Daergar [Dwarf]

The daergar are dark dwarves who broke away from another deep-dwelling dwarven clan centuries ago, and few dwarves anywhere are as violent. They have light brown skin, beardless cheeks, black or gray hair and eyes of deep brown or violet. Somewhat stockier than other dwarves, they weigh 150 to 180 pounds and typically wear furs and leather boots over chain mail of a dull gray.

Quick to anger and savage in a fight, daergar have no sense of honor in battle. They are rarely met alone, they fight in squads of 1d6+6, frequently with hell hounds, wild dogs or similar vicious beasts. They carry shields and fight with battle axes, clubs and hammers.

Their imposing strongholds lie in caverns beneath a southern mountain range, and rumor places outposts in other lands. Their cities are dim and grim, dominated by windowless prison blocks and a vast arena where captives fight bloody bouts to entertain the citizens.

Females and young make up 40-50% of any group. Among adult males, roughly 80% fight at 1st level and 10% at 2nd or 3rd, while fighters of 4th level and up account for 5%, as do priests and thieves of assorted levels. The mightiest warrior rules, the title passing to his eldest son on his death, and he speaks for the daergar on the council of dwarven chieftains.

Bonemasters, elders who tend the bone pits on the edges of each settlement, are among the most honored daergar, shaping those bones into arms, armor and tools; there is usually one for every 200 daergar. They can also animate humanoid or animal skeletons as servants, controlling a number at once equal to their level, and these skeletons cannot be turned while their bonemaster lives. Bonemasters may belong to any class, and each picks a successor to learn the art.

Daergar care little about other races. They hate hill dwarves and feel no warmth toward humans, elves or wanderkin.