’t just violent; they’re stealthy, so a bugbear’s general attitude towards conflict is to come in from the side and never give their opponent a chance to react. This is true even in social situations; a bugbear will only speak in a direct fashion when making a decision. When at rest, they seem awkward and uncoordinated. When in motion, however, a bugbear is a frightening display of grace and speed, ignoring three hundred pounds of hair and muscle in the process. Bugbears are savage, almost bestial, but capable of subtle nuances that other races completely miss, because they’re still looking for the beast.
Social Structure
The leader of a bugbear tribe is called a murza. These are usually the biggest and meanest of their tribes. Murzas administrate all forms of authority, deciding who the bugbears are going to war with, who they are making deals with, and who is going to be ignored. From time to time, a murza will be challenged by another bugbear. One of the two will win, or if both are evenly matched, the tribe will sometimes split in half. The newer murza spends a great deal of time asserting his new power, and if he has caused a tribal split, he can look forward to weeks of dissent and complaints.
Bugbears who share a tribe with hobgoblins find their leadership styles differ greatly. Usually, if a hobgoblin murza can demonstrate to a bugbear murza that he has either more power or more support than he does, the bugbear murza will accept a lower position of power. Of course, as soon as the hobgoblin displays any weakness, the bugbear will immediately attempt to seize control.
Family Life
When not combined with lesser goblins in tribes, bugbears form tightly knit bands of aggressive semi-nomadic warriors and hunters. These bugbears take care of their non-combatant families by pillaging nearby settlements, raiding and ambushing merchant caravans, and killing rival bands. They are by far the most voracious, greedy, and aggressive of all goblins.
Names
Bugbears have similar names to goblins, only they tend to keep their birth names and simply add more onto the end as they get older or acquire greater and more impressive epithets. Common male names include Baslag, Dulgudzad, Iskmadzor, and Yogtrovag, while Aggadeen, Lomgaas, Moggaruug, and Sellinvoor are female names. By the time they are adults, bugbears may have multi-syllabic names combined with such descriptors as “the Bloody” or “the Fierce.” Few adult males affect a name that does not in some way reflect their own perceived skill at killing other creatures or taking their possessions.
Everyday Activity
Bugbears make their homes in cave complexes high up in the mountains, often with numerous points of entry and cliffside balconies. Bugbears bring their prizes back to these lairs, filling room after room with stolen equipment and provisions. Slaves or prisoners are also brought back and locked away in cages hanging over a precipice. All settlements are well guarded. If goblins live among the bugbears, they form the basis of the labor crews set to expand and dig out more space. Otherwise, the bugbears will usually go out and capture some other tough race, such as dwarves, to do their work for them.
Bugbears prefer higher altitudes in temperate climates to all others. The Taman Busuk (including Neraka), the Kharolis Range in Abanasinia, and the southern mountains of the Desolation are all home to bugbears. A bugbear tribe will carve out a niche in a mountain range or upon a plateau or mesa, sending out bands of hunters to the extent of a day’s travel or more. This allows them to seize large areas of mountainous territory without having large numbers. If the bugbears live alongside goblins, they may even be found in hilly or valley environments, mostly to accommodate their smaller cousins and their talents.
Religion
Bugbears share the same basic beliefs and keep the same basic traditions as all goblins. Because they are less likely to have been abused and enslaved, however, bugbears are also much more likely to retain faith in the gods. Before the Chaos War, bugbear priests of Mwarg were common. Following the War of Souls, belligerent priests of Usk-Do and Orkrust (Chemosh) have risen among the bugbear leadership, gaining some measure of influence. Still, even with the new revivalist approach of these priests, they are outnumbered by mystics acting as tribal shamans.
Language
Bugbears approach language the same way as goblins. The key difference with bugbears is that they are far less likely to want to speak in the tongue of another race, because they have no reason to genuflect or admit inferiority. Thus, most bugbears will force the issue in Goblin, resorting to Common or any other language only to prove they’re not dull-witted.
Bugbears speak loudly in grunts and clicks. A bugbear’s use of language reflects his mood; if he is angry, a bugbear speaks louder than usual. If he is happy, then he rambles on both fast and loud.
Racial Relations
The simplest measure of determining how a bugbear tribe is getting along with another group, whether it is another tribe of goblins, a nearby community of humans or elves, or a larger neighboring nation, is to look at the tribe’s murza. This individual dictates how the tribe will get along with any outsiders, and he will often affect trophies, issue commands and statements, or direct raids upon those outside groups that are enemies of the tribe. Bugbears don’t usually form alliances, although with a powerful enough overlord (such as the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance), relations can be eased between the tribe and another group. During this time, the murza will seek to learn as much as he can about the other leader in case he needs to exploit the information later.
Character Classes
Bugbears should consider taking levels in classes that can quickly take advantage of the natural Strength and Dexterity of their race and focus on skills and feats that emphasize these traits.
If you choose to go the route of a spellcasting class, you will find that narrowing your focus is your best option. Stealth, trickery, and ambush are a bugbear’s greatest areas of proficiency, so spells that enhance, extend, or otherwise support these traits are ideal.
Bugbear Racial Traits
As a bugbear you tend to be more savage than your goblin-kin cousins.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 to your Strength score and a +1 to your Dexterity score.
Alignment. The most savage of the goblin-kin, bugbears tend toward chaos.
Size. Bugbears can grow as much as seven feet in height. Your size is medium.
Speed. You have a land land speed of 30 feet.
Keen Senses. You can detect an enemy by scent up to 30 feet away. You do not suffer any penalties to attack rolls, even in total darkness. You may also use this ability to track a target creature so long as you have encountered it’s scent before and it has been no more than one hour since the target creature has passed through the area.
Surprise Attack. If you surprise a target creature and hit it during the first round of combat, you deal an additional 2d6 points of damage to that target.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write goblin.
This is an overview of the playable and non-playable races of the setting. They will be divided into the following categories: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Restricted. "Common" means these races are found in large numbers in Central Ansalon. "Uncommon" means these races are found in Central Ansalon, but not in large numbers but their presence can still be explained. "Rare" means these races aren't usually found in Central Ansalon at all, and some explanation will be needed for their presence. "Very Rare" means these races would need a very detailed justification for why they are in Central Ansalon. "Barred" means these races are not playable at all, unless the DM gives special permission.
Common - Human (Solamnic, Nerakans, Taman Busukans), Hill Dwarves (Neidar), Mountain Dwarves (Hylar, Daewar, Klar), Dark Dwarves (Theiwar, Daergar, Zhakar), Gully Dwarves (Aghar), Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears)
Uncommon - Half-Dwarves, Elves (Kagonesti, Qualinesti, Silvanesti), Half-Elves, Kender (True, Afflicted), Half-Ogres
Rare - Human (Ergothian, Abanasinians, Kharolians, Nordmen, Khurs, Icefolk, Saifumi, Arktos, Plainsfolk, Horselords, Ithin’carthians), Gnomes (Tinker, Wild), Half-Kender, Draconians (Baaz, Kapak, Bozak, Sivak)
Very Rare - Sea Elves (Dimernesti, Dargonesti), Gnomes (Thinker), Half-Gnomes, Minotaurs, Ogres (Irda), Centaurs, Kyrie, Phaethons, Tayfolk, Thanoi, Ursoi, Draconians (Aurak), Noble Draconians (Frost, Venom, Vapor, Flame, Lightning)
Barred - Half-Goblins, Ogres (Fallen)
Humans
Humans are by far the most populous race on Ansalon. They are also the most adaptive and ambitious, dominating whatever land in which they live through sheer numbers and collective force of will. Much of this stems from a deep-seated desire to experience and accomplish as much as possible during their comparatively brief lives. Being the children of the gods of balance, humans fully embrace the gift of free will. Humans run the gamut from the purest, shining example of good to the most debased, vile specimen of evil, in contrast to the elves and ogres who tend towards either end of the moral spectrum.
Humans can be divided into two distinctly different, yet still physically similar, groups. Civilized humans are the men and women who have chosen towns and cities over the wilderness, while the nomads remain close to nature, living and dying at the whims of the land. Neither group is inherently better than the other, but both look at life in very different ways. Both groups tend to look at the other with disdain; the city dwellers considering their nomadic cousins to be ignorant savages, while the different tribes tend to think of city folk as pampered and weak.
Humans have also developed cultures in other lands beyond the oceans surrounding Ansalon. The three human cultures on the small continent of Ithin’carthia, the Tarmak, Damjatt, and Keena, have made new homes on Ansalon’s shores through the invitation of Ariakan. Although outwardly quite different from other humans, they are nonetheless a prime example of the varied and diverse nature of humanity.
History
When they were born into the world in the Age of Dreams, the Ogres had already claimed the mountains, and the elves had claimed the forests. The humans were left to dwell in the plains for a period of time, and the wild nomads comprised shelters and lived off the land as best they could. However within a few generations, the ogres left their mountain realm and began enslaving the humans to work in their mines. For the first several thousand years, humans were completely subjugated by the ogres, until their mighty slavers were thrown into disarray during Igraine's heresy in 5980 PC.
The fall of the ogres was the rise of the humans. Throwing off the shackles of oppression, the humans returned to the plains in great numbers and began developing their settlements further. Learning of bronze-smelting in 3900 PC, amongst other developments, humans began to properly arm themselves against their enemies, and developed their borders further a field. Minor warlords sprung up across Ansalon, however it wasn't until the united tribes under Ackal Ergot, that the first true human empire was created in 2600 PC. In the later part of the Age of Dreams, more and more human kingdoms were formed, until the short-lived race has developed kingdoms across most of the face of Ansalon. Humans even began to create a number of organizations, including a knighthood, which only they may be part of, excluding all other races as members. The Knights of Solamnia were formed.
The continued advancements of humans and their empire building continued throughout the Age of Might, and culminated with the ever-growing holy nation of Istar. Humans installed a Kingpriest as the moralistic and righteous leader of all mortals, who ruled Istar. The "benevolence" of the Kingpriest and Istar, forced all other races to bow before the goodly humans or face the Istarian legions.
The might of the Solamnic Knights waned before the power of holy Istar. Human arrogance led to the enslavement of many other races and ultimately resulted in the gods throwing a mountain upon Istar. The Cataclysm was caused by the arrogance of humans and the people of Ansalon are punished. A human was given the chance to stop the Cataclysm (Loren Soth), however he failed in his duty and the ravages of the Cataclysm are felt by all.
With the Cataclysm, humans abandoned all faith in the gods, feeling betrayed by them. After a number of centuries, the true gods were spoken about in the same breath as legends and folklore. Cults and false religions sprang up throughout human communities to fill the void. Without the aid of clerical magic, disease ran rampant throughout settlements, leading to a great many deaths.
The War of the Lance returned the true gods to Krynn, and saw humans choosing sides between the Whitestone Forces and the Dragonarmies. The cults and false religions mostly vanished, to be replaced by human clerics of the true gods, wielding the legendary divine magic of old. The age saw a return for many to darkness, as people resume following the dark gods and the forming of further organizations and even a dark knighthood, in the form of the Knights of Takhisis.
Of the first forty years of this new Age of Mortals, the most notable developments among the humans were the creation of the Legion of Steel, largely led by former Dark Knights and Solamnic Knights who lost faith in their Orders; the emergence of the Academy of Sorcery and the Citadel of Light, two centers of magical learning and knowledge in an age that keenly felt the loss of the gods; the arrival, beginning in the Chaos War but increasingly so in the decades after it, of the Tarmak Brutes from the small continent of Ithin’carthia; and the gathering power of Ergoth, a nation virtually untouched by all of the major wars in the past century. Ergoth was not only home for many of the Solamnic nobles in exile by the Dark Knights or the Dragonarmies many years before that, but it held on to the strongest centers of academic learning, fostered a growing mercantile trade network, and became a leader in the incorporation of mysticism and sorcery in its upper classes as a tool for just government.
The current era began with the War of Souls. This conflict, which brought together the feuding Dark Knight factions under one charismatic, young dark paladin of Takhisis, also saw the expulsion of the elves from their homelands, the end of Dragon Overlord supremacy in Ansalon, and the return of the gods. At the war’s end, the Dark Queen was killed, Paladine was made mortal, and the reins of destiny were handed over to the humans and their allies. As Solamnia is reclaimed, Ergoth emerges as a major power once again, the nomadic tribes of Ansalon look to new and younger leaders, and the Dark Knights bicker and feud with each other, it appears that the humans are perhaps the only race on Ansalon which can lay claim to an optimistic future.
Common Traits
Humans are the most diverse of all the races of Ansalon. They are often incapable of seeing the other races as more than humans with additional traits or extremes of personality, perhaps because of their own incredibly varied physical appearance, cultural diversity, and sheer numbers. Humans are tall or short, dark-skinned or lightskinned, slender or stocky. Those physical characteristics they do have in common with one another are, as a result, characteristics they share with all other humanoid races.
As a general rule, humans are Medium-sized, usually between five and six feet in height, although there are significant examples of taller or shorter individuals. Their average weight falls between 115 and 225 pounds. Women are usually shorter and lighter than men, but in some cultures, this may be reversed. Humans have no inherent extraordinary or supernatural abilities, such as enhanced vision; however, their ability to learn, grow, and acquire extraordinary talents is well known. Indeed, some of Krynn’s greatest mages, priests, warriors, and artisans have been human.
Solamnics
For centuries, the people of Solamnia were known for their relationship with the Knights of Solamnia. While some Solamnics would argue, most people not of Solamnia said the people of the region were just extensions of the Knighthood. In many ways, those people were right. Living with the Solamnic Knights instilled much of the knightly honor and way of life into the Solamnic people, making them generally hard working and trustworthy. They remained as such even through the years of hardship after the Cataclysm, though a bit a cynicism crept into their psyche. Now that their country has played an integral role in winning the War of the Lance, the Solamnic people can see great things on the horizon.
The average Solamnic citizen is steadfast, loyal, and hard working. Centuries of living under the rule of the Knights of Solamnia reinforced these traits in most of the population. The Cataclysm left much of the population cynical and bitter, though still good under the surface. In aftermath of the Chaos War, the Solamnic people began to change.
Those who stayed in the north after Khellendros claimed it for his own were forced to live under the rule of the Knights of Neraka. While the Dark Knights treated those who followed the laws fairly, this changed the generation born under their rule in subtle ways. No longer was the virtue of good upheld in their lives, only those of order and subservience. Young adults who grew up in this way are still proud of their nationality, and most have no love for the Dark Knights, but they also don’t automatically cling to the old ways of honor taught by the Solamnic Knights. These people welcomed Shinare into Solamnia and believe in a more practical approach to life.
The people of southern Solamnia changed little in the aftermath of the Chaos War. They clung to the Knights of Solamnia and their views of loyalty and honor. The Knighthood depend on this as they support Jaymes Markham as he drives the army of the half-giant Ankhar out of Solamnia.
Life for many Solamnics is in turmoil. There is war in the southern regions of the country, which has all of Solamnia working to support Emperor Jaymes Markham’s armies of knights. While for some life continues as always, most of Solamnia has a war mindset. Many places also see the return of some of the families who fled Khellendros for other areas of Ansalon.
For most of Solamnia, the culture of the people and the culture of the Solamnic Knights is the same. Holidays, customs, and naming conventions are all shared between the Knighthood and the people they protect. The Solamnic Knights embody the principles and the culture of the people of Solamnia, for it is said all Knights are sons and daughters of Solamnia. Thus, the Order grows and changes as its members grow and change, sometimes for the worse but usually for the better.
Solamnics are light-skinned people of Ergothian and Kharolian stock, although they are essentially an ethnicity all their own after 1,500 years of independence. Their hair color ranges from black to light brown and occasionally blonde, with redheads more common in the western isles such as Sancrist. Although the Solamnic Knights are famous for their distinctive moustaches, few Solamnic men outside of the Orders affect one.
Nerakans
The Nerakese people take their name from the Valley of Neraka and the city of the same name, although which holds true for each Nerakan depends on the current political climate. Most are ethnically Kalinese, a mixture of mountain nomad and Istaran survivors. Adult men are generally shorter on average for humans, though they are swarthier, stockier, and typically hardier than their neighbors to the west. Nerakan women are often taller than the men, widely known for their exotic looks and razor-sharp temperament. As a group, civilized Nerakans embody the brutal, backstabbing, cutthroat, and mercenary approach to daily life of their distant Istaran ancestors before the Holy Orders took over. With a century of cults to Takhisis and other dark gods playing a major role in Neraka, these traits have returned vigorously in the Age of Mortals.
Jelek, Neraka, Telvan, and Kortal are the major population centers of Neraka and the Taman Busuk region. Civilized Nerakans live entirely within the walls of these settlements or in extensive fortified compounds nearby. Nomads, ogres, and worse have taken the rest of the mountainous region. The Dark Knights and their various factions dominate Nerakan life, though in the years after the War of Souls, the faction aligned with Baltasar Rennold and Galen Nemedi seized political power. Every wealthy Nerakan has one or more family members in the Dark Knights, though typically the head of the household is not one of them. Since even conducting an everyday business transaction carries with it the threat of a knife, Nerakans of all social classes are known as paranoid, mistrustful, opportunistic, and cunning.
Although they are no longer a part of Neraka, the people of Sanction may be considered Nerakan.
Taman Busuk Nomads
The mountain folk of the Taman Busuk region comprise the greater proportion of humans living in the Khalkists and the valleys snaking through them. The civilized Nerakans have good reason to fear their savage cousins, for while the two groups share a common ancestry, the mountain nomads of the Taman Busuk have no patience for those who do not respect the land nor live directly upon it. Although the Queen of Darkness recruited most of these bloodthirsty people for her armies in the War of the Lance, alongside the men of Jelek and Sanction, the Dragonarmy officers soon learned to keep them as separate as possible from their city-dwelling neighbors.
Mountain life is rough, and the Khalkists are home to a host of terrible and fierce creatures. Ogres, goblins, and trolls are the least of a nomad’s worries. Even before the Cataclysm, when the natives of the region were ignored provincial subjects of the Kingpriest, each nomad lived and died in the basalt spires of his homeland, and each generation has grown progressively stronger. Death is quick and sudden for the Taman Busuk nomads, but the nomads across the plateaus and peaks have survived tremendous challenges already.
Ethnically, the Taman Busuk nomads are related to the Abanasinian Plainsfolk and the Ergothians; Ackal Ergot was from this region. They are rugged, swarthy folk with skin ranging from light to dark, depending on the individual tribe. Nomads organize themselves into extended family tribes with individual totems, icons, ancestor spirits, or other quasi-religious trappings; those who live near the ancient ruins of Godshome adopt one of the true gods as a tribal patron, assigning the deity a measure of ancestral honor. Therefore, it is common for outsiders to find extraordinarily detailed shrines and temples in the middle of nomadic settlements.
Human Racial Traits
Humans have all the same racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook.
Hill Dwarves (Neidar)
To the other races of Ansalon, when referring to a dwarf, the dwarf in question is mostly likely of the Neidar clan. The term Neidar was first coined in Thorbardin to describe a clan of dwarves who dwelt above ground. Since that time, the term has been used to refer to nearly all dwarves who prefer to live on the surface of Krynn rather than beneath it. They are the most well known of all dwarves, because they interact with the outside world more than their mountain dwelling brethren. Known to most races simply as hill dwarves, the Neidar are sturdy fighters, shrewd merchants, and master craftsmen.
More curious about the world around them than their mountain-dwelling cousins, hill dwarves have traveled far and wide, spreading their culture and plying their trade in every nation of Ansalon. Nearly every mountain in Ansalon has a settlement of hill dwarves somewhere along its base. Dwarven adventurers will most often be Neidar, as they are usually the only dwarves willing to leave their homes in search of greater fortune. In their dealings, Neidar tend to be fair and honest, but will haggle for every last copper. Hill dwarves are loyal friends if one can penetrate their grumbling manners and gruff exterior.
Physical Appearance
Hill dwarves tend to be short and stocky. They stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall. While not tall, their girth still makes them physically imposing. Male hill dwarves tend to weigh anywhere between 150 and 200 pounds; female dwarves usually weigh slightly less. They have a dense bone structure that lends to this added weight and makes them less buoyant than other creatures. As such, dwarves sink, rather than float, in deep waters. Of course, this only adds to their natural aversion of large bodies of water.
The Neidar often have darkly tanned skin from years spent outdoors working fields, harvesting lumber, and traveling to and from nearby settlements for trade. Wrinkles are common, beginning around the early age of forty, making hill dwarves appear older than they truly are.
Neidar eye colors are predominantly dark brown with the occasional exception of green or hazel. Many hill dwarves tend to be nearsighted. Their heavy eyebrows hang over their eyes, giving them a natural scowl when tired or preoccupied. This is a large reason why non-dwarves believe they are always cross.
A dwarf ’s hair is a source of pride and occasionally a sign of their social status. Dwarven males love their facial hair. “You can tell a lot about a dwarf by the way he keeps his beard,” is a common dwarven saying. It is common practice for a dwarf to keep his beard tucked into his belt, provided it’s long enough; this way, the beard stays out of the way while he are working. Beards are occasionally braided and tied. While this is functional, additional ornamentation is considered gaudy for males. Keeping a beard clean and healthy is the general accepted practice.
Hair color ranges from family to family. As a rule, hill dwarves have the widest spectrum of hair color, ranging from blonde to black and everything in between. Their hair will begin to turn a silver-grey as they reach adulthood and white as they reach old age. Many male hill dwarves tend to go bald while they are still young. Female hill dwarves, however, often enjoy thick heads of hair their whole life. They take as much pride in their hair as their men. While they do not have beards, they do have long hair, often tied up in a bun to keep it out of the way when performing the day-to-day tasks; they let down it at night and for special occasions. Ornamental hairnets, jeweled pins, and fashionable hair clips are brought out during festivals or community get-togethers.
Psychology
Hill Dwarves believe in hard work and commitment. A good life is comprised of a day of hard labor followed by a mug of spirits and the satisfaction that you have done something worthwhile for your family and community. Creature comforts are important once work is complete. “A good chair can outlast a good friend!” is an old dwarven saying. Though many more hill dwarves than mountain dwarves are adventurers, the majority prefer to remain dedicated to their family and community. Dwellings are often adorned with trappings to make the house more comfortable. While all dwarves covet gems and precious metals, hill dwarves do not usually feel a need to flaunt their wealth.
Like all dwarves, if an individual can establish a bond with a hill dwarf, that person can always depend on them. Rock solid and never wavering, a Neidar will defend his friends and family to the death. Their stubborn nature, which keeps them from returning to the mountains or forgetting any slight against them, can be a powerful force when it is used to protect a loved one.
Social Structure
Most hill dwarf villages have a mayor or elected official who passes judgment on internal conflicts and oversees the local laws and customs in the village. If it is ever discovered that the official is working against the good of the community as a whole, he is quickly and often ruthlessly removed from office. A number of dwarves also work as local law enforcement, helping settle disputes and patrolling the borders of the hill dwarf territory.
Since most dwarves are trained for combat, everyone is expected to be involved in the militia. Most dwarves have their own weapon and suit of armor; sometimes handed down from one generation to the next, antique armor is not unusual among the hill dwarves. Female dwarves often take on tasks behind the front line, such as protecting children or gathering supplies, but this doesn’t prevent a determine female fighter from joining the men. When confronted with a threat to the community, every dwarf who can wield a weapon is welcome to join the fight.
There are two primary concentrations of hill dwarves on Ansalon. The first is the in foothills of the Kharolis Mountains. These are the dwarves who joined forces with humans to attack Thorbardin in the Dwarfgate War. They can still be found there, farming, hunting, and continuing their lives much as they have since that dark time. The second settlement is among the hills surrounding the Garnet Mountain Range. The prosperous dwarven province of Kayolin, located deep beneath the Garnet Mountains, has long been a shining jewel among the dwarven kingdoms. It has never known great civil unrest like Thorbardin or destruction and disease like Thoradin. Even during the dark times following the Cataclysm, Kayolin left its doors open to the hill dwarves in the surrounding territory, easing tensions and saving lives.
Hill dwarves are not exclusive to these regions, however. They have found homes all across Ansalon; small clans of dwarves have settled in nearly every corner. The Emerald Peaks of Nordmaar are home to the Stonedrum clan of wild Klar who picked up and fled far from Thorbardin after the Dwarfgate War. Among the cliffs of Port Balifor, the Stonesplitter clan has settled and even assisted the citizens against the dangers of dragons by building escape tunnels and cliff-side residences. In Khur among the desert tribes, the Shalecutter dwarves are renowned for their metal and stoneworks. With the possible exception of the Minotaur Isles, hill dwarves can be found nearly anywhere on Ansalon.
Family Life
Elders within dwarven communities are highly respected and often referred to as grandfather by all dwarves, regardless of their true family affiliation. Families often work together, lending their talents to the good of the community. It is not unusual to find some Neidar villages where everyone is related to everyone else by blood. Unlike the Theiwar, however, inbreeding is frowned upon and not very common.
It is common for family grudges to be passed down from one generation to the next, grandchildren willingly taking up arms against another family for a slight committed against their family hundreds of years ago. More often than not, disputes between families boil down to a perceived offense that occurred decades before the combatants were even alive.
Among hill dwarf society, love and relationships are rarely spoken of, except perhaps by the whispers of young dwarf maids or serious discussions between two families, determining if the young dwarves are right for one another. While love happens in one form or another for nearly all races, the hill dwarves are usually guarded about their feelings. Overt displays of love and affection are not common. Young lovers will occasionally sneak away to be alone or make excuses to spend time with one another. When a young couple decides they would like to be married, they must always ask their parents first. As long as there is no feud or past offense, the heads of the respective families will confer and decide if the couple may wed. Often times there is little problem, but occasionally, young lovers will be denied the opportunity to marry and must decide if they abide their families wishes or leave their family and clan to forge a new future on their own.
After a long life of hard work and comfortable living, many hill dwarves look to the time they will no longer be part of the world. All dwarves take death very seriously. The deceased are buried in simple cairns or within family crypts. All dwarves who pass are considered part of the Kingdom of the Dead. The old dwarven saying “More of our kind dwell among the dead than the living,” honors their beliefs in their ancestors and their place in the afterlife. They consider this kingdom to be a real place, and they honor those who have passed into that realm in song and memory.
Names
All hill dwarves have a family name of which they are extremely proud, and they always do their best to increase the prestige associated with their family name in all tasks they perform. Some examples of Neidar clan family names are: Fireforge, Coalfist, Greeneyes, Winterseed, and Broadland. Hill dwarf children are given individual names at birth. Often times, they are named after previous relatives as a method of honoring that ancestor. Common males names include Amos, Aylmar, Cale, Flint, Garth, Holden, Ruberick, and Tybalt, while Fidelia, Glynnis, Helta, Jetta, Mica, Mileen, Ruby, and Tuilen are usual among women.
Everyday Activity
In the warmer months of the year, farming, hunting, harvesting lumber, and craftworking are in full production. The industrious dwarves can usually produce nearly twice as many goods as any equivalent human population. Hill dwarf merchants load wagons and take their wares to nearby villages for sale and trade. Younger dwarves work the fields and assist at the forges as older dwarves oversee projects and plan out new strategies for increasing productivity.
Reading, writing, and the art of combat are usually taught in the winter months when fields are bare and the weather too inhospitable to spend much time outside.
Arts and Industry
Life among the hill dwarves is comprised of hard work, expert craftsmanship, and simple creature comforts. Among the Neidar, the art of smithing is as prevalent as it is among the clans under the mountains. There are blacksmiths who have refined their skills over literally hundreds of years. This expert craftsmanship also extends to stonecutting and shaping. Generations of dwarves have studied the art of crafting stone and best ways to apply that craft awe-inspiring works of architecture.
Unique among all dwarves is the hill dwarf natural talent of crafting wood. It is common for a hill dwarf to want to keep busy. While stone and metals take heavy tools and lengthy processes to mold, a solid piece of wood can be worked to produce a finished product in a matter of hours. Small wooden carvings can often be found in most hill dwarf homes.
When at home or traveling about, most hill dwarves wear simple clothing spun of cotton or wool. They require clothing that is durable enough to work in and rugged enough to handle traveling. Animal hides are often used for vests or the trim of certain articles of clothing. Most male hill dwarves prefer subdued colors of white, brown, or gray. Bright colors are occasionally worn during festivals or special occasions. Colorful clothing is usually reserved for female dwarves. Olive greens, subdued yellows, purple, and blues are common colors for blouses and skirts. Hats and helms are occasionally worn, depending on the work being done. Wide brim hats are worn while tending the fields or working the garden. More fashionable, colorful hats are worn for celebrations. Lighter fabrics that are damaged easily, such as silks, are only worn by women and usually only during weddings or funerals.
The Neidar harbor a love of history. They can tell you of their great grandfather’s exploits in great detail and with a good bit of exaggeration. Although the details of the tale grow, the moral usually remains the same. Many of the stories handed down from parent to child are morality tales or teaching tools. Not surprisingly, most of them tend to teach young dwarves that no one but hill dwarves can be trusted. However, not every tale is a lesson. Some are told for sheer entertainment or to pass down the history of the family. Dwarves have an innate need to understand where they came from and how their family acted and was treated before they arrived. For a dwarf, to lose his memory is an unsettling prospect.
Songs are a large part of the lessons of tradition and history among the hill dwarves. Although most hill dwarves would vehemently refuse to sing in public, it is common at festivals and get-togethers in dwarven communities to belt out a familiar tune or two.
Magical Practices
Arcane magic is, in the words of many Neidar, “just plain unnatural.” Few hill dwarves have ever attempted to become sorcerers or wizards, and those who have quickly found themselves outcasts among their people. Divine magic is accepted and rationalized by hill dwarves; clerics are respected, although it is still common for them to be regarded with some trepidation by many hill dwarves. Mysticism is also becoming widely accepted among hill dwarves, since the hill dwarf Jasper Fireforge was such an instrumental part of establishing the Citadel of Light.
Religion
The Neidar tend to be a spiritual people. They venerate Reorx as the highest of all gods. Incredibly stubborn and not willing to take things at face value, most Neidar believed Reorx was teaching them a lesson after the Cataclysm and never stopped worshiping him. When their prayers had seemingly stopped being answered and the clerical worship of Reorx drastically fell into decline, the dwarves refused to believe Reorx would abandon them. After the Dwarfgate War, however, many families took a different view. They began to believe that Reorx, like the mountain dwarves, had forsaken them and turned away from him. Conflicts over religion fractured the Neidar; it was only after the War of the Lance and the return of their god that these wounds began to heal, and the Neidar came together as one again.
After the Anvil Summer, the Chaos War, and the passing of the gods, the hill dwarves stubbornly held on to the belief that their god would not again be silenced. Reorx had tamed Chaos once, and he would do it again. The one moon, the changing constellations, and the lack of magic only meant that things had changed, but it did not mean Reorx had been defeated. When mysticism and the Power of the Heart were discovered, many hill dwarves believed it was Reorx’s parting gift to them and explored this new power. Later, when the gods returned once more, many rejoiced and worshiped Reorx and the other gods, but a few held on to the dear gift of the Power of the Heart.
While Reorx is venerated as the highest god among the pantheon, the Silver Mistress (Shinare) and Mesalax (Mishakal) are both highly respected among the Neidar—the Silver Mistress for her dedication to industry and Mesalax for her healing arts. Stories of the famine and disease that followed the Cataclysm are still told to younger generations of dwarves as a reminder of that terrible time. They also tell how it was Reorx who defeated Chaos and the god of the One Moon, as he smashed that grey moon from the sky with his great hammer and returned the moons and the stars of the past to their proper locations.
Every dwarven village has at least one chapel dedicated to Reorx, Mesalax, or the Silver Mistress. While organized worship is not mandatory, it is encouraged, and it is not uncommon for many dwarves to visit their town’s temple on holy days to pay their respects, assist in maintaining the temple, or donating supplies for the priests and the poor of the community.
Folklore
Hill dwarves have a long oral history in which they pass down tales of their ancestors and the trials of the dwarven race. Among the most common tales is the story of the Smiths—the dwarven creation myth.
Reorx, beloved of all the Gods, was given the task of crafting the most important item in the entire universe, Krynn itself. He grabbed his hammer and wrestled with Chaos. With an iron will and the strength of a hundred dwarves, he placed Chaos upon his anvil and pounded the beast into the form he wished it to take. As he smote Chaos with his immortal hammer, pieces of his weapon fell away; the hot and fiery sparks from his creation became stars and the cinders formed the moons.
The Smiths were also born from the very substance of Hammer of Reorx. Pieces of the immortal hammer broke away and landed on the world. They formed a people who were strong of mind and sturdy of body with lustrous beards. As the Smiths awoke, they discovered the world in progress around them. A world populated by dragons and magical beasts of all kinds. So the Smiths chose to hide away until Reorx, the Tamer of Chaos, was done with his creation. They excavated homes out of the earth for protection against the hostile world. Wars between dragons and gods waged across the face of the world, and the wise Smiths kept themselves safe below ground.
When peace arrived, Reorx called upon his people, and they came out of the earth. They joined the elves of Thak the Hammer (Paladine), the ogres of Tamex (Takhisis), and the humans of Gilean in populating the world of Reorx’s creation. But the races of the other gods were jealous of the Smiths. The ogres invaded their mountain homes and drove them into the forests of the elves. The elves were jealous of the Smiths and drove them from the forests. The Smiths made their way to the grassy plains and built their homes there among the humans. However, the humans were a warlike race, and they fought with the other races and with one another. The Smiths tried their best to stay apart from these wars, but were inevitably involved.
When Reorx saw the way the other races treated his people, he made plans to move them to a new land, a land where they could be safe and worship him. He gathered all his people together. These were not humans as some might think, but the descendants of the original Smiths. He set them in great ships upon the turbulent ocean. With the guiding hand of Reorx the Creator at the helm, the ships arrived in the new land and founded Kal-Thax, the first dwarven settlement of Ansalon.
Language
From time to time, scholars have debated the origins of the dwarven language. If it is true that both dwarves and kender are descended from gnomes, might it stand to reason they would all share the same language? This certainly does not seem to hold true; gnomes and kender both have adopted new standards for communication over the years, while the dwarven language seems to have changed only slightly. Ancient dwarven texts still require some skill and knowledge to unravel, but the basic structure of the current language remain largely unchanged.
The dwarven language is comprised of a primary base set of words that are either defined by context or modifiers, such as prefixes or suffixes. Dwarves do not use an alphabet; instead, they use a set of dwarven runes depicting these different words. The runes are straight, angular, and easy to reproduce. Many times, these symbols can be found etched into stone or metal. Each family and clan also has its own distinctive symbol.
The dwarven language is one of many hard consonants and few vowels. It is a rough language and difficult for non-dwarves to speak properly. Kender say it sounds like an avalanche coming out of the dwarf ’s mouth. Lots of grumbling and harsh clicks do indeed make it sound like rocks knocked together.
Hill dwarves rely primarily on an oral tradition to pass along their history from one generation to the next, so they have very few actual written texts. Those texts that do exist are often discovered in ancient caves and ruined dwarven fortresses.
The dwarves have a number of different phrases and sayings. The following phrases and meanings are a few of the more common in hill dwarf culture.
“Eyes High!” This phrase is common among dwarven scouts to bring attention to something they have spotted or to remind a companion to stay alert.
“Sometimes a stone is just a rock.” This is a phrase used by dwarves to warn another not to get their hopes up about some event.
“The gods look after fools, children, and drunks, and kender count for two out of those three.” This a common phrase that often comes up when dealing with kender. It is especially pertinent after a kender has escaped some disaster… usually one he produced.
Racial Relations
While hill dwarves are seemingly intolerant of nearly everyone, it has never stopped them from dealing and trading with nearly every race at one point or another through the ages.
Despite their differences, hill dwarves have generally gotten along with Qualinesti elves. It was mainly the hill dwarves of Thorbardin who assisted in the creation of the elven kingdom. Since the Cataclysm, much of that camaraderie has faded. Contrarily, since the razing of the elven kingdom, it is not uncommon to find the odd group of elves living among dwarven communities who opened their homes to the refugees of the fallen nation. Outside of the region around Thorbardin, meetings between elves and hill dwarves can be uncomfortable affairs.
Hill dwarves regard gnomes with some trepidation and annoyance. This may be because the dwarves can see something of themselves in the hardworking gnomes.
However, the gnomish drive to go far beyond what any sensible dwarf would consider and their knack for failure scare hill dwarves. Dwarves and gnomes can work well together, however, as long as the dwarf can establish the leadership role.
Hill dwarves seem to understand half-elves. A race of outcasts from not one, but two different societies reminds the many hill dwarves of their estrangement from the clans beneath the mountains. Not as hot headed as humans and not as pretentious as elves, the personalities of most half-elves appeal to hill dwarves.
Humans have interacted with hill dwarves for longer than either race can remember. To the dwarves, humans are warlike, over-eager, and greedy, but at the same time can show compassion and respect for tradition. One thing all humans tend to do, at least in the eyes of the hill dwarves, is recklessly spend their wealth and personal gain. Hill dwarves are more than happy to oblige in taking it from them if it means an honest day’s work for them.
If there is any race on the face of Ansalon that totally mystifies and frustrates hill dwarves, it’s kender. How the kender race has managed to survive is as baffling to hill dwarves as how gully dwarves remain in the world. Kender are foolish, careless, and lazy. They are also clearly a race of thieves, lawless bandits, and compulsive liars. They can’t be trusted any farther than they can be thrown, no matter how many times you throw them.
The Neidar see minotaurs as an honorable race, even if they are evil. Occasionally, hill dwarves have been known to trade with minotaurs, but just as often, they have fought against them. When dealing with minotaurs, hill dwarves come armed with a good bit of suspicion and a hand on their axe.
Hill dwarves detest draconians on general principle. They consider a race of magically deformed dragon children crafted from dark magic to be unnatural and twisted. Hill dwarves have little to no contact with them that isn’t violent. There is a nasty rumor circulating that it was a hill dwarf who gave the draconians instructions on how to find the dwarven ruins of Teyr. However, it’s generally believed that any self respecting hill dwarf would never do such a thing.
The ogre race has been at odds with the dwarves since the dwarves’ creation. The only dwarves known to interact with ogres have been the Zhakar, who traded with the ogres of Blöde. Even some of those meetings ended in bloodshed. Unlike half-elves, half-ogres are not treated with the same respect from hill dwarves. The taint of their ogre parentage is hard for any hill dwarf to ignore.
Character Classes
Barbarian: Hill dwarves are not known for being barbarians, but the concept is not unknown. A hill dwarf barbarian is probably from some of the more wild reaches of Ansalon, such as Khur, Taman Busuk, or Nordmaar.
Bard: Hill dwarf bards who use sorcery are extremely rare. Those who make a habit of using it would gain a bad reputation among their clan rather quickly and possibly face being outcast from dwarven society.
Cleric: Hill dwarf clerics of Reorx and Shinare are common among the Neidar clans. However, they are open to worship nearly every god.
Druid: Druidry is a rare choice for hill dwarves. Those who do follow this path tend to dwell in isolation, though they may watch over a village from a distance. Hill dwarf druids who find a reason for adventuring are even less common.
Fighter: This is the most common class for hill dwarves. Every dwarven community is in need of hardy warriors to help protect them from outside threats. Almost every hill dwarf is taught some form of fighting starting at an early age. The hill dwarf ’s high constitution and innate resistance make them formidable warriors.
Monk: Monks are rare and dwarven monks even more so. Even though hill dwarves have a lawful tendency, few find little use for meditating or spending their days in quiet contemplation. Hill dwarves tend to enjoy creature comforts too much to give up worldly ways. If a hill dwarf did take up the monastic life, it would probably be because of some tragedy in his younger years that drove him to isolation.
Mystic: Given their strong inner sense of self, the Power of the Heart is a natural fit for hill dwarves. Spellcasting based on Wisdom instead of Charisma makes this class that much more appealing.
Paladin: Hill dwarf paladins are rare and only manifest in times of great need. As honorable warriors, the class is a natural fit for hill dwarves, but their lowered Charisma can hurt their paladin abilities.
Ranger: Hill dwarf rangers are fairly common. The dwarves’ rustic lifestyle leads some to revere nature. Their lowered Charisma hampers interactions with animals, but this is somewhat expected when dealing with dwarves in general.
Rogue: Neidar rogues are not entirely common, since most hill dwarves are usually respectful of others’ possessions. Those who do become rogues tend to focus on the finding and disabling traps, picking locks, and listening and observation skills, and are more useful for breaking and entering than hiding and sneaking.
Sorcerer: Due to their innate revulsion of the arcane arts, hill dwarf sorcerers are few and far between. Any hill dwarf sorcerer who displays their skills would be shunned by his people. The penalty to Charisma also makes this class a tough choice.
Wizard: Hill dwarf wizards are extremely rare. The few who do choose this path immediately become outcasts from dwarven society. The rare dwarves who do take up wizardry often focus on item creation.
Warlock: Few Neidar become warlocks, and those that do are often shunned from their clans. Their lowered Charisma makes them inadequate warlocks.
Hill Dwarf Racial Traits
Neidar use the same racial features for hills dwarves found on page 20 of the Player’s Handbook.
Mountain Dwarves
While hill dwarves are most commonly encountered by other races, they are only a small percentage of the entire dwarven race. The mountain dwarves of Ansalon consider themselves the true dwarves of Krynn. Among the mountain dwarves are the noble clans that were established thousands of years ago. In the depths of Thorbardin dwell the royal clan of the Hylar, the spiritual Daewar, the erratic Klar, the treacherous Theiwar, and the ruthless Daergar. At the height of their glory, mountain dwarves controlled three kingdoms and were considered a major force of trade on the continent, forging trade agreements with the nations of Solamnia, Ergoth, Qualinesti, and Istar. It wasn’t until the Kingpriests of Istar began to impose their laws upon all the people of Ansalon that the dwarves closed their doors to the world. However, nothing could save them from the Cataclysm.
With the fall of the fiery mountain from the heavens, the kingdom of Thoradin was destroyed, leaving the Theiwar clan to suffer alone. Under Thorbardin, the mountain clans remained safe from the hazards of the Cataclysm, but they could not escape each other. Civil war erupted between the clans, lasting decades. Even the peace following the War of the Lance only lasted until the Chaos War. Then the kingdom under the mountain erupted into a war that destroyed the ancient cities of the dwarves and reduced the population to a fraction of what it once was. The only mountain dwarf kingdom to survive relatively unscathed is the kingdom of Kayolin beneath the Garnet Mountains of Solamnia.
Physical Appearance
Mountain dwarves typically stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall and nearly as wide. The dwarves of the Daewar clan are among the tallest, some even standing over 5 feet in height. Daewar dwarves often have golden hair and lustrous braided beards. Of all the dwarves, they are the most vain and prefer to wear fine clothes of bright colors.
The Hylar also prefer to where fine clothes to demonstrate their noble status among their people, but colors are muted compared to the flashy Daewar. Typically, Hylar hair color ranges from sandy-blonde to dark brown. They often style their hair into complex patterns and keep it clean and brushed.
This is in stark contrast to the Klar clan that prefers to let their hair rest where it may in wild tufts. The Klar have been known to tie trinkets into their beards, such as beads or even the bones of enemies. The dwarves of the Klar clan wear tough, simple wool clothing that can resist the wear and tear of the physical labor they often perform.
Psychology
Mountain dwarves are generally gruff and possess shrewd minds. When it comes to their people, they are fiercely devoted to clan first and then to all mountain dwarves. They are willing to defend their homes to the death and are some are literally raised with hammers in their hands. They see the world as a creation of the god Reorx—something to be revered and crafted into shape by skilled hands. To outsiders, mountain dwarves appear introverted. Most prefer to dwell apart from the world, below the surface, never seeing the light of day. Although they can make steadfast trading partners, mountain dwarves rarely stray far from their mountain home. Among the Hylar and Daewar, a good day’s work should yield riches and wealth. They work hard, so they deserve the best. Mountain dwarves appreciate the finer things in life and are not ashamed to flaunt it. Unlike hill dwarves, they are not modest and dress as regally as they can afford. This display of wealth, their success in industry, and secrecy of their mountain home are reasons many folk believe dwarves hide mountains of gold in their underground kingdoms.
The Hylar are the most outgoing of the mountain dwarf clans. They and the Daewar have more experience with the surface world than other clans. Honor, respect, and tradition are the tools by which a Hylar views the world. If a nation fails to respect its people or fails to honor its pledges, they are unworthy of trade or association. Among their own kind, the Hylar can be bit self-righteous, but other races find them to be rough and no-nonsense. The Hylar are considered the most noble of the dwarven clans.
When they are not suffering from problems within their own clan or withdrawn into their mountain city, the Daewar dwarves are actively seeking trade with all who will trade with them. Worship of their gods and industry are indistinguishable. The Daewar live to give shape and purpose from raw substance and further the concepts of trade and engineering. Daewar priests work the forges day and night, showing their faith by the hours spent working. Warriors sing dwarven chants to the gods as they meet their enemy on the battlefield. “May their hearts and pockets be rich,” is a prayer many Daewar merchants often utter before every sale. They are a spiritual people and honor those who respect them and their beliefs. Intense and loud, the golden-haired Daewar are often easy to recognize.
The wild Klar are natural explorers. Unlike many other dwarves, Klar have a knack for dealing with the natural wonders of the world, especially plants and animals. Even so, few Klar are willing travel far beyond their mountain home, preferring instead to explore the details of their own mountains before looking to the world beyond. However, a touch of insanity is prevalent in the Klar clan, and has produced some odd dwarves. Some have willingly left to make their fortune in the surfaceworld or even taken up the art of wizardry.
Social Structure
A mountain dwarf ’s life revolves around his clan and his place within it. Each clan is led by a Thane who represents his clan’s interests on the Council of Thanes. The original Council was established to be the ruling body of all dwarves upon Ansalon, but now each dwarven kingdom has its own Council.
In Thobardin, there are nine chairs on the Council of Thanes, one for each clan of seven clans, a chair for the Kingdom of the Dead—a nation of honored ancestors who have passed on before and the adopted clan of all dwarven clerics—and a chair for the High King of the dwarves. The High King of Thorbardin is the dwarf who rightfully claims the Hammer of Kharas. Without it, a dwarf may claim sovereignty, but he will never be accepted by all the clans as the true ruler.
Hylar (“Highest”): The Hylar clan has long been considered the ruling clan of the dwarves. They are noble in stature and commanding in nature. Hylar dwarves are expert architects and engineers, and are responsible for many of the great wonders found in the underground dwarven kingdoms. In Thorbardin, the Hylar have been reduced to a fraction of the power they once held. Many of their members were killed in Palanthas during the Chaos War and even more beneath the elven city of Qualinost when it collapsed. Also during the Chaos War, the entire stalactite city of Hybardin was destroyed, crashing into the Urkhan Sea. Jungor Stonesinger now claims the throne of the sealed off kingdom of Thorbardin, while exiled former king Tarn Bellowgranite resides in Pax Tharkas with his followers. The largest concentration of Hylar is now in the kingdom of Kayolin.
Daewar (“Dearest”): The mountain dwarves of the Daewar clan have long been allies with the Hylar clan. They are a zealous clan with a love of religion. Unfortunately, their frevent nature has often led to conflicts within the clan. Daewar warriors are often hailed for their wisdom and respect for the law. Daewar can often be found in positions of public safety and public works, and as healers. They are also instrumental in keeping safe a number of traditional dwarven ceremonies and sacred texts. During the Chaos War, the Daewar clan was too busy with dealing with civil unrest to assist the Hylar. Consequently, when the forces of Chaos attacked their city, they were unprepared and many lost their lives. In Thorbardin, the current Thane Granite Glitterstone represents the clan. In Pax Tharkas, General Otaxx Shortbeard speaks for the Daewar. In the ancient kingdom of Thoradin, Severus Stonehand rules over the Daewar and all the dwarves of that realm.
Klar (“Crazed”): The Klar clan has long existed to serve the Hylar. They are the most unpredictable of the dwarven clans. Since the arrival of the Hylar to Thorbardin thousands of years ago, the Klar have served both above and below the mountain. Some factions left Thorbardin after the Cataclysm and can be found in small enclaves across Ansalon. During the Chaos War, they were persuaded to turn against the Hylar and assisted in that clan’s downfall. Currently, Smeargash Splintershield speaks for the Klar in Thorbardin.
Neidar (“Nearest”): The hill dwarf clan of the Neidar consists of any dwarf who chooses to dwell above ground rather than beneath it (see Hill Dwarves). It is the largest and most widespread of all clans. Neidar representation on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes has been sparse, and Neidar Thanes have come and gone. Currently, the Neidar chair has been removed completely since the kingdom has been closed off to the outside again, and relations have become strained between the mountain dwarves and hill dwarves in that region. In Kayolin, there is no single voice for all Neidar; instead, hill dwarf village elders express their concerns on behalf of their village.
Theiwar (“Thankless”): The Theiwar are dark dwarves, a sadistic and cunning people. Unlike other mountain dwarves, they prefer secrecy and subterfuge to outright honesty. They are allergic to sunlight, and generations of inbreeding and isolation have given them distinct physical attributes that differ from other dwarves. They are also the only clan that has ever shown an interest in the arcane arts, which has set them apart from other clans. Currently, the female Theiwar Thane Brecha Quickspring represents the Theiwar in Thorbardin.
Daergar (“Deepest”): The dark dwarf clan of the Daergar has always been composed of deep dwellers, or dwarves who prefer the depths of the earth to the light of day. They are a physically strong and brutal folk, many of them do nothing other than working at the forge their entire lives. In the past, the Daergar supported the Hylar, but generations of bitterness about the Hylar hold of power in Thorbardin created a great resentment against the light-loving dwarves. The Daergar and Theiwar have often intermingled. Those dwarves known as Dewar represent parentage from both clans. In Thorbardin, Sleram Axedelver leads the Daergar.
Aghar (“Anquished”): The Aghar clan, better known as gully dwarves, has been an embarrassment to the dwarven race for thousands of years. They are small, disgusting creatures who scurry about like rats, living off gods know what and producing nothing of real value. Now that Thorbardin has fallen, the gully dwarves have spread into many of the ruined cities, running from teams of feral Klar and other more dangerous creatures that have made their lairs among the ruins. In Thorbardin, the current Thane of the Aghar is Grumple Nagfar. Thorbardin is not the only place they are found, however. Communities of gully dwarves can be found all over Ansalon.
Zhakar (“Accursed”): The only clan not currently represented on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes, other than the Neidar, is the Zhakar. This clan was formerly a part of the Theiwar stranded within their city beneath Thoradin after the Cataclysm, where a mold plague took root in the city and nearly killed everyone. Yet enough folk fought off the disease and the clan remained. However, the disease afflicted the dwarves and all their descendents. Their bodies are disfigured, and sunlight burns their skin. In the recent past, the Daewar Severus Stonehand traveled to Thoradin and proposed to cure them of their affliction for their servitude. Many agreed and were cured; others refused and were driven from the mountain. Now they live in various locations in the Khalkists Mountains, plotting their revenge. The last known leader of the Zhakar was Lord Brule Vaportwist, a cunning and ruthless dark dwarf.
Family Life
Most mountain dwarves will spend their entire lives beneath the earth. For hundreds of years, dwarves toil at the forge for family and clan, growing up, finding a mate, raising families, and retiring in wealth or dying honorably in battle. While mountain dwarves frequently seem commanding in nature, they can often become defensive when matters of a personal nature are brought up. Although dwarves are open about many aspects of life, true love is a private matter. Most dwarves find a suitable mate between the ages of forty and sixty. Male dwarves must impress the female dwarf and her family before declaring any intention of marriage. Dwarves mate for life; once married, they stay with their spouse until death. Even after one spouse has passed, it is considered immoral and distasteful for the widow or widower to marry again, as they consider doing so a dishonor the dead.
“From earth to earth and stone to stone, we give back what Reorx has delivered unto us.” This common phrase is uttered at many dwarven funerals. Mountain dwarf tradition dictates that honored dwarves must be buried in the earth upon their death. In the kingdom of Thorbardin, that tradition is upheld by placing the dead in a sacred valley above the underground kingdom known as the Valley of the Thanes. Thanes and dwarven nobility are given locations along the edges of the valley in the rock walls. Giant burial chambers with circular stone plugs house their bodies and, in some cases, the bodies of their honored ancestors. All other dwarves are given plots within different locations around the valley based on their clan affiliation.
When a dwarf is laid to rest, he is often buried with personal effects, such as weapons, armor, jewels, and tokens of respect from their family and friends. When the burial ceremony is complete, the tomb is closed or the grave covered with small boulders. In Thorbardin and Kayolin, each city also houses a great collection of stone burial chambers expertly crafted to hold thousands of dwarven dead. Following the Chaos War, the Life Tree of the Hylar collapsed into the Urkhan Sea and was renamed to the Isle of the Dead. Once a year, the mountain dwarves hold a ceremony known as the Festival of Lights, where thousands of lights are lit on the island and are marked with the symbol of a family that perished when the city fell. Lanterns are lit and songs are sung in honor of those who perished.
Names
Mountain dwarves use family names, such as Bonecutter, Hammerstand, Ironmaul, Longslate, and Thornwallen, with each family belonging to a larger clan. Individual names are given at birth; these often reflect an aspect of their clan values or the name of an honored ancestor. Male names include Blaxter, Handil, Hopton, Jerem, Shard, and Tarn, while common female names are Amelista, Andean, Girasol, Jett, Nebba, and Tera. Hylar dwarves pick names that are strong or commanding in nature. Often times, these names are related to the earth, such as Granite Stonesinger or Jade Stonetooth. Daewar dwarves prefer flashy names such as Olim Goldbuckle or Crystal Truesilver. In the Klar clan, they prefer names that are warrior-like in nature, such as Rilt Smeargash or Fara Greenblood.
Everyday Activity
Among the dwarves, the Hylar are known as inventors; they are responsible for a number of innovations such as aqueducts, pulleys, lifts, and underground cart systems that link together many of the sprawling dwarven cities. Their feats of engineering made it possible to build a city within a massive stalactite in Thorbardin.
For the Daewar, religion is ingrained in everyday lives. From the time they are young, Daewar are taught the importance of steadfast worship of the gods. Their lives are filled with rituals, birthing sacraments, naming ceremonies, and rites of passage all before adulthood.
Children are educated in the way of the forge and receive religious instruction from an early age. The dwarven saying “He was born with a hammer in his hand” is an apt expression regarding the early years of the majority of Daewar. Most children are visiting the forge by the time they can walk and hefting a hammer soon after.
Stone masonry and architecture are also part of a young dwarf's training. Instruction in the use of a hammer for building and warfare is tradition. Adults in the clan are charged with increasing the honor of their family within the community. Daewar often feel that appearance equals status, so the more flamboyantly a dwarf dresses or the more ostentatious his home, the greater his status in the community.
The dwarves of the Klar clan endure lives of servitude under the mountain. They are a clan of laborers and warriors, serving the most powerful clan under the mountain. Once they were a content clan of hill dwarves who lived above ground, but generations of mining quicksilver poisoned the minds of their people. Since they refused to give up the practice, their insanity continues. When the Hylar arrived in Thorbardin, they were given a city beneath the mountain for their assistance in building the kingdom. Now they live below Thorbardin, serving the king and occasionally siding with the dark dwarf clans if it serves their purpose.
Klar are born into their trade. Oftentimes, young dwarves are sent to work with their mother or father to learn their place in dwarven hierarchy. Since the Klar have a natural affinity for plants, they are often put in charge of maintaining the food warrens of Thorbardin and Kayolin.
The most well known territory belonging to the mountain dwarves is Thorbardin, located in the Kharolis Mountains south of Abanasinia. It was the first place all clans of dwarves joined together on Ansalon to create a massive underground kingdom. A great underground lake supplied fresh water, and a massive stalactite hanging from the cavernous ceiling allowed the Hylar to construct an entire city within it. Around the edges of the lake, the other dwarven clans established their own cities. Unfortunately, the kingdom was mostly destroyed during the Chaos War, and the surviving dwarves moved into the Northgate Complex, renaming it Nobardin.
In the Garnet Mountains of Solamnia, the dwarven province of Kayolin was constructed as the Age of Might was beginning. This dwarven realm, established by the Hylar and Daewar clans, has seen nothing but prosperity since its founding. The effect of having two clans so close in alliance with one another and the lack of the dark dwarf clans has allowed Kayolin to prosper where the other kingdoms have faltered.
The most recent addition to the lands of the mountain dwarves has been the recovery of the kingdom of Thoradin. The Daewar Severus Stonehand took many of the Daewar clan and dwarven refugees from the Chaos War, and traveled to Zhakar to reclaim the ancient halls of Thoradin from the dark and twisted dwarves who had laid claim to it. Severus Stonehand and his followers descended upon Zhakar and offered to heal the dark dwarves in exchange for their allegiance. Most of the dwarves refused and were cast from their homes. Severus declared himself king of Thoradin and claimed the realm for his people.
Arts and Industry
While the gnomish race often claims to be masters of technology, anyone who has ever visited the underground kingdoms of the dwarves would be quick to disagree. The mountain dwarves of Ansalon have accomplished feats of architecture and engineering at which many non-dwarves can only marvel. In Thorbardin, crystal suntunnels descend from the surface hundreds of feet through solid stone, allowing sunlight to reach the cities below ground.
This allows the mountain dwarves to determine night from day, even though few actually experience the passing of the seasons outside.
To travel between cities in Thorbardin, massive tunnels large enough to allow for marching armies were constructed. To ascend and descend between the various levels of the kingdom, great lift-and-pulley systems were designed. One of these lifts was instrumental to travel in the stalactite city of Hybardin before its fall. Thousands of expertly hidden ventilation shafts allow the air of the underground kingdoms to circulate and allow the escape of smoke from thousands of burning hot forges which are constantly in operation.
Magical Practices
Mountain dwarves believe divine magic to be a gift from the gods, and arcane magic is a curse. Mysticism has been widely accepted as dwarves can understand tapping into the power of their own being; thus, mystics are permitted and even encouraged. Arcane magic, however, was born of the Graygem; therefore, it can’t be trusted. In ancient times, dwarven craftsmen would take their work to clerics to be blessed and imbued with divine powers. This practice was common until the Cataclysm. Powerful dwarven magic items have not been made since that time. Even now, as dwarven clerics are returning to the world, generations will pass until the dwarves can produce weapons and armor to match the best of what they could do in the Age of Might.
The only clan that tolerates arcane magic is the Theiwar. Ever since the arrival of the Wizards of High Sorcery in Thorbardin thousands of years ago, the Theiwar began to look to arcane magic as a way to garner more power within the dwarven clans. They experimented with magic; eventually, this experimentation began to taint the dwarves and change their appearance. Over generations, the Theiwars’ skin turned yellow and their hair turned white. They accepted these changes, knowing it unnerved the other dwarves of the mountain.
Up until the War of the Lance, all dwarven wizards were renegades. They cared nothing for the Orders of High Sorcery and practiced wizardry by handing down the knowledge from one dwarven mage to another. Just before the War of the Lance, a dwarven wizard by the name of Vosil Grudgeback made contact with and joined the Orders of High Sorcery. Within the next decade, the dark dwarf founded an organization known as the Obsidian Circle, which worked to establish the Orders of High Sorcery within Thorbardin. This organization was short lived, as it fell apart when the Chaos War descended upon the dwarven realm and High Sorcery disappeared along with the gods of magic.
Religion
Mountain dwarves respect religious traditions and incorporate them in their daily lives. Even in those ages when the gods have been silent, some dwarves continued their veneration. However, in the centuries following the Cataclysm, many dwarves gave up hope, believing the gods had abandoned them. Some temples to Reorx were converted into places of learning, while others were abandoned entirely.
Following the War of the Lance, the dwarves were reunited with Reorx once again, and the forge fires at the heart of each temple were reignited. The sounds of hammers ringing against steel, and the comforting chant of the dwarven clerics echoed through the underground halls. After the Chaos War, many dwarves turned to the Power of the Heart in order to keep their traditions alive, although this practice did not come without a price; the use of mysticism brought its own problems. Some dwarves believed it was a betrayal to use this new magic.
In the Daewar clans, the use of this magic brought civil unrest as the dwarves hotly debated the use of magic. Severus Stonehand made the use of mysticism even more questionable by using his magic to persuade many of the Daewar clan to follow him out of Thorbardin, an act that fractured the already unstable Daewar clan. The eventual return of Reorx and the rest of the gods following the War of Souls helped ease that tension. Now with the return of the clerics, the use of mysticism is being reconsidered as a gift from their god.
Most mountain dwarves observe religious holidays and ceremonies. Among the more common rituals are naming ceremonies of newborns, weddings, and blessings of artifacts.
While Reorx is considered the high god of the dwarves, he is not the only one worshiped. The Hylar traditionally prefer to remain to true to Reorx, although Shinare also has a small following. The Daewar generally feel open to worship any of the good or neutral gods. Among the favored are Thak the Hammer (Paladine), Kijo the Blade (Kiri-Jolith), the Silver Mistress (Shinare), and Sirrion the Firemaster. Among the Klar clan, many dwarves venerate Reorx, but a fair number also worship Chislev, who they often refer to as the Living Earth. The Klar are the only mountain dwarf clan known to have druids among their people.
Folklore
Mountain dwarves love folktales and use them to instruct younger generations. One of the oldest folktales describes the account of Kitlin Fishtaker and his encounter with the Graygem. The story teaches young dwarves the dangers of meddling with magic and the general incompetence of other races.
Reorx, Master of the Forge, was led astray. The gods in the heavens asked him to craft a jewel from the very essence of Chaos. Knowing the danger it could present, he first received pledges that it would remain in the heavens. Unfortunately, this was not to be so. When the gemstone was finished, it was delivered into the hands of the gods. Now no one knows for sure how the Graygem was lost; some tales say it was gnomes with a ladder that climbed to the heavens. Others say it was simply dropped from the heavens by a careless or mischievous god. Whatever the reason, the gem was taken from the heavens and delivered to a human king.
Only one thing could have been worse than the magical stone being in the hands of a human—having it in the hands of a gnome. The gnomes claimed the gem was theirs, and they stormed the keep. Eventually, one of their inventions accidentally destroyed a wall of the keep, and they captured the stone. After recovering the jewel, the fool gnomes set it free. Now the abomination was free to roam the world.
The gem rampaged across the land. It was a force without reason, a power without logic. The arcane energies twisted and distorted the creation Reorx himself had worked so hard to create.
Then one day, it crossed the path of a dwarf known as Kitlin Fishtaker. Kitlin was a dwarven spearman. He made his trade by catching fish along the shores of Kal-Thax and trading the fish to a nearby human settlement for supplies. As he stood on the shore holding his two-pronged spear, he gazed into the water. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flying magical stone. Thinking fast, Kitlin decided to capture the stone before its foul magic could spread further across the world. The dwarf tossed his spear into the skies, and his aim was true. He hit the stone, and the Graygem fell into the shallow waters.
Kitlin rushed forward and captured the stone, but the power of Chaos was too much for even the mightiest dwarf to resist. The stone punished the dwarf; it placed magical sigils in each of his palms. The dwarf could feel the taint of the arcane magic throughout his body. Shocked by his affliction, Kitlin let go of the stone, and it escaped into the sky. From that day forward, anyone who touched Kitlin Fishtaker would also catch the magical disease. The dwarven spearman became an outcast among his people and lived the rest of his life alone and miserable.
Language
All dwarves share a common language. Each region and clan tends to have its own dialect, however. When one dwarf speaks to another, he can usually determine where that dwarf was raised and to which clan they belong. The mountain dwarf dialect has changed little over time, even less than the hill dwarf, due to the fact that mountain dwarves rarely mix with other races and cultures. The spoken language is harsh and choppy. Even when spoken fluently, it sounds harsh to the ears.
Dwarven does not use an alphabet, but a system of runes. These runes have evolved very little since their creation. Each clan and family also have their own rune.
These are often etched into the items mountain dwarves create. There are few ancient dwarven texts, but those that exist are usually found in the possession of mountain dwarves. The Hylar of Thorbardin have long kept extensive histories and genealogies of their people and accomplishments. Many of these were destroyed during the Chaos War. The Daewar clan also keeps a number of written religious documents and histories.
The dwarven language is designed for use in engineering and architecture. This may have been a natural evolution of the culture. The language allows for easy explanation of various processes, revealing an exacting amount of detail and precision. Planners and designers use it to get their point across to engineers, who in turn can relay that information to workers and laborers.
“Rust and Tarnish.” This phrase indicates dissatisfaction with a situation. The decay of metal is a commonly used in the dwarven language to express discontent or frustration.
“By Reorx’s Beard!” This is a common cry among dwarves on the battlefield. It is also often exclaimed when a dwarf is taken by surprise.
“Don’t be fooled by a crumbling jewel’s luster.” This phrase is a warning of caution to another dwarf to not trust what they see without looking closer.
Racial Relations
Mountain dwarves deal with other races on a limited scale. While many mountains dwarves are merchants, they rarely leave their underground kingdoms, preferring to sell just to their own kind. Views about other races are often developed from second-hand hearsay or brief encounters when representatives of that race have visited the mountain dwarf home.
On the whole, mountain dwarves consider elves to be haughty and reclusive. The kingdom of Thorin traded with Silvanesti, and the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin built up a strong relationship with the elves of Qualinesti. Yet those relationships were severed with the occurrence of the Cataclysm. The elves retreated into their forest homes, and the mountain dwarves retreated underground. Following the Chaos War, Tarn Bellowgranite tried to convince the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin that the elves could once again be strong allies. Unfortunately, his plan ultimately failed when thousands of dwarves and elves perished in the fall of Qualinesti. Now, with the elves exiled from their lands, it seems highly improbable that such a relationship could be restored.
Mountain dwarves find gnomes amusing in a pathetic way. Dwarves live among some of the greatest examples of architecture and technology Ansalon has ever known. Gnomes are clearly cursed. This is painfully obvious in their so-called inventions and their illogical methodologies. However, mountain dwarves admit they admire the gnomish desire to create and their tireless work ethic.
Mountain dwarves do not quite understand half-elves. Often, they simply assume they are humans. However, half-elves do seem to be amiable and understanding, and relations between mountain dwarves and half-elves often work well.
Humans are often too unpredictable to place in any one category. While many humans make good trading partners, just as many want to rob you blind. Dwarves deal with humans on a case-by-case basis.
Mountain dwarves find kender as irritating as gully dwarves. Thankfully, not many of them make it below ground. In dwarven eyes, they can’t be trusted.
Mountain dwarves have no love for minotaurs. They rarely trade with them and know very little about them, beyond the fact that they are large, smelly, and like to fight.
Draconians, ogres, and goblins fall in the same category. No self-respecting dwarf would waste time dealing with them.
Barbarian: The Klar are perfect for the barbarian class. They are wild, and in some cases, insane and prone to fits of rage. Daewar are also just as passionate, but their society is too lawful and does not lend itself well to barbarism. Hylar dwarves would rarely take this class.
Bard: Much like hill dwarves, mountain dwarves find arcane magic atrocious. Even so, the most likely candidate to be a bard would be a Daewar dwarf. The Daewar are the most tolerant of sorcery among the light-loving mountain dwarves. However, if any Daewar is discovered using sorcery, he becomes an outcast rather quickly.
Cleric: The Daewar clan has always been highly religious, sometimes to their detriment. Clerics are common among Daewar dwarves. Reorx, Shinare, Sirrion, and Kiri-Jolith are the usual deities worshiped. The Hylar and Klar also have clerics among their ranks as well.
Druid: The only known dwarven druids have been from the Klar clan. The Klar seem to have the closest connection to the living earth, as they refer to it. Through the living earth, they learn of all the creatures of the world, even those above their subterranean homes.
Fighter: Every dwarven clan has fighters. Not just warriors, but effective well-trained fighters. They focus mostly on melee combat, but dwarven fighters are experts at drawing enemies into deadly traps and ambushes.
Monk: Mountain dwarf monks are rare. Although the Hylar and Daewar prefer a structured and ordered lifestyle, there have never been any official dwarven monastic orders. If a mountain dwarf learned martial fighting and monk abilities, it would be outside their underground kingdom.
Mystic: Some mountain dwarves have taken up mysticism, but few ever travel outside their home in order to explore it fully. They use their abilities for the good of their clan within the mountain. In Thorbardin, mysticism has garnered a bad reputation due to Severus Stonehand and his exile from the dwarven kingdom. The other dwarven kingdoms have accepted this new form of magic.
Paladin: Daewar occassionally produce a Paladin, but they are unheard of among other clans. The Daewar martial ability and religious nature make this class a good fit.
Ranger: The Klar fall naturally into the role of the ranger. These rangers focus their skills on scouting new caverns and dealing with underground threats. Not surprisingly, these rangers have a stronger connection with burrowing animals.
Rogue: All clans have dwarves who will do whatever it takes to gain great wealth. Among the Hylar and Daewar, these rogues often work as con-artists and dishonest merchants, focusing on Diplomacy and Bluff. Klar rogues are more likely to be thugs who skulk in alleyways, waiting for unsuspecting dwarves to rob.
Sorcerer: Like the bard, this class is extremely rare among mountain dwarves. Dwarven sorcerers, like any dwarf using arcane magic, are banished from their clan if discovered, unless they come from the Theiwar.
Wizard: The only mountain dwarf wizards are outcasts. The Theiwar are the only dwarves who openly accept the use of arcane magic, much to the consternation of the other clans.
Warlock: The only mountain dwarf warlocks are outcasts, as well.
Mountain Dwarf Racial Traits
Mountain dwarves use the same racial features for mountain dwarves found on page 20 of the Player’s Handbook.
Dark Dwarves
From the lightless depths of the dwarven kingdoms, the dark dwarves of Ansalon plot and scheme against the clans of their light-loving brothers and against each other. The dark dwarves of Ansalon come from one of three tribes: the Theiwar, Daergar, or Zhakar. Dark dwarves struggle for power below, and sometimes above, the surface of Ansalon, with each clan doing so in their own unique way.
Physical Appearance
The Daergar are similar to their light-loving cousins in appearance. They range from 4 to 4 ½ feet in height and are often nearly as wide as they are tall. Hair color ranges from light brown to black; their eyes cover the same spectrum of color.
The Theiwar, through centures of inbreeding and isolation, have developed two interesting physical traits. First, they are extremely fair, with many true albinos among their number. Second, while they are roughly the same height as other dwarves, they tend to be somewhat skinny and are more wiry than their bretheren.
A Zhakar begins his life looking as any other dwarf. However, as his life progress, the mold plague carried by his clan changes his appearance to something considered grotesque by other dwarves. By middle age, all of the Zhakar’s hair will have fallen out, and his eyes will have become a milky-white. His skin will be discolored and splotchy, with odd patches of skin that molt continuously. Not enough time has passed since Severus Stonehand cured some of the Zhakar of their plague to know what impact this will have on the the clan and their appearance.
Psychology
Dark dwarves are naturally suspicious of others. They tend to keep to themselves and only surrender information when they feel it is necessary; trust is almost an alien concept. Dark dwarves trust only the backstabbing nature they see in every race. They usually only interact with other races if they feel they can gain something in the exchange. If a dark dwarf saves a companion in a fight, it just means the dwarf has other uses for that person.
Dark dwarves are quite aware of how other races view them; this is part of what defines the dark dwarf personality and their drive for power. They automatically assume everyone fears them and will try to use this to their advantage. When presented with a situation that defies this logic, dark dwarves assume there must be some hidden motive for others to consider them less than evil.
Daergar are often loud and demanding. In Daergar settlements, many disputes are settled in short violent encounters. Even if a dark dwarf is not the leader in a party, he acts as if he is and gives orders, instead of asking others what they believe to be the best course of action.
Social Structure
The Theiwar and Daergar clans each have Thanes who represent them on Thorbardin’s Council of Thanes before the High King. While most Theiwar and Daergar say they would follow the High King of Thorbardin, none have made any such commitment to the dwarven King elected by the Council. Regardless of the pledges their Thanes may make, however, there is always some dark dwarf faction willing to betray anyone at any time.
Among the Theiwar, the position of Thane is potentially the most dangerous. Theiwar Thanes come to power by assassinating their predecessors. However, the current Thane, Brecha Quickspring, took the reigns of power from her father when he perished during the Chaos War. Thane Brecha is loyal, for a Theiwar, to the current High King Jungor Stonesinger. Instrumental in assisting the Hylar attain power, Brecha is in a position of power no other Theiwar has ever attained.
The Daergar clan respect strength, so to no surprise, their Thane is normally determined in a trial by combat. However, the current thane, Sleram Axedelver, did not reach his position in this manner. He was appointed by the current High King for his loyalty to the crown. Many Daergar are infuriated with this assignment, and it won’t be long before new Daergar Thane will be challenged. Among the Zhakar, there is no Thane. The position of king was held by whoever had the most influence over the various factions within the community. Now that the clan has been scattered, there is no central ruler. Various family groups work independently of one another. The largest group of Zhakar outside Thoradin is lead by a dwarf known as Lord Brule Vaportwist. He is a cruel military leader who has protected many of his people against the invasion of Severus Stonehand. Working alongside Lord Vaportwist is a mysterious Zhakar dwarf known as Coal Flamebringer, also known as the Bringer of the Black Flame. The Flamebringer and his followers worship a great fiery worm-like creature that dwells in the depths of Thoradin.
Family Life
Within Theiwar society, it is common for families to war against one another in an attempt to gain control of precious resources. This internal struggle keeps the Theiwar from gathering enough power as a clan to gain much power of their own. There are many secretive partnerships and organizations within the clan that work to control different aspects of society.
The Daergar take a different view and prefer to have the physically strongest leader in a position of power. Rather than scheme and plot behind the scenes against one another, families organize their own militias to war against their neighbors. Much like the Theiwar, Daergar spend more time and energy fighting amongst themselves than they do fighting external foes. The few times a strong leader has taken the reigns and forced the Theiwar to cooperate internally, the power they have possessed has been frightening to the other clans.
Land & Settlements
The largest collection of dark dwarves in Ansalon resides in the city of Nobardin in the mountain kingdom of Thorbardin. The Theiwar and Daergar clans dwell in the depths of a massive dwarf-made crevice known as the Anvil’s Echo. Prior to the Chaos War, each clan had two cities in Thorbardin. The Theiwar lived in Theibardin and Theiwarin, and the Daergar had the cities of Daerforge and Daerbardin. These cities were reduced to ruins during the Anvil Summer, and the dwarves were forced to evacuate to the Northgate Complex, renamed to Nobardin.
The Zhakar clan once claimed the ancient dwarven realm of Thoradin as their own, but since their forced exile at the hands of Severus Stonehand, they now dwell in scattered cavern systems throughout the Khalkist Mountains.
Throughout the rest of the continent, dark dwarf enclaves have been discovered from time to time. This is often followed by a violent attack from the dark dwarves and their disappearance underground. Under the Desolation, adventurers have returned with many tales of evil creatures, including gangs of dark dwarves. It is believed these dwarves left their clans for some purpose, but no one can say exactly why.
Names
The Theiwar prefer names that denote magical ability or craftiness, such as Pounce Quickspring, Kera Shadowfist, and Relghar Cutshank. The Daergar prefer names that will strike fear into an enemy: Vog Ironface, Brack Blackblood, and Gurt Rockgutt. The Zhakar naming traditions are similar to the Theiwar, but they tend to incorporate their deformities into their names, such as Toldec Two-teeth, Glome Scarback, and Harpy Crookedstep.
Everyday Activity
In the lightless bowels of the Anvil’s Echo, the Theiwar clan lives out its daily existence. Their city is comprised of a tangled sprawl of homes, stores, forges, and factories. For a city of dwarves, it is surprisingly quiet. The Theiwar go about their business, careful not to draw attention to themselves. Theiwar are taught from an early age that it can be dangerous to stand out. There is no laughter or yelling, and conversation is usually held in low whispers. The only sound is the tireless echo of hammer striking metal and the commotion from the Daergar clan nearby. There are very few lights; in places where lights are common, they are just as often supplanted by arcane magic—magical fires giving off no heat and unnatural colors.
The lowest levels of the Anvil’s Echo are reserved for the Daergar clan. The only light from their city comes from the countless forge fires. Coal dust and smoke are heavy in the air and coat everything with a thin black layer of ash. In opposition to the Theiwar, the Daergar are loud and angry, and their yells echo alongside the noise of the forges. The stone buildings of the Daergar are simple and functional. They do not waste time with intricate detail or believe in wasting valuable metals for simple viewing pleasure.
While the Zhakar once had a great city, they now dwell within caves. Their introverted nature is even more extreme than the Theiwar. Embarrassed by their disease, most Zhakar prefer to remain apart from the world. Their cavern homes are well hidden by skilled stone masons. Settlements are often dark and quiet, making it difficult to know the exact number of Zhakar present at any one time.
Religion
All dwarves revere Reorx as the high god. Dark dwarves are no different; they give Reorx the Creator the proper respect. However, most dark dwarves crave power and to this end, many of them worshiped Tamex the False Metal (Takhisis) and prayed for her assistance. Additionally, the Theiwar venerate Hitax the Flaw (Hiddukel); the Daergar honor Sargonax the Bender (Sargonas); and the Zhakar revere Morgax the Rustlord (Morgion).
Language
All dark dwarves speak Dwarven, plus the languages of their natural enemies, such as Ogre or Goblin. All dark dwarves are taught to understand Hammertalk, the dwarven tradition of tapping hammers on stone in various codes. Theiwar assassins have developed hand signals, known as Flash Talk, to communicate certain ideas while remaining completely silent. Dark dwarves rarely engage in idle chat.
Racial Relations
Despite the fact that dark dwarves are evil at heart, the Hylar believe all dwarves can live together in peace. This was certainly demonstrated during the Age of Might when each clan had a role to play in the success of the dwarven nations. Unfortunately, centuries of isolation following the Cataclysm brought out the worst in all clans. The clans of Thorbardin have been forced to deal with one another on a daily basis since the Chaos War. Most of the taverns of Nobardin are open to dwarves of any clan, so it’s not surprising to find a Theiwar and Daewar drinking together. On the whole, however, there is much resentment between
the dark dwelling and light loving dwarves.
The Zhakar hate any dwarf who is not of their clan, blaming the other clans for their misfortunes. Some Zhakar have even gone so far as to make alliances with the ogres of the Khalkist Mountains in order to increase their strength against Severus Stonehand and his followers.
Throughout the ages, dark dwarves have worked with every evil race at one time or another. The Zhakar have fought along side ogres almost as often as they have fought them. If an anyone, whether human, elf, ogre, or draconian, makes an offer of power or wealth, the dark dwarves will usually ally themselves until it is apparent they will not gain from the alliance.
Most humans have proven to be greedy and selfserving. Dark dwarves believe it’s just part of human nature and depend on this when dealing with them. They find concepts such as sacrifice for the greater good and selflessness weaknesses to be exploited.
Kender and gnomes are irritating but can usually be manipulated easily enough. However, they can’t be trusted to get anything important done.
Elves are only as useful as the jewelry around their necks. They are better off dead and don’t belong in the dark dwarven world.
The only race dark dwarves have been known to get along with are minotaurs. Their evil tendencies appeal to dark dwarves. They trust minotaurs to stab them in the front, rather than the back.
Character Classes
Dark dwarves make excellent rogues, with their racial bonuses to Hide and Move Silent skills. Their darkvision is also extremely useful when skulking in dark places. As far as the individual clans go, the Daergar are very martial, and it is common for them to select fighter as a class. Not surprisingly, High Sorcery is a natural selection for a Theiwar character. Most Zhakar are rogues, but an elite disciplined group that serves the Cult of the Black Flame includes a number of monks.
Dark Dwarf Racial Traits
Dark dwarves use the following racial features in addition to the Dwarf racial features found in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +1 racial bonus to your Dexterity.
Superior Darkvision. You have darkvision up to 120 feet.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and wisdom (perception) checks when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Sneaky. You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when trying to hide in lowlight conditions.
Gully Dwarves
Gully dwarves are a race many consider to be the lowest form of sapient life. They are considered members of the dwarven race. Among the dwarves, their clan name is Aghar, meaning “Anguished”, a sentiment many true dwarves feel this race embodies. Most races know them as gully dwarves. Dirty, smelly, socially inept, and natural scavengers, the dwarves of the Aghar clan are rarely seen in public, unless they have been put into the service of someone brave enough to use them. Occasionally, the rare gully dwarf climbs out of his or her dung heap in order to start an adventuring career.
Physical Appearance
Gully dwarves are short and squat, averaging 3 1/2 to 4 feet in height. They are not as stocky as other dwarves, with slender arms and fingers. Most gully dwarves, regardless of gender, have potbellies. Skin tones range from pasty, pale white to dirty gray brown. Eye colors run from a pale watery blue to dull hazel. Males have long, scruffy beards, while females have small tufts of hair on their cheekbones.
A gully dwarf will dress in anything, or nothing at all, depending on what is available. Warts and sores cover a good portion of a gully dwarf ’s body; a thin coat of filth is always present.
Psychology
Aghar are traditionally known to be stupid, lazy, and even cowards.
This is actually far from the truth. The Aghar actually possess a great deal of talent from their forefathers, the gnomes and dwarves of Krynn. Aghar are actually wiser, and sturdier than both of those progenitors.
The Aghar are one of the most rugged of all "dwarven" clans. They are nearly immune to all known diseases and poisons. They can subsist on little amounts of food and water. They can withstand large conditions like cold and hot weather. They can survive anywhere, in even the worse of conditions. It is this talent that is also their bane. Because they can survive in such conditions that other races would call filthy or destitute, the Aghar can be found in such areas where they can live peacefully. Other races tend to look down on the Aghar because of their living conditions, but Aghar in their wisdom, seldom complain. The typical Aghar is actually a victim of the culture and surroundings of "superior" races who are very likely to enslave and kill Aghar. Aghar, given their violent life know that to run away is to live another day. Tomorrow is the reward for safety today. Their "sad" conditions are actually environments of safely and protection from other races.
This survivability allows the Aghar to ignore things that other races would consider vastly important. For example, an Aghar that works at an inn might be known for accidentally spilling drinks and lapping up the spilled ale by licking the floor. To other races, this displays the worst of the disgusting Aghar. But to the Aghar, who is nearly immune to any disease it is no bother. Human conventions, like keeping drinks clean and dirt-free, is to promote healthy food. But to the Aghar, such contrivances are not necessary, as the dirt only adds flavor, and doesn't do any harm. Spoiled food, like a rotten apple, while causing sickness to a human or other dwarves, is only a flavorful ripe fruit to the Aghar, who wouldn't be harmed by such things. The Aghar ability to live in harsh environments means they can live in areas of refuse in major cities without paying rent or owning land. The needs of the Aghar, are therefore, quite simple: survive against other races with weapons.
Aghar are actually vastly cagey, and intelligent, especially their leaders. The Highbulp in Xak Tsaroth, caught between the dragonarmy forces and the Innfellows deliberately sent Tanis to a trap in the hopes the Heroes kill Onyx, or die trying. The Clans are known for their lack of education, but that is not based on their lack of intelligence. They can learn, adapt, and even the legendary Flint Fireforge was trapped by Aghar in the shadow years before the War of the Lance. The Aghar are known for "not knowing two" as a sign of their lack of intelligence. However, many Aghar live a lifestyle where the need to know numbers aren't necessary. To the Aghar, "two" translates as "many".
The Aghar, when cornered, and forced to fight, can be voracious fighters.
Social Structure
The greater Aghar clan is split into a number of different tribes. Each tribe has its own leader whose name is the specific tribe’s name with “High” added to the front, such as Highbulp of the Bulp clan or Highglorp of the Glorp clan. While the High Chief of Thorbardin serves as the Thane on the Council of Thanes, he does not represent all the tribes across Ansalon. It is doubtful that many of the tribes outside of Thorbardin even know of the place. Each High Chief is usually any gully dwarf who asserts himself and can build up enough support from friends and family. Once a High Chief has been established, their rule is law.
Each High Chief is different and has his own agenda; most of the time it simply includes making sure he is fat, safe, rich, and happy. Secondary considerations are caring for the tribe and making sure they know how to make the High Chief fat, safe, rich, and happy.
Family Life
Gully dwarves live together in large interconnected families. Each family has gully dwarves who inevitably fall into different roles; some are the best hunters and some the best gatherers. They do this out of an instinct for survival more than anything else. The ruler of the entire clan is usually the most charismatic dwarf who is strong enough or crafty enough to take away leadership from the last ruler.
Lands and Settlements
Gully dwarves have spread to every corner of Ansalon. They exist in small groups in nearly every city and in larger tribes in many ruins. Where other races only see destruction and devastation, gully dwarves see opportunity and riches. The largest collection of gully dwarves can now be found in the ruins of Thorbardin. The Aghar clan claim a small stretch of land on the outskirts of Daerforge, known as Agharbardin.
Other than Thorbardin, other tribes have found lives in other places: the sewers of Palanthas, under the docks of Flotsam, in the cavern systems below Sanction, and numerous ruins throughout the continent. Gully dwarves have never had an ancestral land; they have always been nomadic. When some disaster occurs or the High Chief of the tribe decides it is time to move on, the tribe dutifully follows their leader in search of This Place. No one is quite sure of where This Place is, but when the High chief finds it, he knows. The entire tribe settles down once again.
Names
When gully dwarves are born, they are often given simple names. Names like Jeb, Pog, Grub, Blip, Bupu, and Guk are common. As gully dwarves grow older, they often change these names, depending on new words they have heard or deeds they have performed, such as Clout, Squat, Ratt, Rags, Twitch, Scab, Thump, Scatter, Verm, Maggot, and so on. Tribe names follow the same pattern of simple one or two syllable words: Gug, Plug, Hak, Churp, and Bung.
Everyday Activity
Wherever filth, decay, and ruin can be found, there are gully dwarves. They dwell in the places on Krynn generally only reserved for vermin. They have no need for homes, and they have no skilled workers; gully dwarves forage for nearly everything they need. As such, gully dwarves do not build settlements. Any place a gully dwarf can curl up and fall asleep is a good enough place to rest for the night. Usually only the High Chief demands some kind of chamber, but even then, it is shared with other members of his tribe.
Gully dwarf communities dwell in natural caverns or the forgotten ruins of other races. They live by hunting and foraging from day to day, digging up roots, collecting weeds, snails, beetles, rats, and anything else that might be edible. Clothing is stolen or salvaged from the waste other races. Basic tools and weapons are similarly found. The actual worth of an item generally depends on how often it can be used or its shininess. Trading for services is common in the rare instance a gully dwarf actually has a service to provide.
Oddly enough, despite their generally dirty living habits, gully dwarves make excellent cooks. They have a knack for making even gross, unconventional ingredients into something palatable and more often than not fairly tasty. If a gully dwarf is given a properly stocked kitchen, the food that comes from it can be amazing. However, other races will rarely trust a gully dwarf to prepare their food.
Religion
Reorx, the high god of all dwarves, failed the gully dwarves. While other folk live lives of luxury, gully dwarves live in squalor. It’s not that they mind, but it only proves Reorx forgot them. So gully dwarves in turn do the same. They have discovered that the only people you can truly rely on are your own friends and family. To this end, the gully dwarves tend to worship their ancestors. They believe their loved ones are watching and guiding them. Giving thanks now and again can improve your fortune.
Aghar also believe inanimate objects can be given true magical powers. This usually coincides with some personal event and an object they are holding at the time.
A tribe usually has a shaman of some sorts, a wisedwarf who has ideas and grasps the concept that there are numbers beyond two. Sometimes these shamans claim to speak with the spirits of the dead.
Language
The gully dwarf language is an amazing thing. Known as Gullytalk, it seems to be a constantly evolving language. To non-Aghar, it is harsh and headache-inducing. Even to full-blooded dwarves, the language is a seemingly incomprehensible garble of slang and broken regional words. Hand gestures are an intricate part of Gullytalk and serve to communicate as much as words. Gullytalk does not support any complex or detailed conversation.
Racial Relations
Most gully dwarves spend their entire lives running away from the other races of the world, so most have little knowledge of what to expect when confronted. Most simply assume all the other races of the world are out to get them. If they are with other gully dwarves, they often feel comforted and safe until any threat presents itself.
In Thorbardin, the gully dwarves live off the refuse of the other dwarves. Most consider it a form charity, but they still realize they are not accepted. In Kayolin, gully dwarves are treated fairly and given jobs, such as cleaning city streets or harvesting poison mushrooms. In either case, the gully dwarves are simply content to live their lives as they always have.
Sometimes, they cannot distinguish the difference between an evil race and a good race. Ogres and elves appear to treat them with the same revulsion and arrogance. Universally shunned by nearly all races, gully dwarves often assume they are never wanted and rarely form any lasting opinions.
Character Classes
Barbarian: This class is a great fit for gully dwarf characters. The hit points and natural gully dwarf resistances make the character extremely difficult to kill. Plus, when backed in a corner, most gully dwarves fly into a frenzy. The barbarian rage would address this aspect perfectly.
Bard: This is an interesting concept and would be a challenge to roleplay. The idea of a gully dwarf inspiring people to greatness would be difficult to grasp. However, it may be possible if the gully dwarf was more of a jester. In addition, the idea of an ode sung by a gully dwarf could be an amusing prospect.
Cleric: Gully dwarf clerics are rare. As a rule, gully dwarves mistrust the gods. However, a particular character may believe the god she follows was once a long lost ancestor, granting her miracles.
Druid: The gully dwarf druid would also be a rare individual. A druid draws on a broad number of abilities to be effective. A gully dwarf druid could have a dire rat companion and only cast a limited amount of spells, but he believes ancestor magic allows him to change shape into various animals.
Fighter: Gully dwarf fighters are fairly common. Among every tribe, there are certain members who are known for their fighting ability. This usually concerns fights between members of the tribe. As they are not penalized in Strength and have a bonus to Constitution, gully dwarves make effective fighters.
Monk: This is another rare class for a gully dwarf, but it is more likely than others. A monastery may be one of the few places any gully dwarf might find acceptance. Their bonus to Dexterity could also make them exceptional at tumbling and acrobatics. Since Wisdom is not negatively impacted, this could be one of their better scores. Working against them is their small size, cowardice, and general lack of discipline.
Mystic: Gully dwarf mystics began to appear at roughly the same time as mystics from other races. Their belief in the power of certain inanimate objects allows them to focus their inner energies through the object to manifest as mystic spells and abilities. Few gully dwarves ever realize their potential as spellcasters. Instead they use the magic for stunning rats or catching spiders. Many are convinced that without this special object (be it a dead lizard, snail shell, or old necklace), their powers would cease to function.
Paladin: A gully dwarf paladin would be a unique character, the only one of his kind ever. Since gully dwarves do not normally worship the gods, it would be unusual for one to select a gully dwarf as a champion.
Ranger: The class suits the idea of gully dwarf, one who primarily spends all his time tracking, foraging, and moving about in a stealthy manner.
Rogue: Aghar are naturally adept at sneaking, so this is a decent path for them to take.
Sorcerer: Gully dwarf sorcerers would know few spells and have fewer skill points, but they would most likely have more hit points than most sorcerers.
Wizard: A gully dwarf would make very poor wizard because of their complete lack of education.
Warlock: It's difficult to imagine any greater being would make a pact with a gully dwarf, but stranger things have happened.
Gully Dwarf Racial Traits
Gully dwarves have the following racial features rather than those for dwarves found in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. You receive a +2 bonus to both your Constitution and Dexterity scores and a -4 to your Intelligence score.
Size. Gully dwarves average height is between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base speed is 25 feet.
Survival Instinct. You are driven to survive. Toward that end, you have advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks when you take the Hide action.
Hardy. You are resistant to the effects of poison and disease. You have advantage on all Constitution saving throws made to resist these effects.
Pitiable. Gully dwarf diplomacy consists of begging, crying, groveling and pleading, and you have honed this ability to a fine art. You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to convince an enemy not to harm you.
Cowardly. You have disadvantage on saving throws made to resist the effects of fear.
Languages. Common, Gullytalk
Goblins
Some call them the slave race. Others refer to them as the unwashed mob. Still more consider them worse than gully dwarves. They have been dominated for centuries and forced to serve in mines or made to work as foot soldiers and messengers. In some of the worst realms of Ansalon, goblins struggle ceaselessly as lackeys for humans or ogres. Stray dogs and kender are treated better than goblins.
The free goblins who roam across Krynn are a skittish lot, cowardly unless their tribe is of significant numbers, and always fearful they’ll end up under the thumb of a more powerful people. Cunning and resourceful, they manage to survive in the shadow of Krynn’s greater races, foraging and raiding the smallest human settlements for food, clothes, and weapons. In some cases, they even form cities.
Their bigger cousins, hobgoblins and bugbears, are slightly more respected because of their size and ferocity. When hobgoblins or bugbears are found with goblins, the former are almost always in charge and receive the best of the spoils. Their presence motivates and emboldens the smaller goblins, which in sometimes has elevated goblinkind to rare heights of glory. For the most part, however, a goblin is a goblin—the weak, sniveling, scavenging underdog, waiting for a chance to break out of its cursed fate.
History
The goblin race first surfaced in the Age of Dreams, following the wandering path of the Graygem upon the landscape. Prior to the Graygem’s mutagenic effects, legend does speak of high ogre breeding projects designed to produce a slave race to make up for the loss of humankind. These tales suggest that smaller ogres were interbred with captive elves, and the commingling of these bloodlines with the foul work of the high ogre priests of the Darklady was to blame. Others dispute this, claiming ogrekind was beginning to splinter into various offshoot races already, and the proto-goblins had no elven blood at all.
Kept as slaves, like so many other races before them, goblins spent the Age of Dreams changing, separating into the three major subraces of the current era. Whole tribes of escaped goblins, led by larger and more intelligent members, spread from the ogre-controlled lands of the Taman Busuk, Kharolis, and Blöten. The larger goblins, thanks to the incredibly high birth rate among their people, became the hobgoblins and bugbears after only three or four generations. The smaller goblins shrunk even smaller, to a size and stature similar to the kender and gnomes.
Only a handful of goblin tribes managed to remain independent as the other races claimed larger and larger territories left behind by the fading light of the ogre civilizations. As humans built cities, elves raised their forests, and dwarves delved into their mountains, the goblins of Krynn slipped through the spaces in between, usually coming up into bitter conflict with these races. The consequence of this long period of growth and warfare was a people divided into small, self-identifying, and selfloathing tribal groups.
As other periods of war arose, so too did the presence of the goblins in history. During the Second and Third Dragon Wars, goblins were forced into military service as foot soldiers and disposable cavalry. Goblin slingers and wolf-riders supported the Dark Queen’s army under Warlord Crynus against the Knights of Solamnia. In skirmishes along the borders of Ergoth and the ogre lands, goblins were a constant presence. When the Kingpriest signed the Declaration of Manifest Virtue in 118 PC, goblins were near the top of the list of races to wipe from the land.
Although the might of Istar did much to reduce the goblin population, the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears were able to escape annihilation in some parts of Ansalon. Ergoth, in opposition to some of the policies of Istar, was home to a very persistent and stubborn tribe of goblins living in the Sentinel Mountains. These goblins, led by a wily goblin chieftain named Snagglefang, had fought for many years against the Empire of Ergoth, but when Istar flexed its religious muscle and began making demands of the West, both sides found they had a common enemy. This alliance between goblinkind and humankind was entirely one-sided for two generations; the humans had no idea Snagglefang and his united tribes were aiding them against Solamnia and Istar. Snagglefang’s son Deathwielder eventually convinced Emperor Gwynned V of his people’s remarkable understanding of tactics and warfare, and from that point onwards, he and his descendants formed a small but important element of Ergoth’s military.
The Cataclysm was devastating to all of Ansalon’s inhabitants, although it affected the goblins least of all. Within the first century of the Age of Despair, the population of the goblin race had surged across Ansalon. Those on the new mainland who had survived Istar quickly settled in ruins, abandoned cities, and regions stricken with loss of life. Ergoth’s goblins formed the nation of Sikk’et Hul on Northern Ergoth, following a somewhat distracted Emperor’s gift of land to the goblin chieftain Shadowstalker.
The War of the Lance was a pivotal period for the goblins. Not only had some of their kind found success in the Dark Queen’s armies, such as the cunning hobgoblin Toede, but the forced migration and invasion of Ansalon’s people by the Dragonarmies left some regions open to settlement by marauding goblin bands. Throt was the most significant of these; the city of Throtl was seized and the plains of the Throtyl Gap between Solamnia and Estwilde held. This occupation has continued through recent history. Even the Chaos War failed to unseat some of these new goblin population centers, although the Dark Knights enslaved many more goblins as grunt labor. Despite success in Northern Ergoth and Throt, the majority of goblins in the Age of Mortals persist as slaves to bigger races, dragons, or warlords.
However, the shamans of the goblin races speak of a time to come when their kind will rise above the tall folk, seize back the lands owed to them by virtue of their distant ogre ancestors, and shake off generations of slavery. The winds of change carry the stink of the goblins—and to the goblins this is the smell of a glorious future.
Goblins
While the term “goblin” applies to all examples of goblinkind, it is usually used to describe the lesser, common goblin of Krynn. Short in stature but large in number, common goblins make up almost seventy percent of the goblin population on Ansalon, even more on other continents. Although they outnumber their larger cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears, they are hindered by a racial imperative to remain subservient to them.
A few goblins break out of this groveling mindset, and these are the chieftains and heroes of legend, like Snagglefang, Deathwielder, and Shadowstalker. Predictably, the bards and skalds of humans, elves, and dwarves have never heard of these legendary goblin champions. For the goblins, this is considered more a sign of the other races’ ignorance than a sign of their own kind’s doomed future. A well-known aphorism among the bards of other races is this: “Set a goblin free, and you free a hundred others.” This saying is possibly more prophetic than the bards will ever know.
Physical Appearance
Common goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin ranging from a pale yellow through russetorange to a dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and 1/2 feet tall, goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift movement.
Goblins dress in leathers, skinned from any animal they can swarm upon and bring down; some tribes decorate or tattoo their warriors and chieftains with vivid markings or practice ritual scarification. Jewelry, mostly copper or bronze, is favored by females in the form of body-piercings and by males in the form of bracelets, torcs, and trinkets.
Psychology
Goblins value and respect power and strength. They aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large group. This strongly resembles the manner in which wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely confident.
Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible. Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed.
Because they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger creatures, including humans, even the more civilized goblins of Sikk’et Hul are constantly on guard for a smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or something poisonous in the food.
When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger character.
Social Structure
In the absence of bugbears or hobgoblins, the strongest and largest of the common goblins rules a tribe. Often leadership is won in combat, whether honorably or through trickery and assassination. Some leaders, called rukras, have been known to slay other strong members of the tribe, especially if they might pose a threat to their leadership. Rukras lead through strength, viciously striking down those who oppose them or who are weak and ill, forcing the tribe to slow down on their constant march. Despite their callousness, the rukras have the best interest of the tribes at heart—food, survival, and staying miles ahead of their enemies.
In mixed-breed communities of goblins, which include the larger subraces, the leader will always be a hobgoblin or bugbear, known as a murza. A murza will sometimes work with existing goblin rukras if the tribe is particularly large, delegating authority. Normally, the sheer difference in size and physical power makes it difficult for any goblin to stand up to the larger goblinoid breeds, so falling into the rukra-murza relationship is quite natural. Goblin tribes that live in mountains are more likely to have bugbear murzas, while goblin tribes living in warmer climates or near hills are more likely to have hobgoblin murzas.
Family Life
For the most part, goblins are nomadic. Because they are frequently bullied and enslaved by more powerful races, they have learned not to settle in one place for too long. Those who live above ground tend to carry their communities with them, their lodgings being little more than small hide tents and a collection of tools and baubles. Often they only carry crude weapons and personal wealth, such as it is, making tents from the hides of animals they kill in their new location or from the goods and wagons of traveling merchants they raid. These goblins leave their makeshift homes behind, scarring the land with the refuse and carcasses of their kills.
Goblins living in the caves and underground passages rife in Ansalon’s mountain ranges have an easier life, as they always have shelter from the elements. Mountain goblins move into existing or abandoned mines, tunnels, and ruined dwarf settlements; the densest population of cave-dwelling goblins on Ansalon lies near the lower Dargaard Mountains beside Throt.
Whether above or below ground, goblin communities are noted for being unkempt and filthy, littered with the bones of creatures they’ve snared or the discarded spoils from travelers they’ve raided. They make no attempt to clean up after themselves, so often a goblin camp can be smelled before it is seen.
The goblin tribes in Sikk’et Hul are a clear example of goblins trying to become civilized despite their shortcomings. Their homes are made of wood and stone, often patterned off the buildings in nearby human settlements, though on a smaller scale. Most of the homes are built against hill slopes; only three walls need to be constructed. A few of these tribes keep livestock and have been known to trade with merchant caravans traveling through the passes. Goblins in other regions of Ansalon, outside of the Sikk’et Hul influence, will only live in permanent dwellings if they can find them already made by humans or other races.
Names
Goblins are named by their parents at birth. Birth names are often quickly lost, especially if a goblin does something to distinguish himself. Initially, a goblin is named either to reference a parent, leader, or landmark, such as Wee Gnasher of the Crooked Khur Peak or Belter’s Son of Sharpteeth’s Tribe. The longer the name, the more likely it will be discarded. Goblins change their names when something momentous happens. If a warrior slays a bear by himself, the tribe could rename him Bearkiller or Redfur Bearkiller, if the fight was particularly bloody. Such a name is likely to stick with the goblin for the rest of his life, unless an even more momentous event occurs to warrant another renaming.
Names can be derived from horrendous events, too. The lone survivor of a Dark Knight raid might be called Lone Griever or Lone Walker. Goblins who do something shameful can be marked with a name that draws attention to their misdeed and could ultimately force a break with the tribe, such as Pelt-Stealer, Dung-Eater, Backstabber, or Always-Hides.
A goblin joining an adventuring party likely will make up a new name for himself, no doubt one sounding important. Unless the other members of the band are familiar with goblinish customs, they will not know that their new companion has renamed himself.
Everyday Activity
Goblins are simplistic but tied strongly to their cultural obsession with fighting, killing, being browbeaten by larger goblins, and doing what others tell them to do. As shortsighted as they are, most goblins cannot plan ahead more than a day at the most, which means their society is one of impulses if left to their own devices.
Goblins can be found anywhere on Ansalon, even in the coldest and harshest of places. They prefer temperate climates to extremes of temperature, and the largest concentration of goblins can be found in scattered tribes in eastern Solamnia, Throt, Northern Ergoth, Qualinesti, and the Taman Busuk. Mountain tribes share territory with nomadic humans, while goblins of the plains and forests continually struggle against centaurs, humans, and elves.
Religion
In centuries past, goblins worshiped Krynn’s gods—namely Hiddukel, known to the goblins as Usk-Do, and Takhisis, known as Mwarg. A small percentage still reveres those gods, but they tend to do so secretly. The majority of the lesser goblin tribes worship no one, and these goblins proudly call themselves the Godless Folk. The gods did nothing to help them, they reason. The gods allowed goblinkind to be subjugated, beaten, and enslaved. The gods made the other races, even the hobgoblins and bugbears, stronger; they allowed goblinkind to be hunted. The gods forced goblins to be like rats, scurrying from one hole to the next to avoid being someone’s puppet or meal. These goblins have decided that they do not need Krynn’s gods. They rely only on each other, hoping to someday elevate one of their own to godhood.
Usk-Do has had tremendous influence over the goblins of Throt, Lemish, and Estwilde in recent years. Not once, but twice has the Lord of Lies risen a champion up among the goblinkind of that region. On both occasions, however, the champion has not actually been a goblin; Two-Faced Grom was an ettin, and the warlord Ankhar, who so vexed the Solamnic Knights, was a half-giant. In the end, neither could have accomplished what their god demanded had it not been for their goblins.
Folklore
Goblin legend relates that goblins were birthed in the valley of Neraka, shaped by Usk-Do from the yellow-red clay that stripes the land; the largest of them went into the Khalkist Mountains, evolving into hobgoblins and bugbears. Some goblin elders claim there are places of power hidden in the Khalkists and the valley of Neraka, places where the first goblins came into being and the arcane energy is a strong pulse beating through the ground. However, the presence of the Dark Knights and other humans prevents the goblins from searching for that magic and tapping into it.
Language
Goblins and their larger kin share a language, Goblin, which to outsiders sounds like a series of grunts and clacks. In truth, it is a rich, complex tongue relying on pauses, intakes of breath, and gestures to convey whole meanings. It varies little from tribe to tribe, though those goblins living isolated on islands have developed different dialects.
Some goblins, especially slaves, have picked up human regional languages, such as Nerakese or Estwilde, having learned them from their masters. Others have learned a smattering of languages like Solamnic or Ergot from merchants they’ve captured or from studying nearby human settlements. Sikk’et Hul goblins attempt to learn to read and speak Ergot in order to present a more civilized front to the humans of Northern Ergoth. Some goblins will repeat and use phrases uttered by their superiors, even if they don’t speak the language.
Goblins have no written language. However, some of the underground tribes use symbols to indicate safe or treacherous passages. Educated goblins find that their racial tongue is best represented by the Ogre language or, in the case of those living in Sikk’et Hul, the Ergot script.
Racial Relations
Goblins rarely get along with other races, as almost all of them are more powerful and present a threat. They view humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, and even kender and gnomes with hatred and contempt. They associate primarily with their hobgoblin and bugbear cousins, and they have been known to welcome a number of other somewhat related creatures into their tribes, such as grimlocks.
The relationship between goblins and the intelligent worg-wolves of Ansalon is widely known. Even unintelligent wolves, such as dire wolves, have formed a strong partnership with their goblin allies. A successful goblin tribe keeps one or more packs of wolves around as mounts and aid for hunting. Rarely, a pack of barghests from the Abyss or one of the smaller border realms near that evil plane finds its way to Krynn, and the ability of these fiends to assume goblin shape has allowed them to integrate into a tribe for mutual benefit.
In Neraka, the Dark Knights and their allies have subjugated the entire goblin population and forced them to work in mines. As the Dark Knight factions continue to feud with each other, however, their attention has strayed from these goblins.
Character Classes
In general, goblin characters should take advantage of a goblin’s higher than average Dexterity. Ranged combat is a goblin’s best option in a battle, although mounted combat with a wolf mount can offset many of the goblin’s weaknesses.
Goblins make able rogues and rangers, the former because they are small, dexterous, and prone to skullduggery and dishonesty. Goblins excel as rangers, because they are close to the land and reliant on it. Most of them are natural trackers, a skill helping them find game and stay away from creatures that would hunt them.
Goblin rangers always take wolves or dire wolves as animal companions and favor the archery combat style, which allows them to excel at slings and short bows.
A few goblins are magically inclined and prized by the adventuring bands they join. These goblin sorcerers and mystics, or stone-tellers as some call them, channel the primal magic that flows through the land and can manipulate it into various enchantments. They are able to combine their incantations, producing ever more powerful spells. The more goblin casters in a spell circle, the greater the enchantment woven. Few other races on Krynn have managed to master combining ambient magic in this fashion.
Goblin Racial Traits
Not as large or strong as your cousins, you make up for your diminutive size by being quick and nimble. Goblins tend to also favor mounted combat.
Ability Score Increase. You receive a +2 bonus to your Dexterity Score and a +1 bonus to your Wisdom score.
Size. Goblins average between 3 to 4 feet in height. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as thoughit were dim light.
Nimble Escape. Goblins tend to move quickly, using distraction and evasion tactics they learn as children.You can take the Disengage and Hide actions as bonus actions.
Mounted Combatant. You gain proficiency in vehicles (land). You may add your proficiency bonus to Strength and Dexterity ability checks and Saving Throws made to control your mount.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Goblin.
Hobgoblins
Brawny and militaristic, the hobgoblins of Ansalon occupy a significant place in the heirarchy of goblinkind. They are stronger than the smaller common goblins and more disciplined and organized than their larger bugbear kin. Hobgoblins thrive on war, terror, and the ever-present impulse within them to oppose all other races. There is hope yet, however, for within their ranks are many independent hobgoblins whose understanding of social networks exceeds their thirst for conquest. Rising out of the hobgoblin war machine, these donek, or renegades, are but one sign of the changing face of goblinkind’s strongest breed.
The most famous hobgoblin of Ansalon is Lord Toede, the current Mayor of Flotsam and former Dragon Highlord. His situation is somewhat unique; other famous hobgoblins are nowhere near as well known outside of goblin, ogre, and Nerakese circles. The half-giant Ankhar, champion of Hiddukel, consulted with his adopted hobgoblin mother and high priestess, Laka; a line of mighty and brutal hobgoblin kings of Throtl ended in recent years with the disappearance of King Uhkrin. As donek abandon their brutal pasts and seek places among the more civilized goblin tribes, and as huge armies of hobgoblins are splintered by opposition from the Solamnic Knights and their allies, Toede will soon find company in infamy.
Physical Appearance
Hobgoblins resemble their smaller goblin cousins—flattened facial features, pointed ears, sharpened teeth, foul odor—but they are much stronger and at least as large as an adult male human. They have deep tan to dark red skin, yellow eyes, and black or brown hair. Compared to a human, a hobgoblin is faster and can withstand more punishment. Often clad in heavy leather brigandine or chainmail, hobgoblins favor the appearance of disciplined soldiers and use either the traditional longsword or a keenbladed axe in battle.
Psychology
Hobgoblins enjoy structure, order, and an established hierarchy within which to operate. They prefer the vertical rungs of command rather than the horizontal qualities of a team; it is easier to motivate a hobgoblin with promises of promotion, recognition, or reward than it is to reinforce any kind of equity with his peers. Although they favor battle and glory, hobgoblins are almost always honorless fighters. They do not see the value in upholding some kind of higher code, like the Oath and the Measure, and see such things as chains worn by the weak-minded.
Hobgoblins love to fight, debate strategy, and be called on to achieve some kind of objective. When left to his own devices, a hobgoblin bores easily and will pick fights with his inferiors. A hobgoblin in an adventuring party quickly determines where he is in the group’s chain of
command and will stand between weaker members and their opponents.
Social Structure
Hobgoblin tribes, or auls, are lead by a murza, who surrounds himself with a troupe of bodyguards, assassins, shamanic advisors, and at least one traitor who wishes to see him dead. If bugbears are in the group, many hobgoblins answer to them and not their own murza. If lesser goblins are in a group with the hobgoblins, the murza finds he has an army of willing followers.
Family Life
Hobgoblins live in semi-nomadic auls, dedicated to warfare and conquest. Many also live within much larger goblin tribes, forming an elite caste from which the murza comes. A rare few hobgoblins eschew their auls and either become donek or find work in a human mercenary company, such as those in Lemish.
Hobgoblin settlements are much like common goblin villages—largely tent-like or built from wood in such a way that they can be uplifted and moved across most hilly or plains terrain. Otherwise, they stay where they are, clustered around a hill for burials, rituals, and forming defensive positions. It is not uncommon for hobgoblins to have permanent winter homes, which they leave in the early spring and return to in the late autumn, after a long year of nomadic life.
Names
Hobgoblin names are very much like goblin names and consist of one or more syllables. Common male names are Kargam, Mogrut, Nezgam, Tazkar, and Zorok. Hogni, Laka, Ozjura, Simka, and Ulgi are female names. A hobgoblin will usually abandon his birth name in the same manner as a goblin, not because he finds it immature or weak but because all hobgoblins aspire to some level of greatness. Thus, fierce-sounding epithets are even more common among hobgoblins than among their smaller kin.
Everyday Activity
Most of Ansalon’s hobgoblins, at least until a few years ago, lived in and around Throt, the windy and desolate pass between Solamnia and the Qlettaar midlands of Estwilde. Prior to the War of the Lance, this large population lived in the Taman Busuk mountain region. After Jaymes Markham’s rise to power in 425 and 426 AC, the Estwilde/Throt hobgoblin population was widely scattered. Now, hobgoblins can be found as far south as the Plains of Dust and as far north as the Northern Wastes. Groups have defected en masse to the Sikk’et Hul nation on Northern Ergoth, seeking a new home.
Religion
Religion among hobgoblins varies in extent from aul to aul, sometimes being little more than knowing what oath to say before removing a foe’s head in a battle. When a shamanic advisor channels the will of one of the gods, it is seen more as a means to engender fear, despair, and grief than as a revelation. Hiddukel is chief among the hobgoblin faithful in the wake of the War of Souls. Known to goblins as Usk-Do, the Prince of Lies has deep roots in the hobgoblin auls. Those hobgoblins who have made the pilgrimage to Sikk’et Hul are satisfied with mysticism and their own martial dogma, seldom investing in the external connection with the gods.
Language
Hobgoblins speak and use Goblin, the same language as goblins and bugbears. Hobgoblins make use of Camptalk more than other goblins, and many officers and warlords seek to learn the language of the enemy. Unlike bugbears, who have a sense of racial pride in the Goblin tongue, hobgoblins regard it merely as a tool to bring about a stronger and more unified goblin culture.
Racial Relations
Hobgoblins as a people have, at one time or another, been involved in open conflict with almost every other sentient race on Ansalon. They pride themselves in quickly turning a discussion into a declaration of war. They get along, so to speak, with goblins and bugbears; many murzas make brief alliances with ogres, trolls, even humans. Otherwise, hobgoblins maintain a considerable level of belligerent détente with their neighbors.
Character Classes
Hobgoblins share some of their cousins’ skills, but it is rare to find a spellcaster among them. They are better suited to being soldiers and warriors. Their heavy frames are equipped to handle the bulkiest of armor, and their large hands wrap comfortably around the pommels and hafts of weapons. In adventuring bands, they often become the principal fighter, and they become listless if there are no creatures or other foes to challenge them.
Hobgoblin Racial Traits
Bigger and stronger than the goblin, with a stronger martial instinct and more inclined to live in structured societies, your race is often seen as the leader among goblin-kin.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 bonus to Constitution and a +1 bonus to Wisdom.
Alignment. Hobgoblins tend toward evil. However, they also tend to be lawful, as they often build more ordered and structured societies than their goblin and bugbear cousins.
Size. Hobgoblins range between 5 ½ and 6 feet in height. Your size is medium.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as though it were dim light.
Martial Advantage. Once on your turn, you can deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier to a target creature if that creature is within 5 feet of one of your allies and that ally isn’t incapacitated.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.
Bugbears
The largest and wiliest of goblins are the bugbears, so named by humans because of their hairy pelts and bearlike noses. They have become the worst nightmares of many human settlements in mountainous areas. Aggressive, muscular, and quick, bugbears represent the segment of the goblin population about which the more civilized races—and the goblins of Sikk’et Hul—have the most to be concerned. Unhindered by the strict militaristic dogma of the hobgoblins or the tendency towards groupthink of the common goblins, bugbears are the ideal marauder race.
Physical Appearance
Bugbears are large, muscular goblins, standing as tall as 7 feet and towering over other goblin races. They are covered in coarse brown, black, or piebald hair; coloration varies greatly even among family groups. Bugbears have the same flattened faces as other goblins, although their ears are even more pronounced, their noses broader and more ursine, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth and tusks. Despite their hulking shapes and awkward gait, bugbears are just as stealthy, swift, and agile as their smaller cousins.
Psychology
Aggression is the number one bugbear personality trait. It can reach levels of animal-like ferocity at times, especially in bugbear barbarians. Others tend to express it in termsof being possessive, wanting more from life than it givesthem, and bullying any creature smaller than they are in order to get what they want. Bugbears will stand up to anyone.
Bugbears are always keen to get into a fight, although unlike other warlike races, such as ogres, they don’t rush into conflict. They aren’t just violent; they’re stealthy, so a bugbear’s general attitude towards conflict is to come in from the side and never give their opponent a chance to react. This is true even in social situations; a bugbear will only speak in a direct fashion when making a decision. When at rest, they seem awkward and uncoordinated. When in motion, however, a bugbear is a frightening display of grace and speed, ignoring three hundred pounds of hair and muscle in the process. Bugbears are savage, almost bestial, but capable of subtle nuances that other races completely miss, because they’re still looking for the beast.
Social Structure
The leader of a bugbear tribe is called a murza. These are usually the biggest and meanest of their tribes. Murzas administrate all forms of authority, deciding who the bugbears are going to war with, who they are making deals with, and who is going to be ignored. From time to time, a murza will be challenged by another bugbear. One of the two will win, or if both are evenly matched, the tribe will sometimes split in half. The newer murza spends a great deal of time asserting his new power, and if he has caused a tribal split, he can look forward to weeks of dissent and complaints.
Bugbears who share a tribe with hobgoblins find their leadership styles differ greatly. Usually, if a hobgoblin murza can demonstrate to a bugbear murza that he has either more power or more support than he does, the bugbear murza will accept a lower position of power. Of course, as soon as the hobgoblin displays any weakness, the bugbear will immediately attempt to seize control.
Family Life
When not combined with lesser goblins in tribes, bugbears form tightly knit bands of aggressive semi-nomadic warriors and hunters. These bugbears take care of their non-combatant families by pillaging nearby settlements, raiding and ambushing merchant caravans, and killing rival bands. They are by far the most voracious, greedy, and aggressive of all goblins.
Names
Bugbears have similar names to goblins, only they tend to keep their birth names and simply add more onto the end as they get older or acquire greater and more impressive epithets. Common male names include Baslag, Dulgudzad, Iskmadzor, and Yogtrovag, while Aggadeen, Lomgaas, Moggaruug, and Sellinvoor are female names. By the time they are adults, bugbears may have multi-syllabic names combined with such descriptors as “the Bloody” or “the Fierce.” Few adult males affect a name that does not in some way reflect their own perceived skill at killing other creatures or taking their possessions.
Everyday Activity
Bugbears make their homes in cave complexes high up in the mountains, often with numerous points of entry and cliffside balconies. Bugbears bring their prizes back to these lairs, filling room after room with stolen equipment and provisions. Slaves or prisoners are also brought back and locked away in cages hanging over a precipice. All settlements are well guarded. If goblins live among the bugbears, they form the basis of the labor crews set to expand and dig out more space. Otherwise, the bugbears will usually go out and capture some other tough race, such as dwarves, to do their work for them.
Bugbears prefer higher altitudes in temperate climates to all others. The Taman Busuk (including Neraka), the Kharolis Range in Abanasinia, and the southern mountains of the Desolation are all home to bugbears. A bugbear tribe will carve out a niche in a mountain range or upon a plateau or mesa, sending out bands of hunters to the extent of a day’s travel or more. This allows them to seize large areas of mountainous territory without having large numbers. If the bugbears live alongside goblins, they may even be found in hilly or valley environments, mostly to accommodate their smaller cousins and their talents.
Religion
Bugbears share the same basic beliefs and keep the same basic traditions as all goblins. Because they are less likely to have been abused and enslaved, however, bugbears are also much more likely to retain faith in the gods. Before the Chaos War, bugbear priests of Mwarg were common. Following the War of Souls, belligerent priests of Usk-Do and Orkrust (Chemosh) have risen among the bugbear leadership, gaining some measure of influence. Still, even with the new revivalist approach of these priests, they are outnumbered by mystics acting as tribal shamans.
Language
Bugbears approach language the same way as goblins. The key difference with bugbears is that they are far less likely to want to speak in the tongue of another race, because they have no reason to genuflect or admit inferiority. Thus, most bugbears will force the issue in Goblin, resorting to Common or any other language only to prove they’re not dull-witted.
Bugbears speak loudly in grunts and clicks. A bugbear’s use of language reflects his mood; if he is angry, a bugbear speaks louder than usual. If he is happy, then he rambles on both fast and loud.
Racial Relations
The simplest measure of determining how a bugbear tribe is getting along with another group, whether it is another tribe of goblins, a nearby community of humans or elves, or a larger neighboring nation, is to look at the tribe’s murza. This individual dictates how the tribe will get along with any outsiders, and he will often affect trophies, issue commands and statements, or direct raids upon those outside groups that are enemies of the tribe. Bugbears don’t usually form alliances, although with a powerful enough overlord (such as the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance), relations can be eased between the tribe and another group. During this time, the murza will seek to learn as much as he can about the other leader in case he needs to exploit the information later.
Character Classes
Bugbears should consider taking levels in classes that can quickly take advantage of the natural Strength and Dexterity of their race and focus on skills and feats that emphasize these traits.
If you choose to go the route of a spellcasting class, you will find that narrowing your focus is your best option. Stealth, trickery, and ambush are a bugbear’s greatest areas of proficiency, so spells that enhance, extend, or otherwise support these traits are ideal.
Bugbear Racial Traits
As a bugbear you tend to be more savage than your goblin-kin cousins.
Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 to your Strength score and a +1 to your Dexterity score.
Alignment. The most savage of the goblin-kin, bugbears tend toward chaos.
Size. Bugbears can grow as much as seven feet in height. Your size is medium.
Speed. You have a land land speed of 30 feet.
Keen Senses. You can detect an enemy by scent up to 30 feet away. You do not suffer any penalties to attack rolls, even in total darkness. You may also use this ability to track a target creature so long as you have encountered it’s scent before and it has been no more than one hour since the target creature has passed through the area.
Surprise Attack. If you surprise a target creature and hit it during the first round of combat, you deal an additional 2d6 points of damage to that target.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write goblin.