Norgorber

**Norgorber** (pronounced NOR-gore-ber) is known as a Pneumanor deity of thievery and assassination, as well as a keeper of secrets. He is called the 'Reaper of Reputation' by some, but has more insidious titles among his other worshipers. He remains an enigma to most, and his true motives are unknown. Many of his own followers remain ignorant of his plans and designs. Norgorber is the only evil god amongst the Ascended.

## Appearance

Norgorber is depicted most frequently as an ordinary human male dressed in brown and black clothing, with his face either partially or completely obscured.

## Home

Norgorber lives in Duskfathom, the undercity below Axis. His minions frequently prey upon the city above, and his criminal activities are tolerated as a necessary evil by the other gods, for there would be no need for law without crime.

## Servants

Norgorber's divine servitor race are the karumzek, spiker-like creatures that excel in all the aspects the god is known for: the creation of poisons and other alchemical items, keeping secrets, and excelling at murder.

## Church of Norgorber

### Worshipers

Worshipers of Norgorber are considered cultists by nearly all inhabitants of Pneumanor. The cult is forbidden in almost every Terra except  Gobland where it is tolerated. The cult is split into four parts, each one focusing on a specific aspect of Norgorber and paying only marginal attention to the others. They all work together in some way however, to advance a secret plan. His followers wear masks to identify themselves and as a symbol of their devotion to the god. Some worshipers wear different masks in order to signify different emotions or signals, and only remove the innermost masks in private. The masks themselves are often elaborate, with hinged jaws and coloured lenses.

Norgorber's worshipers come from all walks of life and all of them are termed **Sons and Daughters of the Mask**; many are clerics, rogues, bards and assassins. Most followers of Norgorber will choose one of his **Four Aspects** to particularly worship. he followers of the cult of **Father Skinsaw** are known as the Skinsaw Cult, and are the most extreme, being numbered among the murderous insane, who commit atrocities in Norgorber's name. Spies and politically minded folk who worship him as the **Reaper of Reputation** consider him the deity of secret knowledg. Thieves revere the **Gray Master**. Assassins, alchemists and herbalists follow **Blackfingers**.

### Clergy

Norgorber's ceremonial colours are black and brown. The cultist's clothes usually follow modern fashions, in order to blend in with the common populace. His priests are all master imitators and confidence men, able to assume identities and infiltrate organizations and bring them down from within.

### Temples and shrines

Outwardly, the temples of Norgorber are more akin to a thieves' or merchant's guilds than a religious site. Their true nature is usually hidden, transformed during the night to be obvious to the faithful.The temples are managed by a guildmaster with several underlings in a military or business-like chain of command.

### Holy texts

Seventeen short texts, at least, are associated with Norgorber, all of which have code names and are often disguised as unremarkable books.The anthology of Norgorber's faith is entitled *The Words Behind the Mask*, though no two copies are likely to be the same or interpreted similarly.

A minor sect, considered reckless by mainstream Norgorberites, follows an apocryphal text known as the *Dark Lure* which instructs followers to reveal as many harmless secrets about themselves as possible, so as to dissuade anyone from digging further.

### Favored animals

Gods are often associated with certain animals, either because they possess a quality favored by the god, or because the god's faithful feel a special kinship to them. Norgorber's favored animals include spiders, rats, crows and jackdaws, and poisonous animals.