Laduguer's priests serve as the leaders, defenders, and elite artisans of Duergar society. As reflected in the title given to High Old Ones, his clergy derive their spiritual and temporal authority from the role the Exile's early priests played in leading the ancestors of the Duergar away from the rest of Dwarven society. Unlike Dwarven cultures where religious and clan leadership are usually distinct, the Duergar make no distinction between the two roles. As the protectors of Duergar enclaves, members of Laduguer's clergy command and serve in the military and are ultimately responsible for the care, feeding, and training of steeders. They are responsible for the brewing of poisons, the infliction of torture, and the exploitation of slaves. To ensure the safety of the Duergar as a whole, Laduguer's priests forcefully repel contacts from other races, permitting trade only under very controlled circumstances far removed from Duergar strongholds. The Exile's clergy are also expected to be skilled craftsmen, particularly of magical weapons, and the older and frailer priests are typically the elite artisans of any Duergar community.

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Hierarchy

Novices of Laduguer are known as the Untempered. Full priests of the Exile are known as Grimcloaks. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Ladugueran priests are Deep Adept, Dark Craftsman, Invisible Artisan, Rune Weaver, Grim Guardian, and Doom Knight. High Old Ones have individual titles but are collectively known as the Ardukes of the Gray Gloom. Specialty priests are known as thuldor, a Dwarvish word that can be loosely translated as "those who endure."

Vestments

The clerical vestments of Laduguer's priests consist of utilitarian metal armor and the gray, hooded mantles for which the Grimcloaks are named, and is indistinguishable from their attire in more active functions. If a shield is worn, it is made int he appearance of Laduguer's symbol. If a shield is not worn, an accepted holy symbol of the faith is a gem of any type, split nearly in twain by a large crack, one half of which is deeply flawed and the other half of which is perfect. For the Duergar, such gems symbolize their split from the rest of the Dwarven race and their superiority over those they have forsaken.

Rites and Duties

As befits their grim lives, Duergar are a race almost without joy who reserve their rituals for victories over enemies and for the grim pleasure of inflicting pain on those unlucky enough to fall into their clutches.

The only regular holy day is known as Grimtidings. On this day only, the duergar lay down their hammers and gather to hear their priests recount the trials the duergar have suffered since their voluntary exile and the weaknesses of the other dwarven subraces and their gods. Laduguer is extolled for his artistry and craftsmanship, and a litany of those who have given insult to the god and the gray dwarves and against whom a promised, deadly revenge is recited.

The Ardukes of the Gray Gloom also declare holy days, known as Guerdon Revels, after major victories and when prisoners - particularly mountain and shield dwarves - are captured. While the work does not stop during such festivals, most gray dwarves are given a few moments off from their labors to observe the recounting of heroics by duergar warriors, to examine plundered loot, and to participate in the torture and painful deaths of any prisoners.

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Affiliated Orders

The Gray Lances of the Snarling Steeder are a mounted order of Duergar crusaders and fighter/priests. The Gray Lances serve as the elite cavalry of Duergr armies, and their most common opponents are Driders and Drow mounted on riding lizards. Individual Duergar knights and their steeder mounts are well schooled in subterranean warfare techniques for battles that unfold across cave floors, walls, and ceilings.

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