Luthic

Luthic was the orc goddess of caves and mate of Gruumsh, the patron of female orcs, healing, and home. The Cave Mother was their maternal paragon, raising her brood under the earth to be strong and vicious, and she would fight with the savage determination of a mother bear to protect her children. She was the enduring bedrock on which orc culture rested, and the force of stability that kept the tribe grounded when Gruumsh's rage threatened to blow them apart.

"An orc life is a god-ridden life. Luthic's at birth, Luthic's at death, and striving to prove themselves to Gruumsh in between."

- Elminster's notes in Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Description
Luthic appeared as an tall, female orc with dark brown skin unprotected by any armor. Her skin tone was lighter around her nose and ears, while her hair and eyes were a dull shade of black. She also had black, long claws, and was often thought to take on the guise of a giant cave bear.

Personality
Though she could hardly be said to be a kind figure, being known for her pure viciousness and easily provoked, nasty temper, Luthic was the most matronly (as befit her role) and perhaps the least wicked of the orc gods. She smiled upon healing granted to the deserving (those injured in war) and dealt with the wounded with terse efficiency. Few beings were as implacably dogged and fiercely protective as the Cave Mother, who would sooner rip apart any threat to her children with her bare, clawed hands than let anyone take them from her.

Despite her ferocity, Luthic was also cunning and wise, capable of manipulating others into serving her own ends. While Gruumsh saw his eternal war with goblinkind in Acheron as a chance for his people to combat an eager foe, allowing them to prove themselves to their gods, Luthic took the long view of the conflict and could understand its cosmic implications. The lessons she imparted on her children were for all their survival, whether on the Material Plane or throughout the multiverse.

Powers
Luthic used various magical methods to undo her foes. She could create a literal storm of blood, causing necrosis in anyone caught within the rain, and her mere presence was a call for blood to be spilt. She could incite a blood frenzy that made wounded allies more deadly, and the injured near her were not only made more vulnerable, but if struck by someone in a blood frenzy, would put them under her control. She could also inflict wasting illnesses on those who irritated her and render others so vulnerable to disease that even the most minor ailments could prove fatal in less than a week, with only three wish spells able to undo the curse.

Aside from her overtly sorcerous powers, Luthic drew much of her strength and endurance from the earth itself. She healed from her wounds while in contact with the earth (though she could fly through hovering if she chose) and could not be paralyzed, petrified, blinded, or deafened if underground or otherwise in the dark. Even the rest of her pantheon feared her great claws, which could not only extend several feet, but were unbreakable and strong enough to tunnel through solid rock.

Possessions
Avatars of Luthic were known to carry a stone controlling earth elementals and potion of extra-healing.

Realm
In the Great Wheel cosmology, like most of the orc pantheon, Luthic dwelt in Nishrek, the cube of Acheron where the orcs conducted their endless war against the goblinoids. Originally she, like Bahgtru and Ilneval, dwelt on smaller cubes orbiting the primary one, but eventually she relocated to deep within the center of the main block. Her relatively tiny following, the Black Claw clan, remained independent of the others due to their control over healing and fertility magic.

In other cosmologies, where Nishrek was its own realm separate from Acheron, Luthic lived in the caverns beneath Gruumsh's iron fortress along with the female petitioners. Most of Nishrek was marred by eternal carnage, a warped reflection of the world twisted by orcish ideals of perfection where tribes constantly battled for supremacy and divine recognition. Luthic's followers did not participate in the conflict, instead, on occasion, tending to the wounded in the short time it took before they recover (since the plane was permeated by positive energy, wounds healed faster).

Activities
Luthic dispatched avatars to heal orcs after great battles and sometimes to watch over and protect orcs during rituals of fertility. Hidden deep inside Nishrek, she also spread plagues as she deemed appropriate; anyone that abused her name, orc or non-orc, she might curse with wasting disease or weaken their ability to handle sickness. Through her divisive ploys and fostered discord, she created cracks in the order standing in the path of Gruumsh's desire for destruction.

Relationships
Despite fearing her claws, the other gods of the orc pantheon paid Luthic only a modicum of respect, and even then only because Luthic was Gruumsh's wife. Though outwardly servile to the male orc gods, the volatile goddess detested their behavior and only grudgingly accepted their placating arrogance. However, Luthic was in a more advantageous position than her officially lower status would suggest. In truth, she was one of the few beings able to bend the ears of Gruumsh and Bahgtru (despite being seen as Gruumsh's servant), could manipulate both, and wasn't shy about using this to her advantage, often getting her way through them.

While Gruumsh didn't give heed to his wife, their son, Bahgtru, certainly did. Too stupid to do so on his own, it was normally Gruumsh or Luthic that had to urge Bahgtru to send his avatar, and the Leg-Breaker trusted both his parents completely. Luthic was even closer to Bahgtru then Gruumsh was, and was actually able to countermand the One-Eyed God's orders to his son; if forced to choose between the two, Bahgtru would unfailingly side with his mother. Gruumsh, if only begrudgingly, tolerated this minor disobedience, as his son was otherwise loyal.

Luthic had a deep loathing of the traditional enemies of the orc pantheon, including the Morndinsamman, Seldarine, and goblinoid pantheon. However, she was also willing to engage in diplomacy with other gods, having supposedly been secretly communicating with the Witch Queen Hecate for assistance against the goblinoids. Relatedly, Hecate had managed to obtain the Eye of Gruumsh, the one shot out by Corellon, and had set up a trail of clues for Gruumsh to potentially find it, presuming he could figure them out.

By unknown means, Luthic secured the Eye, but did not give it to her husband. Luthic was actually involved in a secret romance with Grumbar, god of elemental earth, and eventually the eye was given to the Earth Lord to keep him from leaving in his own attempt to keep Luthic from her husband's wrath. Though Gruumsh eventually discovered the affair, the consequences were unknown. Grumbar aside, Ilneval also lusted after Luthic, but was afraid to act on the desire lest he anger He Who Watches.

Luthic's proxy was Tamurrda, a female orc with dusky white skin that ruled the shadowy caverns below Nishrek's surface and provided comfort and aid to those honorably wounded in battle, especially granting assistance to those of Luthic's Black Claw clan or Bahgtru's Broken Skull or Iron Fist clans. She was feared, hated, and respected for her powerful healing broths, restorative salves, and omens regarding the outcomes of strategies.

Worshipers
Luthic was greatly feared by the followers of Gruumsh, for his worshipers believed her to be his servant because she embodied his desire to create confusion and mayhem. While the short-sighted followers of the One-Eyed God looked down on the female deity, Luthic was actually incredibly vital and proved herself to be much more useful than most males could conceive. It was Luthic's binding influence that preventing the violent savagery and ambitious warring of the orcs from destroying them, the Cave Mother acting as the glue that held orc culture together.

It was Luthic's worshipers that raised young orcs to be warriors, and while Ilneval was the orc god of strategy, she was known to inspire orcs in their dreams with a red moon, awakening the taste of blood in their mouths and granting them strategies greater than direct attacks. Her auspices communed with the feared followers of Yurtrus, and her priestesses brought orcs nearing their end to both him and Shargaas to be carried into death and the great unknown.

Few orcs directly prayed to Luthic, but she was among the most accepting of the orc gods and her clergy was prominent in most tribes, if only because she claimed the majority of female adherents. Males could also join despite her representation of the opposite sex, though they had be lawful evil as opposed to females who could be any evil, while nearly every other orc god permitted only male clerics. Males typically worshiped Luthic for her healing abilities and personal ferocity, and she was generally worshiped by orcs and half-orcs alike who desired safety, but her following was outwardly weak compared to most and subservient to that of Gruumsh. Still, the faithfulness of her devotees was enough to grant her plenty of power.

Clerics of Luthic could lay on hands like paladins (although only after a battle), and cast spells like darkness, and regenerate; a few of them became runecasters, using magic learnt from the giants that sometimes lived alongside orc tribes. Many orc tribes forbade females from touching weapons, though if allowed to carry arms, Luthican worshipers used edged weapons aside from arrows. However, devotees of Luthic also learnt unarmed combat, utilizing the martial prowess of a monk to defeat their foes. To defend themselves against the raiders of other tribes, some combined clerical magic, runic power, and monastic study to become the rumored runeclaws. Sometimes these were female orcs too old for childbirth, especially the older wives of orc chiefs, that wanted to prove they were still useful.

Luthic's particularly devoted also grew out and lacquered their nails in imitation of their goddess, which the Blood Moon Witch sometimes rewarded by making their claws as tough as iron, talons that they would learn to use as weapons just as Luthic did. The most powerful of the Cave Mother's disciples were the Claws of Luthic, who tended to the orc brood, raising them to be as strong and cruel as their parents, from deep within the caves. Given magic to heal, protect, and curse, Luthic's claws would keep the tribe together by any means necessary, whether by tradition and superstition, omen and ceremony, or fear and force. To be beaten and bloodied would only make them fight all the harder.

Orcs believed that orogs, orcs with exceptional strength and intellect, had been blessed by Luthic, and were a gift to the tribe. Some orc chiefs feared them, and felt tempted to kill the young ones to preserve their positions even though doing so would likely anger Luthic, so they were raised out of sight. However, what most chiefs didn't understand was that orogs served more as a balancing force, for they were indoctrinated by Luthic's priestesses to protect other Luthicans and non-raiders in a tribe and prevent the tribe from splintering when the old chief died and/or many warriors were killed. Orcs guarding Luthican clerics fought with feral madness that made them dangerous, but also more vulnerable to attack. Still, orogs typically worshiped Gruumsh and Luthic foremost because of their might, and a rogue olog might seek to create a religious schism in the tribe.

Aside from orcs, Luthic was also worshiped by some earth genasi, whether or not they were devoted enough to be actual clerics.

Dogma
Many aspects of orc life fell under Luthic's purview, and as such the duties of her priestesses and priests were varied. One of the Cave Mother's teachings was of the importance of earth, with which she had a strong affinity. Life sprang forth from the ground and the caverns sheltered that life, for caves were the bastion of orc strength and a source of their valor, ensuring the race would survive as long as they stayed close to the earth (and Luthic with it).

Luthican orcs rubbed dirt on themselves in the hopes of having many children, and even if not actually required, her clerics used earth when casting curative spells as a symbolic gesture. The Cave Mother was said to dig the dwellings of her children herself, and her worshipers followed suit, digging deep into the caverns of their dens to create more living space for the desired, ever-expanding population while the rest of the tribe raided. Luthic's followers were given raid captives and used them as slave labor to dig more space, as well as other menial tasks.

Being the orc goddess of fertility, (moreso for females, with Gruumsh being prayed to for male virility) Luthic demanded that orcs mated often and indiscriminately to ensure the race's hordes would swell each generation. Luthic's clergy formed the stable base of many tribes, ensuring a steady, healthy crop of future warriors were born each year. Luthic could also extend an orc's relatively short natural lifespan through her divine blessing, though Gruumsh was never pleased when she did so and frowned upon such orcs.

As followers of a god of healing and primitive medicine, most Luthicans were skilled in such ways, and as well as teaching simple herbalism to others, attended to the wounded, the young, and those about to give birth. The latter females were relieved of their other duties and taken to the lair's whelping pens, where Luthic's faithful acted as midwives. The Cave Mother's symbol and favored beast was the cave bear, and her followers honored this aspect by raising such creatures alongside orc whelps, using their pets to guard the squabbling spawn as well as resting slaves.

Perhaps most crucially, the followers of the Blood Moon Witch were to honor her wisdom, for Luthic's strength was at the core of an orc horde and an orc's bravery. Enduring the hardships of life, understanding one's position in the tribe, and doing one's part to strengthen and guarantee the tribe's survival against the predations of its rivals was paramount. Luthican devotees helped to restore and maintain the moral of the tribe, and as Luthic was a god of servitude (particularly female servitude) performed several "household" tasks. They were the crafters, builders, and engineers responsible for manufacturing the crude weapons, armor, and other few items needed by orcs on a daily basis, as well as fortifying and maintaining their strongholds and watching over the food supply.

Rituals
The clerics and adepts of Luthic prayed for their spells daily, when the moon was highest in the sky. The holy days of Luthic were tied to the moon, particularly the new moon, which was symbolic of orc fertility. Luthican priests celebrated the Feast of the Moon as the Coming of the Winter Cave, since most tribes would have to retreat to Cave Mother's earthy embrace during the winter months, and during this festival much mating was performed and many children were conceived, adding to the ranks of future warriors.

Speaking of The Blood Moon Witch was normally taboo for most, given her penchant for spreading sickness when her name was used inappropriately, but the savage priests of Gruumsh came out of their caves under blood moons to commit vile atrocities in Luthic's name. Sacrifices of various treasures were also offered to the Great Mother on Midwinter.

Clothing and Temples
Followers of Luthic wore brown and black leather armor and fur caps.

Luthican clerics conducted her services underground, with cave halls serving as their places of worship. Most had their quarters in a cavern near the tribe's war hearth, sequestered away where they could supervise their charges. Along with the food stores and whelping pens, where young orcs would reside until they came of age, was a shrine of Luthic, where she was represented with a crude stone statue smeared with red ochre except for the claws, which were coated in charcoal. Orc tribes fully devoted to her, known as Vile Rune tribes, stayed underground most of the time and conducted fewer raids, but acted with greater ferocity when their homes were threatened.

History and Legends
Were it not for the influence of Luthic and her followers, the orcs would likely be little more than small bands of marauding nomads barely able to scratch out a niche for themselves in the world, rather than a dangerous force able to muster hordes of warriors. Indeed, the first orcs to migrate to Toril were but feral savages, animalistic beings that sporadically and sloppily raided other civilizations, but were too busy warring amongst each other to be a serious threat to larger nations. The situation had been as such since the dawn of the elves and stayed that way thousands of years after the rise of the dwarves and humans, and only in more recent times, around -3800 DR, did the descendent population of those orcs form into actual tribes.

Mother's Day
The orcs had been fighting a cosmic war with the goblins for eons on end, battling the minions of Maglubiyet for eons without resolution. Gruumsh was partially to blame for the poor state of his pantheon, for in his attempt to claim a plane for the orcs to call home (while refusing to yield to Maglubiyet's goblin legions) the orc pantheon had been forced to move across the multiverse. They had been reported as being native to the Nine Hells, Gehenna, and Acheron, and the dogged refusal of either side to admit defeat lead those who studied the war to believe it would never end.

The archmage Tzunk however, had a different perspective, noting that Maglubiyet had never faced such a bestially protective foe as Luthic before. If need be, the Cave Mother would take to the battlefield without hesitation and claw out Maglubiyet's beady eyes to protect her children, and Tzunk predicted that the war would end with Luthic the only one remaining, the Great Mother ascending to rule her warrior children.

Behind the Scenes

 * Luthic was first detailed in Roger E. Moore's article "The Half-Orc Point of View," in Dragon #62 (TSR, 1982).[1] In Dragon #92 (December 1984), Gary Gygax indicated this as one of the deities legal for the Greyhawksetting.[2] She also appeared in the original Unearthed Arcana (1985).[3]
 * Luthic was detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about her priesthood.[4] Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).[5] Luthic's role in the Forgotten Realms is revisited in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).[18]

Connections
Luthic