Dur-Shuk
Laughing One. CG demipower of joy, friendship, art, creativity (He/Him)
Pantheon: Orcish
Symbol: A swirl of festive colours
Realm: Arborea / Olympus / Joys Unforgotten
In the grim pantheon of orc gods, where might is right and strength is the highest virtue, there are whispered tales of Dur-Shuk, once known by the family of orc powers as the Laughing One. His story ain’t like the others; it’s a saga of defiance, love, and the pursuit of happiness in the face of relentless adversity.
Dur-Shuk was a beacon of light in the dark, oppressive culture that defined the orcish gods. His laughter could cut through the gloom of the everlasting Acheronian War, and his heart was a wellspring of joy and creativity. It was even said he could lift the spirits of Gruumsh, his wicked father. But in a society where conformity is enforced with an iron fist, any deviation is met with scorn or worse. Once discovered by Gruumsh, Dur-Shuk’s homosexuality was a spark that ignited his incandescent fury. Old One-Eye, ever the epitome of orcish brutality and intolerance, could not abide what he saw as a defiance of his rigid orc ways, and what he thought of as a sign of his family line’s weakness.
The betrayal came swift and merciless. Dur-Shuk’s kin, swayed and afraid due thr poisonous words of Gruumsh, turned against him. Those who once shared his laughter now shared in his condemnation. Cast out from his home and his position, Dur-Shuk found himself adrift in the multiverse, a mere demipower without a realm, scorned by his people for simply seeking to love as his heart desired.
But the Great Ring, vast and varied as it is, holds places of refuge for even the most forlorn souls. Dur-Shuk’s winding journey led him to Arborea, a plane of wild beauty and boundless freedom, where the hateful laws of orcish society held no sway. It was here, amidst the forests of Arvandor, that he found a kindred spirit in a Telandar, an elf petitioner whose soul resonated with Dur-Shuk’s own in a harmony that transcended the barriers of race and realm.
Telandar hailed from the ancient lineages of the elven people, his life a tapestry woven with the threads of artistry, battle, and deep communion with nature. His appearance was striking—hair like the silver glow of moonlight on a forest’s edge and eyes that held the serene depth of the oldest woods.
Their union was born of a moment of shared laughter, which marked the beginning of Dur-Shuk’s true journey. Together, they built Joys Unforgotten, a realm-burg within Arvandor that stands as a bastion of joy, friendship, art, and creativity. Here, Dur-Shuk flourished, and his once-anguished heart became a wellspring of inspiration for all who dwell within his realm. He now reigns as a deity of unabashed joy. In Joys Unforgotten, every soul has the chance to write their own story, free from the shadows of prejudice and hate, under the loving gaze of the Laughing One.
See Also: The Truth About the Orcish Pantheon
Source: Chris ‘Orc Friend’ Nichols and Jon ‘Orc Skeptic’ Winter-Holt
