Torag
Aim high, plan well, and strike while the iron is hot, for unprepared metal shatters from a hammer’s blow. —hammer and Tongs: The Forging of Metal and Other Good Works
Father of Creation, Father of Dwarvenkind, the Forgefather
Torag is an ancient god, and his dwarven followers credit him with the creation of the world at his great forge, striking his new work again and again with his hammer to get the shape he desired. As the rocks tumbled and the sparks flew, the dwarves were born—beings made of stone and with bellies full of fire. Even with setbacks over the millennia, under his stern eye the dwarves found prosperity. Torag is a hard and proud patriarch, a distant but loving father. Though every dwarf who falls in battle pains his heart, he keeps his eye on the future and the countless dwarven lives extending forward into eternity, like golden links in a mighty coat of mail. He is often thought of as a purely dwarven god, yet continues to gain traction among humans.
Torag loves the dwarven race, and has come to love his non-dwarven worshippers, but withholds most direct aid and affection from both, for he sees life as a hard journey, and if he sheltered his children from all hardship, they would not know the value of their own hard work or the satisfaction of their achievements. He created the dwarves to be tough, stubborn, wise, and creative—traits they would need to persevere and overcome all obstacles—and expects all his worshippers of all races and walks of life to seek to embody those traits. He opposes those who act without thinking, rebel, or place their community at risk.
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, and pushes his followers to continually refine and improve their craft. A devout worshipper makes weapons that don’t fail in battle and tools than don’t wear quickly under heavy use. Torag opposes the destruction of well-crafted things, and frowns on burying armor and weapons with the dead, as these items can help protect a vulnerable community or bring needed coin to an impoverished one.
Torag is a shrewd planner, a great advocate of contingencies, and he holds forethought as one of the principal gifts of living well. However, he knows there are times when a dwarf needs to abandon a failing strategy and think on her feet, so Torag respects officers, soldiers, and wardens who demonstrate this quality. He prefers organized defenses to tactical assaults, and tactical assaults over reckless charges. He does not believe there is glory in martyrdom, but honors those who sacrifice their own lives to save others. He is a stout fighter, rarely given to rage, but when his anger awakens, the earth shakes and cities fall.
When Torag appears to his worshippers, he’s an older but hearty 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’s always depicted in intricate armor, and typically shown busy at his forge hammering out a weapon or shield. Some 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.
Torag shows his approval through reflections of his face on polished metal, preparations happening smoothly and ahead of schedule, excellence at the forge, and the discovery of mushrooms or stone fragments that match the shape of his hammer. He sometimes sends messages as cryptic riddles that appear on stone surfaces for a short period of time. When 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, yet those who survive a deadly quake are considered blessed.
Torag is the head of the dwarven pantheon, an extended family of gods and goddesses largely unknown outside of dwarven communities, and which are rarely worshipped individually. Rather than praying directly to these other deities, dwarves ask Torag to intercede with the other gods on their behalf, as the other members of the pantheon defer to him except in matters that lie entirely in their jurisdiction. Of the dwarven gods, only bitter Droskar, Torag’s former student turned duergar god of toil and slavery, holds no allegiance to the Father of Creation; the two deities are engaged in a slow-burning cold war.
Torag’s focus on dwarves allows his faith to be more insular than most, and his followers largely keep to themselves enough that they need neither know nor care much about other faiths. When they do come in contact with other religions, they see the followers of other faiths as flighty, frivolous, and prone to waste too much of their time on nonessential works. They are most likely to appreciate the attitudes of Erastil’s worshippers, who value community and family, and they salute the discipline of Iomedae’s followers. Like their god, they find the faithful of Cayden Cailean relaxing—there’s something about their geniality that loosens the stiff followers of Torag up a bit. Of course, the Caydenites can take it too far, and affection for them can quickly turn paternalistic and dismissive. Followers of the Father of Creation like to keep busy, and though they’d never admit it, those that do regularly interact with other faiths often find themselves glad of the opportunity to be useful as they improve allies’ tools and capabilities.
Ambassador Zurin: Clad in blazing brass armor, this imposing azer noble sports rippling muscles and a broad, flame-red beard. He enjoys studying tactics, whether on the battlefield or at the diplomat’s table, and uses his knowledge to outmaneuver forces of superior numbers or magical power. He is on good terms with various fire elementals of note, but dislikes efreet. He will negotiate with them if necessary, but gets a wicked glint in his eye if the offered payment includes a contract for their services.
Hrilga Shield-Maiden: A skilled cavalier, this yellow-haired dwarf has bright metallic gold fur in her hybrid and bear forms. 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.
Grand Defender: Appearing like a massive dwarven golem crafted from iron, this creature serves as Torag’s herald. The construct is animated by the spirits of dozens of great dwarven heroes who consider it an honor to serve their creator in defense of the mortal world. The spirits within the Grand Defender retain all their mortal memories and knowledge, and when in the mortal world they have been known to call out through the herald to old friends, relatives, or offspring with an unexpected familiarity and affection. Mortal dwarves have been known to ask the Grand Defender for lost secrets of forging and engineering, and the hero spirits have Torag’s permission to pass on this lore as long as doing so doesn’t hinder his herald’s purpose for that visit. Other dwarves hope to speak with a dead ancestor in order to pay their respects, apologize for some old offense, or recount a descendant’s achievement.
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.
Torag loves the dwarven race, and has come to love his non-dwarven worshippers, but withholds most direct aid and affection from both, for he sees life as a hard journey, and if he sheltered his children from all hardship, they would not know the value of their own hard work or the satisfaction of their achievements. He created the dwarves to be tough, stubborn, wise, and creative—traits they would need to persevere and overcome all obstacles—and expects all his worshippers of all races and walks of life to seek to embody those traits. He opposes those who act without thinking, rebel, or place their community at risk.
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, and pushes his followers to continually refine and improve their craft. A devout worshipper makes weapons that don’t fail in battle and tools than don’t wear quickly under heavy use. Torag opposes the destruction of well-crafted things, and frowns on burying armor and weapons with the dead, as these items can help protect a vulnerable community or bring needed coin to an impoverished one.
Torag is a shrewd planner, a great advocate of contingencies, and he holds forethought as one of the principal gifts of living well. However, he knows there are times when a dwarf needs to abandon a failing strategy and think on her feet, so Torag respects officers, soldiers, and wardens who demonstrate this quality. He prefers organized defenses to tactical assaults, and tactical assaults over reckless charges. He does not believe there is glory in martyrdom, but honors those who sacrifice their own lives to save others. He is a stout fighter, rarely given to rage, but when his anger awakens, the earth shakes and cities fall.
When Torag appears to his worshippers, he’s an older but hearty 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’s always depicted in intricate armor, and typically shown busy at his forge hammering out a weapon or shield. Some 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.
Torag shows his approval through reflections of his face on polished metal, preparations happening smoothly and ahead of schedule, excellence at the forge, and the discovery of mushrooms or stone fragments that match the shape of his hammer. He sometimes sends messages as cryptic riddles that appear on stone surfaces for a short period of time. When 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, yet those who survive a deadly quake are considered blessed.
Relations with Other Religions
Torag has battled destructive deities and their minions since the dawn of the world. In particular, Rovagug’s spawn have long seethed and squirmed in the deeper corners of the earth, drawing Torag’s ire. Despite their shared loathing for the Rough Beast, however, Torag’s followers find Sarenrae’s worshippers too forgiving and too devoted to the sun, both of which are seen as weaknesses by the long-lived, underground-dwelling dwarves. The Father of Creation and his craft-inclined worshippers respect Abadar for his adherence to law and commerce, and Irori for his discipline. Torag likes Cayden Cailean’s humor and love of ale, and respects Iomedae’s martial 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, an extended family of gods and goddesses largely unknown outside of dwarven communities, and which are rarely worshipped individually. Rather than praying directly to these other deities, dwarves ask Torag to intercede with the other gods on their behalf, as the other members of the pantheon defer to him except in matters that lie entirely in their jurisdiction. Of the dwarven gods, only bitter Droskar, Torag’s former student turned duergar god of toil and slavery, holds no allegiance to the Father of Creation; the two deities are engaged in a slow-burning cold war.
Torag’s focus on dwarves allows his faith to be more insular than most, and his followers largely keep to themselves enough that they need neither know nor care much about other faiths. When they do come in contact with other religions, they see the followers of other faiths as flighty, frivolous, and prone to waste too much of their time on nonessential works. They are most likely to appreciate the attitudes of Erastil’s worshippers, who value community and family, and they salute the discipline of Iomedae’s followers. Like their god, they find the faithful of Cayden Cailean relaxing—there’s something about their geniality that loosens the stiff followers of Torag up a bit. Of course, the Caydenites can take it too far, and affection for them can quickly turn paternalistic and dismissive. Followers of the Father of Creation like to keep busy, and though they’d never admit it, those that do regularly interact with other faiths often find themselves glad of the opportunity to be useful as they improve allies’ tools and capabilities.
Planar Allies
The Father of Creation’s divine servants are skilled metalworkers and powerful creatures with no time for nonsense. When summoned, they prefer to begin planning or take action immediately, and do not take kindly to those who act rashly or succumb to pressure from reckless or chaotic allies. In addition to his servitor race, the chalkost, the following servitors of Torag answer to planar ally and similar calling spells from the faithful.Ambassador Zurin: Clad in blazing brass armor, this imposing azer noble sports rippling muscles and a broad, flame-red beard. He enjoys studying tactics, whether on the battlefield or at the diplomat’s table, and uses his knowledge to outmaneuver forces of superior numbers or magical power. He is on good terms with various fire elementals of note, but dislikes efreet. He will negotiate with them if necessary, but gets a wicked glint in his eye if the offered payment includes a contract for their services.
Hrilga Shield-Maiden: A skilled cavalier, this yellow-haired dwarf has bright metallic gold fur in her hybrid and bear forms. 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.
Grand Defender: Appearing like a massive dwarven golem crafted from iron, this creature serves as Torag’s herald. The construct is animated by the spirits of dozens of great dwarven heroes who consider it an honor to serve their creator in defense of the mortal world. The spirits within the Grand Defender retain all their mortal memories and knowledge, and when in the mortal world they have been known to call out through the herald to old friends, relatives, or offspring with an unexpected familiarity and affection. Mortal dwarves have been known to ask the Grand Defender for lost secrets of forging and engineering, and the hero spirits have Torag’s permission to pass on this lore as long as doing so doesn’t hinder his herald’s purpose for that visit. Other dwarves hope to speak with a dead ancestor in order to pay their respects, apologize for some old offense, or recount a descendant’s achievement.
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.
Holy Books & Codes
The official holy book of the church is Hammer and Tongs: The Forging of Metal and Other Good Works. As it’s meant to be used for reference near forges and in other situations where lesser books might catch fire, it’s usually bound in metal, and its leather pages are coated in flame-resistant lacquer. It includes prayers and the stories of the creation and early days of the dwarven race, the destinies they have forged, the Quest for Sky, and the simple need for community that binds dwarves together. It also gives 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 defend against 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.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
His holy symbol is his warhammer. He is called the Father of Creation, the Father of Dwarvenkind, and the Forgefather.
Holidays
Dwarves call the ninth month of the year Torawsh instead of Rova, believing it foolish to name a month for an evil, imprisoned god of destruction. The church celebrates anniversaries of successful battles, including the breaking of sieges.
Skylost: Dwarven communities with ancestral ties to one of the lost Sky Citadels, such as those who can trace family lineages back to a citadel’s founders, mournfully mark the date of its loss. However, each of these daughter communities might have its own specific date for that event, depending on how much information is still known and what those who recorded it considered the most significant date, such as 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) usually do not observe this holiday.
Skylost: Dwarven communities with ancestral ties to one of the lost Sky Citadels, such as those who can trace family lineages back to a citadel’s founders, mournfully mark the date of its loss. However, each of these daughter communities might have its own specific date for that event, depending on how much information is still known and what those who recorded it considered the most significant date, such as 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) usually do not observe this holiday.
Symbol
Edicts
be honorable and forthright, keep your word, respect the forge, serve your people
Anathema
tell lies or cheat someone, intentionally create inferior works, show mercy to the enemies of your people
Areas of Concern
forge, protection, and strategy
Centers of Worship
Druma, Five Kings Mountains, Lands of the Linnorm Kings, Mana Wastes
Allies
Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Erastil, Iomedae, Nivi Rhombodazzle
Enemies
Rovagug
Relationships
Nivi Rhombodazzle (divine protégé)
Temples
battlefields, castles, cathedrals, caverns, forges, fortresses, warehouses
Worshippers
dwarves, guards, hunters, miners, smiths
Sacred Animal
badger
Sacred Colors
gold and gray
Favored Weapon
warhammer
Domains
creation, earth, family, protection
Alternate Domains
duty
Divine Ability
Constitution or Wisdom
Divine Font
heal
Divine Skill
Crafting
Divine Classification
God
Religions
Species
Realm
Church/Cult
Spouses
Folgrit
(spouse)
Children
Gender
Male
Ruled Locations
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 and practical phrases, the following are most common.Hammer and Tongs! The name of Torag’s holy text is often blurted as an exclamation, typically as a response to something outrageous, surprising, or frustrating. Though the words themselves don’t carry immediate meaning, they usually serve to ground the speaker, reminding them of the larger body of Torag’s teachings and helping them gain perspective on a startling or difficult situation.
An anvil is nothing without fire: Priests use this phrase to teach that working without a goal means nothing and that fighting without purpose accomplishes nothing. The saying reinforces Torag’s directives to wage war primarily as a defensive measure centered around the community, encourages followers to pursue crafting with a goal in mind, and so forth. Many dwarves can recount tales of hearing these words as an admonition after particularly reckless events during their youth.
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 gunworks. 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: Inferior workmanship and anything less than one’s best effort are unacceptable to followers of Torag. No self-respecting dwarf would call a cup of water and hops “beer,” as such a thing is unfinished and unpalatable, and so no skilled weaponsmith would consider a poorly made hammer a true weapon. Apprentices call unfinished items by nicknames (for example, a hammerhead is a “slug”) to avoid their teachers’ reprimands, and an apprentice known for making frequent mistakes is often called a “hopswater” in reference to this phrase. Among some, this phrase is 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, and encourages his people to always have a safe retreat. The power of a strong defensive position has forced countless armies to give up after besieging an impenetrable fortress. In some clans, this phrase is rendered as “against our walls” instead of “upon our shields.”
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