Arth’s Pantheon: The Gods of Fire

This is part of a series on Arth’s Pantheon. Twice a month we’re taking a look at life on Arth and the gods that shape it. If you’re new to the series, get started with an overview. This post looks at the gods of the realm of fire.

We’ll dispense with the usual quips about being hot-headed or having burning rage; the gods of flame command flame as much as they embody it. By their teachings and will, the citizens of Arth have harnessed fire for industry, warmth, cooking, and war. They are among the most revered and beloved of the elemental gods.

That being said: yes, sometimes, they have quite a temper.

Thran’Dar

Thran’Dar is the greatest smith in and out of creation. He resides in the Forges of Heaven, an endless realm of molten metal and countless swinging hammers. His armor and weapons are peerless, and are said to guarantee victory unless a wielder’s opponent also has equipment forged by the Great Smith. His jewelry is said to make mortals weep with its beauty. He made the first golems, and he forged another god—Khazen, the god of defense. Legends say that his skill and innovation made him a favorite of the Creator Himself. Certainly, Thran’Dar is revered above even Ad’az by many Dwarfs; an old legend says he forged the first Dwarves as a gift to his king. (Few Dwarves actually believe this, but it does illustrate where their loyalties lie.) He is the patron of the Brothers of the Hammer, the largest of the Dwarven brotherhoods.

Thran’Dar is the god that virtually every blacksmith honors, and many other craftsmen revere him as well.. His temples are all functioning forges or blacksmiths, and his clerics like to say that any anvil is a shrine to the Great Smith. Unlike most Dwarven gods, Thran’Dar is not concerned with the heritage of his followers; anyone in his service is judged by the quality of their work alone. As such, many Shadowkin craftsmen follow Thran’Dar over other gods. Thran’Dar is also a favorite among warrior and weaponsmasters, for he is said to be the father of all weapons.

Thran’Dar opposes Raza openly, and his clerics are in holy war with the hidden subjects of his old protege. Procuring materials for his forges, boith the metals of Arth and the more sacred materials within the hall, takes a lot of planning, and so he and his forgemasters are often involved in intrigues.His temple has secret knowledge used to create parts integral to the manufacture of most golems, and his clergy guards the plans fiercely. He often comes into conflict with the Shadowkin gods, who resent their people worshipping him.

• Titles: The Great Smith, The Master Craftsman, the Smith of the Gods
• Race: Dwarf
• Status: Dominant
• Favored Weapon: None, or better said, all. Thran’Dar loves all of his children equally. His war priests are very well armed.
• Holy Symbol: Anvil
• Colors: Red, Gold, Silver

Fula

Fula is the welcoming goddess, a peerless hostess who provides shelter and food to travelers and lost souls. She stokes the flames to warm the house and make the stew, and her warmth can bring a soul back from the brink of death. Those who survive wandering in the cold often credit Fula’s intervention. She is married to Erro, and the patron spirits and minor gods of villages and cities are said to be their children. Not surprisingly, she is the patroness of Clan Haughlin, the Halflings.

The goddess of the stove, Fula is the favored goddess among cooks and chefs. Innkeepers worship her as well, and tavern keepers favor boars’ heads and sculptures to honor her. Fula values safety and comfort, and as such she’s one of Fengelde’s frequent adversaries. She is seldom directly involved in combat, however, preferring to offer support and strength to her husband and their many allies when fighting breaks out.

The ninth month of Arth’s calendar, commonly called Fadelight, is named for Fula.

• Titles: The Warm Fire, the High Hostess
• Race: Gnome
• Favored Weapon: Improvised. Fula’s clerics often carry rolling pins or frying pans. It only seems funny until you get hit with one.
• Holy Symbol: Boar
• Colors: Orange and Blue

Razar (formerly Rathyn)

Rathyn is the god of fire itself, of flame and embers and sparks. He helped Thran’dar build the Forges of Heaven, but it was been his duty to merely provide the heat for the creation. He resented his place as Thran’Dar’s apprentice, and the glory his master received. When Mannon offered him a chance to be the smith to the forces of darkness, Rathyn took it. In the War of Betrayal, his fiery temper unleashed in great flames that drove his master from the Forges of Heaven. By the time he was cast down when Mannon fell, he had been twisted into the Orc god Razar. His part in the Nephan’s War is unknown.

Razar has abandoned his designs on smithing, or making anything. The Hand of Flame has always been better at destroying things rather than creating them, and he accepted that after his Fall. He also learned a thing or two about cunning, and sedition, and the way lies can spread like wildfire.

Temples or clerics of Razar are rare, and he has no scriptures. The Embergod’s machinations simmer beneath the surface, gradually turning mortals to violence as a pot slowly boils water. Many of his servants don’t even know that they’re doing the bidding of Razar, which is fine by the Burning King. He craves destruction, not devotion. When his plots are revealed, usually in bursts of war and pillaging, Tandos and the other gods are quick to stamp the uprising out. Of course, in most cases nobody really knows if Razar was truly involved in the fight, or if the other gods fought a holy war against a god who wasn’t there.

That’s fine with Razar. As always, he craves destruction, not devotion.

• Titles: The Embergod, He Who Smolders, The Burning King, The Hand of Flame
• Race: Orc (formerly Elf)
• Favored Weapon: Falchion
• Holy Symbol: Flaming Fist (formerly the Flame)
• Colors: Red, Black, and Yellow

Nameless Stennish Goddess

Phoenixes have been associated with a Stennish Goddess in the Agekeeper’s histories. This has been used as a rationale for hunting phoenixes, alongside the price of their feathers and the fact that the phoenix will come back anyway.

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That’s it for this section of Arth’s Pantheon. You can get a good overview of the gods of Arth here. There’s more Arth Lore available on the blog as well. And in case you haven’t journeyed to Arth yourself yet, check out my books for some fantasy adventure that’s so funny, it’s epic.