Luthic

Luthic: The Cave Mother, the Blood Moon Witch

Symbol: Orc rune for home
Home Plane: Nishrek
Alignment: NE
Portfolio: Caves, orc females, home, wisdom, fertility, healing, servitude
Domains: Earth Evil Healing
Worshipers: Monks, runecasters, orc females
Aliases: N/A
Cleric Alignments: LE, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: Claw bracer (a hand with long claws)

History/Relationships:

Luthic is the orc goddess of fertility, as well as several other portfolios which in some way relate to her fertility aspect. She is the patroness of the child-bearing females of the orcish race, and as a result, due to the orc's deeply-held sexist views, she is also the holy symbol of female servitude. Because of her nurturing nature as a fertility goddess, she also holds sway over healing and medicine. Moreover, like many other similar powers, she has ties to the earth as the fountainhead of fertility. She is also the patroness of caves and other dark places through her ties to the earth and her dominion over motherhood and the home which are caves for most orcs. Because of her grief and anger over the brutal deaths of so many orcish sons, she has also gathered vengeance and those who cry out for revenge, especially grieving mothers, into her portfolio. While she has some dominion over darkness and disease, these are more properly considered parts of the portfolios of Shargaas and Yurtrus.

Luthic is the consort of Gruumsh and the mother of Bahgtru. While relations with her husband are sometimes strained, she has never ceased to dote on her son, despite his failings, and the feelings are reciprocated by her boy. In fact, should Gruumsh's and Luthic's commands conflict, the Strong Arm invariably follows the directives of his beloved mother despite the inevitable wrath of One Eye. Relations with Gruumsh's other lieutenant, Ilneval, are no where near as cordial; Luthic knows that the Clever Arm blames her for countering his attempts to persuade Gruumsh of Bahgtru's incompetence. Needless to say, Luthic deeply dislikes her son's rival, and should she discover Ilneval's intrigues to undermine her and Gruumsh's authority through his followers, things would deteriorate even further, if possible. Due to the overlap with the portfolios of Shargraas and Yurtrus, there is some conflict between these two powers and the Dark Mother, although it is nowhere near as antagonistic as her relationship with Ilneval. Luckily, the distance between Acheron on one side and Gehenna and the Gray Waste on the other lessens what could otherwise be a nasty situation.

One of the most noticeable difference between Luthic and the rest of her pantheon is her relationships with non-orcish deities. While her interactions with non-orc powers can hardly be described as cordial, she is not viewed with as much disgust and hate by them as are the other orcish gods. Since alone among the orcish pantheon, she is a non-aggressive power, she is thought by learned sages to have the best chance amongst them to abandon the selfish ethos of her kind and turn towards less brutal ways.

Dogma: Life is sheltered within the earth from which it springs. Honor the wisdom of the Cave Mother, whose strength is the backbone of the horde and the root of valor in battle. Understand your position within the tribe and do your part to strengthen the tribe against rivals. The cave is the sheltering embrace of the Mother of Bahgtru and the bastion of orc strength. Endure all hardships.

Avatar/Manifestations: She shows displeasure by lighting ordinarily dark areas, and by rock falls at cave entrances. If she is displeased by a whole community, the birth rate may drop quickly, even to zero.

Agents/Petitioners: Luthic is served by baatezu, black dragons, cave fishers, deep dragons, imps, maelephants, rust dragons, rust monsters, shadows, shadow dragons, and yugoloths. She shows her favor by rumbling at cave entrances and by the discovery of black opals, black pearls, black sapphires, jet, horn coral, obsidian, and onyx

The Church of Luthic: The church of Luthic is prominent within most orc tribes, if only because it can claim the bulk of the female population as its worshipers, but outwardly weak in comparison to the other orc gods' clergies, and is subservient to the clergy of Gruumsh. In truth, the church of Luthic forms the stable base of most tribes, ensuring that a steady stream of future orc warriors are born each year. Clerics of Luthic tend to the general health of the tribe, healing those injured in battle, ministering to the young and females in childbirth, and generally maintaining morale among the tribe. They also teach simple healing and herbalism to orcs, skills that enable orc warriors to survive many battles. Clerics and adepts of Luthic pray for their spells each day whenever the moon is highest in the sky. Luthic's holy days are tied to the new moon, the symbol of orc fertility.

Day-to-Day Activities: Generally taking care of the tribe.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The Feast of the Moon is celebrated by the Cave Mother's followers as the Coming of the Winter Cave, for most tribes must retreat to Luthic's domain during the winter months. Many young are conceived during this festival, ensuring another generation of warriors.

Major Centers of Worship: Luthic is worshipped in caves.

Affiliated Orders: Rumors exist of a secret group of Luthicar monks existing within some tribes, attacking unarmed since they are denied the use of weapons by males.

Priestly Vestments: Luthic's priests wear brown and black leather armor and fur caps.

Adventuring Garb: N/A.