Álfurapa

The Álfurapa isn't a single species. In fact the álfurapa or free fey, are a mish-mash of several semi-magical peoples that live almost completely separated from Dwarf society. They only make up a small percentage of the total population. They consist of four races that emigrated to Svartalfheim at the same time as the main dwarf population during the exodus from the dwarfs mythological home. Each race is associated with one of the four elements:

Trolls are associated with the earth; they live underground and rarely venture out in daylight. They are immensely strong for their size which ranges from the miniature gnome to the massive Kobold. Their strength derives from the fact that their bodies are basically made from stone.

The Aeriel are creatures of the air. Their physical form is of willow thin humanoids. Not noted for either strength or wisdom their main evolutionary advantage comes from the fact that they exist partially in a fractional dimension; hence it is almost impossible to harm them physically and they can effectively fly.

The Lorelei or water sprites, have large heads and sinuous physical bodies with a pale colouring that help them fade into their watery environment. They are masters of camouflage. Their speech can be pitched anywhere between a few hertz and a hundred kilohertz and they can use it both for communication and as a weapon.

The fourth group are the Lampad, they are almost entirely composed of energy and they radiate so much of it that they are only really comfortable in an environment that already has ample sources of radiant energy to replenish it. They are rarely seen, existing mostly in fumaroles and lava filled caves or high up in the atmosphere above the cloud layer; directly in the bright sunlight. Their amorphous surface layers are able to change from perfectly reflective to perfectly absorptive so that one second they are mirrors and the next they are black holes. Their main defence is to concentrate the energy they emit, and any other energy around, into an intense beam of light and heat.

Most of the álfurapa are unconcerned with dwarven society and they keep to themselves. Their societies are based around a complex system of clans and allegiances which few outsiders can understand. However each group understands and interacts with the others harmoniously. This is because they all have magic in common; none of them could exist in the physical world without it. Without the magic of fractal dimensions the trolls would be unable to move and the lampad would evaporate, the lorelei would drown and the aeriel would become mere wraiths.