I'd like to start a discussion on a fairly obscure topic. The god Vorthan is mentioned a few times in the Jonatela section in the GtG. On pg. 228 under "Vorthan's Hill" he is described as "an Underworld God of War and the Red Planet." He is also mentioned as one of the war gods worshiped by the nobles in Jonatela, along with Humakt, Orlanth, and Urox.
So, it seems pretty clear that Vorthan is same god as Shargash/Tolat, right? There is only one god I know of that is associated with the Red Planet, and that's everyone's favorite Destroyer. I'm wondering about how a group of superficially Westernized Orlanthi started worshiping Vorthan alongside their other traditional war gods. What connection does Vorthan have with Fronela and its people? There are a few possibilities I'm considering. BTW these theories assume that the Enjoreli of Dawn Age Fronela basically became the Orlanthi people of the Third Age who now inhabit Jonatela.
- There seem to be a lot of entrances to the Underworld in Jonatela, at Jonat's Hill (p. 225) and Tamalior (p. 228). Also there is the Red Door in nearby Oranor (p. 216). Vorthan is a god of the Underworld, so perhaps his worship in Fronela goes back to the earliest times during the Enjoreli period. I could see his worship being propitiatory, with people seeking protection from Underworld demons or other monsters. During the Great Darkness, it also would have been useful to have such a fearsome god on your side with Chaos running amok (although Storm Bull was also probably worshiped by the Enjoreli for this purpose).
- Fronelan peoples have also had repeated contact with Pelorians and their religion, so maybe Vorthan is an imported cult. In the Dawn Age, the Bright Empire was very active here in their war against Talor the Laughing Warrior. The Enjoreli living here at the time were open to accepting many different foreign gods, so maybe Shargash worked his way in there and became Vorthan over time.
Curious what other people think, especially the Shargash fans!