Dwarven Temples

The Temple of Lapinatis

In the underworld each of the twelve city strongholds had a temple of Lapinatis. In this temple, the Priests of Lapinatis also known as Traditional Dwarven Priests study and train. Each temple is run by a council of five Elder Priests. An Elder Priest is the highest position within the Temple of Lapinatis. Temple Priests have many jobs within the temple, some clean, cook, and serve the other members of the temples. Others will study the magic and the mystery of the world or train new Priests. Certain priests are trained to marry dwarves, while others are trained to process the dead. Those priests who handle the dead are known as grief masons. The grief masons not only carve the stone sarcophagus for the dwarves but also take on the mummification process of those who will go into the sarcophagus they have carved. Each Temple of Lapinatis is built differently and to the design specifications of the elder priests who are leading the project. Each temple will have three things. An archway in the center of the main hall the archway will always face open to the main entrance of the temple. Within the archway will be a statue of Lapinatis along with a cauldron of flame at the feet of the statue. The face of Lapinatis will face the entrance way. In the third age, there are Temples of Lapinatis across the overworld often near or within dwarven kingdoms. Some temples are in far-off places. These far-away Temples of Lapinatis are a pilgrimage spot for Priests and the location of them are well-kept secrets. In the third age it is also common for these temples to be called Temples of Jupiter or Temples of Lapinatis

Traditional Dwarven Priests

To become a traditional dwarven priest, a dwarf must complete five years of preliminary training, after completion a dwarf becomes an acolyte. As an acolyte they may attempt another five years of training, to become either a marriage priest or a war priest. An acolyte may attempt the training to become a marraige or war priest as many times as they need too and do not need to start their training at any specific time. At the Acolyte Naming Ceremony an acolyte may choose to begin the training to become a grief mason, little is known about this process. Once a marriage or war priest, a dwarven priest may then partake in the Ten Atonements of training to become a high priest. To go from a dwarf's first year of acolyte training to becoming a high priest takes at least twenty years. Although more than often it takes more than forty years of service to become a high priest and most priests fail to complete their ten atonements of high priest training. Elder priest is the highest level of dwarven priest and only a high priest of ten years or more may be selected to become an Elder. While five elders sit on a council to run a temple a single temple may have over twenty elders at one time depending on the size. Any Elder may appoint a High Priest to Elder with the approval of the council.

Grief Masons

As soon as an acolyte finishes their first five years of training they may choose to continue on their training and become a grief mason. While an acolyte may start training to become a marriage or war priest at any time. An acolyte must choose to start the Grief Mason training the same day they finish their acolyte training if they wish to become a grief mason. Little is known about the training of a grief mason it is said to take over forty years for a grief mason to be able to work alone. The title of grief mason is given to an acolyte by their teacher after an unknown amount of time training. Grief Masons carve the sarcophagus for each Dwarf that gets a traditional burial. Along with the help of their acolyte apprentices, they also embalm and bury dwarves who are given traditional burials.

Most dwarves in the third age cannot afford a traditional burial. It is common for Hill and Mountian dwarves of low status to be buried in common graveyards beside humans, elves and other people. For the most part blue dwarves are still buried traditionally. The only blue dwarves not buried by traditional methods would be those who are banned from the temple or those whose bodies were never found.