History

The young race of Vulcan Dwarves, and their fabled city of fire, came into being only recently in the year 2130. It is said that an adventurous group of Mountain Dwarves, exiled from Gerdain, dug too deep into the earth near Tiefanese territory. They found a large cavern with coursing veins of magma. Lava cascaded like waterfalls and spread out into streams across the volcanic rock. Not willing to turn back, the travelers decided to claim this wondrous sight for the glory of the Dwarven Kingdom. As soon as they began their exploration in earnest, the ground began to rumble and quake. Bursting forth from the lava, a gigantic Fire Elemental took form. The Greater Lord demanded to know why they disturbed her domain and grew enraged at their presence. Few eye-witness accounts of this exchange exist, as most of the Dwarves did not survive. It is said that the Dwarves begged the Elemental to spare them, offering their service to her molten cavern in return for their lives. By the powers of the flames, they were transformed into what are now known as Vulcan Dwarves. Legends say that the Greater Fire Lord was named Skalden, and the city was named in her honor as she returned to sleep beneath the waves of magma.

In 2242, the Black Dragon, Styphon, awoke from his slumber and declared war on Tiefanue and the Church of Light. The resulting war was devastating. While few texts exist on life in Skalden before the Black Wyrm’s takeover, its current state is far grimmer. When Styphon’s forces first attacked, Skalden rose from the lava to do battle alongside her citizens. While the Vulcan Dwarves fought well against the tides of Undead, it was the defeat of the Greater Lord that sealed their fate. Styphon himself was said to have entered the cavern in Humanoid form, weaving a great blast of necrotic energy. The blast struck the Greater Fire Lord and she began to blacken. Consumed by fury, Skalden charged Styphon, but turned completely to obsidian mere inches from the Dragon. With the Elemental entrapped, the Undead soon overwhelmed the populace.

After the defeat of the Aspect of Hatred, Inviticus, in 2256, Styphon abandoned his war of expansion and went back to sleep, discarding his army in the process. The majority of Styphon’s forces remained in Skalden.

The once proud, glowing city is now occupied by a battalion of the Army of the Black Wyrm. Dragon Knight Vlermis the Indomitable controls of the Vulcan Dwarven slaves with an iron fist and the volcanic cavern is rife with Undead. The Palace of Flammenwerl, once housing the Monarch of Skalden and the primary shrine to the Greater Fire Lord, is now covered by a dark cloud of Draconic power, shielding it from the firelight. Vlermis runs the city from the Palace as one of the continent’s largest mining operations. While the Undead never tire and mine the upper regions, Vulcan Dwarves can go deeper into the lava than any animated corpse. They are forced to go below, into the nearly flooded magma veins to fetch more of the plentiful ore needed to fuel Styphon’s army – and prepare for Styphon’s eventual return.

The Vulcan Dwarves who have escaped slavery have started small communities above and below ground, mostly flocking to Mountain Dwarven cities such as Gerdain and Dolgerhan, or the Gnomish Undermines. The two largest Vulcan Dwarven settlements are Cynden, a city near Dolgerhan, and Erubranden, a militaristic sub-volcanic compound dedicated to worship of Rathenoch the Red Dragon. Each Vulcan Dwarf holds the memory of their ancient volcanic home close to their hearts, and almost every one of them believes in its eventual return.

Geography

There are several groups of Vulcan Dwarves that reside with Dolgerhan, Nellerdan, and small Gnomish communities. The largest Vulcan Dwarven city is Cynden to the east. Some notable groups of Vulcan Dwarves include:

Büumslag: Explosive disposal units in Gnomish communities. Famed for absorbing blasts of fire with their bodies. They work in pairs and are almost always related by blood.

The Tindergard: A group of Vulcan Dwarves who guard the outer reaches of the Gerdainian caverns. Used as border patrol as well a first line of defense. Currently 100 strong, they maintain a perimeter around the cave entrances to the mountain.

The Daughters of Skalden (Cynden): Situated outside Dolgerhan in a separate set of volcanic caverns, a group of Vulcan Dwarves lead by Helthane Neleera Jaspervein have recently founded a fairly large city, Cynden, with the hopes of one day regaining the forces needed to take back their ancestral homeland.

The Dwarves of Erubranden: Below the mountains in Rathenoch the Red’s domain lies the volcanic city of Erubranden. Invitation is only extended to a select few. Erubranden is considered home to the most powerful and privileged Vulcan Dwarves. The citizenry is entirely devoted to the Red Dragon and pays him respect similarly to other followers in his domain. The Dwarves of Erubranden are far more militaristic by comparison than their sister city, Cynden, near Gerdain.

Skalden: The ancestral Vulcan Dwarf city still exists, but it is overrun by the Undead army of Styphon. All the Vulcan Dwarves still living there are slaves, forced to mine deep underground for Styphon’s war effort.

Vulcan Dwarves tend to congregate around Mountain Dwarven cities, but can be found as far east, west, and south as possible. Vulcan Dwarves do not travel north, out of their fear of ice and cold. Most Vulcan Dwarves stick as close to the volcanic centers of the earth as possible, within various cave systems.

Marriage & Mating

Vulcan Dwarves choose a spouse as a young adult and go through a marriage ceremony known as a Kindling. The couple will walk to an altar of burning hot coals and speak their vows of partnership to one another whilst absorbing the heat. This symbolizes the bond between them, strengthened by the life-giving flames of the coals. Vulcan Dwarven children are born with small tufts of red hair on their head and chin. This beard will continually grow and burn away as the Vulcan Dwarf ages, until the age of 21, when the beard will stop growing. Like all Dwarves, if their beard is shaved off, it will swiftly grow back to the length it was at the age of 21.

Religion

Vulcan Dwarves respect the life-giving fire above all else. They are likely to revere Rathenoch the Red Dragon, for his affinity for power and fire, and Ahriman the Orange Dragon, for his connection to the elemental planes. Vulcan Dwarves usually distrust Pandora, the Goddess of Pain, whom they associate with cold and frigidness. In addition, following Zsiera the White Dragon or especially Styphon the Black is considered taboo in all Vulcan Dwarven communities. As the dragons represent the cruelty of frost and the enslavement of the dead respectively, Vulcan Dwarves who choose to follow either Firstborn are treated with animosity and often violence.

Vulcan Dwarves have little interest in gods. Though the worship of gods is not forbidden or taboo, it is unusual.

Church of Flames

The Church of Flames is firmly ingrained in Vulcan Dwarf culture. Both the city of Cynden, controlled by the Dwarven Kingdom, and the city of Erubranden, ruled by Rathenoch the Red Dragon, have branches of the Church. Cynden’s branch is focused mainly on worship of the element of fire itself and acts effectively as the governing body of the city. While they are allied with their Mountain Dwarven neighbors under the rule of their King, law within Cynden is dictated by the Church of Flames. In the case of Erubranden, Rathenoch the Red is paid reverence instead. The Church there is referred to as the Temple of Flames, as the proximity to the Red Dragon makes the use of the word ‘church’ or any divine worship very unwise. Beyond those restrictions, lionization of the concept of Fire is allowed by Rathenoch, primarily out of amusement. The ranks of the clergy are as follows:

Heilig (Hey-luh): A pastor who holds service for the masses upon the subject of fire and the old city of Skalden. This position is more often held within Cynden’s branch.

Vlamtünder (Flam-toon-der): A Flamebearer. These are effectively councilmen, deliberating on matters of the city including law, foreign policy, and ideology. They are ambassadors to both Cynden and Erubranden.

Helthane (Hel-tanne): The head of each branch of the Church of Flame, as well as leader of their respective city. The current Helthanes are Neleera Jaspervein and Oryxian Vurig. Neleera rules over Cynden, where she is seen as a benevolent, but firm, religious leader. Oryxian the Scaleborne, as he is known, rules Erubranden. He is an elitist among Vulcan Dwarves, inviting only a select few to live in Rathenoch’s domain. The Helthanes hold meetings with the Vlamtünder about matters of state, but the Helthanes have the final say on laws within their cities.

Blacksmithing

Like all Dwarves, Vulcan Dwarves excel at blacksmithing. Their cultural craft is an artificing wonder known as Fire Tempering. By taking a bladed weapon of legendary quality, masters of this ancient art can imbue the very essence of fire into it. The weapon is dipped in lava and quenched in warm water over and over again. Through this process, the weapon is permanently imbued with a white hot glow, as the immense heat of the lava is trapped within. The blades are said to never cool, and must be kept in specially made obsidian scabbards. Even the scabbard must undergo a special process to be able to continually hold the heat of the weapon. The blades can cut through even the thickest hides, including Draconian scales or even the magical carapaces of the Undead. Few of these have ever been seen outside of Vulcan Dwarf communities.

While not a single recorded Vulcan Dwarf has been to the northern half of Maud’madir because of the climate, it is said that Clan Conlan owes part of their smithing skills to the techniques shown to them by Vulcan Dwarves long ago. A chance visit to Skalden by the ancient Clan Jarl at the time allowed him to learn the art of blacksmithing volcanic rock into masterpieces. While most members of Clan Conlan are of a newer generation, some of the elders still remember the stories told of the city of fire and stone.

Fear of Cold

Due to their vulnerability to ice, Vulcan Dwarves often fear cold weather. Seeing Autumn and Winter as the onsets of cold and death, they will endeavour to stay inside and avoid travel above ground. Those that do travel in these conditions will carry a flint for good luck, and often carry an excessive amount of flammable material, ever ready to create a fire pit. In some rare cases, this fear can be crippling enough to cause panic attacks, bouts of irritability and even outright violence. Few Vulcan Dwarf Elementalists have ever been known to attune to Ice for this very reason.

Drinking

Most Vulcan Dwarves despise cold drinks and describe the sensation as invasive. Offering a Vulcan Dwarf a cool beverage on a warm day without it being requested is considered uncouth. However, a warm drink given to a Vulcan Dwarf is usually met with respect and appreciation. Warmth reminds a Vulcan Dwarf of family, and it is customary for Vulcan Dwarves to share hot teas, coffees, or alcohol when visiting another Dwarven house.

Vulcan Dwarves are known to make a special drink for various celebrations, called ‘Feuerhart’, which is always served from an obsidian bottle in obsidian cups. The reason behind this is more practical than cultural; the beverage is liquid fire, best described as glowing white liquid with blue flames dancing on top of it. Serving Feuerhart is a sign of immense respect. While the exact process of its creation is unknown to all but the Vulcan Dwarven people, some mention of “putting magma through a strainer” and “fermenting diamonds” has been heard among Vulcan Dwarven Brew Masters. While most races are afraid to try the brew, Vulcan Dwarves assure others that drinking it in one go will minimize the risk of incinerating their throats.

Politics

Vulcan Dwarves generally get along with their kin. When disputes do arise, they are generally over crafting. In recent years, the Vulcan Dwarven citizens of Dolgerhan ran into some trouble when they attempted to dig too far towards the center of the mountain. The more conservative Mountain Dwarves were worried that they might unleash spouts of lava, and the project had to be shut down. In this way, Vulcan Dwarves sometimes consider themselves a tad more adventurous and hardy than their cousins. Many an argument at a local tavern over crafting prowess has resulted in fisticuffs between a Vulcan and Mountain Dwarf smithy.

In the Gnomish communities of the Undermines, Vulcan Dwarves are respected members of society. They are referred to as Büumslags, a title denoting their ability to resist the potential fiery explosions of Gnomish devices. Gnomes use Büumslags as a containment and diffusion squad, when the tinkering of their citizenry goes awry.

The city of Cynden possesses a small army about 1000 strong, mostly consisting of demolition experts. Intruders are met with spectacles of trapsmithing bomb-work unseen above ground. Helthane Neleera Jaspervein has led Cynden to develop a strong defense like her sister cities, Nellerdan and Dolgerhan. Erubranden has a more direct approach. Helthane Oryxian Vurig employs an army of only 540, but each is specially trained in the art of war. The forces of Erubranden frequently join the Red Dragon’s forces on military exploits.

Military Ranks

Nieuweling: The standard rank of all soldiers within the armies of Cynden and Erubranden.

Kapitein: A platoon leader. Vulcan Dwarves who have shown great prowess in combat are chosen to lead groups into battle. They also confer with the Algemeen on decisions of strategy.

Büumkapitein: A position only held in the Cynden Army. These are leaders of the demolition teams of Cynden, tasked with the positioning and upkeep of the border traps.

Draakgard: A position only held in the Erubranden Army. These are a small group of elite warriors who wield twin axes or warhammers. They each hold the same rank as a Kapitein in terms of respect, but are instead tasked with destruction of high value targets. During times of peace, they guard the Helthane of Erubranden.

Algemeen: The General. Cynden and Erubranden each possess their own Algemeen. An Algemeen is generally a worthy Kapitein (or potentially a Büumkapitein in the case of Cynden) who is too old for combat. The Algemeen oversees military upkeep and gives orders to the Kapiteins, Büumkapiteins, and Draakgard. In the case of Erubranden specfically, the current Helthane holds the same powers as the Algemeen and can overule their decisions if need be.

Common Personalities & Views

The Vulcan Dwarves who have escaped slavery have started small communities above and below ground, mostly flocking to Mountain Dwarven cities such as Gerdain and Dolgerhan. Each Vulcan Dwarf originally comes from Skalden, and almost every one of them holds a belief in its eventual freedom deep in their hearts. The Vulcan Dwarf respects fire in all manners, and they are taught from birth that fire is a form of life. Vulcan Dwarves are hardy and abrasive individuals, but not without a Dwarvish sense of humor. They enjoy the company of a smithing hammer more than most, and are usually respectful of their Mountain Dwarven cousins.

Views of Other Races

Vulcan Dwarves enjoy most other races, but especially their Dwarven kin. They are just as hardy and stubborn as any Dwarf, and enjoy the company of craftsfolk and blacksmiths.

Ice Elves: “Your obsession with ice and agony is disturbing.”

Undead: “They destroyed our ancestry. They will never take our fire.”

Einher: “A hearty people! You should live in the warmth, but we respect your resilience!”

Mountain Dwarves: “Let us share drink and story, fellow brethren!”

Gnomes: “A burnt eyebrow here and a singed beard there doesn’t hurt, little cousins.”

Black and White Draconians: “Stay far away, children of the scaled death.”

Other Draconians: “You are an ancient being. Your progenitors’ breaths of fire are impressive.”

Roleplaying Tips

Vulcan Dwarves should be gruff like their Dwarven cousins. Respecting and boasting about warmth and heat tolerance is a good place to start. Collect fiery red objects, respect Fire Elementals, or bask in sunlight. Players can singe the edges of a fake beard to give it a more burnt feel, and apply heavy black crack lines about the face as well as the eyes make for a better outward appearance. Vulcan Dwarves should distrust cold in all its forms, and players should find ways of roleplaying this accordingly. Perhaps grumbling under their breath at colder games, or even going into bouts of irritability. Having a clear roleplay distinction between hot and cool is key.