What I'm Doing Differently With Dwarves in Sundara

Folks who have been tuned-in to my release schedule have no doubt caught a few of the releases for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age RPG setting. A world that looks forward, seizing the unique resources found in a fantastical setting, I'm attempting to upend several of the old standbys players and game masters associate with these games, while also providing just enough familiar ground that no one gets lost or confused.

While the setting began with Cities of Sundara, where I released splat books as guides to prominent locations throughout the world, I've since moved into releasing Species of Sundara. What I hope to accomplish with these books is to provide a more nuanced take on the traditional species we're used to playing in our fantasy games, giving players and GMs alike different cultures, abilities, and potential histories to work with, while tossing things like species-based alignment, universal religion, and species-wide languages (mostly) into the trash.

The first release dealt with elves (and is available for Pathfinder, as well as DND 5E), painting them as masters of biomancy, science, and with several cultures that kept and preserved knowledge, while others concerned themselves with the art of war, with travel, or with growing and preserving their communities. It was a fun exercise, but I wanted to follow it up with something a little bigger, and a little bolder.

Which is why Dwarves of Sundara was next on the list!

Because I know there's dwarf lovers aplenty out there!

Before I get more into the details of what I did to change up dwarves in Sundara, don't forget to join my weekly mailing list if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases. Also, if you have a little dosh to spare (and you'd like to help me keep the wheels turning), consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

What's New About Dwarves in Sundara?

As most of us know, Tolkien folded a lot of old Norse myths into his works in Middle Earth. Dwarves, in their mythical forms, were more like spirits who lived in the earth, and often they were indistinguishable from other elves (the alfar, who feel more like Elrond and his countrymen). Tolkien defined them differently for his setting, making them mortal in many important ways, giving them an alphabet, and showing us some of the places they called home. Then over the years we codified them more and more through our fiction, our games, and through our art.

Think about what immediately comes to mind when you hear the words RPG dwarf. Chances are good you're picturing something like Gimli right now, potentially with a tankard in hand, and likely with a heavy Scottish accent (though points for those who went with Swedish instead).

My goal was to change that, and to provide more variety while still keeping dwarves recognizable.

Familiar in some ways, strange in others.

The first thing to remember is that, for this particular world, the origins of species are not set in stone. There are common beliefs and attributions, but as the creator I'm not coming out and saying the creation story of one culture or people is completely, factually correct. With that said, it is commonly believed by the dwarves that they are the children of the primordial giants; the ancient creatures who formed the world, and whose work they live in to this day. Each type of giant went and made their own children, pouring spirit and life into them so that the dwarves could go into this world and finish its creation; to bring beauty to the details the giants themselves were too large to handle with grace and subtlety.

Whether or not that is technically true, different cultures of dwarves unmistakably have affinity with different elements and environments. Those who take a look will find:

- The fiery Takatori tend to live on volcanic islands, and their physical form is often compared with the fire giants they feel were their creators. Heavily tattooed, and with complex, multi-partner marriages, they have a deep sense of family, and will often travel hundreds of miles to help the most distant of relations to help strengthen their clan bonds.

- The Hasrada live lives of relative luxury in their mountain strongholds. These stony dwarves are regarded as scholars and sages, and they rely on their elemental masters to handle the bulk work of maintaining their societies. Boasting many expert craftsmen and artists, as few of their number need to haul stones, dig shafts, or even stand guard, the Hasrada are welcoming, while also maintaining firm boundaries.

- The Kraskar live deep in swampy holdfasts, and are thought strange by even those who know them. With connections to ancient giants, and nearly as ancient black dragons, these dwarves are insular and clannish. With that said, they are loyal, steadfast friends... and dire enemies.

- The robust Gannar'Gon keep to the fields and hills. Known for hosting games, prodigious feats of strength, and for being welcoming to all those who come to their homes, these hillfolk are praised as good neighbors, and firm friends.

- The Arasta keep their own counsel deep in the scorching empty of the desert sands. Mysterious to outsiders, they are easy to understand for those who learn their ways, and to interpret the silences that often surround them.

These are, by no means, the only types of dwarves in the setting. And while each of these cultures is associated with certain traits, intermarrying, adoption, and simple immigration means that dwarves which bear the traits of one culture may wind up in another... or in none, if they were raised outside one of these umbrellas. Many of these cultures could even make room for non-dwarven members, though that is far from the norm.

Also, one thing I'm particularly proud of is adapting the idea of a common language, without making it an aspect of a mono-culture among dwarves. In Sundara every type of dwarven culture speaks the elemental language associated with their patron giant as their common tongue. However, just as the giants created Aelthark (the "giant" language) to communicate with one another during their communal efforts, so the dwarves created Firthark (commonly called "dwarven") which is more of a trade language that was meant to let all the different dwarves speak to one another. It's sort of limited in terms of concepts and function, and lots of ideas don't translate well into it, but it's functional, easy to learn, and for many non-dwarves it's the fastest way to make oneself understood. There was no way to gracefully fit that in there, but I'm pleased with it all the same.

So if that sounds like something you want to get in on, get your copy of this Species of Sundara installment for both Pathfinder Classic as well as Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition!

So What's Next?

Currently the plan is to cover a lot of the starting species for the setting, and then to evaluate what the readers would like more of. Whether that's more locations, if they'd like to see some modules, or possibly some short(ish) stories set in Sundara, complete with stats for any new class archetypes, magic items, etc. featured in the tale, there's a lot of possibilities going forward!

But while you wait, consider checking out the stuff that's already come out to bring yourself up to date!

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.

- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.

- Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.

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