Gruumsh

The Ruiner, God of Slaughter

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For more information on all Betrayer Deities, see: Betrayer Deities

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Gruumsh commands hordes of barbaric marauders to destroy, pillage, and slaughter for the sheer joy of it. Orderless and without honor, the creeds of the evil hordemaster urge savage creatures to devour the world around them, giving in to the chaotic and selfish nature of the predator. A number of violent clans of humanoids and beasts across Iolcus pay homage to Gruumsh, asking him to bless their hunts and gift them with spoils worth ruining.

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Physical Description

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Primitive clay representations in barbaric communities of his followers show the Ruiner as a hulking, bulbous behemoth of an orc. His missing eye has shifted, and the prominent eye is now centered in his face, like a nightmarish cyclops.

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Divine Realm

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For a deity as focused on territory as Gruumsh, it is notable that for the longest time his pantheon had no true native plane. Instead, they traveled the multiverse searching for a layer of a plane to call their own (a kind of orcish paradise) and had been forced out of both Gehenna and the Nine Hells in this quest, bringing their unfortunate petitioners along the way. Eventually, they came to rest in the Abyss, where Gruumsh and his orcs would lay bloody war to claim the 72nd layer for themselves. The orcs rule over this layer, which the Ruiner dubbed Nishrek upon its conquest.
As the orcs believe it, if they fight well and bring glory to their tribes, Gruumsh will call them home to Nishrek where they will live out their afterlives in his armies fighting his unceasing, extraplanar war for supremacy. Orcs believed to have died a "good death" (those that died in a failed battle are typically thought to be weak and so do not deserve to join Gruumsh) are subjected to funerary rites by the shamans, to ensure they end up in Gruumsh's realm. For example, fallen orcish "heroes" have their heads severed, boiled or smoked to remove the flesh and then ritually punched to remove the bridge of the nose, leaving the mutilated skull with only one "eye".
Only the orcs and their allies, such as ogres, are tolerated in Nishrek. Nishrek is heavily carved and tunneled into. It has four deep trenches scored onto the surface to protect its sides and two more going across the center to form a balanced cross, and these connect with similar trenches at the edges. Nishrek is arranged in a disorderly fashion, with meandering tunnels, winding streets, deep, swirling trenches, and haphazardly-placed fortresses.
There are six main cities: four in each quarter between the trenches, one in the trenches, and one at the center of the realm built on top of a pile of bones. Each city is ruled by one of the six greatest orc clans, three of which are under Gruumsh's direct dominion. Gruumsh has residences in each of these domains, from which he plans for war, and he moves between them at random. In each of the quarter cities, the four corners surround a pyramid and central eye of a Gruumsh temple, where various priests and shamans from all clans vie for his attention.
The lowest of Nishrek's orcs live within the realm's trenches in towns being constantly built from bones, ruined armor, broken siege weapons, and whatever other materials can be found. Ghouls are among the least of the horrors that haunt the lower passages, preying on lone orcs. Though sometimes called towns, Nishrek has nothing that can be properly referred to as such, as there are no proper streets, places of business, or even homes. The various settlements of Nishrek are more like field camps than anything else. Most equipment is freely available for purchase, including weapons, armors, clothing, cooking implements, whetstones, and slaves. Many are orcish items and generally of inferior quality, but they are also more abundant and reasonably priced.
Trench-orcs, through bravery, treachery, or simple luck, can rise out of their slums and into the cities. Individual orcs constantly jockey for position in Nishrek, firstly to escape the trenches, and afterwards to vie for position in the mighty orcish army. Each rank of higher orc has their own barracks, with archers, spearmen, shamans, and siege engineers all kept separate. While there is technically a clear chain of command (and strength), there are constant fights for dominance that drain the energy of the orcs. However, the brunt of orcish attention is focused on the enemies of the other layers, which the orcish army march out on a regular (sometimes daily) basis to combat and besiege.

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Tenets of Faith

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• Ruin. Conquer. Kill.


• The weak exist to be crushed by the strong. Be the strong.


• There are no emotions but fury and joy. The rest are weakness.

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Divine Goals & Aspirations

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Gruumsh is unconcerned with the goings-on of puny worldly heroes, busy as he is dealing with threats more worthy of a being of his power. Much of his attention is taken up by the orcish wars in their afterlife, but he still pursues his ancient vendetta against Corellon. Normally, he only dispatches an avatar to oversee an important battle that orcs cannot be entrusted with. He also sends one on rare occasion to interfere with the appearance of an elven avatar, or if he suspects Corellon or some other meddling power is plotting against the orcs.
Gruumsh is always watching over the orcs and especially wary of transgressions, but this can be as much a curse as a boon. Orcs that cannot meet his high expectations are destroyed by Gruumsh either through fire or through the aggression of rival orc clans. He often wanders Nishrek, the orcish afterlife, as the orcs war amongst themselves, choosing to aid either side (as far as anyone can tell) on his whims. Sometimes he allows an orc army to take shelter from within the Iron Fortress from which he watches the fighting, and at other times he refuses.

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Worshipers

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Gruumsh is the center of the dark, primal religion of the orcs, one of brutality, bloodshed, and devastation. As venerators of Gruumsh, orcs take pleasure in the act of slaughter and put their faith in blind savagery. Orcs see Gruumsh's face in avalanches, believe him to be angry when the earth rumbles, and can hear his voice in howling storms. These perceptions are not necessarily untrue, as Gruumsh, for example, is known to create thunderheads in front of his rampaging hordes, calling on his powers to create powerful storms. Gruumsh is a god of destruction, and he brings it to people, civilization, and the land itself through his orcs.
Orcs are a naturally chaotic race, acting based on instincts and emotions rather than logic or reason, and most normal orcs lack the capacity to control others in their tribe. Often, only certain charismatic individuals can do so, and it is not enough to simply claim allegiance to Gruumsh. Rather, when orcs prove themselves through feats of ferocity and acts of strength, Gruumsh directly touches orcs with his will and might, for they are considered worthy of being true followers.
A singled out individual is visited by Gruumsh and bestowed with a dream or vision signifying their acceptance. This psychologically, and often physically, transforms the orc, driving some to the brink of madness and leaving them only able to mutter about omens and prophecies, while imbuing others with supernatural powers, allowing them to rise a position of authority among their peers.
Orc society is based on the ideals of strength, survival, fear, and war, principles founded in the veneration of Gruumsh and taught to young orcs through cruel experience. His clergy relates orcish legend down through the generations, spreading his faith through intimidation, inspiration, and iron-handed tyranny. Gruuman orcs believe that their race has a sacred destiny, to dominate all other beings and rule the world, and that every orc is to contribute to this goal via increasing their own personal strength. Gruumsh, as it is said, made his children strong so that they can take what they need from others, and such orcs see the world as theirs for the taking.
Gruumsh drives the orcs to follow his example by conquering their opposition. They are to crush their foes by any means necessary (despite Gruumsh's preference for straightforward brutality) and kill or enslave those that stand in their way. They are to seek never-ending war against their enemies, a dictate ensured by Gruumsh's own deep, spiteful hate for other gods and his desire to lay waste to civilization and revel in its despair. As such, devotees of Gruumsh feel it is their duty to direct the natural orcish proclivity for war. They encourage it, becoming war-leaders (or key advisors), and act as emissaries to the savage races that often join their hordes.
On a personal level, Gruumsh demands his followers to be strong and prepared to showcase their strength at any moment, hence why his disciples are sure to maintain their physical fitness. As is the way in Nishrek, what doesn't kill them will make them stronger, and Gruumsh supports the strong. Conversely, Gruumsh encourages his followers to slaughter the weak to earn his favor, for runts and cripples are not just burdens, but signs of his disfavor. Showing weakness will lead to death quickly, and there is no place for cowardice when the orcs have yet to claim what belongs to them.
Gruuman orcs have a variety of conflicting messages about how Gruumsh is to be worshiped, and different tribes have their own superstitions about how to garner his favor or ward off his ire. A clear example of the divide in religious practices regard the matter of ritual eye removal. Orcs often attempt to prove their faith to Gruumsh by gouging out and sacrificing to him one of their eyes, but which eye was to be removed frequently varies. Gruumsh himself encourages the practice, for indeed it is he who calls for followers loyal enough to serve in his image, but offers no clarity. If an orc slays an elf in his name and offers the corpse as a sacrifice, he might personally appear as an aspect and demand either of the supplicant's eyes, the reward for which is the ultimate honor of carrying a small part of Gruumsh's unyielding rage into battle in the form of divine magic.
Despite how different they can be, religious practices regarding Gruumsh do have common features. All prayers to Gruumsh begin with the word "kharg-hark", meaning "revenge" in Orcish, regardless of the prayer's context. Following the One-Eye's shortsighted example, religious ceremonies make no mention of the future outside of the oft-repeated declaration that they intend to take over the world. The most famous rite however is the "Ritual of the Poles", whereby orcs mark newly conquered territory. After the battle's conclusion, the Gruumans pound longspears point up into the ground at the boundaries of their domain, placing the head of a fallen foe on each spear-point.

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Contacts & Relations

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Prime Deities

Of all the various races and their patron deities, Gruumsh has a particular hatred of the elven gods. Corellon shot out Gruumsh's right eye during the War of Repellence and the god of slaughter longs for the day he can return the favor twofold. Those who serve the Ruiner are sometimes hypnotized by his hateful rage and fall into a strange bloodlust, longing to slaughter elves and those who worship magic at the altar of the Arch-Heart. His ancient battle against Corellon (and overall loss) directs his spite towards the elves, and one of his dictates is to destroy not only them, but also their homes and lands. While most gods are said to have accepted Corellon's mutability of form and passionate ways, these traits infuriate Gruumsh. Even among gods, the wrath of Gruumsh is something to be respected, but Corellon blithely pays him no attention.
Of all the elven gods however, at the very least before his legendary fight with Corellon, it is Sehanine that Gruumsh reserves a special hatred for. Corellon is bad enough from Gruumsh's perspective, but when confronting him, he can at least expect straightforward battle and invigorating bloodshed, something he can not only understand, but also respect. Sehanine, on the other hand, is subtle, her behavior unpredictable, and her ways unfathomable to the mind of an orcish warrior. She is not only pale and wispy, but also feminine, all traits that indicate weakness, and yet she is still a dangerous foe. Sehanine offends Gruumsh's sensibilities regarding size, strength, and gender roles, and for that she earned a unique enmity from He Who Watches.
Gruumsh's hatred for the dwarven god Moradin is roughly equivalent to his loathing of the elven ones. Shamanic tales speak of how Gruumsh and the "elder orcs" fought the dwarves for control of the mountains, tales that often wear down the patience of the listener. The orc sense of beauty leans towards an appreciation of the stark and desolate, and a love of the barren and bleak. Gruumsh and the orcs value their survivability in inhospitable locales, but every orc tribe dreams of taking a dwarven stronghold, as well as the loot within. Although the orcs lost their war for the mountains, their reliance on strength over cunning meaning that they can usually only overcome strongholds that are severely weakened for whatever reason, Gruumsh regards this as a strictly temporary situation. He demands his followers crush the dwarves and take their caves, and his eye is always vigilant for signs of weakness in Moradin's followers. For his part, Moradin loathes Gruumsh and deities like him.

Betrayer Deities

Gruumsh dislikes everything that isn't an orc or made by orcs, and does not truly consider any non-orc his ally. He is constantly battling other deities for what he feels was stolen from him long ago, and even if orcs talk of forging alliances with other humanoids, including goblinoids at times, all know that there will only be room for only one people in the end. Asmodeus and his vassals have long had pacts with various evil gods, Gruumsh included, meaning that devils can commonly be found serving the One-Eyed God.
The goblinoid god Bhaal is, in many ways, similar to Gruumsh. Both are iron-fisted tyrants that revel in warfare, seeking conflict for the acclaim of their peoples and always urging them on to find more. However, the exact motivations of the two vary slightly.
Gruumsh sees his war in the Abyss as a chance to pit his race against eager enemies, allowing them to prove their worth to their god, and he both relishes every victory and curses every setback (short-term or otherwise). Meanwhile, Bhaal marshals his forces in an attempt to bring others to heel.
While gods such as Tharizdun have demonstrated a potential willingness to side with primordial forces if the ancient war between law and chaos was to begin anew, Gruumsh, although chaotic in several ways and not to be depended on, would likely side with beings of order. This attitude can be seen in the successor conflict, the Blood War, and his support of the legions of Hell. Gruumsh has his pacts with the overlord Asmodeus, and opposes the hordes of demons.

Demons

The iron-fisted patriarch of the orcs looks down on demons as rabble, seeing the chaos of the undisciplined fiends as weakness. In the mind of the One-Eyed God, weakness has to be burnt away. The thought of demons running rampant throughout reality is enough to anger Gruumsh, although there are exceptions to this general rule. In any case, Gruumsh sends his fiercest orc warriors to crush the mewling mobs of demonkind.

Divine Traits

General Information

Alternative Name(s)
First Power of the Orcs
God of Slaughter
He Who Never Sleeps
He Who Watches
The One-Eyed God
The Ruiner

Alignment
Chaotic Evil

Pantheon
Betrayer Deity

Areas of Concern
Destruction, fury, violence, wrath

Favored Weapon
Longspear

Sacred Animal(s)
Boar

Sacred Color(s)
Brown, green

Symbol
Single, unblinking eye that bleeds

Worshipers
Barbarians, half-orcs, orcs

Worshipers' Adjective(s)
Gruuman

Plane
The Abyss - The Iron Fortress, Nishrek (72nd layer)

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D&D 5e

Domains
Death, Tempest, War

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Pathfinder 1e

Domains
Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil, Strength, War

Subdomains
Blood, Catastrophe, Entropy, Cannibalism, Fear, Ferocity, Murder, Rage, Torture

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Pathfinder 2e

Domains
Death, Destruction, Might, Zeal

Alternative Domain(s)
Confidence

Divine Ability
Strength or Constitution

Divine Font
Harm

Divine Skill
Athletics

Cleric Spells
1st: True Strike
2nd: Enlarge
6th: Righteous Might

Divine Boons

• Minor Boon
  ???
• Moderate Boon
  ???
• Major Boon
  ???

Divine Curses

• Minor Curse
  ???
• Moderate Curse
  You’ve lost the glory of slaying a worthy opponent. All of your weapon and unarmed attacks decrease their damage dice by one step, and all your attacks are nonlethal.
• Major Curse
  ???