Gruumsh
One-Eye, He-Who-Never-Sleeps, He-Who-Watches. CE greater power of war, territory (He/Him)
Pantheon: Orcish (Pantheon Leader)
Symbol: An empty eye socket or an unwinking eye
Realm: Acheron / Avalas / Nishrek / Iron Fortress
He Who Watches does not like to reveal it, but he is an old god indeed, possibly even older than his despised archenemy Corellon Larethian. The supreme deity of the orcish race, Gruumsh is god of conquest, territory, survival, power, and revenge. He is popularly held by orcs to have but one eye because he sees the one true way in all things, undivided by akh and vah, though legends from other races tell (correctly) that his other eye was lost in a battle with the chief elven god. His portfolio encompasses many variations on predominant themes; for example, as part of revenge, he is the orcish god of justice; as part of territory, he represents oneness with the harsh primal beauty of nature; as god of conquest and power, he represents mastery of skill and craft. Gruumsh is above all the god of warchiefs, tribal chiefs, and other orcs who must lead. They seek to channel the wisdom of his one true vision, that they may gain power and conquer.
Gruumsh has made countless enemies in his time, not least of which are upstart gods intent on displacing him. At least two lesser orcish powers have died by his hand, and Gruumsh is much more willing than most gods to enter the fray against another deity. He has duelled with Corellon Larethian on more than one occasion, led avatars of the pantheon in open war against the Untheric pantheon on the world of Toril, and personally murdered the Pharaonic deity Ra. Through his leadership and ancient, horrific cunning, the orcish race is winning against its chief adversaries… and yet Gruumsh tires. He has struck a mortal blow against the future of the elvish race, but he would have preferred if Corellon were forced to come before him on bended knee, begging for his life. His orcs outnumber their dwarven adversaries, yet still Gruumsh feels the respect his people are owed remains as yet unpaid. The cosmic battle against Maglubiyet goes nowhere, and his people still ally themselves with the worthless goblinoids on many worlds.
Most troubling for the One-Eyed God is that the court of Nishrek, over which he rules supreme, constantly threatens to slip from his grasp. Gruumsh would love to declare a successor to the Conqueror Throne and spend more time on big picture planning, but Bahgtru is too recklessly stupid to lead the orcs and Gruumsh cannot bring himself to trust Ilneval. His mate Luthic has Bahgtru’s ear, and manipulates both father and son in accordance with her own views on how to preserve the orcish race. Past attempts to reassert total control have resulted in the deaths of other capable lieutenants, exile of various offspring, reducing his options, and the tribes lose their way if he extinguishes every hero-deity, even though many use their new divinity to seek paths apart from the traditional faith of Gruumsh. He has even been forced to tolerate two interloper deities, not part of his family or direct command, who refuse to settle in Nishrek and occasionally oppose the welfare of orcs.
See Also: The Truth About the Orcish Gods
Sources:
- Afroakuma
- Aulddragon’s Blog
- Obsidian Portal
