Valkauna
Dwarven goddess of Oaths, Death, and Birth
The Runecarver
Goddess of oaths, birth, aging, and death
Intermediate goddess
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Death, Law, Water
Symbol: Clasped hands or a silver ewer
An elderly, white-haired deity, Valkauna is known as the Runecarver. It is said that whenever a dwarf swears an oath, she records it by carving it into an impossibly tall cliff. Many dying dwarf warriors claim to see Valkauna walking across the battlefield, offering water from a silver pitcher to the fallen.
Clerics of Valkauna begin their training by performing birth and funeral rites for their community. Higher-ranking clerics often have a role within the dwarven justice system, mediating contract disputes and conflicts between clans.
Quests for Valkauna often take adventurers beyond the Material Plane, where they must retrieve information or advice from the soul of a long-dead dwarf hero.
Valkauna is the deity of oaths, so many prayers to her exact a promise from the worshiper. "I will cover your altar in splendor", says one common prayer, "if I live to see its radiance again".
Because she guides dwarves' souls into the afterlife, Valkauna builds her shrines in or near the places where dead dwarves are cremated or buried. They are as much mausoleums as they are temples.
Valkauna's clerics perform funeral rites full of pomp that honor major events in the life of the deceased and commend his spirit to the dwarf ancestors. They also bless births with a simple lineage-chant. In noble dwarf clans, the lineage-chant begins while the mother is still in labor, because it takes several hours to recite the illustrious deeds of so many forebears.
Don't Fear The Reaper: She's viewed as a benevolent figure who offers water to dying dwarf warriors on the battlefield.
Girls with Moustaches: Having been introduced in 3rd edition, when this trait was removed from dwarves, Valkauna doesn't officially have a beard.
The Grim Reaper: Valkauna is the dwarven goddess of death and can only be seen by dying warriors.
Psychopomp: She is responsible for guiding the souls of dwarves to the afterlife.
Comments