| Category | Higher Powers |
| Power | Greater |
| World | Avalas |
| Alias | Maeraddyth |
| Race | Orc |
| Gender | male |
| Alignment | lawful evil |
| Symbol | unwinking eye |
| Domain | Domination, Evil, Strength, Tyranny, War |
| Enemies | Athena, Ares, Naraz-Nâru, Corellon, Set |
| Born | 3 Witchrite 8774 GE |
| Godhood | 21 Hollow 588 HE |
During the Demon Spawn War, Gruumsh bore a different name and belonged to a distinct race. He was General Maeraddyth, a Kriavfahliil serving in Corellon's armies on Kriav. As part of the Covenant, they battled the demons invading the worlds of the Quara'tun System.
On his final Covenant mission, General Maeraddyth was tasked with a desperate operation. He was reluctant to embark on such a perilous endeavor, yet dutifully carried out the orders, leading his elite commandos to the world of Nasudex. Upon arrival, they launched a swift, surgical strike against a demon lord named Sathumort. The news of Sathumort's downfall shattered demon morale, leading to infighting, restlessness, hopelessness, and a newfound sense of liberation from their oppressive control. Corellon's armies, the 21st and 46thRoots, who were heavily engaged with Sathumort's forces assaulting Liamenor, were ultimately saved by Maeraddyth's decisive actions.
The demon retreat was not due to a lack of leadership, as they had skilled and capable leaders. Sathumort commanded from the rear, but he was no military strategist. What he possessed was a demon lord's authority over his minions. When this control was broken, the inherent chaos and individualistic nature of demons was unleashed. I envision that some questioned their purpose in risking life and limb, while others were preoccupied with the power struggles unfolding back home and the safety of their own interests. Local commanders bickered, fought, plotted, and even carried out assassinations against their rivals. Maeraddyth's sacrifice ended twenty years of war and removed a demon lord from the Abyssal Hegemony.
Corellon, from the book Maeraddyth's Sacrifice - "One for the Cause"
The valiant general and the Maeraddyth Brigade were soon cut off from escape. With demons pursuing and others retreating through the same rift, orders were given to capture Maeraddyth's soldiers. One of Sathumort's loyal concubines, said to have been the true power, planned to make an example of Corellon's most prized expeditionary forces. The captives were mercilessly tortured, then infused with demoniac energy. Of the half that survived this ordeal, they found themselves transformed into something savage, bearing only a slight resemblance to the Kriavfahliil they once were. They became known as the Orc race. Over centuries of indoctrination, they were instilled with a hatred of elves that often surpassed other enmities. General Maeraddyth was one of the survivors. He discarded his elven name, thereafter calling himself Gruumsh. He proved incredibly useful to his demon makers, undertaking war and mayhem in exchange for praise, honing his combat skills, and carrying out the petty whims of his demon supporters.
In the Lith-Crillion Era, Gruumsh traversed numerous lands across myriad worlds. He became a renowned warlord, ceaselessly pursuing combat and instigating it when no foes presented themselves. His life extended by a pair of Cairn Scythes, he grew increasingly malevolent and bloodthirsty with each passing century. Resurrected countless times, he commanded a fanatical following. Some disciples became liches or sought arcane power to remain at his side. By the conclusion of the Lith-Crillion Era, his notoriety and fame as a warmonger rivaled even that of Ares.
In the Horgon Era, Gruumsh was engaged in a great conflict with the Goblin god Maglubiyet. Their armies battled it out on Avalas, with Gruumsh seeking to make himself a god by conquest. Overseeing his military intelligence was a Lith-Crillion named Blac'drugulois. This figure, who would one day create the mightiest orc empire of Bal-Kriav, discovered a way to reach Maglubiyet. His team erected magical wards, preventing anyone from entering or exiting by magical means. Gruumsh then led a perilous surgical strike against the head of goblin leadership, who was a god. Slain on his home world, Maglubiyet's immortality was severed, and he was permanently retired from the ranks of Higher Powers on 21 Hollow 588 HE. By the Rule of Divine Conquest, the mortal Gruumsh then claimed Maglubiyet's tyranny domain, making himself a Cult Power.
In the Second Epoch, Gruumsh's previous insightful advisor Blac'drugulois played a crucial role in augmenting Gruumsh's divine power. The epicenter of this veneration is on the world of Bal-Kriav within the Orchish Empire.
The one-eyed deity Gruumsh harbors a profound animosity towards the god Set and his devoted Khazarkar followers. The Khazarkar Empire, by all accounts, is mightier and more expansive than the Orchish Empire, prompting Gruumsh to urge his flock to assault and ravage the Khazarkars. Detrimental to both empires, with neither gaining significant ground against the other, these conflicts often drag on long enough to satiate the bloodlust of their respective deities.
| Core Worship | Proselytizers |
|---|---|
| Antokepf | Batanullêth |
| Bigmar | Feloren |
| Orchish Empire | Grathirgim |
| Crimson Eye | Grathirgim |
| Ashnákh | |
| Roringrak |
| Trait | Description | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter Foes | +1 damage versus Kriavfahliil and Khazarkars | none |
| Beacon of Strength | +2 inherent strength bonus | priests |
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Pounding Blows | anyone hit by his melee attacks must make fortitude save or be dazed and slowed |