Grunmug, the Butcher

Grunmug (/ɡɻʌnmʌɡ/) is the god of malice, hatred, violence, pain, and revenge. He carries a grudge against Maanzar which has spanned thousands of years, and which only grows stronger with each passing century. His followers include the hateful, the vengeful, and those who revel in bloodshed.

History

The Age of Dawn

Grunmug's only appearance in those few historical records which remain from the earliest years of mortalkind, the Age of Dawn, comes in the incomplete story of his ascension during the Rending War.

The Rending War

On the orders of Emperor Hanzou-- the then-ruler of Vurus, which was Grunmug's homeland-- Grunmug and the other generals of Vurus traveled with the bulk of their military over the Vassalier Ocean to invade the continent of Eloqua. During the height of their invasion, Grunmug proved to be the most ruthless of the Vurusian generals, and drew the attention of Amvald, the first champion of Vimeri. For a time, Amvald and his hero siblings worked to turn Hanzou and his armies away from their ambitions, to convince them that they were doing wrong but could achieve redemption if only they would seek it, but were soon forced to take up arms against the invaders instead.
While Amvald and the eldest of his siblings traveled over the sea to confront Hanzou, the trickster Maanzar stayed behind to deal with the encroaching forces of the Vurusian military. Using the same tricks that they had once used only for personal gain, Maanzar thwarted the armies of Vurus time and time again, and soon became the most hated enemy of the Vurusian generals. Grunmug was particularly infuriated by Maanzar's tricks, and made it his personal goal to end Maanzar's life. It was in his single-minded pursuit of this goal that Grunmug stepped directly into one of Maanzar's traps, dooming his battalion and himself. However, in his final moments, Grunmug threw his spear and Maanzar's heart, and the weapon struck true. Maanzar fell, but became a god in their afterlife. Seeing Maanzar's spirit rise to the divine realms of the gods sent Grunmug into a blind rage, and his final breath came in the form of a furious roar which imbued his own soul with a divine power not unlike that of Maanzar's. This is how Grunmug became a god, and is the reason he and Maanzar are locked in an eternal battle.

Description

Appearance

Grunmug is a gargantuan frost giant with pallid, desaturated skin which earned him the name Grunmug the Grey when he was mortal. He is bald, with crude runes carved in tight, spiraling patterns across his head.
Grunmug's armor is red-painted lamellar scuffed and scratched from years of battle, the crest of Vurus emblazoned across the chest. He carries a set of bone spears and a jagged greatsword splattered with the dried blood of his victims.

Personality

Grunmug is counted among the most spiteful and aggressive of the gods, perpetually seeking to inflict pain and strife upon the world. He is demanding of his followers, expecting near-constant bloodshed from them, and demanding that blood be drawn from their own bodies if they fail to draw it from elsewhere.

Worshipers

The reasons for Grunmug's followers being so few in number is twofold:
First, exceedingly few people (regardless of what region of Thesilae one finds themself in) are so desirous of violence or revenge that they would turn to the worship of Grunmug in the hopes of achieving it.
Second, Grunmug's demands are so extreme, and his punishments so harsh, hardly anyone who does worship him survives the experience for long.
As a result, Grunmug's Order of Ichor is less a unified organization and more a loose collection of murderer and torture-enthusiasts. These worshipers of Grunmug generally aim to avoid any significant amount of attention, good or bad, so that they can continue to enact their vile deeds right under the noses of their friends and neighbors. However, some more ambitious members of the order might seek to infiltrate influential organizations in the hopes of creating greater shockwaves of hate and violence within their communities.

Edicts and Anathema

Edicts

• Promote war in times of peace

• Torture and/or kill weaker beings

• Harbor grudges

• Spread hate and anger among the masses

• Sacrifice innocents in Grunmug's name

Anathema

• Forgive a slight or insult

• Solve problems through negotiation when violence or bloodshed is possible

• Show mercy to enemies or allies

• Provide comfort to others

• De-escalate or mediate a confrontation

Artifacts

Places of Worship and Holy Sites

Deity Information

Titles
The Butcher
Bringer of the Bloodrain
Classification
Ascended God
Portfolio
Malice, Hatred, Violence, Pain, Revenge
Symbols
A black bolt of lightning, striking a raised sword
Divine Realm
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Alignment
Neutral Evil
Gender
Cisgender Man
Presentation
Masculine
Pronouns
He/Him/His

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Worship

Worshipers
Order of Ichor, murderers
Holy Days
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Major Temples and Holy Sites
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