Ilmar'hadur

God of smithing, the forge, and battle.  He is one of the few dwarven deities who is widely known and worshipped throughout Keradrin.  Metalsmiths of all heritages pay him homage as the Great Father of the Forge, and crafters who depend on fire -- such as potters and glassmakers -- also follow his faith.  In his aspect as a god of battle, he has a great following among warriors, pit fighters and gladiators.   Ilmar'hadur is most closely associated with Freya, his fellow warrior-deity. Her armor and weapons, as well as those of her Valkyrie servants, were crafted in Ilmar'hadur's smithy.   The most important rites to honor Ilmar'hadur are a series of combat tournaments, held in cities and larger towns across the world.  It is considered a great mark of success for a temple-forge to grow large enough to be able to host a tournament.  Tournaments honoring Ilmar'hadur are held annually, on a date almost always between early spring and late fall, when travel is most practical -- many competitors make "pilgrimages" to one tournament, or several, each year.  Only a few very large cities, including Arden, host tournaments in the winter.  The exact rules vary from location to location, but a few general rules are consistent: single melee combat; lethal force is permitted but actual killing is not; combat ends when one party surrenders or is knocked unconscious.  Betting among spectators is generally permitted and even encouraged; however, combatants betting for (or against) themselves is generally frowned upon, because such betting tends to encourage cheating, which is met with harsh punishment if discovered.  The use of magic (both offensive and defensive, as well as healing in the middle of a combat), poison, or concealed lethal weapons are prime examples of cheating, for which the minimum penalty is disqualification from the present tournament and a ban of one or more years from future tournaments.   Smiths and crafters dedicated to Ilmar'hadur generally show their devotion in a more private fashion, primarily through the ritual of Forge-sacrifice: at least once a year, usually at mid-winter, a worshiper superheats their forge (or kiln) and casts a piece of their work into it, to be melted down.  The finer the work sacrificed in this manner, the greater Ilmar'hadur's favor.  It is not uncommon for a smith, on receiving a particularly important commission, to make a Forge-sacrifice and use the melted-down work as the basis for the new commission.   Ilmar'hadur does not have any sacred animals. His symbols are the hammer, anvil, and white-hot flame.