Peacekeepers

Faithful of Grundinnar

Grundinnar: One of the many sons of Torag and god of peace, loyalty, and friendship. Possibly the most outgoing of the dwarven gods, but little is written about him. Who is he truly? Who are his followers? Today we’ll explore those questions. I will also put it to you, as we sit around our theoretical gaming table, we’re playing a game where all the characters must be worshipers of Grundinnar. You do not need to be a divine casting class but your goals must align with the goals of the god. What character would you make?

Here are two resources for what little information there is

Grundinnar Archives of Nethys Page 

Grundinnar Pathfinderwiki Page 

The Golden Voices

Dwarves are not usually known for their negotiating skills, but among the faithful of Grundinnar come some of the stout folk’s most gifted diplomats. Although this sect calls themselves the Golden Voices, some of the more reclusive members of dwarven society call them the Gilded Tongues as an insult. Even if these xenophobic dwarves outwardly look down upon the Golden Voices, there is no denying that they have averted more than a few skirmishes with the upground races.

Although worship of Grundinnar is a prerequisite, any who dedicate themselves to the process of peace may join the ranks of the voices. Clerics and Paladins are common among the Voices, but so too can be found many other lay persons from expert diplomats to sweet talking bards. Many expect all dwarves to be dour and taciturn and are surprised at the very open nature of members of The Peacemakers chosen.

The Open Cask

Dwarves tend to be fiercely loyal to those they call friend and the followers of Grundinnar are the embodiment of that comradery.  One of the most common habits of dwarves is sharing a drink with those close to them to celebrate that friendship. The order of the Open Cask are a dedicated brewers who are known to make some of the best ales and meads in all the dwarven lands. Everything, from the brew itself to the barrels, is handmade by a member of the order and blessed by a high-ranking priest.

Although many of their brews are for everyday use, and taverns and ale houses across dwarven lands will carry one of The Peacemakers ales, some are quite special. Many a dwarven wedding will see a special cask made specifically for that bride and groom. The ale drunk symbolizes the combining of families and is a tradition among many of the faithful.

The Open Cask occasionally works with the Golden Voices, crafting special brews to be served during the negotiation process. It is said that those who wish to Welsh on a deal made will not be able to stomach Grundinnar’s sacred mead. Whether these tales are true or not, they seem to keep everyone at the table honest -- if a little inebriated.

The Stable Masters

Before the dwarves began the search for sky and pushed out of the darklands into the aboveground, Grundinnar’s favored animal was a creature of Orv. The beast that was once the favorite of The Peacemaker was thought to be a cave lizard of some kind, but knowledge of its true species has since been lost to time. Even the priests of the long-lived dwarves cannot recall this creature’s name and have accepted the Horse as the favored animal of their god.

Horses do not thrive in the deeps, and some non-dwarves find it very odd that a dwarven god would choose such a creature as its favored animal. But upon his follower’s emergence from the darklands, one of the first aboveground creatures they saw was herds of wild horses in the mountain valleys. Beautiful, majestic, and Free, Grundinnar very quick adopted these creatures the representation of his power above ground.

The Stable Masters are caretakers and breeders of horses for dwarves that live close to the surface. In some human cities where there is a sizable dwarven population, the Stable Master’s facilities also doubles as a shrine to the Peacemaker. On top of being masters of horse breeding in general, the Stable Masters also breed the sacred steeds for Silver Shod Paladins.

Silver Shod Paladins

A number of Paladins choose to serve Grundinnar, but not all are deemed worthy of the Silver Shod Paladins. This elite group of holy warriors ride the sacred animals bred by the Stable Masters of Grundinnar. Giant Clydesdales bred for their power and regal bearing are the mouns to these dwarven riders. Some give pause and even snicker at the shorter stout folk astride such massive beasts, but watching the Silver Shod Paladins in action soon put to rest any doubts of their skill.

The Silver Shod Paladins take great pride not only in the appearance of their war horses, but of themselves. Immaculate silver-sheened armor bordered with gold filigree are the hallmark of these dwarven warriors, along with tabards emblazoned with the luminous gold Warhammer that is Grundinnar’s holy symbol. Many dwarves who travel the surface look to share the road with these mighty warriors, for they no even though the Peacemaker seeks non-violent solutions, when he must war his paladins are up to the task.

Paladin Code

War is the final solution, not the first. The community is best served by not fighting at all and I will avail myself of all measures of keeping my people from harm’s way before raising my hammer.

One’s steed is not a tool but an extension of oneself. To mistreat your animal is less akin to leaving a tool to rust and more like cutting off one’s own arm..

My oath is my bond. If it takes my last breath to fulfill my promise then it is a life well spent.

Much like a fine piece of armor or sword, friendship is best forged through hard work. Once a friendship is tempered I will stand by my friend as if he were my own blood.

God, Kingdom, Community, Family, Friends, Self. This is the order of things.

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