# The Expanded Orc Pantheon



## Dastari (Jan 19, 2007)

Here is my expanded orc pantheon. I thought I'd just post the descriptions here that I've already worked up to see if anyone has any ideas or for anyone else's use in their own campaigns. I've used the format from the Greyhawk Deities file 2.0 available on the Wizards site for these deity descriptions:

Name: Bahgtru
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Strength, Stupidity
Titles: The Strong, The Leg Breaker, The Son of Gruumsh
Holy Symbol: Broken thigh bone
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Spiked Gauntlet
Domains: Chaos, Competition, Courage, Destruction, Evil, Strength
Description: Bahgtru is both colossaly stupid and unfailingly loyal. His stupidity is no hindrance to him in battle, however, as he is possessed of a phenomenal strength even for a deity. Bahgtru scorns magic, weapons, and armor feeling that a warrior must rely on strength alone. Bahgtru is jealous of Ilneval but will not fight with him openly. Bahgtru appears as a gigantic orc, hugely muscular, with dirty tan skin and dull green eyes; the tusks, which protrude on either side of his mouth, are white from bone-gnawing. He wears heavily studded leather armor and gauntlets. Bahgtru sends omens to his priests in the form of splitting headaches. These are colloquially known as “Bahgtru’s pat”. 

Name: Bargvar
Gender: m
Rank: Intermediate Deity
Areas of Concern: Storm Orcs, War, Territory, Storms, Water, Travel
Titles: The Father of Storms, Father of Emperors, The Honorable, The First Rebel
Holy Symbol: A lightning bolt crossed with a spear
Alignment: LE
Preferred Weapon: Spear
Domains: Domination, Evil, Law, Storm, Travel, Tyranny, War, Water
Description: The brother of Gruumsh is also the first rebel. He it was who first balked at Gruumsh’s retort to the other deities when they split the world amongst themselves leaving orcs in the dust. Bargvar believes that Gruumsh is too emotional and reckless to lead the orcs and has gathered the storm orcs to himself. Legend has it that he used the islands around Quarnost as the forge with which to shape the perfect people for himself. Legend also has it that he gave the rules of Sharg’troth to Korak, the first emperor. Bargvar believes that only through rigid adherence to rules can one ever be victorious in battle and he believes that his orcs will one day teach this lesson to all lifeforms throughout the multiverse. Bargvar’s power over weather has increased since he split from the Pantheon and many believe that he has found some machine in Mechanus, which is giving him greater mastery over weather. His clerics simply claim that their master is now showing his true strength. Bargvar is rigidly loyal to his own rules of Sharg’troth. His word is his bond and he never lies. Those who can trick him into promising something know that he will always fulfill his side of the bargain. Clerics of Bargvar enforce Sharg’troth officially and unofficially. It is their duty to rule on matters that are considered unclear but many make sure and impose their feelings on Sharg’troth even when not asked and feel that it is their duty to make all storm orcs more rigid in their discipline. Bargvar appears as a tall orc with his hair tied up neatly behind him and wearing finery over silvery plate armor. He almost always carries his spear, Far Killer, with him and it crackles with electricity. Bargvar’s omens typically involve a sudden change in the weather, most often in the form of lightning on days without stormy weather. 

Name: Ezric
Gender: f
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Passion, Personal Combat, Women’s Suffrage
Titles: The *****, Queen of sows
Holy Symbol: Pelvic Bone
Alignment: CN
Preferred Weapon: Dagger
Domains: Chaos, Liberation, Protection
Description: The sister of Ilneval, Ezric has always been the goddess of passion. She does not delight so much in seeing two orcs get together as she does in watching multiple orc males fight over a single female. This was a source of great amusement to this mercurial goddess until she started causing great upheavals in many orc tribes. Similarly, she caused similar problems among the pantheon as she was clearly the most beautiful of all the orc females and would pit male against male never giving in to either and always pretending that she had a new suitor to fight the other off with. Gruumsh felt that he would teach her a lesson and stop her antics in one fell swoop and married her to Yurtrus. Little is known of what befell her with Yurtrus other than she now completely covers her body whenever she is in the presence of other orcs but her face is still as radiant and beautiful as ever. It is believed that Yurtrus’ withering touch even has an effect on the gods. The only other thing that is known is that she gave birth to Genki. Once Genki was old enough to stand on his own, Ezric fled from Yurtrus. None know where she goes except that it is somewhere on limbo. Occasionally either Yurtrus or Genki bring her back but she is ever watchful of a chance to escape. In her role as goddess, Gruumsh’s plan backfired for now more than ever she delights in setting orc male against orc male and encourages all orc females to do the same and follow her example. Priests of Ezric preside over battles between males over females and also try and bait men as much as possible without giving in (sometimes leading to grave consequences for the female in question). Ezric appears as a woman fully obscured from neck to foot by a voluminous cloak. What can be seen is the height of orc beauty. Sometimes her gloved hand emerges from the cloak to wield a dagger but this is only when she feels that she is in danger. Her omens usually take the form of impotence or other forms of embarrassment to men. 

Name: Farok
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Fate, Time
Titles: The Giver of Days, The Measurer
Holy Symbol: A pair of scissors about to cut a piece of thread
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Dart
Domains: Destiny, Fate, Oracle, Planning
Description: Farok is the god of Fate who measures the lives of all orcs and determines when their days will no longer be as great as the days before them and ends them abruptly. It is said that this is why so many orcs die before the end of their middle-aged period. Farok cares little for orc politics and secrets himself away from the other gods. He answers only to Gruumsh. Clerics of Farok prophesy for the tribe and are often petitioned by tribesmen who feel themselves getting old but wish to live longer. It is believed that Farok isn’t above a little bribery, which is why some orcs do eventually reach old and even venerable age. Priests of Farok typically only report bad news because they wish for such bribes. Farok appears as a normal orc male with a heavily lined face and thin fingers. Otherwise he looks vibrant and strong. Some say that his eyes look through whoever he looks at to their ultimate fate. His omens can take almost any form and priests of Farok believe that anything can be an omen. 

Name: Feng
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Half-Orcs, Assassins, Stealth, Ninja
Titles: The Silent Killer
Holy Symbol: A kukri dripping blood
Alignment: CN
Preferred Weapon: Kukri
Domains: Celerity, Luck, Trickery
Description: Feng is the other lieutenant of Shargaas and the second half-orc to be allowed to ascend to godhood. Shargaas values the half-orcs for their lessened aggressiveness and higher perceptive ability and Shargaas greatly impressed him with his abilities of stealth. It is believed by many the Gruumsh allowed Feng’s ascension, as a means of combating the ever-growing cult of Nazarn, something that the orc gods believe is a grave threat to them. Feng allows half-orcs to have a role model worthy of emulation who fits in on the god’s hierarchy at the very bottom, teaching half-orcs that they must always be subservient to orcs. Nazarn’s philosophy of honorable and public combat is diametrically opposed to Feng’s own beliefs and Feng hates Nazarn with a passion. Followers of Feng are charged with killing followers of Nazarn whenever the opportunity arises. Priests of Feng tend to be either multiclass ninja/clerics or the benefactors and agents of assassins. Feng will sometimes prompt his priests towards a particular mark but usually he does not interfere. He only cares that his followers are good at what they do and deadly efficient. Feng appears as thin, smallish half-orc clothed in black ninja clothing. His kukri is never visible but he can produce it at a moment’s notice. Feng’s omens to his followers typically take the form of quick, sudden noises that draw attention to themselves. 

Name: Gar
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Orogs, Destruction
Titles: The Great Orog
Holy Symbol: A skull with the top cracked in
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Greataxe
Domains: Destruction, Force, Strength
Description: Gar is an orog whom Ilneval feels best represents his philosophy that orcs must mate with stronger races to thrive. He championed his ascension although Gruumsh is not happy with a half-breed in the pantheon. Gar cares little for the politics of the pantheon and simply likes to be let loose in battle although he does like being the patron of orogs. Priests of Gar are almost always multiclass barbarian/clerics who unleash their great rage in combat after buffing themselves with spells. Gar appears as a gigantic orog roughly 12 feet in height leather armor and clutching a greataxe. Omens from Gar typically take the form objects mysteriously breaking. 

Name: Garthel
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Snow, Winter
Titles: The IceBreaker
Holy Symbol: An axe made of ice dripping with blood
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Handaxe
Domains: Cold, Storm, Weather, Winter
Description: The lord of snow and the frost, Garthel is an orc who loves the cold and leads orcs in frozen lands against their enemies, especially snow elves and glacier dwarves. He is said to launch winter each year to spread his domain although Gruumsh always chastises him for this, which leads to the retreat of winter into summer. Clerics of Garthel revel in the cold and try to spread the cold as far as they can making many magical strongholds of ice in the process. Garthel appears as a large orc covered in a sheen of frost so that his hair appears to be composed of icicles. He wears leather armor and wields a handaxe. Omens from Garthel usually involve cold such as the sudden drop of temperature in an area or a chill wind blowing from a certain direction. 

Name: Genki
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Pygmy Orcs, Cannibals, Jungles
Titles: The Pygmy, The Cannibal, The Devourer
Holy Symbol: A cooking pot with steam rising
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Shortspear
Domains: Chaos, Death, Madness, Summer
Description: Genki is the son of Ezric and Yurtrus. It is no wonder that the child of such a union is a twisted, deranged thing. Ezric has reviled Genki since birth although she at least took care of him until he was able to move on his own. Yurtrus has never shown much acknowledgment that Genki is his son although Genki has learned much about torture from observing his father. Genki has ever had an insatiable appetite, something else that Ezric loathes and he was soon devouring any creatures that he could find in Fleshslough or Acheron. As he got older he went for larger and larger faire until he started eating intelligent creatures and eventually orcs. No one knows if Genki has a philosophy beyond consuming anything that he feels will taste good. However, he does seem to take a paternalistic attitude towards pygmy orcs (he feeds on them less than others) and has been known to intervene on the behalf of their people when fighting great wars. Genki’s clerics are usually the master cooks of their tribe and believe that partaking of the flesh of others gives you their strength, which they believe is Genki’s philosophy as well. Genki appears as a small orc with overgrown arms for his size and one eye oddly larger than the others. He has a characteristically manic grin and is always depicted that way. Genki’s omens usually take the form of a sudden pang of hunger or craving for a particular type of food. 

Name: Grimlok
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Death, Judgment, Travel
Titles: The Judge, The Pilot, The Life Taker, The Cudgel
Holy Symbol: Giant bat with a hooded rider on the back
Alignment: LE
Preferred Weapon: Club
Domains: Death, Law, Repose
Description: Grimlok is the pilot who takes souls to their designated afterlife. He is also the judge who appears to judge all departed orcs at the moment of death and designate whether they deserve to join their patron deity in death or to be designated to Fleshslough or Kabok. He is also become associated with travel due to the fact that he must journey throughout the planes and does so with great speed. Little is known of Grimlok and he is shrouded in as much mystery as Farok. Some believe that these two are one and the same. In either event, their areas of concern have overlap and they are often associated together. Clerics of Grimlok either tend to be travelers or messengers or the ones who preside over funeral rites and judge disputes between orcs. He is known as The Cudgel because of his club, which is used to “persuade” any spirits who resist his attempts to take him to another plane. After one hit from The Cudgel most spirits are docile until they are deposited at their destination. Grimlok appears as an orc skeleton wrapped in a black shroud with the hood drawn. His omens to his followers typically take the form of a sudden movement of bats in the area or the sudden death in either large or small creatures. 

Name: Gruumsh
Gender: m
Rank: Greater Deity
Areas of Concern: Orcs, War, Territory
Titles: One-Eye, He-Who-Never-Sleeps, He-Who-Watches
Holy Symbol: Empty eye socket
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Spear
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Domination, Evil, Mysticism, Strength, Tyranny, War
Special Notes: Divine spellcasters often pluck out their left eye as a sign of devotion.
Description: The head of the orc pantheon, Gruumsh demands that his followers be strong, that they cull the weak from their numbers, and that they take all the territory that Gruumsh thinks is rightfully theirs. He tolerates no sign of friendliness from his people. Unceasing warfare is his creed, but Gruumsh does not object to simple colonization if that can be arranged. Gruumsh dislikes everything that is not an orc or of orcish make and he is particularly spiteful to elves and dwarves. All prayers to Gruumsh begin with “Kharg-hark” the Orcish word for “revenge” even if the prayer is not related to vengeance. Followers of Gruumsh feel that they have a duty to encourage the natural proclivity of orcs for warfare and temples to Gruumsh often resemble military camps with as many barbarians and fighters as clerics and even more barbarian/clerics and fighter/clerics. The most famous ritual in Gruumsh worship is the Ritual of the Poles. After a battle, orcs mark their new territory by pounding longspears into the ground at the boundary, point up. Placed on each spear is the head of a fallen foe. Gruumsh appears as a huge, battle-scarred orc in black full plate, with one central eye. Elven legend has it that he once had two eyes but that he lost one in battle with Corellon Larethian. Orc legend states that this is a lie and that he has always had one eye. As proof, they point to legends of the time before his battle with Corellon Larethian and the fact that he was referred to as one eye even then. Gruumsh sends omens to his priests in the form of the sudden snapping of a young priest’s neck vertebrae or a cloud of drifting toxic black smoke. 

Name: Gyen
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: The Mind, Dreams, The Supernatural
Titles: The Dream Chief, The Mind Bender, Dweller in the Mystic
Holy Symbol: An orc sitting in the lotus position
Alignment: CG
Preferred Weapon: Dagger
Domains: Dream, Mind, Mysticism
Description: Gyen is the friend of Touvos and the only deity to join him in exile. While Touvos believes in study and honing the mind, Gyen believes in meditation and enhancing the mental state. As such he presides over the mind itself, dreams, and all things supernatural. Gyen’s followers are even smaller than those of Touvos are but typically they come from the ranks of skalds, shaman, and enchanters. His priests are often multiclass clerics with either of those other classes. He has a high proclivity towards the enchantment school of magic, as one of the things that he hopes to gain through his meditation is the ability to influence others. Some of Gyen’s followers live among orcs as skalds or shaman but most are those orcs that could not fit into orc society and are living their lives as adventurers among the greater world. Gyen is always depicted as a tall, thin orc with small musculature in the lotus position and deep in meditation. Gyen’s omens always take the form of dreams. 

Name: Ilneval
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Warfare, Leadership
Titles: The Horde Leader, The War Maker, The Lieutenant of Gruumsh
Holy Symbol: Bloodied Longsword
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Longsword
Domains: Courage, Destruction, Evil, Mysticism, War
Description: The brother of Ezric, Ilneval is Gruumsh’s battle lieutenant to whom he trusts the command of warfare when he does not wish to exercise it himself. Ilneval is the archetype of the leader-from-the-front and plunges into battle with nothing but victory and destruction on his mind. Ilneval has deposed of several other orcish gods in his quest for power but he is fiercely loyal to Gruumsh. This does not extend to his son and Ilneval is jealous of Bahgtru but does not dare fight with him openly. Ilneval believes that the orc race must increase their strength by mating with stronger races such as ogres and is a fierce proponent of using orogs in battle and is the only orc god to accept orogs as clerics. Ilneval appears as a tall, unsmiling orc clad in red chainmail, very heavily battle-scarred about his face and arms. He sends omens to his priests in the form of blood seeping from chainmail. 

Name: Jergic
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Boasts, Competition, Hunting
Titles: The Braggart, The Great Hunter
Holy Symbol: A giant hand wrapped around the throat of an elk. 
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Greatbow
Domains: Celerity, Competition, Glory, Strength
Description: Jergic is the aggressive, confident hunter. He believes that those who know their strengths should let others know as well. He delights in seeing the skilled boast and he likes watching them shamed by others. He combines these two delights by sponsoring competitions to watch others compete each other to test their boasts. He is also a mighty hunter and carries his greatbow wherever he goes. He is technically subservient to Kargyev but from the way he boasts one would think that it is the other way around. Still, he does whatever he is told even if he always insinuates that it just goes along with his own plans anyway. Priests of Jergic are often ranger/clerics, scout/clerics, or barbarian/clerics. Jergic’s priests gain a reputation as great hunters and often train with the greatbow. They also preside over competitions and choose the winner. Jergic appears as a mighty orc hunter in brown leathers with a quiver slung across his back and a gigantic bow. He wears the skull of an elk on his head which legend has it was his first kill. Jergic’s omens to his followers typically involve a sudden rush of strength or extraordinary ability or the lack of ability to do a normal task. 

Name: Kag
Gender: m
Rank: Hero-God
Areas of Concern: Cooking, Eating, Hunting
Titles: The Great Chef
Holy Symbol: A ladle with a meaty broth
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Club
Domains: Creation, Luck
Description: Kag is the first pygmy orc and the only known being to escape from Genki after the demented god had started to consume him. Kag’s offer earned him his life and Genki sponsored his ascension to godhood to continue as his chef for centuries ever after. Little is known of Kag other than that he enjoys carving up meat for his lord. He exemplifies chaos and evil even though he is loyal because the orders of his god lead to the suffering and death of others and he tells others to do the same. “Know your place because the leaders know how to cause more excitement then you ever could.” Kag wields a club that he uses to persuade uncooperative ingredients to do as they’re told. He only believes in cooking live meat. Priests of Kag although rare even among pygmy orcs are often master chefs. Typically they are multiclass expert (cook)/clerics and are the foremost chefs in a tribe. Kag appears as wide pygmy orc with uncommonly long arms. He is usually depicted in front of a cooking pot and wearing tattered clothes. Kag’s omens to his followers typically involve an unexpected taste appearing in a dish or a sudden blandness. 

Name: Kargyev
Gender: f
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Forest Orcs, Hunting, Freedom, Woodlands, Fire
Titles: The Huntress, The Fire Witch
Holy Symbol: Deer pierced through the heart with an arrow
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Longbow
Domains: Evil, Fire, Liberation, Plant
Description: Once, the mistress of Gruumsh she spurned him when she learned that he was also bedding Luthic. Since then she has kept up a dalliance with Bargvar but has made no formal commitment. She is the mother of Shargaas and Savidge and is the other nature deity of the orcs. Kargyev is more accepted by orc culture in general because she revels in the savage, bestial side of nature. She hates those who hunt animals in overwhelming numbers or with superior technology. She particularly likes hunters who hunt alone and either unarmed or with one trusty weapon. She favors stealth more than most orc deities. It has kept her alive and she also prefers cunning deception of an enemy to outright besting in strength for she feels that it feels all the sweeter. Kargyev is also the orc goddess of fire, which is probably another reason that she is drawn to the woodlands. Ceremonies of her priests typically involve burning as many things as they can find that will catch fire and many times forest orcs must move because they have set a blaze that ends up burning down their own homes. Most of Kargyev’s priests are ranger/clerics or scout/clerics and they usually preside over hunting competitions to see which orc can bring back some selected game or to see which orc can bring back the most game. Kargyev is on good terms with Ezric, as both believe that women should have a stronger role in orc society. Kargyev appears as an orc of normal size of indeterminate gender. She wears forest green clothes and carries a longbow and quiver. Her eyes are usually depicted as dancing with flames. Omens from Kargyev usually take the form of an attack from a wild animal or finding prey the prey that you were tracking has already died. 

Name: Korak
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Nobility, Honor, Storm Orcs
Titles: The First Emperor, Father of Honor
Holy Symbol: An open scroll with blood red letters
Alignment: LE
Preferred Weapon: Orc Double Axe
Domains: Community, Courage, Glory, Inquisition, Law, Nobility
Description: The first emperor of Quarnost with named Korak. Legend says that he created the law of Sharg’troth after being dealt an almost fatal blow by his brother. As he waited for death he wrote down the rule of law that came to him in visions. He wrote with his blood and it is said that the words gave him strength until he recovered. While some dispute this as legend it is well documented that he presented the law and instituted it upon uniting the storm orc tribes into a single unified empire. Korak believes in the most rigid adherence to law and believes that only by eliminating chaos can one achieve one’s true potential. Korak believes in war to spread this belief and thus eliminate the chaos produced by other races. Only when the entire world is dominated by the rule of Sharg’troth can perfection be attained. Korak favors the nobles for he believes that they naturally lead the commoners. Many of Korak’s priests come from the lesser sons of the nobility and are typically multiclass aristocrat/clerics. Clerics of Korak study bloodlines and ensure lines of succession are upheld. They also rule on matters of Sharg’troth and root out magical and spiritual possession. Inquisitors are a powerful force in Quarnost due to Korak’s extreme hatred of mind control. Korak appears as a mighty and large orc lord with glistening banded male and a sash of medals and decorations across his chest. He wears a simple crown that appears as a golden band and wields an oversized double axe. Omens from Korak to his followers typically take the form of an accidental breach in Sharg’troth. 

Name: Luthic
Gender: f
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Female Orcs, Fertility, Medicine, Healing, Servitude, Caves, Home
Titles: The Cave Mother, The Blood Moon Witch
Holy Symbol: Orc rune for home
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Spiked Gauntlet
Domains: Community, Earth, Evil, Healing, Protection
Description: Luthic is the wife of Gruumsh and the paragon of female orc virtues. She obeys her husband without question, tends his wounds, and bears his children. She is fiercely jealous of any that seek to take her power away from her. Orcs who follow Luthic have a greater instinct for self-preservation than many other orcs but they are vicious to those in whom they sense some weakness. Clerics of Luthic hang back in battle to heal the wounded and return them to the front. Luthic appears as a huge female orc with unbreakable black claws four feet long. Her hair and eyes are dull black and her skin is dark brown, lighter around her nose and ears. Her omens to her priests take the form of claw marks in rock, a magical darkening of some area, or a rumbling in a cave mouth. 

Name: Maegric
Gender: f
Rank: Hero-God
Areas of Concern: Mariticide, Runaways, Female Orcs
Titles: She-Who-Kills-Men
Holy Symbol: A broken orc marriage wreath
Alignment: CN
Preferred Weapon: Punching Dagger
Domains: Strength, Travel
Description: Maegric is the bane of the orc pantheon and one of their greatest embarrassments. Maegric was an orc wife who could not stand the abuse from her husband so one day after he was sleepy from eating a large meal and drinking a great deal of beer she punched her knife into his chest and then ran as fast as she could. She was hunted from that day forward but always eluded capture. Ezric took pity on her and sponsored her for divine ascension one of the few times that this has gone unnoticed by Gruumsh. Maegric now serves as the champion of women and endorses all of their efforts to throw off male oppression. Orc society has outlawed worship of Maegric, but many females worship her in secret. Even more secret are her priests who must masquerade as typical orc homemakers while worshipping the goddess that would have them live on their own terms. Many followers of Maegric end up killing their husbands or fathers and she aids them in their efforts of escape. Some priests must stay with the tribe, however, so that younger females may learn of Maegric. Maegric appears as a gigantic and formidable orc woman as tall as she is wide and arms as muscled as any man’s. Her omens to her priests typically take the form of a particularly nasty beating from their husband or father or if they have escaped a sense of being followed. 

Name: Meega
Gender: f
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Light, The Moon
Titles: The Shining One
Holy Symbol: A moon with half white and half black
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Shortbow
Domains: Community, Evil, Luck, War
Description: Meega was an excellent example of orc femininity that Luthic petitioned for godhood. Her beauty was said to be so great that she was placed in the heavens for all to see. Even the hated sun could not stand to be near her beauty and fled before it. Sometimes it gains courage and tries to come out and attack her while she is still visible but she shoots at it with her shortbow and drives it off. Meega is often lauded as an aid to orc warbands at night and thus has a unique position as a female goddess petitioned by warriors. Priests of Meega are often the wives of orc soldiers who petition her to lead their husbands to victory and then lead them home safely. They champion the efforts of orc women to aid their men in giving them everything they might need such as making large amounts of food for the journey, repairing their armor, and so forth. Meega appears as a beautiful orc woman with a slight glow about her. Before her marriage, Ezric was said to be the most beautiful of all orc women but now consensus has it that it is Meega. Omens from Meega typically take the form of the moon passing underneath clouds or an unscheduled eclipse (in extreme circumstances). 

Name: Nazarn
Gender: m
Rank: Hero-God
Areas of Concern: Formal and Public Combat
Titles: The Gladiator
Holy Symbol: A chain wrapped around a shortsword
Alignment: N
Preferred Weapon: Short Sword
Domains: Luck, War
Description: Nazarn is the first half-orc to ascend to godhood, which was an event of some note. Sponsored by Kord, it almost lead to a war between Kord and Gruumsh who felt that the ascension of anyone of orcish blood should have his ultimate approval. Nazarn is an inspiration to half-orcs although he does not limit himself to worship by them. He is the patron of any who fight honorably in the arena. Nazarn was a great warrior and greatly impressed Kord by defeating all of the opponents thrown against him. He does not care for moral or ethical debate. He simply wishes for freedom to do what he wishes and have a fair fight in the arena. This has put him at odds with Feng who believes in anything but a fair fight and neither deity can stand the other. Their followers are always at odds with one another. Priests of Nazarn usually work as professional gladiators or as officiators at formal duels. They often minister to gladiators after a battle. Their eyes are always open to find new potential gladiators to either test their mettle against them or to invite them to the arena. Nazarn appears as an older half-orc with a strongly orcish appearance and hair that is rapidly graying to white. He is often depicted with his sword, Crowdpleaser. Nazarn’s omens to his followers usually involve the reactions of a crowd to a duel or combat. 

Name: Savidge
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Swamp Orcs, Swamps, Nature, Plants
Titles: The Protector, The Outcast
Holy Symbol: The roots of a large swamp tree 
Alignment: N
Preferred Weapon: Quarterstaff
Domains: Animal, Creation, Mysticism, Plant, Protection, Water
Description: Savidge is the son of Gruumsh and Kargyev and the half-brother of Shargaas. Savidge has forever been outcast from orc society due to Gruumsh’s falling out with Kargyev and due to his neutral tendencies. The other orc gods found Savidge weak and timid. The god set out on his own and became a beacon for other outcast orcs. After Touvos’s exile the two gods became friends and swamp orcs remain the only orc subrace that allows free worship of Touvos although few ever do. Savidge believes strictly in harmony in nature in both its brutal and beautiful forms. He and Obad-Hai are very friendly and druids are always welcome among swamp orcs. Clerics of Savidge patrol the swamps and keep them free the taint of civilization such as from pollution, constructs, or the undead. Less prone to fight than other orcs, they only defend themselves when provoked but neither will they help a non-swamp orc in trouble. The law of nature is everything a cleric of Savidge in accord with his teachings. Savidge appears a monstrously huge swamp orc that rises up from water covered in slime and muck. Savidge’s omens usually take the form of strange and sudden swamp noises or plants that only grow in a certain direction. 

Name: Shargaas
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Darkness, Thieves, Stealth, Night, Undead
Titles: The Night Lord, The Blade in the Darkness, The Stalker Below
Holy Symbol: Skull on a red crescent moon
Alignment: CE
Preferred Weapon: Short Sword
Domains: Chaos, Death, Evil, Mysticism, Pestilence, Trickery
Description: Shargaas is the orc deity of darkness, thieves, and assassins and is a lesser son of Gruumsh (with Kargyev). His philosophy is to take at night what cannot be taken by force. Tribes loyal to Shargaas often fight with poisoned weapons and darker tactics. They tend to flee in the press of combat, however – they have no stomach for prolonged battle. Shargaas is the only orc deity that will allow half-orcs to become clerics and many of his clerics are multiclass rogue/clerics or assassin/clerics. Shargaas toes the line in the orc pantheon. He will never oppose the interests of Gruumsh or Ilneval but he seeks to limit the influence of their priests. Shargaas has a particular hatred of Yurtrus and in tribes loyal to Shargaas worship of Yurtrus is not allowed. Shargaas appears as a tall, gaunt orc with jet-black eyes and skin, wearing a black cloak. His omens to his priests take the form of sudden chills in the air, lamenting moans, and dreaded “cold fevers” which inflict great pain. 

Name: Shauka
Gender: f
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Wind, Life, Family, Nature, Swamp Orcs
Titles: The Breather of Life, The Healer
Holy Symbol: Hanging Moss
Alignment: NG
Preferred Weapon: Javelin
Domains: Air, Community, Earth, Healing
Description: Shauka is the wife of Savidge and the goddess of swamps and the swamp orcs. It is not known how a goddess devoted to goodness came to be among the orc pantheon. Tales of Shauka only begin with Savidge leaving the swamp and finding her there. Some believe that she is not an orc goddess at all. Others believe that she is an ascended swamp orc. What is known is that Shauka is like an elemental force of life. Her areas of concern and domains are all associated with the creation, nurturing, preservation, and extension of life. Unlike her husband she venerates nature in its most beautiful form and does her best to ensure that nothing is injured either in it or by it. As such she gets along well with Ehlonna much to her husband’s chagrin and finds Obad-Hai dour and difficult to get along with. Priests of Shauka tend to be activists in the community, healers, midwives, or diplomats. Many of them are multiclass ranger/clerics and they patrol the swamps to ensure their safety from others and the safety of those travelling through them. Shauka appears as a gigantic orc shaped elemental of air and earth. This of course only adds to the enigma of her origin. Omens from Shauka to her followers typically take the form of sudden, mysterious healing, strange tracks in the ground, or a sudden gust of wind. 

Name: Tarok
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Scab Orcs, Raids, Desert
Titles: The War Lord, The Giver of Thirst
Holy Symbol: A head veiled in black with two red eyes peering out from the darkness
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Scimitar
Domains: Summer, Thirst, Trickery
Description: Tarok is the patron of scab orcs and one of the two lieutenants of Shargaas. Tarok believes in stealth and subtlety mixed with a fierce brutality once he has committed himself. He combines the worst elements of a rogue and barbarian, stealthily sneaking up on an encampment and slaughtering everyone in a bloody massacre once he is close enough. He has been called The War Lord due to his phenomenal success in his raids while in mortal form. Tarok is also the lord of thirst and it is said that he uses the desert to test his faithful. Priests of Tarok must spend two weeks in the desert naked and with no equipment before they can be initiated into his service. Clerics usually take on the role of water guardian in a desert tribe. It is said that Tarok withholds the right to decide who may or may not drink but others believe that the priests simply want to be near the water in case of a shortage or emergency. Tarok appears as a large orc clothed in black desert garments with a veiled face from which one can only see two red eyes. Tarok always carries a scimitar. When he is not using it, it is tucked in a black belt on his waist. Tarok’s omens to his followers usually take the form of a sudden increase in temperature in an area or stinging sands being blown up into someone’s face. 

Name: Thokesh
Gender: m
Rank: Demigod
Areas of Concern: Tactics, Warfare
Titles: The Plotter
Holy Symbol: A chessboard with all the white pieces broken. 
Alignment: LE
Preferred Weapon: Orc Double Axe
Domains: Domination, Planning, Tyranny, War
Description: Thokesh is the tactician. Whereas Ilneval represents the general who commands from the front, Thokesh is the general who commands from the rear. He pours over information and tries to analyze all the battle data before coming up with a suitably bloody and effective counter move. Thokesh is Ilneval’s chief advisor and the two usually plot campaigns together. Priests of Thokesh are chessmasters and strategists being some of the few orcs who can play chess (most orcs prefer Throg-Khack-Org a game akin to Tik-Tac-Toe). They are usually cunningly evil always trying to not only defeat their foe but also to humiliate and humble them. They are pragmatic, however, and will not give up a sure victory to prolong their foe’s agony. It is only a nice perk if they can make their opponent suffer and lose. Thokesh appears as an orc with an incredibly serious face and a brow always furrowed in concentration. He wields an orc double axe and wears red banded mail. Omens of Thokesh usually take the form of improbable consequences to meticulously planned events or an unpredicted variable quashing an otherwise certain victory such as a table breaking underneath a chessboard keeping either player from ascertaining victory. 

Name: Touvos
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser God
Areas of Concern: Knowledge, Magic, Diplomacy
Titles: The Coward, Elf-Friend, Father of Tales
Holy Symbol: A tower rising out of sand
Alignment: CG
Preferred Weapon: Sling
Domains: Chaos, Fate, Good, Knowledge, Magic, Pact
Description: The father of Luthic, orc mytho-history says that Touvos lead the second rebellion against Gruumsh after Bargvar. The truth is that Touvos had long tried to persuade Gruumsh that orcs would be better off if they were more literate and studied the magic and technology of other races. Gruumsh dismissed what he called elven nonsense and called Touvos a coward. He was banished when he tried to tell Gruumsh that diplomacy might help the orcs negotiate for a better position among some of the other races. Enraged, Gruumsh picked up a sword and tried to cleave through Touvos who stepped back. Gruumsh only succeeded in gouging a huge scar down Touvos’ face over the eye. Touvos escaped and like Savidge tries to summon all outcast orcs who believe in goodness or simply want to better themselves through knowledge. He is on good terms with Savidge but is completely ostracized from other orcs, although skalds (bards) still pay him some tribute. His title as the Father of Tales comes from the time when he was still part of the pantheon. The appellations “The Coward” and “Elf-Friend” came later as orc curses against him although neither is true. Clerics of Touvos are often short lived, preaching against the establishment of orc culture. Those among the swamp orcs are simply scholars. Those who have escaped form orc culture entirely may be scholars, exemplars of a particular skill who seek perfection, or those who seek to champion the cause of good in the world. Many priests of Touvos are multiclass bard/clerics who ingratiate themselves into orc tribes as skalds and then through their tale telling try and undermine orthodox orc faith. Touvos appears as a stooped, thin orc of great age although it is clear that if he did not stoop that he would be toweringly tall. He has a scar down the right side of his face that is complete when he closes his right eyelid. He is always clad in brown robes. 

Name: Yurtrus
Gender: m
Rank: Lesser Deity
Areas of Concern: Death, Disease
Titles: White Hands, The Lord of Maggots, The Rotting One
Holy Symbol: White hands on a dark background
Alignment: NE
Preferred Weapon: Unarmed Strike
Domains: Death, Destruction, Evil, Madness, Pestilence
Description: The orc deity of death and disease seeks the domination of all orcs and eventually all humanoids. His worship is barely tolerated by the rest of the pantheon but he brings great power and great fear both from the deities themselves and to the tribes. The smarter orc deities realize that this fear can be harnessed to keep mortals in line. Yurtrus appears as a huge, vaguely orcish giant covered with peeling and rotten green flesh. His hands are entirely normal save for being chalk-white. He has no mouth, and never communicates (orcs say “when White-Hands speaks” as a way of saying “Never”). His omens to the priests take the form of plagues and pandemics.


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## Wolf72 (Jan 21, 2007)

that's quite a lot of deities you have there ... wish you would have posted them a bit at a time though.

I really like Bargvar and Ezric (very Eros like).

I think it was a good call for the rank of Demi-gods for many of them, reinforces the idea of Gruumsh continuing to be top orc among the pantheon.

That is an awefully long list though! ... How about some DCs for knowledge: Religion in order to know something about that god/dess (either through study or just based on holy symbols PC " I believe this represents a common death artifact among the orcs, that it is displayed so prominently might mean this is a new/unknown orc god or aspect of Gruumsh ... very interesting")


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## Dastari (Jan 22, 2007)

Wolf72 said:
			
		

> that's quite a lot of deities you have there ... wish you would have posted them a bit at a time though.




Ah, well I started off posting on the Wizards of the Coast boards and I was posting them one at a time but with more detail. Then I found that no one seemed to have any interest so I decided to post brief descriptions of the whole pantheon. That seemed to stimulate a little comment but not much. That's when I decided to cross post on these boards. 

Basically I was annoyed that orcs only typically had six deities: Bahgtru, Gruumsh, Ilneval, Luthic, Shargaas, and Yurtrus but elves and dwarves have three of four times that many. It seemed to me that a more primitive race should have at least as many deities as elves or dwarves, probably even  more. 

However, if you are interested in learning more about these deities and seeing individual posts for them, then I recommend that you go look at what I've already done for Bahgtru and Bargvar. Those pages have my complete descriptions of the deities including information about sacred animals, priests, holy days, sacrifices and even some stats in the style of _Deities and Demigods_. I know that many people disagree with statting deities but if you don't like that part you don't have to read it. Read it for the content instead. 



> I really like Bargvar and Ezric (very Eros like).




I have been pleasantly surprised by how well received those two have been. I hear many comments about Ezric. What I most wanted to do with the orc pantheon is to twist common conceptions so even though Ezric is the goddess of love she likes to see that love expressed in violent ways. We've also got Farok the god of Fate who isn't above a little bribery. Its those sorts of things that interested me which is why I had such fun creating this pantheon. 



> I think it was a good call for the rank of Demi-gods for many of them, reinforces the idea of Gruumsh continuing to be top orc among the pantheon.




Yeah, you completely understand what I was doing. My idea is that most of the early generation of orc deities (the parents of Gruumsh, Ilneval, Garthel, and many others) were either killed off by Gruumsh or like Farok or Touvos posed no threat to Gruumsh. The main reason why Bargvar left or was exiled is because he is slowly becoming as powerful as Gruumsh and Gruumsh would not have allowed him to live for long if he remained in the pantheon. Farok still doesn't pose a threat and serves a useful purpose. Touvos was exiled even though he doesn't pose a physical threat to Gruumsh but because he poses a philosophical one. So the idea is that now that Gruumsh is top dog, he doesn't allow anyone to get beyond Lesser Deity or he puts them out of the way. 



> That is an awefully long list though! ... How about some DCs for knowledge: Religion in order to know something about that god/dess (either through study or just based on holy symbols PC " I believe this represents a common death artifact among the orcs, that it is displayed so prominently might mean this is a new/unknown orc god or aspect of Gruumsh ... very interesting")




That is a very good idea and I'll get to working on that probably tomorrow. The main reason why I posted this list is to see what people thought and if they could give me some further ideas as to how to develop or modify the pantheon and I think that this is a good way of moving forward. 

I also don't mind if anyone adds to pantheon because my idea of orcs is that each tribe probably has many deities that are unknown to other tribes. These 26 that I have posted are the ones that I feel have the most appeal and are worshipped the most widely but that doesn't mean that there are far more on the local level that maybe only one tribe worships. 

Thanks again for the feedback!


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## Dastari (Jan 29, 2007)

Wolf72 said:
			
		

> That is an awefully long list though! ... How about some DCs for knowledge: Religion in order to know something about that god/dess (either through study or just based on holy symbols PC " I believe this represents a common death artifact among the orcs, that it is displayed so prominently might mean this is a new/unknown orc god or aspect of Gruumsh ... very interesting")




All right, here is what I have. It is a list counting only the six orc deities from the Greyhawk campaign setting and the DC's for knowledge about them. I'm going to try and expand this list to include information specific to the other deities as well:

*ORC LORE*

*Knowledge (The Planes)*

*DC Result*

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (The Planes) can learn more about orc deities. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DC's. 

10 The main home of the orc deities is _Nishrek_ within Avalas, the first layer of the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron. Gruumsh lives there along with his wife, Luthic; his son, Bahgtru; and his war chief; Ilneval. 

15 The orc deities fight an eternal war with the Goblin deities in Acheron. Other orc deity realms are _The Night Below_ within Krangath, the fourth layer of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and _Fleshslough_ in the top layer of the Grey Wastes of Hades. The orc deity Shargaas resides in _The Night Below_ and Yurtrus resides in _Fleshslough_.

20 The mildly law aligned trait of Acheron is negated within _Nishrek_. 

25 Gruumsh controls the three major fortresses of Rotting Eye, White Hand, and Three Fang. He moves between all three seemingly at random. Ilneval controls the fortresses of Red Sword and Dripping Blade. 

40 The first view that petitioners get of Nishrek as they approach is of swirling trenches carved all around the face of the cube. Tunnel openings seem to pop up at random leading deep into the cube and cities and barracks appear to have been placed at random. Still, the size of the tunnels and barracks are immense and Nishrek is definitely prepared to fight great battles. 

100 You have detailed schematics of _Nishrek_ and could navigate the entire realm with ease. 

*Knowledge (Religion)*

*DC Result*

In addition to the information detailed in the Monster Manual IV on a successful knowledge check at the DC's given the player gains further information as detailed below:

15 Additional deities in the Orc Pantheon are Bahgtru, the God of Strength and son of Gruumsh and Ilneval, the war lieutenant. Gruumsh's holy animal is the giant rat. His holy day is the new moon and a sacrafice of blood is made to him monthly. His priests wear dark red vestments, war helms, and black plate mail. His holy symbol is an empty eye socket. 

20 All clerics of Gruumsh being their prayers with the phrase "Kharg-hark", the orcish word for "revenge". Shargaas is the only orc deity to allow half-orcs into his clergy. Bahgtru is jealous of Ilneval and believes that he and Gruumsh should be the only two deities in the pantheon. Bahgtru's sacred animal is the ox. His holy days are on battle days and the bones of orcish enemies are sacrificed to him before battle. His clerics wear loincloths and nothing else. His holy symbol is a broken thigh bone. Ilneval's holy days are also on battle days, but blood and weapons are sacrificed to him before battle. His clerics wear red metal armor and red metal helmets. His holy symbol is a bloodied longsword. Luthic's sacred animal is the cave bear. Her holy day is mindwinter's day and treasures are sacrificed to her yearly. Clerics to Luthic wear brown and black leather armor and fur caps. her holy symbol is the orc rune for home. Shargaas's sacred animal is the bat. His holy days are on new moons and stolen items are sacrificed to him monthly. HIs priests wear red and black leather armor and caps. His holy symbol is a skull on a red crescent moon. Yurtrus's sacred "animal" is the skeleton. His holy says are on the new moon and sacrifices are made to him monthly. His clerics wear animal skins painted white. His holy symbols are white hands on a dark background. 

25 Shargaas tows the line in the orc pantheon. His priests will not actively oppose the interests of Gruumsh or Ilneval but his priests will see to limit the influence of their priests. He is also the only orc deity that allows half-orcs to join his clergy. Additionally, Shargaas and Yurtrus have an ongoing rivalry so that in tribes that honor either one of as a patron the worship of the other is forbidden. 

30 Rumor has it that Yurtrus is just another aspect of Incabulos. What is known is that Yurtrus is _not_ a native orc deity. 

35 Worship of Erythnul has been on the rise recently in orc communities who worship him in his aspect as an orc. Worship of Erythnul is forbidden in all orc tribes that hold one of the other members of the pantheon as a patron.

*Knowledge (Local)*

*DC Result*

In addition to the information detailed in the Monster Manual IV on a successful knowledge check at the DC's given the player gains further information as detailed below:

15 Orcs are tribal by nature with most tribes separated by the deity that they pick as their patron.

20 Tribes devoted to Gruumsh tend to be the most generic tribes. They are bent on conquest, but are possessed of a certain low cunning, and will not throw their lives away needlessly. This priests of Gruumsh will typically be the power behind the chieftains and will only expose themselves when absolutely necessary. 

25 Tribes devoted to Bahgtru are much more aggressive than other tribes. They are more surly and unpleasant than the average orc, and include large numbers of ogres and especially orogs. They tend to attack rather than parley. They rely on berzerk rage and great strength to carry the day. Clerics of Bahgtru rarely lead a tribe. Orcs devoted to Ilneval are much more dangerous in war than the average orc. They have a proper knowledge of strategy and tactics and will not throw their lives away needlessly. These tribes also contain a large number of ogres and orogs. Clerics of Ilneval are usually found in secondary leadership positions in the tribe - they must always serve a chief, but are usually of high importance in their tribe. Tribes devoted to Luthic are in some ways less dangerous than other orc tribes. These tribes value their lives more highly than typical orcs and as such less likely to wage senseless war against their neighbors. However, at the first sign of weakness they will attack and spare none of their foes. Prisoners of other tribes rarely survive for long, as they do not believe in wasting resources on outsiders. Priestesses of Luthic twill stay back in battle using magic in preference to physical attack and tending to the wounded that they may continue to fighting. They tend to be advisors to the chieftains of their tribes, urging them on to greater and greater conquests. They council the capture and absorption of other orc tribes to increase the power of their own tribe. Tribes devoted to Shargaas tend to have a large number of half-orcs and they are the only orc tribes that orc assasins as well cleric/assasins. Their philosophy is to take by night what cannot be taken by force. The tribes of Shargaas often fight with poisoned weapons and darker tactics as well (well poisonings and using siege engines to hurl rotting animals among them). They tend to break and flee in the press of combat, however - they have no stomach for prolonged battle. The leaders of Shargaas's tribes are nearly always assasins or assasin/clerics. Tribes devoted to Yurtrus are known for their merciless dpredation of the surrounding areas, and for the varied and creative deaths they inflict upon their captives. His priests rarely (sometimes never) speak, and are capable of casting magics soundlessly.


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