Torag

 is one of Pathfinder's deities.

Description
Torag, also known as "Father of Creation", is a stoic and serious dwarven god of the forge, protection, and strategy who values honor, planning, and well-made steel. He is an often distant deity, lending magical power to his clerics, but leaving his followers to make their own way through life, knowing that this will them strong and determined.

Background
Torag is an ancient god, and his dwarven followers credit him with the creation of the world at his great forge, striking his new work again and again with his hammer to get the shape he desired. As the rocks tumbled and the sparks flew, the dwarves were born — beings made of stone and with bellies full of fire. Even with setbacks over the millennia, under his stern eye the dwarves found prosperity. Torag is a hard and proud patriarch, a distant but loving father. Though every dwarf who falls in battle pains his heart, he keeps his eye on the future and the countless dwarven lives extending forward into eternity, like golden links in a mighty coat of mail. He is often thought of as a purely dwarven god, yet continues to gain traction among humans.

Torag loves the dwarven race, and has come to love his non-dwarven worshipers, but withholds most direct aid and affection from both, for he sees life as a hard journey, and if he sheltered his children from all hardship, they would not know the value of their own hard work or the satisfaction of their achievements. He created the dwarves to be tough, stubborn, wise, and creative — traits they would need to persevere and overcome all obstacles — and expects all his worshipers of all races and walks of life to seek to embody those traits. He opposes those who act without thinking, rebel, or place their community at risk.

As god of the forge, the Father of Creation concerns himself with the art of creating and shaping metal. He believes that shoddy workmanship insults not only the crafter and the wielder of a tool or weapon, but the item itself, and pushes his followers to continually refine and improve their craft. A devout worshiper makes weapons that don't fail in battle and tools than don't wear quickly under heavy use. Torag opposes the destruction of well-crafted things, and frowns on burying armor and weapons with the dead, as these items can help protect a vulnerable community or bring needed coin to an impoverished one.

Torag is a shrewd planner, a great advocate of contingencies, and he holds forethought as one of the principal gifts of living well. However, he knows there are times when a dwarf needs to abandon a failing strategy and think on her feet, so Torag respects officers, soldiers, and wardens who demonstrate this quality. He prefers organized defenses to tactical assaults, and tactical assaults over reckless charges. He does not believe there is glory in martyrdom, but honors those who sacrifice their own lives to save others. He is a stout fighter, rarely given to rage, but when his anger awakens, the earth shakes and cities fall.

When Torag appears to his worshipers, he's an older but hearty dwarf clad in heavy plate armor, with eyes glowing like molten gold. His hair and beard may be any common dwarven hair color, often with streaks of gray, and his hands are worn and scarred from centuries of hard work. He exudes a palpable aura of power, wisdom, and safety. In art, he's always depicted in intricate armor, and typically shown busy at his forge hammering out a weapon or shield. Some images depict him as a mighty guardian, shielding dwarven children with his body as he clears away orcs and trolls with mighty sweeps of his warhammer Kaglemros.

Torag shows his approval through reflections of his face on polished metal, preparations happening smoothly and ahead of schedule, excellence at the forge, and the discovery of mushrooms or stone fragments that match the shape of his hammer. He sometimes sends messages as cryptic riddles that appear on stone surfaces for a short period of time. When angered, forges grow cold, shields crack, and even the simplest plan carries a feeling of impending doom. Earthquakes (whether localized or expansive) are the ultimate indication of his displeasure, yet those who survive a deadly quake are considered blessed. His holy symbol is his warhammer. He is called the Father of Creation, the Father of Dwarvenkind, and the Forgefather.