Torân is a swords-and-sorcery style world that combines a number of elements from different novels.
Races
The various races of Torân have one thing in common: xenophobia. They each share a mutual dislike (ranging from distrust to outright hatred) of anyone not like them. Some individuals overcome this, to a point; however, when a person is raised to believe that all dwarves are selfish, rude, and arrogant, one tends to see them through that cloud...
Wizards and some priest-hoods have overcome this more completely... they have their own culture, after all... and their own biases that are described elsewhere.
Religion
Religion is a varied thing in Torân, with literally, hundreds of deities that fall into three groups. The first and most powerful (though long since unheard from) are the Three Brothers. They are offshoots of the Creator and represent different qualities he held. They are often held as revered, but have few worshipers and no priests.
Second, are the petty Younger Gods, who were created as guardians of the laws that bind the world together. They generally are too busy bickering amongst themselves to pay heed to mortals, and so have few worshipers and fewer priests.
Finally are the "common" gods, whose portfolios vary from daily tasks to seasons and death. These deities draw their power from the faith of their followers, so are the most often worshiped... and the most responsive of the gods. The common people offer prayers to many of these gods in their daily lives. A farmer might pray to [...] for a healthy harvest, [...] for a safe trip to town, and [...] for a nourishing meal. Even a priest who serves a particular deity might be heard to offer thanks to a different deity... but they owe their loyalty to their patron god.
Races
The various races of Torân have one thing in common: xenophobia. They each share a mutual dislike (ranging from distrust to outright hatred) of anyone not like them. Some individuals overcome this, to a point; however, when a person is raised to believe that all dwarves are selfish, rude, and arrogant, one tends to see them through that cloud...
Wizards and some priest-hoods have overcome this more completely... they have their own culture, after all... and their own biases that are described elsewhere.
Religion
Religion is a varied thing in Torân, with literally, hundreds of deities that fall into three groups. The first and most powerful (though long since unheard from) are the Three Brothers. They are offshoots of the Creator and represent different qualities he held. They are often held as revered, but have few worshipers and no priests.
Second, are the petty Younger Gods, who were created as guardians of the laws that bind the world together. They generally are too busy bickering amongst themselves to pay heed to mortals, and so have few worshipers and fewer priests.
Finally are the "common" gods, whose portfolios vary from daily tasks to seasons and death. These deities draw their power from the faith of their followers, so are the most often worshiped... and the most responsive of the gods. The common people offer prayers to many of these gods in their daily lives. A farmer might pray to [...] for a healthy harvest, [...] for a safe trip to town, and [...] for a nourishing meal. Even a priest who serves a particular deity might be heard to offer thanks to a different deity... but they owe their loyalty to their patron god.