Hey all, welcome to another World Lore Wednesday - Today we’re talking about the Towan pantheon! More specifically, the first third of it!
This post assumes you already know what’s up with the Sigil of Dusk Campaign Setting. If you’re new to the series, I suggest checking out our first post on the matter (I suggest skipping down to “The Word of Unatowa” if you’re impatient). But anyway, with that out of the way:
The two Dragon Gods, Ur’Goth and Achnikor, created the remaining Gods of Unatowa by passing their divine blessing on to the mortals of the world. These gods would raise up armies in their side’s name, and bring them to face each other on the field in a generations-spanning conflict called the Wild Wars. In the aftermath, both Towan and Ash’kin created pantheons consisting of a subset of those figures - meaning Towans consider it taboo to worship many of the Gods who fought on the side of the Ash’kin armies (although exceptions exist).
While only Ur’Goth remains on the Material Plane (at least, to anyone’s knowledge) many of the Gods maintain an active role in Towan life - watching their followers, using their divine blessings to aid them, and trying to ensure their devotees follow their teachings - all from the divine plane. While each god adopts their own style for dealing with their followers, their various approaches all reflect their individual personalities - as you’ll see.
Also, while all of the god’s you’ll read about here do see worship in polite society, they each come with their own connotations. Onlookers will see a worshiper of Malli, the Bawdy Joy very differently than they would a Vollex, the Third Eye devotee.
Anyway, without further adieu, lets jump into it!
Ur’Goth, The Lifeflame
Ur’Goth’s emblem - a burning Sun
Gender: Agendered
Ancestry: Dragon
Alignment: CG
Domains: Creation, Fire, Light
Favored Weapon: Flail
Description
An ancient, colossal, Golden dragon who’s tail ends in a maul, and from whom’s mouth continually spring the embers of life - manifesting as frequent bursts of golden white flame. While Ur’Goth once held a quite splendiferous and powerful form, they now struggle to keep a grasp on to the last embers of their life. Nonetheless, their gold and black scales still swirl with undercurrents of power, appearing as streams of red miasma swirling mysteriously underneath the surface sheen.
History
Ur’Goth created the Towan flame during the Dawn Growth, and continued to play a major role in the world’s development since. While they nearly faced defeat during the Wild Wars, they spent the eras since rooting out and destroying the remaining evils in the world and protecting the global population from any resurgence of Ash’kin forces.
While Towans commonly sighted Ur’Goth during the Era of Unbroken Peace, flying over their subjects to and from various missions to suppress and fight Ash’kin forces, Ur’Goth has holed themselves up in Ullator’s Keep since the start of the Time of the Waning Sun.
Religious Texts
The teachings of Ur’Goth, handed down at the end of The Wild Wars in the days after Ur’Goth struck the deciding blow, come through 17 Stones of the Theurge. These stones, when imbued with divine energy, relay the teachings of Ur’Goth in Celestial. While the words spoken never seem to change, running about 3 hours, the meaning evolves over time in a way only the clerics of Ur’Goth and scholars devoting their lives to the study of The Divine Language understand.
Followers
Followers of Ur’Goth focus on enhancing the land around them and drawing out the blessings of Ur’Goth, which priests of Ur’Goth suggest lends the great dragon power. As a result, many followers of Ur’Goth devote themselves to lives of the Plow and Shear or Drill and Hammer - either providing grain and meat through agricultural acts of worship, or honoring Ur’Goth through architectural works.
Relationship with their Followers
Because Ur’Goth yet remains on the Towan plane, they don’t speak directly to their followers unless said follower makes a pilgrimage to Ur’Goth’s current stronghold in Ullator’s Keep, or use magical means of communication.
When followers do make the effort to reach Ur’Goth directly, they’ll find a long line to even get within eyeshot of Ur’Goth, as the Dragon Guard keep a tight watch on the ancient dragon and guard their time jealousy. That said, those that have secured an audience with the Life Flame report that Ur’Goth takes great interest in their subjects’ lives - painting a picture of personability and quiet respect from the ancient dragon.
Gornin’kak, the Skull Thunder
Gornin’kak’s symbol - bottled lightning
Gender: Female
Ancestry: Fieldling Goblin
Alignment: CN
Domains: Ambition, Knowledge, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Dogslicer
Description
A female fielding goblin wearing light-weight armor and wielding an oversized dog-slicer. Depicted with pointed, chipped ears, green skin, red eyes, slightly taller than average, and missing part of her left middle finger due to an unexplained incident. She also carries several goblin-sized books with a hole punched through each, laced onto a rope by her side.
History
A Goblin general, renowned for her knack for shock and awe tactics, unconventional warfare, and extensive knowledge of war machines, tactics, geography, and Ashkin and their lore. Many accounts of her during the Wild Wars also praise her tendency to lead from the front lines.
Both contemporaries and historians celebrate her abilities as a tactician and fighter, especially with regard to her guerrilla tactics against Ash’kin forces in the early days of the Wild Wars.
Followers
Followers of Gornin’kak pay close attention to either her spontaneous, aggressive, powerful personality, or her fascination with scholarly pursuits - alchemy, geography, and the natural sciences. That said, many Goblins simply follow her out of ancestral affinity.
Religious Texts
Gornin’kak expressed little interest in leaving any sort of legacy to her followers - but did desire to keep her knowledge of Chemistry from disappearing. As a result, Gornin’kak left behind The Teachings Alchemae, containing a number of chemical and magical formulae.
Many clerics, priests, and scholars have released treatise divining hidden meaning in the teachings - about virtue through war, or prosperity through conservation, or the honor found through wit and intelligence.
Relationship with Her Followers
Gornin’kak doesn’t communicate with her followers very often - although, when she does, they’re often doing something alchemically interesting, engaged in conflict, or otherwise playing to Gornin’kak’s well established interests. In those cases, several of her devout find her almost too willing to share her divine teachings...
Ullator, the Unbroken Shield
Ullator’s Symbol - a Shield with decorations representing her orcish tusks
Gender: Female
Ancestry: Irratien Half-orc
Alignment: LG
Domains: Might, Protection, Confidence
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Symbol: A shield
Description
A shorter than average half-orc with dark green skin with two stunted tusks - one of which is broken half way. Artists depict her as equipped with heavy plate male, wielding a tower shield and longsword, wearing heavy yet conservative jewelry (think: simple iron rings, and silver or gold studs) and often standing valiantly in the front lines of battle between her allies and the enemy.
History
Ullator started as the leader of the Skull Hammer clan of Orcs - a position she won through a particularly spectacular performance at The Cleaving Brawl.
Ullator became Dragonblessed after Ur’Goth noticed her prowess on the battlefield - performing admirably all throughout the early days of the Wild Wars. After becoming Woken by Ur’Goth, she fought valiantly as their Champion - fighting bravely in the front lines of many battles, and often participating in 1:1 combat with Ash’kin generals.
While she put herself in harm’s way time and time again, she stood strong and stalwart in the face of all enemy attacks.
Followers
Those who find themselves or those close to them in danger on a regular basis often follow Ullator; namely: travelers, and those inhabiting the outskirts of settled civilization. They pray for her protection against evil forces, and to help them stand against harm from whatever evil they face. Protectors of the piece also often follow Ullator.
Religious Texts
Ullator left her 3 main tenets carved into the back of her namesake shield:
Protect the weak from the strong
Never shy away from a just fight
Treat yourself and your equipment with the respect it deserves
Scholars and clerics write endlessly about different interpretations on these three core commandments, expanding on their core implications in her name.
Relationship with Her Followers
Ullator expects much of her followers, relentlessly hammering home her core tenets and holding them accountable for failing to live up to the code. Despite that, followers can expect generous praise and rewards when they do live up to her calling.
Drugg Hur’dah, The Tower Forge
Drugg’s symbol - a stalwart tower
Gender: Male
Ancestry: Claywrought Dwarf
Alignment: N
Domains: Cities, Earth, Magic
Favored Weapon: Warhammer
Symbol: A Tower
Description
A dwarven mage, carrying a warhammer in one hand, and a thick, metal tome in the other. Depicted as a red skinned dwarf with pitch black eyes - taller than a normal dwarf, even for a Claywroughts, and adorned in a plated, stone-textured skirt of armor and a breastplate.
History
Drugg became dragon blessed after a contest at the Quenched Mindforge in Dirge.
Ur’goth asked the Dwarves to astound them with their greatest magical feats. Some made grand displays with evocation magic, others conjured terrifying illusions from the ether, while others still bent the very fabric of reality with their Transmutation powers. When all was said and done, however Ur’Goth saw that one dwarf still had yet to demonstrate their skills. They turned to the dwarf and asked: “Why do you sit there so? Have you no skills to demonstrate?” Drugg answered with a smirk: “Well, I guess I’m still a bit tired from building that” and pointed to the Mindforge itself - one of the grandest buildings in Dirge at the time. And - just like that - Ur’Goth knew which they would pick as their champion.
From there Drugg had a fruitful and busy career - he traveled the continent helping with structural fortifications and war infrastructure, constructing terrifying weapons to rain destruction upon the enemy, as well as stalwart fortresses that repelled even the most determined enemy attacks.
After the war ended, he switched to maritime construction, helping build roads, ports, schools, cathedrals, canals, and more. Many of these buildings still stand - a testament to the dedication and thoroughness with which Drugg conducted his craft. He finally left this plane when constructing his own cathedral in Far Harbor - leaving only one brick unlaid.
Followers
Architects, masons, and foremen tend to follow Drugg, along with anyone else making a living building things or structures. They look to Drugg for inspiration and guidance in their designs, as well as help in furthering their craft through his wisdom and insight.
Followers devote themselves to Drugg at their drafting tables and construction sites, viewing the act of building itself as an act of worship. Likewise, many followers attempt to make the trek to the Great Cathedral of Drugg in Far Harbor, although regional turmoil in recent years has made it far more difficult and unappealing to make the journey.
Religious Texts
As for religious texts, Drugg views the works he left behind as lessons enough for his followers - believing that his stonework and designs can speak volumes more than any musty old book or list of teachings.
Drugg also left behind a spell book, although none remain able to decipher all its pages.
Relationship with His Followers
Drugg keeps a pragmatic and focused relationship with his followers. He helps out with designs and schemas, often revealing flaws or potential improvements in designs they’re working on through divine inspiration, even while giving very little in the way of practical, day to day advice, and rarely getting involved in followers’ personal affairs
Drugg tends to drift from followers who failing to engag in the architectural arts in some way on a regular basis. Unlike Ulunne, this seems unintentional, and clerics won’t find themselves bereft of their divine powers - although they can expect silence when attempting to commune with their God nonetheless.
Anyway, that’s it for this week. Let us know what you think of the gods down in the comments! We’ll have our next segment of lore - part 2 of the Towan Pantheon - up in 2 weeks on February 12th. In the mean time, you can also catch our GM Tips series, returning on February 4th to take a look at the Cards metaphor of DMing.
