Dretha

Dretha

(Deity)

Titles

Dark Mother

Realm

Volkorgoth, Maelstrom

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Areas of Concern

Birth
Fertility
Tribes

Worshipers

Orcs

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Chaos, Community, Evil, Protection

Subdomains (1E)

Defense, Demon, Family, Home

Favored Weapon

Scimitar

Symbol

Two gauntleted fists

Sacred Animal

Dire wolf

Sacred Colors

Brown, green

Images of Dretha

Source: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, pg(s). 28

Dretha, the Dark Mother, is the orc goddess of fertility, birth, and death. She presides over orc domestic life and watches over female orcs carrying, birthing, and rearing children, as she believes in strength in numbers and strong warriors. She blesses those who fight to protect their family, lands, or possessions from enemies. Dretha is subservient to the other gods of the orc pantheon due to her gender, and is generally depicted as very sullen and filled with hidden rage.

Appearance

Dretha is depicted as a pregnant orc with a swollen belly, large breasts, and small limbs and head.

Relationships

Orcs usually claim Dretha to be the mate of their tribe's preferred male god. She is said to be an ancient enemy of Lamashtu, and her followers rarely venerate the Mother of Monsters.

Cults

Dretha is the most commonly worshipped orc god: orc tribes might favour different male gods but all acknowledge her and ask for her aid in defence or procreation. Most of her followers are orc women, who sometimes offer sacrifices to Dretha to ensure that they survive childbirth and that their children are strong. Dretha also has a strong following amongst the ratfolk known as Belkzen Creepers, who dwell among and under the rocky islands that dot the depths of the Dirt Sea, one of the harshest parts of the Hold of Belkzen.

References

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