Lore of Gruumsh

This lore was passed down to Shaman Soo Ma Tai by the great Priest of Gruumsh Soong Toi' Wei

As written in the age of Wardar by Goral-mek, Augur of BahgTru

I am Goral-mek. The Voice of BahgTru, who is the first son of Gruumsh. The time of Da Jhur Gah is fast to approach. I have seen it thus in the viscera of my elven slaves. There can be no mistake about its truth, this I know for I sought for a hundred nights to find the message clear. One hundred nights and one hundred elven lives did I give to my gods to come upon this truth. Now in the crust of vitals and of blood, with BahgTru's voice in my ears I relay on this parchment the full scope of my Orcish brothers. Past, present and future will I pen here and I will do so in the common writ so that the peoples of the world will know it…and weep.

Of the beginning and Grummsh's promise

In the beginning all the gods met and drew lots for the parts of the world in which their races would dwell. The human gods drew the lot that allowed humans to dwell where they pleased, in any environment. The elven gods drew the green forests. The dwarven deities drew the high mountains, the gnomish gods the rocky, sunlit hills, and the halfling gods picked the lot that gave them the fields and meadows. Then the assembled gods turned to the orcish gods and laughed loud and long. "All the lots are taken!" they said tauntingly. "Where will your people dwell, One-Eye? There is no place left!" There was silence upon the world then, as Grummsh One-Eye lifted his great iron spear and stretched it over the world. The shaft blotted the sun over a great part of the lands as he spoke: "No! You Lie! You have rigged the drawing of the lots, hoping to cheat my followers and me. But One-Eye never sleeps. One-Eye sees all. There is a place for orcs to dwell... here!" he bellowed, and his spear pierced the mountains, opening craggy rifts and deep chasms. "And here!" The spearhead split the hills to reveal gullies and pits. "And here!" The black spear gouged the meadows and made them bare and harsh deserts. Then Grummsh pounded the haft of his spear into the earth defiantly and where the ground was smote did rise brackish waters and stunted trees and foul gasses wafted up and there were the swamps. The true home of his people for it was closest to the feet of their lord. "There!" roared He-Who-Watches triumphantly, and his voice carried to the ends of the world. "There is where the orcs shall dwell! There they will survive, and multiply, and grow stronger, and a day will come when they shall cover the world, and they will slay all of your collective peoples! Orcs shall inherit the world you sought to cheat me of!" With this Grummsh returned to his iron fortress. No one tried to intervene, for they feared that in his rage Grummsh might loose his followers upon the world, and although together the other gods may have stopped him, their loss and the loss to their peoples would have been great indeed. It was in these beginning days, when it was darkest and coldest that the Orcs began whispering of their future. A time when the Orcs would rise to destroy all others and rule the world that was stolen from them. In low grumbling chants the shaman and priest began to spread the stories of their journey towards Grummsh's promise. Towards The JhurGah.

Of the War with the Elves.

In days long past, it is told that Grummsh roamed the world free and sought for his Orcs a place to live and breed. During one of his journeys the elven god Corellon who was fearful of Grummsh and his people set upon him. Corellon wanted to be rid of Grummsh and so planned an ambush for him. While Grummsh searched about, Corellon nocked a silver arrow upon his bow and fired it into Grummsh's left eye. Enraged, Grummsh attacked and almost killed Corellon. The elf god managed to escape though and fled to his woodland home. When the Orcs were put on the world they were rallied by Grummsh's and the tribes united for the first time. Some spoke of The JhurGah and others joined the talk. Alas, this was not to be. The gathered tribes flooded the forests of the elves and many years of battle ensued. Though the Orcs were strong, the elves had many allies and many tricks that they used to hold back the Orcs. After a time it would seem that Grummsh was appeased by the elven blood spilled and though the Orcs could have pressed and maybe even have taken the elves then and ended them for all time, it was not Grummsh's will. The blood rage of the Orcs receded and they returned to their homes. Though they did so grudgingly. This is why Orcs hate the elves.

Of the coming of The Jhur' Gah

Grummsh has lent voice and vision to his Orcs. To the Shaman and the Priest, the Augur and the Hag. All know the dreams and the visions. All know the story of The Jhur' Gah. In these signs you will know that The Jhur' Gah is upon you. One will come forth who has the Promise of Grummsh in his head and the word of Grummsh on his lips. He will start life as a slave and become chief of his masters tribe. Upon the spines of dragons he will start the fire that will ignite the Orcs and their kin. From one to the next the fire will spread until all are singing the chants of war. The tribes and chiefs will fall to the glory of Grummsh's word and only one thought will remain. The Jhur' Gah. Driven by the voice of Grummsh himself they will cover the land and take what is theirs and at the end of the world the first to fall will be the sons and daughters of Corellon.