Eltharin rune for Vaul
Vaul, called "The Maker", is the god of smiths and artifice in the Elven Pantheon, and a member of the sub-pantheon known as the Cadai especially favoured by the High Elves. Vaul is the divine creator of the legendary artefacts wielded by the gods and heroes of the Elven people.[1][2]
Mythology[]
The great Temple of Vaul located in the crater of the volcano known as Vaul's Anvil in the kingdom of Caledor on Ulthuan, where the smith-priests of the Order of Vaul craft magical arms and armour for the High Elven armies.
Vaul is the armourer to the hosts of heaven and the divine patron of smiths and other artisans. He is both crippled and blind, wounded in the ancient wars of the gods when he challenged and was defeated by Khaine, the god of war and murder. Enslaved to Khaine's will, and chained to his own anvil, Vaul is forced to make weapons of extraordinary power for the war god's eternal battle against the great enemy of Chaos.[2]
Vaul has thus laboured for time untold but his hatred for Khaine has never slackened. Even so, the Maker nurtures no seed of rebellion, but bears his shame in silence; he knows that the Elves of every kindred will need Khaine's fire and fury if they are to survive the great darkness that is coming, and even a god's pride is a little thing when they set against the extinction of an entire species. So does Vaul's desire for revenge go unfulfilled -- just one more burden for his twisted body to bear.[2]
Mightiest of the blades forged at Vaul's hand was the Widowmaker, the Sword of Khaine, and it was Draugnir, father of Dragons, who provided the fire that tempered that steel. Alas, the weapon thirsted, even then, and stole from Draugnir more than he sought to give. Thereafter, the fate of Draugnir's line was externally bound to that of the Elves.[2]
Cult of Vaul[]
Vaul is the divine smith, crippled and blind. His priests of the Order of Vaul apparently put out their eyes to honour him. Humans cannot explain why Elves would want to worship a crippled deity.[3a]
Upon the blazing black island at the very tail of the Dragon Spine Mountains sits the great shrine of Vaul, the god of smiths and artisans in the Elven Pantheon. His majestic temple rests in a great tower of black adamant rising out of the steaming lava within the volcano's crater. The temple can only be approached over a narrow drawbridge of truesteel. Within this shrine the blind smith-priests of Vaul forge weapons of power and devices of infinite cunning for use by the High Elf lords who command Ulthuan's armies.[5a]
The smith-priests of Vaul ritually blind themselves like their patron god when they enter the Order of Vaul. The act of putting out their eyes has greater significance than merely leaving the priests sightless. While they lose their earthly vision, they gain something far more. They are bestowed with the skill and shrewdness of their patron deity, and the understanding of the sorrow and suffering Vaul has undergone to protect the Elves. This knowledge and wisdom enables them to harness the Winds of Magic and thus create enchanted weapons of incredible potency for the High Elves who fight the wars to protect Ulthuan.[4a][5a]
Trivia[]
Vaul is based on Hephaestus, known to the Romans as Vulcan, the Greco-Roman god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.
Vaul, like many other gods of the Elven Pantheon, is worshipped by the Aeldari in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 125
- 2: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (8th Edition)
- 2a: pg. 39
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Signs of Faith (RPG)
- 3a: pg. 28
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: High Elf Players Guide (RPG)
- 4a: pp. 100-101
- 5: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (7th Edition)
- 5a: pg. 10