Dugmaren Brightmantle

Dugmaren Brightmantle was a lesser dwarven deity of learning and innovation, and patron of dwarven scholars and free thinkers. His domain was the gathering of knowledge regardless of its utility and the creation of novel inventions using the various findings. The Errant Explorer embodied the progressive side of the conservative Stout Folk, and the exploratory spirit that led to acts of creativity.

Description
Dugmaren appeared as an elderly, slightly hunched dwarf with twinkling, blue-grey eyes. The height of his avatar was variable, ranging in height from tall, to  tall, to  tall.

Worshipers
Dugmaren's clerics drew from the most creative tinkers and free thinkers of dwarven communities, on rare occasions even allowing gnomes to join their orders. They followed a doctrine of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, seeing equal value in learning a once-lost recipe for toasted zygom stalk and discovering the crucial flaw in an enemy's defensive fortifications. In fact, since the clergy strongly favored creation over destruction, there's a good chance many of them would have preferred the recipe. Temples of the Errant Explorer, usually sprawling edifices filled with the scattered detritus of a half-hundred abandoned experiments and twice as many open books, could be found both above and below the surface.

Dugmaren's clergy prayed for spells in the morning. They observed few official holidays, instead whispering a prayer of thanks to the Errant Explorer upon the discovery of some new bit of lore. On Greengrass and Highharvestide, they began the day with several hours of private meditation, usually staring at the flame of a candle. Thereafter, neighboring worshipers would gather to discuss their discoveries and creations since the prior convocation.

Dugmaren Brightmantle's specialty priests were called xothor (dwarven for "those who seek knowledge", roughly), with the singular form of xothar.

Relationships
His ceaseless quest for knowledge and constant tinkering and exploring had a tendency to get Dugmaren into trouble and although Moradin admired his adventuresome spirit, the Dwarffather despaired at his tendency to wander away from a pursuit to follow something else that caught his notoriously fickle attention. Dugmaren's circle of friendly deities included Haela Brightaxe, Marthammor Duin, Brandobaris, Erevan Ilesere, Gond, and Shaundakul. Gargauth, who represented knowledge-hunting for illicit and perverse purposes, was among his most hated foes.

History
Dugmaren's ambitions ensure that he was always at the center of some exploit, frequently in the company of his loose circle of deific associates.

Appearances

 * Card Games
 * Blood Wars