Here's a short description of a dwarven sect I use in my campaign. They were specifically written for "the Twin Campaigns" as enemies of the worshippers of Gylgarid in Heldann. But they can easily be used as a weird isolated tribe for any purposes.
Sons of Rock
by Ville V LähdeThis is a strange tribe of dwarves living in the Mengul-mountains north of Heldann freeholds. Their origins are unknown, but it is unlikely that they are an offshoot of the Rockhome dwarves - so vastly different is their culture and their worldview. More likely they are descendants of the dwarves that were before Kagyar's great experiment. These elder dwarves were much more closely connected to the body of Mystara, its rock, dirt and soul.
The most distinct feature of the Sons of Rock is that they utterly refuse to use metal objects. They don't mine ore or any other minerals, for they consider such activities sacrilege. The body of Mystara is sacred to them, it is a living person and a deity. Their religion resembles that of the druids, except that they don't pay so much attention to living beings but to non-organic matter. Their religion sees Mystara as a feminine entity, a mother.
Lifestyle:
The Sons of Rock use wood, bone, glass, hides and naturally formed rocks as building materials. In modern terms, erosion is a process where rock becomes non-sacred, a gift from Mother Mystara. Their shamans/druids do have some secret knowledge on mining, but it is to be used only to preserve their home from bigger threats. Examples of this might be intensive mining of ore, which could incite the tribe to attack mining sites and destroy them by using a sort of "seismic charges" that the shamans are able to manufacture. (GM note: The charges are made by combining druidic rites and alchemic knowledge.)
Common occupations among the tribesmen and -women include glassmaking, hunting, agriculture, carpentry, foraging (especially eggs and feathers), and raising poisonous snakes. They prefer to use poisonous arrows in hunting and war. Their diet includes mushrooms that are cultivated in moist caves, snakes, eggs, moss and occasionally meat (they prefer bear). Clothing is made of fur, hides and crude textiles that are crafted from certain plant stems.
The Mengul mountains tribe lives in a valley between three peaks. Residences include natural caves and huts made from hide (they resemble yurts) or slate rock. In the middle of their village is a hardwood statue of the deity Mystara. It looks very much like the real world statues of Demeter, the venus of Milo etc. In the edge of the village is the Sacred Grove, a place of meditation and healing for the shamans/druids.
One other thing that distinguishes the Sons of Rock from other dwarves is their utter refusal to use alcohol. It is said that sometimes they use narcotic roots in their group rituals, but nevertheless they don't play such a big role in their life as drinking for regular dwarves.
Appearance:
The Sons of Rock keep their face and head shaven clean. Some of the warriors use religious tattoos, which they believe to shield them from harm.
Warriors:
The warriors of the tribe are very experienced and hardy, as they are engaged in sporadic battles against mountain orcs and goblins, miners and prospectors and other "exploiters" most of their life. For armour they use hardened leather armours augmented with bone plates.
In war they favour guerrilla tactics.
Weapons:
- Bone-tipped spears (used also in bear-hunting) - Repeating crossbows: Made completely of wood, leather strings and bone, they don't have much stopping power. Bolts are usually of wood, tips hardened in fire and dipped in poison. The fact that the Sons of Rock can craft such sophisticated items as repeating crossbows seems to indicate that their primitive lifestyle is more a matter of cultural choice.
- Bone knives and axes
- Nets
- "Molotov cocktails": Made by shamans, useable only in wartime to protect the tribe or the sacred mountains.
Warrior skills:
Caving, Mountaineering, Bravery, Alertness, Stealth (mountains)