Torog (Dungeons & Dragons)

Torog is a god in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.

Publication history

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

Torog appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for fourth edition (2008).^[1]

Description

Torog is the evil God of the Underdark, and the patron of jailors and torturers. He is a malicious deity who revels in the pain and suffering of others. His bitterness and contempt for life stems from eons of imprisonment in the Underdark, a realm he resentfully claims as his own. Torog has been trapped in the Underdark since he was a young god during the Dawn War. Because he continually bullied the other young gods of the time, he has no allies among the 4th edition pantheon - only Asmodeus and the Raven Queen deal with him, and then only for the souls of those who have died in the Underdark. Avandra (who seeks to free all Torog would imprison) is his greatest enemy.

The relationship between Torog and Lolth (who wishes dominion over the Underdark for the drow) is unclear. The flight of the drow into the Underdark took everybody by surprise, as they had no previous ties there. Torog once destroyed the drow city of Erenira, proving that if he wanted to he could inflict great damage on the dark elves, yet he tolerates their presence in the Underdark. Followers of Lolth claim that the Spider Queen could easily defeat Torog if she so chose, and he ignores the drow out of fear; on the other hand, followers of Torog claim that he welcomed the drow on the condition that they swear perpetual loyalty to Lolth, knowing that there was no greater torture for such a promising race than to force them to serve a Goddess as chaotic as Lolth for all time. The truth about the history and relationship between the two Gods is unknown.

Torog will fight to the death any who challenge him – and uniquely among the gods, destroying Torog might actually result in his death. Though most gods discorporate upon defeat unless their killers use extremely difficult rituals, unbelievably powerful weapons, or both, Torog secretly welcomes the release that death will bring him, and is willing to succumb to his injures if he is bested by particularly epic opponents.

Realm

Torog, the King that Crawls, lurks in the mortal world, capable and willing to directly impact current events. His assaults on the surface world are legendary and serve as a lasting reminder that he can reach up at any time to smash an unsuspecting city to dust. There is some comfort in the fact that he can do no more than that, however: he is bound to the Underdark more surely than any other god is bound to their realm, and only the Chained God's prison is more secure. Torog's dominion is the King's Highway, an unusual collection of tunnels he himself made eons ago when first trying to escape. The King's Highway lies deeper than the queendoms of the drow, but in some places is above the realms of the aberrations that broke through from the Far Realm. The King's Highway breaks the barriers between planes and enables Torog and anyone else therein to travel to the Feydark and Shadowdark, although Torog cannot breach the surface of the Feywild or Shadowfell anymore than he can the surface of the world.

References