Gods of the Bakluni: Dorgha Torgu for RQ/Greyhawk

 From: Tal Meta [talmela@BELLATLANTIC.NET] 

Sent: Monday, October 05, 1998 8:37 PM 

To: GREYTALK@mitvma.mit.edu

Subject: GREYTALK] DMD - Dorgha Torgu for RQ/Greyhawk

Gods of the Bakluni

DORGHA TORGU

Runes: Inner Planes

Runes (pre-cataclysm): Inner Planes x2, Mastery, Magic

Dorgha Torgu is the god of the Material Elements and the Inner Planes.

Cult in the World

The mythology that surrounds Dorgha Torgu is of two parts.

In the earliest tales, Dorgha is revered as the master of the elements, the one who first taught  men the proper means to propitate the elemental forces. He is seen as the loyal son of lstus and  Koram, and a preserver of the natural order.

In more recent tales, Dorgha is remembered (or more accurately, is forgotten) because it was he who brought about the Rain of Colorless Fire that fell upon the Suloise Empire.

He would perhaps be a hero among his own but that this single act violated all of the precepts that he had formerly stood for, and was decried by even his own priests as unjust.

Dorgha was thus stripped of his own power base, his worshippers scattered, and the bulk of his runic associations stripped away. Denied even the comfort of the GodPlane, he roams the Flanaess in the form of his final avatar, searching for the means to either undo the wrong he has wrought, or at least to atone for his crime against his own beliefs.

Acknowledged and venerated now only by those Baklunish nations whose written records extend past the Twin Cataclysms, he is at best a balksome deity, providing divine spells in a haphazard fashion (actual lime required to recover spent divine spells is equal to 1d4 x the normal time), and providing little in the means of Divine Intervention  or Divinations.

Among the other deities of his pantheon, only lstus continues to acknowledge him, perhaps in recognition that he may someday once again regain his former divine status among her children.

Dorgha's priesthood no longer observes a High Holy Day, though services are typically conduscted on the 1st day of each month. Shrines to this deity are few, though it is known that Tovag Baragu is the greatest of these.

Priests of Dorgha dress to suit themselves, and are often initiates or priests of other deities as well.

Lay Membership

Requirements: Lay members of this cult are uncommon, to say the least. Once fashionable among sorcerers and magi, Dorgha's cult no longer provides sufficient return on the investment to attract worshippers of that sort.

Dorgha's cult is now popular only among sages, loremasters, and other members of the intelligentsia who seek to follow the most ancient ways of their ancestors.

No skills are currently taught by this cult.

Initiate Membership

Requirements: Standard. Initiates of this cult typically gather on holidays to re-enact the ancient rituals (even if they no longer work). They would think their god were dead if it were not for the continuance of divine magic support and the occasional successful DI or Divination.

Note:  Dorgha's cult does not offer spirit magic to it's followers.  Instead, they utilize a form of magic known as lekari, that employs  eight spheres and eight runes. Followers of Dorgha are bonded to the sphere of flesh, but may select whatever runic association they please. Knowlege of a sphere and a rune in this fashion does not affect the initiate's Free INT for purposes of memorizing spells, or their vow of the Vessel, if they are a sorcerer as well.

Priesthood

Requirements:  Standard. Dorgha's priests are commonly expert Heroquesters, ever seeking to discover a means of returning their god to his former station. But it is difficult to overcome or find a way past the rage and self-loathing of a deity, so the search continues.

Virtues for his followers are Angry and Honorable.

Common Divine Magic:  Initiate, Sanctify, Worship Dorgha Torgu Special Divine Magic:  Dismiss (all elementals), Retribution, Seal gate.

Associated Gods

lstus: provides Avoid Fate

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