~ 6^th Edition ~ 14th of the Grand Harvest, 1792 ~

    Late is the hour by which the arbiter of atrocity and faux justice repents. Not while the victim was on the ground begging for mercy, for honor, not once confronted on the streets at the severity of action, not at the trial for that most wretched crime, not after when confronted again. No, Karl Blackroot saw it most fit to repent far after his acquittal, and in the process cast shame and sow distrust in the community, making accusations of corruption. For what purpose, must ask all khazadmar of Urguan, does the murderer now come forth for mercy? 

The call for a religious trial is harkened by lost ears, as such action was already in the works and personally promised to Karl Blackroot by myself, High Prophet Norli Starbreaker. That is to say, Karl Blackroot, that we wish you had paid attention the first time we warned you that there would be further trial before the Brathmordakin, but alas you shall get one in the end regardless. Make no mistake, this sudden shift with welcome arms to concepts such as mercy and contemplation which you previously dismissed does not go unnoticed, and shall be among your many duplicitous deeds scrutinized and put on investigation by da Kirkja Dverga.

ULRO VELERAK ERON DA RHADAV’KARAAD, your trial shall be in privacy, open only to members of da Kirkja Dverga, your advisory team limited to a count of one, and the impartial Grand King to oversee the whole business. You shall be contacted by a cleric in person soon enough when the time for the trial comes. This trial shall not be one of obsessive legalism and maneuvering, but that of Truth and Justice before Khaz’A’Dentrumm. Do not hire a lawyer who seeks to exploit systems and loopholes but rather one who understands your true intentions best. Any inconsistency shall be seen as it is, as a sign of deception before the Brathmordakin, an atrocity in its own right and a pathetic affront to Grimdugan.

Narvak oz Brathmordakin

ᚾᚨᚱᚡᚨᚴ ᛟᛉ ᛒᚱᚨᛏᚺᛗᛟᚱᛞᚨᚴᛁᚾ

DA KIRKJA DVERGA

~ ᛞᚨ ᚴᛁᚱᚴᛃᚨ ᛞᚡᛖᚱᚷᚨ ~

~ 5th Edition : 1st of Malin’s Welcome, 1788 ~

On the 12th of the Grand Harvest, the clerics and priests of da Kirkja Dverga gathered in the hallowed hall of Kel’Evraal’s temple, and met to discuss many important matters. From my desk do I relate to the sons and daughters of Urguan the decisions reached, and what is the will of the seven sacred hosts of Khaz’A’Dentrumm as interpreted by da Kirkja Dverga, as well as a religious view on recent events.

Hogarth Irongut

Hogarth Irongut had walked the very same halls of the progenitors of the clans, and spread the wisdom and love earned there across the continents. An ancient dwed born in late Aegis, he has spent centuries in service to his people across several positions. At a younger age, he served politically, acting as Lord Regent thrice, bringing order to chaotic times in the dwarves. Once did he sit upon the hallowed Obsidian Throne himself, leading a successful and modest reign. With a longer beard did he turn to the faith, and led da Kirkja Dverga in its most successful age to date, grand shrines being forged for each host of Khaz’A’Dentrumm, beardlings flocking to join ranks of the clergy. For his unaging passion across centuries for the dwedmar and Brathmordakin, Hogarth Irongut is recognized as The Prophet, Paragon of Belka.

Expulsion

Bodmer Goldhand is hereby expelled from the clergy for demonstrating a shameful lack of honorable character. Bodmer committed perjury in an attempt to slander myself and the High Courts. This pathetic mockery of a scheme is not only an action of great dishonor, but is an atrocity to Grimdugan in how poorly it was executed. 

Clergy Reforms of 1785

Further elaborating upon the reforms held early in my administration as High Preceptor, these reforms will help organize da Kirkja Dverga into a more perfect method of spreading the faith of the Brathmordakin to others, with a structure that greater prioritizes wisdom and experience. Along with these reforms, Brynaelda Grandaxe has been appointed Prelate of Belka, Falk Irongut has been appointed Prelate of Ogradhad, and Dakkon Grimgold has been appointed Prelate of Dungrimm. With the enaction of these reforms, I do now take the traditional title of High Prophet, and shall Kazrin Starbreaker be promoted to Prophet alongside me.

[Link]

Anbella’s Bounty

Upon traveling the mountain path, dwarves reported a strange sighting. A Tree larger than September, towering into the sky had sprouted from the ground with no warning or signs beforehand, spurring a kingdom wide confusion as to its nature. Was it a taunt from corrupt druids? An ill omen? Clergy officials at the scene agreed it was a blessing, and under leadership of the Grand King the tree was harvested to a stump. The gift from Anbella shall be used to fuel the inferi war effort, and has been interpreted as a sign of favor of the Brathmordakin for the expanded dwed effort in the fight against inferi.

Justice

The inferi invasion is the greatest existing threat to Yemekar’s Design, which as Sons and Daughters of Urguan we have been charged to protect. It must, therefore, be on every dwed’s mind how he may best honor the Brathmordakin in combat against the unholy hosts of Khorvad. Despite this, some dwedmar, if they may be called that, have decided to reject their duty and instead profess loyalties to the inferi. Make no mistake, there is no greater atrocity one could make against Khaz’A’Dentrumm. This will not do. Da Kirkja Dverga shall take a strong stance against those corrupted cultists of power. Mercy will be offered, however reject the seven hallowed hosts of the Brathmordakin, deny your own wrongdoing in arrogance, and justice shall be enacted.

Recently, Githaic Goldhand has been discovered to have been consorting with the demonfolk, and had denied a chance to confess earlier that very day. If spotted, do not attempt to kill him as he will instead be captured and interrogated. Those who do not turn him in will be suspected of conspiracy, and there will be harsh punishment for harboring a known traitor. 

Turn yourself in, Githaic, and there may be some mercy yet in supreme oaths to the Brathmordakin. Dungrimm wills it.

DA KIRKJA DVERGA

~ ᛞᚨ ᚴᛁᚱᚴᛃᚨ ᛞᚡᛖᚱᚷᚨ ~

-=[]=-

Missive of the Iron Mask

~ ᛗᛁᛋᛋᛁᚡᛖ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛁᚱᛟᚾ ᛗᚨᛋᚴ ~

6th of Malin’s Welcome, 1782

Sons and Daughters of Urguan, rejoice! For too long have the tombs, the sacred resting place of the fallen been lackluster and plain. Years past, the honorable Azdal Starbreaker, architect of the Temple at Kal’Evraal, designed a greater crypt than that made by the dishonorable Borin “The Confused”, and sent the design to da Kirkja Dverga. After years of strenuous labor and work by clerics, such design has been fully implemented, and the grounds are ready to be consecrated.

In reverence to Dungrimm and our ancestors with him in Khaz’a’Dentrumm, da Kirkja Dverga shall host a mighty celebration dedicated to the tombs in the Temple at Kal’Evraal. In such celebration, there shall be feasting, speeches, stories and most importantly a fearsome tournament. Afterwards, there shall be a procession to the Crypt where the tombs shall be transferred from old to new, and the grounds of the new Crypt shall be consecrated through a sacred ritual. A last speech will be given, and the festival will be done.

[OOC]

Temple at Kal’Evraal, Urguan’s Capital. Friday, 4 PM EST

-=[]=-

Tourney of Many Masks

~ ᛏᛟᚢᚱᚾᛖᚤ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛗᚨᚾᚤ ᛗᚨᛋᚴᛋ ~

All participants of the tourney must sign up beforehand and wear an iron mask that represents an ancestor of the participant’s choice. These masks honor the ancestor carved into them, and should a fighter win the tourney they shall earn a unique spot for their ancestor with a dedicated shrine in the Crypt, and greatly honor their ancestor. It is preferred that these iron masks are homemade and decorated in a fashion that resembles the ancestor, however if a participant does not forge one they may make an order to the clergy to have a custom one made for a moderate price, or buy a standard, repeated iron mask made by the clergy. All participants must sign up beforehand.

Entry to Tourney of Many Masks

[RP]

Participant’s Name:

Name of Ancestor:

Why this Ancestor:

Mask (Homemade/Custom Order/Standard):

Mask Description (If Ordering):

[OOC]

MC Name: 

Discord (If you have):

DA KIRKJA DVERGA

~ ᛞᚨ ᚴᛁᚱᚴᛃᚨ ᛞᚡᛖᚱᚷᚨ ~

Festival of the Lady Belka

With his great tongs, the Godsmith Yemekar had held the beginnings of creation in his world forge until burning hot, the warmth of the flames becoming the hearth, the glowing embers the jewels, and abright coal the sun. Blazing hot, Yemekar took the world and doused it in his cauldron. Rushing waters rushed over creation, filling in the cracks and dips of the surface. The calmly still waters of the lakes and seas swelled with emotion and understanding, the fierce water rapids of the streams and rivers with joy and passion. As emotion and excitement came into being, so did Lady Belka, Goddess of Passion.

We are here today to celebrate that passion, that joy, that excitement. It is with great excitement that da Kirkja Dverga extends this invitation to you, to attend an undeniably joyous festival in celebration of the Lady Belka at the Temple of Kal’Evraal. We hope that with her inspired spark, you will have a fantastic time among your kinsmen, celebrating her happiness, and the light within your hearts.

A festival of devout worship, reckless feasting, rare drinks, silly games, fine prizes and most importantly JOYOUS FUN, no dwed who values not only the honored Lady Belka but themself would miss out!

Itinerary: 

Welcome and greeting, snacks and drinks leisurely.

Sermon from Derron. 

Pin the dart on the Demon contest.

Storytelling with Norli Starbreaker. 

Ale Drinking Contest. 

Performative Acts for Belka. 

Drinking and feasting. 

Final Sermon by Brynaelda.

Delayed dispersal. 

For the contests, we expect dwedmar to participate in the events and have prizes graciously donated by the skilled, talented, and generous blacksmith, Lillian Grandaxe. 

Donations from Clan Grimgold, Clan Metalfist, Clan Starbreaker, and Clan Ireheart, all made this event possible, and we thank you profusely. 

We look forward to your attendance to spread the word of the Brathmordakin and the virtues of Belka.

OOC:
Sunday, 8/8/2020
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST
Temple of Kal’Evraal 
 

Dungrimm

Core Belief
Dungrimm is one of the most popular Brathmordakin in the pantheon of the dwarves being the Brathmordakin of battle, valor, bravery, honor, defense, the dead, the moon. He is most well known for taking the souls of the dead to Khaz'A'Dentrumm. Khaz'A'Dentrumm being a hall where the dwarves that die are bidded upon by the Brathmordakin.

Dungrimm tends to be depicted as a being wearing an iron mask covered in dark colored clothes. The symbol used to represent Dungrimm is his iron mask. For this reason many devout followers of Dungrimm wear an iron mask as a way to praise the Brathmordakin of death.

Particula Beliefs of Denominations and Groups
Even though all dwarves believe in the faith of the brathmordakin there is still a large number of different religious groups and denominations. Even though these denominations are very close and basically believe in the same deities there are still some beliefs and rituals that make them different.

Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun
When one dies their soul leaves their body, it is Belka who gathers the souls and then waits until the night for Dungrimm to come down from Kaz’A’Dentrumm to collect them. Dungrimm looks at the souls that Belka has collected and discards the mediocre and sinful souls. Mediocre souls are given back to Yemekar so he can resmith them and reintegrate them into the world as a new being, and sinful souls are sent to Vuur'Dor where they would anguish for eternity. The Souls of the honorable and worthy are taken to the halls of the dead. Once there the souls are bidded upon by the Brathmordakin. The dwarf would then go to the realm of whichever brathmordakin has beaded higher for them, spending eternity there.

Da Kirkja Dverga
People that fall under the denomination of Da Kirkja Dverga believe that when a Dwarf dies, their souls are carried by Dungrimm to be judged by the Brathmordakin for their actions in life. If bidded upon the dwarf will serve the Brathmordakin that has bided on him/her. 

In this denomination it is believed that the moon is where all the Brathmordakin reside. In it they watch over mortals and welcome them when they die. The Moon is only accessible by the most honorable and zealous of Dwarves, who had shown either great valor in battle or great diligence in their life.

Temple of Az’Adar
This denomination belives in the idea of Prophets and High Prophets and their power to divinate the will of the Brathmordakin, including Dungrimm’s.
Dungrimm and the other Brathmordakin where created after Yemekar vanished Khorvad.

Ar Yemarin Anaros
In Ar Yemarin Anaros Dungrimm is the son of Anbella and Yemekar, making him one of the ancestor lords. Yemekar created Dungrimm with clay and embedded into him the passion of war and placed him on the world. He is said to have led the early dwarves into battle with any imperfections or blemishes of the world that were not the intentions of Yemekar.

The Ar Yemarin Anaros believe that Dungrimm does not directly intervene in battles, but does influence all factors leading up to a battle. Despite Grimdugan’s distrustful nature, Dungrimm works the closest with him. This belief has been formulated based on the fact that greed is one of the most apparent causes of war and strife, it is accustomed to find ways in appeasing Dungrimm by hunting great monsters and slaying things that threaten dwed worldwide. Equally, hard training and honing fighting skills for the coming battle is another way to appease Dungrimm and be given his blessing.

This denomination also believes that shrines dedicated to Dungrimm should serve as a waystone for lost spirits. In addition, they believe that the moon is the top of Yemekar’s forge while the sun is the bottom. Because of this they reason that Kaz’A’Dentrumm is not located on the moon, and hence Dungrimm is not associated with the moon.

Da Arkammar oz Zarhere

Dwarves in this denomination belive that they have been commanded by Dungrimm to hunt down the spawn of Khorvad into extinction.

Hudinmenthalvalir

It is said by this denomination that Dungrimm and the other Brathmordakin are the children of Yemekar and Anbella.

The High Prophet of this denomination is belived to be the embodyment of the Brathmordakin in the mortal planes. His will being the will of the Brathmordakin.

Clan Ireheart

Though not a religious denomination per say, Clan Ireheart has a special way to look at Dungrimm. Especially when it comes to the belief that the Emperor Paragon Dragon Slayer Kjell Ireheart was chosen by Dungrimm for being his most loyal follower, and that he was ascended in a blaze of fire and explosions to godship among those of the Brathmordakin, bearing the new name of Kjellos, who is the God of Justice, and guardian of the Legion and the clan.
Although not a member of the Brathmordahkin, Kjellos is considered a Daemon amongst the realm and assists Dungrimm in guiding the dead souls to his plain. Whilst also enacting justice as a spirit acting against those who commit crimes against dwarfkind.

ᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ  
 

Anbella

Core Belief
Anbella is the hearth mother, and the first of Yemekar’s Brathmordakin to be made. She is mainly the goddess of nature, family, the hearth and Oaths. However, she is also known to be the Brathmordakin of the harvest, mothers, marriage, records, oaths, and peace.

Anbella tends to be depicted as a beautiful and motherly looking woman. The symbols chosen to represent Anbella are two silver rings as she is the Brathmordakin of marriage.

Anbella’s main characteristic is for being a compassionate mother. For this she tends to be praised by dwarven farmers and wives, both tasked with helping the race grow. However, Anbella is also known as the patron of all healers, fishermen, and beekeepers.Those that spend a long time taking care of Anbella’s reign be it the home or nature are blessed with the patronage of Anbella.

Because Anbella is the patron of families all individuals are blessed by her as she tries to bring families closer together. The love of a family and kinship fuels the dwarven race.

Particular Beliefs of Denominations and Groups
Even though all dwarves believe in the faith of the brathmordakin there is still a large number of different religious groups and denominations. Even though these denominations are very close and basically believe in the same deities there are still some beliefs and rituals that make them different.

Hudinmenthalvalir

According to this denomination Yemekar made himself a wife. Anbella was rosey of cheek, wide of girth, and stout of heart. It is said by this denomination that Yemekar and Anbella slept toghether.

The High Prophet of this denomination is belived to be the embodyment of the Brathmordakin in the mortal planes. His will is the will of the Brathmordakin.

Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun
In this denomination individuals believe that Anbella is part of the Tribunal; a group of three Brathmordakin that keep the balance of nature (The Balance of the Tribunal) which is in turn a part of Yemekar’s Balance.
It is a common belief that Anbella can lay claim to one’s soul before death turning them into Bryophytes. This means that when the individual dies their soul will be sent directly to Anbella’s realm.
Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun also holds the belief that Anbella can grant information to those that are able to commune with the parts of the world that she is in charge of.

Da Kirkja Dverga
Da Kirkja Dverga believe Anbella is the wife of Yemekar. This means that Yemekar creates and Anbella takes care of the creation and helps it grow. Anbella is the God of Life, the Hearth-Mother. She is god of the safety and warmth of the home as well as the peaceful serenity of nature teeming with Life.

Da Kirkja Dverga tends to lean towards the belief that the sexual relations should be kept at a minimum before marriage. However, there has been exceptions to this belief.

Temple of Az’Adar
Belive in the Prophets and High Prophets and their power to divinate the will of the Brathmordakin, including Belka.
 

Ar Yemarin Anaros

The Ar Yemarin Anaros believe that Anbella is the wife of Yemekar and gave birth to the Ancestor Lords who were the first dwarves (the Brathmordakin).
They believe that at times Anbella is at odds with other Brathmordakin forcing Yemekar to have to mediate the sides.
Under the Yemarin Anaros, Pantheon temples are improper. They insist that temples should be built and dedicated to one individual Ancestor Lord in this case Anbella’s.
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. She also leads dwarves to discover new knowledge in their times of need.

The ‘True’ Faith of the Brathmordakin
This sect of the Frostbeard clan believed in the idea that Wyrvun and not Anbella was the wife of Yemekar.

ᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ

((This post will be posted in RP spaces. If you want me to add/edit something PM me on discord mateolog#1400))

Yemekar

Core Beliefs
Yemekar is the creator deity of The Brathmordakin, the main faith of the dwarven race. As the creator Yemekar not only created the world and the creatures that inhabit it, but also the other gods that the dwarves worship: the Brathmordakin.

The Maker tends to be depicted as an old being with a long white beard and a hammer (except for the Ar Yemarin Anaros. The symbols chosen to represent Yemekar are the hammer and the anvil fitting for the smith of all creation.

Yemekar's main characteristic is that of being a creator. For this he tends to be praised by dwarven craftsmen. However, Yemekar is also known as the patron of all kings and clan fathers of the dwarven race. Those in positions of leadership be it in the clan, military, guild, etc all have the blessing and patronage of Yemekar.

Because Yemekar is the main deity of the dwarven religion and blesses all leaders of the race he is in a sense the Patron of all clans. He does this by being the Patron of the kingdom itself. By doing this Yemekar is bringing the clans together as he brought the Brathmordakin together.

Particular Beliefs of Denominations and Groups
Even though all dwarves believe in the faith of the brathmordakin there is still a large number of different religious groups and denominations. Even though these denominations are very close and basically believe in the same deities there are still some beliefs and rituals that make them different.

Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun
Seers and those that follow the beliefs and rituals of the Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun see Yemekar as the creator of souls and the recycler of the mediocre souls of the fallen that have died, so that he can reform them and give them a second chance to be bidded upon by living a better life.
Dwarverves in this denomination take care to be at one with their surroundings while doing activities that are connected to Yemekar like smithing, governing, and crafting. They do this to try to attain a state of mind where Yemekar can grant them a vision or another type of message.

Like other denominations they believe in Yemekars balance, but also in Yemekar’s Ultimate Balance; when all the Paragons will be found and the dwarves will be able to go into their holy land, a place where Khorvad will no be able to reach them and they will be able to stay in that land for ever.

Da Kirkja Dverga
The view of Da Kirkja Dverga can be summarized from this quote “Yemekar is the father and creator of the Dwarven race. Honor him by emulating his principles and workmanship in smithing, stoneworking and other tasks. Wisdom is derived from life and tempered with experience. Advance the Dwarven race in all areas of life. Innovate with new processes and skills. Found new kingdoms and clan lands, defending the existing ones from all threats. Lead the Dwarves in the traditions laid down by The Maker. Honor your clan leaders as you honor Yemekar.”-High Preceptor Fili Grandaxe.

 According to them souls are forged in Yemekar's Ruhn-Anvil. In this faith there is a belief that the Brathmordakin speak and Yemekar himself to the Kirkja Dverga. This seems to have lessened in popularity once Prophets were changed to Preceptors. However, the folks in this denomination still believe that the Da Kirkja Dverga has the sole right to do certain ceremonies and has the final say in religious matters.

Da Arkammar oz Zarhere
Memeber of Da Arkammar oz Zarhere believe to be the main Keepers of Yemekar’s Balance.

Ar Yemarin Anaros

The Ar Yemarin Anaros believe that Yemekar is the High Ancestor Lord who created the first dwarves (the Brathmordakin). That the world is inside Yemekar’s eternal forge.

Folk in Ar Yemarin Anaros assume that Yemekar’s appearance is that of a perfect dwed with great black flowing hair and a great long beard that is braided and runs down past the waistline. It is also believed that those that  are Followers of Yemekar are those who are driven to expand dwedmar influence within the world, and discover innovations to advance the race as a whole.
In this faith the rule of Khaz’A’Dentrumm is given to Yemekar

Yemekar is shown to be a sympathetic father to all. This includes Khorvad, but still shuns him greatly for his grand betrayal. He also serves as mediator for the Brathmordakin themselves when they are at odds with each other

One of the most common rituals of this faith has when it comes to Yemekar is the trace ritual where a worshiper of Yemekar gets so involved in their craft that they achieve a state of transcendence. They claim that this is achieved through prayer, meditation, and unnatural means.

Under the Yemarin Anaros, Pantheon temples are improper. They insist that temples should be built and dedicated to one individual Ancestor Lord.

when a follower of Yemekar is nearing his last few years of life, it is common for them to spend their last years crafting their best work associated with their profession, and then be buried with it. Dwed who are smiths will forge legendary armors or weapons to be buried with, while carpenters would build uniquely designed and intricate furniture made from rare materials. When one dies being a follower of Yemekar they are to be buried in the Temple of Yemekar.

Rym ur Yemekar
Sacrificing yourself to Yemekar is a worthy act, and to die like a martyr will have you be bidded upon by Yemekar. They also believe in the propagation of chaos in the form of rebellions in non-dwarven lands to force people to come closer to Yemekar.

ᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏ ᚺᛟᛚᚤ:ᛋᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏᛟᚱᛞᛖᚱ:ᛟᚠ:ᛏᚺᛖ

((This post will be posted in RP spaces. If you want me to add/edit something PM me on discord mateolog#1400))

~ 4th Edition : 10th of The Deep Cold, 1765 ~

When Yemekar crafted the world, it was at first sacredly ornate and with perfect balance. He brought order to the chaotic primordial forces of the void. Order is a thing of exceptional value, a good and virtuous thing, which is why the era we are in now is one of particular importance. We currently are in an era of disorder. We are at war, and many uneasy sentiments exist among our kinsmen. It is the duty of not just da Kirkja Dverga but of all organizations across dwarfdom to ensure that order is found and not upset further.

Da Dverga eron da Kirkja Rhun

On the subject of disorder, last stone day Karl Blackroot announced that he would be making his own independent clergy, naming it the Order of the Holy Power. This was an announcement of some shock to da Kirkja Dverga, specifically concerning some of the practices that were listed in the document. Within it, Karl Blackroot writes that the Seers and their council have the ability to interact on a direct level with the gods and interpret their will. Karl Blackroot lists among the duties of his Seer council the ability to determine if a story regarding the Brathmordakin is legitimate, assuming the authority to determine the will of the Brathmordakin. 

Karl Blackroot

In the years leading up to the creation of this strange new holy order, Karl Blackroot has made many statements, both officially and in person, that help give insight to the situation. For as long as I’ve known Karl, he has been aggressive to myself and the notion of the clergy whenever mentioned. When he was told that the Hefrumm may be a site of a new shrine for an upcoming order of Anbella, he expressed discontent and frustration that the “cave-dwellers” of the capital had anything to say about how things should be run in Hefrumm. That same day, I discovered the fact that Karl, then Cottonwood, was given the title of High Seer of Hefrumm by the High Chief, and that he planned to teach more seers. There he also expressed some distaste for the clergy vocally. At the moment, it seemed that being a Seer was just a teaching role within the community, much like an elder. I was not aware that it was based around rituals that claimed to host active communion with the gods. 

Response

These are dangerous claims. This Seer council is an attempt at undermining and replacing the established clergy and the traditions it and sons of Urguan hold so dearly, as evident by claims of active communion with the gods and the desire to hold rituals that are performed by the clergy. Denying such knowledge is foolish and absent minded. Continuing to pursue this false clergy will lead only to more disorder in times where we must be united in faith and purpose. The priests of da Kirkja Dverga met to discuss this, and a consensus was made. 

To claim the ability to know the will of the Brathmordakin and the nature of reality without the basis of tradition is a dangerous heresy.

Combined with his history of anti-clergy sentiment and the deeds of his father, there is reason to believe that Karl Blackroot is seeking to bring disorder to the clergy and across all of dwarfdom. Such is feared amongst the ranks of da Kirkja Dverga, however this is not a condemnation. Da Kirkja Dverga offers to Karl Blackroot court summons to confront the suspicions of heresy so that we may reach a mutual understanding, and perhaps a possible collaboration. Until a result is decided, the Seer Council is deemed null, and all people who Karl Blackroot had led to become Seers are instructed not to continue to claim this false title.

~ Narvak oz Brathmordakin ~

 

~ 3rd Edition, 15th of Grand Harvest, 1762 ~

When Yemekar had done in forging the mountains and valleys, once the forests and caves had been given life, once the excited waters of the world flowed, the jewels of the night sky shimmering, the great coin in the sky was set, once the world was carved with runes and named, and once Khaz’a’dentrumm was forged in the fires of the soul forge for a millenium, the world was with balance. However, in order to make such intricate creations as the descendents, he had to instill chaos into them, that random chance and divergence from his otherwise orderly creation that would make it so much more complex and beautiful. When the All-Maker made the dwedmar, the creation most perfect in his image of the descendents, he had given them the task of leading the other descendents to honor, to guide and preserve the balance of creation so that they may continue to bask in his creation and commit to their craftsmanship.

 

That balance has been upset.

The orkos of the Krugmar have for the last few decades acted with dishonor and as thieves. They have used the gifts of might bestowed upon them by the All-Maker to ruthless destroy, and their culture has become corrupted to only being that of bloodlust. Where once perhaps there was honor in the ork’s bravery, they hide behind walls and fight only when at a clear advantage. They pillage the weak and brutalize those who would dare resist. This all culminated when a few stone days past, the orkos of the Krugmar raided Sutica and kidnapped a dwed guard there, a citizen of the Under-Realms working to protect the people they and their clan conducted business with. The orkos took her to Krugmar and brutalized her, and only relinquished her when the dwedmar showed up with a large force. Too long has this been allowed, too long has the ork culture been that of dishonor, too long have the children of Urguan let the orkos disrupt the balance of Yemakar’s creation.

It ends now.

Rex of the Krugmar, you are given these terms for how you may fix your culture and begin the process of amending your wrongs. First, the orkos who had been responsible for the kidnapping and brutalization of the dwed in question shall be submitted to Urguan to be given a trial in the High Courts, and exiled from ork lands. Second, the leadership of the Krugmar are to pay a fine of 20,000 minas to Urguan so that they may learn the cost of failing to keep your people in order, and failing to keep the deeds within your city honorable. Third, the leadership of the Krugmar is to take active steps in redeeming their people, and preventing the sons of Krug to devolve into cowardly bandits. 

It is not the desire of the dwedmar to see the sons of Krug wiped out, to see the destruction of a creation Yemekar chose to let live. We do not seek genocide, we seek improvement, and extend to the orkos a chance of redemption. It is with the interest of the Brathmordakin and the cooperation and support of Urguan and its legions that I offer these terms, and rejection of them will stand as dishonor to the Brathmordakin and to the Under-King.

Narvak oz Brathmordakin

Narvak oz Urguan

Narvak oz Krugmar

Utak ireheart

Under-King of the Under-Realms of Urguan, Clan Father of the Ireheart Clan

Norli Starbreaker

High Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

Jorvin Starbreaker

Grand Marshall of the Legion of Urguan, Clan Father of the Starbreaker Clan

To the dwarven clergy I write this theory questioning the validity of worship to Grimdugan. There has yet to be a sighting of the Brathmordakin member known as Grimdugan. We acclaim to know of his existence yet when we ask for prayers to be answered by him, by our greed, does that truly enter into a god's mind for answer? If Grimdugan's aspect is that of greed and wealth, and our curse set by Iblees is that of greed and longing for wealth, does that not make the existence of Grimdugan the effect of a curse? Truly Grimdugan must either be a cloak of a dark god we give power to through prayer, the creation of Iblees to prolong our curse indefinitely, or the physical manifestation of our intense greed causing a curse to become a being. 
Grimdugan's existence stands opposed to Yemekar and the balance he stands by. If Yemekar is balance, Grimdugan is excess. To abide by one is to disagree with the other. We believe that Grimdugan is the god of Greed but we do not know of his time of creation nor is he tied to any other god in any other race's pantheon for they do not have the curse of intense greed as our's. We inheritted the worship of Grimdugan from that of our Ironborn rulers centuries ago yet we know that they were impowered by Iblees' servant Khorvad. 
This then leads me to presume if Grimdugan is excess, and Khorvad is power, what is to say that Iblees is not the leader of the corrupt dwedmar pantheon with Khorvad and Grimdugan as his aspects. 
As we have seen before, it is not hard for a godly aspect to be able to hide their true colors with masks. From this I would ask the dwedmar, we must investigate the legitimacy of Grimdugan for if he is greed and our curse is greed, why must we worship a curse. What is the founding of Grimdugan, was it gods that made him or was it our excess greed that created this god?

Dangren Starbreaker

((Those who wish to respond, please do so in writing to this for easy documentation for the clergy and to prevent nonsense tangents.))

From the Desk of the High Preceptor : Of Kin and Clergy

~ 2nd Edition, 15th of Snow’s Maiden, 1759 ~

First off; I promise this one will be far less long and it is with a lighter heart than the last edition of this publication that I write from my desk again. The focus of this letter is moving forward and our future plans as clergy, and what the wisest members of our ranks have discerned regarding the signs from the Brathmordakin.

Divination and Prophecy

The Priests of the Holy Order have met to discuss recent events and how the will of the Brathmordakin may be involved in them, and what that means for us to do. We analyzed the events that had occurred during Athera, namely the reclamation of ancient clan relics and the diminishing resources of our mines. After discussion, it was determined that the relics were a blessing of the Brathmordakin. Well, the natural extension of such an assertion is why would the dwarves be blessed particularly now? We came to the conclusion that because the dwarves went back to study their past culture united as Urguan, that it pleased the Brathmordakin and it was for that reason that we were rewarded with ancient clan relics. It is forseen that there will be times of prosperity ahead based around our connections to the past. However, it seemed the Brathmordakin were not pleased in other aspects. Grand Prospector Bodmer Goldhand has reported fewer resources found in the mines as of late. It seemed that the dwarves had lost the favor of Grimdugan, the god of greed, patron of hidden wealth and darkness, and our mines thus run less prosperous. What could we have done to lose the favor of Grimdugan? To Bodmer it seemed clear; too long has Grimdugan been continually misrepresented by the dwarven public and clergy as different to the other gods, too long has he been disregarded as the patron of petty thieves and goons. The Holy Order is taking action to make sure Grimdugan is properly honored in the future, more details to come later. 

A Call of Clans

As mentioned in my last edition of this publication, I wish to hear from representatives from each Clan to go over specific and unique cultural beliefs so that any cleric or priest teaching a beardling from this clan can do so properly according to their customs. The next meeting of the Holy Order will be in five stone days, and I ask that all clans that don’t have a member of the clergy already send their own scholar to share the clan’s view. Not only that, but I call each clan to be vocal about concerns they may have with the Holy Order so they may be resolved. 

Rituals and Blessings

The members of the Holy Order have been working on a new initiative to force more activity from priests and clerics in dwed culture and society. Specific duties, such as performing blessings and rituals in public, preparing tributes to our gods, will be organized and forced upon members of the Holy Order to ensure they are doing their divine tasks. Too long have the priests of the Holy Order sat in our high rooms contemplating the will of the Brathmordakin but not delivering their blessings among their chosen people. I will take extensive measures to ensure that Priests and Clerics are doing their duty.

Baldin Ironside… Again

A quick note on the situation regarding the last edition. Baldin Ironside had come forward to me and sought resolution, and he had removed his assertion of his claims being authorized by Yemekar and instead made it clear they are his own decisions, and had agreed that he had misinterpreted and misrepresented what has happened in the Holy Order of the dwarves with his words. The 35 Theses will be taken down from the entrance to the Temple and placed on the notice board alongside my response for the scholarly if ever they wish to find it.

Reformed Literature Policy

It has come to the attention of the Holy Order that many of its public documents are outdated and poorly written, and have been for many generations of leaders now. As High Preceptor, I sincerely apologize for this. Many projects have been in the works in the past under previous leaders within the clergy but all have been abandoned. I will make it a top priority to reform the religious literature, consulting with those within the kingdom Ogradhad has blessed most to make a compelling list of stories that are consistent and mirror the beliefs of the Holy Order. Know that disagreeing with a writer is by no means heresy, it is disagreement with core ideas of our faith that is such. Progress already has been made and will be available to be viewed at the clergy meeting, if any scholars are interested. If you cannot make it, reach out to me for a copy.

Norli Starbreaker

High Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

From the Desk of the High Preceptor : Baldin Ironside

Earlier this stone week the temple to the Brathmordakin in Kal’Evraal, the capital of the Under-Realms of Urguan, was defiled. Nailed to the entrance was an essay written by Baldin Ironside. He outlined what he believed to be the failings of the current iteration of da Kirkja Dverga and its leader the High Preceptor, myself, and then a list of what he believes are the core tenants of the faith in the Brathmordakin, and the leadership of that faith. Many have been led to believe that I have disagreed with all of these tenants, which is absolutely false. I have supported a vast majority of these ideas, and am insulted that they would be laid out in this way to push the idea that I would ever question such essential ideas such as the supremacy of the Brathmordakin over false gods, the importance of Yemekar, and many more. May Ogradhad give us all his blessing as we seek to understand the truth of this debacle, and may everyone who read this look past their initial bias, and not dishonor Ogradhad by blindly believing the first thing we are told.

Context

First I should like to outline the context of Baldin’s words. It was several stone months ago that I spoke frequently in the old tavern about the Brathmordakin and wished to ensure my preaching was correct, so I reached out to Baldin, then Frostbeard, to join so I may surround myself with scholars who I could learn about the Brathmordakin from. It was then and always has been my philosophy that you should question things in order to better understand them, something I applied to the faith as well as other aspects of life. This philosophy is based off of what I believe to be the greatest wisdom that the grace of Ogradhad has revealed to me: that the greatest knowledge is in knowing how little you know. Because of this I made a habit of questioning established ideas in order to purify inconsistencies and help purge heresies. 

One such heresy that I am proud to have assisted Baldin in eliminating from the public opinion is that of half-bred damnation, that those who are the victims of interbreeding parents are damned and to be slaughtered. Although I would agree the act itself of interbreeding and those who partake in it are inherently sinful and a heresy, I would NOT say that those who are if anything the victims, the children who cannot truly and perfectly fit in either culture of their parents, should be slaughtered. When Hekkaes “Anvilaxe” Goldhand proposed the idea of hald-bred damnation to me as one of the founding ideas of his resurrection of ar Yemarin Anaros, a past iteration of the clergy based heavily although not uniquely in Kaz’Ulrah, I was quick to strike it down. This was not out of a lust for power, but a lust for Truth. I did not want the most sacred name of the Brathmordakin to be used to encourage slaughter sons of Urguan, and in truth I do not believe that Hekkaes wanted it. I engaged in discussion with Hekkaes, and he decided to abandon the venture. It was during this time that I was appointed the successor to Baldin by himself. It seemed to me proof, then, that it was Ogradhad’s will to question established ideas to ensure their validity and purity throughout the ages.

Later into my administration, I began to feel that the system of hierarchy within da Kirkja Dverga was flawed, as many of the Preceptos were silent and lazy. I began to write up a draft for a new organization of da Kirkja Dverga, based around the idea that Preceptors should be active leaders of the faith and orders dedicated to it, not people who reach a certain point in their career then step down. An exception to this rule was made for the High Remembrancer, who would always be recognized as a Preceptor as they are a significant leader of dwarven cultural values, and that further exceptions would be made with other crucial dwarven cultural institutions. The Preceptors would then be removed and given an opportunity to earn their positions back. This was met with agreement and approval of two of the three sitting Preceptors at the time, Thorin Treebeard and Kazrin Starbreaker. Baldin, now Ironside, however, was adamant and against it. He felt that Preceptors shouldn’t have to be leaders of the faith but simply the recognized wise scholars of the clergy, however, after years of discussion, Baldin Ironside gave his approval, and I began to write up the official document. In the process of officially and publicly making the reforms, Baldin Ironside resigned, as can be seen in an attached copy of his letter here. 

(( https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/187866-letter-of-resignation/?tab=comments#comment-1749196 ))

Time went by, members of da Kirkja Dverga came and went. During this time, I engaged in many debates and discussions with Baldin and other members of da Kirkja Dverga. One of which being that of the term Aengul-Daemon being used in description of the Brathmordakin. Me and Baldin discussed for long, others piping in their ideas as we went along, and many ancient records from centuries past were brought up to question if the term was ever intended to describe the Brathmordakin. I had asserted that the term was a yrrok one, and improper to use to describe the Brathmordakin, who should be described as the Brathmordakin and the Brathmordakin only. Baldin Ironside disagreed strongly, and began to condemn my inquisitive nature, claiming that my actions would lead to the failure of da Kirkja Dverga. However, with my persistent search for Truth I found an ancient record in the libraries of Arcas, a transcription of writings of Kazraden Starbreaker, one of the founding scholars of the Brathmordakin, supporting my point that the Brathmordakin were not always considered Aengul-Daemons, and opening the question as to why we should consider them Aengul-Daemons. Once again, I saw proof that inquisition was a holy gift from Ogradhad, and that it allowed for the purity of ideas by weeding out ideas that have a weak ideological foundation, and for those ideas which when questioned are still true are strengthened, their every mystery explored and thoroughly understood.

(( https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/65724-~~~-the-hudinmenthalvalir-~~~/ ))

Hopefully anyone who has read the above would understand my philosophy, and understand that when I question something I do not completely deem the idea void and null, I only am beginning a process to better understand the idea. Inquisition, I see, is a holy and righteous thing, done out of a desire to strengthen faith, not to stir doubt. This does not, however, mean doubt everything, but try to better understand why things are what they are. If there is no answer to a question, it is always better to side with tradition. Through this process, I feel the foundational beliefs of the faith of the Brathmordakin can be discerned, and heresy purged. 

Baldin Ironside not a stone week ago invited me to a mountain peak in the Hefrumm to witness a lesson on what he referred to as divination. I was fascinated by it, since it seemed an interesting way to discern the will of the Brathmordakin, by understanding how they impact the world. When I arrived, Baldin Ironside had set up a campfire. He tossed a rock into it, it broke into six pieces. Then Baldin Ironside took six small engraved stones from a bag, with strange symbols that supposedly meant various things, and tossed them on the ground. Supposedly, we would interpret the will of the Brathmordakin based on the meanings of these symbols. He called them ancient runes.  I, naturally, inquired about the symbols and their origin. Baldin Ironside, in his great wisdom and patience, swore myself out, calling me a ***** for doubting him and his process. This stirred a great deal of many thoughts into me at once, and I was bewildered, at a loss of words even. The lesson ended, and I did not have the time to ask him about it in private since I had to attend a Council meeting in Urguan to help ensure a peace between Mynebor and Urguan.

In the council, after I had my proposal amended and accepted, I had a great deal of time to ponder the events that had let up to Baldin Ironside’s sudden outrage and burst of anger. In the days leading up to it, Baldin Ironside had begun to call himself the Chosen of Belka, something I advised against strongly as it could lead to one assuming they know the will of the Brathmordakin absolutely, something nobody should claim. He came to this conclusion based on the regrowth of his right arm, and the partial restoration of his youth, notable in the recoloration of his beard. Baldin Ironside is young again, and I had wondered if he was correct, that perhaps Belka had given him his youth back as a thanks for his service, for his bringing of unity to the dwarven faith, for his sacrifices he has made throughout his life for the Brathmordakin.

The reason that Baldin Ironside had lost this youth so early in the first place was due to his practice of dark magic, a secret he revealed, albeit foolishly, while me and him were hunting for dark mages in Llyria. Baldin Ironside was a practitioner of mysticism, and that is what had drained his youth for so long. It is also what he had used to power a spectral arm before. The fact that Baldin Ironside had turned to dark magic to replace his arm has disturbed me greatly, and the fact that he had studied the power to intervene in the processes of Dungrimm and speak to spirits is borderline heresy. The only thing that has stopped me from coming out with this information before is the belief that Baldin Ironside did all this in an effort to honor the Brathmordakin, to aid in his search of other dark mages who would praise the dark god Khorvad and his servants for their power. I respected Baldin Ironside greatly at the time, and he did not ever speak of it outside of that stone week, so I looked to forget it and focus on his positive aspects. Looking back now, I fear if it was another force that Baldin had earned the favor of, not Belka.

Worse yet, however, was yet to come. Baldin Ironside approached me when I was a priest under him, and told me to meet him in private in the caves. While there, he told me an idea he had for bringing yrrommar into the faith. I have always been more open to yrrommar joining the faith, although I was adamantly against altering the core ideas of dwarven culture to better suit the yrromar, and let only those who were willing to live as a dwed does join us. Baldin Ironside, however, had different ideas. He told me his plan for introducing new lesser gods for the faith, collectively referred to as the Thrummavos. They were lesser beings that he fabricated to better mold other cultures with dwarven values. One was Noril, a Daemon who was chaotic and meant to appeal to the orkos with their bloodlust. Of the Wood Elves there was Nysea, the protector of the forests and the power in charge of the druidic aspects. There were other beings but these are the only two we discussed in person, and I cannot locate in my notes the names of others. These beings, mind you, do not exist, and I was quick to take note of such when he showed me his writings. He asked me what I thought, and I told him I could never support such a concept as adding gods to the dwarven faith if I could not explain their existence. Baldin Ironside was determined to the idea for a couple stone weeks, but eventually became preoccupied with other ordeals, and the idea was forgotten. But ever since then I was more critical and weary of Baldin Ironside, as one does not lightly forget a scholar who would purposely deceive the populace. I assumed then that he did not have any foul intentions, and thus is why I extended the mercy of Belka and did not hold it against him, although I would not forget it either.

A few stone days ago I confronted Baldin Ironside in the temple and had a discussion with him. He began to accuse me of making the clergy a personality cult when I pointed out his inconsistencies and asked him to stop practicing this divination until he laid a proper foundation for it. I became a bit annoyed, and raised my voice when I told him that he should not attempt to create new methods with no basis for interpreting the will of the Brathmordakin. People entered the temple curious as to the comotion, and I asked Baldin to make an oath to the Brathmordakin that he would not claim to interpret the will of the Brathmordakin through divination and not claim to be the Chosen of Belka. He was not forced, however. Baldin Ironside had the choice to walk away at all times. I never had asked anybody to draw weapons, and even told people to put away weapons. Despite this, Baldin Ironside claims I had forced him to swear an oath in a grudge, thus lying and defaming on the most sacred book of dwarfdom.

Baldin Ironside’s Preamble

“Though claiming to be a religious leader that wants to understand the meanings behind the religion of the dwarves, the High Preceptor has imposed during his leadership a number of dogmas that stop any argument that he does not agree with for personal reasons.”

Name one dogma, Baldin Ironside, that I have ever instated to stop those who disagree with me on personal issues. Do you mean my requesting for you to stop your divination which you have made up and have no basis for? That is not a personal reason, that is a theological reason. 

“He has also removed all Preceptors but his fellow clan member; the wise Kazrin Starbreaker. This removal of all representation of Mountain and forest dwarves decent has put the clergy at risk of becoming a dogmatic institution of Cave Dwarf ideals and beliefs.”

This is a lie, outright. Firstly, I did not remove the Preceptors Thorin Treebeard and Baldin Ironside against their will. As I discussed earlier, Baldin Ironside resigned from his position before my reforms were even made official. I offered him the position back and gave him ideas for orders and things he could do to gain it, but he was not interested. Baldin Ironside is not a Preceptor of his own accord, not because I forced him. Thorin Treebeard, during the reform writing process, asked to be removed as Preceptor, and demoted all the way to Initiate, so that he could re-earn the position, feeling he had failed the clergy in his inactivity. The only Preceptor who remained then was Kazrin Starbreaker, not because he was of my clan, but because part of the reforms was to guarantee the High Remembrancer a position on the Preceptor Council, since they led an order that has religious and cultural significance. Baldin Ironside, Thorin Treebeard, and Kazrin Starbreaker all agreed to these terms after discussion. None of it was me acting without restraint to secure my power, but a unanimous decision to encourage leaders within da Kirkja Dverga. As for the assertion that I removed all representation of Mountain and Forest dwarves, that’s completely preposterous. There are numerous mountain dwarves within the clergy and in close contact with it, and three forest dwarves working within the clergy. Although I wish there were more forest dwarves, it is difficult to encourage a great number of them due to their smaller demographic in regard to Urguan’s larger population, although I will cede I could be making a more active approach to recruiting their kin, and will strive to do so in the future. But the assertion that I am intentionally leaving out other groups of dwarves is slander and outright manipulative.

“As of late the High Preceptor Norli has shown a lack of understanding of the faith and a weak  sense of leadership.”

In what way? Was it my delving into the most ancient records on the history of our faith to verify a fallacy that others have wrongly believed for years, and that you stubbornly refused to accept as any other way? Is it by expanding the clergy’s activities to incorporate spirituality with more aspects of dwarven culture? Or perhaps this is your way of complaint since I have expressed disagreement with your views on the faith before.

“Out of love for the Brathmordakin, the truth,  and from desire to elucidate it; I Baldin Ironside former High Preceptor of Da Kirkja Dverga make the following statements. Charged as we are by Yemekar.”

And I say to you, Baldin Ironside, that I, the sitting High Preceptor Norli Starbreaker have been blessed truly by Belka, for I have been given a great capacity for mercy. I have looked past your faults and borderline heresy for long out of respect for you as my predecessor, but no longer. Now Belka has gifted me with a new blessing, that of great divinely inspired passion, and it is with great passion that I will defend the Truth of the Brathmordakin, da Kirkja Dverga, and my own name and dignity, all of which you have dishonored and slandered through your lies and manipulation. You have clearly and intentionally outlined these assertions in a way to imply I have broken them, those of them that are true. I will make it clear beyond a doubt that I hold no heretical and selfish stances in the next section.

Baldin Ironside’s 30 Theses

1. The Brathmordakin are divine and above all others and Yemekar the maker is above them.

I agree.

2. Yemekar told Urguan to create the Dwarven Clergy to allow all the dwarves to follow a code of ethics and routine that would allow them to reach Khaz'A'Dentrumm and be bidded on by the Brathmordakin.

This is not correct, Urguan was not the founder of the clergy. For the sake of mythology, storytelling, increasing national identity and instilling morals into beardlings, I can understand this idea’s roots, however it is not founded in fact, but a desire to pretend that the beliefs of the clergy are absolute and can absolutely never be questioned, something that you accuse me of trying to purport.

3. Khaz'A'Dentrumm is located on the moon and Dungrimm is its Lord.

This is correct, although it is good to emphasize the importance of all of the Brathmordakin in the bidding process.

4. The Beard is a holy gift from Yemekar and shaving it or damaging it is heresy.

Agreed, the beard is sacred, and to remove one's beard is a dishonor to the Brathmordakin.

5. Cutting the beard of an individual is heresy.

I personally dislike this form of punishment, although I do understand how it came about. It is done by dwarves who wish to punish people who they feel are such a disgrace to dwarfdom that they should not be considered a dwarf anymore, so they shave off the very symbol of the dwarves. I would not say it is a heresy as much as it is a shame to the Brathmordakin, however, if we are to argue semantics.

6. Killing a heretic is not heresy.

Once again, a slight semantics issue on the term ‘heresy’, but I assume you mean to say it is not bad to kill heretics. This is something I have thought about for a long time. I have come to the conclusion that it is sometimes necessary to kill unrepentant heretics who stubbornly deny and dishonor the Brathmordakin, but I feel a vast majority of the time inquisition and re-education is a more honorable method of dealing with heretics. To surmise, I feel it is something that can be avoided but can be necessary, but in truth I cannot say with anything near certainty how the Brathmordakin view killing of heretics, but sometimes the faith must be protected with extreme means, and if a dwarf would seek to undermine the faith of the Brathmordakin and refuse to repent than I would agree it would become necessary to end their heresy.

7. The Dwarven race is the holy race created and chosen by Yemekar, killing another dwarf with intent and not out of self defense is heresy.

I cannot help but feel this contradicts your feelings about killing heretics, but I would holy agree the dwarves are the chosen people of Yemekar, and can write an entirely separate essay regarding the subject and why that is, and of course I am against the murder of dwarves.

8. The Dwarven race has been chosen by Yemekar to fulfill Yemekar’s Balance denying such truth is heresy.

It is bad theological scholarship to claim such a thing. Any scholar who would bother themself with minimal research would know the idea of Yemekar’s Balance is a philosophical concept regarding the world and Yemekar’s design of it. It is not the core belief of the faith and should not be treated as such, and should not be deemed unchallengeable. Both scholars of da Kirkja Dverga and ar Yemarin Anaros would agree with such.

9. The dwarven race has had many religious leaders and Paragons, destroying their legacy is heresy.

The dwarves do not choose the Paragons, the Brathmordakin do. Disagreeing with Paragons and previous religious leaders is not a heresy under any circumstance, and were we to make this the law of the faith we would see our faith crumble, as established religious leaders would have unchecked power and can simply call anyone who ‘destroys their legacy’ a heretic. I wonder, Baldin Ironside, if you intend this, as you are an established religious leader.

10. The Dwarven race has been gifted the art of Golemancy by the Brathmordakin. 

11. The Dwarven race has been gifted the art of Runesmithing by the Brathmordakin.

Agreed.

12. The Dwarven race has been gifted the art of divination by the Brathmordakin, and all dwarves are able to use it.

Divination? I have not heard about this until a stone week ago where Baldin Ironside made up his own process and denied anyone to ask questions about it, you cannot just claim that it is a core and essential belief of our faith in the Brathmordakin. This is perhaps one of the most absurd of the 30 theses Baldin Ironside has put forward, the clear purpose of it is to give validity to his ideas, and trick people into thinking they are established and sacred. Woe to Baldin Ironside, who would purposely lie and manipulate the dwarves to fulfill his agenda.

13. The Brathmordakin allowed the clergy to have a leader so he/she could balance the religious beliefs and cultures of the different subraces, ignoring this and allowing only the supremacy of one is heretical.

I would agree completely, although something tells me Baldin Ironside would wish to accuse me of doing such. I would have the dwarves know that there are far more mountain dwarves and forest dwarves in da Kirkja Dverga than there are cavern dwarves. It has been Baldin Ironside who has wished to shove mountain dwarven ideas, or even more accurately his very specific view of mountain dwarven ideas, on all dwarves. 

14. The faith depends on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on dogma established by the leader of the clergy.

I would agree.The correct practice of honoring the Brathmordakin however can be discussed by the clergy and all of its members, including the High Preceptor. If we were to refuse to question or discuss it, then we could easily fall to grave heresy. Baldin Ironside alludes to this idea that I am forcing dogma on the people, which is simply incorrect. Anyone who would have a religious discussion with me would know I am incredibly open to new ideas and wishing to hear them. It is Baldin Ironside who in my early days of leading the clergy encouraged me to ignore old religious leaders that disagreed with us, and when Hekkaes Goldhand brought up his disagreements he discouraged the idea of open debate, not wanting to give Hekkaes Goldhand a platform. I agreed with it then, and have regretted it deeply, for I feel a more open discussion would have not created the divide between the clergy and certain clans, and Hekkaes would have eventually come to agree with me after talking.

15. That the leader of the clergy tries to centralise the leadership of the clergy into their own clan should be an issue to all dwarves.

This is one of Baldin Ironside’s points that makes it clear he is targeting and accusing me. I find it frankly insulting how blatantly wrong it is. The system I designed for reformation clearly tries to decentralize the leadership of the clergy into orders of duties to a specific god of the Brathmordakin, rather than having all the clergy’s duties be under my exact decision. As for allegations of favoring the Starbreakers, another lie. Kazrin Starbreaker is only a Preceptor because he is the High Remembrancer, as all the Preceptors, including Baldin Ironside, agreed on. He is given the rank of Preceptor out of respect for the organization of the Remembrancers, a valuable order dedicated to Ogradhad and the culture of the dwarves, and that it deserves to have representation in da Kirkja Dverga.

16. That the leader of the clergy attempts to impose dogma upon the dwarves is heresy.

Also just a blatant lie, when have I ever rode up to the Hefrumm and torn down their Tree of Anbella? When have I put a tax on all shrines not done in the exact way that I want? When have I ever forced my personal beliefs on other dwarves? If he suggests that me having a conversation with another religious leader, himself, where I assert something contrary to him is imposing dogma on the dwarven population, then I suppose I have. I apologize to the sons of Urguan who I have wronged so deeply by… talking to scholars about scholarly topics.

17. The faith is a source of social order that unites different clans with different cultures.

I would agree completely.

18. The Brathmordakin have the ability to manifest themselves in the physical world and take different forms.

Although such things do not happen often in the physical world, I would agree that it is absolutely within the ability of the Brathmordakin to do such, although I doubt their desire to do so.

19. The Brathmordakin are able to bless individuals.

I would agree completely.

20. Khorvad is the fallen Brathmordakin claiming he does not exist and/or that he is not something the dwarven race should fight against is heresy.

I would agree completely, although there’s an interesting story as to why Baldin Ironside has included this. I brought up to him the point that many early writings of the Brathmordakin faith have excluded his mention, and I mentioned to Baldin that there could be a couple reasons for this. I said it was most likely that they frowned upon even saying his name, although I entertained the idea a moment that perhaps early scholars did not know of his existence. He took this wildly out of proportion it seems, and now has taken to claiming I think he doesn’t exist or shouldn’t be needed to worry about, or at least is clearly trying to allude to such an accusation. This is, mind you reader, an absolute lie, I have never said that Khorvad does not exist.

21. The King or Queen of the Dwarves has been elected democratically by the dwarven race and hence has been chosen by Yemekar to rule as the combined will of the dwarves is surely also the will of the Brathmordakin.

Absolutely not! If the will of the Brathmordakin can be said to be equal to that of the majority of dwarves, the will of the masses, then our entire culture would crumble. Dwarves are not perfect, and even as a whole can often make mistakes. There have been many corrupt and evil kings among the dwarves, to assert that the Brathmordakin has favor with someone who has the popular vote of the dwarves would be to say the Ironborn kings and kinslaying kings are those who have the favor of the Brathmordakin, which is an absolutely absurd idea.

22. The spouse of the King or Queen of the Dwarves has no authority to rule, unless it is as Regent because of the absence of the spouse.

What? This has nothing to do with the faith, and is completely out of left field. I would advise any dwarf to not grace the fleeting thought of a child with any more words.

23. No individual dwarf can know without doubt the will of the Brathmordakin even if he/she is the leader of the clergy or any other organization.

I absolutely agree, and find it quite humorous that you begin your list of theses by hypocritically asserting “as charged by Yemekar:”, doing the very thing you condemn later. My entire philosophy is based around self doubt and thorough discussion before decision, it is in fact Baldin Ironside who has taken to claiming the will of the Brathmordakin with certainty.

24. That the leadership of the clergy attempts to act as a king is blasphemy against Yemekar and an insult to the position.

I don’t. A King runs a nation, I run a temple. A King leads the dwarves, I teach and preach to the dwarves. I have nothing more to say, because there is nothing more to say on such a baseless accusation meant only to slander my name.

25. Anbella and Belka communicate through nature with the forest dwarves, assuming this is false or heresy is heresy onto itself as it ignores the culture and tradition of the forest folk.

I believe that all the Brathmordakin often speak to all the dwarves through their domains. Surely a smith feels the inspiration of Yemekar as he works his art. I do not deny this at all. What I do deny is the strange process of divination that Baldin had done, as it was not based on nature, but making a strange set of circumstances to give himself religious authority again. If there are other means of divination, I do not wish to consider them void without reason, but Baldin Ironside’s divination is nothing more than the mad ramblings of a dwarf who has lost the power he so clearly craves.

26. Ignoring the fact that Dungrimm and Grimdugan have blessed the mountain dwarves with prowess in battle and thirst for glory and gold in war is blasphemy and an insult to all those that fought for the dwarven race.

I have not done this. The only thing I can think can even be related to this is discourage common thievery and brutality that is like the culture of the ork more than it is that of the dwed, and I will stand by that. This does not mean using might and greed is wrong, but these gifts are to be used honorably. The greatest example of honorable fighters with a very non-cavern dwarf culture can be found in the Irehearts, a clan that I have always respected for their loyalty to the Brathmordakin and history of making great leaders and Paragons.

27. Ongradhad and Armakak have blessed the cave dwarves with a keen mind for trade and scholarship, assuming this is false is  blasphemy and an insult to the most respected scholars of the dwarven race

Ogradhad*.

28. Dwarf Druids worship the aspect of Anbella, believing this is false is heresy towards Anbella and blasphemy against our paragons.

Dwarven druids do not worship Anbella as an aspect, they view the aspects as spirits beneath her, or so I have been informed by them. I don’t know why you would assert this if it is untrue.

29. All clans should be allowed to deal with their dead as their customs dictate, trying to stop them from doing so is a n act of heresy.

I would agree. There is an order dedicated to Dungrimm in the works, involving the maintenance of the tombs, and one of the key ideas is working with clans to do their burial rights, only offering assistance, never imposing.

30. Interrupting the funeral of a dwarf for petty rivalries is blasphemy.

I would absolutely agree, although blasphemy is perhaps not the right word. I would even go so far as to say those who would do this are to be punished and admonished for their grave actions.

A Final Word

Some may say that this is a disproportionately aggressive response to what one meant to be only rules of the faith, but that is incorrect. If Baldin Ironside had meant these to be rules of the faith, he would have included far more. What Baldin Ironside did is purposely portray me as betraying these ideas, many of which are false in foundation. He has purposely attempted to make a divide between the subraces of the dwarves and cause not just a faithful but cultural schism in Urguan. He has purposely created a narrative that myself and the cave dwarves are working to undermine mountain and forest dwarf culture, when I have done nothing of the sorts. He labels me as close minded and imposing when I have been nothing but open minded and accepting whilst he has insisted on forcing his ideas on myself and all dwarfdom.

The only correct accusation is that da Kirkja Dverga has had a falling out of sorts with many clans. I have decided action must be taken to fix this, and will call a meeting soon with all clan leaders soon to ensure that more perspectives are considered in declaring the doctrine of da Kirkja Dverga. Please, for those clans who perceive strife between us, I would wish nothing more than to heal any wounds, and I apologize for any that I have caused. Look out for another letter soon regarding the subject.

Let us take a look at the actions of Baldin Ironside within the last stone month. He has become adamant and arrogant of his ways, he has refused the position of Preceptor, he has severed ties of his clan with the clergy, he has begun calling himself the Chosen of Belka, he has made up a ritual with no basis in order to interpret the will of the Brathmordakin outside of the clergy with himself at its center, he has a history of practicing dark magic, a history of theological inconsistency and borderline heresy, has made plans in the past to reinvent the faith with no basis, and now he has come forward with what he claims to be charged by Yemekar the core ideas of the faith that must be adhered to whilst throwing accusations at myself. It is clear to me as it should be to anyone Baldin’s intentions: to cause a schism in the clergy and reinstate himself as the dominant religious figure since I would not strictly adhere to his interpretation of the Brathmordakin. This is not a dwed hero fighting passionately for reform; this is a cold and calculated move to reassert himself, and it is a disgrace to the Brathmordakin and to da Kirkja Dverga that Baldin Ironside has dragged us into a political argument.

Baldin Ironside, you have lied and deceived the public in your actions, and as the world shall see I will not respond lightly. You are to take down your 30 theses yourself, as they are imperfect and flawed in the manners I have described. You are to apologize to the dwarven people for lies and manipulation. You are to take the Slayer oath to the Brathmordakin to redeem yourself for your great injustice against the dwarven people. You are to rescind your false grudge and make pure again that most sacred book of dwarfdom. Dwarves of Urguan, may Ogradhad bless you with an ability to read, so that you may see the absurdity and hypocrisy of Baldin Ironside as I have highlighted in my letter and decide with the full story. But equally importantly, you are to show him mercy of Belka should you realize that he is wrong, for I do not believe Baldin Ironside intentionally undermines dwarven culture and dishonors the Brathmordakin, and he should be shown mercy.

Narvok oz Brathmordakin

Norli Starbreaker, High Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

Concordat of the Beards

For the sake of the protection and upholding of dwarven culture and way of life the Concordat of the Beards and its articles have been approved and made legitimate by Da Kirkja Dverga and the Remembrance.

Article 1. Da Kirkja Dverga and the Remembrancers will both remain autonomous in the decision making and how they deal with their Organizations.

Article 2. The Orders of the Signatories concerned will be part of the new order of the Holy Covenant.

Article 2.1. The Council of the Holy Covenant will meet so that both organizations can recommend course of actions and cooperate in larger issues.

Article 2.2. The leading ranks of the organizations of the Holy Covenant are welcome into the Council of the Holy Covenant.

1. A Chairman will be voted on by the Holy Covenant Council from the ranks of both organizations to be the referee for the Holy Covenant Council. The Chairman can be changed with at least 50% of the votes.

2. The number of official members for the Covenant Council must always be divided equally between the number of Organizations.

Article 2.3. An attack on any Organization of the Holy Covenant is an attack on all member orders/organizations and the Holy Covenant will respond accordingly.

Article 2.4. The Holy Covenant is able to make deals and agreements if the Council of the Covenant agrees upon them.

1. For a Deal or Agreement to be passed by the Holy Covenant Council the must be a 75% of support from the Council members

Article 2.5. Decisions made in the Council of the Covenant have supremacy over decisions made by the council of the individual organizations.

1. Decisions of the Council of the Holy Covenant the must be a 80% of support from the Council members

Article 2.6. Any organization can apply for membership into the Holy Covenant as long as 100% of the members of the Holy Covenant Council agree upon it.

SIGNATURES OF HIGHER UPS OF DA KIRKJA DVERGA AND REMEMBRANCERS:

High Preceptor Norli Starbraker

High Remembrancer Kazrin Starbreaker

Preceptor Baldin Ironside

Preceptor Thorin Treebeard

THE BRATHMORDAKIN

 [ THE ASSAILANT ]

Dark Elves of the Onyx Sanctum.

Dak’ir Des’Nox and Daichia Jusmia.

[ THE WRONG ] 

Desecration of Dwarven Ruins.

Release of Monsters in Dwarven Lands.

Refusal to negotiate or discuss with Dwarven Leaders.

Mockery of the Brathmordakin by worshipping false gods in Dwarven Lands.

[ TERMS OF SETTLEMENT ]

Capture of Dak’ir Des’Nox and Daichia Jusmia to be tried before the the Court of Urguan or da Kirkja Dverga.

Tribute offered to the Brathmordakin and submission to the true gods of the Under-Realm.

High Preceptor Norli Starbreaker put the pen down, and turned to the Preceptors. Again, nothing was said, and a mutual understanding was held between the three. But there was not time to dwell on the situation, much work was to be done, and the three made their way out of the hall of that most sacred book, and towards the tavern. Norli led the clergy-leaders into a private room where he wrote down a public statement from the Preceptor-Council to be pinned to every bulletin board in dwarven lands and further. 

“As both the ever vigilant and the dull have both heard, not long ago a group of dark elves took to creating a home for themselves within the cavern networks of the Dwarven Under-Realm. Urguan had sent a diplomat to discuss the relationship of the dwedmar and the people of the Onyx Sanctum, for that is what this forsaken hold the dark elves inhabit is known by, for of course it is the righteous duty of the dwedmar to ensure that the lands of our ancestors and dead kinsmen is not inhabited by dishonorable folk. Since then, the people of the Onyx Sanctum have desecrated dwarven ruins and burial grounds, released monsters into our caverns, and arguably the most heinous crime, worshipped false gods in the lands of the true gods of the Brathmordakin.

Both Clan Starbreaker and Clan Irongrinder already have made grudges against the sinful perpetrators of these crimes, as well as a continuation of the infamous Holy War of the Cha Cha Slide against evil led by the Legion of Mercy, which da Kirkja Dverga shall give its full support and deem legitimate.

As the protector and main body in charge of dwed culture, da Kirkja Dverga, is taking even further action to bring honor back to the lands that have been tainted where once the Onyx Sanctum stood, who’s people now flee rather than diplomacy or face consequences for their crimes. The Dwarven ruins and burial grounds that the dark elves had desecrated will be refurbished and our ancestor’s land honored. The monsters that the dark elves had let loose upon the caverns will be hunted down and purged. Any heresies or false beliefs found in the lands of the dwarves will be eradicated. Those who brought forth such chaos in our lands will be tried in court of Urguan law or by Preceptor Council. These promises we make to the Brathmordakin, and as They as our witness shall we make honorable the lands made sinful by the Onyx Sanctum. Narvak oz da Brathmordakin”

Norli Starbreaker

High Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

Baldin Ironside

Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

Herald of Yemekar

Ironside Patriarch

Thorin Treebeard

Preceptor eron da Kirkja Dverga

Treebeard Clan-Father

- Velrak Yemarin -

- Holy Command -

- Preamble -

No doubt the most defining part of dwed culture is our faith in da Brathmordakin. It influences our foreign policy, our livelihoods, and inspires us. But a problem we face now is a slight lack of organization, where we do not know who believes and what they believe within Urguan. This lack of organization has led to many problems, and the clergy has decided that not only will increased organization allow us to make sure beliefs are homogenous throughout Urguan, but also give the faithful a way to interact in da Kirkja Dverga.

- Action -

In order to solve this problem, da Kirkja Dverga has set out to design a ceremony in which the believer may profess their faith in da Brathmordakin, bringing the faithful closer in understanding relationship with da Brathmordakin as well as allowing da Kirkja Dverga to take note of who in Urguan has a good understanding.

In order to take place in the ceremony, one must fulfill certain requirements:

• Proven a basic understanding of da Brathmordakin with a Priest.

• Willing to do the ceremony of their own accord, not forced to by another.

• Old enough to be mentally mature, 60 years for a dwarf.

- Procedure -

• The faithful is to be invited to a shrine to da Brathmordakin. Any family who would wish to attend may do so.

• The faithful is to pledge their faith in the Brathmordakin, and to promise to live a life so that their soul is in balance, exactly as Yemekar had intended. To reject the ambition of Khorvad and to put Yemekar’s creation first.

  • “I humbly offer my faith to the Brathmordakin, led by the All-Maker and Forge-Father Yemekar, who on the Ruhn-Anvil forged all souls and all lands, and to live a life of balance just as Yemekar intended for his creation. I reject all heresy and temptations of Khorvad, and swear to live as Yemekar designed for my soul.”

• The faithful must add to the end of this pledge a few words of their own design, regarding how they believe they will do service to the Brathmordakin, be it as an artist, smith, or warrior.

  • Ex: “I will honor Yemekar through my craftsmanship and creation, and with divine inspiration will I forge great works.”

  • Ex: “I will honor Armakak in my work, and bring great wealth and prosperity to my people through fair trade.”

• If both announcements of faith and service to the Brathmordakin are done properly as deemed by the priest, the priest is to give a blessing in the name of da Brathmordakin. Part of the blessing is the same throughout all ceremonies, while part of it must be made by the priest in reflection of the words of the faithful.

• After blessing is given, the priest offers a Ring of the Faithful, and the ceremony is complete.

All of these actions are to occur in the name of Da Kirkja Dverga and da Brathmordakin which it serves.

Norli Starbreaker

High Preceptor of Da Kirkja Dverga

[!] In the Library of Urguan you find a dusty tome with a green emerald in the Middle. The black-leather cover is turned over with some trouble and you stumble upon a story. Written and signed by Dlunar Irongrinder [!]

< = Legends of Ogradhad: The Night Drake = >

I shall preface these texts with uttering the highest of of praises to The Great Ogradhad. Might these conjured words appease you and spread word of Thou Legend. I further proclaim that these texts are the interpretation of one dwed among many, of the Great Legendary Allfather of Knowledge Ogradhad.

<=>

On Div’Mul the Greedy, the Floating Library and the Night Drake

<=>

Div was a dwarf like any other in ancient times. A stout persona with a long black beard that was revered for his knowledge on many things. He kept a secret stashery of books and tomes of Lore he had gathered over the years. For the dwed’s greed lusted not for coin - for the fragility of the currency is ever-present. And the power it wields can change overnight. Knowledge on the other hand, he spoke to himself, was the true power of the realm. Secrets bare influence. Hidden knowledge the ultimate tool of bargain to purchase that which coin can not.

But as the days grew darker, and Div’s private library grew larger and larger - his lust seemed uncontainable. And soon whispers of Khorvad the Vile would reach him. First dismissed but then heard with some intrigue. For the whispers of lies and deceit that reached his ear spoke of power beyond measure. The mortal dwed’s greed for knowledge grew limitless. Sparing not life nor honor to obtain it. And soon, after being granted secret magical powers by the Vile Dark - he built a grand library, greater than was ever built. With these dark magics he elevated the entity towards the heavens above. There he sat on his throne of tomes - crowining himself as Div’Mul: The Master of Lore. But behind him the shadow of Khorvad loomed. He was but a puppet, a minion of the Vile Darkness.

<=>

Legend of the Floating Library reached far and beyond. On how it diminished the value of Mortal and Immortal made collections such as the Mali’Aherals Eternal Library - and even The Grand Library of the spirit Theruz, an orcish patron representing lore and knowledge.

But news of this was not heard by just mortal ears. Up high in the heavens above Ogradhad peered down upon the Realm and saw Div’Mul rejoicing in his prowess of obtaining knowledge and his self-proclaimed title of Loremaster. Were it not for Khorvads influence, the heavenly embodiment of Knowledge would have left him be. Mocking his stupendous title as forever lesser than His own. But the looming shadow and the vastness of the library caught his interest. In his infinite powers he conjured a great Night Drake. It’s scales black as the night, claws sharp as swords and teeth like spearheads - two red eyes peering down at the floating library. The Allfather of Knowledge and Lore then inhabited the spirit of this great creature and flew down in the dark of night.

<=>

A mighty clash broke loose between the Night Drake and Div’Mul the Dark Sorcerer. Fueled by Khorvads corrupted might the two fought in the halls of the Floating Library. When Khorvad saw the weakness of his inhabited puppet - he soon left Div’Mul and fled back to his Dark Hold. Div, laying broken and powerless on the marble floor of his library, stared up to see the mighty Night Drake rising above him. In a single breath the Night Drake unleashed the fire of a thousand suns upon the sharletan - leaving but ashes in the wind.

In the end the Night Drake flew around the great halls of the Library and knocked over all shelves that held the tomes. The collection was gathered in one great heap in the middle where the Drake would make his home. Ogradhad left the body of the creature and ordered his creation to govern over this collection at all costs. A dragon that covets not gold - but the infinite knowledge of the Realm.

<=>

It is said that even till this day Ogradhad visits the Library of the Drake and wanders through its vast halls. Perhaps with luck a descendant is blessed with seeing a small speck of black floating in the night’s sky above. Praise Ogradhad, the Master of Lore - and his Night Drake.

~=~ The Paragons ~=~

As recognized by Da Kirkja Dverga

The Paragons are a collection of Dwarves who have been deemed by the Clergy to have ascended beyond the typical afterlife bestowed upon followers at the Auction of the Dead and occupy a high seat along with the gods, elevating them to a nearly demi-god like status. They are the greatest examples of our ancestors and what all Dwarves should aspire to be, and as such reverence and prayers are encouraged in their memory so that we may receive their blessings and guidance.

~=~Paragon Urguan~=~

“The Father”

Patron: Yemekar

Symbol: The Mountain

Known as the first Dwarf and father of all Dwarves. He defeated Khorvad with the help of Malin, Krug and Horen. the first Dwarven city was built by him and named after him. Urguan was known for his great honor and respect during war times. This great Dwarf showed respect for his enemies and abided by honorable warfare. In return, many of his enemies showed like respect. Urguan is the greatest Dwarf ever known as well as the first paragon.

~=~Paragon Yudora~=~

“The Hearth Mother”

Patron: Anbella

Symbol: Runic symbol for Water

Mother of Urguan’s sons, and paragon of Birth. This woman was the first mother of the Dwarven kin and the first female Dwarf. Some say she was the only person Urguan ever feared, even in all his might and glory. She fought like a beast and drank like a monster. She was the most respected female Dwarf of her time.

~=~Paragon Bogrin Grandaxe, “Master of the Axe”~=~

Patron: Dungrimm

Symbol: A single, double-edged Axe

Father of the Grandaxes, one of the sons of Urguan and the Paragon for the Grandaxes. Bogrin was one of the first Dwarves who fought with an axe and he was known for his fierce aggression on the battlefield. He is also known as the first axe master, what also gave him his name.

~=~Paragon Tungdil Goldhand, “The First Merchant”~=~

Patron: Armakak

Symbol: A Golden Hand

Father of the Goldhands, he was one of the first Dwarves to a build a merchant empire and get rich doing so. It has been said that his bargaining prowess was unmatched and he could get the best deal out of anyone, be he Dwarf or not. Tungdil made his wealth by approaching skilled craftsmen and workers directly, whether it was deep in the mines or in the heat of the forges. He then bought their products in bulk for a reduced price and then would deliver these products to his easily accessible stalls where he sold the goods for a profit. He served as a facilitator and a middleman and made vast amounts of wealth in the process.

~=~Paragon Gotrek Starbreaker,“The Apprentice”~=~

Patron: Yemekar

Symbol: A Cracked Anvil

Father of the Starbreakers he was one of the first Dwarves Apprenticed to Yemekar, and one of his star pupils, one of the first to learn the knowledge of Runesmithing, eventually developing the art of Golem Smithing and passing these arts on to his children.

~=~Paragon Urir Ireheart~=~

“Bane of the Undead”

Patron: Dungrimm

Symbol: Runic symbol for Fire

The destroyer of the Undead scourge. Nearing the end of times in Aegis, a group of brave warriors ventured into the Nether to have one final strike against the undead. Urir was of this group, fighting his way into the undead taint. At the end of the journey into the nether, Urir reached the legendary Axe of Krug. This was the only thing keeping the Undead to this world. Sacrificing everything, Urir grabbed the Axe and cast himself into the infernal pit of lava, not knowing if his soul would even pass on to the next. Such a great act of selflessness ascended this Dwarf to a godly paragon.

~=~Paragon Kjell Ireheart~=~

“The Emperor Dragon Slayer”

Patron: Dungrimm

Symbol: Golden Lightning Bolt

The Paragon of Dragon Slaying, Kjell has been dubbed Paragon due to his achievement in slaying the six black Dragons, killing most with the legion, thus far known as the black scaled sons of the evil Daemon Khorvad. Kjell is also renowned for leading the Dwarves into wars against the orcish hordes and the conquering of Alras, which in turn created the first Dwarven Empire, with Kjell as the First Dwarven Emperor.

~=~Paragon Valen Grandaxe~=~

"The Wordsmith"

Patron: Ogradhad

Symbol: A Parchment and Quill

One of the wisest and most dedicated Dwarves known to the Kingdom. Valen was a Dwarf who many aspired to live up to, his unending loyalty to the Kingdom inspiring many. By his own hand wars ended, alliances formed, and the nation prospered. Valen brought to the Dwarves the first ever Human-Dwarf alliance, brought an end to the war with Krugmar, and displayed his skills as a Commander during the Great War. Valen Grandaxe was also one of the great Champions who entered the nether to challenge Khorvad's scourge and survived to tell the tale. Not only did he claim these achievements, he brought the Kingdom back to its full strength and played an important part in the creation of the Articles of Urguan.

~=~Paragon Thorik Grandaxe~=~

"King of Kings"

Patron: Yemekar

Symbol: A Crown

Thorik was among the most renowned Dwarves of his time, famous for founding the Third Kingdom of Urguan and leading the Dwarven race into an era of military and economic dominance. Feared on the battlefield for his prowess in axe mastery, as well as his skills as a tactician, he led the Kingdom through the Great War of Aegis, forcing the Orcs and their Elven allies into a peace treaty. During the numerous conflicts with the Ascended, he paved the way for the Dwarves to once again worship the Brathmordakin. Upon his return to his Dwarven kin, he redeveloped a new system of leadership and governance that is followed to this day.

~=~Paragon Hiebe Irongut~=~

"Father of Mages"

Patron: Ogradhad

Symbol: A Tome

Hiebe Irongut, a Dwarf of the 1st century, forged the beginnings of the powerful Dwarven mages. Through his dedication to the Dwarven people he was seen through his constant work as a warrior, adviser, and even as king. His ability as a mage was outright one of the most powerful in terms of fire and water. He taught many students and passed his knowledge and wisdom to many of all races. Hiebe Irongut was a leading figure amongst the Dwarven people throughout his over a millennium years of service until finally he passed away during the Third Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Outside of his service to the Kingdom he was known as one of the most skilled Clan Fathers, maintaining the Ironguts position as one of the three most prominent Clans with numerous Kings.

~=~ Paragon Igor Ireheart "The Purifier" ~=~

Patron: Wyrvun

Symbol: A Hammer and Ice Shard

Igor Ireheart, son of Paragon Kjell Ireheart. Known as a dedicated Commander in the Legion, as Clan Father of the Stormhammers and as a Lord of the Kingdom of Urguan. When the final battle with Ondnarch drew close, Igor was given the task of meeting him in combat with the Hammer of Barradin as his weapon. Igor lost his life in the immense duel, but also freed the god Wyrvun by defeating Ondnarch, his corrupted form. Igor is often known as "Igor The Purifier."

~=~ Paragon Thorin Grandaxe, "The Liberator" ~=~

Patron: Yemekar

Symbol: An Iron Fist

Thorin Grandaxe formed the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. During his reign as the Grand King, he conquered or vassalized the Kingdom of Oren, The Kingdom of Savioe, The Kingdom of Adunia, The Kingdom of Salvus, the Kha and the Pirates. He is credited with ending Orenian agression against the Elves of Malinor and freeing them and their lands from Human domination. The mighty Dwarf Thorin created the sacred Obsidian Throne on which every true Dwarvish king since has sat upon. He destroyed the Alpha Dragon of the North and successfully commanded the Legion during his time, never losing any of his battles. During Thorin's reign he filled the bellies of starving Dwarves by solving the Famine Problem. Even with solving the Famine Problem many people did not like Thorin Grandaxe as their ruler. Vaerhaven rebelled against the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Though having to crush the Vaerhaven rebellion he increased the riches of the nation and brought the dwarvish religion into the human realms. Created equality throughout the different realms.

~=~ Paragon Omithiel Strongbrow, "The Builder" ~=~

Patron: Yemekar

Symbol: A Stone Mason’s Hammer

Omithiel Strongbrow was famed among his dwarven kin as one of the most diligent and humble rulers in the nation's history. A dwarf who often shied away from conflict unless it was absolutely necessary, he was renowned for his prowess in the art of stonecraft, working tirelessly beneath the reigns of numerous kings until his death. He led a successful reign as Grand King from which he mediated the various conflicting interests of the bickering dwarven clans and defeated the orcish War Uzg, as a credible threat to the nation's territory. He was also known as a humble dwarf, descending from low-born birth, who never boasted of his exploits, despite there being many. For this, he was considered an exemplary role model for dwarves everywhere.

~=~ Paragon Indago Stormhammer, "The Faithful" ~=~

Patron: Anbella

Symbol: An Inked Feather

Indago was a Dwarf all Dwarves could look up to. During his lifetime he boasted many accomplishments including having a personal experience with the Brathmordakin, reforming the Clergy to the functional system we follow today, leading the Grand Kingdom of Urguan successfully through a tumultuous war with Oren, and building the Dwarven capital of Kal’Ithrun where all Dwarves lived in Anthos after Kal’Azgoth was overtaken by Odnarch. Despite his many successes, Indago remained a humble and friendly Dwarf, always willing to put his own interests aside for the interests of others. For these reasons and many more it is only appropriate that Indago be recognized as a Paragon, a light for all Dwarves to follow.

~=~ Paragon Morgrim Grandaxe, "The Paladin" ~=~

Patron: Dungrimm

Symbol: A Hammer and Open Book

Morgrim Grandaxe, son of Paragon Valen Grandaxe, father of Grand King Wulfgar Grandaxe. A pious Dwarf who translated Scribberfolk runes in an attempt to locate the Hammer of Barradin. His search led him to the very location of the Hammer of Barradin, where his body was found before he could ever reach the hammer itself.

~=~Paragon Dwain Irongut, “Master of Food and Mine”~=~

Patron: Anbella

Symbol: Blue Cup with a Pickaxe

Father of the Ironguts, known for his love of leisure, he was a heavy drinker, a lover of all things food, and an avid fisherman. Some of his descendants have showed his love for food, the best example of that of course being King Algrim the Fat and his love of fishing, represented by King Belin the Peaceful. Dwain was rumored to be married to a Aengul. His children and those after them are known to have the blood of gods within them. Dwain lived a full life full of merriment and a bit of riches, enough to sustain himself and his dwellings. Dwain was not known for his prowess in combat, but is known for his blade, which he used only a handful of times. Mourgil, rumoured to have the first blade Yemekar bestowed upon his children when they were taught the art of the smithy, and although slightly misshapen, it induces a source of ferocity believed to be unmatched.

~=~ Hall of Heroes ~=~

As recognized by Da Kirkja Dverga

The Hall of Heroes; a selection of Dwedmar folk who are deemed "legendary" among their people, but who have not performed feats worthy of being made a Paragon or who have not yet been recognized as such. These Dwarves can be chosen because of their role in society, political endeavours, or even for just being notably courageous, kind, or for having other personality traits of that manner.

~=~ Da Ord Nar Kadrin ~=~

As taught by Da Kirkja Dverga

 The Old Texts

-= Contents =-

I - The Story of Creation

II - Auction of the Dead

III - Sanctity of the Beard

IV - Yemekar's Balance

V - Tale of the Three

VI - The Proverb of Greed

VII - The Fall of Wyrvun

The New Texts

-= Contents =-

I – The Legend of Creation

II – The Legend of Barradin

III – The Blood Age & The Great Collapse

The Old Texts

The Old Texts are stories that have been passed down for hundreds of years since the reformations of Da Kirkja Dverga under Paragon Indago Stormhammer. These stories formed the basis of previous Dwarven beliefs, and were codified as canon during the forming of Da Kirkja Dverga as we know it today.

~=~ The Story of Creation ~=~

Written by: Unknown

Before anything, there was nothing. The only thing that could be described by today’s standards was the Void. The world was a vast emptiness that we can only barely describe. Yet within nothing, there was still him, slumbering away the ages. He is not something that any mortal can hope to truly comprehend. His existence is beyond what our minds were created to understand. He is called many different names, and is interpreted in many different aspects of what we understand. Few know who he really is, and of these few, only the Dwarves know. He is Yemekar, The Creator, The Smith. One day, as The Creator, known to the Dwarves as Yemekar, looked out into the void he said to himself “I will create a world, forging it with the four aspects along with those who will populate it” So, Yemekar went to his forge and began to build. Using the divine materials of the elements, he went about forging the world and the heavens. As he forged, more and more power flowed into his eternal smithy.

The stars began to shine brighter, the world of Aegis began to bud into life, as animals came forth. When he finally completed all his grand works he looked upon it and felt it to be empty of true life, it rested in the void longing of beings of his likeness to work it, to live in it, and to praise him of such works of awe and splendor. To think beyond the instinct of a feral beast. And so, his mighty forge ringing with new found zeal, he began to craft again, making those beings that would shape the world. The forging took many millennia, the power of his forge being so strong that the very things used within it became. From his anvil flew sparks, sparks that grew into flames where they struck and from these sparks to living creatures, creatures made of the power of the forge’s flame. Lesser gods in themselves, these were known as Daemons. As he cooled his creations in the water, a great steam arose. The power of the forge was in the steam as well and it condensed, growing to pools that turned to yet more lesser gods. These gods were the Aenguls. These Daemons and Aenguls became the rest of the Brathmordakin, the gods of all creation.

But, Yemekar’s forging was incomplete. He had not yet made creatures to inhabit the world. So, he continued to forge, the Brathmordakin at his side. The first creature he made was too rough, too harsh, unbreakable but unlike to Yemekar. This was the first of the Orkos. Without destroying his creation, he placed the Ork, Krug, into the harsh deserts of Aegis, where it was too rough and uninhabitable for other beings to live. Yemekar, seeing his first creation to be too rough went to craft a fairer being. However, he overcompensated for his previous mistake and the next that was born was the first of the Elger, Malin, soft and fair yet never dulling in shine, lasting ages. They, unlike the Orkos were not violent, yet overly passive, and unwilling to act in the name of their creator. Their lives would last so long that they would surely grow tired of the world he had created for them. So he chose that the best place for them would be amongst the great forests of Aegis, where they would soon become entrapped and imprisoned by the dense foliage as it grew around them. So, continuing on with his pursuit to create a creature like himself to roam the world, he returned to his anvil once more and crafted a new being. Worried of creating a creature too strong or too long lasting he made one weaker, but bearing less of an effeminate appearance. As a solution to the deformity of the elger, he had them grow great beards and fancy moustaches, as a display of their masculinity. These beings, he named the Umros, the first of them being Horen. However, they were far too brittle for his liking, simple and uninteresting beings. Furthermore, they were prone to shave and remove the beards he had gifted them with. So he cast them upon plains and grassland, where their lives were so short that they would surely all die out in time. Finally, the creator forged from the earth, a being, strong, wise and hearty, capable of a life long enough to experience the full greatness of the world he had created. Though tough and built for battle, they were not so mindless as the Orkos. Bearing beards and facial hair, even greater and stronger than that of the Umros, they were truly crafted in his image. He named these the Dwedmar, the favoured of all the races he had created, the first of their kind named Urguan. He found for them, the finest and most visually pleasing of the lands he had built. Here, amongst great mountains and valleys, he allowed the Dwedmar to build a home.

The forging of the perfect race had not come without cost however. Through time, his creations would surely war and fight amongst one another. So Yemekar, in his divine righteousness, bestowed upon the Dwedmar a purpose to which they and their ancestors were to serve. Though the Orkos, Umros and Elgus were not the beings he had intended to create, he looked upon them mercifully. For if any one of his creations were to outdo the other, the delicate balance of the world he had created would over time, collapse into ruin. The prosperity of one of his creations would surely lead towards the suffering of another. So he spoke to Urguan and asked that if any of his creations were to prove a threat to another, the Dwedmar would intervene. For all eternity, they would act as the guardians of the balance that had existed from the start of time. So Urguan agreed to Yemekar’s wish and for years the four races continued to grow, forging mighty kingdoms upon the face of Aegis. For a time, the kingdoms were at peace, prosperous and bountiful. But, this peace was not to last.

There was one amongst the Brathmordakin, a Daemon of ambition, one whose light had grown dark before he grew to life grew yet darker. Corrupt and evil, the Daemon Khorvad sought to take greater power for himself. Looking upon the creation of Yemekar, he saw the four races and thought to himself to take them for himself, thus becoming their God. Descending upon the world, he began to speak whispers into the ears of Krug, Malin, Horen, and Urguan. To Krug, he whispered words of war and bloodshed. Krug accepted this readily, ever hungry for such things. To Malin, thoughts of the forest filled with his children, a secret wish of the elven father. Horen, growing old, was promised long life to see his creations completed. All three fell to these temptations. Only Urguan, filled with honor and in likeness to his father, Yemekar, ignored the whispers of Khorvad. Angered by the stubbornness of Urguan, Khorvad flew over the skies of Aegis, showing his true form, a being of smoke, fire, and shadow. The other brothers, seeing his form, rallied with Urguan to fight this horror.

The war waged for years, Khorvad using his power to raise the dead to his cause until finally, the brothers met with him in combat. Krug rashly charged in towards him but, due to being the brother most corrupted by Khorvad, he was changed, his skin growing a sickly green, tusks protruding from his mouth. But even this could not stop Krug’s bloodlust. Khorvad had made his hunger for battle too great and he would not stop now. The other brothers joined in, Urguan’s hammer blazing a trail of light, Horen’s sword swinging strong in hand, and the arrows of Malin streaking through the night. The battle was fierce, and in the end, the brother’s and their armies succeeded, driving Khorvad to the void. In his last shout, the evil Daemon lay a curse upon each of the brothers. Krug’s curse, beyond what he had, was to be forever at war with his brothers, especially Urguan who had been the strongest against Khorvad. Malin was cursed to have a womb closed, his children few. Horen, cursed with short life, grew frail and bent on the spot. To Urguan finally, Khorvad cursed with short stature. Yet as Khorvad was finally sealed, the Aengul Anbella, wife of Yemekar, came to the brothers, giving blessings to them all. To Krug she granted strength. To Malin, peace in the forests. To Horen, the promise of one day exploring the Seven Skies. Finally to Urguan was granted hardiness and strong mind and the heart to fight evil.

~=~ Auction of the Dead ~=~

Written by: Indago Stormhammer and Morgrim Grandaxe

Khaz’a’Dentrumm is said to rest within the plains of the afterlife. When a Dwarf dies, their souls are carried by Dungrimm to be judged by the Brathmordakin for their actions in life. Yemekar was said to have forged the moon that inhabits the gods of the Brathmordakin. From here, they watch over the lives of Dwarves. It is also said to bear the Great Anvil that forged our world. The Moon is only accessible by the most honorable and zealous of Dwarves, who had shown either great valor in battle or great diligence in their life. When a Dwarf has passed on, a select view are invited to a grand feast within the halls of the Gods, forever to eat and drink. These individuals are known as the Paragons and act as near demi-gods in the eyes of their kin. This plane of the afterlife is known as Khaz’A’Dentrumm and is where all Dwarves strive to go when they die. Here, the Paragons rule while ordinary Dwarves are auctioned amongst the Brathmordakin. Those unfortunate and honourless Dwarves who fail to gain a bid from any of the gods are instead cast into Vuur'Dor, an entirely separate plane of the afterlife.

The creation of this afterlife is primarily unknown. Supposedly the void existed for as long as the Creator himself and so all of the Brathmordakin are believed to have devised this punishment for those Dwarves who had acted dishonorably and shameful throughout their mortal lives.  This plane is otherwise known as Vuur'Dor, literally translating to Black Doom in the common tongue. When a Dwarf passses on into this form of the afterlife, they experience an endless cycle of emotionless despair, where they wander for all eternity. It is said that honourless beings delve these depths when none of the gods have selected them to pass on into the halls of Khaz’A’Dentrumm. Mages are said to derive the source of their power from the void and it is further suspected that this is where Khorvad and his minions currently linger.

~=~ Sanctity of the Beard ~=~

Written by: Aldal Ireheart

The curses of Khorvad still hung in the still air when Anbella descended on Krug, Malin, Horen and Urguan. The four heroes were in awe as they watched her appear, falling to their knees.

 Anbella began to speak in a hushed voice. Every word she spoke seemed to fill the four with hope, each sweet sentence sounding like the haunting, bright melody of a harp. She reached out, touching Krug's head. The great and powerful warrior shook beneath her hand. Even he could not deny the power of the Brathmordakin. Anbella spoke to Krug, her voice caring and motherly. "Krug, you are a great warrior, and the Brathmordakin look with favour upon your strength and courage. Henceforth, you shall be strong and powerful unlike any other, a true soldier when it is necessary." With that, Anbella moved on, this time touching Malin's head.

  "Malin," the Hearth Mother said softly. "You long for nothing but peace, your heart affected heavily by violence. This peace you shall have, should you reside in the forests." Upon hearing these words, Malin smiled, crying out his thanks to Anbella. The Hearth Mother simply returned his smile, moving on to Horen.

Anbella touched Horen's frail head, leaning in close to speak to him. "Horen," she said, "You wish to explore the Seven Skies. This wish shall one day be granted." Horen's eyes welled with tears as the Hearth Mother approached Urguan.

 Anbella beamed as she looked upon the Father of The Dwarves. "Urguan," she smiled, "Brave and resilient. To you I grant the greatest gift of all." Urguan remained silent, his head bowed beneath the touch of the Hearth Mother. "You shall be strong of mind and heart, hardy enough to do battle with the forces of evil. But to you," she said, still smiling, "I grant yet another present."

 Urguan had begun to stand up, thinking his gifts had all been received. Upon hearing these words he knelt once again before Anbella. "To you," the Heart Mother continued, "I grant that which the Brathmordakin strive to achieve, that which Yemekar himself has."

 Urguan's eyes widened at this point. Anbella grinned, speaking again. "To you I grant the power to grow your beard long, to rival the beards of the Brathmordakin. Your descendants shall all have immense beards with which they shall be able to store their belongings, so very large they shall grow. However, make sure to treat your beard with the utmost respect, it is to become a symbol of your people, something which is revered and worshiped. If ever one of your descendants should remove or damage their beards, they must be punished, for this is the greatest of sins."

 Anbella then reached out, touching Urguan's chin, upon which a beard already grew. Suddenly, The Father of The Dwarves' beard grew to an enormous length, curling at the end. He often had to tuck it under his belt, for it was the mightiest beard ever seen on the mortal plane. He fell before Anbella, weeping words of thanks and praise for the Brathmordakin.

And so, the Father of The Dwarves received the greatest beard ever seen before. His childrens' beards grew to impressive lengths after he had passed away, and in fact, the beards of all of his descendants. Urguan's people revered their beards as they had been asked, and punished anyone who mistreated their beards. The beard became a symbol of their people, as it still is to this day.

~=~ Yemekar's Balance ~=~

Written by: Morgrim Grandaxe

From the dawn of time it was said to be the creator, Yemekar, who selected the Dwarves as the chosen amongst all his creations. However, with this great honour, there too came responsibility. Yemekar commanded of Urguan that he and his kin would forever ensure that none of his creations would ever bear the power to completely destroy another. “Go forth my children, and preserve the balance of my creation. For you are the pillars that uphold the world.” Though these words have held many different meanings throughout various ages of Dwarven history it is generally accepted by most within the Dwarven clergy as a matter that remains relevant to this day. Urguan accepted his creator’s bidding and thus the Dwarven race, throughout the vast majority of its existence, remained vigilant in the event that an empire were to rise. This has in practise become known better amongst the Dwarves as the preservation of ‘Yemekar’s Balance.’ For if ever a nation were to cast aside its morality in favour of the pursuit of power, the prosperity of other nations would surely suffer at its hands.

The concept of Yemekar's Balance therefore revolves largely around a fierce opposition towards policies of expansionism and the invasion of another nation's sovereign territory without a cause deemed righteous in the eyes of the gods. Furthermore, in the majority of circumstances, wars that are declared in the name of Yemekar's Balance are almost exclusively made in the defense of nations deemed to lack the capability to defend themselves. However, there are a few unique examples that can indeed be to seen to differ from this norm. If a nation is found to be harboring a capability that is deemed either unholy or dangerous in the wrong hands, the Dwarves may choose to act against them. For example, golemancy, gifted unto the hands of the Dwarves by Yemekar himself, is considered a very real threat in the hands of those who are not to be trusted.

Today, we may take no extraordinary effort in viewing how the pursuit of power has corrupted and torn at the very fabrics of the world. It was said that the Daemon, Khorvad, was once one amongst the Brathmordakin, represented by a will for ambition. Yet with ambition, came the everlasting desire for more. It was a thought that plagued the Ironborn ruler, Velkan, as he departed from the ways of Yemekar and instead opted to follow in Khorvad’s footsteps. So too was it a driving force behind the Holy Oren Empire and its reign of havoc upon the Princedom of Malinor. For this, Thorin Grandaxe, former Grand King of Urguan ought to be commended for his actions, even in going up against a power that for a period of its history, held the capacity to conquer much of the world. For though when the Empire fell, Thorin had within his grasp the opportunity to take both Malinor and Oren for himself, he did not give in to such temptations. If we are indeed to take one lesson from Thorin’s actions, it is that even when we are seemingly on the verge of victory, it is never in any case wise to forsake Yemekar’s will. Though greed is a natural blessing, bestowed upon Dwarves by the god, Grimdugan, ambition and a thirst for power are what drives mortal beings mad. Consequently, it is by no coincidence that empire building is deemed an act of sin in the eyes of many of Urguan’s descendants.

~=~ Tale of the Three ~=~

Written by: Morgrim Grandaxe

Many years ago, the great sons of Urguan faced the decimation of the world as they knew it and the collapse of civilization to the hordes of Khorvad’s scourge. Though many stories can be told of the heroes who entered the depths of the Nether to challenge the undead, there is but one that shall be focused upon this day. It is of course that of the three Dwarven Champions, the Paragons Urir Ireheart, Kjell Ireheart and Valen Grandaxe. For it was as our world burned and the skies fell that our very existence was left in their hands. Their deeds are what allow us now to continue to breathe the fresh airs of Yemekar’s blessing. For that, they shall be amongst those heroes of legend we will remember for all eternity.

To begin our tale, it was upon the dawn of impending doom that Grand King Thorik Grandaxe of Kal’Urguan was made aware of what was to come. Despite vast military victories in recent times, the last century had represented an era of sin. Many Dwarves had forsaken their true gods in the aftermath of the collapse of the Khorvadic Empire. Instead, they turned towards the Ascended, worshippers of Aeriel and followers of a heretical doctrine. Yet as the human Kingdom of Oren fell, and the Dwarves were betrayed by the Ascended at Alras, they proved only that their words were of poison. Though the Dwarves soon realised the fault in their ways, they now stood truly alone.

Despite this, there was but one last hope that still remained. The Nether as it was known, a desolate and godforsaken plane, where within stood the great towers of Drauchreich. There, the undead conducted their slaughter upon the mortal world with merciless efficiency. It was here that the Dwarven heroes would be challenged to cast the Axe of Krug into the fiery well, and once and for all, bring an end to Khorvad’s reign. Quickly, Grand King Thorik spread the word to his highest advisors who each expressed their own forms of concern. There were three amongst his council who ultimately took upon the burden of entering the Nether. Urir Ireheart, ‘Bane of the Undead’ famed for his aggressive nature and stoicism in the face of danger. Kjell Ireheart, ‘The Emperor Dragon Slayer’ a fierce leader and an inspiration to those who served beneath him. Finally there was Valen Grandaxe, ‘The Wordsmith’ a Dwarf who valued diplomatic intrigue and the power of words above all else. Together, they were the three who would go on to face the undead.

As the gates of Kal’Urguan fell and the once great and thriving civilization of Dwarves were forced to retreat from their hallowed halls, there was but one light in the darkness that still shone bright. Though the Ascended had failed to unite the races and defend the civilizations of Aegis in time, their failure soon led to the reestablishment of the true Dwarven religion. By Yemekar’s mercy and Dungrimm’s might, the Dwarves would fight on until the bitter end. For this, the three champions were not afraid to perish within the fires of Khorvad’s domain. Whether for honour, glory or redemption, they would do all in their power to protect their kin. For the Dwarves who had survived the Fall of Kal’Urguan, they together reignited the fires of hope.

When the day soon dawned upon them that they would enter through the gates of the nether, they did so without fear or regard for their own lives. Joining up with champions of the other mortal races, they would all fight on for their world’s survival. In the many barrages of fire from the undead beasts, Kjell was knocked aside unconscious as his kin pushed onwards. Urir however was armoured in the plating, provided to him by the Grand King, said to be blessed by Yemekar himself. Along with his own superior agility, he stormed ahead of the group of champions, battling waves upon waves of undead single-handedly, until finally both he and Valen reached the great undead fortress of Drauchreich. From there, the two Dwarves divided into separate directions. It was Urir however who came upon the Axe of Krug. Entry required the payment of a soul and so another of the mortal races nobly cast himself over the edge of the fortress, so giving the Dwarf entry. Urir went on, discovering that only by sacrificing his own life would he be able to destroy the Axe. As his whole life flashed before his eyes, he dropped into the inferno of the Nexus, the Axe of Krug held gripped between his fingers. In a great burst of energy, the city of Drauchreich collapsed into the fires from whence it came, while the portals to the plane of the damned were sealed forever.

Though Urir had paid the ultimate sacrifice, his kin had not yet fallen. As Drauchreich began to collapse all around him, Valen was forced to step through one of the portals as it quickly snapped shut behind him. There he found himself deep within a great cave system, no life, nor a single being around him. Still lost however, he eventually stumbled upon an Alrasian, his once mortal enemy. Together, the two agreed to put aside their grudges for the time being, traversing the cave system until they reached the surface world once again. As great dragons poured fire around them, they battled their way back towards the Cloud Temple, where together, they rejoined their kin and went on into the portal that would one day guide them to Asulon. Kjell too had awoken and made his way back through the portal, stepping back out to see the sight of a burning forest of Laurelin. There, the great black dragons of Khorvad wreaked havoc upon the world. Legend has it told that Kjell battled the dragons, defeating them all before departing for the fallen city of Kal’Urguan. There, for the duration of his life, he would remain as its last guardian and defender.

Though the stories of Valen and Kjell did not end there, these shall be told another day. For the Ascended would have us believe that it was they who led the way to the destruction of the undead. Yet, that one amongst our Dwarven kin would venture into the depths of the nether, knowing if not certain of their own imminent demise is extraordinary. For this, the actions of the three shall be remembered and as Paragons, they shall eternally feast within the great halls of the Brathmordakin. For the story of the three must be remembered amongst our kin if we are ever to face such a threat again. May in times of great peril, the grace of Yemekar guide us forward once more and his divine light give hope where this is none.

~=~ The Proverb of Greed ~=~

Written by: Bazian Grandaxe

One crisp mountian morning, the two Dwarven gods Grimdugan, the Lord of Avarice, and Armakak, the Merchant Father, looked down upon Yemekar's world and saw two young beardlings. Grimdugan turns to his brother and says, "Look at these two brothers run about, they are but a double-edged axe, one is no different than the other. Nothing could be said about these two that is different than the other."

Armakak looks down on the world in agreement, he could not refute his brother's claim. Being the rivals that these two brothers are, Grimdugan proposes a challange. "Look brother, I have many a keg of ale and you have many a keg of beer. Let us wager them so that we may see whom is the master of the mint, king of the coin. I will teach the lad Kili as you teach the lad Bili. The lad that has the most coin after three days is the victor."

Unable to resist a challenge from his bitter rival, Armakak accepts saying. "Aye brother, you will see that patience and hard work is the way to earn true wealth."

So, on the First day, the two great gods taught the beardlings and prepared them for the next day. Armakak gave Bili a pick which he mined great veins of iron to sell at his stall. Grimdugan gave Kili an obsidian dagger which he stole Bili's iron and sold it at his own stall. All day long this happened and Grimdugan laughed. "Look brother, my pupil has much more coin than yours, surely you should give up now." Armakak just smiled and said, "Just wait brother and see."

On the Second day, Bili went back to the mines and brought back up more iron to sell. Kili, once again came and took it from Bili to his stall. Bili kept mining and would not break will, as Armakak taught him.

On the Third day, Bili again mines and brings back iron to his stall. Although, Kili does not steal from Bili this day. Poisoned by greed, Kili lay dead for he thought nothing else besides his gold for he forgot to take care of his stomach.

Armakak lets out a hardy laughs as Grimdugan grimaces. "You see now brother? Diligence and strong will leads to wealth.

~=~ The Fall of Wyrvun ~=~

Written by: Thorik Grandaxe and Valen Grandaxe

Long ago, in ancient times when the world was young and pure, the first snows of the Deep Cold arrived. At first, the mortal races who lived beneath them marvelled at their beauty but as years passed, the cold would not release its icy grip and it held tight as many would perish. The ground froze and crops would no longer grow, as warmth and firewood became ever scarcer. Soon enough, the creator looked upon the world with pity as he saw the suffering of his people. Though without the heart to destroy such a beautiful creation, it was something with the power to destroy all life and thus needed to be controlled.

It was then that Wyrvun was created, the very embodiment of the ice cold winds and the frost that settled upon the ground. For he was the Lord of the Deep Cold and the elements of his realm each answered to his call. An Aengul of great power, at his command were all that made up the realm of ice. Such was his power that he could even contest many of the creator’s divine beings. His love for all that was of the Deep Cold was strong, and it pained him deeply that the mortal races of the world dreaded for it to begin and would soon celebrate its end.

There then came a day when a darkness fell over the world, and even the realm of Wyrvun was not untouched. It was here that a shadow encompassed Wyrvun's domain, and darkness slowly crept upon the frozen north. As the shade grew ever closer to his dwelling, the ice seemed to turn into a deep black, and swallow what light was left. Wyrvun could only gaze upon this darkness and in doing so, felt the corruption of the world in which he lived. The ice which light had once danced upon, became dark, twisted and corrupt, a shadow of its former self. Though the fear would not control him, the voices in his mind started to murmur, as they tore at his very being from within.

“Would an eternal cold not be beautiful? The mortals wish you gone, and yet you care for them! Why should you, Wyrvun, Lord of the Deep Cold, not spread your realm and consume the world?”

As the words were uttered, Wyrvun seemed to fall into a dazed state and for the first time in his existence, he felt an ever consuming fear. It was not in his creation to be either weak, nor foolish and in his fury, the world shook. The mountains responded, and a blizzard which was by far unmatched by any other, crept down from the north, destroying all in its path. As it approached, a gigantic being in the form of a dragon emerged from within, larger than any mountain stood. Its form could bend light and surrounding it, a blue glow was cast. As it let out an almighty roar, the temperature dropped and the air seemed to freeze. Wyrvun was bound to no form, but commanded all in the realm of ice.

In spite of this, the shade stood in the shadow of the dragon, and from it, arose a sinister laugh. Darkness and flame begun to envelope the ground at Wyrvun’s feet and so he raised his wings and flew high above the mountaintops, his presence blocking out the rays of the sun and casting a pulsating blue light upon the north. Though in all his might, Wyrvun was no match for the Lord of Darkness. Something grabbed a hold of his leg and dragged him down into the black abyss below, where no light shone and only darkness prevailed.

There he was bound by shadow and fire, and a last roar of defiance escaped him as the once so pure, mighty and beautiful Wyrvun was dragged far beneath the ground into a prison of the darkest magic. What evils happened down there are known to none other than he, for what came was an abomination of his former self. All that arose from the abyss was a twisted and corrupt being. The Lord of the Deep Cold who once had been so beautiful and pure was now dark and terrible.

“Rise Ondnarch, terror of the north, bringer of the silent cold... Enslaver... Consumer...Devourer.”

The New Texts

The new texts are a collection of stories and legends written shortly before, during, and after the schism of the clergy, most of which by the Temple of Az’Adar, who were the true heirs to the original Kirkja Dverga. These stories are not first hand sources, but offer insight and perspective into our past that can enhance our understanding of the Brathmordakin.

~=~ The Legend of Creation ~=~

In the beginning, before space or time was brought into being, the great creator, Yemekar was all there was. With infinite compassion, he created one who might occupy the great expanse with him and so Khorvad came into being. Once his companion had come into being, Yemekar turned his gaze on the great expanse and gestured with a hand to the vast emptiness and all at once there was light and time. From out of the nothingness, the celestial bodies came into being and were inhabited by all manner of nature and creatures. When he was finished he raised his hands and Khaz’a’Dentrumm came into being to serve as the dwelling of the gods and a place where they might view Yemekar’s creations.

For a time there was peace and tranquility as Yemekar continued to create vast worlds and realms filled with marvelous creatures and stunning scenery. Yet it was not to last. As Khorvad looked down on the creations of Yemekar he grew jealous and before long his jealousy turned to anger. With spiteful wrath he turned his power on Yemekar’s creations, corrupting what he could, and destroying what he could not, so as to take away Yemekar’s splendor and steal away the power of creation in doing so. The mighty creator felt the betrayal deeply but would not bring himself to destroy his companion for such would only bring Khorvad the victory he so desired.

With raised hands, Yemekar spoke words of sadness to his companion as six figures of immeasurable light stepped from the edges of the hall. Unable to bring himself to the task of destruction, Yemekar ordered the great beings to banish Khorvad from his halls, damning him to existence outside the splendor of Khaz’a’Dentrumm. With this action he creates Ver’Durr, a hellish realm to serve as a prison for those corrupted by Khorvad’s betrayal.

Once Khorvad had been banished, he turned his gaze deep into the halls of Khaz’a’Dentrumm and spoke words of creation once more. From out of nothing, a vast throne hall rose and seven mighty thrones graced its head. With a glance to the third throne, the one to the immediate right of his, he spoke and one of the figures of light ascended.

“Let you be Dungrimm, Lord of Justice and Guardian of The Dead.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

He looked to the fifth throne, the one to the immediate left of his, and spoke again. At his words another figure ascended.

“Let you be Anbella, Heart Mother and Lady of Peace.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

His gaze turned back to the second throne, the one to the right of Dungrimm’s, and spoke as the third figure ascended.

“Let you be Belka, Lady of Passion and Love.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

He looked to the sixth chair, the one to the left of Anbella’s, and spoke again. The figure ascended.

“Let you be Ogradhad, Lore Master and Guardian of All Knowledge.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

Looking to the first chair, the one to the right of Belka’s, he pronounced yet another title as the figure ascended.

“Let you be Armakak, Lord of Wealth and Merchant Father.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

Finally he turned to the seventh chair, the one to the left of Ogradhad’s, and declared the last of the titles as the final figure ascended.

“And let you be Grimdugan, Lord of Avarice and Master of Greed.”

And so the figure of light took shape and became Brathmordakin.

He spoke again and the hall was filled with a mighty host of Aenguls and Daemons, tasking each with duties in balancing various other realms of his creation to stabilize the expanse once more. Yet these beings were not as great in strength or fortitude as the Brathmordakin, a fact which Khorvad in his banishment would quickly attempt to exploit. The daemon, Iblees, was torn from the splendor of Yemekar and corrupted to his core. At the command of Khorvad, Iblees and other entities of Khorvad’s corruption were unleashed on the realms below.

The Brathmordakin looked down on the realms and wept for the great creations of their father burned and fell under the onslaught of Khorvad’s betrayal. They pleaded for Yemekar to intervene in the defense of his other creations and the mighty creator answered their cries.

First, he made the Elves to defend the realm below. Yet he looked on them and frowned as they lived long but were too frail for the mighty tasked they were designed for.

Second, he made the Orcs to fight beside the Elves. He looked on them and saw that they lived longer and were strong creatures, but they were filled with bloodlust and could not think for themselves in the heat of battle.

Third, he made the Humans to fight beside the Elves and Orcs. Yet he looked on them and saw that again it was not enough for, even though they were not as fragile, they were short lived beings.

Finally, he fashioned the Dwarves in his own image and saw that they were good. Long of life and mighty of fortitude, he tasked them in leading the defense of the realm against the corruption of Khorvad’s betrayal.

As the period of creation came to an end, the mighty creator ascended to his throne so that he might look down on the realms and view what he had created. The descendents, as they would come to be known, spread out across the lands of the realm Yemekar had placed them in and constructed mighty cities and fortresses and, for a time, they prospered. Yet, just as it was in the beginning of creation, the period of peace was not to last.

~=~ The Legend of Barradin ~=~

Long ago when the world was still young and Yemekar’s creation was new, Khorvad sought to corrupt Yemekar’s creation and bend it in his own image. Though he could not sway the other gods to his cause, he was able to grip lesser beings. And so he chose to corrupt the Aengul Wyvrun, one of Yemekar’s most treasured children amongst the celestials. Wyvrun embodied many admirable qualities such as righteousness and purity.

However, Wyvrun was not beyond Khorvad’s grasp. Khorvard corrupted him, filling his mind and heart with vicious thoughts and burning avarice. Unable to resist these temptations Wyvrun found himself vulnerable, exposed, and complacent. Khorvad’s chiefmost servant, Iblees, came to Wyvrun and corrupted him with his power. The Wyvrun that the gods once cherished was lost and in his place was Odnarch, wicked, greedy, and filled with hate and disdain for the gods and those who worshipped them. And so his sights were set upon Urguan…

Odnarch’s power and thirst for death were immense. Villages and cities were wiped out by his hordes of ice-monsters and corrupted beings. The Dwarven defenders found their weapons wrought of steel and iron useless against Odnarch’s greatest creations and so they fell in droves to his onslaught and were then added to his ranks. Desperate, Dwarven scholars turned to the Runelords of yore for a solution.

The runesmiths produced weapons and armor bound with the holy magic of Ogradhad and gave them to three champions from amongst their rank to confront Odnarch. Along with these weapons the champions were provided with one of their greatest creations, the Kal’Varak. The Kal’Varak was a magical prison capable of separating the mind and soul from the body and leaving them trapped within. And so the champions led by Barradin, the most skillful amongst them, set out to lay a trap for Odnarch.

They climbed upon the sloping, snow-covered hills along the border of Odnarch’s destruction. In the caves beneath the hill they laid the Kal’Varak and awaited the arrival of Odnarch’s armies. Finally, they arrived. Three Dwarves stood against a magnitude of corrupted soldiers and did battle with them. Their hammers and axes utterly destroyed those they fell upon, ripping apart their corrupted bodies and allowing the souls to pass to Khaz’a’Dentrumm. The weapons the enemy used glanced off the runic armor and shattered. Against these hordes the triumvirate was unstoppable.

The battle began to subside. The hordes of monsters and wraiths under Odnarch’s command backed away from the field and disappeared from sight. The three champions were exhausted, confused, and distraught. Had their efforts been in vain, would Odnarch not accept their challenge? A blood-curdling screech echoed across the valley, the wind became stinging and bitterly cold against their faces and a blizzard set in. Before them, a great mass emerged from the clouds and landed. It was Odnarch in the form of a terrible, blue dragon. It turned it’s head to the sky and released a sickening roar before setting upon the champions.

They fought Odnarch, fending off his blows with their runic armor, and dealing damage with their hammers. However, they were not indestructible. Odnarch caught one of the champions with his tail and sent him flying across the valley where we was never heard from again. Barradin and his final companion began retreating to their trap, making the beast believe it had the upper hand. Once they reached the spot, Barradin’s friend stood upon it and bid Odnarch to approach.

Odnarch took the challenge and charged him, where he spoke the sacred word that caused the ground to erupt beneath the two. They both fell down to the Kal’Varak below where the dwarf was consumed by the prison. However, when Odnarch came in contact with the contraption, he struggled against it. He was being pulled into the trap but was starting to break free of it, wailing in agony as he did so. Barradin saw this and knew Odnarch had the power to escape. He threw himself into the hole, with his hammer raised. He slammed the hammer upon Odnarch’s neck and dealt a blow that forced him to collapse, being pulled into the crystal. Barradin fell past, narrowly missing his own trap and landed on the ground next to it, saved by his armor.

Barradin arose, and looked to his hammer. It had been transformed as some of Odnarch’s power was trapped within it. However, the battle was over. Odnarch was defeated and his armies were dispelled. Barradin returned to his kingdom with the Kal’Varak and his hammer. He was hailed as a hero, and he mourned the loss of his friends. The Kal’Varak was hidden away from those who might release Odnarch, and the hammer remained with Barradin and was passed to his next of kin upon his death but then was lost. It would be many hundreds of years before again, Odnarch threatened this world.

~=~ The Blood Age & The Great Collapse ~=~

-History translated from a variety of ancient texts and personal experiences by Zahrer Irongrinder-

Following the reigns of Urguan and Barradin came the reign of Glorvin, last of the Silverbeards.Though he had been selected by Urguan personally to follow Barradin in the line of succession, Glorvin grew fearful at the task that lay before him with the thought that he would never live up to the expectations of his father. With his fear looming over him and the death of Barradin haunting his thoughtd, the problems of the kingdom only grew. Sparse conflicts with travelers aboveground turned Glorvin’s mind to seclusion and he ordered the sealing of the city and barred any nonessential workers from leaving the city. The problems of scarce food supplies, overcrowding, and pollution began to grow throughout the city and loyal dwarves began to lose faith in the leadership of the king. As trouble grew within the city, the demands to allow dwarves to leave grew and grew to the point where the king would fear riots in the streets and he quickly came to believe that there was only one course of action. After years of seclusion underground, Glorvin once more allowed the dwarves to leave their underground halls and a large number simply left the city so as to avoid troubles with the king in the future. Those that stayed were angered with Glorvin for allowing their kin to abandon the city of their father, Urguan. Around this period would come the first of what I shall call the Runic Interventions.

With the discovery of a vast, ancient rune in a small cave several centuries later, a small group of dwarves were sent back in time to the city of Khaz’Urguan where they would then meet Glorvin. With a mild understanding of runesmithing and a rather abrupt display of the travelers’ own knowledge of the future and past events, Glorvin would come to believe who they said they were and told them of his feelings. With growing fear of deceit and rebellion within the kingdom, Glorvin understood that whatever would happen in the coming years would not dim the future of the dwarves as darkly as he had believed, yet he still perceived the danger that was coming and entrusted them with the relics of his father: the crown, a set of armor, and some smaller items whereupon they would return to their own time. Following the First Runic Intervention, Glorvin would soon step down from the throne and entrust the selection of a new king to a small council of elders. The actions of Glorvin, though well meaning, only served to anger a growing faction within the city which would ultimately culminate in a catastrophic series of events that would very nearly destroy the dwarves as Yemekar made them. Deciding that they would not simply stand for a new king who would do the same things as Glorvin, the Ironborn hatched a plan to seize power and form a new kingdom to better benefit their designs. Late one night a large army of Ironborn soldiers and armed golems gathered in the city where they quickly seized various buildings and holdings of importance such as the palace, the armories, the treasuries, and the gates. Within hours hundreds who would resist the violent seizure of power would lay dead beside a far lesser number of fallen Ironborn. The surprise of the coup would simply be too much for the already strained and under provisioned guardforce to handle.

It should be briefly noted, however, that the Second Runic Intervention came about just a few short hours prior to the Night of Blood. Several centuries after the fall of the Empire of Khorvad a group of dwarves would come across a small runic pendant that would carry the ability to transport them back in time once more to the beginning of the Night of Blood. Over the course of several trips they would explore a variety of different exploits throughout the city as the Blood Age would begin again and again as they neared the end of each trip back in time. On their final trip, the group would be imprisoned to await punishment for their resistance against the Ironborn soldiers and golems when the High Priest of the Temple of the Brathmordakin would happen upon them. After listening to a few of the prisoners he would order their release without giving reason to either the prisoners or the guards holding them. With an order to follow him, the group would enter the Temple of the Brathmordakin with him where he would reveal himself to be the High Priest and Pherrax Ironborn. He explained quickly that he had understood too late the designs of his kin and pleaded with them to help him in preserving the remainder of the relics that Glorvin had not entrusted them with during the First Runic Intervention. With almost no time to spare as the Night of Blood began, the group would leave the past for a final time as the amulet that had allowed them to travel broke in half, leaving them in the middle of the city square in modern times with the newly acquired relics in hand. With the relics gone and the Night of Blood coming to a close, a very few dwarves would be able to escape the city alive, and when dawn rose the following day the First Kingdom of Urguan had fallen.

In its place rose a new, powerful nation of dwarves, but to say it was one made of all dwarves was certainly not true. The leader of the rebellion would proclaim himself Velkan Ironborn, the first Emperor of the Empire of Khorvad, and with his new rule would come a period of darkness the likes of which have yet to be seen again. A new, militaristic style of rule assumed the place of the previous regime. Those who would openly defy the newly proclaimed rule of the Ironborn were killed in the streets and those who attempted to flee were usually captured and met the same fate as those who fought. Those who stayed to aid the new Empire did so out of greed or simply out of fear of death. As the Blood Age began, so too did a series of events which would come to be known as “The Great Collapse”. Fearful of a knowledgeable populace, Velkan would order the rounding up of non-Ironborn scholars, Remembrancers, and runesmiths who would be publicly executed for what would be deemed false and slanderous writings in a series of falsified trials with the intent of solidifying Velkan’s rule. This period of time is what would bring a harsh decline in the knowledge of pre-Empire history and would almost entirely wipe out the arts of runesmithing and golemancy for several centuries. The Ironborn who still maintained these gifts would turn them to  violent practices and the usage of blood runes would become a common punishment for those who were not immediately killed for disobedience. Following the Night of Blood and The Great Collapse it is safe to say that the Blood Age had fully begun and that the true test of dwarven resilience against all odds would fully be set in motion.

It would be several long, bloody years that would see the reigns of Velkan and two of his sons before the other clans would finally take up arms and recapture the capital, ending the Blood Age.

~=~ The Brathmordakin ~=~

As taught by Da Kirkja Dverga

~=~ Yemekar, "The Maker" ~=~

§ Symbol: Hammer & Anvil

§ Portfolio: Creation, balance, leader, smithing, protection, metalwork, stonework, fire

Yemekar is the father and creator of the Dwarven race. Honor him by emulating his principles and workmanship in smithing, stoneworking and other tasks. Wisdom is derived from life and tempered with experience. Advance the Dwarven race in all areas of life. Innovate with new processes and skills. Found new kingdoms and clan lands, defending the existing ones from all threats. Lead the Dwarves in the traditions laid down by The Maker. Honor your clan leaders as you honor Yemekar.

~=~ Anbella, "Hearth Mother" ~=~

§ Symbol: Two Silver Rings

§ Portfolio: Safety, honesty, home, healing, marriage, family, fertility, records, oaths, water, nature, peace

Anbella is the wife of Yemekar. Just as Dwarven souls are forged on Yemekar's Ruhn-Anvil, they are ever warmed and nurtured by the loving embrace of the Hearth Mother. Tend to hearth, home, and land, 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, Anbella watches over its keeping - to break it is to wound her sorely. Children must be cherished and guarded well from harm, for they are the future of all Dwarvenkind.

~=~ Dungrimm, "Guardian of The Dead" ~=~

§ Symbol: An Iron Mask

§ Portfolio: Battle, valor, bravery, honor, defense, the dead, the moon

The finest hours of Dwarven kind come in the thrusts and feints of war. Seize the opportunity to defend your kin and ensure their victory when conflict erupts. Revel in the challenge of a good fight and never waiver in the face of adversity,  no matter how ominous. Lives should never be thrown away foolishly, but the greatest honor is to sacrifice oneself for the cause of the field of battle in service to a righteous cause. Honor the dead and death itself and keep the places of the dead inviolate and well tended; the noble ancestors of our race will neither be robbed nor moved through the actions of thieves and defilers. Abide not undead creatures, especially those that take the form of Dwarves, thus mocking the creation of Yemekar.

~=~ Belka, "Lady of Passion" ~=~

§ Symbol: A Lightning Bolt

§ Portfolio: Love, romance, youth, dancing, courtship, explorers, travellers, seduction, lightning

 Be merciful in speech and deed. Temper your anger and hostility with constructive and charitable endeavor. The children of the Dwarves must live in safety and propagate. Love with a fiery passion. Embrace the gift of life with courtship and marriage. Belka restores the fertile seed of Dwarven life, while Anbella protects the fruit.

~=~ Ogradhad, "The Lore Master" ~=~

§ Symbol: An Open Book

§ Portfolio: Scholarship, invention, discovery, knowledge, magic

The secrets of the world are waiting to be discovered. Travel widely, broaden your mind at every opportunity, and pursue the life of a scholar. Cultivate the spirit of intrigue among the young and be teachers to all. Seek to recover lost and arcane knowledge of ages past and apply it to the world 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 to you down the road.

~=~ Armakak, "Merchant Father" ~=~

§ Symbol: A Gold Coin

§ Portfolio: Wealth, luck, chance, negotiation, merchants, cleverness, the sun

The truly blessed are those whose enterprise and zeal brings both wealth and good luck. Work hard, be clever, seek the best bargain and the Merchant Father will shower you with gold. Treat others with respect, but shirk not your responsibility to try and strike a better deal for you and for them.

~=~ Grimdugan, "Lord of Avarice" ~=~

§ Symbol: Obsidian Dagger

§ Portfolio: Greed, money, merchant, thieves, shadow

The wealth of the world was created for those Dwarves crafty enough to capture it by any means necessary. Revel in the possession of all wealth that shines or sparkles, for its form was meant to bring you pleasure. Greed is good, for it motivates the possession and holding of all that is precious. Do not seize wealth from the children of the Brathmordakin however, nor conspire against the favored of Grimdugan, for strife in the name of avarice weakens the clan.

~=~ Enemies of The Brathmordakin ~=~

~=~ Khorvad, "Lord of Darkness" ~=~

§ Symbol: An Eye

§ Portfolio: Undead, chaos, disease, hatred, anger, temptation, ambition

The lord of the corrupted and unholy, holding a personification called Iblees. He is a fallen god who once sat among the Brathmordakin as the god of ambition. Khorvad is an enemy to the Brathmordakin and all creation. Chaos spread across the land, the temptation of souls, unholy anger and burning, uncontrollable hatred are his agents. Disease spreads from him and the Undead serve under him.

~=~ Allies of the Brathmordakin ~=~

~=~ Wyrvun, "Lord of Virtue" ~=~

§ Symbol: An Ice Crystal

§ Portfolio: Cold, frost, ice, purity, virtue, righteousness

Wyrvun is the youngest ally of the Brathmordakin, first placed upon the world to control the elements of the Deep Cold and protect the mortal races from its wrath. As his corrupted self, he wreaked havoc upon the Dwarves for centuries until finally being freed and returned to his original form by Igor Ireheart, to whom he named his Paragon. Wyrvun is a shape shifter and in his most basic form appears as a blizzard. However, to mortals he more often chooses to take the form of a dragon. Those Dwarves who choose to follow his teachings value a pure and righteous heart above all else.

~=~ Dormmar, "The Flesh Lord" ~=~

§ Symbol: Unknown

§ Portfolio: The Doomforged, runes

Very little is known about Dormmar. A recent addition to the allies of the Brathmordakin, all that is truly known about him is that he is the god of the Doomforged. Originally thought to be Iblees, recent research found that this was incorrect and Dormmar is now listed as an ally of the Brathmordakin.