Vergadain

Vergadain:

Symbol: Gold piece
Home Plane: Outlands
Alignment: TN
Portfolio: Wealth, luck, chance, nonevil thieves, suspicion, trickery, negotiation, sly cleverness
Domains: Luck, Trickery, Dwarf, Trade
Worshipers: Merchants, rogues, wealthy individuals
Aliases: N/A
Cleric Alignments: N, CN, LN, NE, NG
Favored Weapon: Longsword - "Goldseeker"

History/Relationships: Vergadain (VUR-guh-dane), the Master Merchant, is the patron of dwarven merchants and most nonevil dwarven thieves. A schemer and a rogue, Vergadain is venerated by dwarves of any neutral alignment engaged in commerce and concerned with wealth. Vergadain is sometimes called the Trickster, though not by dwarves who worship him, and the Laughing Dwarf, though a dwarf would never use such a term. Long ago Vergadain assumed the Realms-based aspect of Bes, the Short Father, a lesser power of the Mulhorandi pantheon. While Bes's cult has long since sunk into obscurity, a few human merchants in the city of Skuld still call on Vergadain's aspect as the Mulhorandi god of luck and chance.

Vergadain is on good terms with most members of the Morndinsamman, having forged a particularly close relationship with Dugmaren Brightmantie, and the Master Merchant even maintains an uneasy truce with Abbathor, the Great Master of Greed. Vergadain trades with a great number of other mortals and powers, and as a result, he has forged solid relationships with a wide range of beings, far more than the other, relatively insular, members of the dwarven pantheon. In his aspect as Bes, Vergadain has forged a strong relationship with Nephthys, though she frowns heavily on his patronage of nonevil thieves and trickery.

Vergadain's home plane is that of the Outlands, but he seems to spend little time there. Instead, he restlessly roams wildspace and the worlds that can be found in it. He concentrates his efforts wherever there are humans, giants, demihumans, and humanoids to be bilked of their belongings by his tricks, and dwarves to appreciate his cleverness and daring-and to profit by it. Vergadain delights in showing up at desperate dwarven settlements with exactly the unique, rare, or hard-to-find object or substances they are lacking. If the dwarves are not in dire straits, the treasure granted by Vergadain is hidden, and clues to its location are often hidden in the lyrics of a song or rhyme.

Vergadain can appraise the exact material, historical, and cultural value of any treasure, and he knows the maximum price a customer is willing to pay. He delights in his magnificent collection of art objects and jewelry in Strongale Hall. The Master Merchant has a great singing voice and is a master of disguise and mimicry. He is said to be a great poet as well, and he dispenses clues to his worshipers, hidden in a verse or rhyme, to the locations of great treasures. Vergadain smiles more than any other dwarven deity-or sane living dwarf! His eyes are actually seen to twinkle enigmatically more often than he shows his smile to the world. Vergadain delights in and excels at con games, even simple tavern-tricks, and admires someone who bests him rather than punishing them or trying to get even. He is always looking for new techniques, and when he detects a con artist, he often watches and follow for a time to see what he can. Most of Vergadain's adventures concern the elaborate con games he has played on many humans, demihumans, humanoids, and giants in order to win their every belonging of worth. He is not above using any sort of harmless trick to accomplish his ends, and he is eternally suspicious of potential adversaries who might try to trick him in return.

Dogma: The truly blessed are those who’s enterprise and zeal brings both wealth and good luck. Dwarves are well suited to earn their fortunes by the effort of both their hands and their minds; use both to pry wealth out of others. Work hard, be clever, seek the best bargain, and the Merchant King will shower you with gold. Live life to its fullest; save, tithe, and spend your riches and thus encourage more trade. Treat others with respect, but shirk not your responsibility to try to strike a deal better for you than for them-to not try would be to leave the gifts that Vergadain gives you idle.

Avatar/Manifestations: Vergadain likes to appear in avatar form in the Realms. He manifests only rarely, and in one of four ways: (1) Vergadain may appear as an unseen dwarven singer or musician, whose song, drumming, or piping leads lost dwarves to refuge, safety, an escape route, or treasure.

(2) He may appear more subtly, seizing control of a singer, prophet, or sage for his own purposes. That person utters, speaks, or sings words to leave clues or directions to the where- abouts of great treasure. At times, Vergadain signals his presence by animating a gold piece, his symbol, to orbit the head of the possessed being; he does this particularly when the being is not a dwarf, and he wants only dwarves to notice the message.

(3)Vergadain can appear as an animated, endlessly rolling gold coin that travels along the floor or ground. The coin can travel uphill, or even bound up steps, to lead beings to treasure; the coin settles only to mark a hiding place or the route onward (a loose flagstone leading to a tunnel, for instance). It gives no warning of guardian monsters or traps.

Agents/Petitioners: Vergadain is served by arcane, aurumvorae, copper dragons, crystal dragons, ghost dragons, gold-colored cats, gynosphinxes, kenku, leprechauns, messenger snakes, and plumachs. He demonstrates his favor through the unexpected discovery of gold dice, jewels, precious metals (particularly gold), rare spices, other prized trade goods, and the receiving of exactly nine coins (of any mintage) during a business transaction. The Merchant King indicates his displeasure through a run of bad luck, a snake left in a sack (a symbol of Vergadain's own wiliest con tricks), the presence of lock lurkers and luck eaters, the discovery of pyrite (also known as fool's gold), and the receiving of exactly five coins (of any mintage) during a business transaction.

The Church of Vergadain: Vergadain's clergy were all male before the Time of Troubles. Since then, females have begun entering the clergy. Followers of Vergadain are usually seen as suspicious characters, particularly outside dwarven society, and the Merchant King's faithful are viewed with a mixture of respect and envy for their commercial success and distrust of their principles and practices. Thus, few dwarves willingly admit that Vergadain is their deity. If a follower of the Master Merchant denies to others that Vergadain is that person's true deity, the god is not offended, so long as the proper sacrifices are made. Priests and followers are allowed to hide their reverence on occasion, since few people knowledgeable about this cult are very happy at conducing transactions and deals with them.

Temples of Vergadain are windowless chambers located either in underground complexes or on the surface in fortress like, near impregnable vaults. They are filled with countless coins, jewels, and other treasures, whose collective value usually rivals that of most dragon's hoards, with appropriate magical and nonmagical traps to guard them. The central chapel is always dominated by huge stone cauldrons that serve as altars. Huge gold coins, fully 5 feet across, hang above each altar. These coins are guardian anators that emit lightning bolts and magic missiles at unauthorized beings who take things from an altar (where the offerings of Vergadain's faithful are placed). A being of neutral or chaotic neutral alignment can avoid this magical wrath by whispering the anator's password prior to removing an item from the cauldron. Note that the password to each anator is usually known only to the senior most priest of the temple and to Vergadain himself, and such passwords can be quickly changed by those knowing the old password.

Day-to-Day Activities: Vergadain's priests are dedicated to furthering the success of dwarven merchant commerce with other races, especially humans, but always to the benefit of dwarves. The priesthood is expected to be personally wealthy and to maintain the Merchant King's temples in excellent style. Their role is to increase general dwarven influence and prosperity and thus help the dwarves to further their craftwork, weapons-mastery, and inventions. Gold donated on Vergadain's altars is spent or traded shrewdly, to support dwarven merchants. Vergadain's clergy use it to bail dwarven merchants out of debt where possible, place bribes to help dwarven trade and commerce with other lands and races of Faerun, and so on. Through these means the priests of Vergadain hope to increase dwarven importance in the Realms, and they often work with priests of the other dwarven gods (particularly Dumathoin and sometimes even Abbathor) to do so.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Priests of Vergadain work tirelessly to support and promote dwarven merchants and craftsfolk throughout Faerun. Whenever they render aid or handle material wealth of any sort, they mutter Vergadain's name in homage. Most of Vergadain's faithful also do so, and this makes up the bulk of Vergadain's daily worship. It is said that Vergadain can see into the mind of any creature within 10 feet wherever his name is uttered. He sometimes warns a dwarf of treachery by means of a vision or a preventative manifestation.

Holy days of the Vergadainan faith are known as coin festivals to the faithful and as trade moots to those cynics who would purchase their wares, for Vergadain's followers typically seek to earn as much coin as they can before such ceremonies-and thus last-minute bargains are to be had-so as to earn status among their fellows by garish displays of personal wealth and large tithes. Coin Festivals are held on the days before and after a full moon, on Greengrass, and any day proclaimed holy by a Merchant Prince. Offerings of gold are made to Vergadain once a month at such coin festivals by placing them on an altar dedicated to the Merchant King.

The proper rituals of worship to the god consist of meeting in windowless rooms or underground, around torches, braziers, or other flames. The rituals call for dancing in slow, stately shiftings around the flame, wearing and displaying gold and other objects of worth. Every dwarf who worships the god throws at least one gold piece into the flame as the dance continues. The flame consumes valuables placed in it utterly, sometimes dying away to reveal a map, clue, scroll, potion, or other sending of the god. These sendings are rare, and although helpful, they are rarely powerful. The appearance of a weapon is known but extremely rare. Perhaps the most common sending of Vergadain is a duplicate key to a strongbox, vault, or barrier that prevents dwarves from reaching wealth rightfully belonging to them, or stolen by cheating them over a period of time.

The dance ends when the flame flares upward, signifying the god's attention and thanks. The priests light candles or conjure light, and then discuss business (usually current projects to further dwarven wealth). Transfers of necessary fees, bribes, aid, or other funds from one dwarf to another occurs next, usually from priests to the faithful they have called to worship. Finally, the ranking priest passes his hand through the flame, which slowly diminishes. At this time, any dwarf present kisses a gold coin as a gesture of farewell, and then departs.

Major Centers of Worship: Aefindar Ultokhurnden, the Trademoot of Golden Fortune, is a fortresslike cathedral at the center of the dwarven city of Eartheart on the rim of the Great Rift. The exterior granite walls of the Trademoot are plated in gold and polished regularly, making the temple shine so bright that it is almost difficult to look at when the sun is at its highest. The great hall of the Merchant King's temple serves the city as its central market place, and its upper chambers houses the ministry of trade and commerce. The lower levels of the Trademoot house much of the city's wealth as well as three grand chapels of Vergadain. This center of bustling commerce is presided over by Merchant Prince Royal Ghaern Goldthumb, son of Cael, blood of Lambryn. The temple houses well over two hundred priests at any time, and is the home base of hundreds of dwarven merchants whose caravan networks span much of Faerun. If rumors are to be believed, three adult or mature adult dragons serve as guardians of the Trademoot's treasure vaults, in addition to countless traps that riddle the lower levels.

Affiliated Orders: The Golden Hands of Vergadain is a widely scattered order of priests and thieves found in most major cities where dwarves live and trade, as well as along the major trading routes used by the dwarves. In exchange for a small percentage of any recovered wealth, members of the Golden Hands seek to secure the safety of dwarven merchants and deal with those who would cheat the Stout Folk. In cities, the Golden Hands organization is often structured like a thieves' guild, employing many rogues. They raid warehouses of merchants of other races believed to contain goods stolen from dwarven merchants by force or fraud. Along trade routes, the Golden Hands resemble roving mercenary companies composed largely of fighting clerics and specialty priests. They often seek out and destroy monsters or brigands threatening trade routes, ransom kidnapped dwarven merchants, and recover goods from plundered dwarven caravans.

Priestly Vestments: Vergadain's clergy favor rich robes of obvious cost studded with gems and trimmed with furs. A string of linked gold coins is draped over the shoulders and around the neck. While the colors used for clerical vestments vary widely, gold and deep purple are preferred in lands where their use is not banned by sumptuary laws. Ceremonia armor includes ornate chain mail, a gem-studded gorget bearing the god's symbol, and an elaborately decorated helm. Senior priests (5th level and higher) are expected to have their ceremonial armor plated in gold to avoid disgrace, and it is a mark of great status within the church for junior priests to do so as well. The holy symbol of the faith is a round gold coin. Such coins must be acquired in payment for trade goods and cannot be minted specifically for this purpose. Whenever another gold coin of similar value catches the priest's eye, which usually happens least once a month, the priest is expected to exchange the current holy symbol for the new coin, which then becomes the new holy symbol.

Adventuring Garb: Vergadain's clergy favor leather armor underneath their normal clothing. This provides some measure of protection yet is unlikely to give offense to trading partners by implying that the Gilded Merchant's safety is in question in the other's company. In dangerous situations, members of Vergadain's clergy favor chain mail, with a helm and a gorget bearing the god's symbol, seeing it as a necessary compromise between the need for both protection and maneuverability. Most priests of the Merchant King favor small weapons that are easily concealed, such as daggers, knives, and short swords.