Denur

Denur
Pronunciation	Dé-nuur
Classification	Dwarf
Nicknames	Mountainfolk, Dwarf (Derogatory)
Languages	Common, Denurûm
Average Height	1.02m - 1.52m (3’4” - 5’0”)
Average Weight	60kg - 80kg (132lbs - 176lbs)
Maximum Age	~200 Years Old
Stat Bonuses	+0 Strength +4 Defense +0 Agility +0 Intelligence

Introduction

The Denur, or the Mountainfolk as they are sometimes dubbed by the other races of Eden, are one of the most ancient and proudest of the races on the continent. The stories of their ancestors are etched deep into the core of the continent and the hearts of these stubborn folk. Once they controlled an Empire that spanned across all the mountains, north to south, east to west, the remnants of their fallen holds can still be found and are hard to overlook. These days they are reserved to the northern part of the continent, most prominently their ancient capital of Dar-ach Denur, said to have been built by the first High King. Here they gather their strength in the hope that one day they will be able to return to the lost greatness of their ancestors and reclaim their birthright.

Your average Denur believes in three things: strength, fame, and wealth. Most prominently the last of these three, the Denur are known for their greed and willingness to delve deep for what they want, among those the most coveted metal of all; Starmetal. Through ages of living underground and honing their skills, the Denur have become the undisputed masters of the mine, their halls being the largest example of their prowess. Aside from being prolific miners, the Denur are also highly proficient engineers, smiths, and craftsmen, priding themselves on being able to produce weapons, armour, and even prosthetics that are far more advanced than anything the Humans or Elves could conjure.

To outsiders, the Denur can come across as arrogant or sheltered. They tend to keep to themselves and are distrusting of outsiders and visitors. Their harsh belief in their Ancestor Gods gives them an aura of ambition that one can easily get swept up in. These folk as a whole are a strong-willed and sturdy people, talented craftsmen, and hardy warriors. Above all they pride themselves on their loyalty to one another and those they have sworn an oath to. A Denur breaking a sworn oath would mean complete disgrace and an outsider breaking an oath to them will mean a deeply rooted grudge that will not be forgotten. The unbreakable bonds of kinship have made it so that the Denur are one of the most collected and unified races on the continent, and even though their way of ruling is often an absolute one, there exists a complete belief in a shared goal and ambition among the Denur.

Character Creation

Appearance

Physical Traits

An example of a Denur Woman.

The Denur are a short and stunted race in nature but possess an incredible degree of durability and endurance. They are often referred to as humanoid boulders, much like their environment, as they are practically immovable. The average Denur stands at a humble 1.02m to 1.52m in height, but they make up for their lack of height with their strong build, most noticeably their broad shoulders and powerful legs.

Denur often have pale skin due to one main reason, their lack of exposure to sunlight. It is not uncommon to see Clan colours painted upon their face as decoration. These mountain folk have a broad spectrum of hair colours, ranging from the deepest blacks to the brightest reds. The colour of their eyes often leans towards the lighter side of blues and greens, as these help with the dim lighting usually found within their underground holds. From a very young age (~12 years old) beards begin to grow on the faces of male Denur, these beards will from then on continue to grow for the rest of their lives. These beards hold a special place in Denur society, as they show their age, wealth, and experience. The longer their beard, the more respect a Denur deserves from his kin, having it trimmed or shaven is seen as a grand slight on one’s honour. Female Denur have this same system, only they similarly braid their hair to show status and renown.

Apparel:

The Denur have always been masters of adapting to their environment, and now that they mostly dwell in the snowy mountains and frozen tundras, the Denur have made it customary to wear multiple layers of clothing. The materials used for this clothing can consist of fur, leather, and steel and are usually covered in engravings of runes and symbolism of their feats and respective clans.

A guide to typical Denur Skin Colors

Languages

Through the centuries of Denur civilization, the language of the Mountainfolk has evolved alongside them. All Denur speak the common tongue, paired with what is usually a hefty accent derived from their original language, known as Denurûm. While speaking the common tongue, Denur often create more guttural sounds than the average speaker. For instance, the present participle of a verb would end with ‘-ing’, but a Denur would pronounce it as ‘-en’. The vowel ‘u’ sounds more similar to an ‘oo’-sound, the ‘i’ would sound more like an ‘eh’-sound, and more often than not they do not pronounce the ‘t’ if a word ends with it, resulting in words like ‘That’ becoming ‘Tha’. Their own, ancient, language of Denurûm is guttural. Denur have deep, resonant voices and a tendency to speak more loudly than is strictly necessary. Consonants are often spat aggressively or gargled in the back of the throat.

The Denurûm Language: Quick Guide
Greetings		Races		Titles
Denurûm	Common	Denurûm	Common	Denurûm	Common
Kverit	Greetings	Elrik(ar)	Elf	Harrikum	High King
Farvel	Farewell	Vit-Elrik	High Elf	Kalanfadur	Clan Father
Felag(ar)	Friend(s)	Holt-Elrik	Wood Elf	Langstrom	Ancestor
		Dôk-Elrik	Dark Elf	Harstrom	Graybeard
		Denur	Denur	Langstrom	Longbeard
		Ferum(ar)	Human(s)	Darstrom	Fullbeard
		Urk(ar)	Faulskins(s)	Strommi	Beardling
		Tuvlin	Tiefling	Thagi	Shaven (Traitor)
				Smidur	Smith
				Grungar	Miner
				Fadur	Father
				Modir	Mother
				Commonly Used Words
				Karazum	Mountain(s)
				Kalan	Clan
				Urk	Enemy
				Bryn	Gold

Naming Schemes

The naming of a Denur is often a complicated matter, as throughout their lives they can accrue multiple surnames. When a Denur is born, they are granted the name of their Clan as their surname such as “Whitebeard” or “Grudgebearer”, these names usually describe an overbearing physical feature, ability, skill, or profession that is common in their family. As they get older and begin to gain fame and renown, they may be given (nick)names such as “Heavybrow” or “Flameheart” which would then be placed in between their first name and their family name. These names can get even longer should titles or ranks be rewarded to the Denur.

Cultures

Nations and cultures in which the Denur race is present.

	The High Kingdom of Arduan	What is left of the ancient Empire of the Denur has now been dubbed the High Kingdom of Arduan, the lands in the north of Eden, controlled from the ancient seat of Dar-ach Denur. Here they mine their minerals and hoard their wealth, so that they one day may retake their fallen holds. The High Kingdom is ruled by a council of clans, who all advise the High King in matters of state. Due to this ancient system, the Denur have created a stable base from which to expand. The way of living within the High Kingdom is deeply rooted in their ancient customs and religion, believing that the mountains provide all they need. One nation, one purpose, one High King.

World View

General Attian Human opinions on the other races of Eden.

	On Attians…	Neutral “Aye, I do trade with ‘em from time to time. Easy enough to get some bryn out of, they’ll pay for just about anything Denur. Aside from tha’, I don’t talk to ‘em more than I ‘ave to.” Sylvia König, Imperial Huntress.
	On Hinterlanders…	Neutral “Hardy folk, those Hinterlanders. The northern ones at least, last time some o’ the southern ones moved up north they flooded the area with friends o’ the Urks.” Klaudius Jungling, Merchant from Adelsburg.
	On the Khadan…	Negative “They serve the Dôk-Elrik, an’ anyone who chooses to serve a friend o’ the Urks is an enemy o’ mine. I’m sure they’re equally as tolerable as the rest o’ the Ferumar, if anythin’.” Herman Voss, Imperial Innkeeper in Brandenhafen.
	On High Elves…	Slightly Negative “We’ve always been cordial with these Elrikar, but there’s somethin’ about ‘em tha’ makes me squint, mostly the fact they look down ‘pon us so much, lanky bastards.” Helena Bahl, Imperial border guard.
	On Wood Elves…	Slightly Negative “They are fine as long as they stay inside their holt, they stay out o’ my way, I’ll stay out o’ theirs. I trade with ‘em, but only because I ‘ave to.” Friederich von Löwenmark, Imperial diplomat.
	On Dark Elves…	Negative “Urk lovers, plain an’ simple. I’ve never been a fan o’ sand, and they choose to live on top of it, reason ‘nough to keep them at arm’s length I’d say.” Karl Ochsenbauer, Veronian Fisherman.
	On Halflings…	Negative “I keep ‘em as far away from me as I can, abominations. Tale goes they were once Denur like meself, only they got corrupted by the sun. Nowadays they live down south I believe, they can stay there.” Helmut Ganz, Farmer from Brandenhafen.
	On Orcs…	Very Negative “Urks, truly our greatest urks. I ever see one o’ them near me hold, it’ll get an axe between its eyes, tha’s for sure.” Holga Schwertz, Hintisch Cheese maker.
	On Goblins…	Very Negative “Travel in packs, these lot, easy ‘nough to end. Sneaky an’ dangerous should ye give ‘em the chance though. Not a chance I’ll let one of ‘em get away should I stumble ‘pon one.” Ingelbert Mehr, Imperial Soldier from Holstein.
	On Tieflings…	Slightly Negative “Spawn o’ the void, I tell ya. The Ancestors warned us about them lot, only bad things can come from trusting a Tuvlin. Horns are ‘sposed to be on yer helmet, not yer skull..” Gottfried Schwartzenkraus, Imperial Witch Hunter.

Character Traits

Upon creation of an Denur character, you can pick two of the following traits for your character to reflect their background.

Racial Traits - Denur
Nightseer	Players with this trait get the night vision effect when entering dark spaces and during the night.
Sturdy	Players with this trait get two extra points in the defence stat.
Strong	Players with this trait get two extra points in the strength stat.
Enduring as Rock	Whenever damage is done to this player, roll a D6. On a 4+, the attack that hit the player with this trait does -1 damage. (Resillience potion effect outside CRP)
Too Angry to Die	When a player with this trait reaches 0HP, they roll a D20. On a 15+ they regenerate 4 HP. (Totem of undying effect outside CRP.)
Magical Resilience	Players with this trait may ignore spell effects if the effectiveness roll is below 12
Natural Sprinter	Players with this trait may once per battle add 5 to their dash action range.
Warden	Players with this trait may choose to attempt to take damage aimed at their allies within 3 meters of them during CRP. When doing so, roll a D20. On an 8+, the player with the warden trait takes the damage instead of the target player.