The best summary for the human (deviant human) Wizard family Tor is "almost criminal". The kingdoms might have outlawed them (and some may have) were they not so useful for military spells and generally just great Wizards. Here one might consider a prerequisite of the Tor family lineage is to be of intelligence 17 or greater. None is quite sure if that is because of some kind of infanticide, or disowning of any with less aptitude, or if it is just good inbreeding. But, whatever the case might be, a Tor never seems to have less than a base of intelligence of 17.
The Tor are renowned for their pursuits of the fire element. It is rumored some of their more promising family members have tried to travel to the elemental plane of fire, or to transform themselves into an elemental fire being in pursuit of the power and longevity it affords. Along the same lines of madness, it is rumored that while the family has failed to surpass godhood and become a primordial fire elemental, that somewhere in the inner circle of the family, powerful members have discovered the art and ritual of the "Eternal Flame".
The Eternal Flame, if true, would act like a phylactery does for a lich. The Eternal Flame would allow the Wizard to reconstitute themselves amidst the flames if destroyed. And as long as the Eternal Flame burns, that Wizard will not be corrupted by age or decay. One learned Wizard, renowned for his studies of fire magics, postulates that the Eternal Flame must be fueled constantly by ordinary fuel, such as wood. While he does not profess to have gotten any closer to the answers of the ritual himself, one thing he is certain about is that the flame is not a magical flame, but an ordinary fire. And should the ordinary fire be extinguished, the Wizard bound to it would lose all the blessings (and curses) it gives, and would need to perform the rituals all over again to constitute a new Eternal Flame.
Some even say that beneath the most powerful household of the clan, deep in their catacombs, they can see Kobolds constantly harvesting wood from the estate's forests, and it sounds as if powerful Iron Golems take the wood and work with it, perhaps to sustain the fire of the Eternal Flame. Of course, such rumors cannot be trusted since who could spy on the Tors and survive?
The Tors are hierarchical, based on observations of their various houses and manors they are at least three tiers based on their performance as Wizards at large, and their closeness with the more powerful members of the clan. The poorest members often have a humble home, and a symbolic "eternal flame" in a hearth or brazier at their entryway. These houses probably have a very humble library which they are willing to share with other Tor members, offering a few level 1 or level 2 spells. And they give it to members of the family rather freely. Because of the competitive and fiery nature of the family, it is the middlings people should watch out for. The middle class of the family seems to prefer large town houses, or small manors, and they too have a symbolic eternal flame. They are extremely proud of how long they are able to have kept their eternal flames going continuously. Discovering the truth might give a person leverage over that family member if discovering the flame was not as old as they claim would reduce their standing.
These middling family members often have a library, usually with spells of levels 3 or 4, but these are often booby trapped, the family even might be as evil enough to lure and try and kill or capture other family members if they think it will get them power or prestige within the ranks of of the Tor clan. It is sad to say that most of the infamous traits the family is known for does not come from these members, even though they seem to be more likely to be evil.
The major members of the house, closest to the ruing family members, often have large estates or are very estranged. Furthermore they often have experimented the most with fire.
One such member ritualistically burns themselves, to see how much they can tolerate, and others are known to have completely incinerated themselves. One famous Wizard of this inner circle of the family, Simeon Tor, is known to carry around the cremated remains of his brother whom, when he was very young, watched his older brother completely consume his body in fire in an accidental experiment. This same Wizard's Grandfather created an undead Treant almost a hundred years ago when he filled it with the vengeful spirits of Gnomes killed in the conflagration of one of that Wizard's experiments gone wrong on that tree. The burned, hollowed husk, the snag, wandered the world in search of evil Wizards to kill until Simeon Tor pacified it with a spell provided to him by his father.
Simeon Tor's father is an example of a rather well liked Tor, he was a war hero in the service to his country, and a great artillery officer and Evoker. He isn't thought to be dead, but his whereabouts since his older son's self-immolation are unknown.
Women in the family are also very powerful, and lends to the misconception that the Tors are a matriarchal family. Since the Tor name passes from father to offspring, the idea is not well thought-out. However, women marrying into the family are considered to have to have extremely high tolerance for brazen confidence, misplaced bravado, and dangerous experimenting. Because of this the women are probably as dominant as the men of the family, and fight hard to keep them in their place or to outdo them in feats of renown or experimentation.
On another branch of the inner circle, what might be Simeon Tor's great Aunt was a renowned fire Wizard who strangely was best known for her control over ice and cold. Vetlana Tor, born and married into the family, was thought to have been pursuing a more forceful way to the family's goals of developing magic to become powerful fire elementals, by way of subduing fire with ice. After her and her mercenary band (some say fire worshipers) demolished a venerable red dragon for components for a portal to the fire plane, they were never heard from again. Although the "diary of Vetlana Tor" is considered a valuable tome that was pocket-dimensioned out of the fire plane, and the rumor of its existence now on the material plane is sufficient enough to catch the attention of more than a few middling family members, and even some inner circle family members, who scry, divine, and otherwise keep a watchful eye out for what may be the next biggest clue in their quest.
----- Some Roll Play-ability -----
Anyone playing a Tor has some unique random features while on campaign.
1) Tor family residences: 1d4 (roll a 1) chance there's a Tor family branch at any large town or city. Or there's a 1d10 (roll a 1) chance there's a Tor family manor in any countryside. 1d20 (1-10) chance that family has just enough lodging for the group. (11-16) chance that family is well to do, their entryway will have a symbolic altar of "eternal flame", the family will brag about how long the altar has been alight. (17-20) chance that the family is close to the inner-circle (Simeon's lineage) of the Tor family. The establishment is well off, if not manorial. The eternal flame has probably been tended to by servants for hundreds of years. If the roll is (11-16) then the house's library may have a useful lvl 1 or lvl 2 spell to copy. The house will be helpful in assisting Simeon and his friends. If the roll is (17-20) then the house's library may have a useful lvl 3 or lvl 4 spell to copy. The house will keep the Library locked down, the party will have to sneak to acquire the spell (if at all) and being caught will get them thrown out. But, even though the house is competitive, they don't dare harm Simeon or his party willfully.
2) Intimidation: It is expected that adventurers are closer to the inner circle, (though one might suppose a minor house or middling house member might wander off in search of improving their status or finding the secrets of the fire elementals or Eternal Flame first, if the latter hasn't already been found but kept secret), among the family, such an inner circle adventurer may try to intimidate for useful things based on his lineage. For roll play this works against the branch of the family as competing centers of influence, and any intimidation check has advantage to the adventurer.
3) Alignments: If the house is good or neutral then any damage to the house is considered an act of mayhem and evil. If the house is evil then it may be a good thing to burn it down, but it is resisted by the Tor adventurer as "wrong" to do. Except when the house is minor tier (1-10), then the Tor adventurer cares less and may even suggest to extinguish an evil branch of the family himself. The Tor adventurer does not want to become known for any violence against his own family, so there will be NO SURVIVORS.
The best summary for the human (deviant human) Wizard family Tor is "almost criminal". The kingdoms might have outlawed them (and some may have) were they not so useful for military spells and generally just great Wizards. Here one might consider a prerequisite of the Tor family lineage is to be of intelligence 17 or greater. None is quite sure if that is because of some kind of infanticide, or disowning of any with less aptitude, or if it is just good inbreeding. But, whatever the case might be, a Tor never seems to have less than a base of intelligence of 17.
The Tor are renowned for their pursuits of the fire element. It is rumored some of their more promising family members have tried to travel to the elemental plane of fire, or to transform themselves into an elemental fire being in pursuit of the power and longevity it affords. Along the same lines of madness, it is rumored that while the family has failed to surpass godhood and become a primordial fire elemental, that somewhere in the inner circle of the family, powerful members have discovered the art and ritual of the "Eternal Flame".
The Eternal Flame, if true, would act like a phylactery does for a lich. The Eternal Flame would allow the Wizard to reconstitute themselves amidst the flames if destroyed. And as long as the Eternal Flame burns, that Wizard will not be corrupted by age or decay. One learned Wizard, renowned for his studies of fire magics, postulates that the Eternal Flame must be fueled constantly by ordinary fuel, such as wood. While he does not profess to have gotten any closer to the answers of the ritual himself, one thing he is certain about is that the flame is not a magical flame, but an ordinary fire. And should the ordinary fire be extinguished, the Wizard bound to it would lose all the blessings (and curses) it gives, and would need to perform the rituals all over again to constitute a new Eternal Flame.
Some even say that beneath the most powerful household of the clan, deep in their catacombs, they can see Kobolds constantly harvesting wood from the estate's forests, and it sounds as if powerful Iron Golems take the wood and work with it, perhaps to sustain the fire of the Eternal Flame. Of course, such rumors cannot be trusted since who could spy on the Tors and survive?
The Tors are hierarchical, based on observations of their various houses and manors they are at least three tiers based on their performance as Wizards at large, and their closeness with the more powerful members of the clan. The poorest members often have a humble home, and a symbolic "eternal flame" in a hearth or brazier at their entryway. These houses probably have a very humble library which they are willing to share with other Tor members, offering a few level 1 or level 2 spells. And they give it to members of the family rather freely. Because of the competitive and fiery nature of the family, it is the middlings people should watch out for. The middle class of the family seems to prefer large town houses, or small manors, and they too have a symbolic eternal flame. They are extremely proud of how long they are able to have kept their eternal flames going continuously. Discovering the truth might give a person leverage over that family member if discovering the flame was not as old as they claim would reduce their standing.
These middling family members often have a library, usually with spells of levels 3 or 4, but these are often booby trapped, the family even might be as evil enough to lure and try and kill or capture other family members if they think it will get them power or prestige within the ranks of of the Tor clan. It is sad to say that most of the infamous traits the family is known for does not come from these members, even though they seem to be more likely to be evil.
The major members of the house, closest to the ruing family members, often have large estates or are very estranged. Furthermore they often have experimented the most with fire.
One such member ritualistically burns themselves, to see how much they can tolerate, and others are known to have completely incinerated themselves. One famous Wizard of this inner circle of the family, Simeon Tor, is known to carry around the cremated remains of his brother whom, when he was very young, watched his older brother completely consume his body in fire in an accidental experiment. This same Wizard's Grandfather created an undead Treant almost a hundred years ago when he filled it with the vengeful spirits of Gnomes killed in the conflagration of one of that Wizard's experiments gone wrong on that tree. The burned, hollowed husk, the snag, wandered the world in search of evil Wizards to kill until Simeon Tor pacified it with a spell provided to him by his father.
Simeon Tor's father is an example of a rather well liked Tor, he was a war hero in the service to his country, and a great artillery officer and Evoker. He isn't thought to be dead, but his whereabouts since his older son's self-immolation are unknown.
Women in the family are also very powerful, and lends to the misconception that the Tors are a matriarchal family. Since the Tor name passes from father to offspring, the idea is not well thought-out. However, women marrying into the family are considered to have to have extremely high tolerance for brazen confidence, misplaced bravado, and dangerous experimenting. Because of this the women are probably as dominant as the men of the family, and fight hard to keep them in their place or to outdo them in feats of renown or experimentation.
On another branch of the inner circle, what might be Simeon Tor's great Aunt was a renowned fire Wizard who strangely was best known for her control over ice and cold. Vetlana Tor, born and married into the family, was thought to have been pursuing a more forceful way to the family's goals of developing magic to become powerful fire elementals, by way of subduing fire with ice. After her and her mercenary band (some say fire worshipers) demolished a venerable red dragon for components for a portal to the fire plane, they were never heard from again. Although the "diary of Vetlana Tor" is considered a valuable tome that was pocket-dimensioned out of the fire plane, and the rumor of its existence now on the material plane is sufficient enough to catch the attention of more than a few middling family members, and even some inner circle family members, who scry, divine, and otherwise keep a watchful eye out for what may be the next biggest clue in their quest.
----- Some Roll Play-ability -----
Anyone playing a Tor has some unique random features while on campaign.
1) Tor family residences:
1d4 (roll a 1) chance there's a Tor family branch at any large town or city. Or there's a 1d10 (roll a 1) chance there's a Tor family manor in any countryside. 1d20 (1-10) chance that family has just enough lodging for the group. (11-16) chance that family is well to do, their entryway will have a symbolic altar of "eternal flame", the family will brag about how long the altar has been alight. (17-20) chance that the family is close to the inner-circle (Simeon's lineage) of the Tor family. The establishment is well off, if not manorial. The eternal flame has probably been tended to by servants for hundreds of years. If the roll is (11-16) then the house's library may have a useful lvl 1 or lvl 2 spell to copy. The house will be helpful in assisting Simeon and his friends. If the roll is (17-20) then the house's library may have a useful lvl 3 or lvl 4 spell to copy. The house will keep the Library locked down, the party will have to sneak to acquire the spell (if at all) and being caught will get them thrown out. But, even though the house is competitive, they don't dare harm Simeon or his party willfully.
2) Intimidation:
It is expected that adventurers are closer to the inner circle, (though one might suppose a minor house or middling house member might wander off in search of improving their status or finding the secrets of the fire elementals or Eternal Flame first, if the latter hasn't already been found but kept secret), among the family, such an inner circle adventurer may try to intimidate for useful things based on his lineage. For roll play this works against the branch of the family as competing centers of influence, and any intimidation check has advantage to the adventurer.
3) Alignments:
If the house is good or neutral then any damage to the house is considered an act of mayhem and evil. If the house is evil then it may be a good thing to burn it down, but it is resisted by the Tor adventurer as "wrong" to do. Except when the house is minor tier (1-10), then the Tor adventurer cares less and may even suggest to extinguish an evil branch of the family himself. The Tor adventurer does not want to become known for any violence against his own family, so there will be NO SURVIVORS.
----- Will update from here in an edit ------
Read the first chapters. Feel free to critique. Will link the next chapters at the end of the first. Two stories running so far.
Simeon Tor:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/story-lore/34598-simeon-tor-chapter-1-the-heat-of-battle
The Heart of the Drow:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/story-lore/36014-heart-of-the-drow-chapter-1