Molgrin, the Lantern Deep

Domain: Safe Passage, Watchfires, Cavern Travel
Titles: The Root-Bearer, Warden of the Blackroads, The Blue Flame
Symbol: A lantern wrapped in roots
Origin Among Mortals: Molgrin came into being deep beneath the world, where the sun cannot reach and silence presses like stone. Born of the collective dread of getting lost forever, his presence emerged from the trembling prayers of miners, spelunkers, and wanderers who braved the underdark with only flame and faith to guide them.
He is the warmth of a fire in total darkness, the faint glimmer at the end of a winding passage, the guardian spirit whispered of by those who walk where light does not live.
Molgrin is not the god of light itself — he is the god of light that stays, of fire that waits, of hope that does not abandon.
Nature of the Lantern Deep: Molgrin is steadfast, grounded, and ever-watchful. He does not promise safety — he promises warning. He does not banish danger — he prepares you for it. His domain is built not on protection through strength, but through endurance and vigilance.
Where others ascend, Molgrin roots. He is quiet companionship, a firm hand on your shoulder in the dark. He is most often prayed to in whispers, in darkness, with one hand on the ground — a sign of respect for what lies beneath.
His presence is marked by a cold blue flame — one that burns without heat, flickering only when danger is near. His fire does not burn monsters — it alerts you to them.
Manifestation & Imagery: Molgrin is often visualized as a broad, hunched figure of stone and tangled roots, a glowing blue lantern swinging from one arm. Moss hangs from his shoulders, and his voice — if heard — is said to sound like shifting gravel and low wind through deep halls.
His symbol, a lantern wrapped in roots, is etched onto mining helmets, carved into tunnel entrances, and hung from branches along shadowed roads. Miniature root-lantern charms are carried by travelers as protection charms.
Worship and Followers: Molgrin’s followers are practical and quiet. Known as the Lanternbound, they tend to shrines in tunnels, light watchfires in remote mountain paths, and offer passage services for coin or kindness. Some travel as torchbearers for pilgrims. Others remain rooted in deep caverns, becoming guides, guardians, or watchers for entire communities.
His worship often involves ritual lighting: candles, lanterns, or rootwood braziers ignited with special oils. When the flame turns blue without cause, it is a sign to stop, listen, and prepare.
After the Dark Awakening: When the world cracked and shadows lengthened, Molgrin’s importance grew. Caverns became refuge — and danger. Roadways twisted. The dead walked again, and the things that crawled from the depths brought death with them.
Yet the blue flames still burned.
In the shattered world, Molgrin became a guardian of the in-between — not only of tunnels and mines, but of night roads, ruins, and broken cities. Anywhere light is rare and the path is uncertain, his flame might glow. And when it flickers? You are not alone.
Notable Sayings & Myths:
“Trust the blue. It does not lie. Only warn.”
The Still Ember: A story of a lost miner who followed a single flicker of Molgrin’s flame for three days through shifting stone, emerging miles from where he entered — unharmed, and forever changed.
The Seven Watchfires: A ritual where flames are lit in sequence across dangerous terrain, believed to summon Molgrin’s gaze and ward off what hunts in darkness.
The Flame-Fall Pact: Some say that if you die beneath the earth and your lantern remains lit, Molgrin will guide your soul upward — one final watch.

“I do not promise safety. Only the path. Step where the light holds, and I will walk with you.”