Our Lord in Iron

The god of strength, battle and weapons, it is said that if there is ever a time with no more conflicts to be fought, he would rust away into nothingness. Known as the Lord in Iron, his faithful believe he is present in every iron weapon of war that is forged.

Gorum’s presence was unknown in the earliest days of Golarion. His human clergy claim he was formed from battle itself, a suit of iron armor standing alone on the battlefield once the dust had settled; his genesis is generally considered to have resulted from conflicts that erupted between orcs and humans following the former race’s surge to the surface during the Age of Darkness.

Gorum concerns himself with few matters outside of battle, and this attitude extends to include his relations with other deities. He sees little value in matters of diplomacy and politics, considering the pursuits of his divine peers as frivolous a best. The Lord in Iron is considered brash and impulsive; he takes what he wants, by force if necessary, and answers any direct opposition to his will with violence.

The god is worshiped by mercenaries and barbarians all across the world. He is particularly popular among half-orcs, who believe that he is one of them, and that his encasement in iron is the deity’s successful effort to hide his true nature from human worshipers who would be unable to handle his true nature. This view is considered heretical by many of his human worshipers, particularly those who frequently cross swords with orcs, and the clash between the competing sects continues to this day.

Gorum’s holy symbol is the sword in the mountain.

Gorum in Korvosa

Our Lord in Iron has a shrine in the Pantheon of Many that is frequented by barbarians, mercenaries and the like, though his worship is more often practiced on Knivesies tables in the rougher parts of Old Korvosa.

In an odd twist of fate, worship of the god of battle is growing on either side of the border between Belkzen and Lastwall, to the dismay of the Iomedaean establishment in Lastwall’s capital of Vigil.

In Kaer Maga, the dispute between the human and half-orc sects of the Church is re-fought every new years in the Circle of Iron, with the winning champion acting as head priest while the runner up serves as his or her grudging second.

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