Gorm Gulthyn

Fire Eyes, the Golden Guardian, the Sentinel, Lord of the Bronze Mask, the Eternally Vigilant

Lesser Power of Bytopia LG

PORTFOLIO: Guardian and protector of all dwarves, dwarven guardians, defense, watchfulness, vigilance, duty
ALIASES: None
DOMAIN NAME: Shurrock/Watchkeep
SUPERIOR: Moradin
ALLIES: Arvoreen, Cyrrollalee, Gad Glittergold, Gaerdal Ironhand, Helm, the Morndinsamman (except Abbathor, Deep Duerra, Laduguer)
FOES: Abbathor, Deep Duerra, Laduguer, Urdlen, the goblinkin and evil giant pantheons
SYMBOL: A shining bronze or brass metal mask with two eyeholes of flame
WOR. ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, N

Gorm Gulthyn (GORM GULL-thin) is the guardian and protector of dwarvenkind throughout the Realms as well as the god of all Stout Folk who serve as guardians. Those dwarves who require protection or armed aid pay tribute in appeasement to the Lord of the Bronze Mask. Lawful neutral and lawful good dwarves in particular turn to Fire Eyes.

Gorm is closely allied with Clanggedin, Marthammor, and Moradin, and he has excellent relations with the other nonchaotic and nonevil dwarven deities. Gorm is ever vigilant against Abbathor's suspected betrayals, although he has never proven the Trove Lord's treachery. The Lord of the Bronze Mask has established good relations with the powers of other pantheons who view the world much as he does, such as Arvoreen, Gaerdal Ironhand, and Helm, but he has little patience for those he distrusts, including Baervan Wildwanderer, Brandobaris, and Mask. While Gorm regularly contests with the goblinkin and evil giant pantheons, he reserves his greatest hatred for the orcish god Shargaas, as the Night Lord is the only power to have ever successfully stolen an object the Sentinel was actively guarding. Gorm says little, but has a stern, booming voice when he does speak. He is consumed by the demands of his role as protector and has little interest in or tolerance for foolish activities that might detract from his readiness or sentimentality that might interfere with his dispassion. The Sentinel is ever on the alert for threats to dwarves, and he is a tireless defender of the Stout Folk, even coming to the defense of gray dwarves when they are beset by foes whose evil makes that of the duergar pale in comparison.

While Gorm can dispatch up to two avatars simultaneously, there are always so many battles in which his intercession is critical that the Sentinel can rarely afford for his avatars to remain in any single location for more than a turn. As a result, each avatar is nearly always resident in the Realms, teleporting from place to place to aid dwarves in withstanding armed attacks or powerful monsters, and they return to Watchkeep only when in need of the armory amassed there or to use his Seat of Heating. Gorm acts only when dwarves are already engaged in combat and need his aid. At such times he appears, engages in a frenzied, all-out attack, seeking to do the most damage to the enemies of the dwarves as he possibly can, and then vanishes again. He cannot return to a given locale in avatar form twice in a 24-hour period, but he can manifest himself between his avatar appearances in a continuing battle.

Other Manifestations

Gorm prefers to act directly, husbanding his power for personal combat. He therefore manifests seldom, except to imbue dwarven individuals with temporary combat powers. This usually involves conferring a temporary +3 protection from good/evil aura, as well as immunity from a specific attack form (for example, fire) or spell. Sometimes Fire Eyes temporarily enchants a weapon, conferring a +3 attack and damage bonus until the conclusion of the current or next battle.

On occasion, Gorm rouses sleeping dwarves or otherwise warns of intruders or impending attack by causing a disembodied metal gauntlet to appear and strike any handy metal shield or breastplate. The struck metal rings with a terrific rolling, gonglike noise and sports two burning eyes for the next turn. When the eyes fade, two eyeholes will have been burned in the metal. Dwarves treasure such damaged shields and armor and always display them as trophies, rather than melting them down to make a whole item again.

If Gorm must leave a battle knowing the dwarves there still face a grave challenge, he manifests later as a glowing hand. His hand breaks ropes, hurls back siege ladders, and strikes blows (one a round, for 1d6+11 points of damage). It operates with Gorm's full strength and sees by means of two burning eyes in its palm.

Gorm is served by agathinon, azer, earth and fire elementals, einheriar, galeb duhr, guardian nagas, hammer golems, helmed horrors, incarnates of courage and faith, maruts, noctrals, per, sapphire dragons, shedu, silver dragons, and spectators. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery of alestones, amaratha, azurites, fire agates, fire opals, flamedance, jacinths, rubies, and scapras. The Sentinel indicates his displeasure through the discovery of shattered shields, upside-down helms, and ephemeral footprints that quickly fade away if followed.

The Church

CLERGY: Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN:. LG, NG, LN
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, Cru: No, SP: Yes, at priest level -4
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, Cru: No, SP: No

All clerics (including fighter/clerics), crusaders, and specialty priests of Gorm receive religion (dwarven) and reading/writing (Dethek runes) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. Clerics of Gorm can use any weapons, not just bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons. Clerics of Gorm (as well as multiclassed clerics) cannot turn undead before 7th level, but they always strike at +2 on all attack and damage rolls against undead creatures. At 7th level and above, clerics can turn undead as other clerics do, but as a cleric of four levels less than their current level. These modifications apply only to the cleric class. Until the Time of Troubles, the priesthood of Gorm was all male; since then a few females have joined the church.

Gorm is well regarded by the children of Moradin for his unswerving dedication to the defense of the Stout Folk. While most dwarves regard Fire Eyes as stem and humorless, few discount his role in ensuring the continued survival of those dwarven strongholds that have not fallen. Among the other gnome, halfling, and human races, Gorm is well regarded by those of similar disposition who tend to follow deities such as Arvoreen, Gaerdal Ironhand, and Helm, but he is written off as the archetypal dour dwarf by most elves and others of a more chaotic bent.

Temples of Gorm are always plain, unadorned stone caverns or rooms quarried from solid rock. The altar is a stone bench in front of a closed, locked door of massive construction, representing a location that a dwarf might have to guard. Instead of a stone bench, a temple might use an old tomb casket; if occupied, it must be by a fallen, not undead, priest of Gorm. Such chambers are often adorned with visored helms, or if particularly blessed, a shield or breastplate with twin eyeholes burned through, as discussed above under Other Manifestations. The Sentinel's chapels are typically adjacent to an armory, a training hall, and barracks, and most such houses of worship are located amidst fortifications that guard entrances to the halls of the Stout Folk.

The clergy of Gorm are collectively known as Guardians or Guardian-Priests. Novices of Gorm are known as the Watchful Guards. Full priests of Fire Eyes are known as the Vigilant Host. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Gormite priests are Lockout of the First Rank, Scout of the Second Rank, Sentry of the Third Rank, Sentinel of the Fourth Rank, Defender of the Fifth Rank, and Guardian of the Sixth Rank. High Old Ones have unique titles but are collectively known as Lord/Lady Protectors. Specialty priests are known as barakor, a dwarvish word that can be loosely translated as those who shield. The clergy of Gorm includes both shield dwarves (48%) and gold dwarves (52%). While there are no formal barriers to either gray dwarves or jungle dwarves joining the ranks of Gorm's clergy, none are known to have done so in recent history. The Sentinel's clergy is dominated by specialty priests (41%), with the remainder nearly balanced between clerics (22%), crusaders (20%), and fighter/clerics (17%). The clergy of Fire Eyes is 95% male.

Dogma: Never waver in your duty to Gorm's sacred charges. Defend, protect, and keep safe the children of the Morndinsamman from the hostile forces of the outside world. Be always vigilant and ever alert so that you are never surprised. If need be, be prepared to pay the greatest price so that the clan and the community survive, and your name will be honored for generations.

Day-to-Day Activities : The Vigilant Host guards most clanhold entries, the Gates on the borders of The Deep Realm, as well as all temples of Gorm. Priests of Gorm serve as protectors and bodyguards for all dwarves, especially the young and childrearing parents of both sexes. They instruct dwarven warriors fulfilling such roles in the arts of alertness, blindfighting, and weapons-skills (in other words, in campaigns using proficiencies, the priests of Gorm can tutor dwarves in all proficiencies useful to guardians). The foremost aim of any lesser priest of Gorm is to protect the dwarves assigned to him. Veteran priests of higher rank may choose whom they protect. If this involves sacrificing one's life, so be it; that is "Gorm's greatest price," as every priest of Gorm knows.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies; Every festival in the Calendar of Harptos is sacred to the priesthood of Gorm. On such holy days, guardians of Gorm gather for a salute, a ritual involving the rhythmic grounding of weapons, and a responsively chanted prayer. Offerings to Gorm are of weapons used, even broken, in the service of guardianship anointed with tears, sweat, and drops of blood of the dwarf making the offering. Rituals involve silent vigils, muttered prayers, and answering visions from the god. At the height of a salute, if the ritual is performed in the chancel of one of Gorm's temples, the door behind the altar sometimes opens by the power of the god and through it may come instructive phantom images, scrolls or potions, weapons, pieces of armor, or even maps - small aids from the god, to help his faithful fulfill their duties. When this happens, the morale of a worshiper of Gorm who is wearing or using any gift from the god increases by a bonus of +4.

Major Centers of Worship: At the bottom of the Great Rift, guarding the entrance to the Deep Lands, are the Gates, a pair of titanic metal doors that bar the entrance of outsiders from the Guardcavern immediately behind them, the great city of Underhome, and the Deep Realm of the gold dwarves beyond. Over fifty priests of Gorm garrison the Gates at all times, with two hundred more available at a moment's notice. The Keepers of the Gate are based in Araubarak Gulthyn, the Great Shieldhall of Eternal Vigilance, a soaring subterranean vault adjoining the great Guardcavern in which dwarven caravans muster for trips to the surface Realms. The task of securing the entrance to the last great dwarven kingdom in Faerun is led by Prince Protector of the Golden Realm Starag Crownshield, son of Vorn, blood of Pyradar. The Great Shieldhall is itself an invulnerable fortress whose defenses have never been breached. Twin adult sapphire dragons lair in the Great Shieldhall's narthex under the direction of specially trained dwarven riders. A series of nine double doors, each a miniature replica of the great hizagkuur Gates, bar entrance to the temple's innermost sanctum. A pair of hammer golems and seven priests of Gorm defend each set of portals. The chancel doubles as a well-stocked armory, and from its stores an army of five thousand dwarven warriors can be - and has been, on several occasions in centuries past - outfitted to sally forth against great armies seeking to plunder the wealth of the gold dwarves. Above the altar floats the greatest relic of the Gormite faith, a massive bronze mask with eyeholes alight with fire, known as the Face of the Guardian. Aspirants in the Deep Realm seeking to join the ranks of Gorm's guardians stand before the Face during their initiations and are seared by twin beams of fire that erupt from the ever-dancing flames. If accepted by the Golden Guardian, they emerge unscathed, hut those found wanting are reduced to piles of ash.

Affiliated Orders: Numerous knightly orders large and small have been founded in Gorm's name and affiliated with his church over the centuries. Numbered among the legendary Gormite orders of times past and present are the Twin-Bladed Axes of Fire, the Silent Sentinels, the Guardian-Knights of Gorm, the Vigilant Halberdiers, the Company of the Scarlet Moon, the Fellowship of the Stern Gauntlet, and the Order of the Smoking Shield. One of the oldest and most revered knightly orders of Gorm, the Sacred Shields of Berronar's Blessed, may be found in nearly every clanhold and kingdom guarding nurseries full of dwarven children and their parents. Knights of the Sacred Shield are also charged with recovering kidnapped dwarven youths who are to be sold as slaves on the surface or in the Underdark. At least two dwarven clans owe their continued free existence to the rescue of an entire generation of dwarven youth from the clutches of the Spider Queen's priests by the Knights of the Sacred Shield.

Priestly Vestments: The clergy of Gorm favor red and black cloaks and helms, worn over armor of the finest metal and type available. The holy symbol of the faith is a miniature bronze shield that is usually worn around the neck on a burnished steel chain as a medallion.

Adventuring Garb: When adventuring or on guard duty, Gorm's priests always wear and wield the best armor and weapons available. Members of Gorm's clergy never remove all their armor or lay aside all their weapons unless sorely wounded or in need of care. Members of the Vigilant Host often mark their status with red and black armbands on the left and right arms, respectively.

Specialty Priests Barakor

REQUIREMENTS: Strength 9, Constitution 10, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LG, LN
WEAPONS: Any
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, combat, divination, guardian, healing, law, protection, sun, war, wards
MINOR SPHERES: Animal, charm, creation, elemental (earth), necromantic, summoning
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Armorer or weaponsmithing
BONUS PROFS: Alertness, blindfighting

• • While most barakor are shield dwarves or gold dwarves, dwarves of nearly every subrace are called to be specialty priests of Gorm's clergy.
• • Barakor are not allowed to multiclass.
• • Barakor may select nonweapon proficiencies from the warrior group without penalty.
• • Barakor who are serving as guardians are never surprised and are able to interpret noises, half-seen movements, and other symptoms of approach and movement correctly with an accuracy of 10% per level. For instance, a barakar might hear a faint scuffling and identify it as studded leather worn by a crawling man against a particular stone she or he noticed earlier. A barakor always checks around his or her feet and overhead often and takes care to know the distance and exact direction of features in his or her surroundings. The guardian-priest described above, for instance, would know exactly where, and how far away, the unseen intruder in studded leather was - and just where to throw an axe in order to hit him or her. These carefully developed skills give barakor an attack bonus of +5 with missiles of any sort, against any target within 60 feet of their guardpost. If they have not had time to examine the surroundings, this bonus drops to +2. In addition, barakor always win initiative rolls when on active guard duty, even when they are charged by multiple opponents coming out of the darkness.
• • Barakor can cast sentry of Gorm (as the 1st-level priest spell detailed in Faiths & Avatars under the name sentry of Helm) or blessed Watchfulness (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.
• • At 3rd level, barakor can cast iron vigil (as the 2nd-level priest spell) or sacred guardian (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.
• • At 3rd level, barakor become immune to attack forms, spells, spell-like abilities, and psionics that would put them to sleep. They still need natural sleep, however.
• • At 5th level, barakor can cast spike stones (as the 5th-level priest spell) or shield (as the 1st-level wizard spell) once per day.
• • At 7th level, barakor can cast fire eyes (as the 4th-level priest spell) once per day.
• • At 7th level, barakor can make three melee attacks every two rounds.
• • At 10th level, barakor can cast unceasing vigilance of the holy sentinel (as the 5th-level priest spell) or wall of stone (as the 5th-level wizard spell) once per day.
• • At 10th level, barakor need only have half the normal amount of natural sleep per night to function as if fully rested and to naturally heal damage.
• • At 13th level, barakor can cast know alignment (as the 2ndlevel priest spell) at will. Unlike the priest spell, however, this granted power is unerring, overriding even the strongest magical concealments and misdirections. Spellcasting is not possible while exercising this granted power, but a barakor doing so need not remain stationary and can even participate in strenuous, acrobatic combat.
• • At 13th level, barakor can make two melee attacks per round.
• • At 15th level, barakor can cast true seeing (as the 5th-level priest spell) twice per day.

Gormite Spells

In addition to the spells listed below, priests of Gorm may cast the 1st-level priest spell sentry of Helm (known to dwarves as sentry of Gorm), which is detailed in Faiths & Avatars in the entry for Helm.

1st Level

Blessed Watchfulness (Pr 1; Alteration)
Sphere: Guardian
Range: Touch
Components: V,S
Duration: 4 hours+1 hour/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

By casting this spell, the caster confers exceptional powers of observation and alertness to one creature for the duration of the spell. While blessed Watchfulness is in effect, the designated sentinel remains alert, awake, and vigilant for the duration of the spell. In fact, it takes a roll of 1 to surprise someone under this effect. Those under the effect of this spell resist sleep spells and similar magic as if they were 4 levels or Hit Dice higher than their actual level, and they gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against other spells or effects that could lower their guards or force them to abandon their watches, including charm, beguiling, fear, emotion, and similar mind-affecting spells. However, if the effect normally allows no saving throw, watchers who have blessed Watchfulness in effect on them gain no special benefit.

2nd Level

Alert Allies (Pr 2; Divination, Alteration)
Sphere: Thought
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 round+1 round per creature touched
Area of Effect: 30 yard radius
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables the priest to send an instantaneous mental missive to his or her comrades alerting them to a dangerous situation. It is not possible to send any message other than "Alert" by means of this spell, nor is two-way communication of any sort possible, but the true meaning of the mental missive, other than the fact that a dangerous situation exists, can be prearranged if so desired.

Alert allies can only be cast on awake, living, and sentient (animal [1] intelligence or higher) creatures. The somatic component of the spell involves the priest physically touching foreheads for one full round with each recipient. One ally, up to a maximum of 10 such individuals, can be linked by means of this spell per level of the spellcaster.

Once cast, the mental links forged by means of this spelt last until the alert is broadcast or for at most 8 hours. An alert has a maximum range of 30 yards around the priest. Anyone beyond that range does not hear the alert, although the spell effect (and the mental link) ends nonetheless. Likewise, anyone maintaining a psionic defense shield, wearing a ring of mind shielding, or employing similar magics also does not receive the mental warning. However, if a recipient is asleep and that condition is not maintained by chemical or magical means (although it may have been induced by such), she or he immediately awakens and is aware that an alert has been issued.

It is possible to issue a mental missive and then perform another action aside from casting a spell in the same round. The alert broadcast effectively imposes an initiative penalty of 1 on any other course of action attempted in the same round.

Iron Vigil (Pr 2; Alteration)
Sphere: Guardian
Range: 0
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 week (seven days)+l day/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

This spell allows the caster to ignore hunger, thirst, and extremes of climate for an extended period of time. While the spell is in effect, the priest requires no food or drink. She or he is effectively immune to exposure, dehydration, and heat or cold injury, since no naturally occurring climatic condition can cause him or her harm. (Lightning, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other such hazardous phenomena can still cause physical injury, of course.)

Iron vigil allows the caster to ignore the need to sleep by choosing to mediate instead. While meditating, the caster can keep watch on his or her surroundings but suffers a +1 penalty to any surprise checks. If the character wishes to memorize spells, she or he must sleep normally.

At the spell's end, the priest must eat and drink; if no food or water is available, the character must make a Constitution check once every 4 hours with a cumulative -1 penalty or fall into a coma and perish within 1d3 days 'lie or he receives no aid. The caster also requires at least 4 hours of rest for each day that she or he did not eat, drink, or sleep during the vigil.

4th Level

Fire Eyes of Gorm (Pr 4; Evocation)
Sphere: Combat
Range: 0
Components: V,S,M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Ray, 1 foot long/level
Saving Throw: ½

This spell causes the priest's eyes to emit twin rays of fire. These thin, ruby-red beams are hot enough to burn holes in plate araapr in 1 round and in most stone walls in 2 rounds. The eye beams cause 2d8 points of damage per round to any creature they touch except the caster (including items worn or carried). Creatures struck who succeed at a saving throw vs. spell sustain only half damage.

The caster can train his or her eye beams on a maximum of two creatures per round, attacking with the priest's normal THAC0. Beings struck by one beam in a round take the above damage. Beings struck by two beams in the same round take the above damage twice unless they are wearing armor, in which case they take the same damage as being struck by one beam and their armor must succeed at a saving throw vs. lightning or be destroyed. Magical items gain saving throw bonuses equal to any magical "plus" bonuses they possess. If the priest desires, she or he can forgo attacking a person and try to strike a particular item, attacking with the priest's normal THAC0 if two strikes are made or with a -4 penalty for a called shot if only one attack is made. Items other than magical armor must succeed at item saving throws vs. magical fire if they are struck or be destroyed. (Magical items, including magical armor, gain saving throw bonuses equal to any magical "plus" bonuses they possess. Artifacts and relics are not affected by this spell.) If the priest focuses on a stationary object (such as a wall), striking it is automatic, and the DM must adjudicate what degree of structural damage occurs within the amount of time the priest focuses the eye beams on the stationary object.

While the caster's eyes are emitting fire, she or he can see normally but cannot cast or wield any other magic. The caster can end the spell at will before it would expire normally. Emitting the beams can also be interrupted temporarily so that the priest can look at creatures and things without burning them. The spell does not stop the priest from engaging in physical activities (including combat) while it is active.

The caster is immune to the direct effects of his or her eye beams (or their reflection), but not to the effects of any fires they might start. Creatures immune to flame damage are unharmed by fire eyes.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol.