Playable Races: Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings

Terrestrial Dwarves   "Earthen" Dwarves remain essentially unchanged from 1st Ed. and come in four varieties: Hill, Mountain, Grey, and Korobokuru. These varieties of Dwarf all descend from one the three Dwarf races that came into being at the beginning of measurable time. It is said that in the time before measurement, there was one Dwarven race, but the shockwave of the bicaboom split each Dwarf in four, a water-loving self, an earth-loving self, a pyrophillic self, and a psychic self. The four groups quickly separated from their counterparts and grouped by type. The Terrestrials established a kingdom within the great new mountain formed at the epicenter of the Bicaboom. This is still called Dwarf Mountain by many, though most human maps now label it "Hub Mountain." It was after the fall of the Dwarf Mountain to Elvish rulers that the Terrestrial Dwarves scattered and eventually developed into the four varieties listed in 1st Ed. The sexes of Dwarves have been modified slightly: there are three sexes (Male, Female, and Neuter), and wearing a loincloth or anything more, they are indistinguishable from one another. Male and female Dwarves will establish child-rearing, property-sharing contracts with one another similar to marriage, but the closest thing they form to romantic relationships are with their shieldfriend—a Dwarf’s best friend and battle partner. Such partnerships are often formed in childhood and cemented during a young adult’s obligatory term in their community’s militia.   Hill and Mountain:   Most Dwarves reside in or beneath the North-Central region of Hubworld, or else in the lower levels of Hub Mountain. They have a few surface kingdoms in the Rumple Mountains of Tirfinach.   Grey:   Grey Dwarves are rarely seen above ground except for in Vaqueria, where they have established a lucrative relationship with Humans, selling them guns and powder.   Korobokuru:   Korobokuru are native to the Sunset Crescent mountains (the eastern face name for the Golden Ray mountain range) and the jungles south of them. They often make their way into more civilised areas seeking adventure or rewarding employment.   All Dwarf types strongly prefer Warrior classes, but might also be Clerics, Skalds, or Mechanists.   Extraterrestrial Dwarves   Non-earthen Dwarves have mostly avoided contact with both humans and elves since their original diffentiation, and it would take exceptional circumstances to spur them into adventuring.  
The Pontites (Water Dwarves) moved into the rarely traversed mid-Northwest Ocean, and into the cold waters north of Tirfinach. Eventually they split into numerous tribes that compete with one another and with other marine cultures for dominance of the sea floor. They have a natural magic resistance of 5%. Classes available to Pontites include Fighter, Reef Ranger, Submariner, Pirate, Votary, Seaward, and Alchemist.
Vulcanites, or Azerkin, dwell in the far south, where the heat is unbearable for humans, vying with Fire Giants for control of the volcanic wastes. Vulcanites can generate fire from their hands and move faster than their Earthen cousins, but they suffer Dexterity penalties any time the ambient temperature falls below 20 degrees Celsius. Because of this, they seldom venture north of their lands, but the value of gems that can only be found in the human-hostile far south make it worthwhile to come into the warmer human areas to trade. Vulcanites have a natural 10% magic resistance and have 2x the normal chance of possessing psionic powers. They can be Fighters, Merchants, Votaries, or Mechanists.
Aetherians, also known as "Ptah-Dwarves" disppeared from the world shortly after the differentiation, but have recently been popping up in various places. There is no Aetherian homeland on Hubworld, or even families. Rather, they inhabit a parallel plane and come into Hubworld as their purposes require, or sometimes by accident. Origin stories may vary, but all Aetherians have psionic abilities (roll as normal for Psi points and abilities). However, they lack the magic resistance most dwarves enjoy. They may be Bards, Votaries, Illusionists, Sage-Mentalists, or Mechanists.
Gnomes   Surface Gnomes and Deep Gnomes are unchanged from 1st Edition, but information has been added regarding their biology and society. Gnomes are sexless. The ones with beards get reflexively called “he” by other races, but Gnomes themselves are indifferent to pronoun choice—both translate to the same thing in Gnomish. Dwarvish uses the Neuter term, and Elvish has a word for Gnome-as-gender in addition to its word for Gnome-as-race.   The process of Gnome “birth” begins with excavation. Large balls of a sort of dense clay, 1’ in diameter, are discovered in the process of regular Gnomish mining activities. These “gneodes” are transferred to a pond in a sacred cave, where parts of the clay dissolve over several days, leaving the shape of a balled-up gnome, who gradually starts to uncurl into a sitting position, at which point the remaining clay is washed off, revealing a young adult gnome. Because of this unusual manner of birth, the Druids have declared Gnomes to be “Children of Ki” and a protected race. This means that Druids may not harm a Gnome unless the latter poses an immediate and certain threat to the environment. It also means that when push comes to shove, a Druid will save a Gnome over a Human or Martian. This is a great advantage to Gnomish Mechanists, since it means they can operate in the open without having to watch over their shoulder for Murtairs (Druidic Assassins). Normally, a high-level Mechanist (or any level Alchemist) would be a target for assassination once a Druidic cell became alerted to their activities. There are subterranean Gnomes all over the world, but only a few regions where they set out wandering above ground. Surface Gnomes are most commonly seen in the Spinal mountains, and at the north end of the range there is a large wealthy realm ruled by an ancient Gnomish king. Gnomish Merchants, Clerks, and Mechanists are common in Vaqueria and at least a few can be found in most of the world’s major trading centres, such as Philemammonia, Salumattu, and Dunpor.   Halflings   Halflings of each variety, Hairfoot, Stout, and Tallfellow, remain unchanged other than that their appearance now varies geographically in the same manner as Newmans. Halflings live mostly within and surrounding the Martian Empire, and to the east up to the edge of the Golden Desert. These Halflings are integrated into the Human and Elvish societies around them, although the odd all-Halfling village exists here and there. A population of Halflings also resides in the Spider Forest, independently of any other race. The remaining Halflings of the world live in Vaqueria among the Humans there.     ALIGNMENT   Hill Dwarf: Lawful Good   Mountain Dwarf: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral   Grey Dwarf: Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, Neutral   Kokobokuru: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral   Pontite: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil   Vulcanite: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral   Aetherian: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Lawful Good, Neutral   Surface Gnome: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good   Deep Gnome: Neutral, Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good   Hairfoot Halfling: Lawful Good, Neutral Good   Tallfellow: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Neutral   Stout Halfling: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral