EPT
Carth’s first contribution to the Creation That Is Iris was the Shards of Anima, the reforging of the spark of mortal life that created the cycle of existence through which all mortal lives flow. This great undertaking took eons, during which Carth’s mighty forge burned with the heat of countless suns and the strokes of his hammer rang with the sounds of a thousand bells. Iris rejoiced when Carth finally emerged with the Shards and promised an end to Rogash’s infinite horrors and the beginning of an age where life’s wonders would be endless, but not without sacrifice. Though loath to part with their immortality, the Elves and Tieflings were glad to cast off Rogash’s vile shadow and joyfully accepted the Shards. While Xa and Dys could never admit it, such was their pride, Carth’s gift to Iris pleased them both, for it meant that their works would not be undone. The advent of the Shards of Anima began the Age Wondrous, during which Iris, its inhabitants, and its Creators prospered. Yet the Shaper of Souls was not satisfied. His labors bore wondrous fruit, yes, but he was not yet finished. Carth swore that his next creation would be even greater than the last. And so he set to work. When he finally emerged, he held what he called his greatest invention: the Dwarves, the Second People.
Like their Shaper, Dwarves are honest, loyal, stubborn, and driven to forge their worlds anew. Whereas Elves and Tieflings create in order to perfect their ideals of beauty or to enhance their own glory and power, Dwarves create for the sake of creation, to bring to Iris marvels never-before-seen. It is for this reason that they love stone and steel: the boons of the earth are straightforward and resilient, but they are also the most challenging materials on Iris to alter and, thus, the most satisfying. Dwarves are wary of that which is easy to change, such as wood, gold, sorcery, and the changable races, for that which is mutable tends to be volatile, unreliable, and fragile. Yet Dwarves also have great respect for those with the patience to work in such fickle materials. Few wizards and sorcerers hail from Dwarven communities, but those Dwarves who speak the language of magic often become legends, for magical talent paired with the innate impulse to create frequently yields great and terrible consequences. They also appreciate the Elven ability to coax the uncertainty of growth into beauty, enjoy the lilting melodies and haunting refrains of Halfling music, and praise the complicated minutia of Gnomish chemistry and machinery. For the same reason, Dwarves despise wanton destroyers and ravagers, such as Orcs, Ogres, Goblinoids, and other creatures who choose to tear Iris apart rather than build it up. Some Dwarves recognize the grandeur of Tiefling artistry, but the Dwarves have often allied with Elves when Tiefling legions threatened all that which the Dwarves had wrought. Even ages after their legendary conflict, the Dwarves maintain an unceasing hatred of Giants, the greatest destroyers in their history. When legions of the Cloudscrapers crossed the Fathomless Ocean from Ulbeloch to conquer the whole of Iris, it was the Dwarves who persevered, rebelled, and overthrew the tyrants, casting them back across the sea to diminish into near-extinction.
There are Twelve Dwarven Kingdoms upon Iris, one for each of the Orfeltr: the original Twelve Clans as forged by Carth himself. Though there are far more than twelve clans now, the Thanes of the Dwarven sovereignties still hail from the great dynasties of ancient times. Loyalty and tradition stratify the rigid Dwarven culture, as do the just and prosperous reigns of the Heirs of the Orfeltr. Travelers are always welcome within the fortresses of the Dwarf Lords and Ladies, particularly those who come to appreciate their works, or, even better, barter for crafts, food, and steel. Yet the riotous and roughshod should take great carein Dwarven lands. Dwarves do not tolerate rudeness or lawlessness within their kingdoms and are swift to fight for their honor or mete out harsh punishment. Of the Twelve Kingdoms, the two most prosperous are Perrellor and Jorndal. The Carkeln, a massive mountain range also known as “The Stone Cradle,” holds Perrellor, whose cities are nestled within the embrace of hollowed peaks. Jorndal lies within the Diamond Moors, a treacherous stretch of rocky wastelands made hauntingly beautiful by its massive outcroppings of precious stones. In the center lies Bolkkrond, the Shining Oasis, a city of diamonds at the crossing of the Dojla and Agrothon Rivers.
One of my most important goals with Iris is to ensure that every race is epic. Human, Elves, Dragonborn, Tieflings. and the like are typically portrayed as complex, serious, and deadly. Their histories are long and filled with wars, magic, and mystery. In contrast, many fantasy narratives put Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes in comic relief roles.* Dungeons and Dragons never does this explicitly (which is great), but many worlds influenced by the game do (my main points of reference are Flint Fireforge and Tasselhoff Burrfoot). Now, it’s entirely possible that I just haven’t read enough or the right fantasy, but I always get the sense that the aforementioned races are as taken seriously as they are tall. In Iris, I want Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes to reach the heights of dramatic fantasy adventure normally reserved for your Drizz’ts and Legolases (Legoli?). As such, it’s important that each of their histories and cultures are “cool.” We’ll see whether or not I can make it so (feel free to give me suggestions!). Nothing that should stop you from playing a grumbly, stodgy, ale-loving Dwarf if that’s what you want. Just remember that you can play a righteous Dwarven Paladin or masterful Dwarven Sorcerer just as easily.
The most important distinction of Dwarves on Iris is an increased focus on creativity. Dwarves are canonically hailed as impressive stone carvers, blacksmiths, and architects, but I’ve always been bothered by the fact that when Elves choose to build anything, they do it best. Such is not the case on Iris. In this setting, Dwarves are masterful creators who are driven by a powerful impetus to bring new and wondrous artifacts into the world. Carth, like “canonical” Dwarf gods such as Reorx and Moradin, is a smith, but it’s his burning desire to produce incredible things, to challenge himself to forge the next wonders of the world, that is the primary gift he conferred to his children. Interestingly enough, the traditional traits of Dwarves easily fell into place around this tweaked perspective. For example, their love of stone and iron is a result of the materials’ demanding nature, as well as its reliability and permanence when moulded. Their initial distrust of others (especially the who tend toward chaos) and of magic as a whole is because the actions of such beings and powers are not always governed by logic and reason. I don’t exactly remember the origin of the Giant/Dwarven rivalry (some D&D-flavored game or book), but I love having it in Iris, both as a metaphor for the Dwarven hatred of destruction and for the “David v. Goliath”-esque conflict it engenders.
Unlike my opinion on the inaccuracy of the canonical Elven alignment, lawfulness is a trait I believe fits the Dwarven character well. Their culture is every bit as deliberately engineered as their fortresses, sculptures, and armaments, and that structure is built upon the rigid frame of the law. Strong adherence to lawful precepts forms the backbone of Dwarven tenacity, the heart of Dwarven loyalty, the source of Dwaven stubborness, and the root of their almost-oppressive regimes. This is not to say that Dwarves are entirely archaic or backwards in their ways. They are neither xenophobic nor isolationist, for they welcome those who bring new inventions to their attention, as well as those who provide practical benefits. In spite of its appearance, Dwarven governance is more meritocracy than monarchy: a Thane must earn his or her scepter with trials and great deeds. If such a candidate cannot be found in the clan (woe betide the sons and daughters of such a generation), then marriage and adoption are employed to bring those most worthy to the throne.
The exacting Dwarven social structures can influence the Class choices of PCs in Iris. As always, any player rolling a Dwarf can choose any class and specialization, but said choices carry role-playing repercussions for their characters.** Dwarven Fighters and Paladins are commonplace and evenly-distributed among the various archetypes, with the exception of Eldritch Knight Fighters, as Dwarves generally aim for the ultimate mastery of the warhammer, axe, or shield instead of diluting that path with magic. Clerics are also common, but Dwarven society only accepts a relatively small set of gods. Clerics of Carth are by far the most common, followed by those of his godly children (of which there are quite a few), then gods with lawful domains closely related to Dwarven life, such as stone, metal, fire, war, trade, and craftmanship. Dwarves who hear the calls of other divine entities are discouraged at least and exiled at worst, as the powerful influence of an untrusted god lurking in the kingdom is a fear many Thanes have shared. If Dwarves hear the call of Iris, it is typically in the rumbles of the deep earth or in the warmth of its core. Druids rarely remain in Dwarven society long because the wealth of nature beckons them out of their halls of stone, but most are welcomed back, albeit cautiously, if they choose to return.
Dwarven Rangers are a rare elite; they are mighty protectors of their kingdoms’ borders, the lone sentries at the edges of Dwarven lands. Such Rangers tend toward wielding two weapons instead of taking up the potentially-inaccurate bow, but those Dwarven Rangers with the skill to bridge the gap between an uncertain ranged weapon and their natural desire for surety are frightful to behold. Dwarven society includes few monastic orders, which are sparsely populated by the typically communal race. When Dwarven Monks venture out from their solitary peaks, they surprise even their kin with their stone quiet and tempered wisdom. Of the rare magic-wielding classes in Dwarven culture, Bards are most common. Music occupies a major place in Dwarven society, so the magic of music is the most comprehensible and approachable of the arcane arts. Wizards are the next most common, as Dwarves greatly appreciate the benefits of the long, arduous, and dangerous studies of the practicing magicians, even if few bother with or trust the capricious art. Dwarven Wizards in the schools of Abjuration, Conjuration, and Transmutation are the most valued of their kind, while the disciplines of Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy are almost universally reviled. Sorcerers are rarer still, and from birth they are equally likely to received as a great blessing from Carth (regardless of whether or not this is the true origin of their powers) or as the spawn of demonic consort, fit only to be tossed to the wolves.
The rarest classes assumed by Dwarves are the Barbarian, the Rogue, and the Warlock. While Dwarven strength and tenacity gives them the raw power to rival the mightiest Barbarians, the chaotic nature of their Rage typically means they find themselves on the wrong side of Dwarven law early in life and are hunted or expelled before reaching their potential. The scheming, criminal nature of a Rogue is entirely antithetical to the regimented Dwarven society and its love of making rather than taking. On the other hand, the number of ancient Dwarven artifacts that “mysteriously” change venues during the tenures of rival Thanes make some historians question the veracity of the Dwarves’ professed hatred of thievery. Finally, the Warlock’s brand of magic is incredibly difficult for any Dwarf to accept. To enter into a contract for another being’s power, especially a being of chaotic, evil, or alien origins, contradicts Dwarven self-sufficiency, work ethic, and clan symbiosis. It is rare that any of the Dwarven deities grant power in this manner, making the path of a Warlock a path of isolation and revulsion.
On the next Building Iris, we will discuss Alenna’s progeny: the Halflings and Gnomes.
* Half-Orcs, from what I’ve seen, can go in either direction, which I like more and more the more I think about it.
** But even here, everything works with enough explanation.
You can read this worldbuilding excerpt and quite a few other things (though mostly these recently) at the N3rd Dimension.
