Last Goddess Standing
Three deities were once worshipped in Vorsthold, the underground dwarven citadel, each with their own large temple, the spires visible from almost any part of the city - one bronze, one silver and one gold.
Gorm Gulthyn, Berronar Truesilver and Haela Brightaxe were the three, and the relationship between them, their priesthoods and the city was strong and supportive. Then, one day in the middle of an assault by Duergar siege engines, the priests of Haela found their spells fail them, and suddenly they could feel a deep cold pit in their chests where their relationship to the Luckmaiden had been. A minute later, the priests of Gorm had the same experience, and it was only through the rigid discipline of the Vorstguard that they were able to keep the Duergar out that day - massive cracks were made in the gate that took months to fully repair. Divinations by the priests of Berronar Truesilver eventually discovered the horrendous news - that Gorm and Haela had fallen in battle with Duergar deities. The gods were dead, and there was but one goddess left to help Vorsthold.
Gorm Gulthyn had been worshipped under the bronze spire, the guardian deity of protection and a natural choice for a citadel in a perpetual state of defence. His priests had divided their time between temple duties and standing on the wall with the rest of the warriors. They understood better than most that all defences may one day crack and all beings, even gods, may lay down their lives in battle. Devastated of course, they entered a state of deep mourning for some time, they went the ways their faith directed them to. Some moved to Berronar's temple, accepting that she was also worthy of their devotion, if she would have them. Others abandoned their now defunct faith and focused on their martial prowess, becoming the finest defensive fighting force the Vorsthold had. The Deepfast Defenders who now guard the forefront outpost of Deepfast out in the Underdark still hold to Gorm's teachings and faith, though their clerical powers have disappeared with their god.
Haela Brightaxe was worshipped under the gold spire, the Luckmaiden goddess of battle. Her priestesses and occasional priests were called the Bloodmaidens and they led the vanguard of any strike against the enemy outside the walls. The death of their goddess was unfathomable to them. As Duergar were who they had been fighting at the time of their goddesses' death at the hands of a Duergar god, they focused their anger and their need for revenge on those cursed grey-skinned once-dwarves. A few days after they learned of the Luckmaidens demise, the Bloodmaidens gathered, fully armoured, and left the city through the side entrance, charging into the darkness swearing revenge on every Duergar who lived. Depending on who you speak to in Vorsthold, this was either the bravest or the most selfish thing ever done. Whatever the morality of the decision, the Bloodmaidens have never been seen again. Some say they are still out there, fighting and raiding Duergar outposts across the Underdark and it's true, assaults by the Duergar have been slightly less frequent. Most however, agree that they are lost, slain somewhere in the darkness, corpses of the last faithful of Haela Brightaxe.
Now the gold and bronze spires have been repurposed - those temples are now a guardhouse and an armoury respectively, which in fairness is practically what they already were. Some symbols and artefacts remain out of respect, but there is little ceremony about it. The only remaining temple is the silver spire - that of Berronar Truesilver, one of the foremost deities in the dwarven pantheon. High Priest Garvus Mantine leads her faithful now in Vorsthold, sharing her ministry of healing and safety, of home. They had always been the primary healers and caretakers of the three priesthoods, and now they had to fill that role and more. The temple of Truesilver is filled with so much incense from the constant rituals of healing that they have to make regular effort to clean the tarnishes off of the silver lining the main chamber. The priests work tirelessly to keep up with the demand of three temples, and though they have expanded their numbers there is always more to do. They have encouraged the training of more mundane physicians to tend to the less dire wounds of the Vorstguard, and the back halls of the temple serve more as a triage centre than a place of contemplative reflection.
It's a hard life being a priest, but nowhere more so than in Vorsthold in the tarnished halls of Truesilver. People often comment that High Priest Mantine has grown grey very quickly since the loss of the other two gods. He has had to be the moral and spiritual centre of the citadel, and that is not an easy burden to bear. The faith of Truesilver is simple however, and deeply ingrained in the culture of Vorsthold: be truthful, be cautious, be caring.
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