Gorum

The god of battle and one of the Seen gods, Gorum's favored animals include rhinoceroses, dinosaurs, and war-trained animals.

## History

Those who follow Gorum rarely concern themselves that much with history and do not seem to have a very clear idea of how The Lord in Iron came to be, while those who follow the teachings of the Seen and Unseen gods happily contend that he has simply always existed. While texts like Myth in Iron state that he was a mortal who ascended to god status, other followers say that he was birthed out of the hatred formed during a war fought by the Akarieans. There is a story that tells of how Gorum, after The Emergence, grew bored with the peace and quiet and so decided to incite war between the Humans and Orcs so that battle would rage across the world once more and he could be worshipped through the glory this would create. This, the story goes, is why Orcs and Humans can never truly be at peace. It is said that, once the dust had settled after the war of the races, a suit of iron armour stood alone on the battlefield. It hadn't fought for either side, just attacking anything that came close to it. Warriors and knights have ever since claimed to see a vision of the god as they strike a killing blow or charge into battle. Gorum is considered the divine embodiment of martial prowess and glory on the battlefield.

## Relationships

Gorum concerns himself with few matters outside of battle and this attitude extends to include his relations with other deities. He sees little value in matters of diplomacy and politics, considering the pursuits of his divine peers frivolous at best. The Lord in Iron is considered brash and impulsive; he takes what he wants, by force, if necessary, and answers any direct opposition to his will with violence. His priests and followers tend to follow the god's example, which means that there are more ruthless and exploitative members of his faith than those who espouse altruism. Those who follow the teachings of the Seen and Unseen gods talk about righteous battle against followers of the unseen gods as opposed to just waging war for the sake of it.

## Appearance

Gorum manifests as a gigantic humanoid being in darkened heavy armour. His helmet covers all defining features except for a pair of fiery crimson eyes. No matter to whom he appears, Gorum will always appear to be the tallest creature, even when among giants and other large humanoids.

## Servants

Gorum has a force of divine minions that look like giant bears with long metal spikes jutting out of their bodies. They are called zen-tigrat and these bear-like creatures often serve in the vanguard of the Lord in Iron's armies.

Blood Hands: This servant is a crimson-skinned creature similar in appearance to a hezrou demon.

First Blade: Gorum's herald is a horde of animated weapons and shields that swarm together into a humanoid shape in the approximate shape and size of an iron golem.

Vosjax: A Half-Orc warrior of immense strength who assisted the gods when the binds of unity grew weak.

Temperbrand: This creature is a fire elemental that has the appearance of superheated liquid metal.

## Providence

Gorum shows his favour through weapons and armour that bleed when touched, while his displeasure is seen when these same items quickly develop unnatural patches of rust or else fall apart completely.

## Temples to Gorum

The Temples of Gorum proclaim faith in strength and power over spirituality or intellect. High priests are great warriors who attain their position through battle. Priests wear spiked heavy armour and forsake non-metallic weapons. They believe that the spirit of Gorum resides in all metal weapons and armour and therefore take care to keep them polished and in good working order. The services conducted by the temple consist primarily of improvised percussion, including the clanging of weapons against shields.

In the Forgelight District, there is a temple to Gorum known as Gorum's Arena which draws a crowd every week with combat displays, many performed by members of House Deneith.

In southern South Lowsand, there is a large temple to Gorum which is basically an open dirt bowl, surrounded by stone buildings, called the Flame Pit where the Gorum's Guard trains and lives when not taking part in a battle.

### Worshipers

Gorum is worshiped by mercenaries and barbarians all across the world, though they are most commonly found in lands where conflict and battle are common, mainly Torlund, Duthgar, Scandar, and Carthorka. It is not uncommon for two opposing armies to be carrying the Lord in Iron's standard into battle, which doesn't seem to bother the god; he's more interested in promoting the fighting rather than picking a winner.

The Lord in Iron is commonly worshiped by half-orcs, who believe that he is one of them, and that his encasement in iron is the deity's successful effort to hide his true nature from human worshipers who would be unable to handle this idea. This belief continues to spread thanks to the teachings of the orc named Naellk, who had a vision of himself in an idol of the deity in battle. Most of Gorum's priests are barbarians, fighters, and clerics, although there are some druids. Bards and rangers are less common but may perform some service within the church.

Knightly followers of Gorum believe battle is the true calling of a knight, not tournaments or courtly pursuits. For Gorum's Guard, strength and determination supersede honor, duty, and fame, More than other orders,

### Temples and shrines

Gorum's temples tend to have the appearance of strongholds or citadels. They are walled and gated with spikes adorning the structure. They are always ready for a battle or siege and are kept stocked with metal weapons, armour, and rations. Shrines to Gorum are typically an organised pile of rocks with a helmet or blade set atop.

### Holy texts

Gorum's church claims no holy text, but it does feature a set of seven holy poems called the Gorumskagat. A controversial text, the Myth in Iron, maintained by secluded priests in the Lands of Carthorka, records great and powerful accomplishments of Gorumites in the past, but is seen as heretical by some.