To the orcs, religion is a very simple thing. As a race of ferocious savages, the orcs will only worship extremely powerful gods. If not able to properly impress a sizeable faction of orcs, the would-be god is summarily ignored, if not outright ridiculed.
Over the years, only three gods have been strong enough to win the respect of the Bludchok'hai.
Krenbluk Shaman: Current Aka'ki
the goddess of blood
Belok Shaman: Current Fiz'zul
the god of death
Krull'nuk Shaman: Current Urm'gruhl
the god of magic
Over the years, only three gods have been strong enough to win the respect of the Bludchok'hai.
Krenbluk Shaman: Current Aka'ki
the goddess of blood
Belok Shaman: Current Fiz'zul
the god of death
Krull'nuk Shaman: Current Urm'gruhl
the god of magic
Krenbluk, Goddess of Blood
Krenbluk is the Orcish Goddess of Blood. Given the orc's fondness for blood, this makes her a very popular and widely worshiped deity. In fact a favorite activity at the Bloodrock fort is performing sacrifices to Krenbluk, in the form of spilling the blood of humans on the sacred orc lands. Krenbluk is also credited with the creation of the Bludchok Hai, although details are at this point lost to history.
Krenbluk’s fifth and current shaman is Aka'ki, who follows in the footsteps of Izugog, then Ne'rull, followed by Bidash, and originally, Nehrakahu.
Belok, God of Death
Belok is the Orcish God of Death, and rules the orcish Underworld. Orcish parents often tell their very young children that Belok will come for them if they don't behave. While this might inspire human children to behave, it actually has the opposite effect on young orcs. A very few orcish children so look forward to a visit from Belok that they perform more and more evil and sadistic acts. After some time these young orcs become so cruel and twisted that Belok actually does visit them, much to the delight of the orc! These orcs then become shamans of Belok.
Belok's third and current shaman is Fiz'zul, who follows in the footsteps of Porp, and originally, Thraka Gangaskul.
Krull'nuk, God of Magic
Among the three Gods worshiped by the orcs of Bloodrock, Krull'nuk is considered by some to be the most powerful (mostly by his own followers). While the other Gods work in subtle ways, Krull'nuk prefers a more direct and forceful approach. Being the God of magic, this usually involves the release of massive amounts of magical energy. More often than not directed towards the retreating head of a mounted human warrior, although Krull'nuk is quick to punish orcs for not showing the Mojoka proper respect.
Krull'nuk's third and current Shaman is Urm'gruhl who succeeded Xorakk who followed in the footsteps of Morglum .
Krull'nuk and the Skowtz-
''Morglum, Shaman of the Orcish God of Magic, had not heard the voice of Krull'nuk in quite some time, and he was beginning to get worried. His God, being an Orcish God, was usualy quite vocal in his demands, constantly ordering the punishment of this or that orc who had not shown the proper respect towards the Mojokas. Fearing something might be amiss, Morglum made his way to the sacred chamber of stars where he first heard the call of mighty Krull'nuk.
An eerie silence filled the room as Morglum tossed handfull after handfull of nightshade dust onto the fire. The resulting thick smoke soon put Morglum into a daze. Not a sound could be heard save for the rythmic falling of the water from the fountain in the center of the room.
Boom! The brazier exploded with a shower of multicolored sparks. There, floating above the flame was the ghostly image of Krull'nuk himself. The spectre spoke...
"Morglum! Ee iz pleez'd wid uu, eem Sh'kah'r. Da powur uf ee Mojo ruhn strong en uu blud. Et iz gug dat uu kum heer tu tulk tu ee. Ull iz nub gug wid uz godz. Dat KRALTCH Krenbluk tri tu in-tur-feer wid da mojo. Shee tri tu keep da mojo frum da Mojoka. Diz nub gug. Dem dum dum hed gruntz beeh nub respekt'n da mojo, and yat da littul god'ling uf klerg beeh think'n dat shee kan keep da Mojo frum eem Mojokas! NEVUR!"
At this point the heat from the brazier grew so intense that Morglum's robes began to smoke and smolder. So caught up in the vision of Krull'nuk that Morglum didn't even seem to notice.
"Listun eem Sh'kah'r. Diz iz wut ee wunt uu tu du. Ee wunt uu tu fynd a small gruup uf gug Urukz dat uu kan trust. Dey nub shuld beeh da bezt warriorz. Demz iz tuu cloze tu dat KRALTCH Krenbluk. Fynd dem Urukz and bend dem tu eem will. Uuz da powur uv diz mojo nyt-shaid dust. Et will maik dem Urukz du whut uu sey. When uu hav dem Urukz, uuz dem tu guard eem Shrine on R'hir Islund. When Krenbluk kumz tu da shrine wid her followerz we must beeh redee tu defend et!"
With these words, a pouch of magical Nightshade dust appeared in the brazier, seemingly unaffected by the flames. Morlgum quickly put the bag into his pack.
"Ise last thing eefor uu goh Morglum. Know dat ee will tri ee bezt tu reward da Urukz dat serv ee wid da powur of ee Mojo. Incluud'n da warriors! Dem warriors nub kan uuz muj uf ee powur, but ee tink ee kan giv dem enuff so dat dey kan travul da windz of mojo from place tu place. Onlee da mowst faithful Uruks dat serv ee will git diz powur. And onlee aftur dem pruuv demselves. Goh yat and nub fail ee!"
With this Morglum slipped through a rift in space to appear beside the campfire in the great fort of the Bloodchok Hai, suprising a group of four Orcish Archers roasting a human leg over the fire. As they turned to ask Morglum what he was up to, Morglum grinned and blew a puff of Nightshade dust into their faces...''
Thus the Bludchok Skowtz were born.
Krull'nuk God of Magic
Urm'gruhl the third and current Shaman of Krull'nuk
The Cult of Krull'nuk
In all my years of observing the orcs, I've found their cult of Krull'nuk to be the most bizzarre of the three. Why such a race of barbaric and superstitious creatures as orcs would even worship a god of magic at all was beyond me when I first began studying them. Obviously, their own magicians (or “mojokas” as they are called amongst their own people) are prime candidates to worship him, but the cult and its strange ceremonies run far deeper than that. Perhaps a good way for us to understand this peculiar deity will be to examine the attitudes and ceremonies of his worshippers, those who would represent him here on the physical plane.
The rites of Krull'nuk seemingly have no codified schedule to them. While it is no secret that many of the magicians of our lands will time their more serious rituals alongside the arrangement of the heavens, we see an altogether different sort of timing here. No particular moon phase, no particular season or natural event, just whenever the shamans deem it to be time. I will admit that there may be something here that I am missing, as I am no expert astrologer, but I believe that it is a reflection of the capricious nature of the deity. Magic, fate, and the favor of the cosmos seem to favor us one moment and cast us aside the next with no apparent order to them, and I believe that the orcish priests of Krull'nuk have taken this to heart. An orc may be well-revered within the cult one night, and be put up for sacrifice another. Unless, of course, they have been clever enough to keep themselves off the chopping block and put someone else there. Here we see the value that the cult places on cleverness and scheming.
What would one be likely to see at a ceremony devoted to Krull'nuk? Raucous, fervent music (utilising many drums and the rattling of instruments made with human bones) surrounding a great bonfire upon which heaps of nightshade have been placed. Most of the worshippers gather around this bonfire to breathe in the noxious smoke and dance about wildly. Bizzarre serpents are taken from their cages, worshippers are pricked by the venomous fangs to receive the “gift” of the poison. Nearby is a great altar from where the mojokas operate, often flanked by smaller fires that burn with a strange green light. The bizzarre rhythms of the music combined with the intoxicating effects of the nightshade drive the orcs to an unusual madness. Not the blood-craze of Krull'nuk's followers, not the wanton cruelty of Belok's brood, but a true and bizzarre madness. Babbling in tongues, thrashing and writhing about in spasmodic fashions, reactions to phenomena and visions which I certainly could not see, it all takes place here. Do not be mistaken, however, these are still violent orcs which we are speaking of and in the midst of this madness, necks are still cut and skulls are still severed. But it seems that all the bloodshed and horrors are not an essential part of the ceremony, simply a natural expression of the orcs themselves; the same as the dancing, chanting, and drumming which all go on here. And if you are fortunate, this is all you see. You won't see the horrific shadows lurking at the edge of the tree-line, you won't see the bizzarre, reality-defying creatures which wander into the fray at its height, and you will hopefully never be struck by sort of visions which may assault the mind of any who lingers at one of these gatherings for too long of a time.
And what about when the ritual is over? The orcs devoted to this god (who you may identify by the many crude wood-and-bone charms they have incorporated into their armor and the strange patterned tattoos many have covering significant portions of their skin) spend a fair amount of their time outside of battle in prayer and contemplation, or enjoying peculiar substances and the effects that they bring about, sometimes believing their hallucinations to be holy visions. In battle, you will see that they are the ones most likely to have poisoned their blades or the ones most efficiently using the various salves, potions, and poultices afforded to those orcs who practice their own crude form of alchemy. While very few orcs are born with the gift of magic, many who serve the god of magic gladly make use of the magic stored and contained in the natural world, and you can see many devotees of Krull'nuk running into battle with various bottles, bags, and bombs attached to their persons.
The color most associated with Krull'nuk is green. It is even said that once upon a time, there was a cult of Krull'nuk worshippers whose tongues were stained green either through their use of poisons or some other alchemical effect. I have been unable to confirm or deny the existence of this secretive sect. The animal symbollic to Krull'nuk is the snake: that creature which winds its way through creation, spreading poison which may contain madness, illness, or death, all while whispering secrets to those strong enough to withstand its other “gifts.”
And as for Krull'nuk himself, is there any evidence of his existence? Any reason to believe that these orcish fanatics aren't simply delusional from their love of drugs and toxins? Sadly, yes! While one would often think that a god of magic, one who holds and manipulates the threads of fate which hold our reality together would act mostly through mysterious means, passing omens, and an invisible hand, this is no subtle serpent! No, Krull'nuk is known for being direct, and about as subtle as a large green fist to the face. I have personally witnessed a number of orcs exploding, being engulfed in flames, and even having a chance meteor dropping on their heads. Some of these incidents made perfect sense, as an orc warrior in the cult would challenge the validity of one of their magicians, and before the mage could act against them, the orc exploded in a bout of green fire! I have also spied on them while they sat in group prayer, and more than once, a chance orc in the group would erupt in that same green flame, only to perish moments later. The other orcs looked up to see their burning comrade and immediately went back to their prayers, as though this was ordinary! Surely this is a god that does not tolerate disrespect or blasphemy, even in one's own mind! And if this is not enough proof for you, dear reader, I beg you not to seek out proof for yourself. The things I have seen while observing their rituals are beyond unspeakable! Stare too long into the flames of their horrific bonfire and you will see visions of worlds which do not exist, cannot exist, populated by creatures much the same! Cities made with what I can only describe as reverse geometry, an absolute chaos to the ordered mind of man! Forms which are an assult on the very idea of nature, even those strange guests to the rituals pale in comparison to the visions I have beheld! Though the orcs describe him as a god of magic, I have come to see him as a god of madness. Beyond that, I have come to fear him. His cult has grown more and more powerful as of late, and they seem to have been greatly bolstered by the recent war effort. Heed my warning, reader: do not trifle with this bizzarre god or his insane followers. It will only spell disaster for you.
-Darrin Hauck, Explorer and Anthropologist
Krenbluk is the Orcish Goddess of Blood. Given the orc's fondness for blood, this makes her a very popular and widely worshiped deity. In fact a favorite activity at the Bloodrock fort is performing sacrifices to Krenbluk, in the form of spilling the blood of humans on the sacred orc lands. Krenbluk is also credited with the creation of the Bludchok Hai, although details are at this point lost to history.
Krenbluk’s fifth and current shaman is Aka'ki, who follows in the footsteps of Izugog, then Ne'rull, followed by Bidash, and originally, Nehrakahu.
Belok, God of Death
Belok is the Orcish God of Death, and rules the orcish Underworld. Orcish parents often tell their very young children that Belok will come for them if they don't behave. While this might inspire human children to behave, it actually has the opposite effect on young orcs. A very few orcish children so look forward to a visit from Belok that they perform more and more evil and sadistic acts. After some time these young orcs become so cruel and twisted that Belok actually does visit them, much to the delight of the orc! These orcs then become shamans of Belok.
Belok's third and current shaman is Fiz'zul, who follows in the footsteps of Porp, and originally, Thraka Gangaskul.
Krull'nuk, God of Magic
Among the three Gods worshiped by the orcs of Bloodrock, Krull'nuk is considered by some to be the most powerful (mostly by his own followers). While the other Gods work in subtle ways, Krull'nuk prefers a more direct and forceful approach. Being the God of magic, this usually involves the release of massive amounts of magical energy. More often than not directed towards the retreating head of a mounted human warrior, although Krull'nuk is quick to punish orcs for not showing the Mojoka proper respect.
Krull'nuk's third and current Shaman is Urm'gruhl who succeeded Xorakk who followed in the footsteps of Morglum .
Krull'nuk and the Skowtz-
''Morglum, Shaman of the Orcish God of Magic, had not heard the voice of Krull'nuk in quite some time, and he was beginning to get worried. His God, being an Orcish God, was usualy quite vocal in his demands, constantly ordering the punishment of this or that orc who had not shown the proper respect towards the Mojokas. Fearing something might be amiss, Morglum made his way to the sacred chamber of stars where he first heard the call of mighty Krull'nuk.
An eerie silence filled the room as Morglum tossed handfull after handfull of nightshade dust onto the fire. The resulting thick smoke soon put Morglum into a daze. Not a sound could be heard save for the rythmic falling of the water from the fountain in the center of the room.
Boom! The brazier exploded with a shower of multicolored sparks. There, floating above the flame was the ghostly image of Krull'nuk himself. The spectre spoke...
"Morglum! Ee iz pleez'd wid uu, eem Sh'kah'r. Da powur uf ee Mojo ruhn strong en uu blud. Et iz gug dat uu kum heer tu tulk tu ee. Ull iz nub gug wid uz godz. Dat KRALTCH Krenbluk tri tu in-tur-feer wid da mojo. Shee tri tu keep da mojo frum da Mojoka. Diz nub gug. Dem dum dum hed gruntz beeh nub respekt'n da mojo, and yat da littul god'ling uf klerg beeh think'n dat shee kan keep da Mojo frum eem Mojokas! NEVUR!"
At this point the heat from the brazier grew so intense that Morglum's robes began to smoke and smolder. So caught up in the vision of Krull'nuk that Morglum didn't even seem to notice.
"Listun eem Sh'kah'r. Diz iz wut ee wunt uu tu du. Ee wunt uu tu fynd a small gruup uf gug Urukz dat uu kan trust. Dey nub shuld beeh da bezt warriorz. Demz iz tuu cloze tu dat KRALTCH Krenbluk. Fynd dem Urukz and bend dem tu eem will. Uuz da powur uv diz mojo nyt-shaid dust. Et will maik dem Urukz du whut uu sey. When uu hav dem Urukz, uuz dem tu guard eem Shrine on R'hir Islund. When Krenbluk kumz tu da shrine wid her followerz we must beeh redee tu defend et!"
With these words, a pouch of magical Nightshade dust appeared in the brazier, seemingly unaffected by the flames. Morlgum quickly put the bag into his pack.
"Ise last thing eefor uu goh Morglum. Know dat ee will tri ee bezt tu reward da Urukz dat serv ee wid da powur of ee Mojo. Incluud'n da warriors! Dem warriors nub kan uuz muj uf ee powur, but ee tink ee kan giv dem enuff so dat dey kan travul da windz of mojo from place tu place. Onlee da mowst faithful Uruks dat serv ee will git diz powur. And onlee aftur dem pruuv demselves. Goh yat and nub fail ee!"
With this Morglum slipped through a rift in space to appear beside the campfire in the great fort of the Bloodchok Hai, suprising a group of four Orcish Archers roasting a human leg over the fire. As they turned to ask Morglum what he was up to, Morglum grinned and blew a puff of Nightshade dust into their faces...''
Thus the Bludchok Skowtz were born.
Krull'nuk God of Magic
Urm'gruhl the third and current Shaman of Krull'nuk
The Cult of Krull'nuk
In all my years of observing the orcs, I've found their cult of Krull'nuk to be the most bizzarre of the three. Why such a race of barbaric and superstitious creatures as orcs would even worship a god of magic at all was beyond me when I first began studying them. Obviously, their own magicians (or “mojokas” as they are called amongst their own people) are prime candidates to worship him, but the cult and its strange ceremonies run far deeper than that. Perhaps a good way for us to understand this peculiar deity will be to examine the attitudes and ceremonies of his worshippers, those who would represent him here on the physical plane.
The rites of Krull'nuk seemingly have no codified schedule to them. While it is no secret that many of the magicians of our lands will time their more serious rituals alongside the arrangement of the heavens, we see an altogether different sort of timing here. No particular moon phase, no particular season or natural event, just whenever the shamans deem it to be time. I will admit that there may be something here that I am missing, as I am no expert astrologer, but I believe that it is a reflection of the capricious nature of the deity. Magic, fate, and the favor of the cosmos seem to favor us one moment and cast us aside the next with no apparent order to them, and I believe that the orcish priests of Krull'nuk have taken this to heart. An orc may be well-revered within the cult one night, and be put up for sacrifice another. Unless, of course, they have been clever enough to keep themselves off the chopping block and put someone else there. Here we see the value that the cult places on cleverness and scheming.
What would one be likely to see at a ceremony devoted to Krull'nuk? Raucous, fervent music (utilising many drums and the rattling of instruments made with human bones) surrounding a great bonfire upon which heaps of nightshade have been placed. Most of the worshippers gather around this bonfire to breathe in the noxious smoke and dance about wildly. Bizzarre serpents are taken from their cages, worshippers are pricked by the venomous fangs to receive the “gift” of the poison. Nearby is a great altar from where the mojokas operate, often flanked by smaller fires that burn with a strange green light. The bizzarre rhythms of the music combined with the intoxicating effects of the nightshade drive the orcs to an unusual madness. Not the blood-craze of Krull'nuk's followers, not the wanton cruelty of Belok's brood, but a true and bizzarre madness. Babbling in tongues, thrashing and writhing about in spasmodic fashions, reactions to phenomena and visions which I certainly could not see, it all takes place here. Do not be mistaken, however, these are still violent orcs which we are speaking of and in the midst of this madness, necks are still cut and skulls are still severed. But it seems that all the bloodshed and horrors are not an essential part of the ceremony, simply a natural expression of the orcs themselves; the same as the dancing, chanting, and drumming which all go on here. And if you are fortunate, this is all you see. You won't see the horrific shadows lurking at the edge of the tree-line, you won't see the bizzarre, reality-defying creatures which wander into the fray at its height, and you will hopefully never be struck by sort of visions which may assault the mind of any who lingers at one of these gatherings for too long of a time.
And what about when the ritual is over? The orcs devoted to this god (who you may identify by the many crude wood-and-bone charms they have incorporated into their armor and the strange patterned tattoos many have covering significant portions of their skin) spend a fair amount of their time outside of battle in prayer and contemplation, or enjoying peculiar substances and the effects that they bring about, sometimes believing their hallucinations to be holy visions. In battle, you will see that they are the ones most likely to have poisoned their blades or the ones most efficiently using the various salves, potions, and poultices afforded to those orcs who practice their own crude form of alchemy. While very few orcs are born with the gift of magic, many who serve the god of magic gladly make use of the magic stored and contained in the natural world, and you can see many devotees of Krull'nuk running into battle with various bottles, bags, and bombs attached to their persons.
The color most associated with Krull'nuk is green. It is even said that once upon a time, there was a cult of Krull'nuk worshippers whose tongues were stained green either through their use of poisons or some other alchemical effect. I have been unable to confirm or deny the existence of this secretive sect. The animal symbollic to Krull'nuk is the snake: that creature which winds its way through creation, spreading poison which may contain madness, illness, or death, all while whispering secrets to those strong enough to withstand its other “gifts.”
And as for Krull'nuk himself, is there any evidence of his existence? Any reason to believe that these orcish fanatics aren't simply delusional from their love of drugs and toxins? Sadly, yes! While one would often think that a god of magic, one who holds and manipulates the threads of fate which hold our reality together would act mostly through mysterious means, passing omens, and an invisible hand, this is no subtle serpent! No, Krull'nuk is known for being direct, and about as subtle as a large green fist to the face. I have personally witnessed a number of orcs exploding, being engulfed in flames, and even having a chance meteor dropping on their heads. Some of these incidents made perfect sense, as an orc warrior in the cult would challenge the validity of one of their magicians, and before the mage could act against them, the orc exploded in a bout of green fire! I have also spied on them while they sat in group prayer, and more than once, a chance orc in the group would erupt in that same green flame, only to perish moments later. The other orcs looked up to see their burning comrade and immediately went back to their prayers, as though this was ordinary! Surely this is a god that does not tolerate disrespect or blasphemy, even in one's own mind! And if this is not enough proof for you, dear reader, I beg you not to seek out proof for yourself. The things I have seen while observing their rituals are beyond unspeakable! Stare too long into the flames of their horrific bonfire and you will see visions of worlds which do not exist, cannot exist, populated by creatures much the same! Cities made with what I can only describe as reverse geometry, an absolute chaos to the ordered mind of man! Forms which are an assult on the very idea of nature, even those strange guests to the rituals pale in comparison to the visions I have beheld! Though the orcs describe him as a god of magic, I have come to see him as a god of madness. Beyond that, I have come to fear him. His cult has grown more and more powerful as of late, and they seem to have been greatly bolstered by the recent war effort. Heed my warning, reader: do not trifle with this bizzarre god or his insane followers. It will only spell disaster for you.
-Darrin Hauck, Explorer and Anthropologist
