Dwarves of living Stone
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The Dwarf
We are all familiar with dwarves. Heavy drinkers, great warriors, tough, sturdy, honorable (to a fault) and vertically challenged (But not so much it matters). I love dwarves. I love their great dwarven cities, their industry, and their general aesthetic. What I do not love, is that they are just humans, but shorter and with longer beards. Now, don't get me wrong, I think that making them humanish makes them easier to understand and use.
Well, fuck that. Let's make them weird.
Dwarves of Living Stone
This idea is not wholly mine, but I did expand it greatly. My buddy mentioned something along these lines, "Maybe dwarves craft so much so they can perfect their final creation. Another dwarf." This was the spark of inspiration for these stone dwarves.
Here is the core idea. Somewhere, deep in the mountains, there is a stone with magical properties. If a statue is carved from it, it becomes a living being, with flesh and blood that appear as stone and mud, bones of granite, and the features of however it was carved. Maybe it's a divine stone, or perhaps it's an ancient wizard experiment. But, now, it is the source of the dwarves.
Despite being made of stone, the dwarves are living creatures. They must eat, sleep, breathe, and love life. So, the dwarves farm, likely at the foot of the mountains they live in. They raise and slaughter sheep for wool and food. Perhaps, they trade with other peoples, giving wonderful gemstone jewelry for supplies and tools.
History
The first dwarves were carved from the stone as servants to giants. Their size was just over the height of a man, and they were strong. These were the progenitor dwarves. Nothing like the dwarves we know and love today, they were akin to miniature giants. But, when the giants died (perhaps in a battle against the gods or dragons? Or perhaps due to time.) the dwarves knew they had to learn to craft themselves, otherwise, their species would die out.As time dragged on, more and more of the stone was used. Eventually, the first dwarves realized they would eventually run out. They started carving shorter and shorter dwarves, perfecting the proportions each time. Until, finally, the modern dwarf was invented. Perhaps these older dwarves still exist, hidden away in secluded mountain tops.
The Craft
These dwarves cannot breed. They are made of stone. But, this does not mean their legacy cannot live on. Every dwarf perfects the art of stone carving. For, one day, they will carve another dwarf. Their child, in a sense, and bring it into the world.
Now, beards are important. It is a point of pride to a dwarven carver that they can make detailed, realistic hair. So, the longer the dwarves beard, the more skilled their creator, and thus more skilled the creation.
Of course, the living stone is not used solely for the purposes of making more dwarves. Great living giants are carved, to assist the creation and defense of their cities. Digging hounds are carved, as both companions and tools for hunting. And perhaps small animals are carved from the cast-off stone, to act as pets or decoration.
Now, beards are important. It is a point of pride to a dwarven carver that they can make detailed, realistic hair. So, the longer the dwarves beard, the more skilled their creator, and thus more skilled the creation.
Of course, the living stone is not used solely for the purposes of making more dwarves. Great living giants are carved, to assist the creation and defense of their cities. Digging hounds are carved, as both companions and tools for hunting. And perhaps small animals are carved from the cast-off stone, to act as pets or decoration.
Extra Detail: The MoldsAt some point, the dwarves went to war. Against elves, humans, dragons, even other dwarves, you can decide. For a race of beings that reproduce by craftsmanship, war is a very inconvenient thing. They just do not have the population to handle the losses. So, they began to mass-produce dwarves. The quintessential dwarf was designed. No beard, there's no time for that, and blocky shapes. These dwarves are quick to carve and easy to teach how to make. Hundreds, maybe thousands of dwarven soldiers were made this way. Each almost identical, which is what has given them the name, Mold. Like a casting mold used to mass-produce things like candlesticks.
It is most certainly a derogatory term and after the wars, these mass-produced dwarves are probably a third of the dwarven population. But, they represent a dwarf that was not made from skill or love. A dwarf whose only purpose is to fight. So, they are hated by the regular, bearded dwarves.
Extra Detail: Features
These dwarves are carved to look like anything, so for some extra fun, they could have interesting designs. Ram horns, strange nose shapes, runes carved into their skin, and so on. Dwarven wizards might have spells carved into them, and they might even come pre-built with pockets. What happens when a gemstone is set into the forehead? Decoration or a third eye? There is a tone of possibility with this concept.
Character Ideas
Either players or NPCs, here are a few dwarf ideas.
- A mold that was chipped during creation. Now a mockery of dwarves and a shunned for being imperfect.
- A dwarf who travels the world looking for other cultures stone carving techniques, to better perfect his eventual creation.
- A dwarven wizard who seeks the secret of creating the living stone, so that the dwarves may flourish once again.
- A mold that wishes to find a wizard who can use magic to grow them a beard.
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