The Midgard Worldbook already details a score of saints dedicated to the war god Mavros, but the other deities have their share of saints as well. Saints of Midgard uncovers some of these holy personages, including information on their origins, followers, blessings and miracles, and the relics attributed to them.
Saint Khurgrin, The Lovestruck Saint
Origins. One of Volund’s most famous saints is Khurgrin Ralkrend, a dwarven cleric and warrior from the Free Cantons, sometimes called the “Lovestruck Saint” for the romantic quest that marked the end of his life.
Unlike most of Volund’s priests who tended to marry early in life, Khurgrin was a bachelor who boldly stated that only a woman of remarkable patience and strength could put up with his many eccentricities. At first, his fellow priests simply humored him for his stance, but eventually, his decision began to grate on their nerves, and they hired a dwarven prostitute named Ayelda to seduce him. Used to twisting men around her fingers, Ayelda was mystified when Khurgrin rebuked her advances, and she became obsessed with winning his affections, quickly forgetting about the money she was being paid.
A dwarf of great insight and wit, Khurgrin knew of Ayelda’s plans from the beginning and gently mocked her efforts, ignoring her many schemes to get him to fall in love with her. Still, Khurgrin found her persistence strangely comforting and looked forward to seeing her frustrated yet beautiful face every day.
It was not until Ayelda was captured by a band of ogres and taken as a tribute to a nearby clan of frost giants that Khurgrin realized he had fallen in love with her. Devastated by this knowledge, Khurgrin ignored the calls of his fellow priests to forget her and set off into the mountains after the ogres.
For weeks, Khurgrin braved the harshest peaks of the Ironcrags, overcoming all manner of adversity to track down the ogres that took Ayelda and slaughtering scores of giants to rescue his beloved. When he was finally done, Ayelda was safe, yet the toll proved too much for Khurgrin, and his final act was to tell Ayelda his true feelings before he perished. When Ayelda returned to the Free Cantons, she carried with her Khurgrin’s nicked axe and a new wedding ring of iron and copper on her finger.
Followers. Khurgrin is often known as the Saint of Marriage and as such is venerated by many newlyweds and similar folk who hold the sanctity of marriage in high esteem. While Khurgrin is not as widely venerated as Volund’s other saints, involved with such pursuits as smithing or horse riding, he is still extremely popular and is the most popular of Volund’s dwarven saints amongst non-dwarves.
Blessings and Miracles. The most common blessing associated with Khurgrin is a copper ring of light, appearing above the heads of a couple destined to be married. A more rarely seen gift involves a person’s weapon being temporarily suffused with fire or radiant energy when protecting a wedding ceremony or on a quest to save a loved one.
No miracle has ever been directly attributed to Khurgrin. Still, his unshakable valor, strength of arms, and dogged determination to save Ayelda are seen as the hallmarks of a genuinely miraculous individual worthy of sainthood despite what his opponents might say.
Holy Relics
The relics of the saints are items of renown and power, vitally important to those of the same faith and zealously sought after and guarded.
AYELDA’S RING
Ring, legendary (requires attunement)
A ring of woven iron and copper, Ayelda wore this until her death over 150 years ago. It then passed onto her nephew, who lost it while exploring one of the many ruins of the Ironcrags. Since then, the ring has remained missing, but Volund’s priests are always hopeful that they may one day reclaim it.
While you are attuned to the ring, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and saving throws.
The ring has 7 charges. It regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. Spells cast from the ring have a save DC of 16.
By spending charges from the ring, you can cast the following spells: command (1 charge), prayer of healing (2 charges), warding bond (2 charges), and spinning axes (3 charges, see Deep Magic).
KHURGRIN’S AXE
Weapon (battle axe), very rare (requires attunement)
A worn-looking battle axe with Volund’s holy symbol etched into its steel haft and a circular hole where a ring can be placed in its pommel, this axe was borne by Khurgrin on his journey to rescue Ayelda, and it remained with her until her death. It was then passed onto her nephew, who lost it when he met his fate in the northern Ironcrags.
You gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls while wielding this axe.
While you are attuned to the axe, you can place a magical ring into the circular depression and use the ring as if you were wearing it and it was attuned to you, even if it would take you over the normal attunement limit. Thus, you could place a ring of evasion into the axe and benefit from the ring’s full effects.
