The dwarven pantheon is always headed by Moradin, Soul Forger, who hammered out the bodies of the Dwarf-Fathers from iron and mithral hewn from the very core of the world. Moradin used his huge magical hammer to beat the bodies into shape, and as he breathed on his creations to cool them, the souls of the first dwarves were born into the world. In many versions of this myth, the Dwarf-Fathers have to fight their way up from the world's core to the mountains above, overcoming many dangers on the way. These dangers are usually great monsters and physical hazards which the dwarves overcome by strength, combat and physical skill, rather than wit or trickery.
These early myths are fully consistent with the way in which dwarven theology stresses the pragmatic and practical. Even the holy symbols used by the priesthoods are often those of tools and crafted weapons and other items. Dwarves have absolutely no place for the arcane or mystical in their myths, legends, and beliefs.
Moradin is the god who has taught the dwarven race the skills of smithing and metal working. These are the basic skills the dwarven race uses for exploiting the riches of their homes in the mountains, and for crafting the items which allow them further exploration. Both toolmaking and weapon-crafting were taught to the Dwarf-Fathers by Moradin, who watches over these activities still (and many dwarves invoke his name when a crucial stage in their craftwork—tempering metal, for example—is about to occur).
It is an interesting paradox that while the elven deities are chaotic, they live together in harmony; while most of the dwarven pantheon is lawful, they tend to live separately (Moradin and Berronar in the Seven Heavens, Clangeddin in Arcadia, Vergadain and Dumathoin on the Plane of Concordant Opposition, and so on). This may be symbolic and reflective of the dwarves desire for territory and living space; just as mortal dwarves are ever exploring new territory below the surface world, the deities themselves are scattered.
The dwarven pantheon is predominantly male, and for all that scholars might claim an equality of females in dwarven societies, the one goddess of importance is one of home, and wife to Moradin (some local pantheons have a goddess of healing also). They are very practical deities, concerned with the earth, metals and minerals, warfare (given the dwarves' constant strife with subterranean goblinoids and other races), craftsmanship, earthquakes and volcanoes, fire, physical strength, and protection of the dead and reverence of ancestors. There are very few cases of dwarven deities governing the sea, plant life and agriculture, atmospheric phenomena (rain, clouds, stars, etc.), woodlands and forests, animals, comedy and pleasure, or arcane and mystical knowledge (Dugmaren Brightmantle is unique on this score).
An oddity of the dwarven deities is that most can if they wish have their avatars appear as of huge stature; up to 20 feet tall in some cases. This has sometimes been ascribed to their having a severe inferiority complex about their height. This seems extremely unlikely, and rather it may reflect an exaggerated sense of self-importance (and also, more fairly, as an inspiration for dwarves on some occasions—for example, when Clangeddin the War God appears as an avatar on a field of battle!). However, equally obviously there are occasions on which it would be unwise of a deity to manifest itself as a 20-foot tall avatar (for example, if it needed to appear in a long series of underground passageways with an average ceiling height of six feet).
Major Dwarven Gods (see Profiles)
- Moradin, god of smithing, creator of the dwarves
- Clangeddin Silverbeard, god of battle, bravery, honor
- Dumathoin, god of the earth, mining, secrets and the dead
Dwarven Gods (see below)
- Abbathor, god of greed, thieves
- Berronar Truesilver, goddess of the hearth, family, oaths
- Dugmaren Brightmantle, god of invention, discovery, scholarship, runes
- Gendvar Argrim, LN Demipower of Fatalism and Obsession
- Gorm Gulthyn, god of guardians and defense
- Haela Brightaxe, goddess of luck and joy in battle
- Muamman Duathal, god of explorers, travelers, pathways
- Vergadain, god of wealth, trade, luck
Duergar Gods
- Laduguer, god of the duergar, toil, craft
- Deep Duerra, goddess of psionics, conquest, expansion
Derro Gods
- Diinkarazan, god of vengeance, insanity
- Diirinka, god of magic, savants, knowledge and cruelty
Berronar Truesilver
The Revered Mother; the Mother Goddess; Matron of Home and Hearth; Mother of Safety, Truth, and Home
Intermediate Dwarven Deity
Berronar Truesilver ("bair-oh-nahr troo-sill-vur) is matriarch of the dwarven pantheon. As Moradin's bride, Berronar sees it as her duty to act as an authority figure for the dwarven gods, using her keen negotiation skills and calm demeanor as a balm to keep the sometimes fractious pantheon unified. The Revered Mother is the defender and protector of the home - not a passive homebody. She is seen as the patron of marriage and love, and her name is often invoked in small home rituals for protection against thieves and duplicity. Berronar is also the goddess of healing. Lawful good dwarves who value their families, clans, and the common strength and security of dwarven society revere her for her caring and loving service to the entire race.
Dogma
The children of Moradin are shaped on the Soul Forge and ever warmed by the embrace of the Revered Mother. Tend the hearth and home, drawing strength and safety from truth, tradition, and the rule of law. Join with friends, kin, and clan in common purpose. Do not succumb to the misery of greed or the evils of strife, but always bring hope, health. and cheer to those in need. Once an oath is made, Berronar watches over its keeping—to break it is to grieve her sorely. Children must be cherished and guarded well from harm, for they are the future of all dwarvenkind.
Clergy
Berronar's priests serve as the guardians and protectors of dwarven clans; they also maintain lore records and family histories. The members of Berronar's clergy strive to further the good health and good character of all dwarves. They heal the sick and injured, attempt to treat, eradicate, and stop the spread of disease, develop antidotes to dwarfsbane and other poisons that can affect dwarves, and encourage truthfulness, obedience to law, peaceful harmony, and governance of greed and goldlust. Priests of Berronar never ignore a dwarf in need of aid, and they always help to the best of their ability. If a Revered Sister/Brother lacks magical means of curing, she or he finds someone who can heal or provide all the nonmagical care possible. The duty of a priest of Berronar is to keep every dwarf alive, whatever the cost.
Domains: Light, Life, Order
Weapons: "Wrath of Righteousness" (heavy mace)
Abbathor
Great Master of Greed, Trove Lord, Wyrm of Avarice
Intermediate Dwarven Deity
Abbathor (AB-bah-thor) the Avaricious is the dwarven god of greed, venerated by most evil dwarves and nearly all evil dwarven thieves. He represents the worst aspect and major weakness of dwarven character. Many dwarves and even nondwarves consumed with treasure lust and greed, or those who seek to steal valuables, make offerings to him.
Dogma
Seek to acquire all that shines or sparkles, and revel in the possession of such. The wealth of the earth was created for those dwarves strong and crafty enough to acquire it by any means necessary. Greed is good, as it motivates the acquisition and the holding of all that is truly precious. Do not seize wealth from the children of the Morndinsamman, however, nor conspire against the favored of Abbathor, for such strife in the name of avarice weakens the clan.
Clergy
Like their deity, priests of Abbathor strive to enrich themselves, taking advantage of their positions and influence to steal or deal themselves some personal wealth. Such funds are typically cached in remote, fiendishly well-trapped hideaways, as amassing enough loot to retire in luxury is a game and a driving motivation among priests of this god.
As noted above, however, there is one strict rule: No priest of Abbathor can steal from any other dwarf, or influence events to cause harm to the person or wealth of any rival priest of Abbathor. This is the infamous Abbathor's Commandment, of which dwarven thieves are often reminded. Priests of Abbathor do not like to remember so readily that it was uttered purely in order to preserve some followers of the god after angry fellow dwarves had slaughtered thief after thief in the robes of Abbathor's clergy.
Domains: Trickery
Favored Weapon: "Heart of Ice" (diamond bladed dagger)
Dugmaren Brightmantle
The Gleam in the Eye, the Wandering Tinker, the Errant Explorer
Dwarven Lesser Deity
Dugmaren Brightmantle (DUHG-mah-ren BRITE-man-tuhl) is the patron of dwarven scholars and the embodiment of the chaotic and exploratory spirit that consumes some of the Stout Folk. He is venerated by dwarves and a few gnomes, all of whom are scholars, inventors, engineers, tinkers, and fiddlers. His worshipers are consumed with the acquiring of knowledge simply for its own sake rather than for any practical purpose. Whereas Moradin draws smiths and other craftsfolk to his forge, Dugmaren attracts those free-thinkers who want to create something truly new, not a variation on an old theme.
Dogma
The secrets of the world are waiting to be revealed. Travel widely, broaden your mind at every opportunity, and pursue the life of a scholar. Cultivate the spirit of inquiry among the young and be a teacher to all. Seek to recover the lost and/or arcane knowledge of ages past and apply it in the world of today. Try new methods of doing things just for the joy of experimenting. Learn a little of everything, for you never know what might be of use down the road.
Clergy
Priests of the Wandering Tinker spend their days in scholarly pursuits, seeking to learn, teach, and advance nearly every field of knowledge even marginally interesting to the dwarven race. Many Seekers of Truth and Mystery serve as instructors to the young, while others record and archive current dwarven practices for future generations. Dugmaren's clergy members travel widely, seeking new experiences, new ideas, and the recovery of lost dwarven lore.
Domains: Arcana, Knowledge
Favored Weapon: "Sharptack" (Short sword)
Gendvar Argrim
the Doomed Dwarf, LN Demipower of Fatalism and Obsession
Dwarven Ascendant Demipower
Young Gendwar Argrim (GEND-war AHR-grihm) was traveling to his apprenticeship in another clan when his home clan was wiped out by an invasion of orcs and giants. Because of the distance between the clans, he didn't find out about it for a year. When he did hear the news, he abandoned his apprenticeship as a silversmith and swore to keep no wealth and take no wife until every foe of dwarvenkind was slain. Fully expecting to be slain long before he had a chance to complete his goal. Gendwar instead experienced remarkable success and eventually achieved godhood (after a quest in which he slew a divine-descended fire giant and her minions with the help of Clanggedin Silverbeard, dwarven god of war and battle. Gendwar is the epitome of the stereotypical dwarf: dour, taciturn, and focused on the destruction of evil humanoids. His appearance is unremarkable except for his sandy blond hair and beard. His dwarven waraxe, Forgotten Hope, screams every time a dwarven community is attacked. His symbol is a Waraxe bearing the dwarven rune for "destruction."
Dogma
The only hope the dwarven race has to survive is if its enemies are utterly destroyed. Focus on their destruction. They breed faster than the True Folk and spawn ten times our numbers within one dwarven generation. Honor, glory, wealth. and love are all meaningless and trivial while the future of the dwarves is at stake. Focus on their salvation. Commit yourself to the task of destroying the enemies of the dwarves, and expect to die in battle, but make your death cost a thousand enemies their own. If the dwarves survive only in song and legend, ours will be an empty legacy.
Clergy
Gendwar's clerics seek out and destroy evil humanoids, preferably those that threaten dwarven settlements. They train warriors in the best tactics against traditional dwarven foes, search for vulnerabilities in new enemies, and fortify dwarven clans against attacks. They adventure to unearth pockets of dwarven enemies and to discover dwarven weapons and artifacts useful in their fight. It is a violation of the faith's code
to retain more than 1,000 gp of wealth unless it is being saved to purchase better armor or weapons.
Domains: War
Weapon: Dwarven Waraxe
Gorm Gulthyn
Fire Eyes, the Golden Guardian, the Sentinel, Lord of the Bronze Mask, the Eternally Vigilant
Dwarven Lesser Deity
Gorm Gulthyn (GORM GULL-thin) is the guardian and protector of dwarvenkind throughout the world as well as the god of all Stout Folk who serve as guardians. Those dwarves who require protection or armed aid pay tribute in appeasement to the Lord of the Bronze Mask. Lawful neutral and lawful good dwarves in particular turn to Fire Eyes.
Dogma
Never waver in your duty to Gorm's sacred charges. Defend, protect, and keep safe the children of the Morndinsamman from the hostile forces of the outside world. Be always vigilant and ever alert so that you are never surprised If need be, be prepared to pay the greatest price so that the clan and the community survive, and your name will be remembered for generations.
Clergy
The Vigilant Host guards most clanhold entries, the Gates on the borders of the Deep Realms, as well as all temples of Gorm. Priests of Gorm serve as protectors and bodyguards for all dwarves, especially the young and childrearing parents of both sexes. They instruct dwarven warriors fulfilling such roles in the arts of alertness, blindfighting, and weapons-skills (in other words, in campaigns using proficiencies, the priests of Gorm can tutor dwarves in all proficiencies useful to guardians). The foremost aim of any lesser priest of Gorm is to protect the dwarves assigned to him. Veteran priests of higher rank may choose whom they protect. If this involves sacrificing one's life, so be it; that is "Gorm's greatest price," as every priest of Gorm knows.
Domains: War
Favored Weapon: "Axegard" (battleaxe)
Haela Brightaxe
Lady of the Fray, Luckmaiden, the Hard
Dwarven Demipower
Haela Brightaxe (HUH-ae-la BRITE-ax) is the patron of dwarves who love the fray, who wander the surface lands, who face unknown dangers, and who battle monsters. Although dwarves of all alignments venerate the Lady of the Fray, those Stout Folk of chaotic or neutral good alignment who love battle or exhibit berserker tendencies tend to actively embrace the worship of the Luckmaiden.
Dogma
Through battle, you find validation, liberation, and exultation. Trust in Haela to see you through the fray, and the monsters of the world shall fall to the sharp blades of your axes, regardless of their apparent strength and numbers The Luckmaiden blesses those dwarves who believe in her beneficence, and she, through her faithful, will always be there for, the beleaguered and besieged. Rejoice in the power of your swing in battle, the sound of your weapon smiting a worthy foe. and the challenge of the fray. If asked, show mercy on a noble foe who abides by a code of honor, but hold not your hand against the treacherous, the liars, the honorless.
Clergy
Priests of Haela wander throughout the world, aiding dwarves in battle. They wander because no priest knows where or when she or he will be needed-each relies upon Haela's guiding hand to position him or her as necessary. Blades of the Brightaxe aid beleaguered dwarves (and known allies and companions of dwarves) against creatures of all sorts by healing, casting spells, and fighting alongside them. Their objectives are to achieve victory for the dwarven side and to allow the maximum possible number of dwarves to survive. The priests wish also to make all dwarves comfortable with their own skills in combat-to Haela's worshipers, battle-skills are needed to guide the hands of all dwarves if the Stout Folk are to survive.
Domains: War
Favored Weapon: "Flamebolt" (greatsword)
Hanseath
The Bearded One
Dwarven Lesser Deity
Hanseath is the dwarven deity of carousing, brewery, and singing, representing the more festive side of the Stout Folk. He is also a war god, beloved by berserkers and whose followers are always seemingly off on some kind of crusade.
Dogma
Celebrate every victory, even a small one. Go into battle with a song and a brave heart.
Clergy
Hanseath is held in high regard by brewers and barbarians alike, along with any dwarf that charged into battle ignoring the odds. His worshipers are often either in battle, or marching towards the next one, and his clerics often serve in dwarven military units (as both healers and spellcasters) urging their fellows into battle. Given their rebellious streak however, Hanseath's clerics are not always comfortable for the rest of the army to mix with, and many times are segregated into their own berserker units.
Domains: Peace, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Tankard (Club)
Muamman Duathal
Finder-of-Trails, the Watcher over Wanderers, the Watchful Eye, the Hammer, the Finder, the Wanderer
Dwarven Lesser Deity
Muamman Duathal (Moo-AM-man Doo-AHthuhl) is the protector of dwarves who make their lives in human society in the North, rather than keeping to mountain or deep-delve enclaves. Commonly known as Wanderers, all such dwarves make offerings to him in appeasement for good fortune.
Dogma
If the Children of Moradin are to survive as a race, they must adapt, grow, and learn to dwell in harmony with other good races, particularly humans. The Stout Folk must be encouraged to emerge from the illusory safety of their hidden delves and find true security in fellowship with humankind and demihumankind. Help fellow wanders and sojourners in the world, giving all that is needful. Guide those who are lost and guard those who are defenseless. Seek out new ways and new paths, and discover the wide world in your wanderings. Herald the way of newfound hope.
Clergy
Priests of Marthammor make marked trails in the wilderness northlands of the world. They also establish way-caches of food and supplies (spare boots, clothing, weapons, drinking-water, bandages and splints, firemaking supplies, and the like) along these trails.
Domains: Nature, Trickery
Favored Weapon: "Glowhammer" (heavy mace)
Vergadain
God of Wealth and Luck, the Merchant King, the Trickster, the Laughing Dwarf, the Short Father
Dwarven Intermediate Deity
Vergadain (VUR-guh-dane), the Master Merchant, is the patron of dwarven merchants and most nonevil dwarven thieves. A schemer and a rogue, Vergadain is venerated by dwarves of any neutral alignment engaged in commerce and concerned with wealth. Vergadain is sometimes called the Trickster, though not by dwarves who worship him, and the Laughing Dwarf, though a dwarf would never use such a term.
Dogma
The truly blessed are those whose enterprise and zeal brings both wealth and good luck. Dwarves are well suited to earn their fortunes by the effort of both their hands and their minds; use both to pry wealth out of others. Work hard, be clever, seek the best bargain, and the Merchant King will shower you with gold. Live life to its fullest; save, tithe, and spend your riches and thus encourage more trade. Treat others with respect, but shirk not your responsibility to try to strike a deal better for you than for them-to not try would be to leave the gifts that Vergadain gives you idle.
Clergy
Vergadain's priests are dedicated to furthering the success of dwarven merchant commerce with other races, especially humans, but always to the benefit of dwarves. The priesthood is expected to be personally wealthy and to maintain the Merchant King's temples in excellent style. Their role is to increase general dwarven influence and prosperity and thus help the dwarves to further their craftwork, weapons-mastery, and inventions. Gold donated on Vergadain's altars is spent or traded shrewdly, to support dwarven merchants. Vergadain's clergy use it to bail dwarven merchants out of debt where possible, place bribes to help dwarven trade and commerce with other lands and races, and so on.
Domains: Trickery
Favored Weapon: "Goldseeker" (longsword)
Gods of the Duergar
Deep Duerra
Queen of the Invisible Art, Axe Princess of Conquest, Daul of Laduguer
Dwarven Demigod
Deep Duerra (DEEP DWAIR-uh) is the duergar demigoddess of psionics, conquest, and expansion. She is venerated by gray dwarves skilled in the Invisible Art as well as duergar warriors who seek to conquer much of the Underdark and chafe at the defensive mindset of Laduguer's priests. A few rare surface dwellers with wild talents have begun to call on the Queen of the Invisible Art as well for aid in understanding (and more importantly, concealing) their powers, which are viewed with suspicion and fear by most of the populace.
Dogma
The children of Laduguer shall conquer the earth and stone from which they sprang and the voids in which they dwell. The seizing of new lands, new wealth and new servitors is the manifest destiny of those who mine the Night Below. Magic is weak, unreliable, and unsubtle when compared to the powers of the mind unless bequeathed and steadied by the will of the gods. By means of the Invisible Art, the duergar shall destroy or enslave all who rely on their petty magics to survive. One day all will bow to the power of the duergar and the brilliance of the Invisible Art.
Clergy
Duerra expects her priests to be capable leaders who use cunning strategy to defeat their enemies in an endless quest for increased power. Unlike the Ladugueran clergy, who are typically responsible for the defense of duergar cities, homelands, and mines, senior Mindaxes command elite strike forces composed of duergar warriors, junior Ladugueran priests, and Duerran priests. These teams are responsible for the scouting and seizing of new tunnels. Within duergar society, Axe Princesses/Princes of the Invisible Art monitor the very thoughts of both slaves and their gray dwarven masters, alert for any sign of disloyalty, and eliminate troublesome elements as necessary. Duerran priests instruct young gray dwarves in developing their natural psionic talents and teach the art of war and survival techniques in the wilds of the Underdark.
Domains: Order, Trickery, War
Favored Weapon: "Mindshatter" (battleaxe)
Laduguer
The Exile, the Gray Protector, Master of Crafts, the Slave Driver, the Taskmaster, the Harsh
Intermediate Dwarven Deity
Laduguer (LAA-duh-gwur) is the patron of the duergar, or gray dwarves, a malevolent breed of dwarves who dwell in the dark reaches of the Underdark and who withdrew from the rest of dwarven society long ago along with their god. The Exile is venerated by most gray dwarves as the protector of the race who defends them from the countless other creatures of the Underdark who wish to enslave them and seize their tunnels, mines, and crafts. Duergar craftsmen, particularly those who seek to create magical weapons, pay particular homage to Laduguer.
Dogma
The children of Laduguer have rejected the feckless and feeble gods of their forefathers and withdrawn from their lazy once-kin so as not to be tainted by their weaknesses. Strict obedience to superiors, dedication to one's craft, and endless toil are necessary to achieve wealth, security, and power. Nothing is ever easy, nor should it be. Suffer pain stoically and remain aloof, for to show or even feel emotion is to demonstrate weakness Those who are weak are undeserving and will suffer an appropriate fate. Adversity is Laduguer's forge, and the harsh trails through which the duergar must pass are his hammer blows—endure and become stronger than adamantine.
Clerics and Temples
Laduguer's priests serve as the leaders, defenders, and elite artisans of gray dwarven society. As reflected in the title given to High Old Ones - Arduke being a dwarven title for clan leader - Laduguer's clergy derive their spiritual and temporal authority from the role the Exile's early priests played in leading the ancestors of the gray dwarves away from the rest of dwarven society. Unlike gold and shield dwarven cultures where religious and clan leadership are usually distinct, the duergar make no distinction between the two roles. As the protectors of duergar enclaves, members of Laduguer's clergy command and serve in the military and are ultimately responsible for the care, feeding, and training of steeders. They are responsible for the brewing of poisons, the infliction of torture, and the exploitation of slaves. To ensure the safety of the gray dwarves as a whole, Laduguer's priests forcefully repel contacts from other races, permitting trade only under very controlled circumstances far removed from duergar strongholds. The Exile's clergy are also expected to be skilled craftsmen, particularly of magical weapons, and the older and more frail priests are typically the elite artisans of any gray dwarven community.
Domains: Arcana, Forge, Order
Favored Weapon: "Grimhammer" (war-hammer)
Gods of the Derro
Diirinka
The Great Savant The Cruel Master The Deep Lich
Dwarven Intermediate Deity
Diirinka is the god of the derro, monstrous hybrids of dwarves and humans that inhabited the Underdark. He was a deity of magic and knowledge, as well as cruelty. He resided in the realm called the Hidden Betrayal on Pandemonium's layer of Phlegethon.
Diirinka was thought to be the son between Moradin and Berronar Truesilver. He was banished by his father alongside his brother Diinkarazan, though it wasn't clear for what.
It should be noted that Diirinka might not exist, as the truth behind the Derro's origins was that they were a form of dwarves tortured into insanity by the illithids.
Domains: Trickery
Favored weapon: dagger (poisoned)
Diinkarazan
The Mad God
Dwarven Demigod
Diinkarazan is a lost demigod of the derro.
Diinkarazan's avatar appears as a gaunt 5-ft-tall derro. His face's most striking feature is his glowing red eyes with black pupils. His hair constantly changes texture and appearance and streams behind him as if he is surrounded by constant gusts of wind.
Diinkarazan is mad. He was betrayed by his brother Diirinka and cursed by Ilsensine to be tortured in the Abyss. Every fifty years or so, he becomes sane for one day. A sane Diinkarazan is nothing short of a homicidal maniac. On this day, he sends his avatar to the Prime Material Plane. Once there, he tries to satisfy his revenge by killing everyone he comes across until the avatar gets killed too.
Diinkarazan is a powerful assassin and a wild mage of unreliable power. His magical power changes from minute to minute, from feeble to extremely powerful, at random. Spells he doesn't resist are reflected to the caster about one in four times— he has no control when a spell he doesn't resist against was reflected. He can also use whispering wind, gust of wind, feather fall, stinking cloud, wind wall or a wind blast against one target by employing the wind that surrounds him; again he has no control over which ability happens to manifest and there is an equal chance for any of these six to manifest. People who try to use detect thoughts on him go mad like the mad god.
Diinkarazan fights with his fists and doesn't use weapons.
Domains: Death, War
Favored Weapon: Fists
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