Darrow

Darrow

Darrow are the hybrid children of dwarves and humans. They are almost entirely born to dwarfmaids who fled the oppressive stability of Deepearth and took human mates.

Physical Description

Standing nearly as tall as their human parents and blessed with the stable builds and hawkish noses of their dwarven side, darrow tend to be strikingly handsome, but with large features. The menfolk have the ability to grow full beards of truly dwarven proportions (though doing so is strictly a matter of personal preference and holds no special honor). Female darrow can also grow facial hair, but do so much more slowly. Depending on where they are raised, they may opt to shave their beards entirely. As darrow approach middle age, three-quarters of them (male and female alike) will experience pattern baldness. Male darrow generally don’t mind, and many female darrow simply shave their heads.

Society

Darrow society in and of itself hasn’t fully been established on Fartherall, though a great deal of potential for future generations does exist. These inherently-affable children of stone and sun are able to breed true, and their dwarven parent (overwhelmingly the mother) often thinks of them as the future of dwarf-kind. To this end, ideas have been floated of gathering as many darrow as possible together in an established city somewhere, in the hopes that they’ll feel unity and love for one another, and eventually begin producing an entirely self-sustaining race.

Darrow reach maturity at age 20, and live to about 150.

Relations

Humans treat darrow well enough, but may have trouble fully opening up to them for the resemblance they share with the insular and dour dwarves, who give nothing for free. This caution is usually short lived, however, as the darrow’s natural charm wins through. Darrow often become leaders in human communities and organizations. Darrow yearn to learn more of the elves who master the wild places of the surface, and are deeply curious about gnomes. Halflings are adorable, but often lead lives that darrow would find mind-numbingly dull.

Sadly, dwarves who live beneath the surface want nothing to do with darrow whatsoever, and many refuse to let their bastard scions enter their settlements. Indeed, a darrow in the Underkingdoms who wears a traditional beard (one braided to show rank and affiliation) would likely be accused of masquerading as a true-blooded dwarf and arrested. When dwarves encounter darrow in a surface trade-city, they treat them with the same brusque professionalism they use for anyone else — a backhanded courtesy that isn’t lost on the darrow.

Ogres are generally too violent and evil for a darrow to stomach, though they may feel kinship with a half-ogre who behaves himself. Darrow don’t share the dwaves’ racial hatred of orcs. If anything, they feel guilty that their ancestors enslaved and abused the orcs, and many seek to make amends by forming lasting friendships.

Alignment and Religion

(CG, polytheistic) Darrow have bright outlooks and a zest for life that most dwarves would find obnoxious and exhausting.