Orc deities

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the orcish pantheon of gods consists of the leader, Gruumsh, as well as Bahgtru, Ilneval, Luthic, Shargaas, and Yurtrus.

Bahgtru

Bahgtru is the orc deity of Strength and Combat. The son of Gruumsh and Luthic, Bahgtru has been described as "awesomely stupid."

Bahgtru lives in the orcish realm of Nishrek.

Worshipers

Bahgtru's priests wear loincloths and nothing else. His sacred animal is the ox. His holy days are on battle days, and services to honor him must be conducted on a battlefield. The bones of orcish enemies are sacrificed to him before battle.

Ilneval

Ilneval is the orc deity of warfare. He lives in the orcish realm of the Nishrek.

Worshipers

Ilneval's priests wear red metal armor and red metal helmets. His holy days are on battle days. Blood and weapons are sacrificed to him both before and after battle.

Luthic

Luthic is the orc deity of fertility, medicine, females and servitude. She is the wife of Gruumsh and mother of Bahgtru. Her sacred animal is the cave bear. Her symbol is an orcish rune meaning "home." Luthic embodies the orcish feminine ideal, subordinate to male orcs but still protecting the cohesion of orcish society.

Luthic is described as a matronly orc with very long claws. She fights bare-handed with her claws because only the males of the community are allowed to wield a weapon. She may also use powerful spells, as such arts are not considered manly in orcish culture.

Luthic lives in the orcish realm of Nishrek.

Worshipers

Luthic's priests wear brown and black leather armor and fur caps. She is worshipped in caves.

Luthic's most sacred day is midwinter's day, when treasures are sacrificed in her name.

Shargaas

Shargaas is the orc deity of darkness and thieves. He lives in a realm called The Night Below on the plane of Gehenna.

Worshipers

Shargaas' priests wear red and black leather armor and leather caps. His sacred animal is the bat. His holy days are on The New moons. Stolen items are sacrificed to him monthly.

Yurtrus

Yurtrus is the orc deity of death and disease. He lives in a disgusting realm called Fleshslough on the Gray Waste.

In the 1st EDition Manual of the Planes it is stated:

"Yurtrus's realm on the layer of Oinos is dreary and depressing even by Hades's standards. All plants die before reaching its borders. Only Yurtrus and his equally silent orc spirits live within; even the daemons tread carefully through this terrain."

In On Hallowed Ground it is stated:

"Almost nothing is known of Yurtrus or his realm, which is commonly called Fleshslough. That's because anyone who enters the realm never leaves, not even avatars sent by other powers. The entrance to the place is two great black-iron doors set into a forbidding hillside in Oinos; the stench of death wafts out every time the doors swing open."

Worshipers

Yurtrus' priests wear animal skins painted white. His sacred "animal" is the skeleton. His holy days are on the new moon, and he is worshipped in underground crypts. Appropriate sacrifices are made to him monthly.

References

• Boyd, Eric L, and Erik Mona. Faiths and Pantheons (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
• Gygax, Gary. Unearthed Arcana (TSR, 1985).
• McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996).
• Moore, Roger E. "The Half-orc Point of View." Dragon #62 (TSR, June 1982).
• Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992).
• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:1

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