Vasthu’s Moot
Realm of Vasthu,
Vasthu’s Moot is a realm which embodies the orc hero god Vasthu’s endurance, cunning, and the complex nature of orcish honour and diplomacy. Located off in the Outlands desert between Rigus and Torch, this fragmented realm tells the story not just of a deity, but of a culture’s adaptability and resilience.
Vasthu, by orcish standards, is an enigma. In a pantheon dominated by the fierce and war-driven edicts of Gruumsh, Vasthu followed a different path— one of trade, scouting, pathfinding, and the nomadic way of life.Â
His realm, Vasthu’s Moot, is as much a reflection of his persona as it is of his predicament. The realm’s existence is a constant struggle against dissolution, a mirror to the desert orcs’ fight for survival in the unforgiving sands. Vasthu’s curse is a never-ending quest to piece back together the fragments of his domain, a task made Sisyphean by the realm’s tendency to erode whenever he is absent. It is a place of debate, dispute, and uncertainty— a moot in all senses of the word.
Why is the realm fractured? Chant goes that the tipping point came when Vasthu, the first desert orc to encounter desert dwarves, chose negotiation and trade over subjugation or conflict. This act, although it secured a crucial oasis for the orcs and fine dwarven steel in exchange, was seen by Gruumsh as a betrayal of orcish values and a direct affront to his own teachings. Vasthu’s success in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with the dwarves, based on respect and trade rather than dominance, presented a grave challenge to Gruumsh’s vision of orcish destiny.
Gruumsh’s wrath was ignited not just by the act itself but by the precedent it set. Vasthu had demonstrated that orcs could thrive without adhering to the path of war and conquest Gruumsh espoused. This threatened Gruumsh’s influence and the traditional orcish way of life, prompting him to take drastic action to reassert his dominance and quell any notions of alternative paths to power and survival among the orcish peoples.
Thus, in a display of divine power and fury, Gruumsh fragmented Vasthu’s Moot, turning it into a realm perpetually on the brink of dissolution. This act served multiple purposes: it was a punishment for Vasthu, a warning to those who might follow his lead, and a symbolic demonstration of Gruumsh’s control over the fate and destiny of all orc powers. The fragmentation of Vasthu’s Moot into countless pieces scattered across the Great Ring was meant to mirror the futility of opposing Gruumsh’s will, ensuring that Vasthu’s efforts would be forever consumed by an impossible task, much like the endless labor of Sisyphus.
Yet, in this act of divine retribution, Gruumsh inadvertently cemented Vasthu’s legacy. Vasthu’s Moot, in its fragmented and ever-eroding state, became a testament to resilience, adaptation, and the pursuit of balance and coexistence, even in the face of divine opposition. It stands as a realm where the very struggle for wholeness against the odds reflects the enduring spirit of those who choose to walk a different path. As Vasthu patiently scouts around the Outlands and the Great Ring, carefully locating and recovering each tiny fragment, slowly his realm is being rebuilt.
Vasthu’s Moot, though fractured, serves as a beacon for those orcs who follow his teachings of endurance, trade, and diplomacy. It’s a reminder that even in division, there is strength and unity to be found in the orcish spirit. The realm’s shifting borders and the constant threat of erosion also serve as a test to Vasthu’s followers, challenging them to navigate and adapt, much like their deity once navigated the deserts and brokered peace with the dwarves.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt
