Norgorber (nor-GOR- bur)

NE god of Greed, Murder, Poison, and Secrets

Blackfingers, Father Skinsaw, The Gray Master, Reaper of Reputaion

There is value in the things that others shun or concel, A secret is an intangible coin worth more than a noble's murder.

-The Words Behind the Mask

Norgorber is the most mysterious of The Ascended, the group of mortals who assumed godhood. Unlike Nethys', Irori’s and Cayden Cailean’s mortal existences, Norgorber’s life before his ascension is a mystery; the god himself has shrouded details of his mortal life in secrecy. This is no surprise to those familiar with Norgorber—he is the master of all secrets, a calculating manipulator who cleverly and ruthlessly wields the power of hidden knowledge to achieve his own ends. Only his most trusted worshippers know enough about his goals to assist in the god’s plans, and even those worshippers often have their memories modified after their parts in Norgorber’s schemes are complete.

In artwork, Norgorber is often portrayed merely by his religious symbol: a black, featureless mask. The god actively interferes in artists’ attempts to realistically reproduce his likeness by causing blindness or tremors to prevent completion of their work. Those who claim to have seen him can describe only a nondescript hooded figure in black and gray, with his face lost in shadows.

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.

Relations with Other Religions

Norgorber is careful to maintain civil relations with most deities and is scrupulous in covering his tracks when he must act against them, working through intermediaries and obscuring his involvement. Only six major deities refuse to speak with Norgorber. Abadar objects to the way Norgorber's thievery undermines the idea of law and the honest acquisition of wealth. Cayden Cailean considers him a coward and a villain. Erastil has seen his criminal activity and family-damaging secrets-and those of his followers-damage too many lives. Bahamut steadfastly believes Norgorber has evaded justice for far too long, and thinks the dark god was somehow involved in plots to free Tiamat to gain her wealth. Sarenrae has given him enough chances to redeem himself, only to see his false repentance further some evil plot. Torag sees him as the cancer that destroys a city from within, despite walls mighty enough to keep out the most dangerous foes. Yet despite their enmity, even these deities have dealt with Norgorber in the past through intermediaries in order to obtain valuable secrets.

Like Norgorber himself, members of his church make a point of working well with members of other faiths-especially if such outsiders are willing to pay for the unique skills cultivated by Norgorber's followers. They are darkly amused when representatives of those faiths that despise them come to them for help in times of grief or need. Though the faith is not welcome or even tolerated in many places, the secretive power its members carry allows them to make inroads of friendship (or at least alliances of convenience) with others. In the end, however, Norgorber's worshipers will likely show them why they cannot be trusted.

Holy Books & Codes

At least 17 short texts, all given innocuous code names and often disguised as mundane books or encoded to prevent easy scrutiny, comprise The Words Behind the Mask, though any two cults may have very different ideas about how the chapters are organized, the specific wording of certain phrases, or which sections are the most important. Within these slim tomes lie precepts for organizing guilds, maintaining secrecy, finding suitable work sites, conducting blackmail and extortion, and worming one's way into a victim's confidence. Most are written as parables.

Tenets of Faith

Edicts keep your true identity secret, sacrifice anyone necessary, take every advantage in a fight, work from the shadows
Anathema allow your true identity to be connected to your dark dealings, share a secret freely, show mercy
Follower Alignments Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil plus Neutral if following the Reaper of Reputation

Holidays

Norgorber's followers often commemorate his ascension in midwinter by snatching a random person from the street, bringing him to their temple, quietly poisoning him, then hiding the body where it will never be found. Cults that avoid killing might plant incriminating evidence on a victim, drug a target and place her in a compromising position, or steal something valuable in a way that embarrasses its owner. Individual cults may also celebrate the anniversaries of successful schemes, killing sprees, or the invention of unusual drugs or poisons.

Aphorisms

Many followers of Norgorber use a mix of key words, double entendre, and nonverbal signals to communicate with fellow believers without attracting the attention of the uninitiated. The following two sayings, however, are common among most of Norgorber’s followers, though they are careful not to utter them around nonbelievers.
With one hand I give: Used as a salutation, this is also a warning—the speaker’s true motivations remain secret, and a gift in one hand may be offset by a threat in the other.
I wait for a fair price: Something of little apparent value may have great worth in the right hands or whispered in the proper ear. A person who says this possesses some item or knows some secret that has not yet been deployed to its full potential.

Religions

• Gods of Tengaria
• The Ascended