GM Ridge's "Throne of Night" (Inactive)

Game Master Ridge

Here is a list of your acting clan heads

Eoin Diamondheart- Eion is the patriarch of Clan Diamondheart, and rather than growing more patient with age, he has grown more frustrated. He finds the conditions dwarves live in, and the loss of culture they face disgusting and firmly believes the race will lose all worth if they don't do something SOON.

Torel Dragonbone-Acting Patriarch of the Clan, often shares his authority with his wife, Nalbera (as is a Dragonbone custom). Torel has a brown beard shot with gray steaks. A firebrand in his younger days, Torel is now a voice of reason but indulgent of the exploits of the youth. He is friendliest to the idea of accepting aid from other goodly races but understands such help must be carefully scrutinized for strings.

Mysta Goldrune- Current Matriarch of Clan Goldrune, Mysta's age is hard to determine as she often keeps her features concealed under a dark hood embroidered with bright thread that is stitched skillfully in arcane patterns. She tends to keep her own counsel, much to the frustration of elders of other clans. She is more open to those of her own clan, and is known for sending them on side tasks that may make little rhyme or reason to those not initiated in the arcane.

Mygroth Stonegate- The modest patriarch of the Stonefort clan often only speaks when asked for his opinion, yet the heads of other clans would be surprised if they knew how many expeditions, ventures, and even intrigues he's been a part of. Mygroth knows some of his own clan frown on the latter, but he fears that soon, one way or another, the dwarves will need to be ready for the worse, possibly even the humans fully turning on them.

Varkal Tarnhammer- Ancient and withered, Varkal speaks with a raspy wheezing voice, yet that voice still has power. His royal blood means he could make claim to sit on the great throne of Dammerhall, if it should ever be found, but his age means he would not rule long and he knows this. Rather, he hopes some Tarnhammer of the younger generation might yet reclaim it so that Varkal could at least die knowing the dwarven people had hope and glory again.

Also, about the Paladin class, that will depend on the patron. If we roll up a CG patron of dwarven brewing, I cannot see a paladin concept emerging there. So instead I'd probably go Warpriest.

Come on Niles I'm sure there's a paladin to Cayden Cailean in Golarian. So a dwarven paladin to the patron of Dwarven brewing cannot be too far fetched.
Dwarven ale is a specialty all its own, not like that slop the humans make. That watered down swill the humans pass around isn't worth calling mead/ale.

Patron is still forming up, not all the votes are in, so don't sweat it before we have to. :)

Okay, we have another player coming in who wants to play a Goldrune conjuer. I've gone ahead and invited him and we now have..well, more than enough players I think between him and those who have posted. Only character and patron creation seems to remain

And to think, at the start of this I was worried we'd have half the party be NPCs

How many total PC's now? 6?

Niles with a paladin (or warpriest)
Ulfgar/Jerrick (Ranger)
Irondesk (our archeologist)
Irnk (Not sure yet?)
Variel (Cleric)
Nimranderas as Modnar

so six

Just throwing out some ideas to the group. As we have a paladin, ranger and possibly a bard that will help with the healing in a crunch as they can all use wands of cure light wounds. As such I am thinking of trying the alternate channeling abilities. With the -2 to cha I will only have an 8 or 10 stat so not much for channeling anyways. Your thoughts on the idea?

Go for it.

Just throwing out some ideas to the group. As we have a paladin, ranger and possibly a bard that will help with the healing in a crunch as they can all use wands of cure light wounds. As such I am thinking of trying the alternate channeling abilities. With the -2 to cha I will only have an 8 or 10 stat so not much for channeling anyways. Your thoughts on the idea?

Well, I don't know if you saw it as you came late to the party, but if you want, there are traits in the first posts (And in the official AP) that allow you a different set of modifiers.

Two of them that don't take away your typical wisdom bonus include

Respected Speaker
You are a rare dwarf who is both eloquent and a born leader. Your words are given extra consideration amongst your people. However, by dwarven standards you are physically inept.
Benefit: +2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength

Scholar of the Ancient Ways
You are a learned dwarf, well steeped in the ancient lore of your people. However, all this focus upon book learning has kept you away from more physical pursuits. You are thus small and sickly by dwarven standards.
Benefit: +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution

but it does come at the cost of one of your two trait slots so I could understand if you prefer to keep your usual dwarf mods

Oh good to know. I didn't think it took a trait slot.

I think I'll be taking the Warrior of Legend for a Paladin though.

Greetings, all!

I appreciate the opportunity to join in the expedition. For the record, if I end up being a burden, blame Ulfgar. ;-)

Feel free to take a look at the character sheet and offer suggestions; while not my first crack at an arcane caster, I've usually had some rogue levels in front of the wizardry. I have some thoughts on Clan Goldrune's history and inner workings, but I probably won't have time for a write-up until I finish marking the fat stack of math tests on my coffee table.

Thanks again for the chance!

I took a look at your background and it seems to conflict with what Ridge has stated before in the preliminary posts.

Dwarves are in serious decline and are scattered to the various human realms. Perhaps I'm thinking too much into it, but your backstory has Modnar being part of a larger conclave of dwarven wizards. That isn't something that I see as too viable for the campaign. If there are a bunch of dwarven wizards in a university some where, how come they aren't looking into Dammerhall? Why are they sending a handful of young untested dwarves into Azathyr and not mounting a serious investigation?

One very important theme in the “Throne of Night”
Explorer’s campaign is that the dwarves are a scattered
people in decline. The calamity of the destruction of
Dammerhall has been a blow that has all but destroyed
this proud race. The widespread, fast-breeding, energetic
race of men now seems poised to become the
world’s true masters. The grandeur of the dwarves
fades with every passing year. Their great sagas are but
tales to be told...
The PCs are the last chance to change that fate. If
they cannot find a way to restore dwarven glory, then
no one will. The quest of the PCs ultimately is not
about a place. Dammerhall is just a ruin. Instead the
real heart of this quest is to build once more a powerful,
independent dwarven realm. The world has not
seen such a thing in a hundred years.

I didn't read that much into when I read it the first time but I went back and looked at it from your point of view. Still can take it on a slightly different bent.

In 2013 Arizona State University had 60k+ students, while that same year some of the smallest universities had under a thousand students in attendance. The smallest accredited college I saw was the Alaska Bible College at 38 students. All would be considered institutions of higher learning and would have many of the same functions and titles; just in varying sizes. The Board at Arizona is of necessity much larger than the one for Alaska Bible College.

To me; I saw Goldrune Clan in it's heyday being like Arizona State, and now while maybe not down to Alaska Bible College size it's heading that way. While Clan Goldrune's elite Great Circle of wizards may have once been a large gathering these days it might only be a triumverate as the clan has dwindled down.

Also with the dwindling down, the range of viable wizards that are able to travel and have the training necessary has decreased as well. This just might be their last chance at the glory they once new.

I guess it is in how you read it....

Well, we can have the circle be smaller without any trouble I'd say. Perhaps the Goldrunes are thriving a bit more than some of the other clans. Either way, I'm not worried. I think I can still get the 'Dwarven race is in trouble' vibe through

Fair points, Niles. Now that I have a moment to come up for air from my stack of tests, let me fill in some of the blanks I had considered for Clan Goldrune.

Generally speaking, dwarves are distrustful of arcane magic. Given that the destruction of Dammerhall looked pretty seriously like a magical catastrophe of some sort, the other clans began whispering that 'those darned tinkering Goldrunes' might have had something to do with the capital's destruction. When the clan's attempts at divination could not breach whatever was going on within the sealed ruins, the rumors intensified that the Goldrunes were trying to cover up their responsibility. These unspoken accusations turned the already-insular Clan Goldrune even further inward.

Moreover, the clan realizes that in the event of assimilation into human society, the lack of recognition for dwarven magic will put them in a far worse position than many of their compatriots. Therefore, the leadership of Clan Goldrune put the destruction of Dammerhall (and their private shame at failing to identify its cause) behind them to focus on strengthening their standing in the world that is.

Hopefully this helps, but I'll be happy to go further as the rest of the campaign setup unfolds.

Any words on Patron choices?

Only one of us hasn't given his choices so if I don't get anything by midnight tonight from him I may continue without it

Cool just I am ready to start working on the background of the cleric. It is interesting to see what happens without being able to pick your deity exactly but we may be better off by choosing the attributes themselves. Not sure exactly what domains or anything are available also will make it interesting.

I am going with a normal dearf attributes as the knock to strength would hurt more than the knock on charisma. Besides I am from theclan where actions speak larger than words so I am not going to be that charismatic or verbose.

Any thoughts yet on the alternate channel options?

Go for it Variel, but I'd wait for the patron to make the cleric honestly. Domain choices make a huge difference imo.

Finishing off my stat block today and had some questions:

1) So all the PCs have darkvision. Any point in taking spells like light or dancing lights? Or heck, even buying a lantern?

2)How exactly does shield use and spell use interact?

You can cast a spell with somatic components using your shield arm, but you lose the buckler's Armor Class bonus until your next turn.

A light shield's weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

light shield says I can use the hand for things other than attacking with a weapon but doesn't call out spellcasting. So, can you cast spells while wielding a weapon in one hand and a light shield in the other? Also, why would anyone take a light shield over a buckler, mechanically speaking?

Bashing?

I suppose lighted objects could be used as a distraction. In any case, light will be in Modnar's spellbook if we need it.

Perhaps you could pass your weapon to your shield hand as a free action, cast your spell, then pass the weapon back?

Mechanically, you can't bash with a buckler (barring archetypes like the Taldan Rondolero). I have a PFS fighter who will eventually do equal damage with his shield and his flail, while being more likely to hit with the shield thanks to Shield Master.

Edit: Ninja'd.

Finishing off my stat block today and had some questions:

1) So all the PCs have darkvision. Any point in taking spells like light or dancing lights? Or heck, even buying a lantern?

Actually yes you might want at least one in the party. Mostly, it's true, you'll want to explore by darkvision because regular light is a true beacon in the darklands etc that draws a lot of unwanted attention.

BUT...
sometimes you want to see colors (While I will be bending the rules on darkvision so you also get some purples and blues, by the rules it is mostly black and white)
sometimes light can be a defense.
and at least one monster (Spoiler alert) is invisible to dark vision
So there is a point in taking one. However, it's more of 'that could be handy' than a must have.

2)How exactly does shield use and spell use interact?

PFSRD: buckler wrote:

You can cast a spell with somatic components using your shield arm, but you lose the buckler's Armor Class bonus until your next turn.

PFSRD:Light shield wrote:

A light shield's weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.

light shield says I can use the hand for things other than attacking with a weapon but doesn't call out spellcasting. So, can you cast spells while wielding a weapon in one hand and a light shield in the other? Also, why would anyone take a light shield over a buckler, mechanically speaking?

The more experienced GMs here might know better than I. My first thought is that the biggest spell casting penalty to shields is already marked on their chance of arcane failure. Which means a divine caster can cast with little to no trouble while carrying a shield. A weapon being carried at the same time if somatic is required? I'd probably treat that weapon as put away just for that round, but easily retrieved.

Any one better versed in the rules that wants to help me with that, feel free. First time pathfinder GM, remember?

As for why anyone would take a lightshield mechanics wise? First thing that comes to mind is bucklers cannot shield bash.
On a less mechanical note, I've seen a lot more magical light shields than bucklers so some players might want to play the odds

The way I do it is to suspend disbelief and just let divine casters cast spells when holding the shield. however, I'm in a game where the GM wants to do it RAW so that means my cleric casts his spells, then draws his weapon afterwards.

Actually, suspension of disbelief is probably best.

Patron results

Five players got their votes in, one abstained or RL bit him in the butt...either way.
I also made my own two selections (Not telling you which ones) as this is one of the areas where I can shape things without much guilt.

Please remember, some votes on some options counted twice thanks to divine casting and cited preference

The results:

Honor 5 votes
The Rightful High King 2
Secrets Beneath the Mountains 2
Law and Tradition 1
Elemental Earth 1
Blacksmith and Metal Workers 1
Liberate the Enslaved 1
Brewing 1

As you can see, honor blew away all competitors. In fact, if we were to call it here, then your patron would be the god (or goddess) of Honor, Rightful Rule, and Secrets Beneath the Mountains

If I'm reading the AP right, what they suggest is now we run a finals round between all the above virtues and you pick your three favorites of them all remaining. Yup, according to this, the semi finals results aside, you could now end up with a god who has Elemental Earth, Brewing, and Liberate the Enslaved as the winner.

What I'm supposed to do now is "If there are more than three, then give the PCs a moment to discuss why they like a particular descriptor
and think it would be fun to have a divine patron with that attribute or interest. Keep the discussion brief and then call for a vote. Each PC chooses their three favorites. The three highest vote recipients are
the three descriptors. In the case of a tie, then remove any descriptor that got no votes and call for a revote. Again, allow a round of discussion."

This is supposed to be a brief chat over a table, in a PBP it's a bit trickier to get it done so I'm going to put a 24 hour rule as of this posting to discuss the traits you want, and DON'T want, and why. This is your chance to sway your fellow players, and if you can't, please don't begrudge them that. Different strokes and all. When the vote comes around again, you pick three out of those eight again, and once more, the cleric and paladin player (Apologies to our ranger but you're not really divine until 4th) will get one out of those three to count 'twice'. It gives them more oomph, but then, they are the ones who are most likely to follow the god/goddess so it's only fair.

I'm liable to stay out of the debate at this time unless folks go very very quiet during that 24 hour period.

I like Honor, Rightful High King and Law and Tradition.

We would have a Kingly Lord of Honor. Like Torag but with less artificing and metalworking.

But if we took the top three it would be Honorable King under the Mountain. That might work too. He wouldn't be as stuck on tradition, but he would be concerned with Dwarven lore and even perhaps magical tradition.

Though I didn't vote for it initially, 'liberate the enslaved' seems like its got a lot of flavour.

Honour and Law and Tradition seem like they would overlap a lot.

Rightful high king and Secrets under the mountain seem like they fit most closely with the goals of the dwarves that we have seen so far. That is, to re-establish a seat of power and discover why Damarhall fell.

Liberate the enslaved does have a lot of flavor, but to my knowledge from what I've read we don't have any basis to return to the mountain for liberating the enslaved - Liberating our old homeland, yes.

Honor can be had without following law - robinhood? but I can see the overlap. A corrupt law and an honorable player I think would many times be at odds.

I would go with the top three as is, I originally picked the Law and tradition and honor. Yet now I think Secrets under the Mountain trump it in my opinion.

@Ridge no worries wasn't really sure if it would count or not. Added asterisk in case.

EDIT**one of these days I'll figure out who I am ;-)

For pretty much every PC I have ever played 'Honor' is about owning your words and actions much more than it ever has been about 'following the law/rules'.
Sorry I haven't been very active here. I've had a number of things piling up on me. Also not sure what everyone else is bringing to the party. I get the impression we have a Paladin & a Cleric. Not so sure about anything else.

For sure a paladin, a cleric, a ranger and a wizard.

'Honor' is about owning your words and actions much more than it ever has been about 'following the law/rules'.

agreed

Well, Honor can certainly be seen a lot of ways.

I think the combo of honesty, fairness, and/or integrity in one's beliefs and actions fits nicely

Irondesk, did you ever decide if you wanted to go rogue or bard with your archaeologist? My apologies if you told me which and I just had a brain fart

I voted with an asterik on honor for top billing the first time as I think that is what we all want first and foremost for dwarves.

From there on for me it gets a bit complicated. I can understand the paladin going for the law and order but after having been in the human lands I am worried that if we stand too straight and are unable to bend then we will be surrounded on all fronts with dwarven stubborness as our only backing. I would rather see our patron be able to bend a bit with relations and circumstances and not too rigid with law. Combine the likes of Torag with that of Cayden Cailen (sp?).

Liberate the enslaved sounds cool but to this point there are no slaves unless you think the dwarves as a whole are enslaved by humans and are trying to liberate themsevles by finding thier own land again. If this is the metaphorical context we are going with then this would rank highly for me. If it is more of a literal translation then no thanks.

You already know my thoughts on brewing :)

My selections would be...

Honor (doing what you say and owning up to your actions. Has nothing to do about alignment axis)
Brewing (double vote this time)
??? Insert either Liberation as described above or secrets under the mountain)

Please comment back on these how you feel as right now I am leaning for my cleric to be neutral good but that could change of course.

Who knows maybe one of those secrets under the mountain will lead into the liberation thread.

The brewing wouldn't include a little sour mash and copper now would it :-)

And come to think of it my character should probably be at least partially neutral as lawful doesn't always apply to my choices. Honor before perceived evil law.

Gonna go bard(archaeologist)

Okay, here we are...

Hannarr Diamondheart

I'll leave the character layout to the other GM's but so far I like this character

I went with Secrets Beneath the Mountain before, and I'm still feeling it now. I like the vibe that some higher power is driving us to discover the truth behind the ruin of Dammerhall. With two characters from academic/arcane backgrounds, a Patron leading them to the reality behind the catastrophe makes for a compelling plot hook.

I'm leaning toward Honor over Law and Tradition. While they do mean different things, quite a bit of overlap can be interpreted between the two, so I probably wouldn't pick them both. What Ulfgar posted as background for Clan Dragonbone feels a bit at odds with the tradition line, and my ideas for Clan Goldrune kind of chafe against it, too.

Rightful High King sounds like a reasonable third choice for me, if for no other reason than that two of the clans (Tarnhammer and Stonegate) feel primarily interested in restoring the ancient line of royalty.

To be honest, I didn't give Liberate the Enslaved a second glance when I looked through the Patron options. It feels more than a bit apart from the AP's given information, which worries me about what it might foreshadow us finding on our journey . . .

Finally, Ulfgarreck, I'm ashamed of you. You know darn well that's distilling, not brewing. ;-)

Finally, Ulfgarreck, I'm ashamed of you. You know darn well that's distilling, not brewing. ;-)

One can always hope....tis but a small discrepancy.

By the way, IronDesk, I'm liking the professor, and not just because I play one in real life. We've got most of the Knowledge skills covered between the three character sheets I've seen thus far, without too much duplication. On the down side, I hate that you found that character portrait before me -- oh well.

I noticed that you used some alternate racial traits in building Hannarr; are those in play? If so, I am dropping greed like it's on fire.

Ridge, does the AP have down time for item creation? I was wondering if Modnar was going to be able to save us money on magic items.

Okay, our archeologist is looking good. Don't forget folks, you get two additional skill points per level than normal.

I'm liking the discussions about patron options. I'll try to tally the votes for the finals soonish. And I have some plans to allow a bit more flexibility though I don't want to give too much away.

I noticed that you used some alternate racial traits in building Hannarr; are those in play? If so, I am dropping greed like it's on fire.

Absolutely, those are in play and I should have said so from the start. I feel it will allow you guys yet more variety. So yes, Modnar, drop greed if you like.

Ridge, does the AP have down time for item creation? I was wondering if Modnar was going to be able to save us money on magic items.

I'm almost certain it will, but you or someone else will have to hold my hand and help me through the process. While I might shy away from it normally, this is a story about dwarves, and denying dwarves the right to craft just seems wrong to me.

My thoughts exactly on the Liberate patron option - some unintended foreshadowing?

Re avatars: yeah, there aren't a lot of good dwarf avatars that aren't Harsk. I almost went with the fedora wearing one, but wasn't digging the cigar :>

Here is the avatar I will be using. Seems that we are going to need someone with some experience and age in the group. Trying to go with a middle aged option as I have not done that before. Makes things interesting to build a character that way. Not used to it at all.

No comments about the whiteness of my beard yah beardlings. Why I was only in my 40's when I had a beard like yours. What took you so long to grow it out?

Variel here btw.

I am good to switch out the liberation aspect for the secret under the mountain in lieu of what others are saying.

Quote:

Ridge, does the AP have down time for item creation? I was wondering if Modnar was going to be able to save us money on magic items.

I'm almost certain it will, but you or someone else will have to hold my hand and help me through the process. While I might shy away from it normally, this is a story about dwarves, and denying dwarves the right to craft just seems wrong to me.

I must confess that I don't have much experience with item creation myself. I was just thinking ahead and remembered all those feats I never use for my PFS characters.

It's not that bad I can work with whomever has the feats to get the cost, time and DC figured out.

I have the very rough basics of my character here. Pretty much just mechanics at the moment & not even all of those.
The character draft is that she is probably of one of the low clans (pun intended, see further); likely associated with Goldrune, but in more of a bondsman/shieldwarf capacity. Over the years/decades/centuries since the dwarves were driven forth from Dammerhall, her clan was one of those tasked with keeping watch 'down there', which is why she is pretty much entirely Deep Delver. At some point during her training, they realized she had the knack for the weird stuff as well as simple martialry, so she was assigned to 'special projects' as-it-were & taught how to fight with both blade & spell. Upon hearing of this, her family finally broke down & told her about the 'real' ancestral family blade, which was lost sometime during the diaspora from Dammerhall, (I.E.: the Black Blade, since that doesn't actually show up until she makes it to third level...)

Folks, apologies. Busy day, and when I did try to get on, the site appeared to be down. However, I'm finally posting here... I've heard the discussions, tallied the votes, and yes, I've tweaked.

Please meet your patrons...
yes, patrons plural! Winner got to be 'the boss' :)

(Warning, the following two posts are some long winded stuff)

Ardwal
Prince Beneath the Mountain, The Unbreakable Crown, Shadow's Warden
God of Honor, Rightful Kingship, and Secrets Beneath the Mountain
Alignment LG
Domains Darkness, Glory, Good, Knowledge, Law, Nobility
Favored Weapon Dwarven Waraxe
Symbol A Crown of Light imposed over an axe rising out of the darkness
The Tale
In the age of Legends Lost, when the mountains still had voices and the caverns still whispered as if alive, the great creator god Yavan lay with Layshala, mother of mysteries. From this rightful union (For they were bound by heart and destiny and were wed), three sons were born.
The firstborn of these was named Ardwal which means "He Shines For Us". Even gods have childhoods, and Ardwal spent his delving into the darkest parts of the world with a quiet courage that startled many a being. He was his mother's son then, fascinated by the mysteries she had hidden in the earth's deepest domains.

Then Ardwal found something that was not his mother's work, but his father's: The Black Gate, the Prison of Sorrows Deferred, where Ulamahaz lay. Yavan had not told his sons the tale of Ulamahaz, for names had more power then, and the father creator feared telling the tale would strengthen the great serpent of shadows so that it might free itself and wreck havoc upon the world. Ulamahaz heard the boy, and spoke as a friend might, tempting the young godling to free him "You wish to learn, I see it in your eyes. I can teach you something you have never known" the shadow serpent promised.

Already Ardwal had spoken too freely, and Ulamahaz knew that his old foes had begat not one, but three sons during the time of his punishment. The snake of shadows resolved in its black heart to kill each of the three as soon as it could and make the world weep, but first it would have to get out.

Three locks were laid upon that dread seal, and Ardwal, curious and unaware of the crimes of Ulamahaz, opened the first. So eager was the demon serpent for freedom, that it hissed angrily at Ardwal to hurry! This irked the godling, for it seemed ungrateful, and further, he was the son of the creator king, not to be ordered about.

"No," said Ardwal, "I think I shall talk to my father about you instead. For he is the creator of the world that matters, and would surely know of you. If not he, my mother, for she is the maker of mysteries, would know. You offer me things, but now I wonder if it is proper to take them."

But Ulamahaz was sly, and knew that should Yavan or Layshalla hear of this, they would seal the gate stronger than before, and instead he apologized, and wheedled, "Trouble not your great parents about me, for theirs is the work of all that is and they are busy. Surely, your brothers might suggest things instead? Are you not gods in your own right?"

Troubled by these words, Ardwal, a child still, did confide in his younger brothers, Drugar and Zuth. And where Ardwal did not give into temptation, Drugar did. The second born fell for the honeyed words and offers of Ulamahaz, and opened the second and third seal. The demon serpent poured out, reveling in his new found freedom, and bit Drugar! Thus were the rewards of knowledge they had never known granted to both. For on that day, Drugar, his mind forever twisted by the venom of the elder evil, knew madness, and Ardwal, who had told his greedy brother of the horror which lead to his doom, now knew something he had never known before: regret and shame.

Such are the lessons that Ulamahaz has to bestow.

But Ardwal was still a god. He saved his brother's life (Some would later wish he had not) and went to his father and mother to warn them. When his parents told him they would put Ulahamaz down, Ardwal tried to obey, but he also knew that the burden for every life taken by Ulahamaz was now on his shoulders. Turning to Drugar, who even in his madness knew much of cunning and trickery, he gathered wisdom for a plan.

Turning to Zuth (Who had learned many secrets of metal), Ardwal had his father's old armor re-crafted to fit him and went down to battle Ulamahaz while his parents were still discussing how best to handle it.

When Ulahamaz ravaged the world, he turned to see Ardwal wearing the creator god's armor, and mistook him for Yavan himself and gave chase, eager for revenge. Yet Ardwal knew the underways, and lead the scaled demon below. The world had changed since Ulahamaz had last been freed, and he did not realize, until too late, that Ardwal had guided them both back to the great prison.

Then Ardwal called out for his brother Zuth to seal it anew. And Ulahamaz realized that the boy god had a lesson for him as well. The demon serpent would never have thought that the Prince Beneath the Mountain would sacrifice his own freedom and life to capture the demon his brother had let out. Ulahamaz, foul as he was, could not understand honor.

Trapped now again, at least this time, Ulahamaz could turn his fury upon the captor. While the worst of his venom was spent upon Drugar, the demon god's fangs still pierced even the armor here and there. Ardwal's youthful blood spilled upon the stone, and Ardwal cried out in pain. This was a battle a young godling could not win.

And yet, despite his willingness to die, Ardwal was not alone. His parents heard his cry, and the forces of mystery and creation conspired to save their first born with a great miracle. Every bit of stone that knew the blood of the noble Ardwal broke free from the floor as a warrior fully grown. Thus was the first generation of dwarves born, of stone, and sacrifice, and battle for the right!

While they were mortal, the first generation was like no mortals that had existed before or since, and they rallied to Ardwal's side and helped him overwhelm Ulahamaz. Down went the axe of Ardwal, and severed the dread snake's head from its thrashing body. Staggering out, bleeding, Ardwal fell to his knees before his parents at the gate, willing to take whatever punishment they bestowed for his part what had lead to their old enemy being freed even for such a short time.

"But I pray you, do not punish my brothers for this, for it was I who lead them to this. And these fine mortals you birthed from my blood, do not send them back to nothing. I owe them my life."

"They have served their purpose," Yavan said calmly, "should they not go back to nothingness?"

Layshalla agreed, "Born of your blood, they know much as mortals already of my mysteries, perhaps too much."

And Ardwal stood between his parents and the first dwarves and declared, "Just as you could not abandon me to die, nor can I, for they are my children as much as I am yours now. Forever and always I will shield them. Their fate is my own, if you must slay them, then you must cut me down first."

And Yavan, maker of the world, gazed into Layshala, mother of mysteries, and both knew their son's nobility had defeated not just their old enemy that day. They placed upon Ardwal's head a crown of light and declared him divine ruler and protector of the dwarves, the keeper of secrets beneath the mountain, forever, and always.

Zuth would simply chuckle, took a drink, and go back to the forge he so loved.

And Drugar? Drugar's madness, which even his parents could not cure, settled deep as he saw all glory go to his eldest brother, and he knew something even stronger than greed: envy.

Priests, Temples, and the Church
Ardwal’s priesthood consist primarily of clerics, warpriests, and paladins but it certainly has its share of oracles and inquisitors. No class is out right forbidden, however, particularly in modern times where all dwarven culture is in danger of floundering as the priesthood needs all the help it can get to furfill its duties. The Clergy sees themselves as the keepers of Dwarven heritage, teachers of its virtues, and guardians of the people and the treasures they have unearthed.

As befits a race that honors ancestors so, there are several orders within the church, each founded by a different dwarf, with a different focus of the god's interest. Some of these orders now number less than a handful, and the time when each could raise hundreds to this or that task is, sadly, long gone.

Ardwal's temples , even on the surface, tend to be grand designs of dark and light marble. At one time, gold trim and flaking was used liberally in the very walls of such, but in the lands above, the threat of thieves is too great to risk such extravagances. Not that any thief trying would have an easy time. The temple layouts often contain both labyrinths and mazes (meant to aid in contemplation of the secrets that await us in life) and military style defenses. Some temples are essentially fortresses with grand dungeons right beneath or around them!

Holy Days and Celebrations
At one time, numerous celebrations honoring this or that heroic ancestor were the norm, but now, even at the holy places of Ardwal himself, it seems only a handful of holy days truly have the strength to gather the followers together in mass.

Dark Delve is celebrated once a year on the longest night of the year. It is a time when dwarves relish the gift of darkvision they were graced with and use no light. The youngest use this as a time of thrill seeking, and even mischief as they explore a normally lit world with new appreciation. The older dwarves tell stories of grim sacrifice, of standing against the evil that would use the darkness.

Sadly, some dwarves use this night, particularly if it is moonless, to commit thefts, shaming the holiday, their race, and themselves.

High Glory A three day celebration where dwarves try to show off their finest and relive the glory of yesteryear. Yet every year, it seems the 'finest' clothes and armor become more tattered, more worn. The High Clans always make themselves available to the public at this time, and are under great pressure to show generosity to the middle and low clans. Unfortunately, some members of the High Clans resent having to bestow food and drink on 'lower famlies that are barely Dwarves anymore'. Such attitudes rile the priesthood of Ardwal greatly. Overall though, it is a good time, where even the lowest dwarf can try to recapture some of the old pride.
There are others, and in addition to those, rituals exist for birthdays of certain ages, celebrations for acts of heroism (rarer and rarer it seems), and this or that fallen martyr's memory.

Aphorisms/Sayings
"Be true to the best part of yourself and even in darkness you will find light"
"I would give homage to a pig in a dress before I would bend knee to a crown on a tyrant's head."
"The higher the chair, the greater the obligations."
"Darkness is a grasping thief of knowledge, do not hesitate to seize back that which it has taken from the people."
"The king and his people are one and both should seek the prosperity of the other."
"Evil hearts hide in the darkness because they know fear, good souls wander the darkness because they have not forgotten duty...and wonder."

Why is he acting now?
Ardwal is no longer a young child god, those ages are long gone. However, the dwarven race, while it worships more than he, ARE his children, and he would have an easier time cutting off one of his own limbs than abandoning them entirely. He sees his children have lost their way, but knows that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and better to light the path for dwarves than kick them down it. Perhaps only now that Dammerhall is a secret beneath the mountain itself can he bring his full power to bear in guiding a select few dwarves to reclaim it. Perhaps some foe forces his hand.

Whatever the cause, he knows he asks much of those he would make living symbols of. They will risk their very lives before this is done. No doubt he is proud of them for that. Win or lose, he will reward their efforts in the here after if they strive with honor.
But in the world as it is? He cannot guarantee anything.

Zuth
Chainfoe, The Golden Handed God, The Most Hammered Hammer
God of Brewing and Distilling, smithy and metal working, and the liberation of the enslaved
Alignment NG
Domains Artifice, Earth (Metal Subdomain), Fire, Good, Liberation, Strength
Favored Weapon warhammer
Symbol A smith's hammer wreathed in fire
The Tale
In the age of Legends Lost, when the mountains still had voices and the caverns still whispered as if alive, the great creator god Yavan lay with Layshala, mother of mysteries. From this rightful union (For they were bound by heart and destiny and were wed), three sons were born.
The youngest of these was named Zuth, the meaning of that name lost to all but the members of his priesthood.

While his brothers spent their time exploring for mysteries or gems, Zuth spent his divine childhood making use of what they found. In many ways, his father's son, Zuth loved to tinker and create. Metals were most dear to him, for he loved their luster, strength, and how a strong arm and vision could shape them to almost any purpose. Even the gems that his brother, Drugar, so coveted didn't mean as much to him as the metal that Zuth could use to display them.

One time, his father, perhaps in an attempt to broaden his son's interest in creation, brought his son many living things. Zuth found them un interesting, and put them to the side... until one day he remembered them, peeked in the barrels he'd stored them in, and discovered fermentation! A godly constitution served him well as Zuth proceeded to learn how to make liquors of all types, much to his mother's dismay and his brothers' admiration.

Back then, Zuth was something of a selfish god, not as kindhearted as he is now. He cared only for his craft and saw the world only as a source of supplies. When Ardwal came to him about the mysterious gate and seal, Zuth cared only for its design, not WHY it had been placed for, and soon returned to his smithy figuring his brothers could deal with whatever it was. Only when the eldest returned to him and appealed to his vanity for his help in reshaping father's armor and helping him reseal the gate Drugar had opened did Zuth truly take action.

Thus, was Ulhamaz defeated.

Where Ardwal felt shame for the fate that had befallen their now mad brother and blamed himself, Zuth refused to be his brother's keeper and declared Drugar's mistakes his own, and his fate none of his concern.
"My brother!" Ardwal protested Zuth's indifference, "Drugar needs us."
"Perhaps, but I do not need him, and I see nothing more important than enjoying myself and engaging in my passions. I hurt no one in doing so."

"I fear you will bring more harm to yourself than you know in this," His brother warned, but left as asked.

And mad Drugar, who had been plagued by greed even in his sanest moments, began to act on his envy as well. Ardwal now had the dwarves as charges and children, but Drugar only saw them as worshipers. His brother had some, so he wanted them too.

Over a thousand years had passed since the first generation of dwarves had been created, and their children, and their children's children had been thriving.

And so, Drugar waited until Ardwal was busy, and then kidnapped and enslaved dwarves by the score. Parents found sons and daughters missing, husband would wake to empty beds where their wives had been and vice versa. Drugar used trickery when he could to seize them, but he did not hesitate to use force. Soon he had thousands of his own.

Ardwal heard the crying of his tortured children but Drugar would not release them.

And so the first born and second born prepared for war.

Ardwal came to Zuth and asked for his aid. Zuth, seeing no gain in this, shrugged and said he'd take no side. What mattered to him which brother won?

Drugar also came, and when Zuth refused his request to make armor for the mad god's slave warriors, Drugar pretended to accept the rebuff as Ardwal had.

Instead, he requested, and paid, for a small commission, a strong chain that could hold a beast in place. As much to be rid of his middle brother, Zuth crafted it on the spot, only to find it looped about his own neck and wrists!

Zuth woke to find himself trapped in his own creation, and hitched to a forge in Drugar's fastness. For weeks, he knew the sting of his brother's whip, the aching of chains tearing at the flesh of his wrists and ankle.

One morning, he heard the whip snap, and realized he was not the target. No, for the first time, he TRULY looked beyond the smithy to living beings, and he saw that he was not alone. For he was sharing the same fate as the mortal dwarves. He watched one brave dwarf woman shield her son from a lash. He saw another dwarven man glare defiance at an overseer.

And Zuth, who once cared for naught but booze and craft, realized something.

He had to free them all.

Zuth would have melted the chains he wore, but his brother made sure there was not enough heat in the fire to do that. Instead, he tricked the trickster. He feigned defeat, and picked many slaves to train in his ways. He built arms and armor for Drugar's army. All he asked was for drink to ease the pain, to ease the pain, and forget.

And Drugar laughed, and said he would allow his smithing brother his vice "what's one more chain on you, brother? Even if it be a chain of desire for your brew and whiskey."

And so Zuth played the drunkard, the fool... until the time was ripe. His mouth full of whiskey, he spewed the liquid onto the flames of the forge causing them to rise white hot! Alarms were called, but it was too late, Zuth and his followers had fanned the flames hot enough to allow them to free themselves from their chains and turn on their captors with the very weapons they had made.

Drugar cursed and screamed as he realized what had happened. In the distance, he could hear the horns of Ardwal's army. Those most loyal to the mad god joined him in retreat before they could be wiped out by those within and those at the walls. The cruel, the greedy, and the insane who ran with Drugar would later take his name as their own, at least a little. They would be the first duergar.

Zuth opened the gates and embraced a very surprised Ardwal, saying with a liquor fueled smile, "About time you got here! You missed all the fun!"

Flippant, yes, but Zuth's heart had changed. He now saw metal not just for the pleasure it brought him to work, but for how it could defend the mortal dwarves of good character in battle and lay their foes low. He saw liquors not as selfish distraction but rather a way to share celebration and lift the spirit of others! And to his bones, he would allow no slavery to exist under his gaze.

And when many dwarves turned to him to worship him, his brother Ardwal, nodded approvingly, for he admired the man his youngest brother had become. Even if he could still be a bit irreverent now and then.

Priests, Temples, and the Church
In someways, Zuth's priesthood has propsered better than Ardwal’s, for surface races desire the metal goods dwarven smiths can make. Most all in the priesthood have at least an interest in smithing, brewing, distilling, or the like. While clerics predominate, a surprising number of alchemists have positions in the church and no few amount of bards and skalds make their presence known as well. There are a few paladins of the god, but they're rare.

At this stage in dwarven history, the churches of Zuth are rather unorganized affairs. Each temple is autonomous (if friendly) to the others, and while the chain of command can be firm, it is mostly only in areas of Master to Journeyman to Apprentice. One member of the priesthood is not likely to interfere with another priest's pupil, it's just not done. Beyond that, however, there's a lot of debate, often quite lively, on how things should be done or not done. The god's hatred of slavery has passed onto his clergy and they don't much care for getting bossed around without so much as a please.

Of course, the followers of Zuth work againsst slavery period. Legally, when they can, and covertly when they can't. This has some slaving organizations on guard against ALL dwarves, and a few flesh peddling merchants seem to delight in selling of dwarf flesh as a form of payback for interference. Of course, said merchants might also be found dead at the bottom of stairs smelling of spirits.

Zuth's temples are not so much works of art in themselves, as merely the places where fine work is done. They maybe built around smithies and forges, or a brewery, or both! (Which can make some folks nervous about what liquids are getting near what heat sources). Walls often display some samples of the temple's crafts. Bottles of ale might shine from one wall across from another that has a masterpiece shield. Theft can be a problem here too, but an angry Zuth congregation is less likely to go to the authorities if robbed, and instead just find the thief themselves and play a game of hammer toss with said thief strapped to a spinning target!

Some of the temples have hidden chambers with tunnels, allowing any slaves they take in to hide safely from their former masters.

While the chief purpose of many temples is to make sure the crafts and ways are not lost to the next generation of dwarves, some Zuthians grumble at the pressure they feel from human governments that want to treat them as merchants with products to sell instead of priests. Human nobles demand fine vintages or insist on weapon commissions not aware that profit is not what the clerics seek. Human guilds push for taxes on dwarven goods. It would be enough to drive a Zuth worhsiper to drink, and this time for anger's sake.

The enemies they've made among slavers are also growing increasingly dangerous.

Holy Days and Celebrations
For the temple of Zuth, almost any good news is a welcome cause for a celebration. It's not as mindless as some would accuse. Zuth clergy, more than most in fact, are aware of the dangers of excess. They have no problem kicking someone out if he or she can't handle their spirits or they think they've had enough. There are fewer official holidays than Ardwal's temples have, but more overall when you count the unofficial.

Still, traditions do occur

Drik-zanhet - to an outsider, Drik-zanhet (From an old Dwarven phrase about truth in drink) would look like groups of dwarves getting utterly smashed for the entertainment of their fellows. In truth, it is a time of year where divination spells seem to work at their best, at least for the clerics of Zuth, as long as they're inebriated. On this day, the priests drink deeper even than normal, and in their stupors sputter portents and omens to those who seek knowledge. Some say, of late, the omens are more accurate and forthcoming than they've been in almost a century.

The Festival of Skilled Hands – One week out of the year, the temples of Zuth arrange a chance for young journeymen on the cusp of becoming masters to show their skill to the world. For many journeymen, this is the first time they've had support for their work beyond their place of work. Some find themselves declared masters of their craft and free to make their own living at their chosen profession. Furthermore, this is a time for old masters to seek out new apprentices by seeing which candidates are the most promising.

Aphorisms/Sayings
"Freedom is the right of all sober beings, drunk ones too"
"In drink there lays truth, or at least far more entertaining lies."
"True beauty flows not from the face but the hands."
"Steel used in slavery shows the weakness of the user, gold gained from slavery shows a tarnished soul"
"The least of your clients deserves the best of your craft, for the gods do not measure as mortals do and one cannot always know the blessed."
"Here's to a long life and a merry one
A quick death and an easy one
A pretty girl and an honest one
A cold beer and another one! "

Why is he acting now?
Zuth maybe somewhat unruly to his brother, but when push comes to shove, he recognizes Ardwal is rightful heir to the domain their sire and dam made. Zuth is not so much a god of freedom, as a divine who hates slavery, a subtle but distinct difference which means he recognizes his place in the hierarchy. When his brother commands, Zuth may snark, but he obeys.

Further, Zuth remembers the glorious treasures of Dammerhall, many were made under his inspiring flame. There are methods of smithing that have been lost and should be used again. There are great forges that have grown cold, and should be heated again.
And, perhaps, Zuth hears the clinking of chains down below, and feels his gorge rise.