The Lot of the Orcs
“No! You lie! You have rigged the drawing of the lots, hoping to cheat me and my followers. But One-Eye never sleeps; One-Eye sees all. There is a place for orcs to dwell... there!”
Mythology
In the beginning, all the gods gathered to divide the world among their chosen races. By drawing lots, the deities allocated the lands where their creations would thrive:
The **human gods** drew the lot that allowed humans to dwell anywhere, in any environment they pleased.
The **elven deities** claimed the green forests.
The **dwarven deities** chose the high mountains.
The **gnomish gods** favored rocky, sunlit hills.
The **halfling gods** picked the fields and meadows.
When the time came for the orcish gods, the other gods mocked Gruumsh One-Eye, the chief deity of the orcs.
“All the lots are taken!” they taunted.
“Where will your people dwell, One-Eye? There is no place left!”
The gods laughed, but silence fell across the world when Gruumsh lifted his great iron spear. His voice thundered as he condemned their trickery:
“No! You lie! You have rigged the drawing of the lots, hoping to cheat me and my followers. But One-Eye never sleeps; One-Eye sees all.”
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The Mark of Gruumsh
Gruumsh stretched his mighty spear over the lands, casting a shadow across the world, and struck his spear into the lands to claim them for the orcs:
“Here!” He struck the forests, and part of them withered and rotted.
“And here!” His spear pierced the mountains, opening mighty rifts and chasms.
“And here!” The hills shook and crumbled, covered in choking dust.
“And here!” His spear gouged the meadows, rendering them barren and desolate.
“There!” roared Gruumsh.
“There is where the orcs shall dwell! There they shall survive, and multiply, and grow stronger, and a day shall come when they cover the world and shall slay all of your collected peoples! Orcs shall inherit the world you sought to cheat me of!”
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Significance
The myth of the **Lot of the Orcs** is central to orcish identity. It reflects their belief that they were cheated by the other gods and must fight for their survival and dominance in a hostile world. Gruumsh's declaration inspires the orcs' unyielding resilience and their unrelenting pursuit of strength. The barren, inhospitable lands they claim are not viewed as a curse but as a proving ground, where only the strong survive and thrive.
This myth also explains the origins of orcish aggression toward other races, as they see themselves as destined to reclaim a world stolen from them.
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Cultural Interpretations
**Orcs:** Orcs see Gruumsh’s defiance as a rallying cry for their people. It affirms their strength, tenacity, and ultimate destiny to dominate the lands.
**Elves:** To the elves, Gruumsh’s actions are an act of desecration, as they view the forests as sacred. The enmity between orcs and elves is deeply rooted in this myth.
**Dwarves:** Dwarves remember the rifts and chasms opened in their mountains, blaming Gruumsh for the scars upon their ancestral homes.
**Halflings and Gnomes:** These races see Gruumsh as a destroyer, a force that turned once-verdant hills and meadows into wastelands.
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Legacy
The legacy of this myth endures in the scars Gruumsh left upon the world. The desolate forests, jagged rifts in the mountains, and barren meadows remain as evidence of his wrath. To this day, orcish settlements are often found in the harshest environments, a testament to their resilience and their god’s claim over these lands.
Key Themes:
Defiance in the face of adversity.
Survival of the fittest.
The inevitability of orcish dominance.
Sacred Symbol: The iron spear of Gruumsh, a reminder of his defiance and strength.
Motto: “The world is ours by fire, spear, and strength.”
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