Cult of Gharuk
Gharuk is the god of Fire, revered mainly by orks, criminals and arsonists that see the fire as their element. All people who let them succumb to rage is said to "Follow the Way of Gharuk", and a lot of violent warriors revere Gharuk for it's dogma of strenght. Anyone that work near a fire know some prayer to Gharuk, just to be safe. Gharuk is also called “the Mad God”, as none can be really safe near open flames, even his own priests carry trace of burning and scars from the instability of their divinity. Gharuk is also called "One Eye" as he lost one eye in the battles against the The Ancient Myths before becoming a divinity
Dogma
In the end, only the strong survive. Be the strong.
Fire and purity are one and the same.
The weak exist to be crushed by the strong.
There are no emotions but fury and joy. The rest are weakness.
Revel in the struggle and brutality of existence, and forsake the soft weakness of peace.
The reward of successful ambition is power. Reaching a higher state is inevitably accompanied by difficulty and personal pain of some sort.
Gharuk sends his pure fire to temper our souls and allow us to achieve a pure state. Expect to be tested and rise to the challenge no matter what difficulty and pain it brings.
Those above you have proven their worth and deserve your service.
Scriptures
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Worshippers
Gharuk’s chief followers are the orcs. He is almost universally revered and worshipped by orcs, who superstitiously see his signs and omens everywhere they go. He is popular among many other cultures of raiders, who seek his strength and savage might as they assault and destroy the well-ordered trappings of civilization.
Clergy
Gharuk’s chief clergy are known as the Eyes of Gharuk. His faithful lead and advise warchiefs, guiding them to commit acts of slaughter and strength. And when an orc tribe charges into battle, the Eyes of Gharuk are among the first to join the fray, as they seek to honor their god through courage, bravery, and bloodshed. The Eyes of orcs land have little organization. Instead, orcs with ferocity and cunning that worship the Ruiner find themselves blessed with omens, dreams, and, eventually, the ability to channel the Lord of Rage’s fiery wrath through divine spellcasting.
Temples of Gharuk in civilized lands are led by a great many proud, deadly, and determined individuals, all convinced that their way is the way. Strict obedience is required—or rather, demanded—within the church. Those who go against the wishes of the ruling priests frequently find themselves tossed into a nearby river or lake and effectively excommunicated from the church (Splashing a follower of Gharuk with water is considered an insult).
Senior clerics use their underlings as pawns, frequently sending them on missions for which they are not properly trained or equipped, so that only those of the highest skill and ambition will advance. Highly motivated and easily manipulated, clerics of the lower terraces tend to "burn out" quickly (often literally) in their efforts to advance to the next terrace.
All clerics of Gharuk share a fiery temper: They are quick to take offense and use violence to enforce the rigidity of their chosen lifestyle. The primary goal of all clerics is to acquire land, wealth, influence, and power, and few church activities involve anything that does not directly contribute to one of these goals.
Paladins
The Choosen of Gharuk military order are the most fervent followers of Gharuk in orc territory, they do not respond when called Paladin, but they show the power of one.
The crusading military order of Gharuk is the Knights of the Fire Drake. This order's members guard the holy sites of the faith, lead the faith's numerous holy campaigns, and provide personal protection to important Eye of Gharuk.
Monks
The church boasts no fewer than three orders of fighting monks, each corresponding to a different lawful alignment—the Disciples of the Phoenix (good), Brothers and Sisters of the Pure Flame (neutral), and the Disciples of the Salamander (evil). They are very insular orders who maintain abbeys composed of monks of only one order and who have very rigid traditions of scholarship and martial prowess. Each order has particular taboos applying to the behavior of its members that date to the founding of the order.
Clothing and Symbols
Those who follow the Gharuk dress in light robes of red, crimson, and orange. The use of armor while participating in a ceremony in a shrine or temple is forbidden to all priests except those of the Order of the Fire Drake. The flame of Gharuk is worn as a holy symbol and is usually formed of a ruddy gem (often flamedance) enchanted to glow with an inner fire that is set into jewelry. Embroidery depicting flames of various hues is a popular decoration to ceremonial robes, and the decorations grow more elaborate and expensive with increases in a Gharuk priest's rank.
When adventuring, reds are the favored colors, though they wear whatever clothing is appropriate in style to their current location. Priests are allowed to wear (up to) chain mail and a shield in the field, although magical protections are preferred. Most faithful of Gharuk are extremely fond of magical items that do loud, flashy, sudden, and brutal damage, and display them prominently in an offensive posture at the drop of a hat.
Unsurprisingly, eyes are an important motif in Gharuk’s worship. Many orcs paint their shields with a blood-red image of a snarling, one-eyed orc. Others simply paint a scared eye. The skulls of formidable foes, former warchiefs, and former Eyes are often adorned with jewels or gold in one socket and carried into battle for luck.
Rituals & Traditions
Kill, maim, and destroy. Proper worship of Gharuk comes through warfare and struggle. Ritualized worship of Gharuk comes through trials of endurance, strength, and courage. Pre- and post-battle rituals are common, as orcs chant, dance, and drink to celebrate their god’s unstoppable might. Many traditions involve small amounts of bloodletting, although orcs are taught that a proper blood sacrifice is the spilled blood of an enemy combatant.
To become an Eye of Gharuk, an orc must ritually blind one of their eyes to honor One Eye. The method of blinding varies, but generally represents a connection to orcish history or the tribe’s practices. Many orcs use a weapon taken from a great fallen foe, to symbolize both their triumph in battle and their eternal submission to the Raging Fire. Some use burning embers or stones to blind the eye, symbolizing their submission to the will of fire.
Places of Worship
Shrines and temples of Gharuk are always made of hard stone (sometimes carved from lava), ceramic, and metal so as to withstand the hottest natural blaze and most magical ones. Most are rather solid and blocky in general feel with soaring central elements or columns to give the impression of huge bonfires blazing up from the floor.
All are constantly well-lit with burning braziers and bonfires, with several dozen adherents tasked with keeping the holy flame alive. Gems and precious metal usually encrust most surfaces of the sanctuary but are sparsely distributed elsewhere so as to enhance the sumptuous effect of the holy sanctum.
Orc tribes always erect a shrine to Gharuk in their warcamps, generally decorated with skulls and a tithe of stolen loot. Eyes meet and plan at this shrine, and offer prayer and sacrifice before battle. Most worship occurs immediately before and after a conflict, when orcs consult Gharuk’s omens and celebrate his strength, respectively.
Holy days
While Gharuk choses most of his clerics by granting omens to loyal, fierce followers until they ritually remove an eye, those who don’t receive signs can still become an Eye through the Blood Trial. On the fall equinox, an orc wishing to undergo the Blood Trial is brutally beaten by their tribe and abandoned in the wilderness with no possessions and scraps of clothing. If the orc can endure the wilds and survive until the spring equinox, they are welcomed back into the tribe with honor and are allowed to engage in the ritual blinding and become an Eye.Relics
--tbdMyths and legends
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| Clerics of Gharuk | |
|---|---|
| Symbol | a Bonfire or a Vulcan |
| Favored weapon | Flaming weapons, Spears, Axes |
| Deity Domain | Fire Domain
Destruction Domain Evil Domain |
| Rituals | |
| Granted Powers | |
| Holy Items |
Dogma
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Holy Days
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Church Organization
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Temples
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