Chapter One: The Lands of Aeliode Dwarf from a Free Dwarf Free Dwarves tend more towards a physique gained from long hours of physical work within their mountain homes They are more muscular and tend to have more hair than their House cousins Society The past wars against the Avitian Empire and the elven Huldufólk along with the resulting Treaty of Aactos, have shattered dwarven society in two Those dwarves who did not engage in direct conflict with the empire or provide weapons for the dwarven armies were allowed to stay in their mountain halls This group is referred to as Free (or mountain) Dwarves Those dwarves actively engaged in combat, forged weapons or armor for the combatants, or lead dwarven communities in any capacity were captured and brought back as slaves to the imperial city These dwarves who were forced into servitude by the treaty’s terms are referred to as House (or city) Dwarves Free Dwarves are similar to the dwarves of old, living in their mountains crafting and mining They wear their beards long and their hair is adorned with gold and silver These dwarves tend to be gruff and dislike interruptions to their work and lives It has taken decades, but they have learned the hard way not to voice their grievances too vocally when these disturbances come from Avitian nobility Though they are called Free Dwarves, this term is merely relative to the House Dwarves as this freedom is limited They are forbidden from forging items of war unless they have received permission to so from the Senatus Aeternalis The restriction has resulted in a further collapse of dwarven defences as well as a flood of dwarven made weapons flowing into imperial armories Many Free Dwarves still resent the terms of the Treaty of Aactos and have been quietly petitioning for new terms House Dwarves, on the other hand, have had their lives shaped by those they serve As they are considered representatives of noble houses, these dwarves tend to be well groomed and lack the scars and calluses that come with work under the mountains As a symbol of their servitude House Dwarves are forced to keep their beards short (no longer than a few inches) and unadorned While in the past dwarves looked down on their kind who would perform such practices, this hatred is not directed at the short- bearded dwarves themselves, but the Lords who forced this cultural oppression upon them Due to their years and generations in servitude, House Dwarves have also learned quite a bit concerning how to navigate the human political world They have shaken off their gruff demeanor and have become well skilled in diplomacy and teaching As such many Houses use dwarves in these roles Arts Due to the limitations placed on them by the Treaty of Aactos, dwarves have focused their creative energies into stonework/carving, cutting gemstones, jewelry and sometimes creating ornamental weapons and armor Their crafts tend towards the geometric in design and so are in line with the aesthetics of the general Avitian population Many dwarves have made their name carving the statues and busts found in the various cities and noble manors Indeed it is this statuary and their skill in cutting gemstones which form the basis for much of their artistic expression History In the early days of the Empire, human and dwarf lived together in relative peace and harmony But, as the power of humankind grew and the dynamic society and procreation of humankind far exceeded the longer lives and economic power of the dwarven holds, a war between man and dwarf exploded The fledgling Empire, in need of both an expansionist cause and new source of coin, plundered ancient dwarven kingdoms throughout the land The survivors were enslaved and used to build the great temples and towers of the Empire With such vast financial resources, the Empire continued to expand The Treaty of Aactos, signed in the year 11783 AE, instituted the state of enslavement of the Dwarven people in lieu of total annihilation Even though many have bought or gained freedom, the race continues to be in a state of semi-restriction Due to their longer lifespans as compared to humans, dwarves are commonly found working as tutors or Guild members The Major and Minor Houses all hold dwarves as retainers in one capacity or another Elf Forged in the heat of battle and tempered by centuries of diaspora, the elven soul did not fracture when it collided with the Godspine Mountains Generations of hardship stripped away the chaff of the elven mind and body and reformed them in the image of their new homeland The elves of the Empire are referred to as Spindral Elves by most others in the Empire, though the elves themselves prefer to refer to themselves by an older name the gained during their voyage across the Ightfal Tundra, the Huldufólk Physiology For the most part, the Huldufólk Elves of the Empire are physically similar to their Elvish cousins from the wilds