Something must be said of the Black Heart Tribe of the Storm Horns before one can understand the strange forces that created Ghoruk Ulkrunnar. Living in the mountains above Eveningstar, they have had frequent contact with humans, either with farmers who they raid, or adventurers who reprise the orc's raids on the farms near Eveningstar. This constant contact means that a quarter of the tribe is half-orc, and half of the rest have some degree of human blood. Human slaves rarely last long, but between them and the adventurers, the pantheon of the tribe has expanded to include some decidedly non-orcish deities, who have unique attributes to the orcish tribe, due to their own point of view, and partially based on their own oral history. For example, the assertion that Lathander uses a fiery spear is based on an event about 100 years ago, when a priest of Lathander who did indeed wield a flaming spear attacks and decimated the tribe.
Chauntea is understood as analogy to their own Luthic, but one who looks over the humans, rather than the orcs. Helm and Tyr are seen as two brothers, vengeful warriors who carry with them the wrath of the human race; their names in Orcish are Yam and Dur. Lathander (Lorub) and Selune (Shurga) are married, but Shurga takes pity on the orcish race; while Lorub throws fiery spears into the eyes of all of pure orcish blood, Shurga provides a gentler light. It is because of this kindness that the Black Heart tribe prefers to conduct raids on nights of the new moon, when Shurga does not have to see what they do.
Due to dealings with humans of questionable character, the tribe has a somewhat better understanding of the druid deities of Mielikki (Mukul), Malar (Mar), and Silvanus (Sharkúl). They are seen as a family, with Sharkul as the father, and Mar and Mukul being his fractious children. Mukul builds up the tribes of the animals, providing them to the orcs as food and ensuring that the strongest thrive. Mar teaches the orcs how to hunt, but in his pride and anger destroys indiscriminately, culling the strong simply to prove himself stronger. They constantly struggle, with Sharkul watching, assuring that the weak are culled and the strong thrive.
The remaining Gods common to Cormyr (Deneir, Tempus, Tymora, Waukeen, Lliira and Milil) are not much considered by the orcs. From their clashes with adventurers they know of Tempus, but see him more in terms of their own Yurtrus; a silent figure who brings only death and disease in his wake. He is simply called Yurtrus in Orcish, and that he carries and axe rather than simply using his bare hands is seen as the humans not understanding the ways of the Gods as the orcs do.
Many human priests would be shocked to see the bloody rites which are conducted to these gods; Yam and Dur, in particular, receive frequent sacrifices of humans and animals, in the hopes that they will be pleased and leave the orcs in peace. Of the adopted human gods, only Shurga (most CN), Mukul (TN), Mar (NE, CE), and Sharkul (TN, NE, CN) have true priests amongst the orcs; the others are appeased, not worshiped. Most of those priests are adepts, with a rare druid. Almost all clerics in the tribe are devoted to an orcish god, with Gruumsh being the patron of the tribe itself.
Ghoruk Ulkrunnar was never a normal member of his tribe. Being only half-orc, he was far more intelligent that his half-brothers and cousins, but he was still blessed with attributes greater than the average orc, and sharp senses (especially his senses of smell and hearing). He took well to the war-arts of his tribe, mastering the violent, wild fighting style that so many warriors favored. He also was considered a wise hunter; not the best in the tribe by any means, but certainly well-accomplished for his age, and considered one of Mukul's favorites because of this. All was well, to his mind, for the Black Heart tribe.
In the spring of 1369, however, a stranger came from the North. This alone should have alerted the tribe, for all knew that the North was the direction of death and black magic. This stranger looked like an orc, but all could sense that he had great power within him. He called himself The Tanarukk, but he was really one of a foul race by that name, bred in Hellgate Keep as warriors. With the destruction of Hellgate Keep, his kind had spread out, reveling in their freedom and their strength. The Tanarukk came, demanding that he be made the leader of the Black Heart Tribe. With a single swipe of his fell blade, he dropped the former chieftain, an orc of great strength and tougher than old oak, to the ground. The second blow from the demon-spawned creature swept the chieftain's head from his shoulders. In short order, The Tanarukk also killed three more warriors who challenged him, taking no more than a nick from their greatest blows. The new chieftain of the Black Heart tribe began raiding more violently into Cormyrean territory, even attacking Eveningstar and burning three homes before being driven back. Each time there would be wounds aplenty, but the suddenness and brutality of the raids ensured that many more humans were left dead than orcs. Soon, raids were coming on nights where Shurga could see what the orcs had done. The elders of the tribe, old warriors of failing strength but great skill warned that these would make Shurga angry, and soon were proven right.
Adventurers began pouring into the Storm Horns, seeking out the tribe. The Tanarukk forced the tribe deeper into the mountains, away from the herds and food stores that they knew, and into wars of territory with other tribes. Ghoruk fought in some of these wars, gaining scars of adulthood across his chest and arms. When orcish armies invaded Arabel, Ghoruk became separated from his tribe; a misstep caused him to slide down an embankment, forcing him to travel westward through the ravine. He came out of the hills above Eveningstar.
His clothes and weapons marked him an outlander, even if his orcish features had not. He sold the dire flail that he had carried, buying instead weapons that he was comfortable with, and joining a caravan as a guard and tracker. He worked as such for two months, until one day he found himself in Eveningstar, sleeping on his employer's wagon to protect it. Suddenly, the night was split by the war-cries of attacking orcs, their shields carrying the symbol of the Black Heart tribe.
Ghoruk fought wildly, unable to convince his kinsmen that he was a member of their tribe; his human clothes marked him as an enemy. Behind him, he heard the wagon he had guarded explode in flame, and turned to see The Tanarukk stride form the wreckage, clothing smoking and a burning hatred in his eyes. Ghoruk had seen the strength of the fell beast, and hurried to defend himself, bringing up his own axe in a desperate parry. Casually, The Tanarukk batted the young warrior aside, hurling him into a wall, where he fell unconscious.
As the raiders fell back, beaten off by human warriors, Ghoruk dreamed. In his dream he saw Mukul standing over him, urging him to his feet. She touched her horn to his chest, and he felt whole again. He reached out and took her horn in his hand; it came free, lengthening into a great sword made of unicorn ivory. The Tanarukk stood across from him, gaining claws made of black obsidian from a leucrotta, the creature of Mar, and using them to decimate his own tribe. In his dream, Ghoruk screamed a battle cry, charging the demon-spawn. Twisted orcs sprang from the ground to protect The Tanarukk, but at Ghoruk's side appeared others; two bearing the symbol of Dur, one throwing flame, the other laying about him with a blade glowing in holy light, and a third warrior of great strength. They attacked the twisted orcs, as Ghoruk himself squared off against The Tanarukk. There was a roar of flame, and a peal of thunder, and Ghoruk awoke. He looked out on the city of Eveningstar, Lorub's time over the land now beginning. No mere dream, he knew that he had seen a vision, and that he must find the warriors who would help him destroy the demon-spawn, and lessen the evil committed by his tribe.
Description: Ghoruk is perhaps more fortunate than other half-orcs. While he shares the general features and build of all half-orcs, his skin tans naturally, meaning he doesn't carry the unhealthy grey coloring of his kin. His hair is black and coarse, and hangs to his shoulders. What appears to be a severe case of male-pattern baldness is actually intentional; like many of his tribe, Ghoruk shaves the top of his head when possible. His eyes are nearly black, but the pupils glow red when he's enraged.
Disposition: Ghoruk is given to fits of extreme rage, interspersed with periods of calm rationality; if he were in the modern world, he'd probably be heavily medicated. When angry, he's somewhat prone to violence, but it's usually a proportionate amount of violence; he's not likely to attack someone with an axe because they insulted him, but he's not above punching them a few times. In his periods of rationality, he's very level-headed, and has a certain alien common sense; he views things far differently than most people around him, but his actions show a consistency with the values of his tribe, along with a slowly emerging altruistic streak. He tends to respect the rules of wherever he visits, but will sometimes break them to act on either his own conscience or anger.