Surtur

God of fire and smith. God of fire giants

Surtur, the dead chief Deity of fire giants, is Thrym's twin. Often in legends these contests are bloody battles, but some tales have the brothers acting side by side on grand adventures. Surtur is seen as the more clever of the two, and fire giants emulate his unsurpassed skill at creating and building things.   In the fire giants’ world, fire is strength. It burns away impurities and leaves behind only what is strong enough to withstand the heat, such as the best steel from the forge. When fire is controlled, it is the giants’ most powerful tool; when it rages unchecked, it can bring down forests and lay waste to cities.   Because of the destructive power of fire, the worship of Surtur is tinged with an apocalyptic air. Some observers suspect that priests of Surtur maintain clandestine workshops and armories where they manufacture and stockpile battle gear in preparation for a final, all-encompassing battle that will decide the fate of the world. If the suspicions are true, these sites are expertly hidden and kept secret even from most fire giants.  

Surtur

(God of fire and smith. God of fire giants)

Titles
/
Race
Fire Giant
Sex
Male
Alignment
Lawful Evil
Sheet
Portfolio
Fire, Smith, Fire giants
Domains
Forge, Knowledge, War
Worshippers
Fire giants
Celebration
/
Symbol
/
Children

Worship

Among fire giants, the worship of Surtur is often tinged with the expectation of a coming battle that will destroy worlds, slay many gods, and upend the ordning, leaving fire giants as the undisputed masters of all creation. Surtur’s fire giant priests stoke the flames of this expectation when they address Surtur as “the All-Consuming Flame” or “the Cleansing Fire.” Some priests stockpile weapons—ranging from ordinary swords and axes to magical devices of devastating potential—in preparation for this great battle.  

History

War against the titan

The trolls reigned over Goria for six hundred years until Imperator Molok attempted to deceive the giants of Voninerike in 4520 BD. Molok amassed an army with the aim of challenging the Titans. His forces clashed against Tromokratis and the Hedroforn, ultimately perishing against these formidable monsters. Unaware of the trolls' freedom from the giants' influence, Tromokratis and the Hedroforn sought vengeance against the giants, sparking a conflict between the giants and the Titans.   As the giants mobilized their forces to confront the colossal adversaries, they found themselves outmatched by the Titans' might. The trolls, observing the Titans' progress, mustered a massive army and joined the fray, challenging the giants' dominion over the world.   Skoraeus Stonebones, the god of stone giants, sought to dissuade his siblings from joining the conflict, believing that the matter of their creation should be left for them to resolve. However, Stronmaus argued that the titan's involvment was not to be resolved by mortals and refused to heed his counsel. To tip the scales in favor of the giants, the giant gods intervened:   Surtur faced the Hedroforn and, unlike his twin, sought Grolantor's assistance in facing this formidable challenge. However, Memnor intervened, recognizing the need for a strategic approach rather than brute force.   Memnor approached Grolantor, claiming that he alone could defeat the Titan if he waited in the frosted heights. Meanwhile, he persuaded Surtur to forge unbreakable chains suitable for a Titan. Memnor orchestrated a confrontation between Grolantor and Surtur, spreading rumors among the giants' ranks that his brothers were distracted them from the urgent situation. When the Hedroforn defeated the giants, it learned of the feud between Grolantor and Surtur and sought to kill them both.   However, only Grolantor was there to face the Titan, and as he launched his assault, both he and the Hedroforn fell into a pit dug by Memnor leading to the deepest regions of the world. There, Surtur and Memnor chained the Hedroforn while Grolantor attempted to fight it, sealing the Titan within the caverns.   With the Titans defeated, the giants marched toward Goria, Trolerike's capital and unleashed their fury. A roaring storm churned above the city as the ground groaned and trembled. Over several hours, lightning, fire, and earthquakes ravaged the city, bringing down every wall and building, sealing off the escape routes, and burning the ships in the harbor. When nothing but ash and rubble remained, the earth itself wrenched open like a giant maw to swallow Molok and the remains of his great city whole.   Untold thousands of trolls died that day; none were left alive by the giants. Only whispers of the event would reach the other Gorian cities and outposts, but those whispers would be enough to discourage any further tampering with the giants. The Death of Molok marked the end of the Trolerike in 4507 BD.  

Halfling Genesis

Brandobaris a Human god known for his cunning and audacity hatched a plan to outwit Surtur. He successfully infiltrated Surtur's hoard, which contained exquisitely crafted artifacts of immense power. In a heist, Brandobaris managed to steal from the hoard, causing Surtur to erupt in fury.   In his rage, Surtur cursed Brandobaris and all his followers, shrinking them down to the size of half-men. However, Brandobaris, true to his nature, took this drastic transformation lightly, even finding humor in it. Many gods, including Charmalaine and Cyrrollalee, saw the curse as unjust, especially for Brandobaris's devoted followers.   In an act of solidarity and sympathy, Charmalaine and Cyrrollalee decided to stand with Brandobaris and his followers. They willingly shrank themselves down to the size of halflings and bestowed their divine blessings upon the transformed humans. These blessings included the gifts of luck and perpetual joyfulness to assist them in navigating the challenges of their newfound existence.  

Death of the fire god

Athazor, a fierce red dragon known for his power and skills, challenged Surtur, hoping to achieve godhood. But despite his prowess in battle, Surtur nearly killed the red-dragon, leaving him alive in an act of pitty and humiliation.   This was Surtur biggest mistake, Athazor grievously wounded, had been infused with Surtur's flames. From his wound, the flames started to spread, covering the dragon's scale and body, granting him yet another power.   Once healed, Athazor faced the god of flames again, with his newfound immunity to the divine flame, the fight against the god was rather balanced, the dragon launching himself towards his prey and striking with speed and rage, wounding Surtur.   Athazor won, the consequences of this battle were felt all over Toriel, large fires starting in numerous regions, flames all over the world flickering and exploding outward. But the flames of this world had a new master.


Cover image: Farewell by Greg Rutkowski
Character Portrait image: by Jesper Ejsing

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