Yurtrus (YER-truss)
Yurtrus was the orcish god of death and disease, a constant terror that silently waited for their demise. The vile god was a counterpart to Shargaas, for while the Night Lord symbolized the fear of what lurked in the shadowy unknown, the morbid Lord of Maggots was the ceaseless threat of sickness and inevitable death orcs faced. Shargaas merely hated life, but Yurtrus was nothing more than its denial, embodying the principles that destroyed it—antilife.
Yurtrus's horrifying nature granted his followers a great amount of independence, so they were allowed to stay on the fringes of the tribe, although they were nonetheless held in unease and aversion. Shamans of white hands walked the line between the living and the dead, gaining unnatural powers of death (and disease) from their nonverbal communion with Yurtrus, and their practice of necromancy (considered taboo even by orcs) created a strange combination of fear and reverence in the rest of the tribe.
Those that chose to worship Yurtrus were often orcish or half-orc assassins, and others that either profited from or worshiped death. Yurtrus's church was generally disorganized, its clergy dispersed among uncounted tribes and clans, although there were a few orders of monks dedicated to him. One such monastic order was the the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge, who unlike other monks, could learn clerical abilities without destroying their potential as monks. They bleached their hands and grew their nails long, dipping their claws in blood infected with red ache powder before going into battle so as to infect their enemies. Other followers of the Rotted One trained as divine disciples.
According to legend, once each year on the winter solstice, the Rotted one reached out with his pristine white hands and touched an orc infant in the womb. Said orc would be born with whitish skin, pink eyes, and a weak, slender frame, but none would dare slay the newborn despite its "deformity" for its traits marked it as a chosen emissary of Yurtrus, a plague speaker. A hallowed outcast, plague speakers struck respect and terror in other orcs, who feared him for his divine origin and vile deity. Standing alone, a plague speaker's only company was usually his mother, who idolized him and was sometimes a potent spellcaster herself.
Plague speakers were given a secure sleeping area, albeit well away from the tribe, ample food and drink, and a share of the spoils of war. Their duties were to tend to a small shrine of Yurtrus, care for the sick and dead, and to represent the desires of both Yurtrus and the orc pantheon as a whole, ensuring the chief didn't rouse their ire. Normally he would be aware of threats to the tribe before he was in personal danger, and though other orcs would gladly exploit the confusion he created when coming to their defence, they would not fight by his side. If the tribe was destroyed, they would go in search of a new home, and any orc tribe he came across had no choice but to accept him, however grudgingly, to avoid the wrath of his patron deity.
Personality
Vile and inscrutable, Yurtrus was considered unpleasant even by the orcs. He was infamously uncommunicative (as befit a being with no mouth) and did not share his secrets. Despite his lawful tendencies, he was known to act on his capricious whims.Worshipers
Yurtrus followers were the outcasts of an orc tribe, those that, due to frailty, deformity, injury, age, or some other infirmity, were too weak to be part of the main body. Rather than face a life of daily ridicule or be exiled or killed, such orcs joined the cult of Yurtrus (or were deemed unsuitable and given over to the cult of Shargaas). Rarely were his priests leaders of their clans, but they were found in all tribes and had a kind of protected status.Yurtrus's horrifying nature granted his followers a great amount of independence, so they were allowed to stay on the fringes of the tribe, although they were nonetheless held in unease and aversion. Shamans of white hands walked the line between the living and the dead, gaining unnatural powers of death (and disease) from their nonverbal communion with Yurtrus, and their practice of necromancy (considered taboo even by orcs) created a strange combination of fear and reverence in the rest of the tribe.
Those that chose to worship Yurtrus were often orcish or half-orc assassins, and others that either profited from or worshiped death. Yurtrus's church was generally disorganized, its clergy dispersed among uncounted tribes and clans, although there were a few orders of monks dedicated to him. One such monastic order was the the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge, who unlike other monks, could learn clerical abilities without destroying their potential as monks. They bleached their hands and grew their nails long, dipping their claws in blood infected with red ache powder before going into battle so as to infect their enemies. Other followers of the Rotted One trained as divine disciples.
According to legend, once each year on the winter solstice, the Rotted one reached out with his pristine white hands and touched an orc infant in the womb. Said orc would be born with whitish skin, pink eyes, and a weak, slender frame, but none would dare slay the newborn despite its "deformity" for its traits marked it as a chosen emissary of Yurtrus, a plague speaker. A hallowed outcast, plague speakers struck respect and terror in other orcs, who feared him for his divine origin and vile deity. Standing alone, a plague speaker's only company was usually his mother, who idolized him and was sometimes a potent spellcaster herself.
Plague speakers were given a secure sleeping area, albeit well away from the tribe, ample food and drink, and a share of the spoils of war. Their duties were to tend to a small shrine of Yurtrus, care for the sick and dead, and to represent the desires of both Yurtrus and the orc pantheon as a whole, ensuring the chief didn't rouse their ire. Normally he would be aware of threats to the tribe before he was in personal danger, and though other orcs would gladly exploit the confusion he created when coming to their defence, they would not fight by his side. If the tribe was destroyed, they would go in search of a new home, and any orc tribe he came across had no choice but to accept him, however grudgingly, to avoid the wrath of his patron deity.
Divine Domains
Grave, Death
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Mental characteristics
Personal history
In 927 DR, the Year of the Red Rain, Yurtrus's wrath fell upon the Sword Mountains, causing the Blood Plagues. During this time, the orc shaman Wund united several orc tribes under the leadership of chief Uruth, forming the kingdom of Uruth Ukrypt. The cult of White Hands formed the backbone of that kingdom, and around this time the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge was founded.
Social
Contacts & Relations
By his very nature, Yurtrus did not typically form relationships. He did have a cold alliance of sorts with Shargaas, silently supporting the Night Lord's subtle efforts to counteract the influence of the three orcish gods of war (Gruumsh, Bahgtru, and Ilneval). Ilneval hated both Yurtrus and Shargaas for their underhanded methods and smell of cowardice, but was smart enough to put both their skills and abilities to use effectively when fighting other pantheons. Even Gruumsh, however, was frightened of Yurtrus despite likely being able to kill the Rotting One if he desired, as rumour had it that he was unwilling to get that close.
Outside of his own pantheon, Yurtrus was thought to have some relations with other gods of death and disease like Talona, although it was possibly more a rivalry than an alliance. He was perhaps the mightiest of the non-human gods of Hades with the exception of the sea-confined Panzuriel (though if the two ever bothered to fight, Yurtrus would be a serious challenge), but there were perhaps some places so virulent that even he would hesitate to go there. Like the rest of his pantheon, he hated the dwarf, elf, and goblinoid gods, and he opposed them when the opportunity arose.
Yurtrus had no known proxies, but despite his lack of a mouth and generally silent ways, he was known communicate through telepathic whispers to some.
Outside of his own pantheon, Yurtrus was thought to have some relations with other gods of death and disease like Talona, although it was possibly more a rivalry than an alliance. He was perhaps the mightiest of the non-human gods of Hades with the exception of the sea-confined Panzuriel (though if the two ever bothered to fight, Yurtrus would be a serious challenge), but there were perhaps some places so virulent that even he would hesitate to go there. Like the rest of his pantheon, he hated the dwarf, elf, and goblinoid gods, and he opposed them when the opportunity arose.
Yurtrus had no known proxies, but despite his lack of a mouth and generally silent ways, he was known communicate through telepathic whispers to some.
Divine Classification
Lesser deity
Religions
Alignment
Neutral evil
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The White-Handed
White Hands
The Lord of Maggots
The Rotting One
The Rotting Lord
Rotting Yurtrus
White Hands
The Lord of Maggots
The Rotting One
The Rotting Lord
Rotting Yurtrus
Children
Comments