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| Species | Basalt Dwarf |
| Over-race | Dwarf |
| Classification | Vaettir |
| Family | Natural Dwarf |
| Sphere | Fire |
| Origin | Arose from burning basalt |
| Lifespan | ~800 years |
| Habitat | Volcanic islands |
| Food | Omnivore |
| Description | Basalt dwarves have bright red hair. They have skin that can be dark tan, dusty grey, bright bronze, or burnt red. They stand about 4' to 5' tall, and they are broad -shouldered, stout, and stocky. Beards are commonly worn, and hair is rarely tended except in dreadlocks. |
| Procreation | With each other. Half-dwarves are not possibly without esoteric intervention. |
| Esoterica | Dwarves are aetherial beings, born from the earthpower imbuing the stones they are crafted from. Basalt dwarves are also beings of rubedian aether. They are capable of using any other supernatural energies except brumal aether or currents aether, and msawhat is rare and often corrupts and destroys them. Divine energies, other forms of aether (especially white tiger), ethereal energy, Foundation, dumaqu, arnum, solar aether, poioumenon, Damaskian power, and mashoaab are all very common. |
| Special Powers | Basalt dwarves' aetherial power comes from working with heat and stone. It gives them heat-resistance and stone and metal-shaping powers. They also gain some control over temperature of objects, magma-control, and stoneskin. They gain rubedian and earthpower aether from work as bladesmiths especially because of the extreme heat involved and the working with the magma as their heatsource. Because rubedian aether is consumptive, they must use it up or risk being consumed in flames from within. They know they are reaching this stage when their hair becomes flame. Remedying this involved jumping into the ocean, which they call a dousing. All dwarves are known for their steady feet, their inborn toughness, and their shrewdness. |
| Weaknesses | Msawhat can corrupt and destroy them. Basalt dwarves are also can be harmed by cold and submersion in water. |
| Culture | Basalt dwarves live in loose communities on volcanic islands, mostly small villages run by a small council of elders. The children are raised by the entire village. These communities are interconnected throughout their nations, which are led by a thane and protected by his armed forces. The armed forces are taken from warriors and sailors in every village in order to keep things neutral between each village. Most villages are situated along the seaside, and fishing and sailing are regular parts of basalt dwarven lives. Fishermen and sailors have a powerful guild that is composed of dwarves from every seaside village, and this guild is often in contention with the thane and his military, which takes sailors from their ranks. Villages further inland are often in the dense rain forests of tropical islands or the barren hills of subarctic ones, where hunting and tanning are major crafts; on the mountainsides, where earthen fortifications are built (by the armed forces) to protect lower villages and gather magma; or within caves in the volcano, where the bladesmiths gather. Each major craft has a guild that serves to protect the craftsmen from the power of the thane if it gets out of control, but commoners must either depend on the thane or their relations in the guilds for support. As such, extended families often become important, and most basalt dwarves can name their relatives to an extreme degree. |
| Crafts | The main craft that basalt dwarves are known for is bladesmithing. It was not always this way, but people all over the worlds learned of the craftsmanship of their blades and came to the basalt dwarves for new weapons. It became a major industry and a source of outside wealth. The bladesmiths became very independent, and their guild is both the most powerful and most mysterious within their nations. The guild takes young, promising dwarves to their volcanic chambers early on and trains them, taking them from their families. Few know if they have a relative who is a bladesmith (because many do not survive), though many claim it. For bladesmiths, working in volcanic heat and amongst the stones gains them enormous rubedian and earthpower aether. They become very powerful, though all that rubedian aether is dangerous. The armed forces depend upon them and will serve them quickly. Tanners are common in the midlands, and their guild has much leverage over the military, as they are also armor-makers and crafters of other important goods. They are also very popular among the common folk, and their transparency and openness to train people makes them one of the biggest guilds. However, because the tanning is more heat than earth, they have less earthpower and more rubedian power, which makes it a dangerous craft. The magma-herders are one of the most mystic and powerful guilds, but they are also a very dangerous craft. They are a small guild, but one supported by the people. They gain much in earthpower and rubedian aether, but only the best can be magma-herders. The fishermen and sailors are craftsmen of nets, knots, rope, barrel-making, shipwrighting, and more. These crafts are low in aetherial power and high in risk of subermsion at sea, so these crafts require side jobs, usually digging and masonry and charcoal burning. |
| Notables | Rochar the Red, notorious pirate |
| Sample statistics | PRO 10 ATH 8 Balance 14 STR 14 Toughness 17 AWA 10 Cave Sense 16 Nightvision 12 WIL 10 Stubborness 13 ROG 10 Crafting 13 |
GrandGuignol
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