The Cave Mother, the Blood Moon Witch
Lesser Deity
Symbol: Orc rune for home
Home Plane: Nishrek
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Caves, orc females, home, wisdom, fertility, healing, servitude
Worshippers: Monks, orc females, runecasters
Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, NE
Domains: Cavern, Earth, Evil, Family, Healing, Orc
Favoured Weapon: A hand with long claws (Claw Bracer)
Luthic (looth-ick) has a strong affinity for the earth on which her enduring strength is built. Although hardly kind, she tends to the injured with brusque efficiency and is the quiet bedrock on which the orc pantheon rests. The Cave Mother does not take kindly to those who abuse her name, inflicting wasting diseases on those who do. She has a nasty temper that can erupt at any time. Although outwardly servile to the male orc gods, she is cunning enough to manipulate Gruumsh and Bahgtru and through them often get her way.
The church of Luthic is prominent within most orc tribes, if only because it can claim the bulk of the female population as its worshippers, 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. The Feats 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. A few clerics multi-class as runecasters, a form of magic learned from the giants that sometimes dwell alongside orc tribes. Rumours exist of a secret group of Luthicar monks existing within some tribes, attacking unarmed since they are denied the use of weapons by males.
Luthic is the wife of Gruumsh and the mother of Bahgtru, although only the latter pays her heed. The Son of Gruumsh honours his mother’s commands, even above Gruumsh, a small rebellion on the part of his otherwise loyal son that the One-Eye God tolerates only grudgingly. The other orc gods pay her only a modicum of respect and then only because she is the wife of Gruumsh, treatment she grudgingly accepts as her lot even if she detests it. Luthic harbours a deep enmity for the traditional enemies of the orc pantheon, including the goblinoid gods, the dwarven gods and the elven gods.
Life is sheltered within the earth from which it springs. Honour the wisdom of the Cave Mother, whose strength is the backbone of the horde and the root of valour in battle. Understand your position within the tribe and do your part to strengthen the tribe against all rivals. The cave is the sheltering embrace of the Mother of Bahgtru and the bastion of orc strength. Endure all hardships.
Source: Faiths and Pantheons (Page 150)