The Orcish Pantheon

Bhagra (F)	War, Conquest & Bloodlust	War, Death	CN
Khagarr (M)	Might, Skill, & Bravery	Light, War	N
Tashuk (F)	Medicine, Mercy, Prophecy	Life, Grave, Arcana	N
Ulskari (M)	Night, Beasts, Hunting	Twilight, Trickery	N
Mohrzak (M)	Storm, Wildfire, Plague	Death, Tempest, Nature	CE

Orcish Religion

Orcish religion varies greatly between different tribes and worship is very different for orcs who are raised in cities. The gods honored are mostly a combination of the same three or four, but how they are honored can differ drastically. Most orc tribes worship through song and dance and make offerings of food and drink to a particular deity. Unless they are city orcs, they don't generally keep altars and temples but they often carve idols, necklaces, statuettes, and weave clothing with motifs of creatures affiliated with their favored deity. Some orcs are chosen early in life by the gods and exhibit unnatural magic powers. They are raised to become a tribe's priest or they may leave the tribe to assist a sister tribe as priest- a position that is
Though rare, some orc tribes that are followers of Bhagra have religions traditions some may call extreme or profane- they may offer ritual blood sacrifices and will slaughter their enemies in their goddess' name as their primary act of devotion. Each rival tribe they conquer they do so in her name and for her glory, hoping to raise her to such power that she could come to the mortal plane and lead them in person as they conquer the entire world. Sometimes sacrifices are willing participants from within the tribe- often the weakest members of the tribe who have no better way to contribute. It is considered the most noble death to these tribes, as both being slaughtered in battle (ie being defeated) and dying of old age (not dying in glorious battle) are strangely both considered a pathetic way to go.

Orcish Deities

BHAGRA

Archetype: The Conqueror
Portfolio: War, Slaughter, Bloodlust, Fury, Greed
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 brother 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 nomadic 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.

KHAGARR

Archetype: The Soldier
Portfolio: Might, Skill, Bravery, Survival
Alias: The Falcon Chief
Symbol: Falcon
Most tribes of orcs can be divided into two groups- those who follow Khagarr and those who are swayed into following Bhagra. These tribes are generally at odds and many tribes of Bhagra will attempt to slaughter followers of Khagarr on sight. Both are gods of battle, but Khagarr is the nobler of the two. According to some myths he is the son of Bhagra who understands his fathers folly. In others they were once a couple. He does not ask his followers to fight and conquer for the sake of sating their bloodlust or his. He asks his followers to fight to survive and to protect their kin at all costs; he is a god of survival as well as battle. Khagarr is revered for his physical might and skill, and the greatest of orcish warriors are said to be his chosen, but bravery is more important in his eye than physical prowess. Bravery and sacrifice for the protection and greater good of the tribe is the greatest standard a Khagarrian tribe member can aspire to. Khagarr is associated with falcons as according to myth he has a faithful falcon familiar or pet who delivers messages to his devout. Many of his followers are also falconers- they use falcons to assist in hunting out in the seemingly barren landscapes of the world.

TASHUK

Archetype: The Shepherd
Portfolio: Medicine, Mercy, Prophecy
Alias: Mother Scorpion
Symbol: Scorpion
Tashuk is the deity of orcish healers, mothers, and diviners. They care for those wounded in battle or those born disfigured or chronically ill. Most orcish tribes have a matriarch who is doubles as the tribe's priestess of Tashuk. This figure teaches and guides those with the talent for it in the art of healing, midwifery and herbology and oversees burials as well as dealing with restless spirits and the undead. Some priestess have the ability to speak with dead ancestors and seek their wisdom. Some are also powerful seers who can portend the future. Though Tashuk is more gentle-natured than most other orcish deities, she is still symbolized by the scorpion for a reason. The sting of death can strike anytime- but it usually does not happen without reason. Scorpions also, despite their fearsome appearance, are known for being protective mothers, much like Tashuk.

ULSKARI

Archetype: The Ranger
Portfolio: Night, Beasts, Hunting
Alias: The Night Beast
Symbol/s: Displacer Beast or other big cat, Manticores
Ulskari is an important deity to the orcs, but also one that is sufficiently feared. Most tribes of orcs rely on hunting for survival so they are sure to give him plenty of offerings in hopes that he will bless them in their endeavors. He is not, however, a very benevolent deity. Hunters revere him of course but the rest just pray they don't become his next meal. Ulskari is the unpredictable deity of night and the dangers that lurk within. He is the panther in the shadows, the spider in the web, the hunger in the wolves. Whenever a creature rends the flesh of another with teeth and claws he revels in it with them. He is the patron of beasts and cares little for the sapient. Orcs pay this deity respect no matter what tribe they hail from because they understand they are not at the top of the food chain- Ulskari is. Ulskari likes a good hunt, and intelligent humans and orcs do make the best prey. Disrespectful prey make the most satisfying meal. Despite his ferocity, Ulskari is not necessarily considered evil. He is simply a being of pure instinct and survival and he is a deity without mercy for those who happen to run afoul of him. According to orcish myth, he created the lycans and they are his favored creature- the perfect mixture of feral habits with enough intelligence to acknowledge him and feed his power and influence. He has also been known to be worshiped by gnolls and lizardfolk. He is most often associated with displacer beasts or panthers, though in other less-forested regions imagery of other big cats like cougars or lions also suffice. Some orcs, who see him as an evil being, also symbolize him with a manticore.

MOHRZAK

Archetype: The Destroyer
Portfolio: Plague, Wildfire, Storm
Alias: The World Fury
Symbols: Flaming Tree
Mohrzak of the Orcish Pantheon is greatly feared by most orc tribes, but others of a more chaotic spirit actually worship them in the hopes they will bring down destruction on their enemies. They pray to this god so that they might bring plague into the ranks of rival warriors and fire and storm to destroy those strong enough to oppose them. If one of their own comes down with a terrible contagion they are even expected to infiltrate rival clans specifically to infect them before they die. Most worshipers belong to hostile barbaric tribes whose goal is to conquer- usually followers of Bhagra. One of their signatures is to burn down the towns and farms they pillage in Mohrzak's honor. Certain Barbarians who are born with innate storm-like powers are heralded as their "chosen champion" and usual enjoy a high position of power in a given tribe. Similarly there are druids among these tribes who are gifted by this god the power to control wildfire spirits. They see any gift of elemental power as a sign that a given individual has this deity's favor.

A Tale of Two Gods

The orcish religion is quite basic compared to other racial pantheons. For a very long time there were only three gods- Mohrzak, Bhagra & Khagarr. Mohrzak was considered a deity of the world- the embodiment of all the natural dangers and powerful elements. He was a god to fear and friend to no one. The other two, however, were benevolent deities. In ancient times the two were often considered a couple- the mother and father of the orcish race. Orcs were originally created as canon fodder for primordial conflicts between dragons and giants, so the first gods they were adopted by were these two gods of warfare. When the dust settled and the small mortal races inherited the world, the orcs found themselves for the first time considering what they should do of their own volition. They eventually fell into two camps- those who sought a new, kinder way of existing, and those who could not turn away from the violent kind of life they had known or excelled at. The orcs broke apart into many tribes who often ended up at war with each other, humans, and other goblinoids- all former playthings of the higher powers in the world, now unleashed and scrambling for their own land and power. These orcish tribes and war bands either championed Bhagra who told her people that they were bred for war and conquest or Khagarr who told his people that they could live peacefully as nomadic hunters and share the land. They would be at ideological odds for most of history. Nowadays the vast majority worship Khagarr, as most of Bhagra's followers' constant warfare has resulted in such a high casualty rate over the centuries. Over time the orcish pantheon has grown slightly to include a deity of night and hunting- likely a male adaptation of Zhella, as well as a deity of healing and medicine who was likely adapted from the goddess Helora.