Merduhn, City of Stone
Half-Dwarves
With stone and steel, by land and sea, the half-dwarves walk the cultural divide between the industrial dwarves and the ever-changing humans.
-Felicity Ironsmith
Like their fellow half-elves and half-orcs, the half-dwarves combine the sharp mind and stubbornness of their dwarven parent and the ambition and versatility of their human ancestry. The half-dwarves are found in every plane of existence and in every civilisation, often living among humans, dwarves, or others of their kind who they can relate to and understand. Conversely to the half-elves who find themselves misunderstood, the half-dwarves have learned to embrace their unlikely lineage. Using their resilience and their natural affinity with many skills, they fill all sorts of work in Aetheria's production line, from traditional labourers and logistics specialists, to shopkeeps and vendors.
Stout and Diverse
Half-dwarves are the offspring of a human and a dwarven parent, an unusual pairing that has become increasingly common in the decades following the foundation of the Mining Guilds in Valonde. Humans often venture into these lands for work, supplies, or recreational drinking, with some of these journeys resulting in love and sometimes a child.
Half-dwarves possess a combination of identifying features that make them recognisable even in the sea of similar humanoids. Half-dwarves possess a stout figure, often with the wide frame their dwarven parents are associated with. Their height fits between their two parents, as they stand taller than a standard dwarf but shorter than humans. Half-dwarves share various human and dwarven traits in their facial structure, such as a human's fairer jawline, a dwarf's wide nose, a human's soft hair, and the classic dwarven beard. A constant in all half-dwarves is their human eyes, which are often used to tell those who look more dwarven apart.
Art: Albert Ramon Puig & ghostshiv
Like their human half, a half-dwarf can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some lean closer to one parent's genetics than the other, adopting an appearance that can be mistaken for either dwarven or human. Half-dwarves born with half-dwarven parents either on one side or both are increasingly likely to be recoginised as belonging to their dominate race.
Born Between Cultures
Dwarves and humans share very different cultures and lifestyles. While dwarves are rigid in their beliefs, unyielding in their resolve, and uncompromising in their work, humans remain chaotic, with an ever-changing work structure, and a set of ideals unique to each individual. Half-dwarves stand between these two cultures, adopting elements of both to create a society of proud workers who are willing to try new things and reinvent themselves if needed. This mindset allows them to fill various niches in the world and adapt quickly to new environments.
Their similar adaptability to humans means that half-dwarves can be found in almost every major city in Aetheria, as long as mortals are welcomed. In these large cities, half-dwarves enjoy sharing company with any dwarf, half-dwarf, or human regardless of lineage or background. Elves typically view their kind in disdain, preferring to avoid them where possible. Half-elves are more inclined to enjoy their company due to their similarly divided lineage, but not every individual shares this view.
In my time in Aetheria, I have seen many aspects of life form, change, and ultimately fall. From the Verdani empire's decline to the fourth angel-demon war, I have watched it all happen. With all of these world shaping events happening, it's easy to miss some changes. Half-dwarves were one of those things for me. Dwarves and humans conceiving a child? I can't wrap my head around the logistics of it. At least with humans and elves they're similar size, but dwarves can be under half the size of some humans! Dwarves aren't light either, making the whole thing extra confusing. I'm never going to understand this.
-Ari
Ambition Meets Greed
Following in their parents footsteps, a half-dwarf matches a human in their ambitious quests and a dwarf in their desire for more. A half-dwarf never settles and is always on the hunt for new opportunities for fame, fortune, glory, or power. This endless quest is why so many half-dwarves take to becoming adventurers, as the profession allows a half-dwarf to try and claim all that they covet.
The half-dwarves that become adventurers are often restricted by their stubbornness and their greed, which always results in their eventual downfall. Retired half-dwarven adventurers are common, as many sustain injuries that results in them needing to give up the trade. Most of the half-dwarves who take up trading have done so to try and live their fantasies despite their lasting injuries, accumulating wealth and a recognised name in the process.
Many of the half-dwarves who have yet to become adventurers work as artisans, labourers, or other roles in a society hoping to earn enough money to buy their way into an adventuring guild and live out their dreams. Not all half-dwarves end up becoming adventurers however, as many end up finding other professions or roles in this stage of their life that they choose to pursue.
Everlasting Bonds
There's something to be said for a half-dwarf's friendship. Their stubbornness and their tendency to journey for far off lands means that the companionship they do make is eternal. Some half-dwarves can spend over a century away from each other and still remain incredibly close friends when they reconvene. Making friends with a half-dwarf is a difficult process, but a rewarding endeavour for those that do.
Due to the jobs and roles in society they typically fill, a half-dwarf has an almost supernatural ability to remember a face. Half-dwarven traders, merchants, and caravans are fantastic sources of information when searching for others as they are usually able to describe exactly who they have spoken to over the last few weeks, perhaps even longer for particularly memorable experiences.
Gods and Worship
Like both the dwarves and humans, half-dwarves place their faith in a wide variety of divine sources. However, their worship is a bit more specific than either of their parent races are. A typical half-dwarf will devote themselves to one of the two twin deities and largely ignore the primordials. To them, it is the twin deities that hold all the power in Aetheria, and it is through them that their faith must be placed.
In the case of half-dwarf clerics and warlocks, they will break this tradition and instead place their devotion in a primordial, most likely a dragon or a titan.
The manner in which a half-dwarf worships is as varied as the race itself. Some will choose to openly worship, praising their deity wherever they can. Others are much more reserved, choosing to keep their beliefs personal. Half-dwarves love creating objects for their worship, such as a statue or a totem that reminds them of their deities influence.
Half-Dwarf Names
A half-dwarf adopts many of the customs from humans, being
named at birth instead of the dwarven tradition of their first birthday. Half-dwarves that are welcomed by their dwarven side of the family will adopt their parents clan name and take a human first name. Those that aren't instead are given a human surname and a dwarven first name. Like dwarves, half-dwarves can become clanless if they have a clan name, in which case they will typically use the surname of their human parent until they either return to the clan or are picked up by another one.
Half-Dwarf Traits
Your Half-Dwarf character has the following traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Half-dwarves age at the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood around the age of 20, but they live longer due to their dwarven blood. On average, they live about 150 years, but some have survived as long as 200.
Alignment. Half-dwarves can be as chaotic as their human ancestry or as lawful as their dwarven lineage. In both situations, they tend towards good alignments.
Size. Most half-dwarves stand around 5 feet tall and average about 165 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You have taken after your dwarven parent, gaining superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Skill Variety. You gain proficiency in two skills and one artisan's tool of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish, as you have been exposed to the native languages of both your parents.
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