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.