Rivethun
While nowhere near as large as the following of the dwarven pantheon, the worship of spirits and ancestors is still strong among the people of Highhelm and the greater Five Kings Mountains. Various groups and orders have existed throughout the duration of dwarven history, but none has endured as long as the Rivethun. Deriving their name from an exceptionally ancient dwarven dialect, Rivethun roughly translates to “releasers of secrets,” a name that speaks to the organization’s ancient traditions of animism.
The members of the Rivethun, which include non-dwarves, seek to make contact with various spirits. These range from the souls of the dead and undead to elementals and fey, and to other spirits that exist beyond the typical classifications. Rivethun members communicate with these spirits, negotiating for knowledge, guidance, and favours. Serving as intermediaries, a Rivethun priest or shaman acts as a living link between dwarven civilization and the supernatural forces of reality.
Rivethun members live spiritually attuned lives as archivists, diplomats, entrepreneurs, exorcists, guides, and mentors, serving their communities and maintaining strong connections to spirits without becoming outright sycophants of a spiritual nature. The people of Highhelm typically call upon members of the Rivethun to commune with ancestors during important life moments, such as a marriage or the upcoming birth of a child. These people usually seek a spirit’s favour and blessing for these life events. Rivethun members typically have the ability to provide some kind of response from the spirit or spirits, though it’s not always a welcome or positive message.
According to the Rivethun, anyone can contact the spirits this way, but their initiates undergo specific processes to open themselves up more to the spirits. Many of the Rivethun’s most capable members have dealt with major difficulties or chronic troubles throughout their lives. They draw upon these experiences, focusing on their memories, emotions, pain, and growth during these times to open their minds and souls to the spiritual. With these techniques, Rivethun members can cultivate their spiritual attunement, developing the capacity to cast magic, draw upon qi, unlock psychic abilities, tap into their instincts, or other skills in addition to their ability to communicate with spirits.
Not all Rivethun members rely on trauma and past difficulties for their skills. Some instead learn meditative practices that draw on other emotions and experiences to aid with their work. However, since many of the original Rivethun teachings focused on working through and with life’s natural struggles, it sometimes takes these other members longer to reach the same capabilities as their companions.
Thanks to their general experience with personal troubles, members of the Rivethun also serve as counsellors and mentors for many people in Highhelm. While Rivethun members can’t directly relate with every person’s specific issues, the group has developed a number of techniques, teachings, and support methods over its long history. Over the ages, the Rivethun has encountered many variations of life’s hardships, most of which are chronicled in some capacity, allowing the lessons of the past to continue helping those in the present.
Of particular note are the various recipes, rituals, formulas, and support techniques the Rivethun have to facilitate gender transition. While the general dwarven population accepts transition and will support friends and family members who pursue it, the process can sometimes be a mysterious or even lonely one. Those seeking to transition, even those with strong support networks, often consult with Rivethun members, many of whom either transitioned in the past or explored their personal understanding of their gender as a part of their personal journeys. These same members often draw on their transition experience as a way to attune themselves to spirits.
To many, the Rivethun appears to be a religion, but the group isn’t as formally organized as most faiths, especially those found in Highhelm. Rivethun follows a loose hierarchy of spirits and spiritual entities, which culminates with the dwarven pantheon at the top and Torag respected not as a god but as the most powerful and influential spirit in dwarven culture. The group still maintains temples, shrines, and places of worship or meditation like most religions, but they rarely hold organized sermons or large group instruction. Instead, a Rivethun temple is more akin to an academy or library, serving the community as a place of learning and individual focus, with guidance available for those who seek it.
Within Highhelm, one Rivethun temple is the Smouldering Court, a monastery and nexus of spiritual activity in King’s Heart. The court is open to anyone, regardless of their need, and the monastery’s leader, Nenakari Ougor, always seems to inherently know a visitor’s plights with a single look. Beyond the city, the Rivethun maintains The Court of One Thousand in the northern city of Larrad. Named for the thousand spirits of ancient Rivethun members who supposedly remain to act as guides, the Court of One Thousand serves as the official headquarters for the Rivethun. High Seeker Polbar Trueye maintains strong communications between the headquarters and Smouldering Court, as they see the state of Highhelm in dire need of greater guidance.
Rivethun members in Highhelm have reported a greater abundance of spirits in recent years. While most see this as an opportunity for greater connections, there are also some difficulties with the development. Some of these spirits seem to be ancient, from times before Highhelm’s founding. Rivethun records describe these spirits as originating from times before the Quest for Sky, and many are particularly powerful and influential. The spirits speak of ancient accords and forgotten promises that many contemporary Rivethun members are having difficulty finding records of or understanding, leading to upset or even angry spirits. Appeasing these spirits has taken more and more time from the Rivethun, and even some of its most experienced members find they have trouble communicating with some of the more restless spirits. Nenakari believes that these spirits might have been ones that dwarven culture “lost” connection with during the Quest for Sky and are only now returning. She sees a great opportunity for both the Rivethun and her culture as a whole, but the process of both sides re-familiarizing themselves will be a difficult one.
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