Like Dragons, Dwarves are endemic to Prime and have lived there since long before the coming of the Elves. They were never encountered by the surface-dwelling races at that time, though. For most of their existence the Dwarven race have lived deep below ground in the cavernous depths underneath Prime's Shallow Ocean. It wasn't until the Elves' world-altering conjuration of the Teredahar continent directly above their heads that they finally took notice of the surface-dwellers. As the Elves of Tan'Rar sent forth their ships to begin settling the new land, the Dwarves sent their settlers upwards into the light.
The First Settlers - Mountain Dwarves
The first wave of Dwarven settlers emerged upon the surface of Teredahar from caverns in the continent's Northeast. From there they expanded to other mountainous regions on the continent. Presently Mountain Dwarves can be found living in all parts of Teredahar, mostly in clan-centered communities fortified deep inside mountains. Mountain Dwarves are often pale-skinned, around 4 feet tall, and with a broad, tough build. In certain clans there is a strong tradition of elaborate beardage, but that rule is not universal and beardless Dwarves can often be found living among other races.Stats: These are the standard, unmodified Pathfinder Dwarves.
The Second Settlers - Plains Dwarves
The second wave of Dwarven settlers to emerge from the underground came up in the vast plains of central Teredahar. They have migrated less than their mountain-dwelling cousins, building large towns and cities upon the plains using stone quarried from underground. A diet of grains and meat of surface-animals has helped the Plains Dwarves to grow taller than Mountain Dwarves. They're 5' tall on average, almost as tall as Humans, often with tanned skin and light-coloured hair. Beards continue to be a matter of tradition, and are more common among farmers than city-dwellers. Plains Dwarves are better adapted to the light and have lost their darkvision almost entirely.Stats: (compared to Mountain Dwarves)
- Replace racial ability score mods with +2 DEX, +2 INT, -2 WIS. Generations of interacting with other surface-dwelling races and eating surface-grown foods have had profound changes on the minds, bodies, and cultural attitudes of Plains Dwarves.
- Replace Darkvision with Low-Light Vision
- Base speed is 30'. Still not encumbered by heavy loads
- Remove Stonecunning
The Ancestors - Deep Dwarves
There haven't been any major migrant waves since the second settlers came, but occasionally an individual or small group will make their way up into the light. These are Deep Dwarves, who most closely resemble to original settlers but have developed quite a bit on their own path. They have white skin, and loose, shaggy hair and beards. Their eyes are larger than other Dwarves, often dark-coloured with over-sized pupils. They're seen as strange outsiders and savages by many other societies and often live in small communes among Mountain Dwarves or traveling the shadowy parts of the world as nomads.Stats: (compared to Mountain Dwarves)
- Racial ability score mods are +2 CON, +2 WIS, -4 CHA. Their odd appearance and alien culture makes them even harder to deal with than Mountain Dwarves.
- Darkvision increase from 60 to 120 ft.
- Light Blindness - Dazzled while exposed to bright light (such as direct sunlight)
- Replace Hardy with immunity to poison, paralysis, and phantasms
Duergar
Deep Dwarves are often mistaken for Duergar by uneducated people. Duergar are a distinct off-shoot from the Deep Dwarves who inhabit much of the same underground territory but have a distinct culture that often puts them at odds with their neighbours. Duergar are less common than Deep Dwarves.Stats: See Duergar in your Bestiary.
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