a different take on Moradin, and dwarven religion in general

[Imperialus]

So I just started playing a dwarven fighter/cleric in a 2nd ed campaign so I decided to write up some thoughts on how dwarves might view religion. I wanted to do something to make it distinct from the other D&D deities but keep it well grounded in something that 'works' for D&D. The closest real life approximation would probably be Shinto, a religion that isn't. Rather it's a system of beliefs and traditions that have been around for so long that they've become so deeply ingrained in the culture that there is no divorcing them. It's not that religion runs society, rather that society is religion, a philosophy that seems to work very well for Dwarves, or at least my interpretation of them.

It is also an attempt to come up with an internal logic for why a Lawful (with a capital L) dwarf could avoid becoming Lawful Stupid.

“What’s Moradin? Well to be a dwarf is to be Moradin, and to be Moradin is to be a dwarf… Trying to explain it any more than that is like trying to describe the colour of gold to a blind man. You both get frustrated, and accomplish nothing other than ending up a few hours older.” Gerrath Deep-Law Dwarven priest speaking to the high theurge of Pelor.

Moradin (or Mörádŗiin in old dwarven) is quite unlike human gods, indeed quite unlike any other gods known to exist. Most humans have anthropomorphized Moradin, imagining him as some smith obsessed with honour and law attempting to give him a personality, goals and a series of edicts similar to their own gods but the truth is both much simpler and more complex than that. Moradin actually means “Dwarf” in the ancient dwarven language and rather than being a god who can act directly in the world Moradin is both an exemplar and an amalgamation of the ‘perfect’ dwarf. Dwarves speak of achieving Moradin, or following Moradin, but when they do so they are speaking about the various standards of behaviour, traditions and honour that govern their lives, not a physical deity. There are no holy books in Moradin’s name, no prayers or rituals, and certainly no evangelism but rather a perfect being who exists only in philosophy and represents everything that an individual dwarf wishes to be. Every dwarf has a slightly different understanding of what Moradin represents and generally speaking, does his or her personal best to live up to those standards.

It is not abundantly clear where dwarven clerics draw their power from, the dwarves don’t talk about it, and it’s unclear if even they fully understand. What is clear is that in addition to being extremely rare, a dwarf is either a cleric or he is not; the dwarf himself seems to have little say in the matter. A dwarf will generally ‘become’ a cleric during the ritual he undergoes when joining his warrior society, even a dwarf probably couldn’t explain how it happens or even what happens when it does… It just is, and for the most part Dwarves seem happy to leave it at that. One popular theory among those familiar with Moradin is that some dwarves have a certain connection with Moradin within them, which allows them to draw on the collective history and power of the dwarves as a race to cast spells, but this is unproven. Dwarven clerics are typically driven into different spheres of priestly power depending on their own personal beliefs and what they value as individuals though the practicality of their nature means that the divination sphere is almost always closed off to them.

That said there are generally accepted standards of what Moradin represents. To achieve Moradin a dwarf must follow the ancient laws, sagas and traditions that govern his people. These have been handed down orally over the generations and they are so engrained in the dwarven psyche that dwarves who break their laws will more often than not turn themselves in rather than face the personal dishonour of having failed Moradin. Most dwarves would rather face a decade of indentured servitude for having broken an oath, rather than face the personal shame of having dishonoured themselves.

Dwarven laws are relatively simple (at least to dwarves) and most centre around the making and keeping of oaths. Only the most basic rules for civil behaviour are actually codified, and even fewer of those are written down, instead simply being backed up by the weight of tradition and collective memory.

It is important to note however that most Dwarves have little or no real respect for laws other than their own, and do not apply their own standards of behavior to non-dwarves. They generally follow the local laws, but only out of convenience and the fact that many of them generally coincide with their own standards of behavior. That said, a dwarf is perfectly content turning a blind eye to other peoples indiscretions so long as they do not run afoul of another oath that the dwarf has already sworn, after all it's their honor at stake, not the dwarves . For example if a companion of a dwarf steals something from a shopkeeper the dwarf won’t likely turn him in, but if that same companion steals from an employer who the dwarf has promised to protect he would be honour bound to intervene. It works the other way too, a dwarf who has sworn to help a friend will lie, cheat and steal to keep that oath, even if that friend runs afoul of other 'unimportant' laws.

 

[balam_br]

I liked the approach and certainly would play a dwarf with that kind of philosophy...

 

[pawsplay]

Interesting. I will put forward that in my view, the keeping of oaths, irrespective of "small" laws but with respect to other oaths, sounds like a more Neutral approach than Lawful. I see Lawful characters as more likely to involve themselves in maneuvers in order to fulfill all their obligations, and of course Chaotics are largely untroubed by contradictions. For instance, I think a Lawful character might feel compelled to turn their friend into the law, and just as compelled to defend their friend through every lawful means thereafter.

 

[senna]

Wow, i am playing a dwarf in my current campaign and the DM asked my character if Moradin died would i still follow him, because he was just a great and powerful creature not a god.

I gave answered that Moradin was a way, a point to achieve and not "simply" an inspiration. That every dwarf want to attain the values and morals of Moradin, and, if he died, every dwarf would still want to achieve the same thing.

That is really close to how you describe your vision of Moradin.

 

[Imperialus]

Interesting. I will put forward that in my view, the keeping of oaths, irrespective of "small" laws but with respect to other oaths, sounds like a more Neutral approach than Lawful.

I think it's really just a different interpretation of Lawful. Think of it as being like a Doctor who speeds to get to an emergency call. At that point in time the emergency call, and the Hippocratic oath that binds the doctor to it are more important than obeying the traffic laws. Each dwarf has a sort of internalized list of oaths and obligations that he has made and a general idea of their priorities. For example, a dwarf who is called upon to testify in the trial of a friend might well refuse to swear to tell the truth if that would force him to break his oath to said friend especially since human judges who are at all familiar with dwarven society will try to extract binding oaths from their witnesses. Think of it as the dwarfy equivalent of pleading the 5th. It's also entirely possible and not unheard of for a dwarf to swear that oath, proceed to knowingly break it and then turn himself over to his own people for judgment after the fact, in essence falling on his sword to protect a friend.

The latter is also an extreme case. A dwarf isn't likely to swear an oath to a comrade (especially a non dwarf) that is worded in such a manner that he would be forced into such a position. A simpler oath is more likely, if called upon to testify simple refusal (and acceptance of the punishment that comes with that), is more likely in an attempt to keep the oath rather than being forced into breaking one oath to keep another.

They don't care about other individuals approach to law largely because they simply view other races as being quasi civilized barbarians who can't be expected to uphold the ideals of Moradin.

I actually have a very long 17ish page document on the culture and society of dwarves, I've posted it here before that gives a relatively brief overview of their oaths, the way that they are sworn and how they are expected to be upheld.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Interesting. I will put forward that in my view, the keeping of oaths, irrespective of "small" laws but with respect to other oaths, sounds like a more Neutral approach than Lawful. I see Lawful characters as more likely to involve themselves in maneuvers in order to fulfill all their obligations, and of course Chaotics are largely untroubed by contradictions. For instance, I think a Lawful character might feel compelled to turn their friend into the law, and just as compelled to defend their friend through every lawful means thereafter.

And this is the problem so many have with alignment. You are equating Law with the law, which are supposed to be two seperate things, although not everyone (like yourself) agrees with that.