Marthammor Duin

Marthammor Duin: Finder-of-Trails, the Watcher over Wanderers, the Watchful Eye, the Hammer, the Finder, the Wanderer

Symbol: Upright mace in front of a fur-trimmed leather boot
Home Plane:
Alignment: NG
Portfolio: Guides, explorers, expatriates, travellers, lightning
Domains: Good Protection Travel
Worshipers: Fighters, rangers, travellers
Aliases: N/A
Cleric Alignments: NG, CG, LG
Favored Weapon: Heavy mace - "Glowhammer"

History/Relationships: Marthammor Duin (Mar-THAM-more DOO-ihn), known on other worlds as Muamman Duathal (Moo-AM-man Doo-AHthuhl), is the protector of dwarves who make their lives in human society in the North, rather than keeping to mountain or deep-delve enclaves. Commonly known as Wanderers, all such dwarves make offerings to him in appeasement for good fortune. Marthammor is the patron of adventurers and explorers and all those dwarves who travel or live far from the dwarven homelands, allowing them to find routes to escape or to victory in their travels. He also watches over dwarven craftsfolk of any good alignment, keeping their homes and persons safe. His secondary aspect as god of lightning is unique among dwarves. The Finder-of-Trails is a growing cult in the North, and he may be evolving into an intermediate power.

Marthammor is seldom at home in his Cavern of Rest, which is guarded by the souls of those dwarves who perished while traveling aboveground and by boars and war dogs trained by the god himself. The Cavern lies in the ever-shifting underways of Nidavellir, third layer of Ysgard. Marthammor spends most of his time wandering the northern reaches of Faerun in his avatar form. Marthammor sometimes sends his avatar to act as a guide or to warn urban dwarves of trouble brewing in their homelands. More often, he sends omens in the form of lightning, subsidence on trails, sudden rockfalls, or priestly divination through stone-flinging (the pattern of a fist is a common sign).

Marthammor is almost gnomelike in his approach to life; he's open and friendly, and he's definitely curious what lies over the next horizon. He has a keen interest in the doings of the multiverse as a whole, and he is far less xenophobic than most dwarves or their deities.

Marthammor is one of the youngest powers of the Morndinsamman, and as such the other members tolerate what they call his antics. Moradin hopes Marthammor will settle down in a few millennia and gives thanks, at least, that he is not as chaotic as Dugmaren Brightmantle. Marthammor is on good terms with Dugmaren, as the theme of traveling to gain knowledge is a shared concern of these gods, and the Finder-of-Trails is welcome in Dugmaren's Soot Hall. While he hates all goblinkin and evil giant gods, Marthammor harbors a particular loathing for Grolantor.

Dogma: If the Children of Moradin are to survive as a race, they must adapt, grow, and learn to dwell in harmony with other good races, particularly humans. The Stout Folk must be encouraged to emerge from the illusory safety of their hidden delves and find true security in fellowship with humankind and demihumankind. Help fellow wanders and sojourners in the world, giving all that is needful. Guide those who are lost and guard those who are defenseless. Seek out new ways and new paths, and discover the wide world in your wanderings. Herald the way of newfound hope.

Avatar/Manifestations: he Finder-of-Trails almost always manifests himself in one of four ways helpful to dwarves and to their companions and friends.

In the wilds, Marthammor indicates to troubled dwarves the safest or best way to proceed by appearing as a glowing upright mace, floating in midair. His image is a bright, blue-white translucent mace that has no tangible existence, but which is not destroyed by being passed through. It is unaffected by dispel magic or other magical attacks and effects. The Mace of Marthammor gives enough light to read by and floats along in front of dwarves, patiently guiding them along a route.

In situations where precipices, pit-traps, or other dangers lurk, or when a wrong choice of route has been made, Marthammor manifests as a glowing, blue-white, disembodied hand. The hand will signal "stop" by appearing fingers together and palm open in warning; it then points back or in other directions to outline traps or to indicate a better way. The hand can even trace clan symbols or dwarven runes to establish its identity or to communicate messages.

In the homes of dwarves, Marthammor manifests as a mace of pulsing light that strikes unseen surfaces in midair to make a ringing, crashing sound audible only to dwarves. This alarm warns of thieves or other intruders and strikes one blow against an intruder (normal footman's mace damage, automatic hit) before vanishing. Such a blow is typically delivered at a key moment, in other words, against a first intruder readying a rope ladder for others or to disrupt spellcasting or missile fire directed at the residents Marthammor is protecting.

In cases of imminent invasion or other natural disaster that dwarven residents cannot hope to defeat, Marthammor can appear in the dreams of dwarves to warn them to move away in haste. If no dwarf is asleep, Marthammor manifests as a glowing magic mouth floating above the image of his symbol, and warns the residents directly. Any wizard who attempts to duplicate Marthammor's magic mouth symbol invites an immediate personal attack by the god.

Agents/Petitioners: If such an impostor has a trap planned for the god, Marthammor senses it and bring several other dwarven deitiessuch as his friends Clanggedin and Gorm-with him. Marthammor is served by bariaurs, blink dogs, galeb duhr, hawks, hunting dogs, firestars, owls, phoenixes, pseudodragons, and storm giants. He occasionally rewards dwarves with the courage to emerge from their isolated communities with precious stones polished by mountain streams that flow down to human communities. He shows his disfavor by causing folk to get lost or through the whining and growling of animals (especially dogs) that only those in disfavor can seem to hear.

The Church of Marthammor Duin: Marthammor is well regarded by wanderers, shield dwarves who seek the company of humans in their towns and cities. The Watcher's advocacy of racial integration, exploration, and adventure is little understood by the hidden, shield dwarves who remain cloistered in isolated dwarven holds deep in the northern mountains, but they evince only incomprehension, not antipathy, toward the Finder-of-Trails and his priests. Dwarves of other races have little awareness of the faith of the Watcher over Wanderers.

Marthammor is worshiped on the bare heights of stony tors on moonless nights, or on holy days and for important rituals, in underground caverns. The caverns must always be natural, unaltered by the hands of intelligent beings. Underground or on tor-top, an altar to Marthammor is always a simple stone cairn or wooden tripod, supporting a stone hammer, head uppermost. Priests of Marthammor stand looking at the hammer, praying to their god for guidance as to where they are needed and what they have done wrong or poorly. The god places visions in their minds, choosing which priests will guard temples, which explore particular areas, and so on. Temples of the Finder-of-Trails are scattered across the northlands, typically in the foothills midway between the traditional mountain territories of the dwarves and the human cities of the plains.

Novices of Marthammor are known as the Lost. Full priests are known as Watchful Eyes. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Marthammoran priests are Sun Seeker, Far Wanderer, Trail Finder, Vigilant Guardian, Stalwart Protector, and Valiant Hammer. High Old Ones have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as trailblazers.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Marthammor make marked trails in the wilderness northlands of the Realms, from Uttersea to the Great Ice Sea. They also establish way-caches of food and supplies (spare boots, clothing, weapons, drinking-water, bandages and splints, firemaking supplies, and the like) along these trails. Priests of Marthammor patrol these ways, healing and guiding dwarves they meet, providing a warm fire, a hot meal, and friendly companionship to exhausted, lonely, lost or hurt dwarves-of any faith or race.

Priests of Marthammor work with healers and priests of all races to help dwarves, allies, and companions of dwarves. While they do not accompany adventurers, they are in a sense adventurers themselves, often fighting monsters, discovering ruins, and facing the same perils that adventurers do. Travelers in the North-especially the northern Sword Coast region- often encounter small bands of 3d4 dwarven priests of Marthammor. Such bands do not reveal their clerical status unless they are dealing with dwarves or known dwarven allies or companions. The ghosts of diligent servants of Marthammor are said to haunt certain trails, old abandoned delves, and mountain passes. When dwarves or dwarven allies or companions are lost in such places, particularly in blizzards or storms, the phantom priests appear, gesturing silently, and guide the travelers along a safe route to refuge or their destination.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Followers of Marthammor celebrate numerous holy days during the year. Each festival day in the Calendar of Harptos and nine days after each festival day is considered holy to Marthammor. In years when Shieldmeet occurs, the holy day follows it nine days later; there are not two adjacent days, one following Midsummer and one Shieldmeet. On most holy days, and at least once a year for each worshiper, followers of the Finder-of-Trails must burn used ironwork and dwarf-made footwear in homage to the Watcher.

Midwinter and the ninth of Alturiak are known to the faithful as the Rooting and the Rebirth respectively. The former holy day celebrates the reforging ties to the mountain homelands, and the latter celebrates the reemergence of dwarven wanderers from their mountain fastnesses. Greengrass and the ninth of Mirtul are known to the faithful as the Wind and the Wayfaring respectively. The former celebrates new discoveries and the latter celebrates extended sojourns in the homelands of other races.

Midsummer and the ninth of Eleasias are known to the faithful as the Hammer and the Anvil. These holy days celebrate dwarven craftsmanship and creativity. Shieldmeet is celebrated as the Shepherding, a day when dwarven wanderers are expected to introduce the hidden to their human and demihuman neighbors. Highharvestide and the ninth of Leafall are celebrated as the Thunderbolt and the Fulmination. On these days followers of the Finder-of-Trails pray for guidance in any upcoming battles of the Stout Folk. Finally, The Feast of the Moon and the ninth of Nightal are celebrated as the Beacon and the Runestone respectively. These holy days celebrate the path revealed by Marthammor and the knowledge learned by interacting with other cultures.

Major Centers of Worship: In the Year of the Crown (1351 DR), nearly fifty priests of the Finder-of-Trails established the Vault of the Lost Wayfarer in a great natural cavern at the heart of Berun's Hill that had once been the crypt of Maegar, son of Relavir, grandson of Anarok, of the Royal House of the Helm of Gharraghaur. The existence of a dwarven tomb beneath the tor has long been the talk of legends in the North, but the Marthammoran priests who finally found the cavernous vault discovered that it had been plundered long ago by duergar who had tunneled up from below. Berun's Hill and Twilight Tor- Mrinolor and Anaurdahyn in the tongue of the dwarves-are the southernmost and northernmost tors respectively, of the Starmetal Hills, a range of knolls that runs parallel to the Long Road west of Longsaddle and has been the target of several meteor showers in recent millennia. Berun's Hill and, to a lesser extent, Twilight Tor command a splendid view of the Dessarin valley to the north and east, and both hilltops have long been employed by the followers of Marthammor both to worship the Watcher Over Wanderers on moonless nights and to observe passing travelers and caravans on the Long Road. Under the leadership of Immar Mistwalker, High Old One of Marthammor, son of Gadlyn, blood of Dorn, the Watchful Eyes have gradually extended their aegis over a region stretching from Wyvern Tor in the foothills of the Sword Mountains to Twilight Tor and from the town of Triboar to the Neverwinter Woods. Thanks to the regular patrols and ready assistance of the Watchful Eyes, small dwarven holds in the area have been able to reestablish long-sundered trade links with the neighboring human communities along the Long Road and the River Dessarin.

The Hospice of Deadsnows is a dual-faith religious stronghold located on the northern slopes of Mount Sabras in the Nether Mountains along the Fork Road, approximately halfway between Sundabar and the Fork. The fortified abbey was once the keep of a human lord whose dream of establishing a kingdom here was shattered by relentless ore attacks. Deadsnows is named for the battle that killed its lord, a winter skirmish that left ore and human bodies strewn over several miles of snowcovered ground. Deadsnows is now home to 450 dwarves dedicated to Marthammor Finder-of-Trails who dwell in harmony with 30 priests of Lathander. The humans serve Lathander in the promotion of growth and beginnings.

To this end, they have a walled garden and shop for experimentation that is crammed with odd pieces of apparatus and failed experiments. The walls of Deadsnows are studded with watchtowers and covered with climbing roses inside and on top. The priests of Lathander tend the flowers and they help to provide cover for the defenders looking over the top of the wall. The dwarves serve Marthammor by providing a safe redoubt for isolated dwarven holds in the region and by maintaining contact between them and the emerging nation of Luruar. Under the leadership of Kerrilla Gemstar, a founding member of the Council of 12 Peers of Luruar, the dwarven followers of Marthammor worship in a natural cavern beneath a tor rising at the center of the walled community. In troubled times, everyone retreats to the cavern and the entrances are walled off. The cavern has two secret paths into the Underdark, but traps to keep drow and other creatures from ascending into the dwarven halls guard them. In keeping with the dictates of their respective deities, the folk of Deadsnows make any travelers other than armed ores and evil beings welcome at an inn called the Rose and Hammer, located in the abbey forecourt. The hospice provides desperate travelers refuge from winter weather and ores. The priests of Marthammor and Lathander heal visitors in exchange for service, typically time on a fighting patrol scouring the mountain slopes near Deadsnows. Patrols drive out trolls, ores, and predators attracted to the sheep and ponies kept in two high, fenced meadows.

Affiliated Orders: While Marthammor's clergy regularly assists adventuring dwarves, few priests actually become adventurers. The Knights of the North Star are a widely dispersed order of Marthammoran priests who individually join adventuring companies based in the North composed primarily of humans and demihumans of other races. Members of the order seek to learn more of their companions' cultures, so as to ease the integration of Wanderer dwarves into other societies, and to direct the efforts of such adventuring companies toward activities consistent with the goals of dwarves in general. At least once per year each knight must deliver an oral or written report to the most convenient Marthammoran enclave.

Priestly Vestments: Priests of Marthammor garb themselves in gray robes and maroon overtunics emblazoned on both the front and back with a Watchful Eye beneath the symbol of Marthammor. The holy symbol of the faith is a miniature electrum hammer.

Adventuring Garb: Priests of Marthammor favor cloaks of gray or mottled green, brown, and gray over any sort of armor, including a helm if desired. While Watchful Eyes may employ any sort of bludgeoning weapon, they prefer hammers and staves, both weapons associated with the Finder. Glowstones are much prized the Marthammoran clergy, and it is not unusual for the Finder-of-Trail's priests to possess one or two.