The Death of the Old Ones AKA The Banishment of Grok
Summary
Ancient Orcs were the first species created when their god arrived at the world. They were created with immense knowledge and strength as they needed to survive in a much harsher world. They had a vast civilization that spanned the globe for hundreds of thousands of years and was on the verge of transcending to the astral plane to follow their patron. However, when the Old Ones were introduced to the world the Orc civilization quickly fell into discord in only a few thousand years. The Old Ones were rumored to possess an intellect that could challenge the gods of today and began a war against the orcs. Eventually, after thousands of years of destruction, both the Old Ones and Orcs committed to one final battle, that raged over the entire world and the two gods took the field.
That single battle, simply known as the Great Conflict amongst the modern gods, would wreck the surface of the world and cause the landmasses and anomalies that are on the world. During the peak of their duel, the Old Ones' god opened a rift to another plane and summoned grand beings, whose presence caused the weaker mind creatures from both sides to descend into insanity, and also severely wounded. Grok, the Orc God.
The Orc god fell into a rage that no words could describe, he withdrew much of the power he had given the orcs to fuel his own powers and began to slaughter the summoned beings. Expanding the last of his newly gained power, the orc god cleaved the Slarin god in two and began slaughtering the Old Ones.
Grok would continue his rampage until the newer gods descended upon the world after watching the conflict from the astral plane, and using their combined powers restrained the enraged god to another universe.
The weakened Orcs then had to deal with the races the new gods had created and struggled to maintain their largest strongholds that survived the conflict. The other gods witnessing the terrible massacre the orc’s patron committed began to punish the orcish people by limiting the power they could posses on the world. The remaining Old Ones were also abandoned by the newer gods as they were deemed too much of a threat.
Historical Basis
The Great Conflict did occur and Grok was banished by the newer gods. The Old Ones are actually the Slarin who became extinct shortly after the Great Conflict. The Slarin god described in the common legend has little basis of actually existing as there is no evidence the Slarin ever worshiped any entity. If anything the Slarin god may in fact just be a very powerful Architect that acted as the center of Slarin society.
Also, the gods that the legend describes as the "newer gods" are the following: Aero, Avna, Sunas, Drala, and The Mother. The other deities would come later either being summoned by the gods listed above or by mortals ascending to a divine status.
Spread
Most intelligent creatures have some version of the Great Conflict often putting the god/goddess they are more aligned to as the banisher of Grok. Also, the Slarin are never mentioned by name in the legend but merely as "The Old Ones" as most historians on the Slarin in the world view the race as a long lost civilization of Elf or man instead of a separate species altogether.
Variations & Mutation
In the first recording of the Great Conflict, it focused more on how the gods have control over the fate of their creations. Since then it has morphed more into demonizing the Orcs or acting like a martyr story.
Cultural Reception
The majority of the races use the Great Conflict as a means to rationalize the discrimination against Orcs and Orc-kin.
The Orcs, however, use it as a prophetic interpretation that they loss the favor of Grok and must reclaim his favor once again as the Orc version of the tale does not have Grok being banished but instead leaves to find more worthy followers.
In Literature
Many pieces of literature made from other races about the Orcs often incorporate how the Orcs are evil beings and or are lesser beings having been abandoned by Grok.
Date of Setting
The Great Conflict supposedly happened 10,000+ years in the past which is a fair estimate on when it would've taken place.
Related Species
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