Khazad

Seemingly born from the very elements of fire and stone, the dwarves of Gaea are unsurpassed crafters, runesmiths, kingdom builders and wielders of the elemental forces of the world. They are the descendants of mighty elemental lords who were called into being by Reos during the age of creation and the era of the gods. As the ages waxed onward, the ancestors of the dwarves became bound to the world and interested in the amassing of material goods and riches. In doing so they lost some of their former power and ancient heritage but became renowned for the creation of epic artifacts and devices, some of which were used by the gods themselves during the days when they walked the earth. From the chains that bound the great wolf Caracoroth to the crowns of the Five-Fold Serpent and even the Arms and Armor of the gods themselves, the legendary works of the first age was unsurpassed by other races. Even the legendary magical artisans of the elves were said to have learned from the dwarves and their art earned them accolades as well as curses of greed, covetousness and jealousy by those who wanted to see their ancient works undone. Whereas others wrapped themselves in wards against such curses, arrogant to a fault and unknowing of their own potentials for corruption, the dwarves continued on and in time the glories of their ancient days fell prey to all manner of undoing from dragons fire to infernal corruption.

Despite all of this, they remain implacable foes against The Shadow, possessing terrific strength, endurance and determination fueled by their respective affinity to the elements. In the Third Age of men, during the Great Wars, many dwarves found themselves drawn into the conflict either as merchants, mercenaries or dignitaries to the western lands. Despite this, many are still very isolationist in nature while also fiercely willing to defend themselves against incursions from nations such as Charn.

Mendorn Steamhammer is the current dwarven High King, ruling from the seat of dwarven power in Kingsforge, while the Council of Thanes themselves convene most often in Ironforge. Dun Mordren is the name of this kingdom and it sets the tone for much of the Khazad Duin region. Although many dwarves ally themselves under the High King in Dun Mordren, there are also many independent and outlying dwarven delves and cities and the people have not been truly united for quite some time. There are many dwarven clans but some examples of them are:

Clan Truehammer: This high and noble clan of Dwarves has traditionally produced the kingly line of the dwarven people and the ruling thanes. Consisting of a number of dwarven nobility and households, they are the smallest clan in number but among the most prestigious ones with a long and high lineage and history to them. The True Hammers tend to hail from cities such as Kingsforge, Ironhold and Durin’s Delve. Their nobility is not to be mistaken for weakness for their Battlehalls and military Academies are world renowned and the members of True Hammer know that the time will soon come when they must spearhead the Holy War to retake The Axis of Gaea.

Clan Masterbuilder: More often then not the Masterbuilder folk are smiths and craftsmen of world renown. Most of their attention involves the creation of masterful works of smithing and stone craft. The Masterbuilder folk tend to live almost exclusively in Ironhold though outlying holds of them exist in cities such as Gateway, the mountains around Alexandria and other lands where they are hired to construct keeps, repair and upkeep forms of technology and more.

Clan Stonesmasher: Storm and Mountain Dwarves make up the majority of this clan of powerful warriors. The Stonesmashers do not have many clan holdings of their own but tend to be stationed within the holds of other clans where they act as bodyguards, security, and the warriors of dwarven kind. Deeply religious as well they follow the dwarven deities and deities of battle and warfare. They have little interest in crafting and delving but are quick to be on the front line of the many dwarven wars that take place against monsters and other threats.

Clan Skyhammer: The Skyhammer Dwarves of Anvil Peak and other outlying settlements tend to be detached from other dwarven endeavors. These barbarian dwarves have clan holdings that are located either near or on the surface itself. Consisting primarily of Mountain and Storm Dwarves, they are fierce and powerful warriors but have little interest in the politics or travails of Dwarven kind as a whole. They get along well enough with the Stonesmashers but are considered outcasts, dangerous and volatile by other clans.

Clan Bludstein: The Bludstein dwarves were so named for the discovery of BloodStones, which were rich in magic and value in the now lost kingdom of Morduzum. Their greed over these stones created a schism amongst several families and nearly led to civil war. In penance, they are considered the lowest clan among the dwarven kind and tend to be gem cutters, miners and stoneworkers. Dwarven memory is long and so though it has been many generations since the Bludstein Wars, this clan often finds itself having to work twice as hard to earn power and acceptance among their brethren. They are typically Iron and Mountain Dwarves and can be found scattered in all dwarven settlements.

Although many people are not aware of this, there are several basic dwarven types that exist upon Gaea. The most common and known variation of are simply known as The Mountain Dwarves or Khazad-Aul. These Dwarves form the political bodies, the bulk of their military forces, and their great leaders and craftsmen and religious leaders. Second and far less common types are the more barbaric Khazad-Mornir. These are also known as The Storm Dwarves and they are physically the strongest among the dwarven kind. A race of consummates warriors, griffon riders and they are even more militant then the Mountain Dwarves can be. Cultural clashes between the two have placed most Storm Dwarven strongholds actually above ground or in the mountain peaks as opposed to below ground.

The Iron Dwarves or Khazad-Ur are sometimes referred to as The Black Iron or Dark Iron Clans. These dwarves are outcasts to the others of dwarven kind. Known as mad inventors and insane and cruel architects, creators of destructive devices and formers of pacts with fiendish forces. The Iron Dwarves initiated a war known as The War of the Three Anvils, in which they and their sorcerer leaders sought to overcome the rest of dwarven kind. They were defeated and exiled and now they live in scattered enclaves deep within the earth.

Dwarves traditionally revere Reos as the highest of the gods. Reos is known as The Wonder Maker and the World Smith. It is said that he alone forged the ancestors of the dwarves and that he continues to patron their entire race as a whole to this day. Deeply religious and mindful of their father’s desires, the dwarves have always held him highest, even if a dwarf may personally have another patron. War deities such as Kor and Angoron are popular as well as reverence of dwarven heroes who they believe are given a measure of divinity after they prove themselves in life. Valorn, a hero from the Underland Wars, is one such being and today is the patron of dwarven warriors and defenders from many different walks of life.

Dwarves on Arcania are native to the mountainous region known as Khazad Duin, which sunders central Arcania in half via the massive Sky Curtain Mountains. Here in Khazad Duin there once stood a magnificent dwarven kingdom known as The Axis of Gaea. Five hundred years ago, barely a generation or two to the dwarves, this land was destroyed and their One King slain, his family line broken. Shadow Elves allied with outcast cursed dwarves was responsible. Now the Dwarven Holds that survive, closer to the surface ring their hammers and craft their Steam-Craft in the hopes of one day returning to destroy their enemies. Dwarves today exist in scattered realms, holds and kingdoms with most concentrating in Khazad Duin and adhering to the authority of The High King and his council.

Dwarf, Mountain (Khazad-Aul)

The Khazad Aul are the most common variation of dwarf seen on Gaea and represent the ‘stock average' dwarf in that they are what springs to mind when most people think of the typical dwarf in personality, abilities and attitude. Mountain Dwarves can be found in all major clans and traditionally, the ruling line of Thanes and Kings comes through them. Their history is rife with fallen kingdoms, legendary works of weapon and armor smithing, ambition, greed and great deeds of valor and battle skill. Though they are a scattered people they concentrate much of their effort around Khazad Duin, waiting for the day when they can reclaim their lost kingdom and re-establish their King under the Mountain. The elemental heritage that the Mountain Dwarves have cultivated affords them supernatural ability tied to the stone of the earth.

[[Image:]]Physical Description: The average mountain dwarf is about a foot shorter then most humans. They are broad shouldered, large boned and heavily built. They favor beards which they grow their entire lives. Dwarven females cannot grow beards. Their skin colors can range from lighter shades to deep earthy browns as if indicating their affinity with the stones and earth of the world. When they speak it is often with deep robust voices that command attention and are almost always louder then they need to be. Technological innovators and a race that embraces of artifice and steamcraft, the dwarves have been among the leading races in the development of industry and artifice.

Society and Lands: The clan is the basic societal and political unit for dwarven kind with some clans contains no less then one hundred individuals and others numbering into the thousands. Alliances, intermarriages, clan moots and other assortments of things are common. Ruling over the clans themselves is a council of Thanes who are drawn from the highest clans of nobility. From among them, in the past, a High King was chosen and a family line established. A general list of clans can be found in the overall summary of the dwarven race. The ancestral home of the dwarves is the great mountainous region known as Khazad Duin. This area is located in the south central area of the lengthy Sky Curtain mountain range, which segments Arcania into western and eastern half’s. Travelers can marvel at the great legendary gates of The Kingsforge, greatest of Dwarven cities, with entrance gates hundreds of feet high, built into the sides of the mountains of Khazad Duin, embossed in mithril, grey stone granite, and blue laen. Patrolled by dwarves in enduring Damascus Steel wielding weapons of adamant and iron. Hundreds of dwarven clans lay scattered throughout the major mountain ranges of northwestern Arcania in Khazad Duin.

Alignment and Religion: Mountain Dwarves do not make friends swiftly but they do hold onto friendships for life and with those who have lesser lifespans then their own, their hospitality and friendship extends to their children and children’s children. They have a strong sense of honor and justice. Mountain Dwarves reverence Reos the Forger, who is by many names in other lands. Reos is held to be their patron and creator. The Mountain Dwarves believe that they are descended from a race of mighty beings known as The Crafters, and that these same being aided Reos in the forging of the world. Other good and neutral deities that appeal to the dwarf sense of valor, strength, practicality, warfare and pragmatism can also be found in their pantheon.

Relations: Dwarves and Orcs have had rivalries from nearly the dawn of the Age of Mythology and this is only slightly lessened between Dwarves and the self-named Great-Orcs who are more enlightened and noble then their Fel brethren. Likewise they are slow to trust the giant blooded and have great reason to hold onto their distrust due to the ancient betrayal caused by the Iron clans during the fall of Morduzum. The fact that Gnomes are related to dwarves is some cause of alarm and they tend to find Halflings and most elves far to flighty to be worth much notice. Humans and dwarves have the strongest link and Mountain Dwarves have long supported humanities efforts in war and industrialization provided human kind is working towards the greater good or are closely matching the dwarven ideal.

Adventurers: Among the enlightened races, dwarven adventurers are somewhat rare but there can be many reasons for a dwarven adventurer to leave the rigid strict society of their clans and holdings and strike out into the world. This can range from seeking wealth, fame and power to aid in the reclamation of a families fallen or conquered holding, to seeking to spread their religious doctrine and belief to aiding in the industrialization efforts of an allied land to even fighting in wars as a mercenary in search of gold and a name for himself.

Mountain Dwarf Racial Traits:

• +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff.
• Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Defensive Training: Dwarves get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
• +1 Natural Armor. Mountain Dwarves are exceptionally durable and resilient.
• Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of non magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
• Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.
• Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
• Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
• Flesh to Stone (Su): Mountain dwarves have the innate ability to further toughen their skin. In effect, this ability is identical to a barkskin spell cast by a druid of the mountain dwarf's character level, although the Mountain Dwarf takes on a stone like quality. The number of times per day they may do this increases by 1 for every three character levels.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Handspeech, Low Common, Terran, and Undercommon.

Dwarf, Storm (Khazad-Mornir)

The Khazad-Mornir first appeared during the late second age, lending some to believe that they were a byproduct of the then corrupt Civilization of Machines and Sorcery’s attempt at manipulating and empowering races to be their soldiers. The Khazad Mornir themselves began a tradition that they were recipients of The Thunder Blessing by the gods in order to help aid the dwarven people in time of war and shadow. At first feared and shunned by other dwarves, they proved their valor and might in the wars against the Dark Elves in the early period of the Third Age. Today the Storm Dwarves are rare, being that they bear children at a reduced rate, but they act as powerful bodyguards, warlords and leaders in the armies of dwarven kind.

Physical Description: Storm Dwarves are structured similar to Mountain Dwarves save that they are somewhat larger then even they. The tallest among them are slightly over five feet in height but they are still much stockier then humans though not as stocky as Mountain Dwarves. Their standard of living causes them to eschew some of the traditional clothing of the Mountain Dwarves in favor for more functional wardrobes for living on the mountain peaks and being constantly ready for battle. They do favor extravagant effects for their beards and value them as much as the Mountain Dwarves if not more so. Their racial abilities, also elemental derived, are often accompanies by dull rolls of thunder and flashes of lighting within and around their bodies. While these effects are non harmful, they have been known to be prone to generating high amounts of static electricity which can be a nuisance to others who get near them.

Society and Lands: Like the Mountain Dwarves, Storm Dwarves use the concept of clans and dwarven families to organize themselves and their society. Many Storm Dwarven families are part of the Skyhammer Clan and they have formed ruling families within this clan that are keepers of Storm Dwarf lore and traditions which mostly mirror Mountain dwarf ones. Other Storm Dwarves hail from clans such as Stonesmasher and a few are even part of True Hammer though rarely in any position of authority and usually as bodyguards for nobles among the mountain dwarves. Storm Dwarves tend to dwell above ground in communities that, while in deep caverns at times, do not have the same depth that Mountain Dwarven holds do. The exception for this being Storm Dwarves reared in Mountain Dwarven societies as bodyguards, warlords and champions. The mountain realm of Anvil Peak is perhaps the most known Storm Dwarven enclave. Here in the capital city of Valorheim the Storm Dwarves hone their abilities and seek to forge lasting legacies for their children.

[[Image:]]Relations: Storm Dwarves and Mountain Dwarves get along fairly well enough but the there is an underlying tension between the two species that dates back to the somewhat artificial origins of the original Storm Dwarves and the differences between the two cultures. Storm Dwarves have little time or interest in engineering and mechanical pursuits, feeling them as largely trivial and a waste of their time. By contrast some Mountain Dwarves feel that the Storm Dwarves have come to represent the more barbaric aspects of dwarven kind that they have strived to cull and reign under control. At times these differences have exploded into open conflict and as a result the Storm Dwarves ended up taking to making their homes away from the main enclaves of the traditional dwarven dwelling places. When the two species meet they can and do work together but occasional verbal sparring is not unheard of. The Storm Dwarves do hold the same enmity for the Iron Dwarves as the Mountain Dwarves do and they have the typical dwarven view of other races.

Alignment and Religion: Storm Dwarves have a personality that is similar in many ways to the Mountain Dwarves. However they are far more war like and prone to displays of excess. Where Mountain Dwarves tend to be more reserved when not around close friends and loved ones, Storm Dwarves are well known for their hot tempers and exuberant attitudes no matter where they are and whom they are around. The Storm Dwarves of Gaea venerate the same pantheon as the Mountain Dwarves do but they place less emphasis on Reos the Crafter. Reos, they recognize as the creator and patron of all Dwarven kind but Storm Dwarves have some disconnect here since as a culture they emerged ‘recently’ from a historical perspective. They are more naturally disposed towards gods of action and strength. Many are followers of Kor the Warlord and Angoron the Iron Mountain. Others venerate more neutral aspects of Daeus.

Adventurers: Storm Dwarves favor the fighting classes and barbarians and fighters at that. They rarely produce spell-casting classes due to the dwarven tendency to shun the arcane forces. Priests are not unheard of and sometimes emerge from among them to entreat the forces of the storm on behalf of the Storm Dwarves. A Storm Dwarf that leaves home often does so as a bodyguard of a more common dwarf or to seek to expand his abilities in far away lands.

Storm Dwarf Racial Traits:

• +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Storm Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff.
• Medium: Storm Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Low Light Vision: Instead of the typical dwarven darkvision, Storm Dwarves have low-light vision from living on the surface for so long.
• Defensive Training: Dwarves get a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
• Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes due to special training against these hated foes.
• Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Rage of the Storm (Sp): Once per day, Storm Dwarves can invoke the power of the storm to further enhance their bodies. Thunder and lightening wrap around them, enlarging their physiques, and boosting their abilities as per the description of the Rage spell. They gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a –2 penalty to AC. The number of times Storm Dwarves may invoke this ability increases by 1 for every five levels. The duration for this is 1 round per character level. Treat their character level as their caster level for the purposes of this ability.
• Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
• Elemental Resistances (Ex): Storm Dwarves are resilient towards the elemental energies that power them. They have Resistance 5 against Sonic and Electricity.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Handspeech, Low Common, Terran, and Undercommon.

Dwarves in the Pathfinder Campaign:

In The Emblem of Ea Pathfinder campaign, the dwarven alliance with humanity has undergone tremendous strain given the new season of war that grips much of the civilized world. Much of this strain comes from the inability of their human allies to truly aid them in their own struggles. Strange abominations have begun assailing the deepest portions of Kingsforge and other enclaves within Khazad Duin. These creatures are driven by masters that the dwarves invariably describe as shadow, formless, light devouring demons from the deepest depths of the earth who issue torments with the power of their thoughts alone, and the abominations driven by them are monstrosities such as to induce madness in some of the most stout of the dwarven warriors at mere sight of them. Investigations by the Magocracy of Rune have begun as they suspect possible planar incursion, but the dwarves are distrusting of human magic and not entirely helpful to the investigative efforts. Thus far these conflicts are confined to occasional invasions and incursions but may speak to a greater growing threat in the depths of Gaea.