Gelf Darkhearth
| Gelf Darkhearth | ||
|---|---|---|
 Broken Anvil |
||
| Alignment | Intermediate God | |
| Divine Rank | Chaotic Neutral | |
| Pantheon | Gnome | |
| Portfolio | Entropy, Revenge | |
| Domains | Chaos, Destruction, War | |
| Home Plane | Golden Hills | |
| Worshippers | Gnomes, Rebels, Vengeance-Seekers, Warriors | |
| Favoured Weapon | Warhammer | |
Gelf Darkhearth is the Gnome God of Rebellion, Spite, Destruction and Vengeance in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. He is literally the evil twin of Garl Glittergold, and appears as a gnome identical to Garl, but with gray skin and black hair & beard. Gelf takes an obsessive delight in opposing everything his brother Garl attempts - ironically, he actually doesn't hate the gnomes themselves, but he feels compelled to destroy everything that Garl holds dear, and that means he has to tear down the same gnome society that he also loves, just so he can spite his brother.
Gelf is an angry, sorrowful deity, and attracts followers of similar temperament. Senior clerics individually recruit kindred spirits, seeking out rebels so committed to their cause they would do anything to defeat the authorities they despise. Indeed, if someone has hatched a plot against one of Garl's temples, or against a gnome community, Gelf is probably behind it somewhere. They especially love duping worshippers of Garl into self-destructive acts.
For obvious reasons, the church of Gelf is not exactly liked amongst the gnomes. Churches to Gelf aren't hidden, per se, but they are placed in out of the way spots where the worshippers aren't seen coming or going. Truthfully, local gnomes usually figure out where they are, but they see no reason to get involved. In fact, Gelf actually may serve as something of an outlet for gnome aggression; whilst few of his rites are known outside of the insular circles of his faithful, every gnome warrior knows the the Rite of the Adroit, a brief group ceremony that steels gnomish minds to the chaos of war.
Gelf's herald is a 20th level gnome rogue with the Fiendish template. His allies are succubi and slaadi (green and death).
Gelf’s prayers are often wordless ululations—long strings of vowel sounds. To nonbelievers, they sound like gibberish, but the exact order of sounds has meaning to the faithful.
Publication History[edit]
Gelf Darkhearth is one of the four gnome deities added to the Lords of the Golden Hills in the Races of Stone splatbook for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition. Precisely why they were invented will perhaps forever remain a mystery.