Gruumsh

Gruumsh (pronounced GROOMSH ^[4]) was the greater deity of savagery. He was envisioned with one eye by all who named him a god and was a deity mainly worshipped by orcs and orogs.

Worshipers

Orc war priests wore a patch over one eye to symbolize their worship of the orc deity.^[5] They also dressed in dark red vestments, armored with war helms and black plate mail. Gruumsh's sacred animal was the giant rat, his holy day was the new moon, and he was worshiped in orcish lairs where blood was sacrificed to him monthly.

Gruumsh was the unblinking god of destruction 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. Gruumsh was a brutal god who loathed Corellon Larethian but denied that he lost an eye to the First of the Seldarine. Gruumsh told his worshipers to do the following:

Gather and breed, and your numbers shall flourish.
Rise up in hordes and seize that which is rightfully yours.
Raid. Kill. Conquer.

Faithful of Gruumsh were called Gruumans.

Though Gruumans maintain that their god was born with one eye, the eladrin asserted that he lost an eye in combat with Corellon. The two divine powers fought countless times, and they remained the bitterest of enemies.^{[citation needed]}

Gruumsh was a god of conquest, driving his savage multitudes to expand their power by whatever brutal means they wish. His shamans advised chiefs and warmongers to raid, kill, and conquer.^{[citation needed]}

The last day of Marpenoth, which Gruumans call Gharfek’taaz (“Feast of the Bloodied Stones”), commemorated Gruumsh’s ascendancy as the master of Nishrek. On this day, new shamans were ordained in a bloody orgy of torture and sacrifice.^{[citation needed]}

Relationships

Gruumsh once had an alliance with the conniving drow goddess Araushnee to bring down the gods of the elves once and for all. His plan failed, despite a divine force brought against the elven gods consisting of the Seldarine's enemies in all the goblinoid and elf-hating pantheons and Araushnee was transformed into Lolth. The two deities have been great foes ever since, though Gruumsh's alliance with another assisting deity, Malar, was not so badly corrupted.^{[citation needed]}

History

Gruumsh symbol2 — *The "eye of Gruumsh," the symbol of Gruumsh during the Era of Upheaval.*

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 deny this tale, dismissing it as elven propaganda while claiming that Gruumsh always had one eye.^{[citation needed]}

In the year -1071 DR Gruumsh battled and killed Re, the leader of the Mulhorandi pantheon, during the height of the Orcgate Wars. This was the first recorded instance of deicide.^[6]

Gruumsh’s influence has flourished in recent decades^{[as of when?]} with the growth of the orc population, and as other humanoids have come under his sway. His recent triumphs^{[as of when?]} included putting the orc pantheon and other minor deities of the savage races under his thumb.^{[citation needed]}

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.

”