Duergar, Andugr (4e Race)

Andugr
Summary::Vile tyrants, adapted to surviving in the harsh environment of the Underdark.

Equally skilled in both deception and combat, andugr are a repulsive offshoot of the dwarven race. Most at home in the lightless depths of the foreboding Underdark, they despise virtually every other race in existence and are on an endless conquest to enslave or kill all of them. They hate dwarves above all others, though, and will ally with other creatures temporarily if it means a chance to spill the blood of Moradin's children. Andugr are sometimes called gray dwarves by natives of the Underdark.

Play an andugr if you want...
 * to be a member of an evil, subterranean race.
 * to be able to alter your size.
 * to be a member of a race that favors the battlemind, invoker, and warden classes.

Origins of the Andugr
When the duergar freed themselves from the mind flayers and began attempting to build their own place in the world, the archdevil Asmodeus offered them dark and terrible power in their time of need; all he asked in return was that the duerger help further his goals in the material world. Desperate and weak, many duergar accepted his offer without question, and most duergar today carry obvious signs of infernal corruption. Some were not so eager to side with Asmodeus: they knew that devils consider no one to be their equals, and that their race's pact with Asmodeus was nothing if not a more subtle form of slavery. Angered by their brothers' weakness and determined that the fate of the duergar should be that of master rather than slave, these small factions broke off from the larger duergar society.

But these new duergar faced the same problem as before: they were few in number, scattered all across the Underdark, and they possessed very little power. During their time spent as slaves, however, they learned the fundamental truth of the world: if you want power, you must wrench it away from someone who already has it. Their few remaining spellcasters began scouring tomes of ancient lore seeking the means by which they could claim power from another race. Eventually, they found what they believed to be the most powerful source of all: the very spirits of the world. These primal entities had in ages past banished both the primordials and the gods from the world, and they exist as embodiments of every imaginable force in the multiverse. In time the duergar learned to bind a multitude of these spirits to their will, but one type caught their attention above all others: the spirits of giants. Having narrowly escaped servitude to Asmodeus and still baring the scars of their enslavement by the illithids, the duergar were reminded of eons long past when all dwarves were slaves to the fire giants of the Elemental Chaos. What better way to begin the new dawn of their species, they reasoned, than to enslave the very spirits of their original enemies? Thus the duergar bound these giant spirits to their own souls and in doing so gained a portion of their power, granting them the ability to alter their bodies and grow to tremendous size.

These duergar are not widely known about by surface dwellers, as they are relatively few in number and, unlike their infernal cousins, still strongly resemble a normal dwarf. Among those few who are aware of the split in duergar society, the term durzagon is used to refer to those duergar who formed the pact with Asmodeus, while the term andugr refers to those who did not.

Physical Qualities
Andugr greatly resemble their dwarf cousins, but they stand slightly taller on average and tend to weigh more. Their skin is grey or pale white, with the darkest possessed of skin that seems almost ebon in hue. Their eyes are equally dull, with any shade of grey or brown being the norm. The vast majority of andugr are naturally bald, including the females, and those that aren't often shave off their hair anyway, as it is viewed as nothing more than a detriment in combat. Their weapons and armor often depict leering demonic faces, images of rival creatures being executed, and similar ghastly scenes meant to demoralize opponents.

Andugr mature more quickly than humans early in life, reaching adulthood as young as 10, but then age slowly after that. Though capable of living well past 200 years, most will die of unnatural causes long before then.

Playing an Andugr
Andugr are cruel and heartless beings. They owe allegiance only to those who can enforce it, and seek to control all those weaker than themselves. Their culture is bland and lacking in traditions, owing in part to their exceedingly strict militaristic lifestyle. To an andugr, anything that does not directly contribute to its own survival or power is nothing more than a useless trinket. Accordingly, they have no appreciation of artistic expression, and their dwellings are roughly hewed from stone and furnished with the sparsest of accommodations.

The andugr are goal-oriented and adhere strictly to their hierarchical society (ironic for a race once determined to avoid slavery), though its exact structure can change drastically over time. Though they enjoy inflicting pain on others, they are practical individuals and will kill anyone too dangerous to risk keeping alive. An individual's standing within the community is greatly influenced by his battle prowess and, most importantly, the number of foes he has slain in combat. The leaders of andugr society are almost always powerful warlords and battle veterans.

They toil daily under the unending watch of Laduguer, their cruel and joyless deity, who demands that the andugr be prepared against any possible threat; to let your guard down for even a moment is to welcome death. Laduguer found the andugr after they separated from their infernal kin and offered them his patronage; they took to his worship because he asks nothing of his followers except that they dominate others. It is Laduguer who freed the dwarves (and by extension, the andugr) from the giants in eons past, or so he claims, and that the ungrateful surface dwarves have since repaid their debt by turning their backs to their andugr brethren. As retribution for their sacrilege, he calls for the andugr to slay dwarves whenever they can and urges his people to annihilate all others who stand before them: in Laduguer's eyes, mercy is weakness, and weakness is punishable by enslavement and death.

Andugr lack a true central city, since their militaristic mindset drives them to expand outward at an almost constant pace. Oftentimes the andugr will come to occupy the former city of a defeated enemy for a short time before moving on to future conquests, establishing permanent settlements only when doing so presents some form of tactical advantage. Perhaps the best known of these occupied cities is Elwynvanar, once a small but prosperous elven trade city. Though not necessarily larger than any other city the andugr occupy, Elwynvanar is unique in that it is situated directly between three allied elven nations. Despite their considerable combined military strength, the elves have been unable to reclaim their fallen city in over thirty years since it was first captured, much to their despair.

The names of andugr are noticeably dwarven in origin, but their syllables are often much harsher and lack the references to ancient heroes common in dwarf heritage. Clan names play an important role in andugr society, as an individual's role is all but interchangeable with that of any of his direct kin — that is, if an individual holds a position of power then so, theoretically, does each of his family members, provided they can enforce it on others.

Andugr Characteristics: Conniving, scheming, bland, biased, unforgiving, treacherous, spiteful, untrustworthy, militaristic.

Male Names: Asder, Bregg, Drek, Grogak, Meht, Odarth, Silek, Thar, Uldir, Zern.

Female Names: Alumm, Erbeth, Frega, Holn, Kasdi, Lokta, Norda, Skula, Sontra, Vil.

Clan Names: Ameth-adan, Drekhenn, Esregga'tor, Jormyulnar, Mardredeim, Memnagra, P'erthul, Qolnir-attar, Thras'holnir, Zortulgand.

Andugr Adventurers
Three sample andugr adventurers are described below.


 * Grogak is an andugr rogue who looks after the most important thing in existence — himself, of course. He is quick to suggest alliances with those more powerful than himself or who possess skills necessary for him to complete a mission; he is even quicker to plant a dagger in anyone foolish enough to accept. He is driven to take anything and everything that he wants from whoever happens to have it, and has already amassed a small fortune in illicit goods. Yet his insatiable greed continually pushes him to stage ever-grander robberies; those few who have met him and lived believe that it is only a matter of time before he sticks his fingers into the wrong pocket.


 * Erbeth is an andugr wizard nearly unique amongst her people, insomuch as she is dazzlingly beautiful by the standards of most races. Ever the pragmatist, Erbeth has surrounded herself with powerful warlords, politicians, and many individuals of ill repute, all drawn by her irresistible looks and the elusive promise of a place in her bedchambers. Though lacking in physical prowess, few would dare cross her, if only because there are so many who would rush to her defense.


 * Meht is a legendary warlord and a leader of his people, as cruel and sadistic as he is skilled with a blade. For many years he has waged war on the vile dwarves, rarely returning from a campaign with less than four dozen kills to his name. But Meht is no longer young, and he knows that it is only a matter of time before one of his lieutenants decides that they are better fit to hold his position. He is desperately searching for some means to offset the effects of old age, and is willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of it.

Andugr Racial Feats
The following feats are exclusive to the andugr race.
 * Heroic Tier: Contraction, Powerful Growth
 * Paragon Tier: Invigorating Growth
 * Epic Tier: Titan Form

Laduguer
Evil

Laduguer is the god of toil, hardship, and domination. He claims to have freed the andugr (and all dwarves) from the bondage of the giants. He is worshiped primarily by the andugr, but also by those who believe in progress and military might at the expense of all else, including justice and personal freedom. Laduguer's symbol is a broken crossbow bolt overlaying a grey or black shield. His clerics have access to the Toil of Laduguer feat. Laduguer's tenants are as follows:
 * Never allow the blood of the andugr to be tainted. Fight to the death against all outsiders, especially dwarves, and place your loyalties firmly within the andugr society.
 * Follow the command of your superiors, but only so long as they can maintain control over you. If they show weakness or lack in ability, it is your duty to overthrow them and assume their station as your own.
 * Those who survive are those who are willing to sacrifice the most to accomplish their goals. Spare no expense to attain progress and let nothing stand in the way of your power. Anything that holds you back should be expunged.