DWARVEN PANTHEON

The Dwarven Deities or pantheon are, at their core, not about all that is sweet, nice and good. They are about relationships and family, the rage and the righteousness, and those darker natures that lie within us. It would be wrong to censor this group and show only the positive, glorious side of dwarven nature. That is not who they are. They are gruff, mean, determined, and even slightly mad. It is the whole of dwarfdom that they represent.

Tayrok

Tayrok, aka Old Battle Axe, is the dwarven god of battle, dwarven warriors, and hatred of the goblins, orcs, giants, and trolls.  Tayrok’s mindset is to swing an axe first, ask questions later.  He takes great pride in the eternal war with dwarven enemies.  Quick to anger, it takes little to throw his calm, especially when it comes to orcs.

Torrud

The dwarven pantheon is led by Torrud, aka Old LongHammer. He is the dwarven god of the forge, blacksmithing, metal work and one of the creators of the dwarf race.  He is a pragmatic dwarf who takes seriously the day to day details of dwarven life.  He is a warrior, but that is not his only role.  He stands firm in the belief that there is a time to fight, and a time to do other things or seek another solution.  Torrud is immeasurably close with his younger brother, Tayrok.

Zhondra, aka The Shieldmaid of Torrud, is the dwarven goddess of protection, she stands at Torrud’s left side, bearing his shield, whilst he swings the LongHammer.  They are friends, lovers, companions.  There is little chance of seeing her without first seeing Torrud.  She worries over non-combatants being harmed with the extensive list of dwarf enemies.

                Zhemia, aka the Stone Huntress, is the dwarven goddess of mountain rangers, trackers, scouts and shooters.  She is the companion of Tayrok, aiding him in his hunt for the enemies of the dwarf race.  She is a tracker, and very skilled at bringing prey in line with Tayrok’s axe.

                Golthar, aka the Ball and Chain, is the dwarven god of minecrafting.  The desire to bring riches out of the earth lies at the center of his being.  He represents the steadfast nature of dwarves, their dedication, their drive.  His passion comes very close to greed and covetousness, but he is also an artisan appreciating the inner beauty and splendor in his creations.

                Vaughraun, aka the Venger, is the dwarven god of battle lust and uncontrolled anger.  He represents the state of purest hate and rage.  He shares Tayrok’s hate of dwarven enemies but lacks the formers control and tact.  In battle Vaughraun, would sprint past Tayrok to engage the enemy first, counting his kills while bellowing at the top of his lungs.

                Jhordain, aka the Madness, is the dwarven god of the long and dark deep.  He is the oldest of the pantheon and is often depicted with several tasks around him that are started but as yet, unfinished.  He is distracted, aloof, and easily lost in gemstones and piles of gold, and silver.  He is both greed and madness personified.  One talks of Jhordain in whispers and shame, for those elder dwarves heading to Glitterrock are often influenced by this god before their passing.

                Kardhonna, aka the Shadow, is the dwarven goddess of thieves, lies, deceit and secrets.  She takes for the sake of taking.  Theft and secrets are central to her influence, the compulsion to hide what is yours from the world is Kardhonna’s bread and butter.  She has little to do with killing, but is violent and untrustworthy to all non-dwarves.

                Venthra is the dwarven goddess of death in all of its aspects.  She is involved with illness and disease as well as murder in every form.  She is also about journeys or travelling and her name is often invoked with Jhordain before a dwarf’s passing.  She is about beginnings and endings and even more directly the journey in between.