Gruumsh

GRUUMSH One-Eye, He Who Never Sleeps, the One-Eyed God, He Who Watches

Symbol: An unblinking eye

Home Plane:

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Portfolio: Orcs, conquest, strength, survival, territory

Worshippers: Gruumsh was the unblinking god of destruction and conquest who unleashed the savage multitudes against outposts of civilization. He was worshiped by orcs and half-orcs and came to dominate some of the other savage humanoids as well, driving his savage multitudes to expand their power by whatever brutal means they wished. His shamans advised chiefs and warmongers to raid, kill, and conquer.

Favored Weapon: The Bloodspear (Longspear/Shortspear), Double-Axe

Cleric Alignment:CE, NE, CN

NWN Domain: Destruction, Evil, Strength, War

History Relationships: In the beginning all the gods met and drew lots for the parts of the world in which their representative races would dwell. The human gods drew the lot that allowed humans to dwell where they pleased, in any environment. The elven gods drew the green forests, the dwarven deities drew the high mountains, the gnomish gods the rocky, sunlit hills, and the halfling gods picked the lot that gave them the fields and meadows. Then the assembled gods turned to the orcish gods and laughed loud and long. "All the lots are taken!" they said tauntingly. "Where will your people dwell, One-Eye? There is no place left!"

There was silence upon the world then, as Gruumsh One-Eye lifted his great iron spear and stretched it over the world. The shaft blotted the sun over a great part of the lands as he spoke: "No! You Lie! You have rigged the drawing of the lots, hoping to cheat me and my followers. But One-Eye never sleeps. One-Eye sees all. There is a place for orcs to dwell…here!," he bellowed, and his spear pierced the mountains, opening a mighty rift and chasms. "And here!," and the spearhead split the hills and made them shake and covered them in dust. "And here!," and the black spear gouged the meadows and made them bare.

"There!" roared He-Who-Watches triumphantly, and his voice carried to the ends of the world. "There is where the orcs shall dwell! There they will survive, and multiply, and grow stronger, and a day will come when they cover the world, and they will slay all of your collective peoples! Orcs shall inherit the world you sought to cheat me of!"

In a past time, Gruumsh had two eyes but he lost one in a fight with the chief elven god Corellon Larethian. Gruumsh meant to paralyze Corellon with his magical spear; this attack failed and initiated an epic battle. During the course of this battle, Gruumsh injured Corellon and, according to legend, from the blood shed the elven people were created. Corellon ended the fight by putting out Gruumsh's left eye, which is how Gruumsh earned his moniker "One-Eye". Some orcish clerics denied this tale, dismissing it as elven propaganda while claiming that Gruumsh always had one eye

Dogma: Seek unceasing war against your enemies, and kill or enslave those who oppose you. Acquire territory and living space. Destroy elves, their homes, and their lands. Crush the dwarves and take their deep caves for your own. Be strong, and be prepared to show your strength at any moment. Showing weakness is the key to an early death. Those that are too weak to fight for your tribe should be put to the spear. The greatest gift that He Who Watches gave to the orcs was the ability to survive where the weaker races would die. Build your strength in these lands and use them to overrun your enemies.

Day-to-Day Activities: The faithful of Gruumsh are a raucous and violent lot. Seeking to ensure only the strongest survive, they drive tribal chiefs to raid, conquer and kill. Divided into four major tribes, and countless smaller ones, the orcs are a constant threat. They fight among themselves as much as any other foe with shamans having varied influence in the tribes, alway more then the chiefs would wish. Few chiefs have ever been successful at holding power without the backing of a shaman, something the Gruuman are well aware. The dream of every Gruuman is a massive horde sweeping all those before them away in a bloody frenzy though special hatred is reserved for Corellan and His children.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Orcs view might makes right and each night is filled with brawls and bloody contests for prestige and position. While not overtly religious, orcs know the benefit of having a shaman's favor so put up with whatever spur of the moment ritual or blessing is to be had in preparation for a raid or bloody battle.

Priestly Vestments: Placing little value on ceremony, like most orcs, open display of foes defeated and spoils claimed are worn as a show of power. The great unblinking eye is often crafted from the remains of some powerful creature the shaman killed to earn the blessing of Grummsh in a secret ritual. Orc war priests wear a patch over one eye to symbolize their worship of the orc deity.They also dress in dark red vestments, armored with war helms and black plate mail. The strongest or most reckless shirk armor, a challenge and warning to any would be usurpers.

Adventuring Garb: See above, though prone to wear whatever is the most terrifying and brutal looking equipement available.