Duergar Quartermaster (Basic Lore)

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Duergar Quartermaster (CR 16)

Duergar Quartermaster
Lawful Evil - Medium - Humanoid (Duergar)
Duergar would tell you that they are the first Dwarves, and the race calling itself Dwarves are actually a heretical offshoot which is so inbred and simple-minded that it will willingly leave the dark comforts of the earth and venture into the Void (where the sky is). Clearly, this is textbook madness. Duergar suffer no such dementia, and never wander above ground for any reason whatsoever. In fact, venturing into the Void is considered so sinful as to permanently render a Duergar unclean and unfit to interact with other Duergar without Divine Intervention to cleanse the taint of the Void off them. As a result of this xenophobic agoraphobia, any Duergar you encounter above ground is not going to be in a good mood, and is only there for Something Important.

Duergar are much swarthier than traditional dwarves, though they carry the same solid, wide frames, and stout, but not tall, statures. Their skin tones vary from a ruddy maroon-brown into bluish greys and even a chalky black. Their eyes are frequently pale pastels of nearly any color, and keen observers would notice that their irises have only a pinprick dot of a pupil. Duergar, like dwarves, tend to be hirsute, and prize long braids, bushy beards, and untamed pates. Their language is harsh-sounding and full of consonants, and the Duergar dialect demands that most things be said with great emphasis, almost like they are angry all the time, contrary to the way other denizens of the Unterwelt would speak the tongue.

Duergar are perhaps most famous for their religious zealotry, and their penchant for forcible conversion, proselytizing, and the wildly creative tortures they employ against non-believers. Duergar appear to adhere to a rigorous religious code, but those who interact with them are seldom convinced the race shares any ethical values. Despite being devout adherents to their Book of Silence, a holy book that every Duergar carries with them at all times, all Duergar tend to be rapaciously cruel, even during diplomatic conversations. They will take every opportunity to verbally abuse non-believers they are forced to interact with, and then, only if they can't get away with physically torturing or slowly killing the unbelievers on the spot.

The Duergar Quartermaster is a high-ranking member of the Duergar Prelate, and is responsible for ensuring that the many required daily rituals of the Ecclesiasts are properly performed and attended. The Quartermaster is a leadership position, giving him authority over many of the lesser adherents, as well as responsibility for those in his charge. As with any Duergar, groups of Quartermasters can often be found together, both because they have formed a sort of sadistic kinship with their peers, and to spy and keep tabs on those peers to look for opportunities to rise further in the Prelate. Quartermasters are experienced politicians and spies, and will often employ subterfuge, trickery and diversions, before deigning to engage an opponent directly.