Torag

torag

Présentation

Torag
(Déité)
Titres	Father of Creation; Father of Dwarvenkind
Adjectif	Toragdan
Home	Heaven: Torag's Domain
Alignement	Lawful good
Portfolio	Forge, protection, strategy
Adorateurs	Dwarves
Cleric Alignments	Modèle:Alignment grid
Domaines	Artifice, Earth, Good, Law, Protection
Sous domaines	Archon, Caves, Construct, Defense, (Judgment), Metal, Toil
Arme de prédiléction	Warhammer

Visez haut, planifiez et battez le fer quand il est chaud, pour préparer le métal brut à partir de coups de marteau.

-Hammer and Tongs:

The Forging of Metal and Other Good Worhs

Les nains croient que Torag a créé le monde dans sa grande forge. Frappant encore et encore avec son marteau pour obtenir la forme qu'il désirait. Alors que les roches tombaient et les étincelles volaient, les nains sont nés, de la pierre et le ventre plein de feu. Il veilla alors sur les nains durant leur temps dans les sombres terres . Et lorsqu'ils ont poursuivi les orcs à la surface dans la quête du ciel. Malgré les revers au cours des millénaires, sous son œil sévère les nains ont trouvé la prospérité sous le soleil, la lune et les étoiles. Entant que planificateur avisé, il prépara des plans et des contingences pour presque toutes les situations. Bien que chaque nain tombant à la bataille lui fait souffrir son cœur, il garde ses yeux vers l'avenir et sur les innombrables vies naines allant de l'avant tout au long de l'éternité, comme des veines d'or dans une couche puissante orifaire.

Torag loves the dwarven race (and, grudgingly, his non- dwarven worshipers), but is like a distant father figure who shows little of the affection he feels for his children. This is not because he's callous or cruel, but because he knows life is a hard journey and he wants his followers to grow up strong, determined, and competent-if he sheltered them from all hardship, they would not know the value of hard work or the satisfaction of earning greatness .

As god of the forge, the Father of Creation concerns himself with the art of creating and shaping metal. He believes that shoddy workmanship insults not only the crafter and the wielder of a tool or weapon, but the item itself. He pushes his followers to continually refine and improve their craft, whether in the materials they produce or the efficiency with which they produce them. An ore or goblin would craft a weapon that easily breaks; a true dwarf makes weapons that don't fail in battle and tools than don't wear quickly under heavy use. This belief in the sanctity of metalwork sparked Torag's hostility toward Droskar (see Relations with Other Religions). He opposes the destruction of well- crafted things, and frowns on burying armor and weapons (but not tools) with the dead, as these items can help protect a vulnerable community or bring needed coin to an impoverished one.

Torag believes that, like the necessary interlocking rings in chain mail, planning for a greater purpose and creating complex battle strategies work together to pres erve life. However, he knows there are times when a dwarf needs to abandon a failing strategy and think on her feet, and he respects officers , soldiers , and wardens who demonstrate this quality. He prefers an organized defense over a tactical assault, and a tactical assault over a reckless charge. He opposes acting without thinking, rebellious thought s , and individuals who place their community at risk. He does not believe there is glory in martyrdom, but honors those who sacrifice their own lives to save others.

Torag manifests as an older, cunning, powerful dwarf clad in heavy plate armor, with eyes glowing like molten gold. His hair and beard may be any common dwarven hair color, often with streaks of gray, and his hands are worn and scarred from centuries of hard work. He exudes a palpable aura of power, wisdom, and safety. In art, he is always depicted wearing intricate armor, and is typically shown busy at his forge hammering out a weapon or shield. Sometimes images depict him as a mighty guardian, shielding dwarven children with his body as he clears away orcs and trolls with mighty sweeps of his warhammer, Kaglemros (dwarven for "forger of many weapons"). Torag shows he is pleased through reflections of his face on polished metal, preparations happening smoothly and ahead of schedule, and the discovery of mushrooms or stone fragments that exactly match the shape of his hammer. He sometimes sends mess ages as cryptic riddles that appear on stone surfaces for a short period of time. When he is angered, forges grow cold, shields crack, and even the simplest plan carries a feeling of impending doom. Earthquakes (whether localized or expansive) are the ultimate indication of his displeasure, but those who survive a deadly quake are considered blessed.

Torag is lawful good, and his portfolio is the protection, and strategy. His weapon is the warhammer, as is his holy symbol. His domains are Artifice, Earth, Good, Law, and Protection. Most of his worshipers are dwarves, but he has many human followers as well, particularly in Druma and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

Dwarven priests typically serve larger communities , whereas human priests look after smaller settlements . Among dwarves , almost all of Torag's priests are clerics, with perhaps one-tenth being paladins or stalwart defenders (see the Patlifinder R P G Advanced Player's Guide). Among his human worshipers in the Ulfen lands, Torag's priesthood consists almost entirely of clerics, with a handful of adepts in poorer villages directing prayers to him for protection. Human paladins of Torag are essentially unheard of. Priests create and maintain the armor and weapons of the faithful, build defenses for their settlements, and instruct militias in the use of weaponry for proper civil defense. Every priest undergoes at least a small amount of training in some kind of smithing, as well as Knowledge (engineering) to better construct defenses and Knowledge (history) to learn the battle tactics of famous leaders.

Torag manifests as an older, cunning, powerful dwarf clad in heavy plate armor, with eyes glowing like molten gold. His hair and beard may be any common dwarven hair color, often with streaks of gray, and his hands are worn and scarred from centuries of hard work. He exudes a palpable aura of power, wisdom, and safety. In art, he is always depicted wearing intricate armor, and is typically shown busy at his forge hammering out a weapon or shield. Sometimes images depict him as a mighty guardian,

The faithful of Torag consider burrowing animals sacred, as well as all animals that dwell in caves and mountainous areas. They eat these animals only when starvation is the only other choice, though most temples sacrifice such animals at least one per year as an offering to Torag. Flying creatures that live underground are viewed as abominations and freaks, and it is taboo to eat them. In particular, bats, mobats, and skavelings are considered unclean animals.

Typical worshipers of Torag include dwarven smiths, soldiers, officers, and scouts. They craft tools and weapons for the community, watch territorial borders , keep streets safe, plan and build defenses, and train others to forge and to protect their people. They are stable, dependable, conservative, loyal, and diligent.

Temple worship services take place at the central forge, with the high priest leading the ceremony and other priests assisting at the anvils. Services consist of long chants punctuated with hammers and bellows, using ritual chanting to keep time and proper pace. These services might incorporate actual crafting, resulting in the creation of one or more metal items for the community.

Torag greatly encourages his followers to marry, whether in a love-marriage or an arranged marriage. It is common for a priest to wed another priest from the same temple. The high priest typically arranges such marriages , with the consent of both families . Torag encourages his followers to have children, but given that dwarven couples might go decades without conceiving, this is a long-term plan (like much of the god's work). A couple that appears to be infertile might use magic or other methods to conceive.

Temples and Shrines

Torag_avatar

Every act of smelting and smithing is considered a prayer to Torag, and even the smallest temple includes at least a small anvil. Most temples are circular, built around a large, central, fully functional forge, with satellite anvils throughout. The devout use all these works paces at various times of the day. Because of the early morning noise from prayer-work, it is almost impossible to sleep in at a temple, though some have a remote or sound- dampened chamber for when quiet is needed, such as for an infirmary. Outdoor settlements build their temples into the outer defensive wall, as this keeps the noise away from other residences and makes it easier for the priests to monitor the city's defenses . Priests enlarge temples to meet the needs of their communities, and older settlements usually have grand cathedrals built around or over original, smaller temples . Many dwarven temples contain mausoleums, though most dwarves prefer to be buried in their family tombs . Every temple is stocked with weapons and foodstuffs so it can be used as a fortress and rallying point if the community comes under attack.

A typical shrine-whether public or in a home is an alcove with an anvil- shaped altar. In dwarven communities, temples and shrines include a shelf to hold statuettes of Torag and the other dwarven deities so the priests can invoke prayers to them.

A PRIEST'S ROLE

Prêtre de Torag

Each morning, a priest rises early to stoke the coals of a temple forge, and then prepares breakfast while the forge reaches a suitable temperature. After eating, the priest does a little short-term work at the forge or anvil as a morning prayer, such as smelting a few chunks of copper or lead ore, or hammering a metal bar into a more useful shape for an apprentice or another priest to use. The priest prepares spells during this meditative, repetitive activity. After morning prayers, the priest leaves for as signed duties (which may be at the forge or anvil).

Most non-adventuring priests work as smiths for governmental or military organizations . They understand the practical needs of crafting as a necessary trade rather than as a form of artistic expression. A weapon or piece of armor with a smith-mark crowned by Torag's symbol might not be pretty, but it was surely tested for quality and durability. Priests who aren't inclined to work at a forge, anvil, or architect's desk all day gravitate toward leadership positions where they can use their knowledge to direct others on the battlefield or city walls, whipping them into shape and maintaining discipline. In a fortress with a priest of Torag serving as the steward, guards never sleep on duty.

Torag's followers take their responsibilities seriously, and usually work over one or two problems at any particular time. They can be patronizing like judgmental parents, or bark at their underlings about how a careless act could endanger everyone. In the company of others who share their faith, they relax a bit more. They don't like being idle, and usually tote small crafting projects with them at all times just to keep their hands busy, such as braiding leather cords into thicker strands (perhaps for eventual use as a cover for a weapon hilt) or inspecting a bag of cros sbow bolt heads for flawed units in need of reforging.

The church is organized like a defensive army, with officers and a clear chain of command. They grant promotions and awards for excellent strategic ideas; heroic acts of defense in battle; and innovations in forging, smelting, and other crafting. Many settlements make the priesthood an official part of the city guard, though priests must follow orders from lay officers only in times of civil defense.

As formal dress, the clergy wear work-worn, knee-length, heavy leather smithing aprons. Many priests do not decorate this garment, but some burn symbols into the leather or adorn it with studs, rivets, plates, or badges of steel or precious metal to commemorate significant events, such as marriage, the birth of a child, completion of the priest's first set of full plate, and so on. Priests also often carry large blacksmithing hammers during ceremonies; such a hammer may be plain or engraved, and is quite functional as a weapon. Priests and devout followers wear rings for their fingers, hair, and beards, often trading them among others of the faith to show friendship, debt, or allegiance.

Lay artisans garner respect within the church, especially exceptionally skilled smiths . Likewise, tactically minded lay members of the community are welcome to give their input to the temple priests, though they are rarely given any sort of official role in the religious hierarchy.

Because the temple contributes directly to community defense, priests heavily involve themselves in the community. Acolytes assist smiths when equipment runs short, aid in drilling new soldiers in military maneuvers and weapon training, and carry orders from generals to military outposts (often relying on spells like sanctuary to keep them safe). A typical adventuring priest is familiar with crafting, military hierarchy, and basic troop defense strategies.

Holy Text

The official holy book of the church is Hammer and Tonns: The Forninfj ofMetal and Other Good Works, which is usually bound in metal with interior pages of lacquered leather. In addition to prayers and the story of the creation of the dwarven race, it includes instructions on how to shape stone, build walls, smelt base metals , and forge iron and steel, as well as basic information about various predatory monsters and how to defeat them. The oldest copy of the book in a particular community (typically the one used in the main temple) includes a record of when the settlement was founded, which families or clans were involved in its founding, and other notable events in its history.

Aphorisms

Since Torag is a teacher of craft and strategy, over thousands of years his mortal students have created phrases to impart his wisdom to the next generation. Among these instructive phrases, the following are most common.

The Hand with the Hammer Shapes the Future: Craft and invention allowed dwarves and other civilized races to expand across the world. The artisan's mind thought up the first spear and hammer, the smelting of bronze and steel, and the construction of castles, clockworks, and even gun works. Without these inventions, the civilized races would be like goblins, huddling in the mud, fearing knowledge, and worshiping simple concepts like fire and rocks.

Hops and Water Is Not Beer: This phrase refers to the belief that inferior workmanship is unacceptable, and only one's best effort is good enough. No self-respecting dwarf would call a cup of water and hops "beer" because such a thing is unfinished and unpalatable. Likewise, a weaponsmith does not consider a poorly made axe or hammer to be a weapon. To avoid reprimands by their teachers , apprentices learn to call unfinished items by nicknames (for example, a hammerhead is a "slug") rather than the name of the final item. Because of this saying, an apprentice known for making frequent mistakes is often called a "hops water." Among lay folk, this phrase is often altered to "Hope and water is not beer."

Let Them Break upon Our Shields: Though Torag is a war god, he would rather protect his followers than seek and destroy their enemies. This aphorism reminds the listeners of the power of a strong defensive position, and the fate of countless armies forced to give up after besieging an imp enetrable fortress . Torag sincerely believes a successful offense requires a strong defense, and encourages his people to always have a safe retreat. In some clans, this phrase is rendered as "against our walls" instead of "upon our shields."

Holydays

No months in the standard Golarion calendar are named for Torag, though the dwarves call the month of Rova by the name Torawsh, believing it is a foolish thing to name a month for an evil, imprisoned god of destruction. The church celebrates anniversaries of successful battles, including the breaking of sieges .

Skylost: If a dwarven community has ties to one of the lost sky Citadels, such as having b e e n founded b y dwarves from that location, t h e community mournfully notes the date that citadel was lost. However, each of these daughter communities might have its own specific date for that event, dep ending on what it considers significant, such as the when the last walls were breached, when the order to evacuate was given, or when the community's founders fled that citadel to establish a new home . Therefore, two towns founded by exiles from Koldukar (now Urgir in the Hold of Belkzen) might honor Skylost on different days because their patron clans evacuated the city on different days. On Skylost, dwarves reflect on the lives and accomplishments of slain ancestors . Non- dwarven temples (and those founded by clans from surviving citadels), however, usually do not observe this holiday.

Relation with Others Religions

Torag cares little for destructive and aggressive deities, having battled them and their minions since the dawn of the world. The cult of Rovagug in particular draws Torag's hatred, for the Rough Beast's spawn have long seethed and squirmed in the deeper corners of the earth. D e spite this loathing of Rovagug, Torag's followers do not get along well with Sarenrae's worshipers, as her disciples are generally too willing to forgive transgress ions and too devoted to the sun, which to the long-lived, underground- dwelling dwarves is an indication of weakness . The Father of Creation respects Abadar for his adherence to law and commerce (which are especially valuable to the craft-inclined dwarves) and Irori for his discipline. He is friendly toward Cayden Cailean for his humor and love of ale, and respectful toward Iomedae for her battle prowess and devotion to order and good. He gets along well with Erastil, perhaps the only deity more curmudgeonly than he is .

Torag is the head of the dwarven pantheon (see Pathfinder Campaign Settin.1r Gods and Ma.9ic), an extended family of gods and goddesses. Most of these deities are all but unheard of outside of dwarven communities, and it is rare even for a dwarf to worship one of them rather than Torag. The members of the pantheon defer to him except in matters that lie entirely in their jurisdiction rather than his . Rather than praying directly to these other deities , dwarves as k Torag to intercede on their behal£ Of the dwarven gods, only bitter Droskar, a former student of Torag and now the duergar god of toil and slavery, holds no allegiance to the Father of Creation, and the two deities are engaged in a slow-burning cold war.

New Speels

Clerics of Torag may prepare fabricate and major creation as 3th-level spells; his paladins may prepare them as 3rd-level spells. Paladins may prepare mending as a 1st-level spell.

In addition to fallback strategy (see Gods and Magic) and various spells granted by Torag on behalf of the other dwarven gods (see Pathfinder Player Companion: Dwarves of Golarion), his priests have access to the following spells.

FIRE BELLY

School abjuration ; Level cleric 1, druid 1, paladin 1 (Torag)

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, 5 , D F

Range personal

Target you

Duration 10 minutes/level

Saving Throw Reflex half,see text ;spell Resistance yes,see text

A magical fire warms your belly, granting fire resistance 5 and making your gut hot to the touch ( but not enough to damage you or anything else). As a standard action , you can breathe a 15-foot cone of flame that deals 1d4 points of fire damage (Reflex half, SR applies). Each time you use this breath weapon , reduce the remaining duration of the spell by 1 minute. The fire resistance of this spell otherwise acts like resist energy, interacting with other spells as that spell does.

IRONBLOOM sPROUTS

School transmutation ; Level cleric 1, druid 1 (Torag)

Components V, S, OF, M (1 gp worth of powderediron)

Targets 2d4 fresh mushrooms touched

This spell functions like goodberry, except as noted above and that it transforms 2d4 mushrooms into magical ironbloom mushrooms rather than transforming common berries into magical berries. Alternatively, you may create twice as many mushrooms , but each only has the nourish mentability of a goodberry and not the healin g properties.

Planar Allies

The Father of Creation's divine servants are powerful creatures and skilled metalworkers . Most have no time for nonsense, and when summoned prefer to immediately start planning-or take action if a plan is ready. They do not take kindly to being summoned by someone who acts rashly or succumbs to pres sure from reckless or chaotic allies . Torag's herald, the Grand Defender (see page 88), resembles a huge, dwarf, shaped iron golem with a hammer and shield, known for casting off its outer layer of armor whenever it is "killed," only to reveal a smaller set underneath. Torag's most frequently summoned servitors are the following.

Ambassador Zurin: Clad in brass armor, this azer noble is an imposing sight, with rippling muscles and a broad, flame-red beard. He enjoys studying the tactics of opponents, whether on the battlefield or at the diplomat's table, and uses his knowledge to outmaneuver superior opponents. He is on good terms with various fire elementals of note, and though he dislikes efreet, Zurin is not averse to negotiating with them if necessary-but gets a wicked glint in his eye if any payment offered to him would come in the form of contracts for the services of efreet.

Hrilga Shield- Maiden: This yellow-haired dwarf is a celestial werebear and a skilled cavalier. Though comfortable giving orders to soldiers , she prefers to lead the charge, relying on her martial skill, supernatural resilience, and tactical knowledge to carry her allies to victory. In hybrid and bear form, her fur is bright metallic gold. She loves honeyed pastries and thick mead. Stoneriver: This beefy brute of a bulette is only marginally smarter than others of its kind, but it obeys Torag's will and has a ruthless cunning that lets it function like an expert hunter and tracker. It is immune to fire, and can burrow through lava as easily as it does earth. Its favorite activity is crunching duergar bones, but it would love to be offered an evil halfling for a meal.

Customized Summon List

Priests of Torag can use summon monster spells to summon the following creatures in addition to the normal creatures listed in the spells . They are not allowed to use these spells to summon flying underground animals such as bats or dire bats.

Summon Monster I Badger

Summon Monster Ill Azer, Dire badger

Ironblood Mushroom

Short and stunted, these small mushrooms are a favorite among dwarves but are rarely found outside of dwarven enclaves. They gained their name from thriving in dark places rich in iron, often sprouting up around dwarven forges. Outside of dwarven settlements, ironblooms are difficult to find. Ironbloom mushrooms make up an important part of the diet of the dwarves of Five Kings Mountains, mainly because the fungi grow abundantly throughout their holdings. Ironblooms are rich in nutrients and have a light salty flavor, but a somewhat unpleasant earthy aftertaste. Because they are filling and weigh next to nothing, they make excellent traveling rations]