Kohorin
[Male, Neutral]
Kohorin, the God of the Warforge, is the deity of craftsmen the world over who wish to forge the finest weaponry. He desires to see the creations of his skilled followers not only admired, but also put to use on the battlefield so that all mortals can witness the strength of his art. He represents quality craftsmanship, reliability in battle, and the strength of the forge that form the backbone of victory. Kohorin most often appears as an overly muscular Ogre with deep red skin, clad in a heavy, black iron chest piece underneath a smith’s apron. He has long black hair, each strand as strong as steel fiber, which he keeps tied back. His eyes burn as if made of red hot coals, and smoke and sparks are said to erupt from them when he is roused to anger. On his back is the mighty warhammer: Ha Hanma. The weapon is fashioned with extraordinary intricate detail, crafted with an unknown metal said to have fallen from the stars. A single strike of this mighty weapon can instantly crush a mortal body, or finish the construction of a mortal weapon.
Kohorin wishes to inspire mortals to create weapons of the highest quality, so great that they are driven to success in battle against their enemies. To Kohorin, the consequences of war are less a concern than the heroic feats achieved within. Craftsmanship and Honor go hand in hand, and any warrior or smith who is not willing to test their work in mortal contest is not fit to work the forge.
Portfolio: Weapons, Forges, Blades, and Smelting
Cleric Training:
A potential Cleric must already be apprenticed to a Weaponsmith who follows Kohorin, and display some skill at crafting before being allowed to join the Order of the Warforge. Those who are discovered to have potential as Paladins must follow a similar track before their divine training can begin.
Prospective clerics must spend their mornings in service to the Weaponsmith, learning the techniques of heating, hammering, tempering, refining, and the value of repetition. They must also learn the various properties of all weapons, and how they may best suit a warrior in battle. In the evenings they proceed to the temple, where they are taught how to focus their will into a divine connection, and study the tenets that their deity has set out for his Smiths. Much like the hammer that beats the metal into its final form, the high priests must beat the principles of honor, hard work, discipline, and faith into their disciples.
When the budding clerics reach their final years of training, they are subjected to a battery of tests displaying their skill at the forge and valor in battle. They are required to present the Weaponsmith who has overseen their growth with a masterpiece work, as a gift equal in value to the knowledge that was given. If the gift is accepted, the cleric must then undergo a trial of combat using a weapon they forged against 5 consecutive opponents in non-lethal combat. It is a common practice for the master to return the weapon to the apprentice as a final gesture of sacrifice and appreciation for their hard work. Refusal to aid the apprentice cleric in this matter is a sign that they feel their skills are not sufficient at both the anvil and in battle. In some cases, this can be viewed as compassion, and at other times an insult depending on the actual skill of the student.
Quests:
The Warsmith’s Anvil
Said to have been gifted to one of Kohorin’s greatest mortal disciples centuries ago, the Warmsith’s Anvil was sought after relentlessly by other followers of the God of the Warforge, and the cause of a great deal of infighting amongst his followers. After the original owner’s death, the anvil was lost as it exchanged hands countless times throughout the years. It was said that the weapons created with the help of this anvil would be enchanted by the will of the crafter, not requiring the use of Eldritch magic to grant them great power.
Among the worshippers of Kohorin, the legend says that the god himself buried the anvil after attempts at gaining use of its powers became backhanded and deceitful, its would be masters displaying both dishonor and cowardice. As he sees these traits as a sign of incompetence, he determined that none would gain access to it until one displays the mettle befitting a master smith.
Many high priests, paladins, and warriors have embarked on fruitless quests to discover the location of the Warmsith’s Anvil, and one has even claimed to have found it, carrying with her a powerful flail capable of destroying stone structures with a single swing. While she was not able to confirm the location, claiming it had disappeared after she finished the weapon, the undeniable power of the item, featuring the burning hot symbol of Kohorin was enough to reignite the fire within his membership.
Prayers:
Prayer of the Broken Blade
The foe stands before me, not the man but the weapon. Break the weapon, break the spirit. Break the spirit, break the body. Will as strong as steel, my enemies will shatter before Kohorin.
Hymn of the Forge
Fire to mold, Hammer to bend
The war within, burning to create
My spirit is the bellows
My mind forges the shape
Temples:
Temples of Kohorin are always made of stone and reinforced with the highest quality metals. Some of the more established locations even utilize rare materials such as Mithral and Adamantine. Kohorin’s places of worship are found in the eastern continents of Nexxen: The Dragon Isles, Eastern Solmeria, Lystomia, Oblian, and even the Outlands. Many of these lands are home to developed cities and kingdoms that thrive off of the industry of war, and as such have allied themselves under Kohorin’s symbol. Since Kohorin cares more about the art of war and weaponry then the consequences of them, churches in service to a particular region are allowed to support their respective kingdoms even though this technically puts them at opposition to one another.
The Forge of Fury
One such temple The Forge of Fury, emphasizes the glory of battle and steel, caring little for sides. They reside within the southern Outlands, having been deemed perhaps a bit too aggressive for even the traditionally warlike factions. This temple specializes in the creation and sale of extraordinary weapons of war to the main continents of Nexxen. As the outlands are relatively small, the smiths and clerics at The Forge of Fury have little options for enemies worthy of their exquisite craftsmanship, and so spend more time mastering their art than fighting. All countries desperately seek to acquire shipments of their incredible weaponry, but are unable to do so because of a bizarre requirement: Any who wish to purchase a weapon from them must first prove their worthiness in battle against a resident weaponmaster. This combat is only sometimes lethal, should a buyer display cowardice or attempt to cheat their way to victory, but even the occasional death is enough of a deterrent for the majority of clients.
Rites: The Rites and Rituals of Kohorin are performed to grant integrity and strength to both weaponry and the will of the one who uses them. Soldiers and adventurers alike are known to seek out Clerics of the Warforge for their blessing before embarking on a dangerous undertaking.
Rituals involve a circle of steeldust with an overlapping triangle of irondust, with a small fire burning in the center to represent a forge. Such benefits bestowed by a Ritualist of Kohorin can be increasing the strength of equipment, its sharpness, or even weight. They also repair damaged weaponry, even magical items. Truly powerful rituals may enchant or bless a weapon with a variety of properties, depending on the needs of the wielder.
While the rites of the Order of the Warforge are most effective when performed by a Cleric or Paladin in service to Kohorin, any ritualist with enough talent can complete the task, so long as their intentions align with his goals. Particularly powerful rituals often require the participation of two or more ritualists and the presence as well as the approval of a master weaponsmith to oversee its completion. The latter contributor serving as a channel for a divine servant of the god himself.
Burial Rites: Deceased followers of Kohorin are always buried with their finest works that had not yet been sold. If they were not craftsman (fairly rare, but not unheard of), they are buried with a single weapon of high quality to take with them into the afterlife. The workmanship they bring with them is meant to serves as proof of their right to pass through Kohorin’s personal forge.
Clerics are buried within the mid level of a mausoleum among other religious servants, while simple followers are buried on a lower level. High Priests and Master Weaponsmiths are buried with matching honors on the highest levels. The ceremonies and value of equipment contributed to each burial is also dependent on the accomplishments and status of the individual.
Commoners are buried in caskets of iron and cheap wood, where clergy and skilled craftsmen have theirs made of steel, precious metals like silver or gold and solid, lacquered oak. The most revered of individuals may have their caskets lined with mithril or adamantine ornamentation.
Tithe: Tithes to Kohorin can be given in the form of smithing labor, raw materials used in the construction of weaponry, forging equipment, quality weaponry, or simple currency. While the latter is more useful in general, the Order of the Warforge considers it a noble act to donate one’s own weaponry to the church, recognizing the sacrifice of both artistic labor and personal defense in one swoop.
Simple worshippers need tithe only once every three months due to the relative cost. Clerics, Smiths, Paladins and Soldiers must tithe monthly either with personal creations or the spoils of war. Higher ranking members of the church are expected to forge a masterwork weapon, due once every six months, for either display or as a piece for sale. These works generally bring in a significant amount of currency due to the prestige associated with owning a weapon made by a high-ranking servant of Kohorin.
Benefits: Clerics of Kohorin gain access to the Fire and Metal Spheres, so they can better work the forge. They become resistant to fire and can manipulate its energies. Similarly, they can strengthen or weaken the metals of equipment for their benefit. They also learn to wield divine magics that create mundane or magical objects that can be used in battle, the power of these items growing as the priest gains experience. Lastly, they master the principles of War, learning how to smite any enemy that stands in their way, while weakening their defenses and bolstering their allies.
Followers of Kohorin gain access to some of the most effective weaponsmithing methods on all of Nexxen, and become part of a network that nourishes their development in that area. Members also tend to be very well defended, as nearly every one of his churches can function as a fortified military bunker and is staffed with clergy trained well in the art of war. Very few worshippers find themselves without the means to defend their property or families, and it is for this reason that Kohorin has a loyal following despite his neutrality on the dispositions of those who may wish to join.
Herald and Allies:
Volar Bladebeard [Herald]
Kohorin’s Herald, Volar Bladebeard, serves as his Mastersmith. Seemingly dwarven with a thick, barrel shaped body and powerfully muscular limbs, Volar’s beard is in fact made of numerous tiny blades, each strand of hair impossibly sharp. He wears a thick chain shirt forever covered in soot, plated gauntlets, greaves, and a heavy smith’s apron, similar to Kohorin himself. Within the apron’s pouches are various tools of the trade, almost always warm from recent use. Perhaps his more unusual trait is the metallic sheen to his skin, marking him as something more than just a mortal humanoid. It gives off a dark green, soft glare akin to that of adamantine, and is just as hard.
Volar carries his smithing hammer, along with a host of smithing tools that can be used to craft or repair virtually any weapon. Along his back is strapped Grundvex, a Dwarven Waraxe of obvious power, glowing with divine fire. The hairs of his beard can also be plucked, growing to the size of a weapon suitable to the wielder it is gifted to. Each one functions as a magical weapon with the properties most desired. When Volar leaves the plane of existence the hair manifested on, the weapon remains, but loses its magical properties. However, the weapon is always of masterwork quality regardless.
Volar will appear in response to a great need on the behalf of Kohorin’s followers. This can be as simple as large amount of work that needs to be done in an impossibly short time, or the empowerment of an army whose goals align with Kohorin. He has also been known to aid adventurers, as they are well known for always seeking to improve the power of their weapons to overcome greater challenges. Of course, Volar rarely aids those heroes who behave dishonorably in battle, being known to smite even goodly adventures when their deeds are deemed unscrupulous.
The wartorn kingdoms found in Lystomia have many allies dedicated to Kohorin, both from his temples and the warriors that call his name.
Dverger Kractr [Ally]
A Dwarf clan of warrior smiths known as Dverger Kractr claim both an ancient connection to the old dwarves and Volar Bladebeard himself. Deep within the tunnels of their mountain kingdom is their steelbound library, containing tomes ancient enough to track Volar Bladebeard back through the centuries as a once mortal weaponsmith. The details of his ascension are a bit unclear, and the name used to reference him reads as Voltnar Bladebrawn, which the dwaves of Dverger Kractr swear as his original name.
Regardless of the validity of these claims, the clan is fiercely loyal to Kohorin, and revel in the craftsmanship and violent application of tools of war. They rarely trade with outsiders, however, and instead use this weaponry in their numerous campaigns against their racial enemies: Goblins, Orcs, Hobgoblins, and Giants. They have had a great deal more success eliminating these adversaries from their lands than the other goodly races of the region, due in part to their strategically placed campaign tunnels that stretch throughout southeastern Lystomia. Their exceptional weaponry and zeal is, however, the primary contributing factor, and something Kohorin encourages with equal enthusiasm.
Relationships with other Gods: Kohorin has strong alliances with both Sapre and Sheld, whose desires for success in battle mirror his own. The God of the Warforge is well known for giving aid to the followers of the other wargods in the form of masterful weaponry, both to them personally and their followers. He is perhaps single-minded in his desires, and so many of the other gods have difficulty interacting with him on a subject that does not involve his area of expertise.
Odeen and Esk in particular find Kohorin to be a fair individual, but incredibly vexing. Among the other gods he is known for his short temper, which disrupts the more light-hearted deity’s divine energies, and pierces the tranquility they attempt to exemplify in their worshippers. Despite these differences, Odeen and Kohorin find that they know each other better than they know the other gods. This is primarily because the work of Kohorin often finds its way into the hands of violent mortals, and the consequences of their actions create a great deal of work for Odeen. While they have opposing goals, they are forced to interact with each other quite regularly, and have been accused of resembling a “quarreling mortal couple” by more than a few of their kin.
Factions:
The Order of the Warforge allows for many denominations within its circle, the purpose of craft and war superseding nearly all traditions and racial boundaries. Many have speculated as to why Kohorin often takes the form of an Ogre, and many scholars believe that he originally intended for the race of Giantkin resembling the god to serve as his primary worshippers.
It is of little to surprise to those who have researched the matter to discover that there is indeed a clan of Ogresmiths fanatically dedicated to Kohorin, known as Grugtok BlakeBrak or “Kohorin’s Bastards”. They live on the northern Outlands, separated from the dwarves of the Forge of Fury. This is as Kohorin wishess it, for both are extremely dedicated to their work, but also bear deep racial hatred for one another. The Ogresmiths specialize in large weaponry, outfitting the larger beings of the realms. Their Ogre Magi serve as both salesmen and deliverer to their somewhat niche customer base. These include Giants, other Ogres, Ettins, and Trolls. Races commonly thought too simple to craft weapons for themselves are known for paying this equipment with looted spoils from their unscrupulous activities.\The Order of the Warforge allows for many denominations within its circle, the purpose of craft and war superseding nearly all traditions and racial boundaries. Many have speculated as to why Kohorin often takes the form of an Ogre, and many scholars believe that he originally intended for the race of Giantkin resembling the god to serve as his primary worshippers.
It is of little to surprise to those who have researched the matter to discover that there is indeed a clan of Ogresmiths fanatically dedicated to Kohorin, known as Grugtok BlakeBrak or “Kohorin’s Bastards”. They live on the northern Outlands, separated from the dwarves of the Forge of Fury. This is as Kohorin wishess it, for both are extremely dedicated to their work, but also bear deep racial hatred for one another. The Ogresmiths specialize in large weaponry, outfitting the larger beings of the realms. Their Ogre Magi serve as both salesmen and deliverer to their somewhat niche customer base. These include Giants, other Ogres, Ettins, and Trolls. Races commonly thought too simple to craft weapons for themselves are known for paying this equipment with looted spoils from their unscrupulous activities.
This is perhaps one of the only examples of enemy races sharing a god on Nexxen, but it is only because Grugtok Blakebrak does not take themselves to war against any others except those who intrude upon their territory. Even when they do fight others, Ogres of this clan follow the principles of Kohorin with exemplary discipline, and display great honor in combat.
Relics:
Landbreak
This incredibly large hammer can only be wielded by a creature of large size or exceptional strength. It resembles a smith’s hammer made of black iron, but the head is detailed with an engraving of a great winged beast crashing down upon a mountain. If the Hammer is swung against a structure or object, it is destroyed in its entirety, broken down into its base components. If it is struck against the land itself, the wielder may choose to create a rift in the earth beneath them up to a mile in length.
Over a century ago, this weapon ended up in the hands of a particularly foolish Ettin due to the blundering of a group of inexperienced adventurers who had forgotten to set a watch at night. They were returning the item to a temple of Kohorin, and were only a day’s travel awat when the giant discovered the unguarded weapon. Of course the Ettin took the weapon and, after slaughtering the party, went on a campaign of aimless destruction that not only changed the shape of the Dragon Isles for all time, but also wiped out dozens of growing settlements and one minor kingdom.
The Bellows of Kohorin
These bellows are made of the finest materials and feel warm to the touch. When used upon a mundane weapon or armor of average quality during the forging process, their quality changes to that of Masterwork. If a Masterwork weapon is reforged with the aid of the Bellows, it gains a permanent magical property. It can also be used to reforge any broken weapon, mundane or magical, restoring any powers it once had to their full efficacy.
When used against living creatures, the wielder can exude a powerful gust of blazing hot air that knocks even huge creature prone, while creating a wash of Divine Fire over them.