Umgrim

The current god of the Dwarves and a ravenously greedy god for the richness of life. He freed the Dwarves from their chains at the hands of Grogrim and granted them a strict code of ethics to follow in order to become fulfilled. Eudaimonia, or personal flourishing, is what he controls, a deeper value than material goods.

There are no references to Umgrim before the Exodus of the Dwarves. It seems as if Umgrim was unknown and minor before he freed the dwarves from the grasp of the evil god Grogrim. It is also unknown why they share the same suffix, though some have suggested that Umgrim means 'good god' and Grogrim means 'evil god' in dwarvish. However, due to the facts that both dwarves and duergar speak derivatives of ancient dwarvish, that dwarves were not allowed to speak Grogrim's name as serfs, and that duergar also refer to Grogrim as Grogrim, it is far more likely that Gro meaning evil and Grim meaning god came from Grogrim's name and not the other way around. Others have argued that Grogrim and Umgrim are brothers who came from the same origin but found themselves going in completely different directions. Others claim that Grogrim and Umgrim share an aspect and that is why their names are similar. Some of these theologists propose that Grogrim and Umgrim are both gods of value, and that Grogrim represents obtaining that value in an evil and cheating way while Umgrim represents earning that value. Others believe that the earth is their shared aspect and that Umgrim represents the upper layers of the earth and Grogrim represents the deep earth. Either way, it is clear that Umgrim and Grogrim are closely associated beyond simply the dwarves.

The dwarves worship Umgrim almost exclusively. They are nearly a monotheistic society, though some do become worshipers of other gods as well. The worship of Umgrim is mainly philosophical in nature. One simply needs to be virtuous, which they should want to do anyway. He holds this virtue as of highest importance and representing how valuable any person is. If a mostly virtuous person is in a bad situation because of the abuse of others, Umgrim will have sympathy for them and will sometimes give them a way to escape their situation. This is what happened on a large scale with the dwarves.

Politically, he calls for governments to be fair and freeing, allowing individuals to do what they want without intervention. Therefore, the Dwarven Nations are considered theocracies. The Holy Empire of Saint Regnom is led by an Emperor with limited power. This Emperor fulfils two roles. The first is acting as the Living Saint, the leader of all Umgrim worship who guides the other worshipers in questions they may have. Specific applications of virtue within one's life. Worshipers come to the Grand Temple of Regnomye, which is the full name for the capital city of Regnomye, as part of pilgrimage and to ask him questions. He answers these questions after consulting with Umgrim and the Saints of the past, as well as his own knowledge and rationality. These questions and answers are published in a newspaper once every two weeks, which is then sent to every dwarven settlement so that any who wish may learn from the Living Saint. The second role which the Emperor fulfills is that of Acting Regent. The Dwarves hold that the only person able to dictate their lives is each individual, however the government still has roles to fulfil. The government acts as the moral and legal authority over the dwarves and controls a military and police in order to protect its people. The administration of these tasks falls the the Acting Regent, who is acting as the regent for the entirety of the Dwarven population. The Emperor has to be very careful to stay virtuous as both the Living Saint and the Acting Regent. Failure to do so would mean losing his status as Emperor, as well as complete condemnation by Umgrim. The Emperor swears fealty to the people and Umgrim upon becoming Emperor, "and if I fail, may Grogrim take my soul." This oath is one of the few times any dwarf says the name Grogrim and is taken literally by both the people and the Emperor. This makes all the Emperors thoughtful and wise in all their decision-making. On the other side, those who succeed at being an Emperor are Emperor for life. In addition, after they give the oath of fealty, the Emperor is given a choice of necklaces. Gem cutters, jewelers, and miners all pair up in a competition to create the best necklace for the Emperor. The creators of the necklace that gets chosen are each given a signed document labeling them the Emperor's choice, which makes them the mostly highly sought after craftsmen and miners for the current reign. When the Emperor dies, his soul goes into this amulet and it is hung in a chamber deep below the Grand Temple of Regnomye. This is where the Living Saint goes when he does not know the answer to a problem, to consult with the Saints of the past.

The virtues of Umgrim are as follows. Pride, Justice, Integrity, Honesty, Independence, Productiveness, Rationality.

Pride is recognition that one's life should be one's highest value, and as such one needs to live a life which is worth living and worth loving. If one's life is worth living, as it is filled with value in the image of a heroic view of oneself, then it is worth loving and that love is good. That one should strive to have the best life which they can. As serfs, the dwarves were taught that their lives had no value. That they were simple interchangeable parts. This has led the dwarves to come off as a bit haughty and sometimes defensive when insulted. However, it also leads to them being more secure in their own value and striving to be even better at their chosen path.

Justice is the recognition that the character of each individual cannot be faked. That each person has value as a person, and that value should be regarded in one's evaluation in others. That each person should be given what they deserve, both good and bad. As serfs the dwarves were punished for the actions of one of them. If someone didn't work hard enough one day, they all starved. If someone did a better job than average, the quotas were increased. They were not allowed to have friends, lovers, or raise children. The dwarves which seemed the strongest and survived the longest were bred like cattle and the children were taken away to be raised by the Chosen. Dwarves now are very open with others, telling them to their face what they do or don't like about them. A dwarf will never be friends with someone they don't like and respect, but are insanely loyal and dependable to those who they do.

Integrity is the recognition of the fact that one cannot fake their consciousness. A person is a person, which means they are the culmination of their actions. If those actions are immoral, then that person is immoral. A person must stick to their convictions in every aspect. Loyalty to one's convictions and values. Grogrim and his Chosen were cruel and evil to the serfs, yet they claimed the moral high-ground. They were driven by capricious whims, whatever they wanted at that moment, with no regard to an integrated whole. Dwarves now are unyielding. Many will die before doing anything that goes against their convictions. They seek to be fully moral and live the virtues in every action. If one were to ask a dwarf why they did something, they would be able to explain their exact motivations.

Honesty is the recognition that reality is real, and there is no way to fake reality. This is also a recognition of cause and effect, that it is virtues which allow one to have material values, not the other way around. Grogrim's philosophy is about taking from others, and he is never fulfilled because he tries to gain value from simple material objects. Dwarves today enjoy material goods, but moreso they enjoy becoming good people. They know that if they live a virtuous life, they will be happy. Dwarves are generally a happy and bright people, drinking and making merry after a long day of work, saying that the work gives them the right to make merry.

Independence is the recognition that each person must make their own judgements of reality. Each has to make their own decisions on what is good for them and bad for them. Even when given facts by others, each person must decide for themselves if the facts and conclusions are valid. The serfs were told everything that they were supposed to think, feel, and know. They were not allowed to be independent entities, none of the dwarves were at that time. Now, the dwarves are proudly independent. Every one of them has their own reasons for the things that they do, their own likes and dislikes, their own chosen path. They listen to others, but when a dwarf disagrees with a conclusion they let you know and do not listen any further. Especially when they decide the speaker is an idiot. But they are also very excellent judges in their own decided field, and they value highly the affirmations of the people they respect.

Productiveness is the recognition that productive work is how one sustains their life. That it is the road of unlimited achievement and depends on creative ability, ambitiousness, self-assertiveness, refusal to bear uncontested disasters, and a dedication to a goal of reshaping the world according to ones values. As serfs, the dwarves were told to be productive but any creative work was shunned. They were little more than tools. Now dwarves spend their entire lives dedicated to their chosen career, because they enjoy it. this is one of the most obvious of the dwarves' culture, as they will quite literally die for their craft. Many end up with their souls inside gemstones, powering them with their essence and continuing to work in their chosen field after their death.

Rationality is the basis for all the previous values. It is the recognition and acceptance of reason as one's only source of knowledge, one's only judge of values, one's only guide to action. It is required to make choices and take actions no matter what they do. It is required to think, and that is the fundamental choice which all make. To think or not to think. As serfs, the dwarves were told not to think. Noone, not the masters nor even the Chosen, thought for themselves. They simply listened to what Grogrim told them to do. Now, dwarves will never unfocus their minds. They are constantly using them in everything they do, and dwarven schools focus on teaching children how to think.