Durnak
(a.k.a. The Everforged)
Durnak manifests as a broad, powerfully built figure with the physique of a mastersmith who has worked the forge for thousands of years. His skin appears as living metal—sometimes molten bronze, other times cooling iron, with patterns resembling hammer marks and forge scars that tell the story of creation itself. His face combines stern authority with creator's pride—a strong jaw, prominent nose, and eyes that glow like forge coals, shifting from orange to white-hot depending on his focus. His beard appears as metal filaments or cooling slag, sometimes with small embers glowing within it when his passion for creation intensifies. Instead of hair, his head displays a ridged, metallic skullcap that appears partially fused with his flesh, engraved with the primal runes of creation. He typically wears a mastersmith's apron made from materials unknown to mortal crafters, adorned with pockets containing miniature versions of every tool ever created, symbolizing his mastery over all forms of crafting.
Worship of Durnak centers around creation, refinement, and endurance through transformation. His followers include smiths, jewelers, engineers, architects, and any who create lasting works. Devotional practices involve the dedication of first and masterworks alike, the maintenance of ancestral tools passed through generations, and the recitation of forge-prayers that time the rhythm of hammer strikes. Many adherents maintain small personal forges where they create symbolic offerings—miniature tools or weapons never intended for use but representing their commitment to excellence in craft.
Sacred spaces dedicated to Durnak exist at the heart of dwarven settlements, centered around "Ancestor Forges"—massive furnaces built upon the same spot through countless generations, with each new forge incorporating elements from its predecessors. These structures serve both practical and spiritual purposes, producing items of exceptional quality while connecting crafters to the accumulated knowledge of ancestors. The areas surrounding these forges feature "Legacy Walls" displaying masterworks from throughout community history, arranged chronologically to demonstrate the evolution of technique. At particularly important forges, dwarves maintain collections of "First Hammers"—the initial tools created by legendary crafters, believed to contain echoes of their makers' spirits that guide current artisans.
Throughout the year, followers observe ceremonies tied to different aspects of the crafting process. The most significant is the "Great Forging"—an annual event where the community's master crafters work together to create a single object of exceptional significance, pooling their skills and knowledge under Durnak's inspiration. For individual dwarves, the creation of their personal "Life Work"—the single greatest item they will ever produce—represents the most sacred connection to Durnak. These exceptional pieces, created at significant life milestones, receive special blessings and often possess unusual properties beyond ordinary craftsmanship. When master crafters die, their spirits are believed to join Durnak at the Primordial Forge, where they continue creating wonders that occasionally inspire living artisans through dreams and sudden insights.
Divine Domains
Comments