Homebrew Dvergr Species Details

Dvergrs are also known as Dark Elves in Svilland. Their home realm is Svartalfheim in Austris, or “Nidavellir’’ in their language, Dvergmer. They are the crafters of the legendary spear Oddbane, and the heroes of countless stories in Svilland.

Crafters from Another Realm

Dvergrs are famous for their blacksmithing, stone masonry, and runic knowledge. They are masters of armor and weapons, builders of cities, and creators of many runic spells.

The great dvergr ancestors, Brokkr & Eitri, are the blacksmiths of the Gods and Goddesses. They crafted the legendary spear, Oddbane, that struck down Odd, the frost jotunn who was powerful enough to try to defy the Gods and Goddesses. In return, they demanded a gate from Balder, through which they could travel to Svilland and then go back to Svartalfheim. They knew that there was an immense amount of black ice, a highly valuable and very rare material, under the mountains called Ymir’s Lash. They also knew that dvergrs are immune to its effects. Balder accepted the deal and built the gate under Ymir’s Lash. The gate worked perfectly until Balder’s death, which was due to Loki’s trickeries. When Balder died, the power of the gate also vanished and it stopped working.

A New World, A New Life

When the gate was closed, three dvergr clans were trapped in Svilland: Clan Goldglance, masters of the gold; Clan Runebearer, masters of knowledge and runes; and Clan Stoneborn, masters of stones. They decided to live according to their traditions in Svartalfheim and keep following their quest until they find a way to return to their realm.

The dvergr tradition demands that no clan is more important than the others and that there must always be two rulers. So, the dvergrs in Svilland chose two rulers and gave them a new clan name; Goldhammers. This name was also changed along with the rulers, and became Bronzehead.

The dvergrs lived a life full of danger and prosperity under the mountains. For years, they sought new ways of returning back to Svartalfheim, which they failed to do countless times, and kept mining the black ice while battling the monsters and the spirits of the mountain.

The New Calling

When the Bear King massacred the High Seidr Council, the spirits within Ymir’s Lash entered a state of frenzy and started to kill all the living, including the dvergrs. The spirits saw their friends be massacred mercilessly, and transformed into creatures of evil and shadow. After the great battle called the Dark Battle, the dvergrs succeeded in repulsing the dark spirits’ attacks thanks to great sacrifices and the intervention of a Valkyrie. The same Valkyrie gave a prophecy to the dvergrs before leaving with the worthy souls.

Go deep or go out
Either way will result in another way

The dvergrs divided into two groups after this event. Those below chose to stay in the mountains and dug deeper, either to find more black ice or to find a way to Helheim to save Balder. Those above wanted to go out of the mountains and explore Svilland with the hope of discovering a new method to return to their realm. Although the two groups went their separate ways, all of them knew that the other side would welcome them with open arms upon their return.

Those above built the most beautiful stone city, Berzog’ul, and started a new life. Their techniques of working stone, runic teachings, and different traditions certainly changed over the course of history in Svilland. Now, dvergrs can be found anywhere on Svilland.

Dvergr Names

Male Names: Brokkr, Dudri, Egil, Eitri, Gangr, Hemer, Idi, Kori, Kuldi, Maggin, Nidrr, Ori, Sindri, Tingi, Wandr
Female Names: Ai, Bendr, Durri, Duma, Forgi, Glori, Gominn, Idunn, Konnin, Mokku, Pemm, Rugga, Sokki, Tilwa, Uminn, Ylda

 

Dvergr Traits

Dvergrs are a tough folk and are born with the hands of a master crafter. However, different clans can have different teachings.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age.

Dvergrs live to be about 180-190 years old and reach adulthood in their fiftieth year.

Alignment.

You can find all kinds of dvergr in Svilland but, they usually live by a code and thus tend to be lawful.

Size.

Dvergrs stand between 4-5 feet tall and weigh about 125-250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Darkvision.

Living underground for generations can alter your vision. You can see within 60 feet in dim light as if it were bright light, and you can see in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t see colors in the dark, only shades of gray.

Runic Sense.

Svartalfheim is a realm full of magic and dvergrs are used to it. You can sense the presence of a rune in a 15-foot radius, but can’t identify which rune it is.

Black Ice Immunity.

Black ice normally harms those who touch it, but you have developed an immunity to it. Black ice does not harm you unless it is refined and worked into a weapon.

Tool Proficiency.

Your ancestors worked with all kinds of metals as well as black ice. You gain proficiency with smith’s tools.

Languages.

You can speak, write, and understand Dvergmer and Austris (Common) fluently.

Clans.

Clans are ancestral subcultures for dvergrs. Although three clans were the first to arrive in Svilland, there are many others right now. Dvergrs can take a different clan name according to their deeds or aims in life. Although traits for the original three are listed here, you can build your own clan with new traits with the GM’s permission.