Canon:Dugmaren Brightmantle

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Dugmaren Brightmantle (DUHG-mah-ren BRITE-man-tuhl) is the dwarven deity of scholarship, discovery, and invention. His symbol is an open book.

In many campaign settings and the default D&D 3rd Edtion pantheon, the dwarven pantheon of gods consists of the leader Moradin, as well as Abbathor, Berronar Truesilver, Clanggedin Silverbeard, Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dumathoin, Muamman Duathal, and Vergadain. Other dwarven gods may be present in different campaign settings.

Publication history
Dugmaren Brightmantle was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood. His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996). He received a very detailed description for his role in the Forgotten Realms in Demihuman Deities (1998).

Dugmaren Brightmantle's role in the Forgotten Realms is revisited in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).

Description
Dugmaren appears as an elderly dwarf with sparkling blue eyes. He is slightly hunched over and he wears the bright blue cloak that is his namesake. He irritates his father by wandering away from his projects before he completes them or before he finds a use for the knowledge he has collected.

Relationships
Dugmaren is said to be a son of Moradin, his chaos split off from Moradin's stern lawful nature and nurtured by his mother Berronar's indulgent nature. Forever involved with some wild scheme or another, his regular accomplices include Muamman Duathal, Brandobaris, Erevan Ilesere, and Nebelun.

Dugmaren has no true foes, aside from Ilsensine, who seeks to hoard knowledge for himself, and Urdlen, who hates everyone. Dugmaren does not enjoy the company of Abbathor, Laduguer, or the evil giant and goblin gods.

Realm
Dugmaren shares the Dwarven Mountain on the Outlands with Dumathoin and Vergadain. Dugmaren's realm there, Soot Hall, is crowded with workshops and libraries. Soot Hall's name is literal, as the caverns are covered with chalky black soot from millennia of laboring. The noise here is continuous with no break or respite. Soot Hall's best products are finely crafted hammers and breastplates - many magical in nature - that often end up on the gaming tables of Vergadain's halls.

Dugmaren often wanders to Arborea, Elysium, and Bytopia.

Dogma
Dugmaren's followers are assured that knowledge lies out there waiting to be discovered. They are urged to travel, learn, broaden their minds and to teach young and old alike. They seek out forgotten lore and invent and experiment with new ideas. They seek to learn a little bit about everything rather than a lot about a little.

Worshipers
Dugmaren is venerated by dwarves and some gnomes who are scholars, inventors, engineers, or tinkers. Worshipers of Dugmaren gather knowledge for its own sake rather than for practical purposes. Those craftsmen who venerate Dugmaren do so because they want to create something truly new, while Moradin's worshipers work instead to perfect their art based on long tradition.

Clergy
Dugmaren's clerics are scholars, teachers, and travelers. They prefer plain, white, homespun garments with vibrant sashes a handsbreadth in width. The High Old Ones of the faith wear simple silver circlets. They carry silver lockets resembling open books as holy symbols; small bits of lore are often kept inside. While adventuring, they favor light armor and weapons. Their favored weapon is the short sword. Novice clerics are called the Curious while full priests are known as Seekers of Truth and Mystery. In ascending order, the other rank titles used by Dugmarenite priests are: Questing Wanderer, Avid Fiddler, Philosophical Tinker, Seeking Scholar, Searching Sage, and Errant Philosopher. The highest and oldest among them are known as High Old Ones or High Savants. Specialty priests are known as xothor, which is a Dwarvish word meaning "those who seek knowledge."

Temples
Dugmaren's temples are built both above and below ground; they are usually sprawling complexes filled with experiments in progress and mementos of the clerics' travels. At the center of each is a library. Altars are simple blocks of granite or some other hard stone, upon which sits an ever-burning candle.

Additional reading

 * Grubb, Jeff. A Player's Primer to the Outlands. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
 * Grubb, Jeff. A Player's Primer to the Outlands. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.