Goblinoid deities

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, goblinoids worship a variety of deities. Each of the three main types of goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears) each has its own pantheon of deities (or a single deity in the case of hobgoblins) that they worship.

Goblin deities

Bargrivyek

Main article: Bargrivyek

Bargrivyek is the goblin deity of cooperation and territory. He is known as the Peacekeeper because he tolerates no war between goblin tribes. However, he is not a gentle god and he desires to see goblins destroy their enemies, particularly orcs.

Khurgorbaeyag

Main article: Khurgorbaeyag

Khurgorbaeyag is the goblin deity of slavery, oppression, and morale. He acts as a trusted lieutenant of Maglubiyet, though he secretly harbors a desire to rule the goblin pantheon himself.

Maglubiyet

Further information: Maglubiyet

Meriadar

Further information: Meriadar

Stalker

Stalker is the goblinoid deity of hate, death, and cold. Stalker is described as being opposed to all living things, and thus, has no true worshipers.

Bhuka deities

Kikanuti

Kikanuti
Game background
Title(s) Mother Deity
Power level Lesser
Alignment Neutral Good
Portfolio Protection, fertility
Domains Earth, Good, Magic, Protection, Plant, Summer[1]
Design details

Kikanuti is the goddess of the desert goblins, known as bhukas, in some campaign settings of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. She is one of the rare good-aligned deities of the goblinoids. Bhukas believe that Kikanuti brought them forth from the Lower World, a great cavern that they call the Second Womb. She nurtures and protects them in the Upper World from more savage races and against the harsh desert environment.

Kikanuti appears most frequently as a bhuka woman with braids of corn, dressed in a brightly painted tunic. She also takes many other forms. Her symbol is a clay pot painted with a stylized bird.[1]

Priestesses of the bhukas are called Grandmother. Her worshipers participate in ritual dances wearing masks.

Kikanuti and her followers are on unfriendly terms with the head of the goblin pantheon Maglubiyet. They believe that he enslaves his people and keeps them underground, cut off from the light and the joys of life. Kikanuti's holy weapon is a mace.

Hobgoblin deities

Nomog-Geaya

Main article: Nomog-Geaya

Nomog-Geaya is the hobgoblin deity of war and authority. He is the patron deity of hobgoblins, but hobgoblins are also known to worship Maglubiyet. His symbol is a crossed longsword and handaxe.

Bugbear deities

The bugbear pantheon is usually led by Hruggek, the god of violence and combat. The pantheon is primarily worshiped by bugbears, a race of savage humanoids described as goblinoids in the context of the game.

Publication history

The bugbear pantheon is first mentioned in the first edition sourcebook Deities and Demigods, which states that there are six deities in the bugbear pantheon, including gods of earth, death, fertility, hunting and fear. Despite this, only Hruggek is detailed, and is stated to be a lesser deity.

The second edition sourcebooks On Hallowed Ground and Monster Mythology feature Hruggek, Grankhul and Skiggaret as members of the bugbear pantheon. Hruggek is stated to be an intermediate deity in this edition.

Hruggek is featured in the third edition sourcebooks Defenders of the Faith and Faiths and Pantheons. The revised third edition sourcebook Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss briefly mentions Grankhul and Skiggaret. Hruggek is briefly mentioned in the Complete Divine sourcebook.

Hruggek is featured in the fourth edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, where he is presented as an evil exarch presiding over the sphere of ambush.

Grankhul

Main article: Grankhul

Grankhul is the bugbear deity of hunting, senses, and surprise. Grankul's symbol is two eyes that are ever open in the darkness.

Hruggek

Main article: Hruggek

Hruggek is the chief deity of bugbears, the deity of violence and combat. His symbol is a morningstar.

Skiggaret

Main article: Skiggaret

Skiggaret is the bugbear deity of fear. He is depicted as a half-mad being who roams the mortal world in his avatar form, a jet black bugbear with red lips, hands and feet. Skiggaret's symbol is a black claw.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cordell, Bruce R., Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, and J.D. Wiker. Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (Wizards of the Coast, 2005).

Additional reading