Homebrew Dwemer Species Details

"A race of stonecutters, artisans, and engineers. They invented machines and built elaborate underground cities where they researched powers to rival the gods themselves. And then, at a time we are still not sure when, they disappeared. The whole people, all at once. Leaving behind only their works."

―Calcelmo

 

The Dwemer (also referred to as the Dwarves, Deep-Elves, Deep Folk, Deep Ones, People of the Deep, or the under-Elves) were an ancient "Lost Race" of Mer who were remnants of the early Aldmer, and lived primarily in the region of Dwemereth.

Mer used the term "Dwemer," roughly translated as "People of the Deep." The term also connoted "deep-delving," "profound," and "close-counseled." Men commonly refer to them as "Dwarves," in reference to the fables of the Giants seeing them as small.

The Dwemer were an advanced race and civilization, in many respects far ahead of the other races and civilizations of their time. They are well known for their skill and revolutionary developments in technology, engineering, crafting methods, metalwork, stonework, architecture, city-planning, science, mathematics, magic, and the academic arts.

The Dwemer are known for being the subjects of one of the greatest mysteries in all of Tamriel. In 1E 700, during the Battle of Red Mountain, for reasons still debated and under circumstances still under investigation, the Dwemer seemingly disappeared. It is still being debated who or what caused the Dwemer to disappear, as well as whether they disappeared all at once or over a long period of time.

Physical appearance

Essays, stories, legends, and tales have generally described the appearance and personality of the Dwemer race in general, but not of individuals. In appearance, the Dwemer were believed to be sized similarly to the average elf or human, though occasionally likened to large children with beards. Other supporting evidence includes visual sculptures and Dwarven Spectres that roam the halls within their ruined dwellings, which indicate that the Dwemer preferred heavy metal armors and robes, most of which are made out of either armored shells of ancient mechanical men or mismatched pieces from various devices.

As the Dwemer were a race of Mer, their blood was closely related to that of the other Mer races. In the Fourth Era, when the Last Dragonborn helped Septimus Signus in a quest to open a Dwemer lockbox using Dwemer blood, Septimus Signus revealed that the blood of five Mer races could be collected and mixed by using an Essence Extractor to produce a close enough approximation to open the lockbox. Similarly to the members of the Psijic Order, the Dwemer race also possessed the ability known as "The Calling," to telepathically communicate with each other.

Innovations and crafting

Technology

"Dwarven military machines also range from the human sized 'Sphere' warrior, which patrols the interiors of the ruins as a harmless ball only to emerge from it as a fully armed and armored automaton fighter, to the justly feared 'Centurion' whose height ranges from twice to several hundred times human size depending on which reports you believe."

Dwarves were known to have created—and manufactured on a vast scale—thousands of mechanical apparatuses of varying complexity, most of which were constructed within the city of Nchardak, a large military production center.. These constructs are referred to as Animunculi, or simply "automatons," who were known to cause havoc when unleashed against enemies on the battlefield, completely obliterating enemy forces.. Several types were found within ancient Dwemer ruins, the most simple being that of an arachnid designed to ward off trespassers. Most automatons contained a soul gem, sometimes more than one. According to research done by famed scholar Calcelmo and Sulla Trebatius, which were still theories, the soul gem(s) were believed to be what powered these machines. It may have also acted as a source of power for the boiler, due to the extreme energy held within it. In some automatons, such as the Dwarven Spider Guardian, the soul gem(s) may have acted as a source of Destruction magic, being able to attack intruders with lightning bolts. They appeared to allow the Spiders to function besides their internal steam power systems, electrical systems, and working gears and cogs.

The other types of Animunculi that were encountered included ballistas, centurions, and spheres. They were capable of receiving, interpreting, and responding to the actions of people around them, due to the excellent work produced by Dwemer engineers. Animunculi were somehow linked to their place of origin, and would immediately lose power and shut down if removed from the vicinity. It was possible that animunculi were capable of reconstructing and repowering themselves to go back to protecting their former master's denizens.

Dwarven military equipment was effective and resilient to the effects of time. Their weapons were powerful and their armors strong. Dwarven Swords were effective at breaking through light armors; this was due to the venerability and sharpness of tempered Dwarven metal and owed less to the double-edged design. Dwarven Armors were capable of withstanding incredibly heavy blows and taking on the most powerful of arrows. This was due to the fact that the Dwarves were an empire, civilization, and culture built almost exclusively underground, so the Dwemer race itself was naturally accustomed to the aspects of living underground. Just like Dwarven swords and other weapons, the effectiveness of Dwarven armor was more of a testament to great metallurgy skills rather than armorsmithing skills. When a Dwarven Dagger was compared to an Elven dagger, it was clear that most Dwemer weaponsmiths relied almost exclusively on creating quality crafting materials first, and allowed the final forms of those materials to stem from the concept that the weapon was intended to kill people. Dwemer armies also experimented with the use of crossbows. Though bows were additionally used, crossbows were technologically advanced. Various Dwemer engineers drew up several schematics for crossbows, including a standard and enhanced version. Schematics were also drawn up for explosive bolts to be used alongside the standard bolt, of which three known variants have been identified: an exploding fire bolt, exploding ice bolt, and an exploding shock bolt.

During their existence, the Dwemer constructed many devices and machines. One of the creations they built was a monstrous golem, called Numidium, also known as the "Brass God." Numidium was designed to help them gain the divine power of immortality and transcend Nirn, also known as the Mortal Realm. Three powerful tools were designed to help the Tonal Architects tap into and draw power directly from the Heart. These three tools included Keening, Sunder, and Wraithguard. Wraithguard was designed to protect the wearer from the potentially dangerous effects when experimenting with the Heart of Lorkhan. Sunder was designed to extract the specific amount and quality of divine power when working on the Heart. Keening was designed to focus and attune the divine power being extracted from the Heart. Other machines created were the Dwemer Convectors, highly advanced machines that were developed and used to alter any soul gem and transform it into a Warped Soul Gem. One such device they created was a Control Cube, which was designed and used to control specific constructs and maintain them. The Dwemer of Nchardak notably used many of these cubes to maintain their city, by controlling the various power systems that kept the city stable and to control the power system which supplied power to the Reading Room, as they would no doubt want to keep their massive, expansive library safe from outsiders. Another piece of technology the Dwemer constructed were Tonal Resonators. They were used as openers of doors and checkpoint markers between passageways, and still function in modern days. Two devices the Dwemer created were Attunement Spheres and Dwarven Mechanisms, which were devices designed and used to open the entrance to Blackreach. The two devices directly interacted with one another; by placing an Attunement Sphere into a Dwarven Mechanism, the entrance to Blackreach would be unlocked. However, the pinnacle of their genius was the creation of a device called a Lexicon, which allowed them to read an Elder Scroll without going mad or blind, as well as acting as a portable information repository, being able to store vast amounts of knowledge within the device, as such combinations of machinery and magic were trademarks of the Dwemer. Dwemer crafters also made various "toys" similar to the Coo. An example of the Dwemer's cultural characteristic for the arcane arts were the Aetherial artifacts: the Aetherial Staff, Aetherial Shield, and the Aetherial Crown, whose powerful enchantments come from Aetherium.

Smithing

The Dwemer were masters of crafting and smith-work, and made many innovations in the art as well. The Dwemer people of this trade forged weapons, armor, tools, and other materials in their day before the disappearance of their race. A unique ability, known only as Ancient Knowledge, was an ability that granted a wearer of Dwarven armor a 25% bonus and Smithing increases 15% faster. This knowledge was contained within the Lexicon.

The Dwemer had their own weapons and armor. These weapons and armors were referred to as Dwarven weapons and armor. After the Dwemer race disappeared in 1E 700, it became difficult for anyone to obtain or forge these artifacts. However, it was possible to craft Dwarven weapons and armor, with the proper knowledge and materials. If one wished to craft Dwarven weapons and armor, Dwemer artifacts had to be obtained, and then melted down into Dwarven Metal, and then molded into a Dwarven metal ingot. A variety of materials were required to craft Dwarven weapons, which, depending upon the item(s) intended to be crafted, included Dwarven Metal Ingots, quicksilver, steel, and iron ingots, as well as leather strips and even firewood. As for the materials required for crafting Dwarven Armor, the materials included Dwarven Metal Ingots, steel ingots, iron ingots, and leather strips, depending upon which item was to be crafted.

They were the creators of the Aetherium Forge, a massive, magma-fueled forge that was constructed to handle Aetherium and craft materials made from the luminescent crystal. Three items were known to be produced by the Aetherium Forge: the Aetherial Crown, the Aetherial Staff, and the Aetherial Shield. All three items required one Aetherium Crest, one for each item. The Aetherial Crown required one Aetherial Crest, two Dwarven Metal Ingots, two gold ingots, and two flawless sapphires. The Aetherial Staff required one Aetherium Crest, two Dwarven Metal Ingots, two ebony ingots, and one gold ingot. The Aetherial Shield required one Aetherium Crest, four Dwarven Metal Ingots and two refined malachite.

Crafting methods

 

"Metalwork as far as we know is the primary method used to make almost all dwarven crafts. We cannot, however, discount more easily destructible materials such as clay, paper, and glass from outside the scope of dwarven craftsmanship, but given the tendency of dwarven design to favor the long-lasting over the fragile, we can safely assume that at the very least metal was a heavy preference. And the metal used in all so-far-discovered dwarven relics is entirely unique to their culture."

 

The Dwemer mainly focused on metallurgy, the study of the physical and chemical elements of metal. It is distinguished from the craft of metalworking in that with metalwork, the craftsman is working with the actual components of metal, a process to "create individual parts, assemblies or large scale structures." The overall concept of Dwarven construction and craftsmanship appeared to have been designed and built to be long-lasting, rather than fragile and easily destructible, which was a possible explanation for their preference of metal. However, other materials such as clay, paper, and glass, though more easily weaker and destructible, cannot be completely eliminated from the known materials that Dwemer crafters may have used to construct their creations. The Dwemer people also studied the principals of engineering, metalwork, and crafting.

Mining and smelting

"No other race has replicated whatever process was used to create dwarven metal. Although it can be easily mistaken for bronze - and in fact many forgers of dwarven materials use bronze to create their fake replicas - it is most definitely a distinct type of metal of its own. I have personally seen metallurgists attempt to combine several different types of steel and common and rare ores in order to imitate dwarven metal's exclusive properties, but the only method that has been successful is to melt down existing dwarven metallic scraps and start over from there."

 

The Dwemer also had extensive knowledge of mining, extracting, and smelting the ore they found, as well as incorporating the smelted metal into their weapons, armor, tools, devices, and other crafts. Because of this, they were able to create their own distinctive form of metal, which was easily mistaken for bronze. Since their disappearance, no other race had been able to successfully replicate the process that was used to create dwarven metal. The only known method that had been successful so far was to melt down existing dwarven metallic scraps and start over from there. They were also the creators of an elusive concept known as the "Seven Natures of Metal."

One other natural resource the Dwemer used was Aetherium. Aetherium was a rare natural material with a blue luminescent hue, strong magical properties, alchemically inert, and harmonically volatile. No known process could enchant, smelt, mold, bind, or break it. To the Dwemer, that was far from complicated; the Aetherium Forge was set up beneath Bthalft. Four Aetherium Shards could be combined to form an Aetherium Crest. Aetherium was the primary material in creating the Aetherial Artifacts.

Dwemer boots are described by Raynor Vanos as being "mainly constructed of a flexible material that resembles leather... or the Dwemer had beasts with incredibly smooth and homogenous hide". This may imply that the Dwemer had developed an artificial leather.

Science and mathematics

Besides mastering in the other arts and professions of their civilization, the Dwemer also mastered the use of mathematics and science in itself and as an asset to their other professions. Science was an important aspect of the Dwemer academic society, especially the science of astronomy. They studied constellations, stars, and planets in order to grasp a better understanding of the outside world. Because of this, the Dwemer constructed large stationary machines—known as an Orrery—which were scaled models of a solar system that depicts planetary motions. The Dwemer had made incredible observations of the night sky during their existence. As is known throughout all of Tamriel, Aurbis encompasses Mundus, which includes Nirn, its moons, the stars and Aetherius, the realm of the Aedra; Nirn is the only planet in the mortal plane, also known as Nirn. The two moons that encompass Nirn are Secunda and Masser, in which Masser is the larger of the two. There is also the Void and Oblivion, which are also immortal realms of the Daedra.

Society

The Dwemer were a free-thinking and reclusive Elven race who lived in Tamriel, mostly in Morrowind during the Merethic Era and the First Era. They were, in general, a very advanced and powerful civilization. Dwemer society did not encourage the use of technology over magic, but the general view of their society was that magic was unimportant and pointless; so much so that most other races thought them "mockers and profaners of the divine."

The Dwemer have been called an evil race, as according to many First Era scholars, the Dwemer were feared by the Dunmer, Nords, Redguards, and perhaps even by the gods themselves. On the other hand, the Dwemer people have also been called a noble and honorable race, with legends that tell of their heroic deeds of honor and glory.

Few written works have described the appearance, personality, or achievements of individual Dwemer; most knowledge of the Dwemer regards the race as a whole. In addition, it is unclear whether the Dwemer were a single united empire or a group of related clans.

The Dwemer seem to have revered the pursuits of logic and science, in contrast to other Mer races. An individual whose career was in philosophy, mathematics, science, metallurgy, or architecture would likely have been elevated to the highest, most respected, and most prestigious of positions in Dwemer society. Those who studied and reasoned would have reached a position that would have equaled "clergy in a more mystically-inclined culture." This idea is supported by a fragment of Dwemeris text recovered from Irkngthand and translated by Dwemer scholar Thenwe Ghelein, who believes it to be associated with the Rourken Clan. While some scholars interpret those words as evidence to support that the Dwemer may have worshiped Mundus, Thelwe Ghelein hypothesizes that the Dwemeris quotes are related to society and civil matters.

There are several known ranks in Dwemer society, including High Priest, General, Lord, Councillor, and Protector. A major rank in Dwemer society was that of Tonal Architect, or Magecrafter. Usually crafters and mage-engineers, Tonal Architects specialized in magic technologies and devices, and were led in their studies by a Chief Tonal Architect.

Dwemer Traits

Your dwemer character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwemer nature.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age

Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

Alignment

Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of fair play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.

Size

Dwarves stand between 5 and 6 feet tall and average about 170 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life underground, you have 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.

Dwemer Combat Training

You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with your choice of any artisans tools and expertise in another tool of your choosing.

Stonecunning

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

The Calling

You are telepathically connected to any and all other Dwemer you meet, so long as you're on the same plane you are able to telepathically communicate no matter the distance between one another.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. the language utilized many z's and d's in its form. The writing system was composed of and written as the Dwemer's own form of runes and glyphs, aesthetically similar to that of the Daedric Alphabet, yet it was heavily based on the Aldmeri Language.