Tor, the Rain-maker

Tor, the Rain-maker, also called the Thunderhead and Slayer-of-Beasts, is one of the gods in Stonetop's pavilion of the gods. He is the god of wind and rain, weather and storms, patron of warriors and hunters too. Many tales are told of his victories, and yes, of his foibles, too.

Themes

Pick, or roll 1d12.

Questions

According to the tales:

• How did Tor come to be (a god)? What's his origin story?
• Which god is his rival/lover/ally/kin?
• What three great beasts is Tor said to have slain?
• What natural feature did he shape in a fit of rage?
• From what predicament did a mortal once rescue him?
• What gift did he give to Stonetop/ humanity?
• How did he lose one of his fingers?
• What is one of the names he goes by when he walks the world as a man?

Use the answers to help decide what Tor's true nature is.

Hooks

• The PCs encounter a nine-fingered stranger.
• During a violent storm, multiple villagers dream of a terrible beast, unleashed.
• One of Tor's rites is disrupted; drought afflicts the village.
• A wandering priest of Tor arrives, offering to cast runes and tell fortunes.
• Travelers praise some new/foreign god of strength/storms/war, and heap insult and derision upon Tor.

In Stonetop

Tor is the most popular god in Stonetop.

The Stone is sometimes called his anvil, or the quiver for his javelins. The Cistern is sometimes called his drinking horn. The locals use many colorful phrases that invoke his name.

What is Tor's shrine like? Perhaps it is…

• laden with whisky and gifts, trophies and charms;
• just a simple idol, for his true altar is the Stone;
• home to a smoldering fire, constantly tended;
• shrouded, held in awe, approached by only the worthy;
• some variation on the above; or
• something else entirely.

Ask the PCs:

• Who tends Tor's shrine? Is it a formal position (like a priest), or what?
• How is Tor depicted?
• What symbols adorn his shrine?
• What do locals do to ask his blessings?
• What do they do to avert his anger?
• What are Tor's high holidays? How is each one observed?

Tor

...and elsewhere

How widespread is the worship of Tor?

That's for you and your group to decide, but perhaps Tor…

• is a local deity, Stonetop's patron but largely unknown elsewhere;
• is worshipped throughout the World's End, but dismissed as a barbaric god by those from Lygos and the South;
• is widely known and worshipped, and served by a wandering order of priests;
• is known the world over, but often with very different aspects;
• some variation on one of the above; or
• something else entirely.

In any other community that knows and worships Tor, consider/ask:

• Which of his themes (previous page) do they emphasize most?
• Is he gladly worshipped? Given due respect? Feared and appeased? Or what?
• Do they maintain a public shrine/ temple? If so, where is it and what's it like?
• Who conducts rites in his honor?
• What unfamiliar tales do they tell/rites do they perform/symbols do they use?

If the worship of Tor is unknown to a people: what other god or gods of the sky, storms, weather, and/or violence do they worship? (See Gods and Religion for guidance.)

Tor

Artifacts

Major arcana

The following might be associated with Tor, or at least revered by his followers:

• The Azure Hand
• Storm markings

Dangers

Associated entities

• Elemental spirits, especially those of rain, snow, storm, and wind
• Andalau, who love to dance before a storm
• Frythanc and thunder drakes, who rank among Tor's most honored beasts
• An elemental vortex, especially of lightning or wind
• The Pale Hunter, perhaps, who might be Tor's child/rival/lover/ etc. or someone whom he cursed

Tor

Tor

When you introduce the nine-fingered stranger, pick or roll a manifestation and the challenge he presents. Consider, too, what gift or curse he might dispense:

an arcanum, an answer, a bit of advice, a blessing (e.g. hold 3 Preparation, per the Bolster move), a curse (a threat, a magical affliction), etc.