Xuthakug Three-Eyes

Xuthakug Three-Eyes is an ascended Orc diety, revered in the Orcish Pantheon as a patron to all those who wish to walk the path to Ascension, and the pursuit of personal excellence, whatever that might mean to the individual follower. Orcs hold that he has the domain of all who would perfect their bodies or mind toward their calling in life. He is known as the Perfected for exactly this reason, an epithet he's known to mock. Through him, divine spellcasters gain access to the Knowledge, Nobility, Liberation, and Strength domains. His sacred weapon, the use of which he was famous for in life, is the quarterstaff. His symbol is an orc skull with a third eye in the center of the forehead.

History

While still a mortal orc, Xuthakug was known to be orphaned in the destruction of his community by expansionists from the Shimmering Shores. Captured by the same forces that orphaned him, he was "adopted" by a cleric of Xia Leng and found himself growing up in a monastery dedicated to the same god. As a result of this monastic upbringing, he brought martial and philosophical north with him, returning to the Nation permanently during what was meant to be a temporary pilgrimage to mark his coming of age. As a result, he is well-known throughout the nation. He is unique among the nation's ascended dieties in that he is said to be Awakened rather than ascended, and he ascended to divinity directly from life rather than becoming divine after his own death.

Relationships

Xuthagug is known to be the most peaceable of all the orcish deities. Reverent, if only somewhat so, toward the Fire-keeper, he is otherwise practically-minded and is said to be able to speak politely with any of the dieties of the Pantheon, including the evil primordials Kodo the Devourer and Ogharod the Conqueror. He has great respect for Borba Wise-Eyes and Lum Spear-Breaker. It is said he occasionally spars physically against Buggug Angel-Slayer and verbally against Gul Spell-Speaker. What is less clear is how personally his sparring partners take that opposition.

Appearance

Xuthagug appears as a young orc male, well-muscled and heavily darkened by the sun, with clear skin and a bald-shaved head. He wears simple trousers, and is easily recognized by his third physical eye in the center of his forehead.

Realm

The nature of the universe is such that the creation of Xuthakug's realm occurred in the Bardo. Like all Bardo realms, it is largely a wild expanse, populated only with the spirits that inhabit it more or less naturally. Unlike several other Bardo dieties, he does not keep a single location within his realm civilized, but instead wanders the realm throughout his ongoing practice.

Providence

Xuthakug is said to rarely, if ever, show providence, even to his more devout followers. It is said that he occasionally populates the minds of the students of his followers with challenging questions or knowledge as a test for their teachers and a reminder to stay humble.

Servants

In the bardo, Xuthakug is nominally served by the spirits that inhabit his realm, but he never demands such service or puts orders onto his followers. He wars with no deity and has no need for an army.

Church

Xuthakug's tribe survived, at least in part, and so he is held in common reverence in a number of orcish communities, especially toward the nation's southern frontier with the Shimmering Shores. Though not to the exclusion of the Firekeeper, his teachings and guidelines, where adhered to, form a sort of Law of Awakening that followers espouse as guidance for all who would attain their own godhood or serve their communities well.

Worshippers

Athletes, who seek physical perfection for the pursuit of sport, and monks, who sharpen both body and mind for the sake of perfecting the defense of the Orcish Nation, make up the vast majority of Xuthakug's followers. Known to have been a monk himself in life, Xuthakug spoke highly of the practice and taught many of the ways to his original followers, who have kept the tradition alive.

Clergy

Monks in the service of Xuthakug's temple who excel particularly in sharpening their mind or polishing their spirit often get called into formal service as true clergy, taking on additional holy orders and duties. Dressed like monks, their bald heads set them apart from their fellow monks, as does their skin, which as a rule is kept free from the ink that is common in the orcish practice of tattooing. Such clerics are rarely without their staves, which serve as both a practical tool in their travels and as an expedient weapon, the use of which they are often well-versed in.

Temples & Shrines

In addition to community shrines where observances are made, and must be kept mobile in keeping with the Orcish Nation's semi-nomadic life style, there is a Temple of the Third Eye hidden within the Orcish Nation which is the center of his followers' worship. Pilgrimages to the temple are a common part of his worshippers lives, and the Temple is the only place where formal monastic training can occur or clerical orders be conferred, though often his monks and clerics are sent out into the Nation at large to further their practice and preach the realities of Awakening.

Holy Texts

Like many Orcish deities, Xuthakug's teachings have never been formally codified in a canonical way, but instead are taught as a part of Orcish oral-historical tradition. Many are analgous to legends of Xia Leng.

Church History

Xuthakug himself is said to have founded the Temple of the Third Eye, and achieved his divine awakening there as well. While the church has never been a strong power in Orcish politics, it is among the more likely of the Ascended churches to gain currency at the tribe level.

Holidays

Xuthakug's followers observe no special holidays. In places where he is the dominant god, while festivals are still observed at the usual time they are more often held as secular or civic holidays rather than being focused on him particular, in keeping with his teachings on the importance of personal humility.