The Catechisms of Adrudar

A dwarf has three aspects - Maker, Worker and Warrior. They are dwarf, as are you.

— White Tablet, First Writ, First Stave.

The Catechisms of Adrudar are the foremost and founding texts of the dwarven monothistic religion, Ardudaragun. They originally consisted of three large granite slabs carved with the recorded wisdom and laws of Adrudar (literally All-Father Dwarf), as brought to Karag-Finn by his prophet Firginbar.

Document Structure

Clauses

Each of the tablets describes one of the aspects of dwarfkind listed by the First Writ First Stave.
The White Tablet covers the Maker, and that all dwarves should strive to create, build, enhance and improve every part of themselves and society.
The Grey Tablet tells of the Worker, in that all dwarves were given life to work, and that working for dwarfkind should therefore be their goal.
Lastly the Black Tablet espouses the Warrior aspect, an aspect that all should train and be skilled in should be time come.

Appearance

The three slabs are each made from a different colour of granite. All the faces and sides of the tablets are polished with no visible tool marks present, only the runes carved into stone face mar the surface. The runes are carved in strict Ur-Keth, with seemingly no faults or flaws in any of the characters. The scripture on each tablet is split into three sections, or Writs, each of these containing 9 Staves.

Historical Details

History

It was during the Fiend Blight that Fingirbar appeared in the beseiged Baradul clanhold in Durmat-Khadal (the former name of the mountain Karag-Finn). No-one could explain how he got passed the fortifications that had held the fiends at bay for several weeks, carrying with him the three stone tablets as well as a bloodied axe. He spoke to no-one but strode purposefully towards the dias at the centre of the clan-hall, a calm and serene expression on his face. There he laid the tablets down around the circular platform, and then after several moments surveying those that had gathered around him he proceeded to recite in order all eighty one Staves. At first he was ignored, but hour after hour he continued to speak his calm but firm voice carrying to every corner of the vast hall. Dwarves came and went as their duties allowed and after 3 days he was still delivering his sermon, no change of pace or tone nor with a hint tiredness present in his voice.
On the fourth day, the fiendish hordes finally breeched the first line of the Clan-hold's defences, and a sombre tone took hold across the population - the end of the Baradul clan felt near at hand. A few of those in the clan-hold now went to listen to Fingirbar's words, his tone and the timbre of his voice now a comfort at this late hour. It took another five days for the raving abyssal spawn to carve their way passed the last gateway and the defenders who held it. As the sounds of the stronghold's vast iron door being sundered rang through the tunnels and halls, Fingirbar finished his speaking the 81st Stave. Reaching down for his axe, he ran head long towards the onrushing tide of fiends, his only cry "Adrudar!". All those who saw him were so taken by his selfless defence of a clanhold not his own that they followed him into the fray without question. After a full day's fighting in which all but thirty dwarves were lost the battlefield fell silent, every fiend slain. Fingirbar wiped his axe clean, and returned to the dias. When finally the remaining dwarves entered the hall, they found him stood still and calm once again, his axe held head pointing down towards his feet. I am Fingirbar, the First of Adrudar. Would you listen to his words for all of dwarfkind?"
Those present stood and listened, the aches of battle and pain of loss flowing through them. But as Fingirbar spoke once more, it was now they heard Adrudar's wisdom.

Legacy

After the events of the Baradul seige and the ending of the Fiend Blight, the dwarves within Durmat-Khadal all converted to follow Ardudar and his Catechisms for Dwarfkind. As the population within the mountain grew again so too did the nascent religion until all the day when all the dwarfholds that had been lost to the orc invasion were now resettled and followed the way of the All-Father. Twelve years after the Fingirbar's appearance, the new High King renamed the mountain to Karag-Finn ("The First Hold").
The new religion though has not spread widely beyond the mountain despite repeated attempts by missionary and crusaders to extol the aspects of Adrudar and wisdom contained within. Though they carry copies of the tablets with them, these copies have been carved in the more modern Udre-Keth and it has been said by some followers these runes do not carry the weight of Adrudar's teachings sufficiently enough.

Type

Text, Religious

Medium

Stone