Norgorber
Norgorber is worshipped in four aspects, each of which embodies
a facet of the god’s sinister portfolio: Blackfingers, god of poison;
Father Skinsaw, god of murder; the Gray Master, god of thieves; and
the Reaper of Reputation, god of secrets. Norgorber’s followers typically
align themselves with one aspect above the others, though some temples
venerate the god in all of his guises. Temples dedicated to different aspects
of the god operate independently, though they might work together to
accomplish complicated schemes planned by the god or his minions.
Blackfingers: In his aspect as the god of alchemists and poisoners,
Norgorber represents the covert use of dangerous substances to achieve
personal gain and the pursuit of alchemical secrets regardless of the
consequences. Even alchemists who worship more benevolent gods
covet the secrets known by Blackfingers, though his worshippers would
contend that nonbelievers are too cautious or kindhearted to successfully
pursue Norgorber’s forbidden techniques. Followers of Blackfingers are
reckless experimenters, selectively breeding spiders or scorpions to develop
stronger venoms or testing chemical tinctures on prisoners to study
their effects. Their experiments often lead to the development
of useful contraband, such as untraceable poisons that mimic
the effects of disease or powerful acids that eat through locks
or prison bars.
Father Skinsaw: Bloodthirsty and brutally violent,
Norgorber’s Father Skinsaw aspect is worshipped by only the
most heartless killers. Whether they’re merciless bandits, cutthroat thieves,
or fearsome butchers, followers of Father Skinsaw focus on
snuffing out life, either as a show of dominance, a gruesome
sacrament, or a celebration of depravity. While senseless killing
is enough for many worshippers of Father Skinsaw, some serial
killers see their crimes as steps in the unknowable plans of their
dark god. For them, every murder is a prayer.
The Gray Master: Blackmail, extortion, larceny, kidnapping—all
of these are sacred to followers of the Gray Master. Norgorber’s
aspect as the god of thieves encourages his followers to seize what
they can get and disregard moral compunctions and the law. While
individual guilds of thieves might follow guidelines that ensure
profitability or help them avoid authorities, those that follow the
Gray Master seek to profit at the expense of others. Of all the
god’s aspects, the Gray Master is the most likely to have organized
cults of followers, and his priests often hold important positions in
thieves’ guilds, gangs, and crime syndicates.
The Reaper of Reputation: Politicians, spymasters, and even
archivists or researchers might worship Norgorber as this, his
least malevolent aspect. The Reaper of Reputation represents the power of
information: the power of discovering it, the power of keeping it secret, and
the power of whispering it in the right ear at the right time. While many good
people are interested in gathering useful information, those who follow the
Reaper of Reputation usually do so to further their own selfish ends and
seek to leverage insider knowledge for personal gain. Price manipulation
and political corruption are the trade of many of the Reaper of Reputation’s
followers, but his most extreme worshippers might ferret out a secret and then
kill anyone who had learned of it, merely to keep its power for themselves.
DIVINE INTERCESSION
Norgorber’s favor and displeasure are subtle, yet powerful. Minor Boon: Norgorber protects your secrets and lies. Once, when you roll a failure at a Deception check to tell a Lie, you get a critical success instead. Norgorber typically chooses to grant this boon to protect an extremely consequential lie. Moderate Boon: Your poisons are everlasting. If your Strike with a poisoned weapon critically fails, or succeeds but fails to deal slashing or piercing damage, the poison is not spent. The poison is still spent once successfully applied to a creature. Major Boon: You become a living secret. You are immune to divination effects and attempts to magically alter your memory, unless you choose to be affected or those effects come from a deity, artifact, or similarly powerful source. You also can never be tricked or forced by mundane means into uttering a secret you wish to keep. Minor Curse: Norgorber allows thieves to get the better of you. Whenever you Earn Income, you earn money as if the task were 2 levels lower due to theft, loss, or bad fortune. Moderate Curse: Poisons are quick to debilitate you. When you roll a failure at a Fortitude save against a poison, you get a critical failure instead. Major Curse: Norgorber steals away your memories. Once each day when you awake from rest, roll 1d4. On a 1, you forget the events of the previous day forever. On a 2, you temporarily experience complete retrograde amnesia for that day, unable to recall information from the past, including who you are. On a 3, you temporarily forget a single important subject for that day (Norgorber tends to intentionally chooses a memory to cause distress, such as making you forget your spouse on your anniversary). On a 4, you temporarily remember false memories on a single important subject for that day, blended seamlessly into your true memories.
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