Page 77 - Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Deluxe

Giants don't launch direct attacks on dwarven strong- FRIENDLY FROM A DISTANCE
holds except under extraordinary circumstances. Their Even though dwarves have a natural affinity for one an-
other, different clans keep a comfortable distance between
size is a great disadvantage in the underground pas-
their strongholds. Anyone not of the clan, even another
sages of a fortress, potentially turning any such assault
dwarf, is considered an outsider.
into a suicide mission. Relations between neighboring clans are cordial, if not
warm. They might exchange messengers to share lore
0RCS and news that can prove useful against the vagaries of the
Every ore tribe dreams of overrunning a dwarven outside world, but that is likely to be the extent of their
stronghold and returning to the caves with a war wagon contact. Under normal circumstances, dwarves prefer to
laden with gold, gems, stout armor, and sharp weap- be left alone. Interacting with neighbors brings unpredict-
ons. Given the ores' propensity to rely on brute force ability and change, things dwarves prefer to avoid.
rather than cunning, they can overcome only severely Circumstances cease to be normal when a clan faces an
weakened dwarven strongholds. Unfortunately for the external threat. When word gets out that one of their own
dwarves, ores seem to receive omens from Gruumsh is in danger, dwarves of other clans rally against the threat
bidding them to invade a stronghold just when it is without question. The standoffish diplomacy that marks
wracked with plague, riven by infighting, or otherwise at their normal relations gives way to an unshakable alliance.
An attack on one dwarf clan is an attack against them all.
its weakest. The all-seeing eye of Gruumsh is ever vigi-
lant for signs that Moradin's children have faltered.
deals that fail to benefit the clan, and stone carvers start
DUERGAR using short cuts that compromise their constructions.
The evil dwarves of the Underdark are responsible for If such a decline continues for too long and becomes
the constant undercurrent of peril in the life of any clan. too severe, the result could be a schism within the clan.
Although the duergar don't come near the surface in The quarreling factions might segregate themselves in
sufficient numbers to invade and occupy a stronghold, different parts of the stronghold; in an extreme case,
they send out raiding parties to set upon any dwarves some clan members might leave to found a new commu-
they find on the loose and to pull off occasional acts of nity. In either event, a divided clan is weaker than it was
sabotage or guerrilla activity. Though no dwarven for- before the unrest occurred, and thus it's an easier target
tresses are currently at risk of succumbing to a duergar for outside enemies. If selfishness and greed were not
onslaught, none of them are immune to the treachery enough to bring the clan to utter destruction, the horde
that a small group of gray dwarves can commit. of ores waiting to attack will be happy to finish the job.
WHEN CLANS COLLAPSE A LIFE IN EXILE
If the worst comes to pass and the loss of a clan's
WE HAVE BUT ONE DESIRE-REVENGE AGAINST TI-IOSE stronghold to invaders is inevitable, most of the dwarves
who drove us out of our home. would be willing to die while making a last stand for
their home. But the clan must survive, even if only as a
- Queen Helgret Deephammer,
shell of its former self, and so every clan has a contin-
of the Deephammer clan in exile gency plan to secure a safe escape for the stronghold's
children and enough adults to care for them.
For all the attention dwarves pay to their defenses and If the survivors are able to get away, they tend to
the security of their homes, no clan is immortal and no seek shelter in a human city or kingdom. Their skill as
stronghold unassailable. Threats to a clan can come artisans ensures that almost any community would wel-
from the outside or the inside, and it's often the latter come their contribution to the workforce, and they can
variety that proves more difficult to defeat. eke out a comfortable existence for themselves.
Every clan is aware that there are plenty of unprinci- A group of refugee dwarves seeking residence in a
pled creatures in the world that would love to steal its community will do whatever they can to live together,
cherished works or even obliterate the dwarves and take keeping the clan intact. They recreate what they can of
over their home. Formidable though they may be, these their former lifestyle, living underground when possible
are enemies that can be prepared for. More insidious and remaining isolated from their neighbors.
are the forces that can tear apart a clan from within.
DWARF ADVENTURERS
FESTERING RIVALRIES ~~~~~~~~~~-
It's not unusual for individuals in a clan to fall prey to oc- THE MOUNTAJNS WERE HOME ONCE, BUT NEVER AGAJN.
casional bickering and infighting. Abbathor's influence -Tenelar, Outcast of Five Peaks
affects some dwarves more than others, and even those
with the strongest resolve can be tempted to compro- A dwarf who leaves the stronghold to pursue a life of ad-
mise their principles from time to time.
venturing does so for one of two reasons. Some dwarves
Minor turmoil of this sort rarely leads to civil war or
set out with the blessing of the clan to undertake an im-
a rapid decline of the clan's strength. But in the worst
portant mission. Others depart, willingly or otherwise,
cases, a clan's collective lack of dedication to its goals
because they simply don't fit in.
strains the bonds between elements that must work When a situation calls for such drastic action, the no-
together for the clan to prosper. Feuds between artisans
bles or priests select one or more clan members to ven-
drive wedges between families. Dwarf traders strike
ture forth. These dwarves are charged with a specific
quest, such as recovering a stolen artifact or discovering
C H APTER 3 I DWARVES AND DUERCAR