Common Ethnic Traits:

• Suggested Naming Conventions: Scandinavian 

• Hair Color: Red, Blond, Black, Brown

• Eye Colors: Any

• Complexion: Pale-Fair

• Height Average: Males: (3 ft. 11 in. – 4 ft. 5 in.) | Females: (3 ft. 9 in. – 4 ft. 3 in.)

• Ears: Can be rounded or pointed

• Sea Legs: Unlike most dwarves races, Sea Dwarves don’t have that instinctive fear of non-solid ground beneath their feet. If anything, they relish in the rocking of a sea vessel in the waves.

• Scourge of the North: Northern and North-Western coastal villages have long been plagued by the sea dwarves. As such, a certain reputation tends to form around sea dwarves. Sea Dwarves have a way of procuring certain artifacts and rare treasures that would be the envy of any appraiser or treasure hunter. It's almost as if they could smell where a stash of plunder is hidden.

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Synopsis:

Some dwarves prefer the mountains. Some the hills. Whatever the case, it is inherent in a dwarf’s nature to prefer the sturdy stone and sod under their feet. But a new kind of dwarf would be seen when the first Vanard vikings began to descend into the lands and raid and pillage what they needed to survive. The legends that spoke of these raiders pointed out that not all who rode the dragon boats were men. Some of them were mean, dwarven peoples with beards covering their faces and ivory horned helmets protruding from their heads. No one knows where for sure they came from. They might have simply been stone dwarves indigenous to the Venrir Kingdoms. But whatever the case, their kind continued to take to the sea rather than dock in any known dwarf keeps. The hill dwarves have one legend which may provide some context, though it's not widely accepted as fact. Apparently, the hill-dwarf clan of Parsley decided to leave the land behind them, and drift out into the seas, where they would never return. And though they were never seen since, the sea dwarves of today who occasionally dwindle into port cities tell many contradicting tales of their ancestors. Sea dwarves are a rare encounter. And since most encounters with them as a people boil down to viking raids on coastal villages or pirating merchant vessels, the odd one who sails with a group of human sailors understandably gets the evil eye from those outside his crew. But ask any grizzled sailor who has ever sailed with a sea dwarf whether they can be trusted, and you’re bound to hear him belt out a hearty laugh before grimly answering; “Ney. The sea dwarves, they’re all scoundrels and bastards. Every last one of them. But we’re only were we are today because of that one.”

 

Because Sea Dwarves have on average less body mass and less body hair on the chest and forearms, their dwarven cousins may think them to be humans at a glance. Shorter, but much lankier humans. But one look at a sea dwarf’s most prominent facial feature (Either his nose or beard), and you realize that you have yourself a dwarf. Sea dwarves stand at about the same height as a hill dwarf, with a more narrow profile. The inner workings of Sea Dwarf culture are largely unknown to those outside of it. For the most part, it is speculated as though they are pirate vikings who live their entire lives upon their ship. The gleam of their ivory horned helmets being the only warning of their arrival. And indeed, the sea dwarves do have a strong warrior culture that is intertwined with loose morals. But it is possible, they may have island homes in icy north. After all, a few Vanard legends speak of the isles of Fafner, where a group of greedy little people dwell. The legends that speak of their ship designs being long boats with dragon heads that can glide across the ice are actually what inspired many of the Vanard longboat designs when the first raiders took to the seas. Some stories even speak of one clan stealing a boat from these ice dwarves in order to reverse engineer it. Though the sea dwarves we often observe today suggest they may be coming from a warmer set if isles somewhere east of the Edrish Peninsula. After all, many of their attacks focus on the western shoreline, even in the isle of Arland. And they have gone to make sure nobody who live on the coast feel safe. For when the mist conjures, that is when they beach. They strike with the element of surprise, grab what they can, abduct a few "slaves", and depart before the mist clears, so nobody could follow them.

 

Whatever their lives are like, we may never know. For the Sea Dwarves who actually do find themselves on land are likely exiles, and have taken a vow of secrecy in exchange to continue living. Some even bare a blood gease to ensure they remain tight lipped about anything concerning their homes or the fellow dwarves they leave behind. Meaning all that we have to go on are rumors, speculations, and legends. And this appears to be how the cruel sea dwarves prefer it to be. There have been a handful of sea dwarf "Adventurers", but the way they marketed themselves was more like a small mercenary band than an adventuring company. They were mean spirited, and ruthless. Bullies who took candy right from the hands of children. And always consorting with shady peoples, and doing shady deeds. This band may not be how all sea dwarves operate, but it has unfortunately made it hard for any good natured sea dwarves to find work as an adventurer. And as such, Sea Dwarf adventurers are very rare. Though this behavior is at least consistent with how those who sail amongst men behave. Though curiously enough, much like all dwarves, they look out for their own. They may push around those in their crews, but will spring into danger if their safety is threatened. Leading many to speculate that perhaps there can be good in them. But it should be noted that a good sea dwarf and a nice sea dwarf are two different things. For when a sea dwarf decides to be nice, you should always be suspicious. It is very much in the nature of sea dwarves to take what they want through force. Some just happen to prefer guile.