Vasthu
Sandchief, He Who Sees From Afar, and Taker of Trails. N demipower of deserts, scouting (He/Him)
Pantheon: Orcish
Symbol: A vulture skull above a long black pennant
Realm: Outlands / Brinklands / Vasthu’s Moot
The history of the orcs sees them settling in hostile and unforgiving environments constantly, and it should come as no surprise that orcs came to the deserts of many worlds before other races found the need to expand to such harsh lands. When the time came to confront these new interlopers, the desert orcs could have come forth to subjugate and conquer, as Gruumsh would have them do. However, the first desert orc to meet with a desert dwarf was Vasthu, who calmly and plainly offered that the orcs knew the land better and could tolerate it more comfortably, and that the dwarves would not find safe water without them. A trade was struck, the two sides begrudgingly offered one another the services they could, and Vasthu’s example was passed among his people along with the fine dwarven steel he had extorted from their new neighbors in exchange for guidance to a safe oasis. Vasthu has become venerated as much for commanding respect from other races as from the example he laid out for how to prosper in an inhospitable land through trade, endurance, and experience.
Vasthu keeps his realm, Vasthu’s Moot, on the Outlands between Rigus and Torch, as he wishes to remain close to the court of Nishrek but recognizes that he has made decisions which are not favoured by Gruumsh—Shargaas sponsored his ascension before the One-Eyed God. Many tribes refuse to speak of him outside the desert, but orcish trade delegations still carry black flags with bird skulls as the symbol of their sincerity more often than not, and some scouts learn his teachings. Outside of orcish culture, he remains an obscure demipower, but the laws of Vasthu have helped many a traveller cross the desert safely with the aid of their unlikely guides. Vasthu’s portfolio is trade, scouting, pathfinding, and the nomadic lifestyle. He also has some limited cultural associations with time. He encourages the desert orcs to deal with members of other races, barring the despised elves; unlike the other orcish deities, however, Vasthu’s followers are recommended to quietly shun elves and ignore them, recognizing that if the issue is pressed they will have a duty to attack their ancient foes but that combat is unlikely to be productive for anyone in the desert.
Sources:
- Afroakuma
- Manual of the Planes (5e) p85, brief entry for Vasthu
