1 THE DIVINE TETRALOGY of the TREATISES on the MORNDINSAMMAN
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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume I: The Pantheon Major...............................................4 Introduction to the Series.....................................................................................................4 Preface..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Moradin, the Soulforger........................................................................................................ 6 Berronar Truesilver, the Revered Mother......................................................................... 7 Dumathoin, Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain..................................................... 8 Sharindlar, Lady of Mercy..................................................................................................... 9 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur...................................................................................................10 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume II: The Divine Family................................................. 11 Introduction to the Series..................................................................................................................11 Preface......................................................................................................................................12 Vergadain, the Merchant King............................................................................................13 Dugmaren Brightmantle, Gleam in the Eye.....................................................................14 Marthammor Duin, Watcher over Wanderers................................................................15 Thard Harr, the Disentangler..............................................................................................16 Abbathor, the Trove Lord.....................................................................................................17 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur...................................................................................................18 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume III: The War Throng on High.................................19 Introduction to the Series.................................................................................................................19 Preface.....................................................................................................................................20 Clangeddin Silverbeard, the Father of Battles................................................................ 21 Gorm Gulthyn, Fire Eyes..................................................................................................... 22 Haela Brightaxe, the Luckmaiden..................................................................................... 23 Hanseath, the Bearded One................................................................................................24 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur.................................................................................................. 25 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume IV: Apocryphal Powers............................................26 Introduction to the Series.................................................................................................................26 Preface......................................................................................................................................27 Laduguer, the Taskmaster.................................................................................................. 28 Deep Duerra, Daul of Laduguer.........................................................................................29 Diirinka & Diinkarazan, The Two Brothers.....................................................................30 Censorship & Imprimatur................................................................................................... 32 Out-of-Character Notes Regarding Contest Entry............................................................................ 33
4 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume I: The Pantheon Major Introduction to the Series Hark! And, be attentive, dwarves! Wonderful and wistful it is to meditate upon the mysteries of the divine. Incline your ear to the doctrines of your forebears, whose divinest wisdom this unworthy hand trembles to record. This series will serve as a suitable primer on the Morndinsamman, compiled for a faithful readership. The order of the tetralogy is as follows: Volume 1: The Pantheon Major, the high gods and patrons of sammankind Volume 2: The Divine Family, the gods of the Morndinsamman in good standing Volume 3: The War Throng on High, the gods of the Morndinsamman with domain over war Volume 4: Apocryphal Powers, the gods disowned or exiled by the All-Father And to the reader, I adjure and entreat thee, with all of the virtue that the bond of fellowship can endure, to suffer not this text or its companions three to fall into the hands of anyone but a dwarf or a true friend of dwarves. May these tools of piety never be profaned.
5 Preface This first volume of the tetralogy is dedicated to the major gods of the pantheon under the headship of Moradin, the All-Father, namely Berronar, Sharindlar, and Dumathoin. Each of our gods and goddesses has a lesson to impart to Sammankind, and each priesthood has its unique competency necessary for the full and correct function of dwarven society. The doctrines of our gods are separately valuable ores, treasured but incomplete. And yet, together the mysteries of the Morndinsamman make an alloy most precious: the complete and living story of what makes us who we are as samman.
6 Moradin, the Soulforger When the world was young, Moradin brought together precious mithral and strong iron, and, making a composite that was pleasing to him, created his great mastercraft: dwarves. He cast our molten selves from the crucible of his great Soulforge, and with a breath, he quickened our forms and granted us our immortal souls. Moradin has since toiled at his Soulforge, where he toils tirelessly to reincarnate dwarves and send them out in the world again, where they may emulate him by perfecting their great works. As above, so below.. Moradin, in the true fashion of a creator god, is infinitely invested in the outcome of the dwarven race. His edicts guide his followers to craft in the great dwarven traditions. His commandants spur us to practice leadership like a craft. For aye, we may shape souls like our All-Father, as employers or guild masters, as fathers or kings. His priests, the Sonnlinors (those who carve stone), guide Moradites to craft with creaturely tools and the implements of virtue. Moradin works against those who squander his good gifts through the vicious flaws of isolationism or greed. Moradin is celebrated on the first day of the year, 1 Hammer. This feast day commemorates the Thunder Blessing, when, starting in 1,308 DR, Moradin devised a great reversal of the decline of the dwarven race, splitting dwarven souls into two ere he forged them anew. His chosen weapon is the mighty Soulhammer, an implement of craft and war likewise. He is known to manifest as a white radiance, and his divine realm is in Celestia beneath the mighty summit of Erackinor. His holy symbol is the hammer and anvil. “Our shared origin upon Moradin’s Soulforge is the very bedrock of orthodox doctrine. It means that we must acknowledge by the way that we live that what brings us together is always more potent and always more fundamental than whatever divides us.” - Snorri Wordsmith, High Old One of Moradin
7 Berronar Truesilver, the Revered Mother If Moradin is the All-Father, then Berronar is our divine mother. Ever forgiving of her children, whether godly or mortal, she alone may quench the flame of Moradin’s righteous anger and convince him to use gentle tools when he is stirred. As a mother does, Berronar strains every nerve to keep her family on speaking terms, mediating the occasionally fractious relationships between members of the divine family with tender. While results drive Moradin’s doctrines, Berronar’s guidance asks us to be gentle and cherish the new generation. But woe unto ye who mistakes her tenderness of heart for meekness of spirit. On the contrary, she is intolerant of the fool and is proactive against those who bring her children harm. Berronar bids her priesthood, the Faenors (those of the Hearth), to record lore, protect hearth and home, and serve the needs of the clans. Our Lady reminds dwarves of the gravity of oaths, and she watches over the binding and loosing of any vow. Faenors are known to give many civic rituals for dwarven clan holds, especially nuptial rites. Berronar’s fete days are celebrated in Midsummer and Midwinter. Grand feasts are held in her honor. Gifts symbolizing her role as mother, namely silver and white flowers, are offered to her. Her symbol is two silver bands, interlocked. She is said to wield the mighty heavy mace, Wrath of Righteousness, dreaded wrath to the miser and the oathbreaker. “Lay down your head, weary child, upon the bosom of the Revered Mother. Keep her faith and rest ever in the pinion of her wing.” -Gilva Wyrmaxe, faithful to Berronar
8 Dumathoin, Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain In the quiet years before the dwarven hammer and pickaxe rattled the world below, Dumathoin the Silent Keeper set glimmering treasures in the secret places of the earth. But sammankind, ever eager to delve deeper into the hidden world, encroached upon Dumathoin’s silent realm and took up his treasure for themselves. Initially infuriated, Dumathoin surveilled the dwarves to find that they treasured the earth’s bounty and perfected the natural beauty of gems and metals with clever craft. And, so it was that Dumathoin’s wrath was slaked, and thereafter he became a help for the dwarves, especially miners, explorers, and the sacred dead. Dumathoin favored Taark Shanat, the crusader-king of the shield dwarves and founder of Shanatar, and many believe the Silent Keeper himself built the Wyrmskull Throne with his own sacred hands. Many generations later, the dwarves of the first kingdom of Shanatar asked the gods who shall sit in Brightaxe Hall upon the god-wrought throne. The gods chose the king of Ultoksamrin, faithful to Dumathoin. And despite the meddling of Abbathor and Laduguer, Moradin chose the Silent Keeper as the patron of Taark’s progeny, the Shield Dwarves. The priesthood, Talhunds (meaning “hidden gifts”), tend to the dwarven dead and dwarven mines. Dumathans have a special enmity for defilers and despoilers. Dumathans wear his holy symbol, a green jewel set on the silhouette of a mountain. The wise know that the Silent God speaks only through omens: among them, sudden and unexplained shifts in boulders and supernatural lights in subterranean places. “Sing to the stone as if it were your brother.” -Abbot Furin of Ruhn Monastery
9 Sharindlar, Lady of Mercy Bringing hope and mercy to the frail and infirm, Sharindlar is the dwarven goddess of healing and mercy. Her hidden aspect, known in fullness only to dwarves, promotes the fertility of her children, and thus her name is sacred to all. Her secret rites are held near natural springs - or caves or under the sacred light of the moon - and the faithful follow the esoteric dances of the priestesses, known as Thalornor (merciful ones). The Shining Dancer teaches compassion in word and deed. Her followers have diverse roles, whether from tending the ill and the dying, matchmaking, midwifery, diplomacy, and even agriculture. Far from the conformist or the dour nay-sayer, the true child of the Lady of Mercy holds the bounty of life in joy and tranquility. Emeralds and moonstones are sacred to her, as well as sylphs, korreds, hollyphants, and many other creatures. She is known to manifest as an amber radiance to dwarves in need, giving needful warmth to the comfortless. She is also known to manifest as signs of approbation at moots, festivals, and rituals, especially to young couples. Her relationships with other gods are warm, especially with Eldath, Chauntea, the animal lords of the Beastlands, and several members of the Seldarine and Yondalla’s children. Indeed, Lady Life is even said to have had a dalliance with a fey power, so begetting Shiallia, the goddess of woodland groves. The Lady of Life’s sacred symbol is the humble sewing needle enveloped in divine flame. She holds her Merciful Court in the hillocks surrounding Dwarfhome, under the shadow of stone menhirs where the quarrelsome divine family may hold moot on matters of great importance to dwarvenkind. “Sharindlar is the one who, through careful and humble work, holds the divine family together. How can we as her priestesses not follow her, casting aside contempt?” -Suria Vintergard, Thalornor
10 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur I, Snorri Wordsmith, High Old One of the Morndinvalk, have promulgated this text from the High Cloister of the Temple of the Morndinsamman on the auspicious day of the first of Hammer 183 AR, on the great jubilee of the Thunder Blessing. This book is printed under the authority of the Brogendensteiner Rite of the Morndinsamman.
11 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume II: The Divine Family Introduction to the Series Hark! And, be attentive, dwarves! Wonderful and wistful it is to meditate upon the mysteries of the divine. Incline your ear to the doctrines of your forebears, whose divinest wisdom this unworthy hand trembles to record. This series will serve as a suitable primer on the Morndinsamman, compiled for a faithful readership. The order of the tetralogy is as follows: Volume 1: The Pantheon Major, the high gods and patrons of sammankind Volume 2: The Divine Family, the gods of the Morndinsamman in good standing Volume 3: The War Throng on High, the gods of the Morndinsamman with domain over war Volume 4: Apocryphal Powers, the gods disowned or exiled by the All-Father And to the reader, I adjure and entreat thee, with all of the virtue that the bond of fellowship can endure, to suffer not this text or its companions three to fall into the hands of anyone but a dwarf or a true friend of dwarves. May these tools of piety never be profaned.
12 Preface This second entry of the series is dedicated to the divine family, the intermediate gods of everyday dwarven life. These powers include Vergedain, Dugmaren Brightmantle, Marthammor Duin, Thard Harr, and Abbathor. Know, dwarves, that we too may be counted among this divine family through the mystery of our origins and the power of the dwarven soul. Our gods have instilled us with their potential, and our lot is to refine that gift into something worthy and enduring. Do you have the stonecunning to know the mysteries of your forebears, the gods?
13 Vergadain, the Merchant King The Merchant King, colloquially called the Laughing Dwarf, espouses the clever craft of bargaining, merchanting, and negotiation. While regarded as the unabashed mischief maker among the gods, his divine presence is acknowledged in the market places and much beloved in dwarven civil religion. The trade halls bustle with invocations to the Merchant from the mouths of peddlers and grifters alike. Whenever something feels left to chance, many pious dwarves will call upon him. His symbol is a gold coin stamped with the head of a crowned dwarf. The Merchant King favors gold-colored cats. Other signs of his presence include a gold that falls and rolls seemingly without end. Indeed, some humans of the East have even come to invoke an aspect of him under the name Bes. Merchants keep their Shortfather as an apotropaic protector in the markets and during childbirth. It is said in Mulhorand that when an infant smiles for no apparent reason, the Shortfather is above the crib pulling faces. If nothing else, the Muldorandi outlook on the Merchant King’s good humor is most orthodox. Vergadain’s priests, or Hurndor (those who trade), revere him on holy days called Coin Festivals. Clad in royal purples and gilded vestments befitting kings, Vergadain’s priesthood is one of the most well-known to the Surface world. Wealth comes and goes from their anointed hands freely, and they give their tithes to the temple as dutifully as a merchant gives his dues to the guild master. “The drone of haggling, the clink of coin, the laughter of kin, the smells of the commerce halls - like incense to the Merchant.” -Wensworth, Golden Halls Merchant
14 Dugmaren Brightmantle, Gleam in the Eye Often to blame for distractions and forgetfulness, the more rigid gods of the Morndinsamman hold the slapdash methods of little brother Brightmantle with suspicion. While Dugmaren has done much to earn this reputation, every kin that has experienced an epiphany may have been meddled with by the goodly Tinker. Dugmaren Brightmantle’s ponderous scriptures call dwarves to seek the unknown. Zeal in the Dugmarenite faith is the self-same as the spirit of inquiry. The faithful regard the world’s mysteries as treasures to be uncovered. The Errant Explorer’s dominion over knowledge is varied, and the skills of his believers are diverse. Their priests, Xothor (translated, lore seekers), are inveterate scholars, inventors, and explorers. Many dabble with sundry crafts and practices, casting off yesterday’s obsession like a worn-out garment, only to take up a new one to carry them through the day. The Gleam in the Eye guides dwarves to secrets in subtle ways, such as cryptic omens and books inexplicably flipping pages. Dugmaren shows his favor through the discovery of minerals sacred to him, such as the mysterious king’s tear gem or the semi-precious pearl. Dugmaren’s holy symbol is an open tome. His divine realm, Soot Hall, is a noisy, sleepless place where those fallen in his light devised creations both hare-brained and ingenious... but always puzzling for the uninitiated to behold. During sacred convocations, his devotees reflect while whispering prayers quietly in candlelight. Afterward, Dugmarenites gather in ponderous symposia. “After the last mishap, the elders sneer at my inquiries. But if my reputation is the only price for progress, I grin upon the favorable bargain. By Brightmantle’s gleam, I will turn dross into breakthrough. But first, a broom…” -Workshop Journal of Gimblewink Brightbeard
15 Marthammor Duin, Watcher over Wanderers In such a settled race as dwarvenkind, many dwarves are born, live, grow old, and die surrounded by the polished stone of the clan hall. One might wonder, can the gods of stone bless one who rambles in the shallows and under the open sky? Marthammor Duin is the god of wayfarers, the tempest, and the roads. From the mountains to the seas, the benevolent Finder-of-Trails is a help to dwarven travelers and a sure sign that not all who wander are lost. Youngest son to Moradin, Marthammor’s wise kennings state that the burden of travel is made featherlight when travelers share knowledge, materials, and practical help. Followers of the faith are called to be generous, but following the Finder’s wisdom need not cost much; a shared meal of bread and an empty cup could be life and death on the road. The Watcher’s clergy, known as Volamtars (blazers of fresh trails), are far-travelers who wander the wilderness, creating caches of supplies for those on hard roads. In contemporary times, where dwarves have - by necessity or by wanderlust - left the ancestral holds in droves, Marthammor’s priests pastor to expatriates. Temples to him on the Surface are more common than those of any other dwarven god. Two of the most important holidays are the Rooting, where wanderers reconnect with their heritage, and the Rebirth, when wanderers break the fastness of home and wander into the world again. His holy symbol is an upright mace vertical against a fur-lined mountaineer’s boot, occasionally depicted above a watchful eye. Lightning and thunder are signs in dwarven culture of Marthammor’s sparks of curiosity. “Well then, I've arrived. A lighted inn at the distance to eat and drink and rest. But, I will not remain for long. For that is who I am - the pathfinder of dwarven halls, and I'll be journeying to the next.” -Stratonike Silvbriga, “Volamtar’s Collections”
16 Thard Harr, the Disentangler After the fall of Bhaerynden, the first great kingdom of dwarvenkind, many survivors were said to have been forced south to the hard jungles of Chult. Millenia spent in diaspora forced Dur Authalar (The People), or the wild dwarves, to adopt their way of life to their new home, far away from most everything that made them dwarves as we understand. Even after we of stone halls had forgotten the lost dwarves, the gods did not leave them orphaned. And so, Thard Harr, who was called Lord of the Green Mantle, the old Shanatar god of nature, wandered with the estranged clans and adapted with them throughout the ages. Native wild dwarves cleave to Thard Harr nearly exclusively now; clerics to other gods are rare in dur Authalar tribal societies. Thard Harr has dominion over survival and hunting. His priests, the Vuddors (those of the jungle), are said to receive a special name in a spirit dream relating to a jungle animal. The Vuddor subsumes the power or qualities of his namesake animal supernaturally. These bush-priests cover themselves in grease and tattoo themselves with their divine symbol, two downward gauntleted hands crossed at the wrist, representing the Claws of the God. During rituals, the Vuddor can cross his wrists to make his holy symbol. Since most native wild dwarves are illiterate, Thard Harr’s repository of faith is transmitted through oral tradition. Though, there is a legend that a daughter of Thard Harr, a mighty emerald dragon, keeps their most sacred runestones under the boughs of the rainforest somewhere deep in the bush. “I looked closer at his skin and realized [the gorilla] was wearing my tattoos, my stories. I recognized that his voice had been my voice. This great beast, this paragon of might and wisdom and power, was everything I had ever aspired to be.” -Grogus Silverback, “Vuddar’s Awakening”
17 Abbathor, the Trove Lord Abbathor is the Dwarven god of greed. Thought by some scholars to have been a god of the natural beauty of precious things, Abbathor began his millennia-long feud with Dumathoin when the Silent Keeper was chosen as the patron of the Shield Dwarves. Doubtless, Abbathor postured for this honor, and he was overlooked. That disappointment curdled into something dark within Abbathor. Unlike Laduguer, though, Abbathor let his bitterness unfetter his ambition to take all that pleases him for himself. Though the All-Father is leery of Abbathor, the Trove Lord’s cunning - and an ambiguous role in the dwarven faith - keeps the All-Father’s fury from boiling over. The Trove Lord is a divisive figure within dwarven theology. Known to some as a cautionary tale of ambition and envy and to others as a dark, undermining god demanding bloody sacrifice, the many-faceted persona of Abbathor is difficult to speak upon, likely by design. Abbathor’s doctrines demand dwarves to cleverly seek out treasure beyond need, with only one rule: take naught from other dwarves. Historians note that this golden rule was not always in place, and likely derived from times when dwarven thief-catchers would execute Abbathoran’s priests alongside common thieves. Some say that Abbathor’s clergy, Aethanor (translated, those lost to greed), gather in secret underground temples where they keep their troves and say unspeakable dark rites of sacrifice to appease the Trove Lord. His followers hoard their wealth and dress practically, regarding the spendthrift as a fool; after all, the saying is, “The most precious things are kept hidden.” Sometimes, they wear his holy symbol: a dagger with jewels inlaid. “Beware any who thinks himself above gold-sickness. For wit you well: In every dwarven heart lies all that is necessary to make a thrall to the Trove Lord. Glitterhell sparkles in every dwarven eye.” -Anonymous
18 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur I, Snorri Wordsmith, High Old One of Brogendenstein, have promulgated this text from the High Cloister of the Temple of the Morndinsamman on the auspicious day of the first of Hammer 183 AR, on the great jubilee of the Thunder Blessing. This book is printed under the authority of the Morndinvalk.
19 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume III: The War Throng on High Introduction to the Series Hark! And, be attentive, dwarves! Wonderful and wistful it is to meditate upon the mysteries of the divine. Incline your ear to the doctrines of your forebears, whose divinest wisdom this unworthy hand trembles to record. This series will serve as a suitable primer on the Morndinsamman, compiled for a faithful readership. The order of the tetralogy is as follows: Volume 1: The Pantheon Major, the high gods and patrons of sammankind Volume 2: The Divine Family, the gods of the Morndinsamman in good standing Volume 3: The War Throng on High, the gods of the Morndinsamman with domain over war Volume 4: Apocryphal Powers, the gods disowned or exiled by the All-Father And to the reader, I adjure and entreat thee, with all of the virtue that the bond of fellowship can endure, to suffer not this text or its companions three to fall into the hands of anyone but a dwarf or a true friend of dwarves. May these tools of piety never be profaned.
20 Preface This book is the third companion of the divine tetralogy, an entry on the war gods of dwarvenkind. Clans have faced extinction at the hands of ancestral enemies such as goblins, giants, orcs, drow, and many others. Dwarven mastery of the fray is a tool of necessity and yet so much more. Under the Shield-Brothers on High, war is a craft to perfect. Together, the doctrines of the gods of dwarven battle form a throng mete and fit to challenge any high-handed villain that aims to despoil what is ours.
21 Clangeddin Silverbeard, the Father of Battles The Lord of the Twin Axe is the chief war deity in the Morndinsamman. His epitaph is derived from his two axes which he wields deftly in combat. His favored weapons also serve as his divine symbol, crosswise and upright. Clangeddinites embody dwarven military discipline, utterly indifferent to condition, comfort, or chance of defeat. Clangeddin prizes valor and honorable combat. Though he would gladly stand toe to toe against the foe to the bloody end if necessary, his doctrine is not that of some zealous fool’s god; no, the Battlefather’s gaze seeks that crucial moment to use decisive prowess and strategy to turn the tide. Clangeddin bears a grudge against the enemies of dwarvenkind, especially evil giants. Though, his wrath is not that of a barbarian baying for blood; his blows are delivered with cold justice behind every swing. He despises those who fight by craven means like deceit, poison, or dishonorable tricks. Silverbeard’s’s priests, the Alaghor (translated, those who are valorous in battle) practice disciplined military training. Their dogmatic war chants communicate cunning commands to dwarven armies and inspire kin to never yield to the foe. Indeed, a Clangeddinite songsmith weaves warnings into the lyrics of their daunting ditties. “The Battlefather fans the flames that the All-Father ignited, tempering the stuff of dwarven souls and causing fear in the hearts of the enemies of truth. Aye, with Clangeddin’s might, righteous war is the finest hour of dwarven kind.” -Elder Genar Halitt, Ironlord of the Deepwatch
22 Gorm Gulthyn, Fire Eyes Gorm Gulthyn wears a bronze mask with fiery eyes of ruby, his holy symbol. The Sentinel’s priests, or Barakors (those who shield), often bear his mask to symbolically eschew identity and glory, maintaining constant vigilance over dwarven halls throughout the world. The Sentinel is inherently a sacrificial figure. With mighty Axegard, his divine battleaxe, he is locked into eternal combat that he fights with feverish, life-and-death desperation to save every dwarven hold he can from extinction. Gorm Gulthyn does not fight for honor, though he does not hold noble concepts in contempt. He fights because the only other option is to let Sammankind perish. Though some say the light dims in his jeweled eyes when a dwarven hold falls, Gorm represents the immortal fortitude of the dwarven spirit. When the enemy pushes his back up against the wall, the Sentinel is at his best. His holidays and rites are vigils, where weapons are entered into reliquaries and anointed with the blood, sweat, and tears of the faithful. Chroniclers attribute many pivotal dwarven defenses to his divine intervention. During a potentially existential siege on a dwarven hold, Gorm Gulthyn’s masked manifestation fires twin beams of focused flame through his ruby eyes. The runes of his armor make him impervious to any creaturely spellcraft. Even when Gorm Gulthyn is forced by exhaustion to depart from a battle, he reserves the strength to animate weapons, form a crushing divine hand, or ring gongs to alert exhausted defenders. Gorm scarcely ever rests, for even a moment with eyes closed is a moment where his enemies plot against his care. “It is not enough that I would pay Gorm’s final price. Every day, I will labor to build up the defenses of the Hold, stand vigilant over my kin, and stay ever leery-eyed of the foe.” -First Scribe Arv the Barakor
23 Haela Brightaxe, the Luckmaiden Haela Brightaxe is the goddess of battle luck, her mirthful song ever feared by monsters and villains that endanger dwarvenkind. Haela does not merely suffer battle, she revels in the rapturous danger of uncertainty, finding freedom and truth in the bloody fray. Haela bids her followers to find their meaning in overcoming challenges. Haelan priests, called Kaxanar (meaning bloodmaidens, a neuter title), do not leave goodliness or godliness up to the principles of a Tymoran gamble. Nae, Haelan luck is won by mirth and mettle, song and steel, grace and grit! Those who walk a Haelan path put all uncertainty in the providence of their goddess, considering their daring feats the tangible acts of her divine will. Haelans are often itinerant missionaries; after all, since the place and the hour of the needs of kin cannot be known, they wander, putting their trust in their goddess’s whim to order their steps. Her faithful kept three holidays sacred. The Time of Spawning marked a day in waiting for the annual occurrence where newly reared monsters left their lairs to start raids. Axes Held High was a day where the faithful anticipate Haela’s holy symbol and divine sword, Flamebolt, to appear as an outline in the sun wreathed by flame. And finally, the faithful celebrate Commemoration of the Fallen where daring stories are told of the departed, and armaments consecrated in the name of the dead. Pious adherents of the Lady of the Fray are initiated to her sacraments through a scarification ritual, carving sacred patterns on their arms. On the most auspicious days of Lady Brightaxe, her followers offer their blood and the blood of their defeated opponents as a votive sacrifice. "In every battle, laugh. Laugh not for madness but for joy. In battle lies meaning, in challenge lies purpose, and in challenge overcome lies both luck and exaltation.” -High Kaxanar Valdrin Clanless
24 Hanseath, the Bearded One Hanseath is the dwarven god of carousing, brewing, and berserkers. Alongside his patronage over axe-idiots, pugilists, and wanton warfare, Hanseath’s church inspires dwarves to feast and make merry. Hanseath is not merely the power we invoke during a night of debauchery (though, it is pious and necessary to do so). The Rite of the Cleft Shield, a Hanseathan custom, is one of the most solemn funerary rites in dwarven rubrics. The Beardfather’s symbol is a frothing stein. His temples are festhall, and his prayers are drinking songs and lewd shanties. His rites are chaotic, resembling great clamoring feasts. Hanseath’s only concern with law is the purity laws of fine dwarven ale, which his priests (Brewmasters) brew. When the priests are not brewing the finest dwarven ale, these enemies of sobriety are crusading against the foes of dwarves. The throngs under Hanseath’s sign resemble a violent pub crawl, sometimes so disruptive to the discipline of warfare that they are separated into a force of terrifying shock troops. “Every drinking song, every drunken brawl, every drop of mead drank in good times, and every drop of vile blood spilled in battle, Hanseath is invoked, proud of us as his people.” -First Scribe Dornkaela Alegrinder of blessed memory
25 Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur I, Snorri Wordsmith, High Old One of the Morndinvalk, have promulgated this text from the High Cloister of the Temple of the Morndinsamman on the auspicious day of the first of Hammer 183 AR, on the diamond jubilee of seventh-five years since the Thunder Blessing. This book is printed under the authority of the Brogendensteiner Rite of the Morndinsamman.
26 Morndinsamman Treatise, Volume IV: Apocryphal Powers Introduction to the Series Hark! And, be attentive, dwarves! Wonderful and wistful it is to meditate upon the mysteries of the divine. Incline your ear to the doctrines of your forebears, whose divinest wisdom this unworthy hand trembles to record. This series will serve as a suitable primer on the Morndinsamman, compiled for a faithful readership. The order of the tetralogy is as follows: Volume 1: The Pantheon Major, the high gods and patrons of sammankind Volume 2: The Divine Family, the gods of the Morndinsamman in good standing Volume 3: The War Throng on High, the gods of the Morndinsamman with domain over war Volume 4: Apocryphal Powers, the gods disowned or exiled by the All-Father And to the reader, I adjure and entreat thee, with all of the virtue that the bond of fellowship can endure, to suffer not this text or its companions three to fall into the hands of anyone but a dwarf or a true friend of dwarves. May these tools of piety never be profaned.
27 Preface This fourth and last entry to the series is intended for post-ordination students only. Unauthorized perusal or dissemination of this text is ill-advised, as the doctrines of foul gods are difficult and doubtful to ponder. Due to the risk of inadvertently invoking blasphemous powers, reading these texts out loud is strictly prohibited and admonished under civil law. Let the reader proceed, duly warned of the gravity of the text.
28 Laduguer, the Taskmaster The Grey Protector, as duergar call him, was once a dwarven god of crafting. Ousted for acting against the Morndinsamman when the All-Father chose Dumathoin as patron of the shield dwarves, he is now separate of his own volition. Laduguer holds a deep-seated grudge against most of the other Morndinsamman. While Abbathor and Laduguer are similar in that they both turned to darkness because they were overlooked, underappreciated, or even betrayed, Abbathor managed to further his own interests. But Laduguer dwells and broods on his rejection, seeking to demonstrate his worth through power and cruelty. To we dwarves, Laduguer represents the slag of the soul that the All-Father draws off when he tempers us against vices. Isolationist, hateful, and joyless, Laduguer and his duergar eschew art for grim industry. Laduguer is not loved by his followers, but he is feared by many. His priests, Thuldor (translated, those who endure) are dour malefactors of dominion over the Underdark, and scarcely give laud and praise to their god. Thuldor prefer to put the fear of the scourge of slavery in the hearts of the Underdark. His followers under his symbol, a kite shield emblazoned with a broken arrow, proclaim their grim dogma from unadorned brutalist temples idolizing industry. Smog-choked slaves fill the unholy halls with the cacophony of cries wrung out by the whip.
29 Deep Duerra, Daul of Laduguer Said to be the daughter of Laduguer and the granddaughter to the All-Father himself, Deep Duerra is more likely a duergar empress whose exploits in ancient times gained her the adoration of duergar. The so-called Queen of the Invisible Art favors psionics and espouses that duergar must use their innate powers to crush their many foes underfoot. Her norothor (translated, those who seize enemy land) are instrumental in the planning of raids. In fact, legend holds that duerran priests “rally” their followers annually, where they announce the targets of their expansions by passing around the head of their first victim. Strangest of all, priests of Deep Duerra enter into psionic trances to communicate, they believe, with the Daul herself. In this rite, the participants link together in a hivemind similar to that of mindflayers. Her holy symbol is a shattered skull (usually mindflayer of origin), and her temples tend to resemble barracks. The centerpiece of each is a throne forbidden for any mortal to sit in, perhaps emblematic of her dominion. Indeed, during the Time of Troubles, legends hold that Deep Duerra came again to rule her empire in the Underspires as Queen Mother, seeking to the Wyrmskull Throne under the dubious claim that her and her “son” were the last of the true Shanatar line. Within duergar society, followers of Laduguer regard Duerrans as vicious upstarts, and Deep Duerra foments divine schemes against her father.
30 Diirinka & Diinkarazan, The Two Brothers Diirinka and Diinkarazan were once dwarven gods. Patrons of two fiefdoms of Shanatar, their peoples labored in war against the mindflayers of Oryndoll even after after War of Cloven Thoughts had formally concluded. Whether the brothers were war-weary or pressed to exterminate the illithid threat, Diirinka and Diinkarazan sought to craft their own sort of dwarves, forsaking Moradin’s vision for his creation. The pair delved ever deeper and darker seeking forgotten secrets away from their nosy divine peers, into the realms far beneath everything known to dwarves. The brothers found a strange lair, and in their addled minds, they had struck gold. In reality, the twins had inadvertently dug into the alien realm of Illsensine, the god of mind flayers. Before Illsensine could punish the interlopers, Diirinka backstabbed Diinkarazan and left him for dead. In retribution for the incursion, the mind flayer god made Diinkarazan suffer in the Abyss for eternity. Diirinka, ever wracked with guilt and madness, retreated further still into the depths of the earth, hidden from the judging gaze of the All-Father. With his stolen mind flayer relics, he twisted his followers through experimentation into mindless husks that ambled about aimlessly. He disposed of droves of dwarves in this way until he had perfectly ruined the dwarven form, a new pity of a creature we call derro. Diirinka, the twin that guiltily survived through betrayal, would come to be known as the Deep Lich. His clergy, Savants, are not priests in the conventional sense but nonetheless draw on his “divine” power. Under his sign, a spiral symbolizing his dark descent, the sorcerous Savants are the undisputed leaders of derrokind, calling him Father. Diirinka’s children are so cruel that they would make a duergar blush, preferring to chemically lobotomize their slaves into pacified husks among many other unconscionable experiments far beyond the scope of this text.
31 The Deep Lich has no dogma other than the furtherment of his dark experiment, the derro race. Diirinka and his followers are not merely exiled from the Morndinsamman but entirely disowned by the All-Father, far beyond redemption. Yet, some whispers in the dark say that Diinkarazan is not dead. Mad beyond madness, the forgotten twin harnesses his desire for vengeance to rise to Abyssal power, using his fiendish influence to the detriment of his vile twin and his children.
32 Censorship & Imprimatur I, Snorri Wordsmith, High Old One of the Morndinvalk, have compiled and censored these texts to limit the spiritual danger of the unholy dogma of the cruel traitors of our folk. This text is for educational purposes to certified scholars only. This book is printed under the authority of the Brogendensteiner Rite of the Morndinsamman.
33 Out-of-Character Notes Regarding Contest Entry Written by the player of Snorri Wordsmith. Quotes are used with permission and edited to fit the needs of the format. Thanks to Arv, Delgar, and others for assistance proofreading. The text as presented is roughly one page per god, formed into four books, each including a similar intro/preface and ending with a kind of a maker’s mark. If this text is chosen for inclusion in the module, please reach out. I’ll be happy to change or format the work according to the needs of the medium, whether four books or fourteen books, whatever’s clever!