Surm Tutdrug
The Dead Dwarf, The Lifehunter, The Rage of the Stout, The Abyssal Smith, He Who Walks The Shadow, The Stoic Prince, The Blacksmith of the Void, The Relentless Force, The Wrathful (a.k.a. Surmatious Tuttendruggal)
Surm Tutdrug, sometimes known as the Dead Dwarf, is the Beacon representing Death, Endings and the Present. He is one of the most widely worshipped of all deities present on Apa Axas, particuarly amongst his most prestigious children, the Dwarves. He is often worshipped by blacksmiths, sculptors and other creators, due to his famously deft hands at crafting, as well as a popular choice for monster hunters, being the basis for groups such as The House of Sinew and The Draylin Company.
It is said that Surm Tutdrug forged the concept of death, in order to provide a shield for the mortal races from the maddening ordeal of immortality. He created this death from his own experiences, being the first being to die due to his time-warping birth.
He is a popular choice for certain Clerics to worship, most notably Forge, Grave, Hunting, Justice and Travel Domains.
It is said that the Forge of Surm Tutdrug creates powerful weapons out of pure darkness. These weapons have been known to turn sentient, and make deals with mortals, creating Hexblade Warlocks.
Divine Domains
Artifacts
Surm Tutdrug has many artifacts, mostly due to his cult-like guild of blacksmithing worshippers known as The Halls of Creation. These master craftsmen, usually Dwarves or Forge Clerics, create many wonderous items for the Dead Dwarf, but they are mostly kept as holy relics.
The most famous relic of Surm Tutdrug is Surm's Cast, also known as the Armour of Invulnerability, a harness made of Oneiric Ore and Mithril that allowed the Lifehunter to escape the God Severment and arrive on Apa Axas. Since then, Surm Tutdrug has worn the armour into many battles, such as The Eleven Wars. Many of the Dwarves believe that without this item, they would not exist, and so it is one of their most holy of artifacts.
Another example of Surm Tutdrug's ingenuity is the Iron Flask, a container so powerful that it was used to contain Nidryshim after the Phase Wars. However, this feat required the use of Sovereign Glue to complete the seal. The Flask was not the only time Surm Tutdrug has created items of war. The Ring of Spellturning was a powerful item that allowed the Dwarven Armies dominate the Elven forces during The Eleven Wars, until it was stolen by the Ledgermain's Hand.
Unbroken Vow is a mystical halberd, often bestowed upon the leader of The Halls of Creation as a mark of their vow to the Dead Dwarf. The Halberd is said to have been the first weapon created by Surm Tutdrug after The Vida Quda's second exodus, and is forged of his feelings of betrayal and wish for retribution.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Like many of the other Beacons and Travesties, Surm Tutdrug appears in a variety of guises, depending on who he is interacting with.
To The High Elven Pantheon, he is known as Surmatious Tuttendruggal, and appears as a hideous Dwarf-like creature with many arms, to take all that he desires around him.
In The Modern Wood Elven Pantheon, Surm Tutdrug appears as a grey-skinned shaman who weaves weapons with his mind, and sets them to shape with his rage. He also appears as a spirit Bear, and is made up of four aspects; The Stoic Prince, The Blacksmith of the Void, The Relentless Force and the Wrathful. He is prayed to during funeral rites.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Surm Tutdrug’s origins are fairly vague, as early Dwarves refused to learn even their own written language for a long phase of their history, and it is not known as to what Surm Tutdrug existed as before his ascension (or if he existed at all). What is known is that, like many of his peers, he was created in the God Severment, and he also attempted to flee the agony of birth like many other deities born on that fateful day. Surm Tutdrug is said to have been born last of all deities, and, due to his hesitation, he was caught in the full force of the God Severment, evaporating immediately. However, the newborn deity could not fully die, painfully resurrecting a microsecond later, only to be destroyed after a microsecond more.
Due to the time-distorting nature of the God Severment, some have theorised that Surm Tutdrug spent, what was to him, millions of years in this endless cycle of rebirth. Once he somehow clawed his way out of that nightmare, using a harness made on an alloy of Oneiric Ore and Mithril known as Surm's Cast, the Dead Dwarf had found himself deep in the past of Apa Axas, existing somewhere between life and death as the First Undead, a status the proud Surm Tutdrug abhors. Undeath is the ultimate insult to the delicate natural balance of life and death that Surm Tutdrug holds dearest, and attempts to rid Apa Axas of all other Undead, at which point he will finally destroy himself, satisfied with a job well done. However, while Undeath may be the ultimate blasphemy to Surm Tutdrug, it is nethertheless his constant state, a fact that broke Surm Tutdrug’s mind and spirit when he awakened in Apa Axas and realised what he had become. His shattered mind compelled him to create a machine that would later become known as the Soulforge, which could create Spirits from nothingness. From this Soulforge, Surm Tutdrug produced the first of the ghosts of the world and cast them into Apa Axas. Surm Tutdrug toiled for many years, until The Vida Quda stumbled upon his forge.
While Death is a constant companion to Surm Tutdrug, the Dead Dwarf also has a deep connection to the Lady of Life, and, after the Crownless Queen had abandoned Feny Lekki and their Elven Children, the Vida Quda met Surm Tutdrug when she required her breastplate to be repaired after a battle with a Balor. The Vida Quda appreciated Surm Tutdrug’s artistry and soon the pair formed a powerful bond, and together, they restored Surm Tutdrug’s former zeal for life. Surm Tutdrug agreed to aid the Vida Quda in her Great Endeavour and soon, they created the Dwarven people. These new folk were powerful, stoic and hardy, and perfectly reflected Surm Tutdrug’s philosophy and ideals, but they were too stuck in their ways for the Vida Quda’s purposes, and the Vida Quda abandoned them to their fate. Whether this was or was not exacerbated by Feny Lekki is up for debate, but according to Dwarven lore, this act damned both The Vida Quda and Feny Lekki in the eyes of the Lifehunter. This evoked the first of the Dead Dwarf’s Ancient Grudges, a hatred of the Vida Quda that burned to such an extent, that it lead Surm Tutdrug to commit an unthinkable act.
When Zemer Epsh, the travesty of vengeance, approached Surm Tutdrug with a plan for revenge on the Vida Quda, Surm Tutdrug did not hesitate, and he laid with the Lustful God, creating The Fire Giants. When Surm Tutdrug learnt of Zemer Epsh’s plan to lay waste to not only the Vida Quda, but all of Apa Axas with the aid of these Fire Giants, the Dead Dwarf, in shame, warned and aided the other Beacons against the combined armies of Zemer Epsh and Kukundath, but not before the Dragons scorched the entire continent of Gilunrik. Surm Tutdrug blamed himself for this travesty, and, in memory of Draylin, the first city destroyed in The Dragongate Incident, formedThe Draylin Company, a guild of dragon-slayers who’s fanaticism borders on megalomania, even to the point of genocide against the Dragons. Many other monster hunting guilds, such as The House of Sinew, also hold Surm Tutdrug to high esteem.
Surm Tutdrug is said to still be unable to bring himself to forgive the Vida Quda for her actions, it is believed that he still harbours a candle for her, as soon after her exodus from Dwarven kind, he used the Soulforge to create the eight Ancient Natural Spirits. Each of these spirits bore a striking resemblance to the Barefoot Wanderer, each was blessed with a distinct feature relating to her and each was put in charge with the protection of an aspect of the natural world that the Vida Quda adored; Evergreen Polus was born with the Vida Quda’s ice white hair and was placed in charge of the cold Arctic wastes of the north and south, Marinus the Kelpborn possesses pearls in her hair that resemble the fruits that grow from the Vida Quda’s hair and was given charge of the Oceans and Coasts of the world, Dunia Alove who had the lithe and flowing figure of the Lady of Twine and Vine and watched over the burning desert sands, Borea Galebreath who’s soothing voice sounded identical to the song in the heart of the Vida Quda and was in charge of the wooded places in the world, Vana the Fast who was fleet of foot as was the Vida Quda and ran through the grasslands of the world, Tall Eva who bore the height and awesome presence of the Lady of Life and stood above the mountainous realms, The Lady of the Bog who reflected the Vida Quda’s love of plants in her green hue and the moss-like patches on her skin and looked over the shining quagmires and swamps of the world and Uttar the Underling, who reflected the dark shadows behind the Vida Quda’s eyes and lived under the other siblings, in the mysterious Underdark. While these spirits, known as Demi-Beacons, are mostly worshipped by Druids and Nature Clerics and paid tribute to by Rangers, they possess significant power of their own, and have been known to grant pacts with mortals, whilst also acting as his Emissaries.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Surm Tutdrug aims to undo his previous sins, and wishes to destroy all hints of Undeath across Apa Axas. He will use any means to do so, even at the cost of his own immortal soul.
Social
Contacts & Relations
While the Dwarves are considered his main children, Surm Tutdrug is also responsible for the creation of the Ancient Natural Spirits. He created these Demi-Beacons to watch over the environments of Apa Axas while the Vida Quda wandered the world. These eight spirits: Evergreen Polus, Marinus the Kelpborn, Dunia Alove, Borea Galebreath, Vana the Fast, Tall Eva, The Lady of the Bog and Uttar the Underling, each bore a resemblance to the Crownless Queen, and each was tasked with the guardianship of a certain aspect of the world.
Relationships
History
The Vida Quda and Surm Tutdrug are claimed by the Dwarves to be the most holy of lovers. However, the Vida Quda is disappointed in Surm Tutdrug, viewing him as a mistake after creating the Dwarves.
History
Together, Surm Tutdrug and Zemer Epsh created the Fire Giants
Divine Classification
Beacon
Religions
Current Location
Species
Realm
Church/Cult
Spouses
The Vida Quda
(Ex-Wife)
Siblings
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Related Myths
Ruled Locations
Comments