The Conqueror

Deity of Conquest & Slaughter

This deity is as old as time. Or a the very least as old as the worshipful cannon fodder they command. Most worshipers of the Conqueror are humans, orcs, goblinoids, and other infamous raiders of history. All variations of this god urge their followers to revel in bloodshed and to always seek out more power and strength. They are expected never to be satisfied with what they have and to always take what they can by force. They are not to accept defeat and they are to die before surrendering. A weak worshiper is better off dead. According the the Conqueror's tenants of faith, the strong should rule the weak and there is no room in this life for things like mercy and charity. These things only breed more weak people. It is survival of the fittest. Their worshipers are fueled by hatred, anger, envy, entitlement, and bloodlust- all things nurtured and cultivated by agents of this god within their chosen societies.
There are some who claim that the draconic deity Nammu was actually an Exarch of this deity, as they held a very similar goal and Nammu was known to have been originally mortal.

Bhagra of the Common Pantheon

Domains: Death, War, Forge
Portfolio: Conquest, Slaughter, Discord, Hatred, Fury, Bloodlust
Alignment: CE
Alias/s: Queen of the Vultures, The Blood Drinker, Harbinger of Slaughter, The Unending Fury
Symbols: Thorny Vine, Three Flaming Arrows

Bhagra is one of the oldest human deities and worshiped mainly by barbaric societies. As wider civilization took root many ended their worship of this wrathful deity of conquest, but worshipers remained within barbaric tribes that still exist to this day. Though most often considered a goddess, there are some tribes who contend that they are a male deity. Her symbol is a vulture, based on those that flock to feast on the dead of the battlefield. Her worshipers consider these the ‘spoils of war to be fed to Bhagra’. Blood sacrifices are not unheard of in times before battle. She is often depicted as a half-orc, belying the shared worship of her in early history. According to some myths, Bhagra was the deity who gifted man the bow and arrow, and this is often used to symbolize her- a flaming arrow. Bhagra is a cruel deity, even to her followers at times if they do not please her. She is the deity of anger and hatred and her followers use these feelings to fuel their campaigns of slaughter and discord. She is also the orcish god of craft and the forge- related mostly to armor and weapons of war of course.

Bhagra of the Orcish Pantheon

Domains: Death, War
Portfolio: War, Slaughter, Bloodlust, Fury, Greed
Alignment: CN
Alias: The Bone Reaver
Symbols: Vulture or Hyena
Many orcish tribes get a terrible reputation among the so-called civilized races as hostile nutjobs who worship an infamous evil goddess that bids them to slaughter and destroy everything in their path. This is only partially true. Only SOME orcish tribes follow this deity- Bhagra. Most actually fly the banner of Khagarr, who is much less destructive. Among orcs, Bhagra is not actually considered evil- though most who have been conquered in her name would disagree. She is a goddess of unrestrained chaos and predatory instinct. Ulskari is considered her sibling among many tribes for their similar viewpoints. As far as her worshipers are concerned, killing for survival is a necessary and natural act. You either choose to be a predator or prey, and this goddess believes you should choose predator. Bhagra is one of the oldest gods in the world. She saw budding civilizations as unnatural and unnecessary and took offense at their position that the remaining tribes were inferior and stupid. She bid her followers to crush these towns and villages and prove that for all their big ideas they were nothing in the face of raw power. They were fueled with hatred for those who would look down on them for remaining true to their traditions. Worshipers have evolved over thousands of years to have more extremist views. Its less about being a part of the natural world or even sticking it to civilized people and more about power- crushing enemies and reveling in their bloodshed. Its about unapologetically taking what you can and giving nothing back. Its about embracing fury and culling the weak. Its about being the strongest. It's about inspiring fear. Her symbol has been either the Vulture or the Hyena, as they often follow in these warbands wake to feed on the corpses left behind them. It is rumored that some gnolls actually join these orcish tribes because many of them worship Bhagra as well. According to some myths, she was their mysterious creator. She is also the patron of hobgoblins and other goblinoids whose goal is to spread and conquer. Because of this, many goblinoids end up joining these tribes. In recent times many minotaur have converted to her worship as well.

TEMPLES OF THE CONQUEROR

The largest temples to The Conqueror are located in the following places:

• Korzham

Worshipers

Most worshipers of this god today are barbarian orcs, humans, dwarves, goblinoids, minotaur, and occasionally dragonborn. These tribesmen fight over vast territories over limited resources and often target civilized settlements if they think they have the numbers. The Conqueror has had control of civilized spaces and the hearts of kings in the past, with retinues of war-hungry clerics, paladins, soldiers, mercenaries, war bards & mages and other fighters in their favor. The historic conquest of Arna perpetrated by The Marasen Empire is the best example of this deity at the height of their power and influence. Though they have been replaced by most civilized countries with deities of law and even peace, this deity never stops trying to get it's hooks back into the new human rulers who are so naturally greedy and power-hungry and one day this world will remember the meaning of real conquest. Till then they send out their agents, often aasimar, to sow discord and bad relations among countries or to stoke the flames of envy.

On-Brand Worshipers

• Barbarian: All (especially Zealot)
• Bard: College of Valor
• Cleric: War & Death Domain
• Fighter: All
• Paladin: Oath of Conquest or Oathbreaker
• Wizard: War Magic
• Tribe Member Background
• Soldier Background
• Marine Background
• Mercenary Veteran Background