Ashenzari the Shackled

''While it seems inconceivable that the divine could be shackled, Ashenzari is just that: being purposely nailed to the sky for eternity, the unbudging god is all-knowing, all-seeing. Devoted worshipers are allowed to grasp shreds of this knowledge and foresight, but be warned: to Ashenzari, power and blessing and curse are all the same thing.''

Ashenzari is the God of Divination in Dungeon Crawl.

Followers of Ashenzari are given knowledge but at the cost of wearing cursed gear. Ashenzari allows its followers to curse their own gear, stopping wearers from taking off their armour, shields, jewelry and weapons. However, followers can also reallocate their skill levels at the cost of some of the XP and piety.

Ashenzari offers a lot more utility than direct combat assistance, unlike many other gods. For example, Cursed slots will give flat boosts to skills, while sufficient piety will allow for Deep Dwarf-esque magic mapping, effective vision outside LOS and the ability to identify items. While on a melee character these benifits are reasonably useful, casters with AoE spells can truly shine with Ash, particularly in the late-game where spells such as Firestorm, Icestorm and other area-affecting high damage spells become available. Ashenzari's auto-identify is extremely useful just as a quality of life bonus; Ziggurats become somewhat less of a chore as most of the artifacts lying on the floor will be identified automatically, while Treasure Troves, Vaults and Elven Halls become much less time-consuming to loot.

In-Game Description
''Ashenzari exhorts followers to garb themselves with curses, and provides rewards for time spent using cursed armour, jewelry or weapons. Ashenzari's ultimate desire, however, is not for devotion but the knowledge of all things. Pious worshipers willing to part with a portion of their knowledge will receive a great portion of Ashenzari's in return.''