Dwarf, Sand (3.5e Race)

Sand Dwarf
Summary::A desert-bred race of Dwarvenkind who excel at surviving in the harsh, arid Blackgrain Desert of Zagir.

Personality
There is only one intelligent species who dares attempt existence in the seemingly endless wastelands of the Blackgrain Desert, and those peoples are Dwarves. Sand Dwarves, as they are more popularly called by outsiders, are a silent and fastidious lot, who waste as little effort and energy as possible. They don't speak very much at all, and even the most talkative of them might utter a couple of sentences each day. Instead, they communicate in a language of grunts and simple gestures their ancestors developed long ago to avoid having to shout over roaring desert winds and parch their mouths and lungs with hostile hot air. The Sand Dwarves, or Gen-karri, as they call themselves, are even less approachable than other Dwarves, if that could seem possible, but they believe in hard work and tireless effort, and will respect anyone who demonstrates these qualities. In fact, the Sand Dwarves are renkowned for being a lost traveler's only hope in the Blackgrain Desert. Should you make it as far into the Sandscape to reach the Blackgrain Desert of your own accord and the Sand Dwarves should find you, even the most hostile of them will at least respect your attempted endeavor and offer a drink of water and some food.

Physical Description
Sand Dwarves stand as tall as other Dwarves, and are every bit as stocky. The only real difference between them and other Dwarven peoples is their burnished bronze skin tone, and typically well-kept and (relatively) short beards. By cultural preference, both males and females grow long hair, with the women's hair typically being grown much longer. Even Sand Dwarf women grow out well-groomed sideburns, and it is viewed as an attractive quality by the males. Their eye colors are typically shades of brown or amber, but those born among them with green or blue eyes, while rare, are viewed as blessed by the Gods. Their hair is typically curly or wavy, and is almost always black or dark brown, with strands of silver-gray that begin to appear in a Sand-Dwarf's young adulthood. Elderly Sand Dwarves have hair of almost pure silver-gray or even white.

Relations
It is generally thought by outsiders that the Sand Dwarves are xenophobic at best, and hostile at worst. While it is true that few Sand Dwarves have ever left the Blackgrain Desert, it is moreso true that none of them talk enough to explain their outlook. The reality is that their peoples are generally good-natured, and very hard-working. The concept of dishonesty is actually almost a foreign concept to their peoples, as it's just beyond their reasoning to waste the effort in not simply conveying the truth. Everything they value is centered on merit and efficiency of effort, and they have no time or concern for those who would otherwise waste their energy. In a bizarre aspect of their culture, however, they value sleep quite highly, and don't mind if a person sleeps a great deal, as they prize the insight held in dreams. Indeed, the mystics of their kind are referred to in their native tongue as "sleepers," as they will often spend an entire day sleeping to glean meaning from their dreams. If a person wakes with no memory of a dream, only then have they wasted their time in sleeping.

Alignment
Sand Dwarves value hard work and efficiency, and are thus normally found doing exactly what needs to be done. In this manner, they are typically Lawful or Neutral. There is little respect for Chaotic behavior in their society. They understand that cooperation gets more done than lone practices, so they often value a sense of "greater good" that their individual efforts achieve. In this way, they are typically Good.

Lands
The Sand Dwarves only exist in the Blackgrain Desert, which is a comparatively small spot of desert with inexplicably black sand almost in the very middle of the massive desert known as the Sandscape. To outsiderd, they appears as a collection of nomadic tribes that wander this desert wasteland, but those who are in the know (Knowledge: Geography check DC 20) understand that the majority of their peoples thrive in a collection of ancient cavern systems that exist beneath the Blacksand Desert. Very few outsiders ever see the tunnels and caverns, nonetheless understand the amazing examples of technology that the Sand Dwarves jealously guard. Hydroponic plant systems, water productions and purification systems, entire yards of thriving animal stock, artificial heating, cooling, and light are all examples of the magic and technology systems the Sand Dwarves personally have developed. To see one of their cities is to witness a center of brilliant and marvelous efficiency.

Religion
Arrikki-Lan is the name of the Sand Dwarf goddess, and almost every single one of their peoples are devoted to her continuing worship. They all believe that she gives them great insight while they dream, and they all pray to her just before they go to sleep each night. She has a counterpart god, Jenrikki-Lan, who is by their legends her lover but who is only worshipped or prayed to when the Sand Dwarves go to war.

Language
Genrikk is the language the Sand Dwarves use, but a few more worldly Sand Dwarves learn Ordik (Dwarven), or Common.

Names
Sand Dwarves earn the name they will use forevermore as they reach young adulthood, and this name is based typically on a reknowned merit or skill the individual Dwarf achieves. Names like "Cropgrower," "Beast-Trainer," "Found the Way," or "Sung to Wurms" are all names the Sand-Dwarves would call one another, in combination with a family name. Very young Sand Dwarves who have not undergone a naming ritual are typically only known as "First-born," "Second-born," or "Third-born," in addition to their family names. Examples of family names are: Dendrikk, Evalok, Feldrikk, Halor, Henchikk, Jendor, or Sovrikk.

Racial Traits

 * : Sand Dwarves are tough and as hardy as other Dwarves, but they are even less sociable and amiable than other Dwarves, with a preference to remain silent rather than waste effort on speaking unnecessarily.
 * Type::Humanoid (Subtype::Dwarf): Sand Dwarves are a permutation of Dwarves.
 * Sand Dwarf Base Land Speed is 20 feet.
 * Heat Resistance : Sand Dwarves have Fire Resistance 2/-. In addition, they receive a +2 bonus of Fortitude saves to resist the effects of environmental heat or exhaustion effects caused by extreme heat.
 * Survivalist : The Sand Dwarves are a people who have to regularly survive in the harshest of desert conditions. They receive a +2 racial bonus to Survival.
 * Sleeper's Insights : Whenever a Sand Dwarf sleeps a full 8 hours, he or she has always had a dream that they can clearly recall. This is not so much an ability that they can control or command, but an opportunity for the GM to offer some portent of things to come to the character, if he or she so chooses.
 * Automatic Languages: Genrikk.
 * Bonus Languages: Common, Ordik (Dwarven), Penklak (Undercommon), Giant, Gnomish.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1