Campaign guide plight of the tuatha (1) 10

Chapter One: The Lands of Aeliode
Dwarf from a Free Dwarf. Free Dwarves tend more towards
a physique gained from long hours of physical work within
their mountain homes. They are more muscular and tend
to have more hair than their House cousins.

Society
The past wars against the Avitian Empire and the elven
Huldufólk along with the resulting Treaty of Aactos, have
shattered dwarven society in two. Those dwarves who did
not engage in direct conflict with the empire or provide
weapons for the dwarven armies were allowed to stay in
their mountain halls. This group is referred to as Free (or
mountain) Dwarves. Those dwarves actively engaged in
combat, forged weapons or armor for the combatants, or
lead dwarven communities in any capacity were captured
and brought back as slaves to the imperial city. These
dwarves who were forced into servitude by the treaty’s
terms are referred to as House (or city) Dwarves.
Free Dwarves are similar to the dwarves of old, living
in their mountains crafting and mining. They wear their
beards long and their hair is adorned with gold and silver.
These dwarves tend to be gruff and dislike interruptions
to their work and lives. It has taken decades, but they
have learned the hard way not to voice their grievances
too vocally when these disturbances come from Avitian
nobility. Though they are called Free Dwarves, this term
is merely relative to the House Dwarves as this freedom
is limited. They are forbidden from forging items of war
unless they have received permission to do so from the
Senatus Aeternalis . The restriction has resulted in a further

collapse of dwarven defences as well as a flood of dwarven
made weapons flowing into imperial armories. Many Free
Dwarves still resent the terms of the Treaty of Aactos and
have been quietly petitioning for new terms.
House Dwarves, on the other hand, have had their
lives shaped by those they serve. As they are considered
representatives of noble houses, these dwarves tend to be
well groomed and lack the scars and calluses that come
with work under the mountains. As a symbol of their
servitude House Dwarves are forced to keep their beards
short (no longer than a few inches) and unadorned. While
in the past dwarves looked down on their kind who would
perform such practices, this hatred is not directed at the
short- bearded dwarves themselves, but the Lords who
forced this cultural oppression upon them. Due to their
years and generations in servitude, House Dwarves have
also learned quite a bit concerning how to navigate the
human political world. They have shaken off their gruff
demeanor and have become well skilled in diplomacy and

teaching. As such many Houses use dwarves in these roles.

Arts
Due to the limitations placed on them by the Treaty of
Aactos, dwarves have focused their creative energies into
stonework/carving, cutting gemstones, jewelry and sometimes creating ornamental weapons and armor. Their crafts
tend towards the geometric in design and so are in line
with the aesthetics of the general Avitian population. Many
dwarves have made their name carving the statues and
busts found in the various cities and noble manors. Indeed

it is this statuary and their skill in cutting gemstones which
form the basis for much of their artistic expression.

History
In the early days of the Empire, human and dwarf lived
together in relative peace and harmony. But, as the power
of humankind grew and the dynamic society and procreation of humankind far exceeded the longer lives and
economic power of the dwarven holds, a war between man
and dwarf exploded. The fledgling Empire, in need of both
an expansionist cause and new source of coin, plundered
ancient dwarven kingdoms throughout the land. The survivors were enslaved and used to build the great temples and
towers of the Empire. With such vast financial resources,
the Empire continued to expand. The Treaty of Aactos,
signed in the year 11783 AE, instituted the state of enslavement of the Dwarven people in lieu of total annihilation.
Even though many have bought or gained freedom, the
race continues to be in a state of semi-restriction. Due to
their longer lifespans as compared to humans, dwarves are
commonly found working as tutors or Guild members. The
Major and Minor Houses all hold dwarves as retainers in
one capacity or another.

Elf
Forged in the heat of battle and tempered by centuries of
diaspora, the elven soul did not fracture when it collided
with the Godspine Mountains. Generations of hardship
stripped away the chaff of the elven mind and body and
reformed them in the image of their new homeland.
The elves of the Empire are referred to as Spindral Elves
by most others in the Empire, though the elves themselves prefer to refer to themselves by an older name the
gained during their voyage across the Ightfal Tundra, the

Huldufólk.
Physiology
For the most part, the Huldufólk Elves of the Empire are
physically similar to their Elvish cousins from the wilds.

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