Shof'Uk

God of savagery, Shof'Uk is one of the evil gods birthed from the Soulforge ages ago. He gives animals the ferocity they need to survive in the wild and is patron of the hobgoblin races. Favoring brute strength over most forms of combat, Shof'Uk remains a proud god, urging his followers to be strong, or be dead.

Core Statistics
Name: Shof'Uk

Intermediate Deity

Symbol: One eye on the back of a clawed fist.

Alignment: Chaotic Evil.

Patron Creatures: Orcs, Goblins, Ogres.

Domains: Strength, Brutality.

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE.

Favored Weapon: A two-sided Great-Axe with an eye in the middle.

Relatives: Half-brother of Searith, Isod, and Illiaster.

=Relationships= Shof'Uk focuses his energies on his tribe and his followers, not caring for the other denizens of the evil pantheon beyond their potential as a threat. He has many offspring, though had only one mortal son, named Hazt'Auga. Shof'Uk does not consider Dearuhk his mother and does not cooperate with her unless he must, usually by means of force.

Followers
Shof'Uk is widely regarded as the god of savage beasts, for he contends with Searith in the field of creating dangerous creatures. Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears all call him father and worship him, if not a more shamanic, primal version of his ideals in hunting and survival. He has a large following in the Abyss, where the savage fiends follow his will. On Kharlia, his presence is most powerful on the continent of Meridiem.

=Functions= Shof'Uk is the imbued spirit of survival in most savage animals, the instinct of kill or be killed. When spirits are high on adrenaline in a chase through the woods or two creatures are locked in mortal combat, that is the spirit of the orc god. Shof'Uk is not simply the god of simple, brutal things, he also grants cunning to those that would lay traps or track down their prey.

=Residence= Shof'Uk regards several lays of the Nuzalheim as his home. It is a hot, arid place where the winds blow through the layers quickly and without end. He wanders these lands with his tribe of followers, great beasts of savage humanoids that came to him in death and live by hunting and gathering. For many, this is an ideal afterlife. For those unfortunate enough to be prey, it is very much another aspect of hell.

=History= Dearuh's continual abuse of the Soulforge had reached it's breaking point by the time Shof'Uk was created. Spinning out of control, the ferocity of Shof'Uk's birth is perhaps the last straw before Dearuhk lost complete control of the forge and had to cede it's careful containment to the Tashii. Shof'Uk grew up bullied and left to himself on the newly created vistas of the heim, when it's fallout was least stable and natural hazards occurred rapidly. Avoiding explosive fonts of hellfire and dark soulstuff that rained down from the sky, Shof'Uk grew into a strong and hardy deity before long.

When the Time of Sin came, Shof'Uk's natural domain granted those that needed to survive the energies they needed. Animals and humanoids alike worshiped him in those days, and when it came time to wipe the slate clean, Shof'Uk demanded to be heard on the topic of new races; it was only fair that he, too, be allowed to have a part in the formation of mortals and living their lives in a world where life could be harsh. Wol knew this to be fair, and as the Age of Mortals began, Shof'Uk was allowed to father his own races and let them live alongside other mortal races.