Maphr, goddess of abundance and ruin

The dwarves have a goddess who gives them everything: talent, wealth, fame, their very existence. Her name is Mafr, the goddess of the earth, and her holy name is Carna Maphra — the dwarf dares not forget. But the generous goddess has a second face, one they don't like to talk about in the temple: she who bestows abundance is also responsible for poverty and ruin.

From earth and light

The dwarves are not simply the children of their goddess. According to their belief, their very essence is her design.

"The great Maphr, goddess of the earth, created us dwarves, imbuing us with the power of the earth and the spirit of light, Ainhasad. It is said that the goddess gave us the ability to create anything in accordance with the laws of the universe... We are the chosen people of Maphr, creator of the heavens and goddess of the earth."

priest Mafr Zimenf

This is why a dwarf cannot imagine himself without a craft: the ability to create is not a skill, but a gift from the goddess, infused into his blood along with the power of the earth and light. AinhasadThat is why the dwarf considers any success, any talent, to be a blessing from Maphr—and that is why he serves her so fervently.

Gospel of Abundance

The dwarven faith is simple and joyful, like the ringing of coins. It is best preached by a priest. Daichir:

"Abundance! Prosperity! This is what the goddess bestows. Trust—and you will be blessed!.. Your talent and skill are the goddess's gift. Your success and fame are also her blessing... Everything is as the goddess intended. Carna Maphra—let the holy name never be forgotten!"

priest Mafr Daichir

Wealth is not a sin, but a sign of grace; success is not pride, but gratitude to the goddess. For a people of merchants and craftsmen, this is the ideal faith: it sanctifies precisely what they strive for—prosperity.

Faith for sale

But for a people who see a deal in everything, even religion becomes a deal. The Temple of Maphr trades in grace as briskly as the guilds trade in mithril.

"If you wish to receive the grace of abundance, sacrifice! And you will be rewarded tenfold, a hundredfold!"

priest Maphr Gerald

The priests offer the pious an idol of the goddess, "made to special order for exemplary believers who donate ten million adena or more," and promise health, longevity, and family harmony in return. For the dwarves, faith is not opposed to profit; it is part of it. Pray, donate, and receive a hundredfold—such is the pious circulation of capital.

The second face of the goddess

Yet not all dwarves are enchanted by this golden ringing. There is one who calls his kin madmen—the wanderer. Village:

"Just look at these stupid gnomes! They're literally crazy—always rushing here and there, just to collect more money... Pathetic creatures, ready to scrape out the heart of their own goddess for money! And they wouldn't hesitate to dig up something that has no place in this world! Maphr is the goddess of abundance, but that means she's also responsible for all poverty and decline!"

wanderer Dorf

Here it is, the second face of Maphr. The goddess of abundance is also the goddess of ruin; whoever lives for profit will one day be visited by her ruin. The dwarves have already experienced this: they, in Dorf's words, "have already experienced bankruptcy." And his words about the greedy dwarves "dig up what has no place in the world" are not grumbling. It has already happened.

What was dug up in the mountains?

Deep Under Ridge Mountains, where the dwarves mine mithril, something slept that was better left undisturbed.

"The Earthworm Trasken was one of the evil devils created Shilen, the goddess of darkness and death. Long ago, when Shunaiman, King of Elmoreden, erected Seal of Shilen, Trasken eluded him and, as the legends say, fell asleep deep in the Ridge Mountains - where we now live."

priestess Mafr Chichirin

The dwarven ancestors, unaware of the sleeping devil, while mining mithril, awakened him—and made a fatal mistake. Earthworm Trasken He proved too powerful for the dwarven warriors: he destroyed the village and mercilessly slaughtered the dwarves. Their greed for ore turned out to be exactly what Dorf had warned about: the dwarves dug up something that had no place in the world.

The Hero and the Egg

The hero saved them. When the dwarves were almost wiped out, he appeared Lucien, born with the blessing of Maphr, and with his people defeated the Earthworm - with martial arts and divine courage.

"I, Lucien, have always believed that the Earth Goddess is always with me. Today's victory was only possible thanks to the Earth Goddess's blessing!"

hero Lucien

But the priests end the legend not with victory, but with a warning. Trasken is dead—and earthworm egg It still lives somewhere deep in the Spine Mountains, and the followers of Shilen are still trying to revive the beast. That's why, behind the golden clang of the dwarven abacus, another sound can always be heard—the tapping of a pickaxe, which may one day once again reach what sleeps below.

This is Maphr in all its fullness: the goddess who gave the dwarves the gift of creation and the thirst for possession, abundance and ruin alike. She made them the chosen people of the land—and that same land holds both mithril and devil beneath their feet. Maphr's children dig forever: in hope of finding riches and in fear of awakening destruction. And as long as the egg lives in the mountains, their goddess remains who she is—mistress of both abundance and ruin.