Moradin is the god of protection, craftsmen, the forge, and dwarves, and the head of the Morndinsamman (the Dwarven Pantheon). A harsh but fair judge, he was strength and force of will embodied. Moradin inspired dwarven inventions and constantly sought to improve that race, encouraging their good nature, intelligence, and harmonious existence with other good races while battling their pride and isolationist tendencies.
Worshipers, Clergy & Temples
The church of Moradin has an active role in guiding the morals of dwarven communities. They emphasize the Soul Forger's hand in everyday dwarven activities such as mining, smithing, and engineering, and invoke his blessings when these tasks are begun.
Priests of Moradin strive to restore the dwarven races to strong numbers and a position of influence in Faerun, by founding new dwarven kingdoms and increasing the status of dwarves within the wider human-dominated society prevalent in the Realms today. They preside over a wide range of formal ceremonies (consecrations of forges, temples, and other buildings, crowning of monarchs, etc.) and the education of the young, especially in the teaching of history. Of particular interest to the clerics of Moradin are the Thunder Children, and his clerics who were born of the Thunder Blessing are expected to do great things for the race.
His clerics are usually drawn from family lines, like most dwarven occupations. Many clerics of Moradin thus had parents and grandparents who were also clerics of Moradin and helped train them.
Clerics maintain genealogies and historical archives, cooperating with Berronar's priests. Adventuring is encouraged in the priesthood, but only adventuring that directly serves the interests of the dwarven race.
Vestments
Daily vestments for Moradin's clerics are earthy colored robes, with chain mail and silvered helms. Ceremonial vestments for priests of Moradin include flowing, shining robes of woven wire of electrum treated with blueshine. Other ceremonial garb includes silvered (everbright) helms, silverplated war hammers, and earth-brown leather boots. The holy symbol of the faith is a miniature electrum war hammer, treated with blueshine.
In combat, Moradin's clergymembers favors chain mail or dwarven plate mail, a helm, and a medium or large shield. Priests of the Soul Forger are skilled in the use of the war hammer, but many favor other weapons as well, such as battles axes, broad swords, and hand axes.
Hierarchy
Clerics of Moradin, known as sonnlinor ("those who work stope"). Novice clerics of Moradin are known as the Unworked. Full priests are known as Forgesmiths or the Tempered. In ascending order of rank, other titles used by priests of Moradin include: Adept of the Anvil, Hammer of War, Artisan of the Forge, Craftsman of Runes, Artificer of Discovery, and Smith of Souls. The High Old Ones of the faith have unique titles but are collectively known as High Forgesmiths. His clerics commonly multiclass as fighters.
Temples
Temples to Moradin are always underground and carved from solid rock, but never set in unworked natural caverns. Hammers and anvils, the symbols of Moradin, are the dominant themes, as are statues of Moradin All-Father and the other gods of the dwarven pantheon.
At the center of every temple to Moradin is a vast forge. This forge is more than just a workplace but also a sacred area. Dwarven forges rely not only on hammers and muscle but also on power derived from water and wind, thus fusing all four of the classical elements. If the flame in the forge (which is protected by a permanent wall of fire effect) ever goes out, the temple must be abandoned or torn down stone by stone. Usually a new temple is built on another site, but occasionally the previous temple is rebuilt and reconsecrated.
Rituals
Clerics pray in the morning. Moradin's holy days fall monthly; in some cultures this is when Luna is full, while in others it is when Luna is a crescent. IN addition, the High Forgesmith may call a holy day at any time, often doing so in celebration of some local event. On the monthly holy days, common and precious metals are sacrificed to Moradin by melting them down at the forge and reforming them into objects usable by the clergy. While making such offerings, participants kneel, chant, and reach bare-handed into the flames of the forge to handle the glowing metal directly. Moradin prevents harm to the truly faithful.
During such ceremonies, the priests enter the temple, bow to the forge, and (in times of peace) surrender their weapons to the temple guards after striking the anvil by the entry with their hammers once. Priests of other gods are not permitted to advance to the forge except with the express permission of a High Forgesmith or an avatar of Moradin himself. The service then consists of humble prayer and open discussion on current dwarven issues. This discussion is considered to be between equals, though the ranking priest of Moradin has the authority to open or close any given topic. The service ends with a rising chant until the smith's hammer rises from the anvil of its own acccord; it may, or may not, then move about or glow to denote the god's will, but it always rings on the anvil thunderously to signify the end of the ceremony.
Many communities celebrate Hammer 1st, for that date in the 1306 DR (the Year of Thunder) is held to be the start of the sudden increase in dwarven births, a blessing of the Dwarffather that has brought about a great turnaround in the dwarven race.
Moradin's prayers refer to metals and smithing: a common prayer to Moradin states "You burn the dross from me, but the iron remains." Geneology is important to Moradin's rites, with funeral prayers reciting the ancestry of the deceased for hundreds of generations.
Scriptures
The Scrolls of Narvil tell a heretical story of how, after forging the world, the gods, and the dwarves, the Creator became weary and slept. Some of the lesser gods, jealous of his skill, bound him as he rested, then heated up the Great Forge of the Creator to make races in their own likenesses: humans, for example, and elves. Then they begun arguing over what part of the world would be given to which race; their clamor awoke the Creator, but the lesser gods laughed at him and refused to set him free. However, the lesser gods did not know how to control the Great Forge, and great gobules of molten stone fell from the Forge toward the Oerth; the Creator breathed on them from his place of bondage, giving life to the fragments and thus creating the first dragons.
Orders
The Hammers of Moradin are an elite military order dominated by crusaders and fighting clerics with chapters in nearly every dwarven stronghold and members drawn from every dwarven clan. The Hammers serve both as commanders of dwarven armies and as an elite strike force skilled in dealing with anything from large groups of orcs to great wyrms to malevolent fiends from the Lower Planes.
The order is dedicated to the defense of existing dwarven holdings and the carving out of new dwarven territories. Individual chapters have a great deal of local autonomy but, in times of great crisis, a Grand Council (the reigning monarchs and senior Hammers of the affected region) assemble to plot strategy and divine Moradin's will.
Another elite military order of Moradin is the Order of the Anvil of Light. Lead by their leader Barock Stormbeard of the Stormbeard clan who has lead this group for ages it seems. The groups latest information is having to deal with a deity trying to return to the Material Plane.
Dogma
Moradin is the father and creator of the dwarven race. Honor him by emulating his principles and workmanship in smithing, stone working, 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 Soul Forger. Honor your clan leaders as you honor Moradin.
Appearance, Manifestations
Moradin appears as a stern male dwarf twenty feet in height. He has powerful musculature, particularly in his upper body. His beard is long and flowing, reaching to his knees; it is depicted as either snow-white or coal-black. Moradin dresses plainly, wearing furs and the leather leggings and aprons of a humble smith. On his forearms are his only concession to vanity, a pair of pure gold bracers. In battle he wears dwarven plate and carries a large shield. His large, glowing war hammer is named Soulhammer. A pure white radiance of divine power radiates from the Dwarffather, though he can suppress this at will.
Relationships & History
Moradin is married to Berronar Truesilver. He counts Gruumsh and Maglubiyet among his fiercest foes, and he loathes the other gods of the orc, goblinoid, kobold, and evil giant pantheons as well. Beltar seeks revenge against Moradin for helping to supplant her authority over mines. Moradin is friendly with Bahamut, Fortubo (for whom he created the hammer Golbi), Pelor, Cyrrollalee, Garl Glittergold, Flandal Steelskin, and Kossuth, and enjoys a strategic alliance with Yondalla and Corellon Larethian.
In some dwarven realms, Moradin is said to be the father of Dumathoin, Abbathor, Laduguer, Clangeddin, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Vergadain, Muamman Duathal, and Dugmaren Brightmantle, but the exact relationships and order of birth vary from culture to culture.
Related Imagery
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A pure white radiance of divine power radiates from the Dwarffather. Moradin is a stern male dwarf twenty feet in height. He is extremely muscular, with a large upper body and huge biceps. He has a flowing beard that reaches his knees. Moradin is wearing a cape of fur, and the leather leggings and aprons of a humble smith. On his forearms are a pair of pure gold bracers. His war hammer stands on the floor, and his had rests on the top of the pommel.
The temple of Moradin is deep underground within the large dwarven complex. The structure is carved from solid rock, and the front has large thick rectangular columns with the doors flanked by two enormous statues of armed dwarfs guarding the entrance. The front doors are solid wood, with gold and silver inlays. The interior walls are intricately carved with hammers and anvils and other dwarven patterns, and every room is lit by magical globes of light. The antechamber is a circular room with a large central braziers. Statues of Moradin All-Father and the other gods of the dwarven pantheon stand against the walls, facing the center. Doorways branch out in all directions, with another large set of open doors straight ahead, leading to the main chamber. The main chamber has a huge forge with several anvil in front. Large vats hang from the ceiling and seem to be connected to some kind of chain-pulley system. Stone tables are covered with tools, molds and weapon parts. Racks of weapons adorn the walls, all of which are engraved with dwarven murals.
Moradin's cleric has long brown hair, tied in various braids. He has a long thick beach clasp with a gold band near the end. He is wearing a brown robe with a gold trim, with a thick leather belt with a large gold buckle engraved with the symbol of a hammer and an anvil. Around his neck is electrum necklace with a miniature war hammer.
