Dorok - The Divine Hammer

Ka Hamare Akua

A short History of Dorok - The Divine Hammer

The first dwarf ever to dig down, the first dwarf ever to mine ore, the first dwarf ever to build a smithy. The Divine Hammer is the origin of all that truly defines dwarven culture. His hammer's strikes are said to be strong enough to create thunder and his legendary smithy is supposedly capable of creating anything anyone might desire - even new life.

Mortal Life

Although Dorok ascended long before any modern civilisation was created, a lot is known about his life - the dwarfs are escellent record keepers with a long memory.
Born in a time when the most sophisticated tools were made from stick, stone and bone. A time during which the dwarves still lived above the ground and had not settled down yet - the time of movement and nomads, the age of darkness. He witnessed the troubles his people went through and set out to discover a way to help them all. The adventures Dorok lived through in this time are the basis for many childrens stories told by dwarven families all over the world. The most important among them the ones where he uses his wit to outsmart his enemies, beating them with nothing more than simple tools and traps. He returned to his people a hero, but still without a way to end their plights.

Ascension

Dorok had grown old among his clan when the final inspiration struck him. He observed a dragon burrowing into the ground and digging up ore, rolling in it. Quickly making the connection between the hardness of the dragon's scales and the ore, he decided that this would be his true legacy, he would harvest it and turn it into tools as hard as a dragons scales, plows to tend the field and axes to defend them.
It is said that Dorok spent seven years continuosly working, without sleep or food, single mindedly working on his creation, building the first the mine, breaking the ore from the rock and figuring out how to smelt and forge it. When he was done, he shed his mortal skin and became the god of the forge. Unknowingly, his passion was so great, that he not only forged metal into something new, but remade his entire race - becoming their essential creator in the end. He gave them what they needed to survive in a harsh world, the mines and tunnels to live in protected from the outside, the metal to ensure that they may prosper and the ability to put all their energy towards a single task, giving them the capability to use his gifts wisely. Each and every dwarf has thanked Dorok for their entire lives for that.

Worship

Worshippers

Dorok is worshipped by many people, not just dwarfs and smiths. When he saw that his children prayed to him, as their children wouldn't be born alive when they interbred with other races, he heard their prayers and forged new and stronger bodies for those children. Ensuring that his people would live long lifes, arguing and fighting with the gods of other races that they may allow him to do that and even help him along - after all: what is a dwarf without their clan, however it may look? As such many races that are considered mixes are paying some form of tribute to Dorok, even if they have their own gods by now.

Priests

Dorok is worshipped mainly by dwarfs, so most of his priests are dwarfs as well. Generally at least one member of each generation of any given family will become a priest, learning from a young age on from their elders. Although, in a pinch, any blacksmith will do. Traditionally young priests are expected to mirror their god and leave their homes to go on adventures, bringing back new discoveries for the family to utilize.

Paladins

Imagine a dwarf, clad head to toe in plate armour stylized like dragon scales, not one inch of their skin showing through. Charging at you wielding an axe the size of themselves. Now you might think "I should not have made that joke about this guys mother..." These paladins are fiercly devoted to their families or clans and will not stop until they are sure that justice has been served.

Acts of Worship

The act of creation is the most important thing, with blacksmiths ans metal workers in general being valued very high. Creation is prayer, destruction is sacrilege.

Temples

Any smithy, any workshop is considered is considered a shrine. It is not uncommon to hear artisans sing hymns to Dorok while creating in their own workshops. True temples are always built underground, or at least in caves. They are usually rich, as many bring their creations as offerings, which are then sold to finance the clergy. Any struggling family or clan may request assistance by the temples, with understanding that they will pay it back twofold. After all, all dwarves are technically one and the same clan.

Venerate those that create, disparage those that destroy

— First Command of Dorok

Followers:

Blacksmiths

Artisans

Dwarves

Mixed Ancestries

Sayings:
The individual is weak, the Clan is strong

Paladin of Dorok

Related Myths

• Three Betrayals