The Duervar

WHO ARE THE DUERVAR?

Duervar are short and stocky humanoids with naturally thick body hair of earthen tones. Their pupils are wide for sight in the under-earth caverns of their homes. They are incredibly tough beings with little need for the ways of wizardry. Instead, they are deeply religious and prefer to fight their opponents with weapons of steel and mithral.

Duervan Gods
Duervan Lineages
Duervan Culture
Duervan Realms
The Duervik Language
Duervan Titles
Duervan Names
Duervan Name Generator
Duervan Game Statistics
Dwarves of Pathfinder

Their Heritage.

In the beginning the world was in chaos. The Elements raged unchecked and violently clashed with each other. Then their came the goddess Naeja and she sought to bring order and balance to the world. She took these raw elements and bound them together in harmony and hence nature was born unto the world. This enraged the Elgar, the Elder God of Titans, who saw this as a terrible defilement of his raw elements. He sent to the world mighty beings with great power over these domains. They were the Greater Titans and they tore apart Naeja’s creation.
Naeja did not know what to do, so she came to Magmodin, and asked him to help her. Magmodin, being a god of wisdom and law could not let her world be destroyed by the Chaotic Titans. He created three children: Morak, God of War and Skill at Arms; Morddradan, God of the Mountains and Might; and Osidan, God of Fire and Rage in Battle. He sent these three great warriors into the world to defeat the Great Titans. The Elder Elemental God saw the power of these great warriors and so commanded that Lesser Titans be born. As the war raged on Magmodin realized he would need more gods to battle these Lesser Titans. So it was that he commanded Morddradan to draw from the earth two sons. So it came to be that Balderak, God of Smithys, Strength and Caverns, and Belderak, God of Guardians, Protection and Loyalty, were born.
The two new gods battled the Lesser Titans and the tides of war swayed back and forth. It was then that the Elder Elemental God commanded that a race of mortals be born that could fight this war. They could be great in number but since they would die they would not dominate their creators. These were the Giants and they came to litter the world and build many great fortresses. Shear numbers were pushing the Duervan gods back, and Magmodin knew it was time for a new course of action. Magmodin commanded Balderak to set work upon his forge and craft the perfect race of mortals possible. When Balderak was finished he brought the cast to Magmodin who approved it. Magmodin turned to Naeja and offered to set this race upon her world to slay the Giants if she would give them life (Gods of Purity and Corruption cannot create new life). Naeja agreed and so it was that the Duervar were born.
Morddradan gave them the mountains of the earth. Magmodin gave them wisdom and taught them law. Balderak gave them the knowledge of forging and Osidan gave them fire for their bellows. Belderak taught them of loyalty and gave them the duty of guarding the earth. Morak taught them of war and showed them how to wield mighty weapons to slay their foes, the giants.
The Duervar battled the giants with such ferocity that they quickly drove them to the corners of the world. They then built great kingdoms beneath the earth and connected them with massive tunnels and caverns. The Titans continued to strike at their unbreaking foes, but Lojanrar (the Titan of the Earth) was indifferent to the smaller race and cared not for the commands of the Elder Elemental God. Lojanrar rested and the let the Duervar live within his realm.
It was during this time a few Duervan mortals were chosen by Magmodin to join the gods. The first was Kulderak, who would be the God of Ancestors, History and The Divinity of Mortals. Then came Adramor who is Goddess of Wealth, Gemcutting and the Sky. Noraki became the goddess of Community, Arts and Trade.
The war went on until most of the Greater Titans were defeated. It was then that Olginthoth, Titan of Ice, struck the final blow for his kind. A great sheet of ice spread down from the north. The Ice broke the earth and crushed the caverns of many duervan halls. It blanketed the world and only the most endurable plants and animals survived. Morak led a great army into the icy reaches of the north where he battled Olginthoth one on one. In the end Morak was victorious, and Olginthoth was frozen into the very ice he commanded.
The Age of Ice was at an end; however, the glaciers had done their damage and the Duervan Empire had fallen. It took many more centuries for the Ice to recede and in those dark times the Duervar of different strongholds could barely communicate with one another.
During this darker time there were still heroes being born. One such hero became legendary. He is Dorak Battlecry from Baraduum. When his children were defeated the Elder Elemental God was furious. He tried to open gates to the Elemental Planes so that the denizens of those worlds could flow into the World of Naeja and destroy it. Dorak battled to the very source of these gates and saw every last one closed. In the very end he even battled the Elder Elemental God, who manifested himself in a weakened form upon the world. Dorak defeated this avatar and sealed the final gate, saving the world. He was granted a place amongst the gods as a reward. Dorak became the God of Truth, Justice, Pride, Honor and Courage.
During all these wars it was easy for the Nameless One to creep in and cause great harm. Eventually an entire clan of Duervar were tempted. They became the Duergar and to this day are constantly at war with their brethren, to no end. One of them, Gimmi, a greedy and resourceful rogue, caught enough attention to be risen to godly power by Adramor. Gimmi became the God of Thieves and Greed.
Most recently another mortal attained god status. Grummbdabar was a master brewer from Garaduum. Noraki chose him for his great skill and fortitude. Grummbdabar attained legendary status for his brewing abilities and established a guild of brewers called the Barumar (Brewmasters). He is well known for his ability to consume massive amounts of alcohol in a very short time better than any other duervar.

The Duervan Lineages

When Balderak cast the duervar in his forge he made them all alike at first. They were perfect, and for that reason he didn’t see why any one duervar should be significantly different than the others. However, as they spread across the world they adapted to their different kingdoms in different ways. The Clans formed, and though they always worked with one another in a common goal they became very prideful of which clan they descended from. Twelve clans had formed. Six clans resided in the great mountains of the earth. Three clans lived in the rugged highlands and foothills. Two clans descended into the deepest depths of the earth, and the last clan became nomads who traveled the plains and valleys.
During the Age of Ice, families of different clans became isolated. Eventually they began to think of themselves as separate from their ancestors. These new clans would still record their heritage as being descendents of a particular lineage, but they would take on new names and rule lands of their own. After the great glaciers receded many clans began to reopen contact with the others and reestablish trade routes as well. Clans of similar lineage gathered together and traced their bloodlines back to the original Clans, but the tracing of the royal bloodlines was lost. From their accounting only eight of the original clans had survived. They became known as The First Eight Clans. The Thanes formed a council and decided to establish four true lineages, from which the Eight Clans were descended. Then all Family Clans would trace their bloodline back to one of these Great Clans. The thanes of all Family Clans would then choose an Elder Thaim to preside over their Great Clan.

There are four Duervan Lineages:
Duumdravar (Mountain Duervar), Bormdravar (Hill Duervar), Keldravar (Far Duervar), and the Delvdravar (The Deep Duervar, the lost lineage). Alas, the Delvdravar are no more. From the remaining three Lineages there are twelve Greater Clans.

From the Duumdravar there were six Great Clans, but only five survived, and one of those was corrupted.
From those four, some split, so now there are six Great Clans again:
Original Clan 1: The Mordradak of the Mordraduum, The Tharadain of the Tharaduum
Original Clan 2: The Baradain of the Baraduum, The Duradain of the Duraduum
Original Clan 3: The Valderak of the Valdraduum
Original Clan 4: The Garadain of the Garaduum
Original Clan 5: The Durgadain of Durgaduum (who became the Duergar)
Original Clan 6: The Barrimdain of Barrimduum (In the far north, still unknown to the Duervar of Verosia)

From the Bormdravar there were three Great Clans, but only two survived. One Great Clan broke into three clans, so now there are four Great Clans:
Original Clan 1: The Belderak of the Bormfeld (Iron Hills), The Gildadain of Gildaborm (Gold Hills),The Radadain of the Radaborm (Red Hills)
Original Clan 2: The Cordicar of Nordraduum (who live at the foot of those great mountains)
Original Clan 3: Lost

From the Keldravar there are was one Great Clan. They have since split into three Great Clans:
Original Clan 1: The Ailadain (Highland Duervar), the Galldadain (Lowland Duervar), and the Belodain (The Lake Duervar, a clan that prefers to settle along lakes, rivers and seas)

From the Delvdravar there were two Great Clans. One was betrayed and slain by the Duergar and the other was destroyed after the Age of Ice.
Original Clan 1: The Delvadain of Delvaduum (who were killed by the Duergar)
Original Clan 2: The Vosivaar of Vosiduum (The Flame Mountains), who were destroyed with The Kingdom of Osidan [Lost]

The Delvdravar were a great and ancient people who lived in deep deep caverns where they learned to master the natural crystal forming powers of the earth. The word “Delv” means “Deep” but can also be used to describe something as “Unexplored”. Their keeps were said a mixture of excellent stone work and wonderful art made of rock-crystals of all colors. What more, they are said to have crafted armor and even weapons out of crystal. The Durgadain lived in the mountains above them, but when they became greedy and dug deep into the earth bordering on the riches of the Delvdravar Realm. At first conflict occurred, but an accord was met and the Durgadain began seeking riches in other ways. The Durgadain found secret ways to the Aetheria, the Other Realms of the Fey, where they dug into mystical mountains and found strange and powerful gems and ores. But they were corrupted and fell into the service of Morwyn. The Durgadain who returned betrayed the Delvdravar brothers and a great war ensued. The Durgadain won, but had become so evil that all other Duervar turned against them and now call them the Duergar (which translates to ‘he who bites his kin’).. The Duergar who lived near the surface were driven deeper into the earth by war, having to live as outcasts in the realm they had conquered. It is said that not all of the Delvdravar Keeps were taken, but there has never been any proof.

In Duervan society, the Thane is king and the absolute ruler. He is the leader of the great family and is given the right to rule by his father, who ruled before him. Thanes are almost always men, and Duervan culture is clearly male dominated. That doesn’t mean that women have no rights or influence. Women are given equal rights to men, except that they are almost never rulers. Perhaps this is because their gods are almost all men. However, in the priesthoods women have as much power as the men. A council of clan elders advises the Thane. The elder male of each family is on this council and they make many of the decisions in the kingdom, but they must always serve the Thane. The High Priest of each god also sit on this council, and usually represent their own families as well. The High Priests have some power, but only through the ethos and commands of their gods.

From each of these Great Clans there are scores of Family Clans. Some Family Clans rule entire Mountains or Strongholds, others work in unison with many Family Clans. However, all such clans pay fealty to the Elder Thane of their Great Clan. The Elder Thanes come together only rarely to discuss events that concern all Duervar. Unless some other event causes need, the Elder Thanes meet once every fifty years and always at a different location.

Social Classes:

Amongst the Duervar the following best describes each Social Class (see Character Creation).
Lower-lower Class:
Upper-Lower Class:
Lower-Middle Class:
Upper-Middle Class:
Lower-Upper Class:

Duervan Gods

The Duumdravar

When the Duervar were first cast from Balderak’s fiery forge they found themselves within great caverns in the earth. This was the gift of Morddradan. They carved their way out of the earth and began to explore the world, but they never abandoned their first home. They built great cities beneath the mountains and fortresses upon the high cliffs and peaks.
Those who stayed within these mountain kingdoms are the Duumdravar (Mountain Dwellers). They are dark skinned with hair usually black, brown or deep red. Their eyes are almost always black but sometimes they are brown or very rarely blue. Duumdravar usually stand between four and half and five feet tall. They are very tough, rather strong, and can see in absolute darkness.
The mountain duervar are masters of metalworking. They mine the deep for ore and through the power of their gods replenish the heavy metals from the fires of the deep. They are also great stone workers. They have massive castles built on the most extreme precipices, and elaborate chambers carved in the depths of the earth. They are the first race to forge steel, and other races learned the skill by trading with them; however, none are able to craft weapons and armor as perfectly as they can. They get most of their clothing from the hill duervar, which is usually wool. They also wear a lot of leathers and some furs. Duervan clothing in general is simple and efficient. The men don’t often bother to die their clothing and most of them only own a few sets of clothes. The women do like to brighten them up some but still never own anything very fine. Jewelry is common amongst them, and though often decorated with scenes of dragons, ancient thanes and battles with giants, they can still be crafted with amazing skill. Duervan armor is extremely elaborate and fine. Even the poorest Duervar’s armor is etched with beautiful carvings.
The kingdoms of the Duumdravar are vast and ancient. They are built within the depths of mountains, carved encircling the core. Mines tunnel into the core and deep into the earth below. Many stairwells and passages are chiseled out of the earth connecting great chambers. Duumdravar live as in a community. Those without families sleep in barrack like quarters, and eat together in great halls. The married have their own homes set far from the mines, some with two or three bedrooms. They will have their own tables for dining, but are always welcome in the great hall. The Thaim and his advisors will have their own chambers as well, which are usually a bit more elaborate. Duervar love to display their masterworks of stone and metal, hence they build great museums within their caverns. They also keep their history as paintings on the walls of massive halls of lore. The greatest Duumdravar kingdoms are built beneath the expanse of entire mountain ranges. The halls of the different clans are linked by long passages deep beneath the earth and high bridges spanning the peaks.
There are six Greater Clans of Duumdravar: The Mordradak of Mordaduum, The Tharadain of Tharaduum, The Baradain of Baraduum, The Duradain of Duraduum, The Valderak of Valdraduum, and the Garadain of Garaduum. There are also many lesser clans throughout the world. These clans are described in further detail in Part VI, the Realms.
The Duumdravar are accustomed to war but only rarely wage it. All the men and any women interested are trained for battle, and they often hunt out giants. They do whatever they must to keep the lands around their mountains safe; however, they are almost never attacked. It is almost impossible to siege a duervan stronghold and only Giants have done so successfully. There has been, though, a war that most recently brought them to arms. A terrible scourge of orcs called the Ig-Baruk have invaded the kingdoms of Mordaduum and Baraduum. The Duervar have allied with the humans in the surrounding lands to battle this common enemy.

The Bormdravar

While the Duumdravar built their great cities beneath the earth, others went out of the mountains to build their kingdoms. The Bormdravar were the first to leave the mountains and hence the first to encounter the Giants. They built greater fortresses in the hills and steppes to keep their enemies at bay. After the Age of Ice when the Duumdravar closed their gates, the Bormdravar remained in their fortresses, intent to keep the giants at bay.
The hill duervar are the greatest stoneworkers. They carve great statues and forts right out of the bedrock of the mountains and rolling hills. They have learned to fashion bricks as strong as any solid granite. They have even mastered the crafting of ceramics, some so strong they can wear it as armor. Their engineering skills are unmatched, having constructed forts that even giants could not fell. They are also agriculturalists, growing great tiers of vegetables along the rich soiled fields of their hills. They are also shepherds, keeping flocks of mountain goats from which they fabricate wool clothing, leather, and cheeses. While they too are great forgers of steel weapons, their truly greatest skill is the crafting of Stonemail. This is crafted from ceramic stone so hard and light it can be worn as armor. Bormdravar wear wool clothing, leathers and some furs. Duervan clothing in general is simple and efficient. The men don’t often bother to dye their clothing and most of them only own a few sets of clothes. The women do like to brighten them up some but still never own anything very fine. Jewelry is common amongst them, and though often decorated with scenes of dragons, ancient thanes and battles with giants, they can still be crafted with amazing skill. Bormdravar tend to use more silver in their jewelry and less rare stones. Bormdaravar armor is more practical than attractive. They do decorate it to some degree, but they prefer to produce armor that can take a beating and still look good.
The kingdoms of the Bormdravar are few and far between. They are built along the foothills of the great mountain realms, cresting tall hills and protruding from the lower parts of rocky mountains. Mines delve into the earth, and stretch like fingers out into ravines and valleys. The Bormdravar claim more land as territory than do other Duervar. They build low stone walls to mark their lands and patrol them regularly. One of the greatest feats of the Bormdravar is the development of the Wyavar Riders. Wyverns are flying draconic like beasts with two legs and no arms, but no smarter than any animal. They have domesticated these beasts to serve as aerial reconnaissance and patrol.
Bormdravar families live in their own homes, often built into the side of stone cliffs, or in small stone structures half buried in the earth. It is in fact said that the first Folkin homes were built in imitation of these. The Thane will live in a central fort and those without families sleep in barrack like quarters within, eating together in great halls. While families have their own tables for dining, they are always welcome in the great hall. Bormdravar love to display their great stone carvings, hence they often climb high on cliffs to carve statues out of the earth, or they build such statues along the roads and canals they use for transport.
Unlike the Duumdravar, the Bormdravar have become more dependent on the use of wood. They use wood furniture and décor. They keep their history as scrolls but still in massive halls beneath the earth. The greatest Bormdravar kingdoms stretch hundreds of miles along the foothills of entire mountain ranges. The forts of the different clans are linked by great roads and in some cases canals for transporting wares to and fro. Bormdravar also communicate much more with humans, Folkin and other such races than do the Duumdravar. They trade most often with the two mentioned.
From the Bormdravar there are four Greater Clans: The Belderak of the Bormfeld (Iron Hills), The Gildadain of Gildaborm (Gold Hills), The Cordicar of Nordraborm (the hills at the foot of the Nordraduum), and The Radadain of the Radaborm (Red Hills). There are also many lesser clans throughout the world. These clans are described in further detail in Part VI, the Realms.
The Bormdravar are much more ready for war than their mountain dwelling brethren. All the men and any women, whether interested or not, are trained for battle. Many hunt the forests near their hills, and they form large bands to patrol their borders, fighting anything or anyone considered a threat. Their experience defending their lands from Giants has made them some of the best warriors known. In recent years this has included battling the threat of the Ig-Baruk, who have invaded the kingdoms of Mordaduum and Baraduum. The Bormdravar have not gone into war against these terrible orcs, but they have been forced to defend their lands vehemently against them.

The Keldravar

While the Duumdravar and Bormdravar remained in their great fortresses and underground cities, some brave Duervar set out into the world to conquer the Giants. The other Duervar were intent on slowly pushing their enemies away, but the Keldravar chose to hunt them down in their own lands. When the Age of Ice fell upon the world it was the Keldravar who led the Duervan armies against Olginthoth. They stayed long on the battlefield after all their other brethren returned home, and their families built cities in the remote corners of the world, intending to return to the mountains from whence they came one day in the far future. They never did return home. The Duumdravar closed their gates and the Bormdravar rarely offered a home to anyone not of their clans. So it was that the Keldravar are known as the Far Duervar, for they live in the far corners of the world, away from the mountains and hill forts of their ancient homelands. Some do live in mountains like the Duumdravar, and some live in hill forts like the Bormdravar, but all share a commonality, they mostly live on the surface, travel the world more then their brethren, and some even prefer the coasts of lakes and oceans.

Duervan Name Generator

Duervan Titles

Duervan Game Statistics:

Pathfinder: Dwarves

All Duervar have the following standard abilities:

Innate Abilities: All Duervar are born with the following abilities:

  • Medium Size: As Medium-size creatures, Duervar have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Stability: Duervar gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground. Duervar are exceptionally stable on their feet.
  • Hardy: Duervar gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. Duervar are hardy and resistant to toxins. They are also blessed by their creators to be resistant to magics.
  • Dark Vision: Duervar can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only but it is otherwise like normal sight, and duervar can function just fine with no light at all. However, much can be discerned with normal light, so Duervar prefer to use firelight whenever they can.

Cultural Abilities: Duervar raised in a duervan culture automatically gain these abilities. For these see each sub-type.

Each Lineage of Duervar also have their own special abilities:

Duumdravar (Mountain Duervar):

Innate Abilities:

  • +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Duumdravar are a stout and enduring race, but their stocky build and proportionately short legs make them less agile then the other races. Unlike their brethren who seem dour to many other races, Duumdravar have a noble and friendly perspective towards them. They still maintain a distinct difference and their ways can seem strange to outsiders, but they aren't as unfriendly as other duervar.
  • Slow and Steady: Duumdravar have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
  • Stonecunning: Duumdravar have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes. They are especially capable with stonework and metalwork. They gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to 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. This includes unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework.
  • Depth Sense: A Duumdravar can intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

Cultural Abilities:

  • Weapon Familiarity: Duumdravar are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Giant Hunter: Duumdravar have spent the ages developing special techniques for battling their ancient enemies. They gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoids with the giant subtype. Furthermore, they gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find and follow tracks made by humanoids with the giant subtype.
  • Defensive Training: Duumdravar are especially trained in battling giants in their kin. They gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. This bonus represents the ages of training that they have developed to battle their ancient foes. Note that anytime a character loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class he loses this bonus as well.
  • Greed: Duumdravar are familiar with the value of items created from the natural materials of the earth. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
  • Automatic Languages: Verosian and Duervan. Bonus Languages: Bamorian, Darktongue, Draconic, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc and Terran (the language of natives of the element of earth). Duumdravar know the languages of their people and the races they most commonly trade with. They also know the languages of the races they most commonly war with.
  • Favored Class: Fighter.

Bormdravar (Hill Duervar):

Innate Abilities:

  • +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Bormdravar are as stout and enduring as their brethren, but since they are taller they are also more agile. They are, however, more gruff and reserved then their brethren. They do not have the protection of the mountain around them and so they don’t feel as safe with outsiders. Their culture is more likely to trade with other races, but also more likely to be rude to them. This has given other Duervar a “bad reputation”. Bormdravar are well known for their ancient wisdom passed down from generation to generation.
  • Sure Footed Bormdravar have spent thousands of generations climbing the rocky hills and jagged mountains of the surface. They are skilled at climbing and navigating narrow ledges. They are immune to altitude sickness and do not lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when making Climb or Acrobatics checks to cross narrow or slippery surfaces.
  • Slow and Steady: Bormdravar have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
  • Stonecunning: Bormdravar have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone their skills in their hill top and underground homes. They are especially capable with stonework and metalwork. They gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to 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. This includes unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework.

Cultural Abilities:

  • Weapon Familiarity: Bormdravar are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "duervan" or “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Giant Hunter: Bormdravar have spent the ages developing special techniques for battling their ancient enemies. They gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoids with the giant subtype. Furthermore, they gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find and follow tracks made by humanoids with the giant subtype.
  • Defensive Training: Bormdravar are especially trained in battling giants and their kin. They gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. This bonus represents the ages of training that they have developed to battle their ancient foes. Note that anytime a character loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class he loses this bonus as well.
  • Greed: Bormdravar are familiar with the value of items created from the natural materials of the earth. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
  • Automatic Languages: Verosian and Duervan. Bonus Languages: Bamorian, Darktongue, Draconic, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc and Terran (the language of natives of the element of earth). Bormdravar know the languages of their people and the races they most commonly trade with. They also know the languages of the races they most commonly war with.
  • Favored Class: Fighter.

Delvdravar (Deep Duervar):

Innate Abilities:

  • +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Delvdravar are a stout and enduring race, but not as stocky as their brethren. Their halls far beneath the earth are connected by narrow natural caverns that are very difficult to climb through. Delvdravar have to be keen minded and have quick wits to survive in the deep underground. They are some of the most intelligent of their race. Delvdravar are very distrustful of outsiders and living in such a harsh environment gives little chance to deal with other races. They keep to themselves and treat most everyone like an enemy.
  • Minesight: Delvdravar live in deeper darkness and hence developed keener eyes. They have darkvision to 90 feet; however, they are automatically dazzled in bright light and take a –2 penalty on saving throws against effects with the light descriptor.
  • Normal Speed: Delvdravar have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Stonecunning: Delvdravar have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone their skills in their homes deep underground homes. They are especially capable with stonework and metalwork. They gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to 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. This includes unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework.
  • Depth Sense: A Duumdravar can intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

Cultural Abilities:

  • Weapon Familiarity: Delvdravar are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "duervan" or “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Deep Warrior: Delvdravar grew up facing the abominations that live deep beneath the surface. They receive a +2 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the aberration type and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple such creatures (or to continue a grapple). This racial trait replaces defensive training.
  • Craftsman: Delvdravar are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. They do not, though, see the same value in shiny metals and precious stones as "surface duervar" do. They rarely see bright light, so these mean little to them.
  • Automatic Languages: Deeptongue and Duervan. Bonus Languages: Common, Darktongue, Draconic, Giant, Gnome and Terran (the language of natives of the element of earth). Delvdravar know the common languages of the Deepearth.
  • Favored Class: Fighter.

Keldravar (Nomadic Duervar):

Innate Abilities:

  • +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Keldravar are as stout and enduring as their brethren, but since they are the tallest of their kin they are also the most agile. In fact, since they are usually around 5 ½ feet tall or even more they are often mistaken for humans. They are, however, just as gruff and disdainful as the Bormdravar. They encounter and trade with other races often, but this doesn’t mean they like them.
  • Normal Speed: Keldravar base speed is 30 feet. Keldravar are also the only Duervar who regularly ride horses.

Cultural Abilities:

  • Hatred: Keldravar gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the orc and goblinoid subtypes because of their special training against these hated foes. Keldravar encounter these races more than the other Duervar and so have learned special skills to battle them that they have passed down through the ages.
  • Relentless: Keldravar are skilled at pushing their way through a battlefield, tossing aside lesser foes with ease. They receive a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the duervar and his opponent are standing on the ground.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Keldravar are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “duervan" or "dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Defensive Training: Keldravar are especially trained in battling giants and their kin. They gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype. This bonus represents the ages of training that they have developed to battle their ancient foes. Note that anytime a character loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class he loses this bonus as well.
  • Greed: Keldravar are familiar with the value of items created from the natural materials of the earth. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
  • Automatic Languages: Common and Duervan. Bonus Languages: Bamorian, Darktongue, Draconic, Gelvan, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc and Terran (the language of natives of the element of earth). They also commonly know the languages of the humans living near them. Keldravar know the languages of their people and the races they most commonly encounter.
  • Favored Class: Fighter.

NAEJA CAMPAIGN CORE BOOK INFORMATION (By Phoebus)

Original Duervar Text

Forged on the anvil of Balderak, the Duervar are the stoic masters of the mountains that dominate the landscapes of Verosia and Old Camus. They are as tough as the stone they hew their citadels from, and fierce defenders against the evil of the corrupted races that threaten the realms. Best known in the realms of men are the Keldravar, who left behind the cavernous realms of the Duumdravar and the surface citadels of the Bormdravar to make war on the giants of old. It is they who first showed the Duneimen the great crafts of the forge. They are a warlike, clannish people who do not know the word surrender. Their tempers are mercurial, but their enmities and friendships are eternal.

Physical Description: Among the lines of the Duervan race, the Keldravar are the tallest, sometimes reaching a height of almost five feet. They are stout, broad-shouldered, and compactly muscular. Each Keldravar possesses a great deal of body-hair, but his most defining racial characteristic is his beard, which on a mature adult will reach beneath one's chest. The beard is the symbol of pride and wealth, and is carefully groomed, braided, pleated, and adorned with rings made of precious medals. As the surface never lacks for enemies, rare if the Keldravar whose daily costume lacks arms and armor, and rarer still is it for even a young traveler to not have had a hand in the crafting of said items.

Society: The Keldravar, known among their mountain and hill kin as "the Far Duervar", have never truly settled down since they made war against the giants. Though their ancestors raised grand citadels on the sites of their farthest advances and battles, most of the Keldravar have since travelled the length and breadth of Verosia and Old Camus. Keldravar settle down when married, and this, coupled with their longevity, means that small communities formed around their extended families can sometimes be found. For the most part, though, they travel either alone of in small companies seeking wealth, adventure, or simply a foe to fight. Keldravar who meet one another on the road invariably gauge their respective worth through competitions of strength, craftsmanship, and other suitable feats. These either result in a lasting friendship or centuries-long grudges.

Relations: Keldravar are as gruff as the rest of their Duervar cousins, though perhaps not as much as their deep-dwelling kin. They are a fair people, though, and judge those they meet on their merits - even if they'll never admit it themselves. They take on orcs wherever they can find them, but hold their greatest hate for their ancestral foes of old - giants of any stripe or type. Keldravar respect the Moarvik, Skarrel, and Soran people; they once thought well of the Ronans also, but they have fallen in their eyes in these past few centuries.

Alignment and Religion: Keldravar hold their gods in esteem, but they're not ones to build temples or engage in a great deal of ritual. They voice their prayers as they forge, as they fight, and as they feast, for they believe that it is action that satisfied their divine creators, not any amount of well-wishing or pleasing. The Keldravar Duervan are fiercely honorable, but do not always care for the laws of settled folk. Any of their kind can respect the need to punish murder or theft, but try telling a Keldravar that he must abide by a curfew, or that he must secure his axe with a peacemaker strap! Keldravar tend to be lawful or neutral, and are generally good.

Adventurers: Duervar may be rare compared to the Duneimen, but Keldravar are far-travelled and seem to gravitate to frontiers and places where war, opportunity, and danger are ample. A such, they have long made a name for themselves among the surface peoples of Verosia and Old Camus. They seek the ancestral enemies of their people, but they are just as keen to quest for hidden treasure, veins of precious metals, or ancient Duervan strongholds.

Male Names:

Female Names:

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