He Who Never Sleeps, He Who Watches, The One-Eyed God
Holy Symbol: Inverted triangle over three bloody bones
BREED.
RISE UP IN HORDE.
RAID.
KILL.
CONQUER.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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CLERIC OR SHAMAN OR RANGER OR BARBARIAN OR FIGHTER OR WITCH
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ORC OR GOBLINOID (HALF IS OK TOO)
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MAKE BLOOD SACRIFICE ONCE A MONTH FOR GRUUMSH
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TO BE GRUUMSH SERVANT PROVE YOURSELF BY STABBING OUT EYE OR SLAYING STRONG ANIMAL OR BOTH FOR EXTRA STRONGTH
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Level 0 Spell: Sanctify
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DIE FROM SPOILED FOOD? DESERVE DEATH!
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Level 1 Spell: Sanctuary
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NEVER PROTECT, ALWAYS ATTACK!
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Level 3 Spell: Hold Person (and all control spells)
- ONLY HOLD WITH OWN HANDS, NOT MAGIC LIKE COWARD!
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Level 7 Spell: Word of Recall
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NO RETREAT!
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(If you wish to become clergy of this god, take three of these as your vows—if you violate them you lose any moves, spells, and any other benefits granted by this god until you atone.)
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KILL (Forbidden: Refusing an opportunity for killing an opponent who is down, no matter the circumstance)
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MAIM (Forbidden: Allowing a rival or opponent who must remain alive to escape intact; eyes are popular)
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DESTROY (Forbidden: Refusing an opportunity to destroy something of value which glorifies another race or god)
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TAKE (Forbidden: Not claiming by force or the threat of it everything you desire; this applies to people and potential mates)
Gruumsh is the unblinking god of destruction who unleashes the savage multitudes against outposts of civilization. Gruumsh is an unusual god, representative of a truly unusual race – Orcs.
Home Plane
Nishrek
Portfolio
Orcs, Goblinoids, savages, bloodshed, carnage, wanton slaughter, pillaging
Favored Weapon
The Bloodspear
Myths
Feud with Corellon
The greatest of Gruumsh’s many feuds is with Corellon, the creator of the Elves, and according to legend, the god responsible for destroying one of Gruumsh’s eyes. When Gruumsh first emerged, Corellon attempted to retain influence over the Orcs when they were first created by Urgath and Derelan, arguing that the use of Elven feymagics in their creation made them his kin. Gruumsh demanded a duel, and Corellon bested the orc god in fair combat, winning the bout with a precision thrust into Gruumsh’s eye. In orc legends, however, Corellon was losing his duel, and resorted to cheating and magic trickery in order to wound his foe. Regardless of the actual details, the enmity between Gruumsh and Corellon continues to this day and shows no indications of abating any time soon.
Hatred of other gods
Orcs refuse to acknowledge any origin in Humans with Elven experimentation, and insist they were one of the earliest races, but never revealed due to a cruel joke. It started with a lottery. The gods of the Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, Humans and Orcs met to draw lots to determine which parts of the world was to be inhabited by their respective worshipers. The non-Orcish gods rigged the lot. Elves got the forests, Dwarves the mountains, Humans the right to live wherever they wanted, and so on, but there was no lot prepared for the Orcs. Gruumsh was mocked and insulted by the others for this and was enraged over the others cheating the Orcs into destitution as part of a joke. He lifted his spear to strike caves and holes into world and claimed these for his worshipers and vowed that they will grow stronger there to ultimately kill every one of the cheaters and take everything from them.
History
Gruumsh has little history of note as most of his influence and the activities of his followers involve wanton savagery with little rhyme or reason guiding it.
Relationship with other gods and churches
As a deity, Gruumsh has never fit in well with the other gods. He has few long-term alliances with any other major deity; he does hold, however, an impressive number of grudges and hatreds towards the other gods. He despises all the good gods, most of the unaligned ones, and a majority of the evil deities, each for different reasons, of course.
Gruumsh is acknowledged as the chief of all Goblinoid deities, having proven his strength time and again to any who challenge his title. To say that all deities obey him strictly, however, would be inaccurate. Most at best pay lip service to him, and pursue their own agendas.
Associated Lesser Deities
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Bahgtru - god of brute strength
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Ilneval - god of war
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Luthic - god of caves, mate of Gruumsh
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Shargaas - deity of darkness, night, stealth, thieves, and the undead
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Yurtrus - god of death
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Maglubiyet - goblins and hobgoblins
Gruumsh is primarily worshiped by Orcs and Half-Orcs. While Orcs remain by far the predominant members of Gruumsh’s faith, a fair number of barbarians, savages, and primitives of other races pray to and respect the One-Eyed God.
There is no true “church of Gruumsh.” His faithful do not belong to—and have no desire to create—a unified church, a chain of command, or any other trappings often associated with other religions. Followers of Gruumsh do not think or prepare; they act and react, preferably with great passion and intensity. They do not pursue a long-term agenda or pursue some far-off goal. Instead, they seek immediate gratification and the opportunity to offer blood and violence to their god.
Hierarchy
Priests observe no official titles; the hierarchy is determined by strength alone, and each member by their own name only.
Vestments
Orc war priests wear a patch over one eye to symbolize their worship of the Orc deity. Some also dress in dark red vestments, armored with war helms and black plate mail.
Rites and Duties
Clerics of Gruumsh, whether they serve within an orc tribe or adventure the lands, are expected to participate in battles, kill their enemies without remorse, loot the bodies, and spread destruction as far and as wide as possible. In many ways, a cleric of Gruumsh (often known as a shaman) is much akin to a barbarian or berserker, often possessed with the fearsome love of battle and bloodshed. His priests are strongly urged to keep their bodies strong, their weapons sharp, and their armor worn as much as possible. In the minds of Gruumsh’s followers, combat is forever imminent, and they should always be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.
Most ceremonies and prayers dedicated to Gruumsh are expected to take place on or near the field of battle. Such services are brief, punctuated with an increasing wave of passion, and filled with loud chanting, music, dancing, and drinking. Ritual bloodletting is permitted in small amounts, but Gruumsh calls for most sacrifices to come from conquered enemies, not his own people.
Otherwise, clerics of Gruumsh have precious few demands placed on them. They are sometimes called upon to heal the wounded or dispatch the dying on the field – but only those warriors that demonstrate bravery and determination.
The last day of the year, which Gruumans call Gharfek'taaz ("Feast of the Bloodied Stones"), commemorated Gruumsh's ascendancy snd celebrate the survival of the previous year. On this day, new shamans were ordained in a bloody orgy of torture and sacrifice
Affiliated Orders
Sons of Gruumsh are less an order and more a loose collections of volunteers. Usually barbarians and rangers, Sons of Gruumsh undergo a painful and hellish ritual which concludes in stabbing out their eye and wandering in the wild, usually where beasts are large and fierce. If they survive for a year and return with a beast they have subsumed to their will, they are initiated into the Sons of Gruumsh. They are granted divine powers and are positioned at the front of every Orcish horde, so that their bloodlust and fury inspire the same in those who follow them. Sons of Gruumsh have an insanely high mortality rate, but are renowned for fighting many warriors at once, even when completely maimed, using their tusks to gouge out eyes.
In most civilized regions, temples dedicated to Gruumsh are forbidden. This has little practical effect, since only a vanishingly small number of city-dwellers would ever consider worshiping One-Eye.
Most Orc tribes and many other Goblinoid ones build and maintain a crude but semi-permanent shrine devoted to Gruumsh, preferably at the center of the community. This shrine is where Gruumsh’s shamans meet, learn the ways of their god, and meditate before battle.
For Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Clerics/Wizards
If you are a Cleric or Wizard (and your god permits your class), choose from the following domains. You add all spells of the chosen domain to your spell list, up to level 7 (once you meet the mana requirements) or up to level 9 (if it's the primary domain and once you meet the mana requirements).
Primary Domain
Goblinoids (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
Super Smash!
Once per encounter, you may attempt to smite an opponent with one normal melee attack. Take +1 forward to Hack&Slash.
Level 9 Spell
Vengeance of Gruumsh | Level 9 | Ongoing
A subject of your choice gains +1 to Hack&Slash, but only when attacking non-Orcs and non-Goblinoids.
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Hate (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Murder (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Unluck(Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
War (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
For Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Clerics/Wizards
If you are a Cleric or Wizard (and your god permits your class), choose from the following domains. You add all spells of the chosen domain to your spell list, up to level 7 (once you meet the mana requirements) or up to level 9 (if it's the primary domain and once you meet the mana requirements).
Primary Domain
Goblinoids (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
Super Smash!
Once per encounter, you may attempt to smite an opponent with one normal melee attack. Take +1 forward to Hack&Slash.
Secondary Domain Move (Choose 1):
The Roots Grow Strong
You won't go down easy. Take +1 to Last Gasp.
STRONGTH IS GOOD ENOUGH
Once per encounter you can make a Saving Throw with STR instead of another stat.
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Hate (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Murder (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Unluck(Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
War (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)