Dwarf

Dwarves, more properly the tumnii, are the kindred most unchanged by time. Their ancestors at the end of the First Age, nearly 20,000 years ago, were titans, masters of order and runes. The ruling council, committed an act of hubris. They created the so-called Orb of All Might to destroy their longstanding enemy, the wyrm (ancestors of dragons). To empower the Orb, they drained the power and potential out of the weaker elements of their society. These were the first dwarves. Sons and daughters of the earth and runes, they change only grudgingly. This carries over to their physiology. Dwelling in the mountain depths has sharpened their eyesight and the stone in their blood gives them increased endurance.

Tumnii are overwhelmingly born as fraternal twins, one male and one female. Dwarves are considered Adult at age 25 and generally live until they are about 150. Overall, they tend to be shorter than humans, standing between 4′0″and 5′2″, but broader and more muscular. Generally, all adult dwarves have beards. Whether one or both sexes shave is a cultural matter. Of all the lineages of Quartus, there is the most in-group physiological difference between cultural groups of tumnii, as their physiology directly adapts to their circumstances at the clan-group level.

Three major ethnic variants exist, although this is more social rather than directly physiological.

Abandoned

Abandoned dwarves come from the high-mountain regions in the Giant’s Spine. The influence of malign creatures and magics, as well as the lack of resources, leaves these dwarves visibly different from most others. Their skin tends to the grey (and most often much paler), and they tend to be bald or shave much of their heads. Their eyes are red or violet, leading to an albino look. They tend to be slightly taller but much more slender than other dwarves, giving them an ungainly (to other dwarves) look, although they claim it’s the other dwarves who are squashed. They have even more sexual dimorphism than surfacer dwarves, and looser attitudes toward marriage and family.

Deep Mountain

Deep mountain dwarves live in the hard conditions deep inside the mountains. Their clans rarely come to the surface except to trade. As such, they tend to be shorter and more overtly muscular than surfacer dwarves. There is virtually no externally-visible sexual dimorphism between male and female deep mountain dwarves.

Surfacer

Surfacer dwarves have ancestors that lived above ground and were craftsmen and traders. They tend to be taller than deep-mountain dwarves (averaging 4′8″with 5′0″ not being too uncommon) but more wiry and slender than mountain dwarves. Sexual dimorphism (while muted compared to other races) is more pronounced in surfacer dwarves than in deep-mountain dwarves. This mainly shows up in facial features and body build. Height, weight, and strength are only minimally different. Female surfacer dwarves tend to have sharper features and straighter, longer hair than males. Both have elaborate beards (at least in the majority cultures).

Lineage Traits