The khuzdur, sometimes called Old Dwarves, were a stout race native to the wildlands that later became the Feywild but could be found in many places across Ochebana. They were most known for their endurance facing all odds, and for completely abandoning their home plane.

History

The khuzdur evolved biologically out of gfnuur living in a location known as Barrenvale. This place was unique in that magical failures and the absence of a nearby imprisoned life primordial had led to considerable degradation of the natural plant life, resembling more dry shrubbery than the usual fantastic and thriving wildlands flora. Thus, in the millennia that gfnuur struggled and survived in the Barrenvale, their bodies naturally adapted to their environment. Around 60'000 b. OW, they were physically separate enough to be called a different race - the khuzdur.

Things changed in the wildlands. Notably, faelings populations started taking space away from the gfnuur. Especially when magic in the area was repaired and the Barrenvale transformed into a lush forest which traditional fey were better adapted to than the rough khuzdur. So, the whole population - only about a thousand - went on the Exodus in 58'200 b. OW, leaving the wildlands and travelling all the way to the Outer Ring, where they founded the small village of Hold Long with some others. But life on the rocky Outer Ring was even more difficult and largely reliant on magic, which the already relatively weak khuzdur were absolutely incapable of doing outside of the wildlands. So the population gradually split as small splinter groups moved out to find new lives.

One of these travelled to Waterlond in the Inner Planes, founding a small colony. They discovered ways to coexist with powerful elmentals, forming a tight friendship. They now called themselves the Watrom clan. While the Watroms slowly grew their population and expanded their foothold, the other khuzdur across the world were failing, gradually dying out. The last one in Hold Long died in 57'850.

In what was called the Descent, a group of krynn - cosmic guardians - rescinded their task of guarding the Outer Ring and went to live on Waterlond in 57'500, losing much of their powers. They lost their cosmic magic and developed personalities and emotions, living nearby the khuzdurs. Eventually, the two communities grew so similar that they completely intermingled, mixing their gene pools and creating a new merged race - dwarvenkind. With that, the last Old Dwarves died out.

Biology

Physiology

Khuzdur were muscular far above the average. They had wide bodies, stout legs and large hands. This was due to the Barrenvale's rugged landscape, requiring much energy to travel but not much speed because there were few fast predators around. Khuzdur heads were also much wider and flatter than gfnuur's, with a ridge running along the top. This was because of the tough and dry plants Old Dwarves ate, which required massive jaw power. Their jaws and teeth were not only huge, but the muscles also wrapped all the way around their skulls and fastened on the ridge on top.

For fey - which they were only half-way anyway - khuzdur were almost nonmagical. They were able to produce minor cantrips intuitively, drawing from the wildlands' power, but they weren't able to cast more sophisticated spells, and didn't use them anyways. After they left their native plane, they grew completely unable to do magic.

Psychology

Khuzdur's main traits were their decisiveness and self-confidence. They were able to make reasoned decisions relatively quickly and then followed these through. Some described this behavior as stubborn, but Old Dwarves were ready to give up on an old plan: this just needed solid arguments and much effort.