Origin Type: Dumped / Fragment-Rooted
Known Regions: Subterranean sectors, collapsed metro-forges, deep industrial ruins
Affiliation: Forge-Clans, Diver Guilds, Independent Builders

Overview

Dwarves are the builders beneath broken cities, the flame-hardened survivors of collapsed realities where metal and memory were all that remained. Stocky, sharp-witted, and unnervingly calm under pressure, Dwarves brought their forging expertise and infrastructure instincts into Genesis—and adapted fast.

They don’t speak often of where they came from. What matters is what they build next—and who they can trust to stand on the scaffolding with them when it all goes to hell.

“The world collapses from the top down. We build from the bottom up.”

Physical Traits

• Short, broad-shouldered frame with thick bones and dense muscle
• Eyes adapted for low-light with an occasional glimmer of refractive glow
• Skin tones range from bronze to ash-gray to rust-red, often weathered from forgework
• Many dwarves wear layered gear, reinforced jackets, and mechanical bracers—part armor, part toolset
• Beards are common among both genders, often braided with functional wire, charms, or sigils

Abilities

• Structural Memory – Can assess buildings, collapsed areas, or ruins quickly for load-bearing weaknesses
• Heat Affinity – Resistant to temperature extremes, especially in industrial or forge zones
• Craftmind – Gain bonuses when working with Genesis-altered metal, scrap-tech, or damaged Diver gear
• Gravestep – Walks silently across unstable floors or terrain (a product of ancient mine discipline)

Society and Role

Dwarves live in clan-based collectives often tied to a forge, a ruined substation, or a long-dead industrial god. Most forges are named after what they lost—not what they make.

In Genesis, Dwarves are indispensable to:

• Diver armor/weapons repair
• Infrastructure planning in reclaimed zones
• Sealing Echo leaks and spatial fractures

Some Dwarves follow the old “Builder’s Path,” a meditative ritual involving hammerwork, measured breathing, and singing to stone.

Culture

Dwarven culture is built around function and memory:

• Tools are passed down like family names
• Songs double as schematics
• Oaths are stored in engraved rings or gear-etched lockets

They are often stoic, but when they trust, it’s total. If you break that trust, though—expect nothing but silence and steel.

Relations with Other Races

• Work well with humans and Wildlia who respect their craft
• Mutual respect with some Elves, especially those who preserve ancient tools or ruins
• Distrustful of Broker Wolves, particularly due to stories of “interest-bearing hammers” (a dark joke among Dwarves)
• Often fill logistics or engineering roles on Diver teams

🔖 Related Notes

• Diver crews with a Dwarf engineer report 25% fewer structural failures
• A rogue Dwarf guild in Genesis once attempted to build “a city immune to Genesis”—no survivors, but the blueprint still circulates in fragments