Athandr

The Athandr are the dwarves of the mountains, a people shaped by stone and steel, and bound by an enduring love of the heights and depths. On Encara, they built their homes in the roots of the great peaks, carving vast halls and fortresses that stood as both sanctuaries and monuments to their craft. Their skill in stonework and masonry was unparalleled, and the Athandr's creations—bridges spanning impossible chasms, fortresses perched on mountain spires, and cities carved from living rock—were celebrated across the world. They were more than mere builders; they were architects of permanence, their works as enduring as the mountains themselves.

To the Athandr, stone is more than a material—it is a companion, a teacher, and a legacy. They believed that stone held the memories of the world, and every cut or carving was a dialogue with the past. This reverence for their craft made the Athandr a people of patience and precision. In their culture, nothing is rushed, for anything worth doing is worth doing right.

Since their arrival on Thaedros, the Athandr have found themselves both at home and unmoored. The mountains of this new world are as majestic as those of Encara, but they are foreign and wild, their stones unfamiliar and their veins of ore unyielding. The songs they once sang to coax stone into yielding its secrets fall flat, and the patterns of strata and sediment that guided them for millennia are absent here. Yet, the Athandr are nothing if not adaptable. With pick and chisel in hand, they have begun the slow work of understanding Thaedros' mountains, seeking to rebuild the legacy they left behind.

In Yldan, the Athandr have settled alongside humans, gnomes, and many other peoples of the diaspora. This young and vibrant nation has become a hub of cooperation and shared purpose, and the Athandr have lent their expertise to the construction of its cities and fortresses. However, it is on the frontier where their connection with gnomes has truly flourished. Driven by curiosity and a shared love of exploration, many Athandr and gnomish pioneers have formed close partnerships, working together to chart the unclaimed mountains and wilds of Thaedros. These expeditions are as much about discovery as they are about rebuilding, forging bonds between the two peoples that echo the alliances of old.

Unlike many dwarves who have dispersed across Thaedros' frontier, the Athandr have forged strong ties with the Felaari elves in Enethir. This partnership is born of mutual respect for enduring craftsmanship and shared values of patience and legacy. Together, they have begun to raise new structures that blend elven artistry with dwarven precision, though the work is slow and deliberate, as both peoples are loath to compromise their ideals.

For the Athandr, the loss of Encara is a wound that runs deep, but they carry the memory of their homeland in every tool they wield and every stone they shape. To them, rebuilding is not merely a task—it is a sacred duty, a promise to the past that the legacy of their people will endure, no matter the challenges of this strange new world.

Racial Traits

Special Abilities

Mountainborn Accustomed to the thin air and harsh conditions of the high peaks, you have resistance to cold damage and ignore any drawbacks caused by high altitude.

Stonecunning When you make an Intelligence (History) check related to stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Unyielding Resilience When you make a saving throw against exhaustion, poison, or petrification, you roll with advantage.

Heirloom Tools You gain proficiency in either Mason's Tools or Smith's Tools. Additionally, when crafting an item from stone or metal, you halve the time required.

Basic Traits

Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

Speed Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Size Athandr are between 4 and 5 feet tall, with broad, dense builds. Your size is Medium.

Age Athandr dwarves reach physical maturity at the same rate as humans but are considered young until they reach 50. They often live for 300 years or more.

Backgrounds

Skyforge Artisan

The art of forging stone and metal is more than a trade—it is a sacred calling. You apprenticed under a master smith, mason, or architect, and your hands have shaped tools, weapons, or grand structures that may stand for centuries.

• Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Perception
• Tool Proficiencies: Smith's Tools or Mason's Tools, Cartographer's Tools
• Languages: One of your choice (Gnomish or Elvish recommended)
• Feature: Legacy of Stone - When you examine a crafted structure, you can determine its age, the techniques used to build it, and whether it has hidden structural weaknesses or reinforcements.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Strength, +1 Intelligence

Warden of the Peaks

As a guardian of the mountain trails and hidden passes, you spent years patrolling the treacherous peaks, keeping watch for threats and guiding lost travelers to safety.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
• Tool Proficiencies: Climber's Kit, Herbalism Kit
• Languages: One of your choice (Orcish or Sylvan recommended)
• Feature: Mountain's Endurance - You require half the usual food and water while traveling in cold or high-altitude environments. You also have advantage on any check to maintain balance or resist being knocked prone on natural rocky terrain.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom

Deep Delver

The call of the depths is strong in your blood. You were raised among those who seek out forgotten tunnels, lost veins of ore, and buried secrets hidden beneath the surface of the world.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Stealth
• Tool Proficiencies: Tinker's Tools, Miner's Tools
• Languages: Undercommon
• Feature: Echoes of the Deep - You always determine north when underground and have advantage on Perception checks to notice hidden tunnels, weak points in stone, or changes in air currents.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Constitution, +1 Intelligence