The Allhammer

The Allhammer is the god of the forge, protection, mountains, and crafts. He is also the patron of the dwarves, and is said to have created them upon the Anvil of Creation in the Time Before Time.

He is also called the Soul-Forger, the Dwarf-Father, and the Shaper.

## **Overview**

The Allhammer is an ancient god, older than the roots of the mountains. His followers credit him with the creation of the foundations of the world. According to the dwarves he is the oldest god, predating even the Green Shepherd (who, according to traditional doctrine, was the first god to awaken). He is the creator and patron of the dwarves. To his people he is a hard and proud patriarch; a distant but loving father. Though every dwarf who falls in battle pains his heart, he is deeply proud of his children; of their endurance, strength, and accomplishments.

He loves the dwarves and loves his non-dwarven worshipers, but withholds most direct aid and affection from both, for he sees life as a hard journey: if he sheltered his children from all hardship, they would never know the value of their own hard work or the satisfaction of their own achievements. He created the dwarves to be like stone: tough, stubborn, wise, and creative—traits they would need to persevere and overcome. He expects worshipers of all races and walks of life to seek to embody these traits. He opposes those who act without thinking, rebel, or place their communities at risk.

Any enemy of the dwarves is an enemy of the Allhammer—and any enemy of the Allhammer is an enemy of the dwarves. Orcs, goblinoids, giants, and other evil creatures that lurk beneath the earth are typical enemies of his followers.

The Allhammer is a shrewd planner, a great advocate of contingencies, and he holds forethought as one of the principal gifts of living well. However, he knows there are times when a dwarf needs to abandon a failing strategy and think on their feet, and so respects those who demonstrate this quality. He prefers organized defenses to tactical assaults, and tactical assaults over reckless charges. He does not believe there is glory in martyrdom, but honors those who sacrifice their own lives to save others. He is a stout fighter, rarely given to rage, but when his anger awakens the earth shakes and cities fall.

## **Dogma**

The Allhammer is an adamant defender of the dwarven people he created and of the principles of law and good. He teaches the value of making goods that last, of loyalty to clan, leader, and people, and of meeting adversity with stoicism and tenacity. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves. It was he that drove the giants and dragons out of the mountains, and it is his influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defense of what is theirs.

A popular aphorism is “hops and water is not beer”; inferior workmanship and anything less than one’s best effort is unacceptable. No self-respecting dwarf would call a cup of water and hops beer, as such a thing is unfinished and unpalatable. In this way, no smith would call a poorly made hammer a true tool, or a shoddy axe to be a true weapon. Followers call unfinished items by nicknamed (for example, a hammer’s head is called a “slug”). A devout worshiper makes weapons that don’t fail in battle, tools that don’t easily wear down, and tasty meals that nourish body and soul.

He strongly encourages his followers to marry, and it’s common for his servants to marry other priests from the same temple in a marriage arranged by the high priest. He also encourages couples to have children, or to adopt if that isn’t possible. Dwarven life revolves around the stability and strength of one’s clan and family, and so these values are extremely important to the god.

Although he is a war god, the Allhammer would rather protect his followers than seek and destroy their enemies, and encourages his people to always have a safe plan to retreat; no priest or warrior of the Allhammer would lead their comrades to battle if there is no usable escape route. The power of a strong defensive position has forced countless armies to give up after an attempt at besieging an impenetrable fortress.

## **The Church**

### **Worshipers**

There are those that say that work is life, but to followers of the Allhammer it is an act of worship. They are never so happy as when their hands are busy with the work of creation. Followers believe that crafting an object, especially from metal or stone, is a tribute to the Allhammer. Thus, anyone who takes raw and unformed materials and turns them into an item of value—from a tool, to a good meal, to a sturdy weapon--is engaged in the highest form of worship. The more gifted the worker, the greater the glory to the Soul-Forger.

The followers of the Allhammer consist primarily of dwarves, but members of many other races—particularly craftsfolk from all walks, and especially in Vanar—also venerate him as the master of the creative process. Because the Allhammer is believed to have been one of the first deities to arise, many creatures revere or at least acknowledge him as the Soul-Forger. Beyond that, the faithful of the Allhammer include smiths, soldiers, officers, rulers, and scouts. They craft tools and weapons for the community, watch territorial borders, keep streets safe, plan and build defenses, and train others to forge and to protect their people. They’re stable, dependable, conservative, loyal, and diligent.

Priests create and maintain the armor and weapons of the faithful, build defenses for their settlements, and instruct militias in the use of weaponry and tactics for proper civil defense. Lay artisans garner respect within the church, especially skilled smiths. Likewise, tactically minded members of the community are welcome to give their suggestions to the temple priests, though they are not conventionally given any sort of official role in the church.

In times of war, the Allhammer encourages teamwork among its members above all else. A single stone is little hindrance to a foe—but enough stones together can make a mountain. Likewise, a legion of dwarves working in concert is nearly impossible to overcome, and such tactics can work on a smaller scale as well. A member of the church prefers methodical and efficient strategies over bravado or impulse. Whenever possible, members of the church attempt to set up a shield wall or pick up an ally’s flank.

The faithful of the Allhammer consider burrowing animals and those that dwell in caves and mountains to be sacred, especially bears. They eat these animals only in truly desperate times when there is no other choice.

### **Clergy**

The Allhammer is not a god of half-measures. Priests either accept his doctrine as it is or come up against the unyielding wall of dwarven tradition. They’re expected to remain orthodox in all ways, and offer every action they take in service of their goals: the safety of their people, the defeat of their enemies, and the production of sturdy tools for one’s community. Life is a precious gift and every breath one takes should have purpose to it, even if that purpose is simply enjoying the company of friends or kin and a mug of ale.

Each morning, a priest rises early to stoke the coals of a temple forge, and then prepares breakfast while the forge reaches suitable temperatures. After eating, the priest does a little short-term work at the forge or anvil as a morning prayer, such as smelting some ore or hammering a metal bar into a more useful shape for an apprentice or other priest to use. After morning prayers, the priest leaves to pursue his assigned duties—which may be at a forge or anvil, or elsewhere in the community. Acolytes assist smiths when equipment runs short, aid in drilling new soldiers in military maneuvers and weapons training, and carry orders from generals to military outposts.

The Allhammer’s clergy take their responsibilities seriously, and are deeply involved with their communities.  When they take up adventuring, it is with the goal of bettering themselves and their communities in some way. They expect to lead, or at the very least to be consulted on decisions, and can be expected to always have a contingency plan ready. This need for everything to be properly planned may lead them to act like judgmental parents or bark at their companions about how a careless act can endanger everybody, but few can argue with the quality of their preparations, or the results they produce.

His altars almost always take the form of a massive anvil and forge, around which worshipers work day and night while singing his praises. But the church of the Allhammer is concerned with more than just shaping metal and stone. Its primary duty is to the dwarves, and to anyone who worships the Allhammer. Thus, the church maintains a significant presence within dwarven culture, and its champions are often generals in the dwarf armies. In dwarven communities, the clerics of the Allhammer are charged with maintaining and advancing the dwarven people in all walks of life. They perform a wide range of public ceremonies (marriages, blessing new ventures, crowning leaders, and the like). They also educate the young, arrange communal defenses, and sponsor expeditions to settle new lands. They also keep detailed genealogies and historical archives.

Most dwarves follow the Allhammer, but the particularly devoted wear rings on their fingers, in their beards, and even in their ears or nose. Every ring tells a story. Each is marked with the Allhammer’s symbol as well as with indications of how the bearer earned it: service to a friend, fealty to one’s Thane, discovery of a new metal vein, and so on. Formal dress for clergy is work-worn and sturdy, often with a finely-made, leather apron. Many priests do not decorate this garment, but some do burn symbols into the leather. Most wear their hair long, growing elaborate braids or facial hair to emulate their god’s mighty beard. As a result, even non-dwarf priests have a distinctly dwarven appearance.

### **Temples & Shrines**

Every act of smelting and crafting is considered a prayer to the Allhammer, and even his smallest temples include an anvil and a forge that the clerics keep perpetually burning. Most are circular, ornately carved from expertly shaped stone, and built around a large, central forge, fully functional and with satellite anvils throughout. The devout use these workspaces at various times throughout the day, and the noise from early morning prayers make it almost impossible to sleep in at a temple, especially for non-dwarves.

A typical shrine—whether public or at home—is an alcove with an anvil-shaped altar. In dwarf communities, temples and shrines include a shelf to hold small statues of the Allhammer and other dwarven saints (called Paragons in dwarven culture). Miners and explorers may place a small statue of the Allhammer in a small alcove, or niche or maybe hang his holy symbol in an obvious place, so that the god will watch over them while in new areas of the mines. It is customary to leave these behind, rather than bring them with you when you leave. Devoted explorers carry several such items with them, or quickly carve one if needed. While this is a simple tradition, it bears several practical purposes (like most of the Allhammer’s teachings). When traveling underground, seeing such symbols in a tunnel usually indicates that the shaft is safe and relatively stable, and enemies are unlikely to be near (since the statue had not been destroyed or removed).

The most sacred places are spaces that have been retaken from orcs and other enemies, and shrines are often built there to commemorate their return to dwarven control.

### **Holy Texts**

*“Aim high. Plan well. Strike when the iron is hot, for unprepared metal shatters from a hammer’s blow. But when properly treated and respected, it endures.”*

* **The Anvil of Creation:** The official holy book of the church, it is meant to be used for reference near forges and in other situations where lesser books might catch fire, it’s usually bound with metal, and its leather pages are coated in flame-resistant lacquer. It includes prayers and stories of the creation and early days of the dwarven race, the destinies they forged, the Quest for the Sky, and the simple need for community that binds dwarves together. It also gives instructions for how to build walls, shape stone, smelt metals, and forge iron and steel, as well as basic information about various predatory monsters and how to defend against them.

### **Rituals**

Worship services take place at the central forge in a dwarven community, with the high priest leading the ceremony and assistant priests and smiths assisting at the anvils. Services consist of long chants, punctuated by the din of hammers and bellows to keep time. These services might incorporate actual crafting, the products of which may be sold to traveling merchants to support the temple or give to the needy.

Prayers to the Allhammer nearly always involve the sounds of metal striking metal or stone, which worshipers believe are most pleasing to the god’s ears. In like manner, the advance of dwarf legions is usually heralded by the sound of axes or hammers beating on shields. These percussive rhythms do not just intimidate the dwarves’ foes; they also ask the Allhammer for his blessing in a coming battle.

## **Orders of the Stormlord**

* **Adamantine Legion:** A militaristic order that has pledged itself to the service of the Allhammer and to mortalkind. Whether human, dwarf, or even gnome these knights have little use for needless ceremony. They speak only when necessary, but still allow themselves to relax and the company of friends and comrades. When the time comes to act, however, they do so without hesitation, placing themselves between innocents and danger, hammers and spears at the ready.
* **The Legion of the Dead:** The Legion of the Dead is an independent branch of the dwarven army that answers directly to the head of the Church of Moradin themselves. Their primary task is to the patrol the old dwarven Deep Roads and combat the aberrations and demons lurking there, to protect the remaining thaigs from their corruption. It is considered to be the most intimidating and devastating force in the dwarven military and many attribute this to the fact that the Legionnaires consider themselves to be already dead. Legionnaires are typically marked with grim tattoos and equipped with heavy armor. Unlike most dwarven organizations, the Legion accepts anyone from any level of society. Many join the Legion to avoid punishment for various crimes or to regain their honor. Others join to have their debts forgiven, thus restoring their Houses' lost honor. Some even join for the glory, and the Legion accepts them all the same.

* **The Stonefists:** An order of mostly dwarven monks. They are disciplined and hardy craftsmen who work to hone their bodies in the same manner they hone and shape metal. They are excellent unarmed brawlers, who can fight and move with speed and grace uncharacteristic to the dwarves.

## **Lore**

### **Appearance**

In artistic depictions, the Alhammer appears to be an older but hale dwarf clad in heavy plate armor, with glowing like molten gold. His hair and beard are usually black with streaks of grey and his hands are worn and scarred from centuries of hard work. He exudes a palpable aura of power, wisdom, and safety.

### **History**

The Allhammer is one of the first gods to have awakened when Creation locked away her brother, and it is said that it was to the Allhammer that her deep love of shaping and crafts was imparted to him. Working in concert with the other gods, he helped to create the world at his great Anvil of Creation, striking his new work again and again with his great hammer to get the proper shape.

The mountains were given form, raised into the mountains, and carved canyons and valleys. In secret, unknown to the others, he began on another work; as rocks tumbled and the sparks flew, the dwarves were born—beings made of stone and with bellies full of fire. He taught them the secrets of metal and stone, and appointed seven to be their chiefs before turning them out to make their own way. The strongest iron must endure hardship to become strong, and so too much the Allhammer’s children.

The Allhammer was one of the seven named gods to side with the Dawnfather at the beginning of the Dawn War. During the conflict, he defeated Thrym, the father of giants, in battle (though he did not slay him; that would later be achieved by the Stormlord). He fought, defeated, and bound the Dragon Queen, and assisted in the defeat of the Chained Oblivion.

During the Sundering, is said to have destroyed the Creeping Darkness and stopped its demonic minions from taking the dwarven thaigs from below.

### **Relationships**

The Allhammer has battled primordials, titans, and their minions since the dawn of the world. In particular, the Chained Oblivion’s spawn has long seethed and squirmed in the deep corners of the earth, drawing the Allhammer’s ire.

Despite their shared loathing of the titans and their spawn, his followers tend to find the Everlights’ worshipers to be too forgiving and too devoted to the light of the sun. The Allhammer and his craft-inclined worshipers respect the Lawbringer for his adherence to order and commerce, and the Knowing Lord for his discipline. He appreciates the Laughing Knave’s humor and love of drink, even if he often interacts with him like a disapproving parent. He respects the sense of chivalry and martial prowess of the Platinum Champion. Surprisingly enough to some, he gets along well with the Wildmother.

His focus on dwarves allows his faith to be more insular than most, and his followers need neither know nor care much about other faiths. When they do come into contact with other religions, they see the followers of other faiths as flighty, frivolous, and prone to waste time. But that does not mean they refuse to work with others, and find working alongside like-minded allies to be rewarding and even necessary sometimes.