Freebred dwarves

The crafters of greatness

 Language: Common, Dwarven

 Favored Regions: Katon Nir, Valeran, Stormlands

 Favored Religions: Ancestral worship

 Favored alignments: LG, LN

 Favored classes: fighter, ranger, rogue

 Male names: Amgorn, Garmond, Kannir, Muirnom, Thurrum, Uhmdram

 Female names: Edunva, Gimoran, Ingannis, Katilinn, Tishva

 Appearance: Freebred dwarves are taller and less bulky than their ancestors in the Mother Mountain, but they are still broad and muscular compared with humans. Their height can reach up to 120 cm. Their skin has rough features and its color varies from caucasian till lightly tanned. The color of the eyes tend to differ greatly between clans, green, grey, brown and amber are all common. Men still have a tradition of beard grooming, but in contradiction to their other kin, the beards are kept on a pragmatic length.

History
 Fled from the Mother Mountain of Omyn millennia’s ago, the freedbred dwarves scattered through the void in search for unknown riches and glory. Attracted by the magnetic center of Midland, most found their way in to small ring, settling in mountainous area’s that reminded them of their ancient homeland. Especially Takon Nir became the new pinnacle of dwarven society. This desolated mountain holds an enormous machine of forgotten purpose and power, which inspired the dwarves with their research for new technologies.



Religion
 When the dwarves left their Mother Mountain, they also turned their backs to their older gods, which thought that Omyn was the only home for the dwarves. While the influence of the dwarven pantheon still reached the small ring, the most common worshippers of these deities are not the dwarves themselves. These days, the dwarves believe that their clan’s ancestors are the protectors of their kin. Worship of former familymembers is often done in family shrines that also functions as a cemetery. It’s considered mandatory that every dwarf knows their family-line back till the moment when the left the Mother Mountain; an event that is known as The Departure.

 With their back turned on the clerical magic, and the secrets of the dwarven runecasters forgotten, the society of the freebred is built with a scarce amount of magic involved. Because of this, most dwarves looked for new technologies to aid their cause. The forgotten mysteries of the machine in Katon Nir strengthened this urge, and it has been the source of many of their discoveries. Gunpowder, steam engines and photography are just a few examples what the freebred discovered in the last centuries.



Goverment
 Each settlement is ruled by a Clan, with the elderfather of the Clan often seen as its ruler. The main purpose of the clan, next to keeping the law and securing a safe settlement, is to raise the wealth and influence of its people. The dwarf’s outfits strongly resemble his amount of wealth. Even the practical designed working garbs are often embroiled with gold and ornaments to display the riches of their family and clan.



Personality
 The freebred are pragmatic folk, they are born businessmen and laborers and their expertise is celebrated through the void. They are born with a natural instinct to work with valuable materials, like platinum, gold or mithril. But in the end it doesn’t matter which craft or profession a freebred chooses, the dwarves always work with a passion and devotion that’s hardly seen in any other race. Next to craftsmen, freedbreds tend to be great traders, sailors, scholars, inventors, judges, bankers and politicians. Although, in general, professions that actually generate goods or wealth are more respected in freebred society than those who don’t.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Most freebreds are easy to get around with. They are talkative, with a broad array of interests and can be passionate enthusiasts. They also have a great love for beer that they want to share with their companions, and they tend to become noisy and aggressive when intoxicated. Although the dwarves, with their wealth and skill, are a welcome sight in many places, not everybody is fond of them. Some dwarves tend to be ruthless and cold when it comes to business, following contracts and laws strictly without compassion. Also it’s a popular believe that every dwarf is born with an insatiable greed.

The foul curse
<p class="MsoNormal"> But aside from this assumption, the freebred dwarves are facing a bigger problem. During the last millennia, the freebred seem to slowly loose their fertility. On the moment, only one in a thousand conceptions are successful, and the numbers are changing worse every year. Scientists fear the hypothetical extinction of their race, but the real reason for the infertility has yet to be found. A lot of dwarves blame the old gods for this disaster, and view this as a curse of leaving the Mother Mountain. While some seek redemption at their old deities, others seek solutions in the technology they adore. But the first cloning experiment went horribly wrong and created the fast reproducing foulbred dwarves. These abominations are cruel and vicious creatures determined to destroy their creators.

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