Gray Dwarf

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gray Dwarf (灰矮人)
Species/Race	Dwarf race
Affiliation	Gray Dwarf communities; Northern Army Fleet; various bandit groups and mining settlements
Occupation/Role	Miners, bandits, sailors, soldiers, artisans, blacksmiths, and shipbuilders
Status	Extant; much of the population is displaced from its northern homeland and migrating southward 846 960
First Appearance	363

Appearance

Gray Dwarves are short, broad-built dwarves with dark skin, heavy beards, small eyes, and large noses. Their skin is described variously as black-iron colored, limestone-dark, or gray-black; their beards can obscure most of their faces. 374 776

• Dark skin distinguishes them from other dwarves, such as the bronze-skinned Copperbeard Tribe. 374
• Long facial beards are a common feature; prisoners' untrimmed beards were described as tangled and bloodstained. 722
• Their short legs hinder their movement in dense jungle, mud, and deep water. 471 846 971
• They are physically powerful and robust enough to fight effectively in heavy armor. 934

Abilities & Skills

Mining and Underground Construction

Gray Dwarves are highly capable miners and excavators, maintaining mines, bunkers, hidden treasuries, and extensive underground routes.

• They mined Spinel Ore and concealed substantial mineral stockpiles in the First Mine. 363 374
• Their mine roads contain traps, bunkers, secret passages, and defensive positions. 364 386
• Their excavation skill enabled the conversion of a mountain interior into an underground harbor with stone docks and concealed Three-Masted Sailboats. 822
• Mine roads beneath the Paderslerus Mountains form a layered, interconnected transportation network nearly a thousand meters underground. 982

Forging and Engineering

Gray Dwarf artisans and blacksmiths produce and maintain heavy equipment, armor, weapons, and shipbuilding materials.

• Captured blacksmiths in the Third Mine could repair mining tools, modify picks, and produce metal armor plates despite poor coal and ore supplies. 382
• Gray Dwarf artisans improved designs for Siren armor by adapting flexible Dwarf Chain Mail and considering blade placement, mobility, and underwater use. 729
• Their weapons and equipment are valued by Orc tribes, while their shipbuilding relies on Orc-supplied timber and minerals. 932
• Their craftsmen expanded Roy's Forging Workshop fivefold within several months after being transferred there as prisoners of war. 881

Heavy Infantry Combat

Gray Dwarf warriors favor powerful close-range weapons and dense, full-coverage armor.

• Common armaments include mining picks, stone hammers, war hammers, battle axes, flying axes, chain shields, and heavy Dwarf Chain Mail. 374 379 464 934
• Mining picks were powerful enough to nearly pierce Half-Elf shields. 379
• Their chain mail and bucket helmets can withstand ordinary arrows, though armor gaps remain vulnerable to sustained ranged fire. 719 471
• Warriors can continue charging despite arrow wounds and heavy armor in shallow water. 934
• Heavy armor, short legs, and poor mobility make them vulnerable in forests, muddy terrain, and at sea. 471 846

Petrification

Some Gray Dwarf warriors can petrify their bodies after receiving severe injuries.

• Petrification creates marble-like patterns, suppresses pain, stops bleeding, and permits continued movement. 847
• The state prevents normal wound healing and may worsen the underlying injury. 847

Equipment

• Dwarf Chain Mail and heavy plate armor — full-coverage armor with strong protection against conventional arrows. 719 814
• War hammers and stone hammers — favored heavy melee weapons. 374 769
• Mining picks — used both for labor and close-quarters combat. 379 382
• Double-edged battle axes and short hand axes — carried by bandits and warriors; some warriors use throwing axes. 464 814 934
• Chain shields — defensive shields used by assaulting warriors. 934
• Three-Masted Sailboats — central to bandit operations, migration, and naval warfare. 464 846
• Moonstone Powder — used by mine-road bandits to expose Dark Moon Elf stealth. 379
• Rune magic spheres — deployed alongside stones in Presit City's defense against Demon Worms and Servants. 976

Background / History

Gray Dwarves were originally exiled from the Dwarven Kingdom to Durag, where their population grew over time. Other dwarves broadly regard them as bandits. 892 They revere the ancient giant god of strength, Durag, and call their homeland Durag's Knee in the hope of living under that god's protection. 972

In the mines of the Pagisto Plateau, Gray Dwarves lived cautiously behind bunkers and mine-road defenses, fearing Dark Moon Elves and Highland Headhunters. Their desire for rum and food led them to accept Roy's ore-for-wine trade, exchanging twenty barrels of Spinel Ore for one barrel of wine. 363 364 This limited cooperation collapsed into conflict: Roy's forces captured their mines, exposed hidden ore reserves, and placed the surviving miners under a controlled labor system. 374 386

Many Gray Dwarf groups became sea bandits, particularly around Kui Island and the Empress Ivini Islands. They raided coasts, trafficked slaves, seized islands from the Naga Sea Clan, and allied with Sirens in attempts to control the western coast of the Elf Continent. 807 846 913 Their campaigns repeatedly failed against the Silver Moon Elves and later Roy's Half-Elf forces, causing massive losses of warriors and Three-Masted Sailboats. 471 721 846

Their northern homeland was then devastated by Flame Hell demons, while Orc forces entered from the south. Although the Dwarven Kingdom and Orc tribes initially aided the Gray Dwarves, a Gray Dwarf general's theft of Dwarven Hex Technology weapons destroyed the alliance's trust. 846 With cities ruined and much of Durag's Knee becoming a battlefield, millions of Gray Dwarves began migrating south by sea. 846 960

Story Role / Major Arcs

Mine Conflicts

• Gray Dwarves initially negotiate with Roy for wine, food, and Spinel Ore while trying to preserve their mine security. 363 364
• Gray Dwarf bandits defend the Third Mine with mining picks, Moonstone Powder, traps, and a chieftain-led counterattack. 379 380
• After Roy defeats the mine settlements, more than 170 Gray Dwarves are held in the Third Mine and become its principal labor force. 382
• Elder Ampton surrenders after Roy navigates the trapped mine roads, but is publicly executed for deceiving Roy and the Elves. 386

Western Coast and Kui Island Wars

• Gray Dwarf bandits raid the West Reef Islands using fog-shrouded Three-Masted Sailboats and heavily armored assault troops. 464 469
• Their poor mobility in forests and seawater leaves them exposed to Half-Elf archers and guerrilla tactics during the West Reef Islands naval battle. 471
• Roy's forces later assault Kui Island, defeat Gray Dwarf dock defenses, and trap tens of thousands inside an underground bunker. 767 769
• Gray Dwarf bandits continue conducting slave raids and attempting island landings, including the use of ships as rams against Kui Island's seawall. 807 845

Prisoners of War and Craftsmen

• Roy receives 50,000 Gray Dwarf prisoners after a costly naval victory and transfers them through Pattington Island to Padesto City. 721
• Prisoners are confined outside Padesto City under fishing-net and thorn-vine barriers, with Elf Archers guarding the clearing. 722
• Some prisoners are relocated to the Pagisto Plateau, where Apple Wine helps defuse hostility during transport. 724 777
• Skilled Gray Dwarf artisans are integrated into forging work, including the development of specialized Siren armor and the expansion of the Forging Workshop. 729 881

Northern Migration and the Durag Crisis

• The Northern Army Fleet controls the Kui Island waters, the Alphabet Islands, the west coast of Mensa Plain, and part of Durag's Knee while struggling to evacuate millions of civilians. 885 913
• Legion Commander Krais negotiates with Roy for safe passage, offering shipyards, blueprints, and Dwarf Treasury locations in exchange for concessions. 959
• Gray Dwarves in Boles City prepare to abandon Durag's Knee, while officials seek Roy's assistance with the migration and city handover. 968 969
• Presit City remains occupied by Gray Dwarf soldiers and civilians despite ruined surface districts, collapsing supplies, and continual pressure from Nakma Demons. 976 977 978

Relationships

• Roy — adversary, captor, negotiator, and eventual employer of Gray Dwarf miners and artisans; his forces repeatedly defeat Gray Dwarf bandit groups. 363 386 729 959
• Dark Moon Elves — feared rivals in the mines; later serve as overseers, assassins, and interrogators against Gray Dwarf groups. 363 379 386 769
• Half-Elves / Mine Guard Army — principal military opponents in the island and naval campaigns; also guard and transport Gray Dwarf prisoners. 471 721 957
• Siren — allies in the Lost Sea and Empress Ivini Islands campaigns; the alliance supported Gray Dwarf expansion along the western coast. 798 846
• Naga Sea Clan — Gray Dwarf bandits enslaved Naga captives, but some Gray Dwarves also formed a strategic alliance with the Endless Sea Naga Sea Clan. 798 807
• Dwarven Kingdom — related dwarven power that sent forces to assist during the demonic invasion; relations fractured after the theft of Dwarven Hex Technology weapons. 846
• Orc tribes — historical enemies on land, but also vital trade partners supplying timber and ores for Gray Dwarf shipbuilding. 932
• Legion Commander Krais — Northern Army Fleet leader who negotiates for the Gray Dwarves' southern migration and settlement. 959 968
• Durag — ancient giant god of strength worshipped by dwarves, including Gray Dwarves. 972

Trivia

• Gray Dwarves are strongly attracted to alcohol; rum was sufficient to induce cautious mine dwellers to trade valuable Spinel Ore. 363 364
• Gray Dwarf prisoners considered the cold highlands and snow-covered mountains of the Pagisto Plateau a familiar and preferable environment. 724
• They can consume wild fruits, cassava, ferns, mushrooms, small animals, fish, and even some poisonous foods without apparent physical harm. 799
• The Gray Dwarves sent more than seventy migration fleets southward over ten years; nearly four million departed for Galuo Island, but only two million arrived, with many others settling along the route. 846