The Sóleið, aka Dwarf Keepers

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-Aurum Aralur Greystone  

We have a similar system of ranks to the human and elven Keepers, that is near identical at the bottom levels starting with acolyte, then moving on to Aheneus then Aurum and Apogee.   We don't have Champions or Pentarchs. Above them we have the rank of "Gold Elder", a title not formally recognized by non-dwarven Keepers.

  There is a Gold Elder in Land of Stahlheim, Dwarf Kingdom of Meckelorn and the Islands of Mondert overseeing Khemra's interests in these three nations.   Sóleið temples usually have to make due with less manpower than human and elven Khemra temples enjoy. This has forced us to modify the caste system. Other Keepers have Dawn, Day, Zenith, Dusk and Eclipse division. We do not have a formal Day division because all Sóleið are expected to contribute to the routine day-to-day operations of our temples and processions.   Our Dusk Order is fairly small. If we need martial support in great force we usually turn to the Order of the Stone with whom we normally get along quite well with.   Our Eclipse Order is even smaller. By tradition, only Eclipse-Touched are inducted into that division. We don't bequeath our Eclipse-Touched members with a personal support staff like a lot of the humans do because we don't have the numbers to do so.

by me with Hero Forge

-Aurum Aralur Greystone  

We Sóleið are both blessed and cursed relative to Keepers in non-dwarven lands.   Khemra values literacy, history, tradition, formal hiearchies, formal honor code, and law and order. Most upstanding dwarves of all clans value literacy, history, tradition, formal hiearchies, formal honor code, and law and order.

  The fact that are values are in sync should make our jobs easier but it actually makes it harder. A lot of dwarves say they don't really need Keepers because they are so close to Khemra already spiritually speaking. A common saying is "Humans need Keepers to keep them in line, dwarves can keep themselves." Also, some dwarves spend so much time underground they actually dislike sunlight.   Many dwares only make cursory observances of Khemra worship. We are not exactly drowning in donation money and attendance at Khemra's holiday rituals are usually lower than we'd like to see.   Khemra worship varies clan-by-clan and individual by individual but we Sóleið tend to have more influence with the nobles and more prestigious clans and less reach with the more lowly dwarves.   -Aurum Aralur Greystone

by me with Hero Forge

-Aurum Aralur Greystone  

In the Second Age, a series of Eclipse-Touched dwarves essentially founded the Khemra traditions we use now, based heavily on the Elven Keeper traditions of the time.   After the Second Unmaking, enough Elven Keepers survived the cataclysm (or at least their literature survived) that the burgeoning human Keepers were able to stand on the proverbial shoulders of the Second Age Elven Keepers much as we did (though are loathe to admit it).

  Thus, both modern and human Keepers have the same theological and historical basis for our dogma and traditions, as is fitting for a traditionalist being such as the Lady of Light.   Even in the Second Age, the Sóleið valued their autonomy. Our ancestors were friendly with the ancient Elven Keeper institutions but not subservient to them. This practice of friendly but separte relations continues with the human and Elven Keeper institutions today and our relationship with the Pentarchs.   Even in the Red Era we got along well. Dwarf engineers helped the human Keepers design and build Tower of the Sun in fact.   Most dwarf kings in both Meckelorn and Stahlheim had a Sóleið advisor but relatively few of the lesser noble leaders kept one of us on their staff, at least not full time.   Our Meckelorn and Stahlheim are very similar and get along well. In fact when there are tensions between the two dwarf nations, we Sóleið are often called in to act as mediators.   The Sóleið were part of Stahlheim society since Stahlheim was a tiny colony but there were no Keepers in the original diaspora which founded the Kingdom of Mondert though a generations after the establishment of Modert, an Eclipse-Touched Mondarian dwarf traveled between Mondert and Stahlheim several times to help bring our traditions to our distant islander cousins.   Every since, Eclipse-touched dwarves on both sides of the ocean usually make it a point to help maintain our ties so Sóleið traditions in Mondert and West Colassia are remarkably similar, especially when compared to the other priesthoods in our respective nations. The Mondarian Guardians, Stewards, and Tenders have almost no contact with their West Colassian counterparts.   I'm told you can count the Mondarian Sóleið clergy on two hands with a finger or two to spare, but they are widely respected across the ocean.   -Aurum Aralur Greystone

by me with Hero Forge

-Aurum Aralur Greystone  

"Our temples are not overflowing with excess priests and priestesses but our numbers aren't exactly tiny either (though we are tiny compard to the Guardians).   Most of our acolytes are oblated to us as children. Our potential candidates are disproportionately likely to be the 'extra' sons and daughters of the wealthy and powerful.

  While we are nicknamed "Dwarf Keepers" we actually have a fair few gnomes in our ranks and in Meckelorn at least, two or three of the kalazotz clans make Khemra worship a high priority and regularly send us a few pups.   The Mondert branch of our order of course includes many humans because the Mondarians include humans in almost everything they do.   We do not overtly favor our dwarf members but Keeper traditions due to tend to favor seniority with regards to promotions, and dwarves and gnomes happen to have longer lifespans than kalazotz, so we don't see many batfolk in the higher ranks. I understand the Mondarians tend to weight seniority proportionally so humans are shut out of the higher ranks in Mondert."   -Aurum Aralur Greystone