War
Cry: "Fire and Steel!"
War
Cry: "Fire and Steel!"
Creed: "Life is the forge of the soul's iron, attempting to create the finest steel."
Mantra: "My soul is but raw metal, and hardship serves only to make it stronger."
The all-father, it was by his hammer that the life that sprung
from the sun-goddess was crafted into the stuff of souls and distributed
among the races. Throughout history, he has distributed his knowledge
and wisdom in the ways of crafts and smithing to the people, ever happy to
inspire his followers to new innovation and use of the gifts that the gods
have given them. While the Dwarves perhaps revere him the most, all
races find worship in his grace. All that he requires of his priesthood
is that they be crafters par-excellance, and he especially favors those who
follow the arts of blacksmithing. Every year his priest must create
an item at the peak of their skill devoted to their god, rejoicing in his
benevolence, though it can be functional in its own right. His emblem
and weapon is the forger's hammer, and all of his priests carry a hammer
as both their symbol, their craft, and their weapon.
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Crafts, Healing, Strength, War
(Translated from the traditional Dwarvish by Besalm Cragwalker)
Hammering in the darkness stony walls, deep
Caverns in the earth, grottoes of wondrous splendor,
The All-Father, pounding forms from the formless,
Shaping by hand his steel-stone works.
Magnificent in craft-works he is who is
Soul-forger hight(1) by the dvergr(2 and mithr. (3)
Mighty his thews 4) for the doing of good works.
His back, like the spanning of cold stone.
Beard of steely bristles chin-chains,
Dangling like stone spires, from his mighty
Mouth, font of booming cavern-voice,
Massive, dark eyes pools of wisdom seen.
For all of a long age, Soul-forger
Did work in the darkness, his only light from
The coals in his forge, glowing with red
Like under-suns, tiny red moons in the deep.
Lo, and it came to pass Skydancer, the
Eye of the Heavens did come to entreat of the
Father of All, seeking his skill at all crafts
His hands' work was her great need.
"Father of All, Dweller in the Deep Earth,
Crafter of Forms, Your keen skills are in need
Lo, I have made life from my light's rays,
But it is without form and grace and will."
"Aye, O You Who Sees From on High,
I have seen it to be as you say, I have seen
The myriad forms of your boundless light.
Yet something else there is that you need?"
"Not yet satisfied am I with the work
I have begun, O Forge-Firer, Hammer-Wielder.
I entreat you, who art the Form-Giver
Make of my life those who shall speak."
"It shall be as you wish," said the mighty
Forger-of-Souls "I shall give shapes to all
That you have made and they shall be made better."
The All-Father took his mighty hammer
And struck a blow resounding throughout
Over-world and the world beneath, and with
That one blow, he gave place to all under sky.
First made, the underkinds Dwarves, Gnomes
All those whose dwellings lie under the earth.
Next came the elf-kin dwellers in trees
And the halfling kin and their inconstant homes.
From the light that went into dark places
The All-Father made those who kept the dark inside
The orcs and dragons, hell creatures, giants and
Ogres, all the savage monstrous races, blasted forms.
From all that was left over from forging the
Original souls, the All-Father fashioned
His last work, humans Made from all that
Had no other place Men came to want all places.
"So it is done!" cried The Dweller in Deep,
See my creations? Forms, both Noble and Base
Speech I have given them And hunger, and fire,
And taught to them The many secrets of my skills."
And She Who Watches From the Sky,
Looked down and saw the work of the mighty
All-Father, and she saw that it was good,
And she smiled to look upon the world.
(1) Called, named.
(2) Dwarves.
(3) Men, humans.
(4) Physical strength, sometimes arms (as in "strength of arms).