In maybe three thousand years from now, Snorri could become a 'Junior' Ancestor of Runesmiths.
If we were from now, plus minus 500 years, then he could become a 'junior' Ancestor of war.
As others have stated, becoming very old is only likely to net you worship of your Clan, and maybe hold if you've got the chops, post-death.
Becoming an Ancestor God, even a minor one like Grombrindal (at least compared to the big 7) requires either:
- Extreme age + a wealth of feats
- Very extreme age.
and even then there's a soft cap between where Grombrindal would be and the greater Ancestor Gods.
From the sounds of things in their ancestor worship dwarfs more specifically worship their heroes, most of all those they're either related too or have cultural ties too. The Ancestor Gods are the greatest of all dwarf heroes. They're true heroes that shaped all of dwarf society in undeniable ways and performed many great and seemingly impossible deeds, so they're revered by all dwarfs. Snorri is a living Ancestor by virtue of his age and notable because of his deeds, so he's a minor Hero that would be spoken of and revered in places like Draka, this hold, and perhaps the north as a whole even thousands of years after his death. His clan will definitely never forget him.
He's not going to become a meaningful ancestor god though because he isn't the source of and embodiment of some massive advancement in dwarf society and isn't some ancient demi-god. Just being old wouldn't be enough for that.
This sums it up pretty well. You literally have to reshape Dwarf society and positively impact it enough that they adopt your ideas. Either through the creation of an entire Craftguild like with Thungni or Morgrim, becoming so big brain at an existing one you basically suborn it entirely like Smednir or create one of the bedrock(heh) traditions and cultural maxims that steer Dwarf society at large.
Again this is all very
ROUGH since you aren't likely to see this sort of scale for a long time, if ever, but it goes something like this maybe?
To preface, I make a distinction between an Ancestor
God and an Ancestor. Both are worshipped, only the former is seen in any way close to divinity as humans understand it. Dwarfs, I don't think, would make too much of a distinction really.
Greater Ancestor Gods:
What needs to be said? The big seven, universally worshipped by every Dwarf, and here's the important part,
while they're still alive. Grungni, Valaya, Grimnir, Gazul, Thungni, Smednir and Morgrim. Even here there's maybe a degree of very slight separation, with the older four being above the younger three in terms of impact.
Minor Ancestor Gods(?):
Here is sorta where the God part comes into contention tbh.
The upper tiers of this category would be the supreme Cultural heroes of Dwarfdom like Grombrindal. So old, and so storied that there isn't a Hold or Dwarf out there that doesn't know about at least three dozen of the stories about them. Worship of him is minor, almost unseen, but you wouldn't be surprised if it existed. If he died, like confirmed for sure death in front of enough people and for a significant enough reason, then every Dwarf would pray to him in some fashion afterwards. Though I admit Grombrindal is sorta straddling the line between this tier and the next, he's effectively the soft cap in terms of age + deeds I mentioned earlier. He won't fully cross over unless he
does something institution or tradition making ya know?
The lower levels would be the great Kings and Heroes of Dwarfkind,
though only post mortem. Dwarfs like Kadrin Redmane, Gotrek Starbreaker, Kurgaz, Alric Thungnisson, Katalin Kandoom, Dorin Heldour and the like. Note that in this bottom tier, very few save their Clan or Hold would consider them an Ancestor God. Being from the same region, bloodline, etc as these Dwarfs would be a source of great pride and obviously an example to live up to and if they have any worshippers outside their Clan or Hold it'd be in their region.
If there was a phrase to sum this category up it'd be: Acknowledged by the vast majority of Dwarfs to be of great significance and an example to follow, but still
within the confines of existing systems. And/or, Dwarfs of incredible impact on society but the true acknowledgement of their deeds and value is limited to those in the know so to speak.
Okay from this point down, you sorta have to be dead full stop, no exceptions like in the upper tiers.
Hold Wide Ancestors:
What is says on the tin. Ancestors worshipped by the sum totality of a Hold. You would maybe be here given enough time. Pretty close I'd say. Which is to say, people from Kraka Drakk might pray to you in the nebulous future post your death. Known throughout the region, but not worshipped in any noticeable capacity outside your Hold.
Clan Specific Ancestors:
Again, what it says on the tin. You'd be here for sure.
oh and
DONT ASK ME WHERE GOTREK WOULD BE, HE'S SOME WEIRD LIMBO OF BEING REALLY FUCKING GOOD AT KILLING AND BEING A DWARF HERO, BUT REALLY BAD AT DOING HIS JOB AS A SLAYER. 2 or 3, if I was forced to answer? Guy has to die for me to give a verdict.
anywho, Ima lock the vote in.... let's say 2-3 hours? :^)
