Luthic

Luthic was the orc goddess of caves and the mate of Gruumsh. She was the orc deity of fertility, medicine, females and servitude and was often referred to as the Cave Mother. She was the bedrock on which the orc pantheon and way of life rested.

"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. From 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.

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

Dogma
Luthic's clerics and adepts worked to ensure a healthy crop of future orc warriors were born each year.

Rituals
Followers of Luthic observed holy days on the new moon, symbolic of orc fertility. A yearly "Feast of the Moon" was celebrated by her worshipers to observe the changing of seasons, when many of her followers were forced to take refuge in caves for the coldest months of the year. This event enabled the conception of many young orcs to add to the ranks of warriors in the horde.

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