I recall that in Absolum his worship is allowed. I believe on Mediogalti Island/Ilizmagorti it's allowed as well, and tolerated in Nex. Obviously in the nationless lands (Mwangi, Shackles, maybe River Kingdoms, etc) there's no one to outright ban it.
Is there anywhere else though [In the Inner Sea region] that it's openly tolerated, even if not encouraged? Cheliax (I assumed no) or Nidal? Irrisen? Geb?
Judging by the "Religion" listings in The Inner Sea World Guide, Norgorber is also commonly worshipped in Galt, Osirion, Taldor, Varisia, and The Sodden Lands. I can't say how tolerated that worship is for each of those, though.
I don't know how "open" his religion would be in most of those places.
Galt's climate of suspicion and executions play well to a cleric or inquisitor of Norgorber, but I still think he would hide his allegiance.
Absalom states it is allowed, and I can easily imagine pirates in the Shackles or groups operating in the River Kingdoms as being open in their worship.
I doubt it is openly allowed in Taldor, but his patronage of spies and assassins would make his followers popular with all the bickering nobility.
Varisia has lots of wild, ungoverned places where a cult could exist openly, since there isn't anyone to complain.
I doubt it is very open in Osirion though.
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I don't think Norgorber wants to be "openly" worshipped. It's probably some kind of heresy to have an obvious temple.
I don't think Norgorber wants to be "openly" worshipped. It's probably some kind of heresy to have an obvious temple.He is the god of secrets, after all. An open temple... well, that isn't exactly secret. So by definition, an open temple would be breaking from the portfolio of the god.
Unless it was deliberate front for another operation, attracting attention away from actual temple...
But his worshipers seem very into worshiping one aspect or another, rather than all aspects, and a particular temple might not venerate his "secrets" aspect.
So that could also affect how accepted a temple would be. Are they followers of Father Skinsaw, the Reaper of Reputation, the Grey Master, or Blackfingers?
But his worshipers seem very into worshiping one aspect or another, rather than all aspects, and a particular temple might not venerate his "secrets" aspect.
None of his aspects involve concepts that play well with openness and publicity. Thieves, assassins, and serial murders pretty much incorporate the idea of secrecy by default.
The way I play it, if you're not worshipping Norgorber in secret, you're doing it wrong.
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Norgorber is, in my nowhere-near-humble opinion, one of the most fun gods in Golarion, because he'd be widely worshiped by a bunch of folks in denial.
Aside from the obvious folk of the Skinsaw Cult, anyone who sees secrets as power: cultish magicians, spymasters, devious politicians. If you're the kind of person who collects every little detail waiting for your enemy to slip up, Norgorber is your guy...or girl...or something.
Also, I adore the prevalence of Norgorber worship among halflings and, as a practical point, it makes perfect sense. If I'm three feet tall and weight 85 pounds, the rules of honor and justice in a medieval world are a rigged game. Honor demands courageous combat against one's foes. For a halfling, that's a quick trip to the Boneyard. As Patton said, "The objective of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." Telling me that poison is unfair is a joke - how is it, somehow, better to use swords against people who are bigger and stronger? For the smallfolk, secrets, cunning, and treachery are their strongest weapons - just ask Tyrion Lannister.
But most folk may not even realize that they're walking with the Reaper of Reputations, or may deny it to the heavens. They'll poison their foes, slander their rivals, and play the game that possession is 9/10ths of the law; however, they won't realize just who it is they have served with their acts until they stand before Pharasma's throne. Some of Norgorber's best servants are those who have kept it secret from themselves.