Torm

Torm

Torm (pronounced: /ˈtɔːrm/ TORM), also known as The True and The Loyal Fury, is the god whose portfolio consists of duty, loyalty, righteousness, and, after the Spellplague, law. His symbol is a right-hand gauntlet held upright with palm forward.

Divine Realm

Torm's divine realm is called Trueheart. In the Great Wheel cosmology, it was located in Mercuria, the second of the Seven Heavens.

History

The origins of Torm are a mystery, although it is known he was once a mortal hero during the time of the fall of Netheril, who eventually became a demigod. Many scholars believe that the mortal Torm lived in a nation on the Border Kingdoms known as Chalsembyr. At some point before the Year of Fortunes Fair, -238 DR, Torm joined the forces of the god Tyr, who at the time was carrying over his Procession of Justice, as his war leader. Eventually, the alliance of Torm, Tyr, and Ilmater, another ally of Tyr, became known as The Triad.
Torm gained considerable attention and praise during the Time of Troubles, when his faithful helped keep one of the missing Tablets of Fate safe, and his own avatar battled and completely destroyed the avatar of Bane outside Tantras on Eleasis 13 in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR - seemingly killing the god who had already been weakened by Mystra and her servant Elminster. Torm knew he did not have enough power to defeat Bane, so he chose to absorb the souls of his worshipers in Tantras, knowing that they would be instantly killed. The transferring of souls was done voluntarily and took thousands of lives, but Torm chose to spare children aged 14 and below. These individuals became known as the Martyr's Progeny. Torm died in that battle, but because of his loyalty to his portfolio, Lord Ao resurrected him shortly after the end of the Time of Troubles and Tyr raised him to the status of lesser deity.
In the Year of Three Streams Blooded, 1384 DR, the dark god Cyric manipulated Tyr to battle Helm, god of guardians, over a misunderstanding. Tyr won, and Helm died. This divided the Triad, as Ilmater chose to leave their shared plane, the House of the Triad, to live with the goddess Sune in Brightwater. Crushed by grief and shame, Tyr abdicated his godhood and granted Torm all his divine power. Tyr counseled all of his followers to offer their allegiance to Torm.
In the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, after the Spellplague had wreaked havoc in the planes, a group of demons led by the balor lord Axithar invaded the House of the Triad, and when Tyr and Torm sent calls for help, the dragon god Bahamut answered by sending his legions to aid in destroying the demons. However, Tyr died while defending the celestial planes during the ensuing battle. Afterwards, Torm became the chief deity of the Triad and promoted Bahamut to the same position he once occupied while serving Tyr, and Ilmater joined his fellow god once again. The three gods moved to the plane of Celestia and re-purposed the role of the Triad in the Realms.

Relationships

Deities

Torm greatly reveres Tyr, seeing him as his spiritual father. He is also a staunch ally of Ilmater. Torm had a friendship with Helm prior to the latter's death in 1384 DR, though the two deities' priesthoods are ever cold to one another. It is well known that he and the Red Knight were fond of one another, but whether the two were friends or lovers is  something the duo kept to themselves. Torm was also good friends with Lathander and Amaunator, the latter even earning great respect from the Loyal Fury. Torm is also a comrade of the dragon god Bahamut, who is a servant deity to him, much like a knight. Both gods have battled side-by-side against evil gods and devils on many occasions.
Torm has many enemies amongst the foul deities, chief among them Bane and Shar. He holds especial enmity for Cyric, as he saw how the dark god greatly damaged Tyr.

The Triad

Torm is one of the three deities of similar interests known as the Triad, along with Ilmater and Tyr. It is often said by common folk that Torm is the weakest of the three in his subservient role, but the role he plays is of true importance: he acts as the nexus that holds the three together. Torm tempered Tyr's zeal for justice with his gifts of mercy and humility. After the death of Tyr, Torm became the new leader of the Triad when he took the seat of the master of Celestia. In this "new" Triad, Bahamut took the role of the god of justice in place of Tyr, while Ilmater became the god of mercy, and Torm the god of law, acting as a point of balance between the other two gods.

Worshipers

Torm's worshipers consist mainly of human males and females who favor the causes of both good and law. Righteousness, honesty, loyalty, and truth are their primary pursuits. After the Time of Troubles, the number of dwarven and elvish members has been increasing. In the post-Spellplague world, which has been more dangerous and darker than ever, Torm's followers have shined as beacons of hope and courage.

Orders

Order of the Golden Lion

High Cleric Barriltar Bhandraddon serves as Torm's pontiff and rules from the Temple of Torm's Coming in Tantras. From this place, the pontiff extends Torm's reach and worship by sponsoring knightly orders across the continent, including the Order of the Golden Lion. Members of the Order of the Golden Lion, known as Tormtar, guard temples of deities whose worshipers the Tormish persecuted during the Time of Troubles. This act of aiding other goodly faiths is called the Penance of Duty. As part of the Penance of Duty, the Tormtar have to fulfill the Debt of Dereliction (the act of expending every resource possible to eliminating cults of Cyric and Bane), and the Debt of Destruction (the act of locating and recording areas of dead/wild magic and repairing the Weave).

Eye of Justice

This order, based in Westgate, is considered heretical by many Tormites. The Order worships a form of Torm they refer to as the "Threefold God", which they believe to be a combination of Torm and the dead gods Tyr and Helm. Members of this sect have no pity or fear and often use tactics some would consider questionable. The Order attracts outcasts from other orders, as well as people seeking redemption for evil acts.

Girded Healers

Members of this order worship both Torm and Ilmater. The primary purpose of this order is to heal those touched by war or the Spellplague.

Rumors and Legends

A group of hundreds of thousands of humanoid creatures of all types called the Wanderers walk eternally in formation across the inner surface of the Realmspace crystal sphere. It is their constant chanting which allows the opening of portals used by spelljammers. According to legend, they are exceptionally evil individuals sentenced at their death to this fate by the gods. Torm seems to be responsible for their existence and to play an important role in this process, as each of the Wanderers wears his symbol on their palm.