Toldrun (toll-druhn)

The Deep Lord

Toldrun, the Lord of the Depths, of Caves, and of Valuable Things, is one of the newest deities known in existence. His exact origins and heritage are unknown, which has led to some speculation that evil entities were involved - either Divone or Morwyn or both. In his short few centuries of existence, he has already ignited and spurred the continuation of the Dwarven Civil War, perpetrated by his zealous followers who run the ancient dwarven homeland of Forgsberg now known as the Toldrun See.
When Toldrun was first revealed to some of the dwarves in their ancestral homeland, he was relegated to the fringes of society, a fad by some miscreants trying to get rich and climb the rigid social ranks of dwarven society. But the following began to pick up more momentum and more adherents, and soon there was a showdown between the existing monarch and the fanatical followers of Toldrun. The King was killed in this incident, and the remaining dwarves were told to either convert to the new religion of Toldrun or be exiled. Many thousands chose exile over forsaking their ancestral deity, Morgran, and they headed for the nearby kingdom of Skerritt. After just a few days, the new leadership ordered the military - now loyal to the Toldrunites - to pursue the exiled heretics and kill them all. Luckily for the refugees, their new home welcomed them warmly - due to generations of peaceful relations between the two nations - and came to their defense against their persecutors.
Within a few years of the original revolution and hunt for heretics, the Toldrunites declared that the people of Skerritt who harbored the exiles were also heretics and would be ruthlessly conquered and purged. Several centuries later, the war wages on, with both sides manning large forts and watchtowers on their respective sides of the dividing rivers. The surface dwarves and their hosts have merged cultures and formed a bond of kinship that continues to resist the onslaught of fanatical warriors from Toldrun. Meanwhile, the Toldrunite dwarves have amassed an impressive array of military weapons and vehicles in their fanatical pursuit of those they view as heretics.
At some point after his creation and adoption by the dwarves, Toldrun sired a divine child with the Deirid Eamon, a union that has had its legitimacy called into question by scholars, priests, and even members of the divine realms. The resulting offspring, Níamorr, resembles Toldrun far more than Eamon, and many believe him to actually be the antithesis of Eamon. Most learned people believe that Toldrun either coerced Eamon into this union and procreation, or somehow lured him into it under false pretenses. Of course, this union and the nature of Níamorr's divinity have called even further into question the origins and morality of Toldrun himself.

Divine Domains

Forge

War

Order

Light

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Sigil: pickaxe surrounded by four colored gems

Divine Symbol: dark metal pickaxe

Tenets of Faith

• The earth has plenty to give, one needs only dig deep enough in the right places.
• With the right equipment, even the deepest and darkest caves are no match for dwarven might.
• Heretical dwarves who rebuke the teachings of Toldrun need to be hunted and purged in his name, as do those who harbor such heretics.
• Once one has possession of a gem or other valuable item, one must guard it with one's life.

Physical Description

Identifying Characteristics

The few sources we have that describe Toldrun's appearance speak of an ebon-skinned dwarf with hair as black as coal and a forked beard of equal darkness. The stout, yet surprisingly strong dwarf is known to always carry around a dark metal pickaxe, rumored to be made from admantine or even star metal.

Portrait art by me using HeroForge

Divine Classification

Deirid

Religions

• Light Pantheon

Alignment

Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil

Realm

Gehenna

Children

• Níamorr