Moradin (MOAR-uh-din)
Moradin (a.k.a. God of the Anvil, The All-Hammer, The Maker, The Soul Forger, Dwurfather, The Creator,)
Often depicted dressed plainly with a simple tunic and breeches covered by a leather apron with a hammer and tongs hanging at his side, the chief god of the dwarves, Moradin, has many names among his followers and adversaries.
Into the Eternal Forge the Maker placed stone and fire. With tongs and hammer the Maker forged the world. Upon each strike, titanic mountains rose from the surface; again he struck and hills formed, leaving deep crevasses and hollows behind.Best known as the All Father or more simply as The Maker, he is credited for making the universe, the world, and the dwarves from the Eternal Forge in the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame. As leader of the Morndinsamman, the dwarven pantheon, he stands taller than any other dwarven deity at twenty feet tall. A stern and loving figure, Moradin provides a strict code of ethics among the dwarves that rewards ceaseless toil and labor.
Before time, before the world was made and before dwarves, elves, and men, only the Eternal Forge existed in the home of the Maker. Within the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame, the Maker placed stone and fire into the Eternal Forge. The stone expanded within the blaze and rivers of molten ore flowed from the interior. With tongs and hammer, the Maker forged the world. He struck and titanic mountains for rose from the surface; again, and hills formed leaving deep valleys and great hollows. When he was pleased with its shape and form, he quenched the world in the Trough of Life. As the water struck the surface, clouds of steam rose to form the sky. The waters of the Trough settled in valleys and flowed into hollows to become seas. The Maker held up his work and saw that it was fitting. He set the world upon a great pinnacle of the finest mithril, and there it remains to this day.
Divine Domains
Forge, Order, Life
Tenets of Faith
The dwarves were then hewn from iron and mithral within the world before cooling them with his breath, imbuing them with souls.
Social
Religious Views
According to the earliest dwarven texts, Moradin, known as the Maker, first created the other gods from the earth and the Trough of Life and then shaped them on the Anvil of Spirit in his image. Moradin then taught the gods the ability to craft to assist him.
To the Gods of Craft he taught the ability to make pleasing things. And He taught the Gods of the Elements how to use their powers and nuture life.And after this, still he was not done with creation, for then he needed to populate his world. And to this he created a race in his likeness.
The Maker decided to test his world. To do this, he would create a race of miners and forgers and craftsmen. They would strive to find the mithril pinnacle upon which the world rests, deep in its heart. And so the Maker returned to the Eternal Forge within the Caverns of the Everlasting Flame. The Maker took rock and iron and heated them in the Eternal Forge. He forged them into pleasing shapes and quenched them in the Trough of Life, and so the first dwarves were created.Pleased with his work, he napped, which is when mischief struck. Lesser Gods, jealous of his skill and creations, bound him as he slept. They heated the Great Forge and created races in their own likeness, like elves, men, and gnomes. But then their jealous arose again as they fell to arguing over which part of the world was theirs. This clamor awoke the Maker who saw what they had done and became angry. But in their wickedness laughed at him and swore he would never be released. They continued to work the Eternal Forge, but without control so that it grew too hot. Great globules of molten stone escaped the Forge and fell towards earth. The Creator breathed upon these lumps to cool them so his creations would not be harmed. His breath gave them life and they became dragons.
And so, of all the creatures of Oerth, only the dwarves and the dragons were made by the Creator. Dwarves by his hands and skill; dragons by the power of his breath
Divine Classification
Greater Deity
Children
Sex
Male
Presentation
Masculine
Height
20'
Belief/Deity
Morndninsamman
Greyhawk - Wiki
Monster Mythology (DMGR4)
Written by Carl Sargent
Copyright 1992 TSR
The Complete Book of Dwarves (PHBR6)
Written by Jim Bambra
Copyright 1991 TSR
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Lead Designers Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford
Copyright 2018
