Yurtrus
Yurtrus is the orcish god of Death and Disease.
White Hands, the Lord of Maggots, the Rotting One
The orcish pantheon of gods consists of the leader Gruumsh, as well as Bahgtru, Ilneval, Luthic, Shargaas, and Yurtrus.
Yurtrus lives in a disgusting realm called Fleshslough, located on Oinos, the first layer of the Gray Waste. A depressing, dreary realm even by the Gray Waste's standards, flora is nonexistant and dies before crossing into Fleshslough. The sole inhabitants of the realm are Yurtrus and his silent orc spirits. It is said that even the native yugoloths of the Gray Waste tread carefully through Yurtrus's realm (Manual of the Planes, 1987).
Little more is known of Fleshslough, as it is said that none leave after entering, even the avatars of other powers. The entrance to the realm is a pair of black, iron doors set into an ominous hillside on Oinos. Each time the doors open, the stench of death wafts from within (On Hallowed Ground, 1996).
Apart from some monastic orders, Yurtrus's church was not organized and its clergy was dispersed among numerous tribes and clans. The priests were rarely tribal leaders, but the terror inspired by their god gave them greater independence. Clergy were intermediaries between the tribe and Yurtrus when the community was the victim of a disease or an epidemic.[1] In addition, priests of Yurtrus handled the bodies of those who had succumbed to disease, died in battle, or passed away with old age (which was very rare for orcs). The priests of Yurtrus were also responsible for overseeing the food stocks of the tribe, determining when meat was rotten or water too polluted to drink. Thus, some tribes began to worship Yurtrus as a god of food and health to be appeased.[1]
The priests and followers of Yurtrus prayed at dusk for their spells.[1]
Many clerics are also assassins, divine disciples or monks.[1] An entire monk order called the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge was dedicated to him. Unlike other monks, these monks could learn clerical abilities without destroying their potential as monks. They bleached their hands and infected their own long-grown nails with red ache through a special powder made from blood to spread the disease among their enemies.[2]
Sacrifices were generally offered to the Rotting Lord by inoculating a particularly horrible disease in victims. [1]
The Church recognized two major holy days. The first was the Ceremony of Contagion, which was celebrated on Midsummer's Eve. It was said on that day the god spread a contagion that sapped the world of life and drew it inevitably toward winter and the end of the year. After a series of bloody sacrifices to protect the orcs from the ravages of disease, the priests of Yurtrus went forth to spread disease and death worldwide, especially among other races.[1]
The second holy day, known as Putrescent Death, was celebrated on the eve of Midwinter. During that night, the clergy of Yurtrus celebrated the death of the world, symbolized by the sacrifice of intelligent creatures from other races.[1]
Followers of Yurtrus believed death was inevitable for all living beings. The ravages of an epidemic were simply death taking victims who had not fallen in battle, so orcs should choose their end where it was most likely. However, disease would ultimately attack all living creatures. Orcs could only avoid the touch of White Hands by begging for mercy, and they should fear him, for death was always lurking in the shadows of Luthic's cave, and it will certainly strike again.[1]
Yurtrus's priests wear animal skins painted white.
Yurtrus's holy days are on the new moon, and he is worshipped in underground crypts. Appropriate sacrifices are made to him monthly. His sacred "animal" is the skeleton.
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