Cosmology

The dwarf religion believes that the universe is composed of three major planes of existence. All dwarfs, men, and giants live in Midgard, the mortal realm. At the very top of Midgard lies a Frozen Bridge, which connects Midgard to Asgard, the home of dwarf gods. At the top of the bridge is the Rainbow Gate, guarded by the ever-vigilant Thorain. It is said that on rare occasions the bridge can be seen by the Northmen and dwarfs as a pale rainbow that never ends. The actual location where the bridge touches Midgard changes constantly and no mortal has ever made it to the gates. Beneath Midgard lies Nilheim, the lowest of worlds. It is the location of Hel, the dwarf underworld. Ruled by Týen Helve’egr, Nilheim connects to Midgard through the realm of Shadow, which is everywhere, but harmless to those who fulfill their destiny.

The Prophecy

It is said that Ödes (the Fates) are older than gods, and no one knows from whence they came from. They are eternal and they know past, present, and future. When the dwarf god Eileifr asked about the future, they demanded a sacrifice of his right eye for this vision, sacrifice now for what is to come. He then learned the Prophecy, which states that one day the Frozen Bridge will permanently attach to Midgard. The giants and evil men will then attack Asgard, and in the ensuing battle both Asgard and Midgard will be destroyed. Nilhelm will fade into ether, lost forever and forgotten. Out of the ashes a new world will be born, and those who were present in Asgard at the time of destruction will be reborn again, repeating the cycle.

Legends say that the fates of gods and mortals are already set, and nothing can be done about it. The gods know this, just as they know one day they will perish at Räkenskap. The giants know this, just as they know their fate is to destroy the current world and bring about the beginning of the next. And the Dwarfs know this, for they are taught this from the day they were born.

It is said that when each dwarf is born, Ödes (the Fates), or beings that neither serve nor rule the gods, measure out a length of silver string called Silfurhár from the head of Fyrstur, the first Frost Giant slain by Norska gods. The length of this string determines the length of time a particular dwarf will live. Although the actual path a dwarf takes is not preordained, the time it has in the mortal world is. The fate of each dwarf is sealed at birth – how it comes about or where the dwarf goes afterwards is in the hands of each individual.

On Death

Dwarfs believe in a very ‘black & white’ afterlife. Upon mortal death, those who fulfilled their destiny are lifted by the Valkyries to the Rainbow Gate, to be judged by Thorain and granted entrance to Asgard. Those mortals that wasted their ‘life,’ however, spend eternity in Hel – unnamed, unknown, and forgotten – and they will stay there until the end of time, swallowed by the Shadows. It is said that each dwarf that enters Asgard will spend the rest of their time perfecting their skill, be it craft or combat, and they will join their gods at Räkenskap (reckoning), in the fight against the giants. Räkenskap is meant to be the real reason for dwarfish existence, and the mortal world is simply a ‘rite of passage’ – a dream – a way to weed out the weak and undeserving.

It is worth noting that to the dwarfs any form of undeath is repulsive and completely against nature. It is almost unheard of for any dwarf to either come back to life or to study such matters, much less dabble in them. Only in extremely rare occasions will a soul of a dwarf be ‘trapped’ in-between Asgard and Nilheim, in the realm of Shadow. In such cases, such soul must have belonged to a very strong individual whose manner of death was a grave injustice, and/or whose purpose was never fulfilled.

Dwarf Pantheon

Almost all dwarf gods reside in Asgard. They are organized by element/domain and alignment. For the major deities, their functions are very clear in the minds of the dwarfs, and each of these warrants respect (or outright fear). At the top is the Guardian of Asgard. In the middle, there are four Deities representing four corners (Stone, Storm, Flame, & Ice), and in the middle is Goddess of Nature – neutral to all. At the edges are God of Justice, ever vigilant, and Goddess of Chaos (who was banned from the pantheon). At the bottom is the Keeper of Hél, Dwarfish Underworld, who, though not ‘banned’ from Asgard, does not actually reside there.

Thoraín Silverbeard (NG – Dwarf Male)
Portfolio	God of battle, war, valor, bravery, honor in battle. Keeper of Eternal Light. Guardian of Rainbow Gates, entrance to Asgard.
Domains	(Good), Dwarf, Protection, Sun, Strength, War
Symbol	Dwarven Waraxe over a yellow Sun
Festivals	Day of the Fallen (Autumnal Equinox) – This is the day when many clans remember their ancestors and sing songs of their fathers, and their fathers’ fathers. Those who fell in battle with a smile on their face, or dwarfs that died at the forge perfecting their final masterpiece, have their names recorded in the Book of Awakening on this day. Some dwarfs also visit the tombs of their ancestors, seeking inspiration and guidance.
Weapon	“Giant’s bane” (Great Dwarven Waraxe)

Beordún Khuzdul’azad (LG – Dwarf Male)
Portfolio	All Father; God of buried wealth, ores, gems, mining & exploration. Keeper of the Forge; Master Craftsman; Runemaster
Domains	(Good, Law), Cavern, Craft, Earth, Knowledge, Magic, Metal, Rune
Symbol	Hammer & Anvil
Festivals	Six Days of Kunstr (i.e. Six Days of Art) – 2nd week of Flowermont is Beordún’s festival. During this week dwarfs from all parts of the world gather for a display of craftsmanship, trade, quality, and masterwork. Dwarfs show each other their greatest accomplishments of stonecraft and metalwork. Apprentices ‘graduate’ from their teachers if their work is approved by 12 masters from their field. On the sixth day one dwarf’s work is chosen as ‘winner’ and that dwarf carries the title of Kunstr Master for a whole year, and his Karak receives the honor of hosting next year’s festival.
Weapon	Mjollnir (Great Hammer)

Loftrún Dýrfinna (CG – Dwarf Female)
Portfolio	Stormrider; Windraker; Goddess of the Heavens; Changing Wind
Domains	(Good, Chaos), Air, Luck, Storm, Travel, Weather
Symbol	A cone-shaped whirlwind (tornado)
Festivals	Thunder Blessing (Vernal Equinox)
Weapon	Gungnir (Great Spear)

Eileifr Truesilver (LG – Dwarf Male)
Portfolio	Justice, Records, Loyalty, Oaths; The Old One; The Learned; The Patient, The One-Eyed
Domains	(Good, Law), Dwarf, Protection, Knowledge, War
Symbol	Silver ring with runes on the outside, burning candle in the center. Runes read Knowledge itself is Power
Festivals	Deepstone Trials – Last three days of Coldmont are spent celebrating Eileifr. It is a time of reckoning, remembrance, and reflection. It is a time of religious indoctrination. It is a time of recording the events of the year, especially Book of Grudges. The three days are called Day of Debate, Day of Indoctrination, and Day of Silence.
Weapon	Wrath of Righteousness (Great Mace)

Audvýé Dûin (N – Dwarf Female)
Portfolio	Animals, Plants, & Nature; Goddess of Fertility, Family, & Prosperity
Domains	Animal, Healing, Plant, Protection, Renewal
Symbol	A white tree over a dark green disk.
Festivals	Festival of Light (Summer Solstice)
Weapon	none. Instead, she carries Draupnir, an enchanted gold ring.

Cèrulãe Dûerra (CE – Dwarf Female)
Portfolio	Chaos, Evil, Destruction; The Conqueror, The Trickster; Cold Night; Mistress of Veils
Domains	(Chaos, Evil), Darkness, Death, Destruction, Hatred, Magic, Trickery, War
Symbol	Black skull over a silver crescent moon
Festivals	none. Dwarves do not worship this diety.
Weapon	Poison Tooth (short sword)

Aègnar Dümathôin (CN – Dwarf Male)
Portfolio	Blacksmiths, Craftsmen, Smithwork; Purification; Fire
Domains	(Chaos), Craft, Destruction, Dwarf, Fire, Illusion, Magic, Trickery
Symbol	Flaming Maul
Festivals	Amber Night – 1st Fimmdiy of Snowmont is a day of celebrating fickle graces of Aègnar Dümathôin, who provides the warmth of fire and heat of the forge. Though His fires consume much, they are also the basis of dwarfen life, and allow for survival, especially in the coldest of places. It is a great feast that lasts all night, where bonfires burn high and all forges are fed until they glow red hot. Holy men and acolytes wishing to enter Aègnar’s service spend this night at the mouth of a volcano, having quested there ahead of time.
Weapon	Magmahammer (maul)

Skaldia Whitemantle (LN – Dwarf Male)
Portfolio	The Icelord, The Unforgiving; God of Ice and Snow; Lord of Sea
Domains	(Law), Knowledge, Strength, Travel, Ocean, Water
Symbol	A diamond cut to the shape of a tear, with a thousand facets.
Festivals	First Snow – First day of Beavermont is a day of preparation for the long winter. Many Norska dwarfs attend ceremonies and pay homage to Skaldia, hoping for a short and mild winter. They do so with a smile, knowing full well there is no such thing up in the North.
Weapon	Ice Talon (morningstar)

Týen Helve’egr (N – Dwarf Female)
Portfolio	Goddess of the Hél (Underworld), a place for those who do not die in battle but in sickness or of old age. Goddess of shadows, Dusk & Dawn, and Death
Domains	Death, Destruction, Knowledge, Suffering
Symbol	A disk cut in half horizontally. Top half is white, and bottom half is black.
Festivals	Eternal Night (Winter Solstice)
Weapon	Black Oak (Quarterstaff)

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