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{{unreferenced|2=01:17, September 24, 2010 (UTC)}}
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{{Cleanup|article|23:36, December 16, 2018 (UTC)|past tense, style}}
 
{{Creature
 
{{Creature
| image = [[Image:Arctic dwarf.jpg|250px]]
+
| image = <tabber>
| name = Arctic dwarf
+
3e = [[Image:Arctic dwarf.jpg|250px]]|-|
  +
2e = [[File:Arctic-dwarf-2e.png|250px]]|-|
| alignment =
 
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</tabber>
| type = [[natural (creature)|Natural]] [[humanoid]]
 
  +
| caption2 = Various depictions of arctic dwarves.
| subtype = [[Dwarf]]
 
| location = [[Great Glacier]]
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| name = Arctic dwarf
  +
| size5e =
  +
| type5e =
  +
| subtype5e =
  +
| alignment5e =
  +
| challenge5e =
  +
| refs5e =
  +
| size4e =
  +
| origin4e =
  +
| type4e =
  +
| subtype4e =
  +
| alignment4e =
  +
| refs4e =
  +
| size3e = Small
  +
| type3e = [[Humanoid]]
 
| subtype3e = [[Dwarf]]
  +
| alignment3e = Usually [[lawful neutral]]
  +
| challenge3e = {{Frac|1|2}}
  +
| refs3e = <ref name="MMv.3.5-p.91">{{Cite book/Monster Manual 3.5|91}}</ref><ref name="MC-MoF-p47">{{Cite book/Monsters of Faerûn|47}}</ref><ref name="RoF-p10" />
  +
| size2e = Small
  +
| alignment2e = [[Lawful neutral]]
  +
| refs2e = <ref name="TGG-p92">{{Cite book/The Great Glacier|92}}</ref>
  +
| size1e =
  +
| alignment1e =
  +
| refs1e =
  +
| patron deity =
  +
| vision = [[Darkvision]]<ref name="MMv.3.5-p.91" />
  +
| activecycle =
  +
| diet =
  +
| lifespan =
  +
| location = [[Great Glacier]]
  +
| language = [[Dwarvish]], [[Dwarvish#Kurit|Kurit]], [[Common]] ([[Sossal]] dialect), and [[Uluik]]
  +
| subraces =
  +
| climate = Cold<ref name="MC-MoF-p47" />
  +
| terrain = Mountains<ref name="MC-MoF-p47" />
  +
| height = 2'10" &ndash; 3'4" (male) /<br>2'6" &ndash; 3' (female)
  +
| weight = 52 &ndash; 82 lbs. (male) /<br>42 &ndash; 72 lbs. (female)
  +
| diet = Omnivore
  +
| skincolor = White to icy blue
  +
| haircolor = White
  +
| eyecolor = Bright blue
  +
| distinctions = Small, ruddy cheeks, physically powerful, clumsy, friendly, naturalistic
 
}}
 
}}
  +
'''Arctic dwarves''', also known as '''Inugaakalikurit''' (EE-nu-GA-ka-LEE-ku-rit<ref name="TGG-p5">{{Cite book/The Great Glacier|5}}</ref>), are a race of [[dwarf|dwarves]] located in the isolated reaches of the [[Great Glacier]] in [[Faerûn|Faerûn's]] northernmost reaches. Arctic dwarves have a different origin than most of the other dwarves in Faerûn as well as the [[duergar]], and are significantly different physiologically and culturally from other members of the Stout Folk, so much that they might be considered their own race. Arctic dwarves were almost entirely unheard of until relatively recent, when a group of them began settling the edges of [[Luruar]] a century ago.<ref name="RoF-p9">{{Cite book/Races of Faerûn|9}}</ref>
   
  +
==Ecology==
'''Arctic dwarves''', who call themselves the '''Inugaakalikurit''', are the isolated inhabitants of [[Faerûn|Faerûn's]] northernmost reaches. Native to the mountains at the heart of the [[Great Glacier]] and other northerly regions, arctic dwarves are little known to the outside world. Many arctic dwarves are [[ranger]]s, [[barbarian]]s, or [[fighter]]s, for they hold little interest in the spellcasting arts or godly worship.
 
  +
===Physical characteristics===
  +
Arctic dwarves are a very small race, not only in general but in comparison with dwarves as well. The average arctic dwarf is even shorter than a [[gnome]] or [[halfling]], standing at just over half the height of a [[shield dwarf]]. Physically, arctic dwarves are squat, with pinched faces and stubby legs, being nearly as wide as they are tall with their fingers and toes thick and blunt and their feet flat and wide. Their skin is typically quite pale, ranging from a pale shade of blue to white, except for their cheeks which are a ruddy red, although their frequent exposure to the sun means many are frequently sunburned. Arctic dwarf eyes are bright blue and their curly hair, which they usually let flow freely long to their waists, is white. Unlike most dwarves, arctic dwarf females can't grow beards, though men can, often growing short beards with twisting mustaches. Arctic dwarf dress is typically simple, most often little more than tunics of [[polar bear]] fur.<ref name="RoF-p9"/>
   
  +
====Abilities====
Arctic dwarves are unique among the [[dwarf|Stout Folk]] in that they do not trace their ancestry back to [[Bhaerynden]], the great cavern that later fell to the [[drow]] of [[Telantiwar]] and now lies open as the [[Great Rift]]. As such, they have little in common with other Stout Folk, lacking any common political, religious, craft, or magical traditions. In recent years{{timescale}}, a handful of arctic dwarves have migrated across the icy northern wastes to establish new settlements along the shores of the [[Great Ice Sea]] and in the [[Silver Marches]], but for the most part, the Inugaakalikurit have dwelt in splendid isolation for uncounted generations, wholly content with their lot in life.
 
  +
While ostensibly dwarves, arctic dwarves have many significant physical and ability differences between themselves and other dwarves. For instance, while arctic dwarves are frequently sunburned due to their constant exposure to the sun, this causes them no harm, suggesting a resistance to radioactivity.<ref name="RoF-p9"/> Arctic dwarves are also significantly stronger than most dwarves, while being, in spite of their size, less dexterous. Arctic dwarves are also completely immune to the effects of extreme cold.<ref name="RoF-p10">{{Cite book/Races of Faerûn|10}}</ref>
   
== Appearance ==
+
===Psychology===
  +
In general, arctic dwarves are a gregarious people, open to the company of others. Unlike other dwarves they care little from what bloodline another dwarf comes from and have next to no materialistic drive, believing instead in living life to the fullest. In part, this is derived from the primitive nature of arctic dwarven society, which relies on hunting and foraging to sustain itself, restricting the accumulation of private property but at the same time allowing for a greater amount of free time than civilized cultures do.<ref name="RoF-p9"/>
Arctic dwarves are squat and hardy, with blocky bodies, pinched faces, and stubby legs. They rarely exceed three feet in height and are nearly as broad as they are tall. Their eyes are bright blue, their cheeks as ruddy as apples. Their skin is white, almost bluish, but because of their fondness for basking under the bright sun, many of them are sunburned red from head to toe, a condition that causes them no discomfort or other ill effects. Their fingers and toes are thick and blunt and their feet flat and wide. Curly white hair covers their heads and tumbles down their backs nearly to their waists. Males sport short beards and twisting mustaches. Both sexes favor simple tunics of polar bear fur and generally go barefoot.
 
   
  +
While individualistic and open-minded, arctic dwarves rarely venture beyond their own homelands to adventure. Those that do are usually driven by a spirit of curiosity, falling into the life of an [[adventurer]] more by default than by conscious decision. These individuals often become [[ranger]]s or [[barbarian]]s, which the self-sufficient lifestyle of an arctic dwarf is well-suited for and which draw upon the long history of their people's fight against the [[frost giant]]s of the north.<ref name="RoF-p9"/>
== Personalities ==
 
Arctic dwarves are open and friendly and can be quite sociable with neighboring races, with the exception of [[frost giant]]s, whom they despise. Unlike other dwarves, Inugaakalikurit have little interest in mining or crafts, instead devoting themselves to hunting, raising children, and leisure. Traditional dwarven strictures, such as those imposed by family and clan, hold little weight in arctic dwarf society, and history and the past achievements of one’s ancestors are seen as little more than a source of enjoyable tales. Arctic dwarves are quite curious about the outside world, although they have little inclination to go and see it.}}
 
   
== History ==
+
===Culture===
  +
Given the scattered nature of their population it is remarkable that arctic dwarf society is as homogeneous as it is, most likely the result of millennia spent in isolation from other races. Unlike most dwarves, the arctic dwarves do not divide themselves by clan lineage but neither is individualism highly valued among the illiterate race, who do not frequently remember individual deeds for more than a generation. Nor do arctic dwarves value hard work or craftsmanship to the same degree as other dwarves or indeed as most other races.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
Since the arctic dwarves have no historical record other than their own stories, little is known about the true history of this enigmatic subrace. Scholars believe that the arctic dwarves migrated into northern Faerûn around the same time as the Stout Folk who originally founded Bhaerynden, but, if that is true, they have left no trace of their passing. Some claim that the Inugaakalikurit once ruled a northern empire that rivaled great Bhaerynden, but the Great Glacier long ago crushed any ruins it might have left.
 
   
  +
Instead, arctic dwarves focus themselves on contributing to the greater communal good, which itself demands very little from them, meaning that most of the race are content to live in ease without concern for the future. Young children receive a great deal of attention and raised by most of the community as a whole. Elders are largely devoid of any responsibility at all in arctic dwarf society, which sees it as their right to live without worries for the remainder of their days before being buried beneath the snow and ice when they finally leave the mortal world.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
Arctic dwarves did not always claim the towering peaks of [[Novularond]] as their home. Prior to the coming of the [[Ulutiun]]s, they dwelt in small villages across the Great Glacier. Since adapting to their alpine homes, the arctic dwarves have dwelt in quiet isolation, untouched by the passage of time.
 
   
  +
Arctic dwarves are few in number as it is and only very rarely have they migrated from their northern homes to more temperate regions. As a result, they integrate poorly with outside cultures and often exert a great deal of effort looking for others of similar mind to replicate the casual lifestyle of their culture.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
== Outlook ==
 
Arctic dwarves are friendly and outgoing, little concerned with class or clan distinctions. They enjoy life to the fullest and see little reason to accumulate wealth or material possessions. They believe in hunting and gathering sufficient food to feed themselves but otherwise have little interest in labor of any sort. They strive to spend as much time as possible in leisurely pursuits, storytelling, sports such as wrestling, and games with their children.
 
   
  +
Some arctic dwarves dwelt in [[snowhouse]]s, like the arctic [[human]]s of the regions in which they lived.<ref name="TGG-p60">{{Cite book/The Great Glacier|60}}</ref>
Arctic dwarves are rarely drawn to adventuring, but those who do usually evince a curiosity about other cultures so strong that they willingly forgo the life of leisure they might otherwise pursue. Instead of waiting to chance upon evidence of other cultures in their remote glacial homes, they head out to explore the world, seeking out the exotic and the new. As such, they stumble into adventures by happenstance, happily exploring any new environment they come across.
 
   
  +
Arctic dwarves almost exclusively speak Kurit, a rare dialect of [[Dwarvish]] that is significantly influenced by [[Uluik]], though a few also speak the [[Sossal]] dialect of [[Common]]. Other arctic dwarves learn Uluik, [[Giant language|Giant]], [[Damaran language|Damaran]], or [[Draconic language|Draconic]]. Although nearly all arctic dwarves are illiterate, Kurit does use a version of the [[Dethek alphabet]] and many arctic dwarves who become adventurers are literate.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
== Society ==
 
Arctic dwarf culture is remarkably homogeneous, the result of centuries of isolation from the other races of Faerûn. Compared to other dwarven cultures, Inugaakalikurit place almost no emphasis on bloodline or clan. While individual accomplishment does garner respect, rarely are such feats remembered for more than a generation. The pursuit of leisure is placed above hard work or skilled artisanship, and few arctic dwarves are driven to accomplish more than continued survival.
 
   
  +
====Art and leisure====
Arctic dwarves receive a great deal of individual attention in childhood, with all adult members of the community serving as parental figures to varying degrees. Little is expected of Inugaakalikurit youth, so they spend their days engaged in playful pursuits. As adults, each arctic dwarf is expected to contribute to the community's well-being, but there is little societal reward for doing more than the minimum required. Elderly arctic dwarves are considered to have earned the right to live out the rest of their days engaging in leisurely pursuits and are simply encased beneath the ice and snow when death finally claims them. Arctic dwarves have emigrated in such small numbers from their mountain homes that they have very little experience as minorities within other cultures. Those who do leave usually look for individuals of similar temperament, regardless of race, and attempt to recreate the easygoing lifestyle of their native villages.
 
  +
Because of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, arctic dwarves do not have a great degree of free time on their hands and as a result value leisure. Among the activities enjoyed is [[dog]] riding and the arctic dwarves employ a large number of riding dogs as pets, mounts, hunting companions, and beasts of burden.<ref name="RoF-p10-11">{{Cite book/Races of Faerûn|10-11}}</ref>
   
  +
Arctic dwarf crafts are largely limited to practical items, such as hunting weapons or survival tools. Many arctic dwarfs wear [[hide armor]], the pelts of polar bears being the most valued.<ref name="RoF-p11">{{Cite book/Races of Faerûn|11}}</ref> Most arctic dwarfs go barefoot, in spite of the cold.<ref name="RoF-p9"/> For hunting tools, arctic dwarfs prefer the use of [[arctic harpoon]]s, even though their size is awkward, driven on by myths about arctic dwarfs felling improbably large quarries with similar harpoons.<ref name="RoF-p11"/>
   
== Language and Literacy ==
+
====Magic and Religion====
  +
For the most part, arctic dwarves lack any significant [[magic]]al traditions and largely view the Art as impractical. The [[magical item]]s found among the race are mostly created by [[druid]]s or the race's small number of [[arcane spellcaster]]s, among the most common of which are ''[[amulet of natural armor|amulets of natural armor]]'' and ''[[snowshoes of speed]]''. One of the few magic items unique to arctic dwarves are ''[[kerrenderit]]'' or magically shaped ice crystals often used as arrowheads.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
Like all dwarves, arctic dwarves speak a dialect of [[Dwarven]] and employ the [[Dethek]] rune alphabet. They also speak the dialect of [[Common]] spoken in [[Sossal]]. The Inugaakalikurit dialect of Dwarven is known as [[Kurit]] and has strong ties to [[Uluik]], the Ulutiun tongue spoken by the [[human]]s of the Great Glacier and the [[Ice Hunter]]s of the [[North]]. Common secondary languages include Uluik, [[Giant language|Giant]], [[Damaran language|Damaran]], and [[Draconic language|Draconic]], which enable arctic dwarves to communicate with their neighbors.
 
   
  +
In addition to lacking an arcane spellcasting tradition, the arctic dwarves are not particularly religious and venerate neither the [[Morndinsamman]] nor any other [[god]]s. Instead, the arctic dwarves venerate the natural world, sometimes honoring [[Talos]] or [[Ulutiu]] in the process.{{Fact}} Those few dwarves who practice any magic of any kind are most frequently [[druid]]s, [[adept]]s, or [[ranger]]s. Arctic dwarf druids are somewhat notable for their reliance on fire-based magic, which they employ against [[frost giant]]s, [[frost worm]]s, and other foes to great effectiveness.<ref name="RoF-p10"/>
== Spells and Spellcasting ==
 
Arctic dwarves do not have an arcane spellcasting tradition. Since they do they not worship the [[dwarven pantheon|dwarven deities]], they lack a strong divine spellcasting tradition as well. Most arctic dwarf spellcasters are [[druid]]s, [[adept]]s, and rangers. The druids in particular have an affinity to fire magic, because many of their most common foes (such as frost giants and [[frost worm]]s) fear and hate flames.
 
   
  +
====Relations with other races====
  +
Arctic dwarves have very little contact with anyone besides themselves, frost giants, with whom they are deadly foes, and Ulutiun [[human]]s, with whom they have friendly relations. However, because arctic dwarves are a friendly and open-minded race they are usually very tolerant of outsiders. [[Gnome]]s and other dwarves are often considered amusing to arctic dwarves due to their mix of familiar and alien, an attitude that also applies to a lesser extent to humans other than the Ulutuiuns. The most familiar of the [[Tel-quessir]] to arctic dwarves are flying [[avariel]] and as a consequence arctic dwarves typically treat [[elf|elves]] and [[eladrin]] with a degree of awe. Most other [[humanoid]] races only rarely encounter the arctic dwarves and are considered quite exotic.<ref name="RoF-p10-11"/>
   
  +
==History==
== Arctic Dwarves and Magical Items ==
 
  +
Unlike most dwarves, arctic dwarves do not claim descent from the ancient kingdom of [[Bhaerynden]]. Instead they seem to be an artifact from an even more ancient lineage, the origins of which little is known save that they came from one branch of the first dwarves in Faerûn that migrated from beneath modern day [[Semphar]].<ref>{{Cite book/Races of Faerûn|8}}</ref>
Arctic dwarves rarely employ magic items, as they do not have a cultural tradition of [[cleric]]s or arcane spellcasters to craft such items. Those few items that do exist are usually fashioned by druids or the rare arctic dwarf arcane spellcaster and include such items as an [[amulet of natural armor]] and [[snowshoes of speed]].
 
   
  +
The Innugaakalikurit have dwelt upon the [[Great Glacier]] since about {{Yearlink|-2275}},<ref>{{Cite book/The Great Glacier|5}}</ref> but contact with the outside world has been almost entirely absent until relatively recently, when small groups began to settle the shores of the [[Great Ice Sea]] and parts of [[Luruar]]'s northern reaches.{{Fact}}
In caves carved into the Great Glacier, arctic dwarves nurture coin-sized ice crystals of exceeding sharpness. Called kerrenderit in the Kurit tongue, these crystals can be magically enhanced to form deadly arrowheads. The kerrenderit crystals take a long time to form in their icy caves, so only the greatest hunters among the arctic dwarves carry kerrenderit arrows in their quivers.
 
   
  +
Most scholars believe their initial migration to the north occurred about the same time as the founding of Bhaerynden. Others claim that the arctic dwarves once ruled a mighty empire of their own. Other than the fact that the arctic dwarves, prior to the coming of the [[Ulutiuns]], once covered most of the Great Glacier living in small villages, but are now limited to the peaks of [[Novularond]], almost all theories about the race's origins and history are poorly supported speculation.<ref name="RoF-p9"/>
== Deities ==
 
Among the various dwarven subraces, the Inugaakalikurit are unique in that they do not venerate the Morndinsamman or, indeed, worship any gods. A few exceptions exist, including a few arctic dwarves who have turned to the worship of the human god [[Ulutiu]]. Instead, the arctic dwarves follow a druidic tradition, venerating [[Talos]] and Ulutiu.
 
   
  +
==Appendix==
== Arctic Dwarves and Other Races ==
 
  +
===References===
Isolated as they are by their environment, arctic dwarves have little experience with members of other races aside from Ulutiun humans and frost giants. They get along well with the former and hate the latter. Since most arctic dwarves are amiable and peace-loving, they treat representatives of most other races favorably unless shown reason not to. The Inugaakalikurit find other dwarves and [[gnome]]s somewhat amusing, a combination of their familiar appearance and odd (to an arctic dwarf) ways. Likewise, humans other than Ulutiuns are seen as odd since their cultures differ greatly from that known to arctic dwarves. The Inugaakalikurit regard [[elf|elves]] and [[half-elf|half-elves]] with a measure of awe, having only ever seen [[winged elf|winged elves]] soaring high above their mountain homes. [[Halfling]]s, [[half-orc]]s, and [[planetouched]] are exotic creatures to a typical arctic dwarf.
 
  +
{{Refs}}
 
== Equipment ==
 
Arctic dwarves commonly employ only a handful of weapons, including battleaxes, halfspears, shortbows, and shortspears. Most arctic dwarves wear hide armor, with pelts of polar bears being most highly prized. The harsh arctic environment of the Great Glacier requires the use of dogsleds, snow goggles, and snowshoes.
 
 
Arctic dwarves favor riding dogs with heavy winter coats as pets and pack animals. When they hunt behind dogsleds, they often chase down and exhaust their prey, then finish the hunt with arctic harpoons.
 
 
While the arctic harpoon can be difficult for arctic dwarves to wield, they favor it anyway, motivated by a mythic tradition of arctic dwarf harpooners who felled impossibly large polar bears and other prey.
 
   
  +
===Connections===
 
{{Dwarves}}
 
{{Dwarves}}
[[Category:Arctic dwarves| ]]
 

Revision as of 04:34, 31 March 2020

Arctic dwarves, also known as Inugaakalikurit (EE-nu-GA-ka-LEE-ku-rit[5]), are a race of dwarves located in the isolated reaches of the Great Glacier in Faerûn's northernmost reaches. Arctic dwarves have a different origin than most of the other dwarves in Faerûn as well as the duergar, and are significantly different physiologically and culturally from other members of the Stout Folk, so much that they might be considered their own race. Arctic dwarves were almost entirely unheard of until relatively recent, when a group of them began settling the edges of Luruar a century ago.[6]

Ecology

Physical characteristics

Arctic dwarves are a very small race, not only in general but in comparison with dwarves as well. The average arctic dwarf is even shorter than a gnome or halfling, standing at just over half the height of a shield dwarf. Physically, arctic dwarves are squat, with pinched faces and stubby legs, being nearly as wide as they are tall with their fingers and toes thick and blunt and their feet flat and wide. Their skin is typically quite pale, ranging from a pale shade of blue to white, except for their cheeks which are a ruddy red, although their frequent exposure to the sun means many are frequently sunburned. Arctic dwarf eyes are bright blue and their curly hair, which they usually let flow freely long to their waists, is white. Unlike most dwarves, arctic dwarf females can't grow beards, though men can, often growing short beards with twisting mustaches. Arctic dwarf dress is typically simple, most often little more than tunics of polar bear fur.[6]

Abilities

While ostensibly dwarves, arctic dwarves have many significant physical and ability differences between themselves and other dwarves. For instance, while arctic dwarves are frequently sunburned due to their constant exposure to the sun, this causes them no harm, suggesting a resistance to radioactivity.[6] Arctic dwarves are also significantly stronger than most dwarves, while being, in spite of their size, less dexterous. Arctic dwarves are also completely immune to the effects of extreme cold.[3]

Psychology

In general, arctic dwarves are a gregarious people, open to the company of others. Unlike other dwarves they care little from what bloodline another dwarf comes from and have next to no materialistic drive, believing instead in living life to the fullest. In part, this is derived from the primitive nature of arctic dwarven society, which relies on hunting and foraging to sustain itself, restricting the accumulation of private property but at the same time allowing for a greater amount of free time than civilized cultures do.[6]

While individualistic and open-minded, arctic dwarves rarely venture beyond their own homelands to adventure. Those that do are usually driven by a spirit of curiosity, falling into the life of an adventurer more by default than by conscious decision. These individuals often become rangers or barbarians, which the self-sufficient lifestyle of an arctic dwarf is well-suited for and which draw upon the long history of their people's fight against the frost giants of the north.[6]

Culture

Given the scattered nature of their population it is remarkable that arctic dwarf society is as homogeneous as it is, most likely the result of millennia spent in isolation from other races. Unlike most dwarves, the arctic dwarves do not divide themselves by clan lineage but neither is individualism highly valued among the illiterate race, who do not frequently remember individual deeds for more than a generation. Nor do arctic dwarves value hard work or craftsmanship to the same degree as other dwarves or indeed as most other races.[3]

Instead, arctic dwarves focus themselves on contributing to the greater communal good, which itself demands very little from them, meaning that most of the race are content to live in ease without concern for the future. Young children receive a great deal of attention and raised by most of the community as a whole. Elders are largely devoid of any responsibility at all in arctic dwarf society, which sees it as their right to live without worries for the remainder of their days before being buried beneath the snow and ice when they finally leave the mortal world.[3]

Arctic dwarves are few in number as it is and only very rarely have they migrated from their northern homes to more temperate regions. As a result, they integrate poorly with outside cultures and often exert a great deal of effort looking for others of similar mind to replicate the casual lifestyle of their culture.[3]

Some arctic dwarves dwelt in snowhouses, like the arctic humans of the regions in which they lived.[7]

Arctic dwarves almost exclusively speak Kurit, a rare dialect of Dwarvish that is significantly influenced by Uluik, though a few also speak the Sossal dialect of Common. Other arctic dwarves learn Uluik, Giant, Damaran, or Draconic. Although nearly all arctic dwarves are illiterate, Kurit does use a version of the Dethek alphabet and many arctic dwarves who become adventurers are literate.[3]

Art and leisure

Because of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, arctic dwarves do not have a great degree of free time on their hands and as a result value leisure. Among the activities enjoyed is dog riding and the arctic dwarves employ a large number of riding dogs as pets, mounts, hunting companions, and beasts of burden.[8]

Arctic dwarf crafts are largely limited to practical items, such as hunting weapons or survival tools. Many arctic dwarfs wear hide armor, the pelts of polar bears being the most valued.[9] Most arctic dwarfs go barefoot, in spite of the cold.[6] For hunting tools, arctic dwarfs prefer the use of arctic harpoons, even though their size is awkward, driven on by myths about arctic dwarfs felling improbably large quarries with similar harpoons.[9]

Magic and Religion

For the most part, arctic dwarves lack any significant magical traditions and largely view the Art as impractical. The magical items found among the race are mostly created by druids or the race's small number of arcane spellcasters, among the most common of which are amulets of natural armor and snowshoes of speed. One of the few magic items unique to arctic dwarves are kerrenderit or magically shaped ice crystals often used as arrowheads.[3]

In addition to lacking an arcane spellcasting tradition, the arctic dwarves are not particularly religious and venerate neither the Morndinsamman nor any other gods. Instead, the arctic dwarves venerate the natural world, sometimes honoring Talos or Ulutiu in the process.[citation needed] Those few dwarves who practice any magic of any kind are most frequently druids, adepts, or rangers. Arctic dwarf druids are somewhat notable for their reliance on fire-based magic, which they employ against frost giants, frost worms, and other foes to great effectiveness.[3]

Relations with other races

Arctic dwarves have very little contact with anyone besides themselves, frost giants, with whom they are deadly foes, and Ulutiun humans, with whom they have friendly relations. However, because arctic dwarves are a friendly and open-minded race they are usually very tolerant of outsiders. Gnomes and other dwarves are often considered amusing to arctic dwarves due to their mix of familiar and alien, an attitude that also applies to a lesser extent to humans other than the Ulutuiuns. The most familiar of the Tel-quessir to arctic dwarves are flying avariel and as a consequence arctic dwarves typically treat elves and eladrin with a degree of awe. Most other humanoid races only rarely encounter the arctic dwarves and are considered quite exotic.[8]

History

Unlike most dwarves, arctic dwarves do not claim descent from the ancient kingdom of Bhaerynden. Instead they seem to be an artifact from an even more ancient lineage, the origins of which little is known save that they came from one branch of the first dwarves in Faerûn that migrated from beneath modern day Semphar.[10]

The Innugaakalikurit have dwelt upon the Great Glacier since about −2275 DR,[11] but contact with the outside world has been almost entirely absent until relatively recently, when small groups began to settle the shores of the Great Ice Sea and parts of Luruar's northern reaches.[citation needed]

Most scholars believe their initial migration to the north occurred about the same time as the founding of Bhaerynden. Others claim that the arctic dwarves once ruled a mighty empire of their own. Other than the fact that the arctic dwarves, prior to the coming of the Ulutiuns, once covered most of the Great Glacier living in small villages, but are now limited to the peaks of Novularond, almost all theories about the race's origins and history are poorly supported speculation.[6]

Appendix

References

Connections

Arctic dwarfChultan dwarfDesert dwarfGold dwarfShield dwarfUrdunnir dwarfWild dwarf
Related Races
Athasian dwarf (Mul)AzerDerroDuergarDurzagonD'tarigKorobokuruMaeluthYsgardian dwarf