Stone dwarves are race of strength, honor, and tradition. A hearty race, stone dwarves are skilled craftsmen that can work for days on end with little rest. Stone dwarves are slow to make friends, but fiercely loyal to those that they have. Stone dwarves reside deep in the mountains of Lokterralus, where they can freely reap the bounty of the earth.
Personality: Stone dwarves are a stubborn people who believe in duty, honor, diligence, and the eventual reward that all these things bring. They are fiercely loyal to their clans and other dwarves, but take far longer to develop trusting friendships with others. While serious a majority of the time, stone dwarves do enjoy revelry, they simply believe the time and place for it is after the work is done. Stone dwarves have little patience for frivolity or ineptitude, and quickly dismiss though who exhibit these qualities. Stone dwarves have a love of the riches of the earth, from the precious metals to gems, leading many outsiders to view them as greedy. Stone dwarves weigh every option carefully, especially in battle, where their sound tactics have brought victory to dwarves time and time again.
Physical Description: Stone dwarf men range in height from four to five feet tall, and their broad frames can easily weigh over 200 pounds. Stone dwarf women tend more toward the four foot mark and the lighter end of the scale. Stone dwarves have fair to tanned skin, though it changes little regardless of sun exposure. Their hair is most frequently brown or red, though blonde is not unheard of. Stone dwarf eyes are blue, green, hazel and gray. Stone dwarves devote many hours to the maintenance of their beard, which is a symbol of status in their society. They prefer rugged clothing that is useful for explorers, craftsmen, and warriors.
Relations: Many races regard stone dwarves as cold, serious and grumpy. It is true that stone dwarves are slow to open up to new comers. This is because once a stone dwarf makes a friend, it is for life. Often stone dwarf friendships take decades just to form, much too long for the short lived humans of Lokterralus. Stone dwarves consider reef dwarves to be kindred and treat them pleasantly, but also feel they are misguided and foolish. Nevertheless, stone dwarves seek out reef dwarves when issues of ocean travel and trade are required. Stone dwarves highly respect the ambition and drive of the essan and kaern, and all are welcome in each other’s communities. Ironhand gnomes and stone dwarves often have friendly competition over who are the better craftsmen, which leads to jovial relations. Stone dwarves get along with the mercantile hairfoot halflings, though find them to often be a bit too light-hearted. Stone dwarves rarely interact with tree gnomes, swiftfoot halflings, and elven races, and prefer to keep it that way; they simply don’t understand the cultural ideals of these people, which often make them ill at ease in their company. Nevertheless, over time if a member of any races proves himself to be a trusted ally, they will find the same in their stone dwarf companion.
Alignment: Stone dwarf society espouses law and order, with strict clan hierarchies that are observed by all in the community. As a people, stone dwarves tend toward good, though those who give into greed are frequently neutral, and some evil.
Lands: Stone dwarves are known for building massive cities that sprawl for miles under the mountains of Lokterralus. While they also build impressive surface keeps that are filled with travelers and traders, these in actuality serve as little more than doorways to their vast kingdoms. Each stone dwarf city or clanhold is designed with defense is its first priority. The caverns are segmented, so that one can be abandoned while the others remain fortified. Their mountain homes are filled with mineral veins, ranging from iron to gold or even mithril. Surprising to many surface folk, the caverns of stone dwarves supply ample food, including fungus and lichen that is grown in vast fields, fish from underground rivers, herds of rothe (a subterranean cattle), and a strange kind of oat that grows without sunlight. Stone dwarves outside their homelands are frequently skilled smiths or mercenaries, and can command great prices for their services.
Language: Stone dwarves speak a dialect of Duergosh, which uses the Vergan script. Reef dwarves commonly learn Sandril, Kaergot, and Entoll.