Dwarves are short, stocky humanoids evolved (one could
even say 'engineered') to live in underground
environments. Their preferred habitats are
mountainous areas, but a Dwarf can survive anywhere
that a Human can: however, their fertility suffers
when out of their normal range. Dwarves have a
standard proportion of Soldiers and Saints to the rest
of the population.
The Dwarves' primary Archangel is David, their creator
(known to them as Khedzak). Both Novalis and Jean
have been involved in shaping their culture: the
former has spun off the separate race of Gnomes and
the latter has provided the Dwarves with some of their
superior engineering knowledge. Most of the War
faction will cheerfully recruit Dwarven Soldiers.
Characteristics, Bonuses and Flaws
Dwarf characters are built on 5 Forces: however, all
adult Dwarves have a minimum Strength of 4 and Will of
3 (before racial bonuses). This will effectively
dictate that Dwarves allocate 2 of their starting
Forces to Corporeal. Maximum number of Forces for
Saints and Blessed Souls: 15.
Dwarves have two major racial advantages: first,
Dwarves may raise their Strength and Will by a
combined total of 4 (at least one point must be
allocated to each). Also, the race has an innate
propensity towards craftsmanship: Dwarves add double
their Corporeal Forces to Craft Skills (the
determination of what constitutes a Craft Skill is
forthcoming). The average lifespan is roughly four
centuries. Total points: 9.
Unfortunately, the visual sense of Dwarves is not
advanced by most surface-dwellers: they suffer from
Damaged Sense (Vision)/1. This Disadvantage also
gives them a -2 to most Ranged Weapon skills. They
also suffer from a -1 to movement rates, due to their
shorter legs. Note, however, that (unlike 'standard'
fantasy Dwarves) this race does not suffer from
Greediness: their creator finds the notion absolutely
appalling. Total points: -5.
Recommended skills: Ranged Weapon (axe or pick),
Survival (caverns), various Craft Skills
Total Cost: 4.
Psychology
Dwarves are very stoic individuals, thanks to the
efforts of their patron Archangel. Dwarves prize
toughness and steadiness above most other qualities:
their ability to persevere under the most adverse
conditions is half due to genetic hardwiring and half
due to sheer bloody-mindedness. The word "whiney" is
a killing insult in Dwarven.
Dwarves tend to reflect their creator in many ways:
like David/Khedzak, they tend to be blunt, focused,
uninterested in small talk, generous to their friends
and absolutely merciless to their foes. Dwarves do
not forget favors or slights: in fact, Dwarves rarely
forget anything that has been done to themselves or
their race. They may forgive slightly more often than
a 'standard' Dwarf, but they do not ever, ever forget.
Dwarven culture revolves around craftsmanship: their
cultural heroes are mostly artisans, not
administrators or fighters. There is a definite
social hierarchy, which looks (to Human eyes) like a
modified ogliarchy heavily influenced by meritocratic
beliefs. There is a remarkably low amount of social
unrest, however: social services among Dwarves are
unparalleled among the Unbroken Races and their
political system has zero tolerance for fools in high
places. Their relatively few malcontents usually find
a more congenial atmosphere in Human/Elven society -
or join the War.
Dwarven "nations" are somewhat amorphous entities: in
general, they tend to be loose collections of
city-states in any given mountain range. There has
never been a Dwarven Empire, due mostly to a distinct
lack of interest in setting one up. However, all
Dwarven nations mint to the same coinage, enjoy
roughly the same laws and social customs, speak the
same language and come to each other's aid in time of
war, so the wry Elven description of Dwarvendom as the
Empireless Empire is actually fairly apt.
Despite rumors to the contrary (found mostly in less
cosmopolitan areas), Dwarven females are not
superficially indistinguishable from the males. These
rumors tend to spring from the fact that sexism is
virtually unknown in Dwarven society: ability is the
determining factor for social mobility. Also, most
'malcontents' tend to be male, making them more likely
to be encountered by surface races.
Ecology
Dwarves have evolved to live underground, but can
easily adapt to surface conditions. This is due
directly to their creator: David had no intention of
handicapping his charges. Thus, Dwarves can eat
surface food, deal with direct sunlight and have no
universal fear of open spaces. However, a Dwarf's
fertility does drastically drop when not living in
their original habitats: David is still working on the
problem.
Role in the War
Dwarves, being somewhat isolated from other races,
enjoy a somewhat more intimate relationship with their
patron Archangel. David has even been known to
manifest himself among the mundane Dwarven population
(something not often done by other Archangels): he
also has significantly less trouble than others do
with misguided attempts to worship him. Aside from
other things, this means that Dwarven nations will
often be overtly involved in the War, acting as a
potent corporeal weapon.
David divides his Dwarven Soldiers into two groups:
Jadzhack ("hammers") and Hredzik ("anvils"). The
Jadzhackim all either have the Armor Attunement or
high levels of the Corporeal Song of Form (or both),
and usually serve straightforward combat roles.
Jadzhackim, being corporeal, are not s u b ject to
David's dissonance conditions, so they are often the
spearhead of attacks. There is a s u b group
(Imjadhack, or "picks") that emulates their patron by
fighting nude (but naturally armored): their ability
to break lines through their use of shock tactics is
legendary. Hredzikim have a less violent role: they
universally have the Geomancy Attunement (plus the
Geomancy skill), and serve as advisors and assistants
to mundane Dwarven rulers. Their innate abilities
also make them excellent scouts for their race's
steady expansion underground.
Dwarves and Hell
The Princes would very much like to break the Dwarves,
but their unique relationship with David makes that
difficult. Diabolicalism is a capital crime in every
Dwarven nation - and, unlike certain Human nations,
the Dwarves *mean* it. The one time that Hell managed
to corrupt an entire city-state ended ... badly. Even
the mountain that sheltered said city-state isn't
there anymore.
Still, cults live on in secret. For the most part,
Malphas and Vapula are the most successful: the former
has been fighting David for a long time and the latter
can offer the most interesting toys to his servants.
Baal gets a goodly number of Dwarven 'malcontents',
too.
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