History:
Penitent Helms were first used to keep the
Dwarven Barbarians, specifically the berserkers of old from biting their handlers during transport. These periods of quiet where restrained berserkers were carted from one battlefield to the next were stressful on the always raging berserker. As such they frequently lashed out with whatever they could manage, which were mostly their teeth. Forced upon all of their brethren, even those not so rage-filled, the helm was seen as a harsh punishment. It was also fairly plain, and was more of a mask, being meant to fit under a helmet though this would change.
Modern Usage:
In time the helm would be modified by those berserkers who were not so far gone that it was chained to their head. These more sane individuals would come to see the helmet not as a punishment but an honor, marking them as one of the berserkers. These days most helms no longer bear the straps, chains, or locks that could not be removed. There are some who out of necessity still employ this more barbaric version but those are few and far between in modern times.
Variation:
There are two main variations currently in use.
The most sane of individuals usually don the most heavily stylized types of the penitent helm. These individuals usually fall into the
Copperchin Family. The majority of those who do so will remain as part of the dwarven military, but unlike the majority of their berserker kin, will actually request time off on occasion. They also have the time and mental capacity to customize their arms and armor. They also actually collect a paycheque, unlike the majority of berserkers who no longer care for such things as wealth. Given this time, and the inherently dangerous nature of their work as frontline soldiers, being maimed, or scarred is particularly common. As such the nature of their customization is put to the task of replicating what they may have looked like before they had suffered a rather gruesome injury.
And then there are the least sane, the stone mask-wearing members of the
Crimson Tears. The original mask was donned by a grieving mother who had lost all eight of her children during a
Dark Tide. Lost to rage and grief, the woman lost all semblance of sanity and sealed herself off from the world. When she emerged she had forged a stone death mask of her last living child, and had sharpened a cleaver to a deadly point. She would then massacre numerous
The Dark Ones before eventually falling in battle. Though she would perish in the defence of the city, she
would inspire the other berserkers she had fought alongside, prompting them to mark their helms with red tears. This tradition continues to this day, though only those truly lost to their rage feel a close enough kinship to the grieving mother to mark their masks in such a way.
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