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MORDHAL, god of the forge
Mordhal is the mighty and clever smith of the gods, known as
the Great Maker. Among
his greatest works are the palaces of the gods, the ship Edaverot
which draws his cousin Erdhon across the sky, and many of the
weapons and armor wielded by the gods and heroes of legend.
Associations
Mordhal is the god of smiths, artisans, craftsmen, builders and
laborers. He is also the patron of constancy, faithfulness,
hard work and clever thought. He is the champion of cities and all
the works of mortal hands. He is highly regarded by all
mortal societies, but is particularly revered by dwarves and
gnomes.
Alignment
Mordhal is Neutral Good.
Representations
As each of the mortal races learned their crafts from Mordhal,
each represents him as one of their own. Elves depict him as
a master jeweler and shipwright; dwarves as as a mighty, bearded
smith and halflings as a clever builder of safe and well-wrought
homes. He is always depicted as muscular and usually bearing
or wearing his great hammer.
His symbol is fairly universally an anvil and hammer.
Among animals, he is represented by the bull or the weaver
bird. Among mystical creatures, he is represented by the
salamander, which makes its home in fire.
Purpose
Mordhal is the greatest creator among gods and men, surpassed
only by the One himself. In this, Mordhal seeks to emulate
his creator, striving always to make the most perfect, most
beautiful, most useful examples of each thing he can conceive.
He carries a special hatred for Caravok, the god of
destruction, and has battled with him many times in the
past. He is always on guard against the Destroyer's plots
and agents.
Servants
The Forgehost - After
their deaths, many of the finest craftsmen throughout the ages
have become apprentices and journeymen under the tutelage and
inspiration of the Great Maker. In his vast halls are
artisans, smiths, architects and masons by the thousands,
each toiling away, some on his or her own projects, and some on
themes propounded to them by Mordhal.
THE CHURCH - The Crafthalls of
Mordhal
Church Description
The churches of Mordhal, his Crafthalls exist to serve
the artisans, builders and makers of the community. Nearly all of
these are worshippers of the Great Maker. The Crafthalls serve as
a gathering place to discuss new ideas, for instruction, and for
the settlement of disputes between laborers and their
employers. They are places for craftsmen to receive
training, encouragement and even supplies. Nearly all Crafthalls
contain active workspaces, where the faithful produce excellent
examples of local crafts.
Church Structure
The church is dominated by the local Crafthalls, each of which
is run by a Master Maker who is advised by the local master
craftsmen. The Master Maker is a priest of Mordhal who is
always highly skilled in one or more crafts.
The various Crafthalls have no formal ties to each other,
though each remains connected to the others by a system of
exchanging journeymen priests. Thus, new methods techniques
are slowly dispersed among the whole body of the church.
Doctrine
Industry is Divine - The Crafthalls teach that every
person, regardless of rank or station, should work, and work
hard. "Idle hands are the Enemy's playthings" is a
common Mordhalite aphorism.
Teach Others - The skills of handiwork are not be
hoarded, but neither are they to be wasted upon the idle, or the
foolish. Seek out hardworking apprentices and teach them
what you know.
Tenacity - "Anything worth starting is worth
finishing well", as the Makers are fond of saying. Once a
Mordhalite has committed to a project, he is encouraged to see it
through to the end.
Preserve and Protect - One must not allow great works of
the hand to be destroyed or to fall under the dominion of
evil. From this belief stems both the martial wing of the
church and its opposition to the cults of Caravok the
Destroyer.
Holy Days
The last day of each month, called "the Embers" is a
day for rest, reflection and prayer for devout Mordhalites.
Traditionally, it is a day for family gatherings and the enjoyment
of the fruits of labor.
The Embers of the month of Northhale is called "The
Maker's Day" and is a Festival day during which a community's
best artisans and craftsmen are remembered and is considered a
propitious day for beginning new labors.
Preferred Weapon
Mordhal wields a giant hammer, and in his honor his followers
are fairly uniform in also using some form of hammer (light
hammer, warhammer, or the huge maul known as the Greathammer).
Greathammer*
Size: Large Cost:
40 Traders Damage: 2d6 Critical:
x3 Weight: 45 lbs. Type: Bludgeoning
* The Greathammer is Open Game Content
from
The Book of the Righteous by
Green Ronin Publishing.
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