Yurtrus Yurtrus was an orc god of death and disease . Where Shargaas symbolized the fear of what lurked in the bowels of the earth , Yurtrus embodied the constant threat of death and plagues with which the orc s lived every day . Description . The Lord of Maggots did not speak or communicate , but sometimes was receptive to prayers and sacrifices to save an individual or a tribe from the ravages of disease . He was depicted as an orc whose body was covered in sores , excepting his hands , which were white and unblemished . History and Relationships . By his very nature , Yurtrus had little relationship with anyone . He offered silent support to Shargaas when he tried to counteract the influence of the three orcish gods of war . Yurtrus certainly maintained links with other gods of death and disease , such as Talona , but perhaps it was more a rivalry than a real alliance . Like the rest of the orc pantheon , Yurtrus hated dwarves , elves , and goblin s , and he opposed them when the opportunity arose . Worshipers . Priesthoods . Apart from some monastic orders , Yurtrus ' s church was not organized and its clergy was dispersed among numerous tribes and clans . The priests were rarely tribal leaders , but the terror inspired by their god gave them greater independence . Clergy were intermediaries between the tribe and Yurtrus when the community was the victim of a disease or an epidemic . In addition , priests of Yurtrus handled the bodies of those who had succumbed to disease , died in battle , or passed away with old age ( which was very rare for orcs ) . The priests of Yurtrus were also responsible for overseeing the food stocks of the tribe , determining when meat was rotten or water too polluted to drink . Thus , some tribes began to worship Yurtrus as a god of food and health to be appeased . The priests and followers of Yurtrus prayed at dusk for their spells . Many clerics are also assassins , divine disciples or monks . Sacrifices were generally offered to the Rotting Lord by inoculating a particularly horrible disease in victims . Holy Days . The Church recognized two major holy days . The first was the Ceremony of Contagion , which was celebrated during on Midsummer . It was said on that day the god spread a contagion that sapped the world of life and drew it inevitably toward winter and the end of the year . After a series of bloody sacrifices to protect the orcs from the ravages of disease , the priests of Yurtrus went forth to spread disease and death worldwide , especially among other races . The second holy day , known as Putrescent Death , was celebrated on the eve of Midwinter . During that night , the clergy of Yurtrus celebrated the death of the world , symbolized by the sacrifice of intelligent creatures from other races . Dogma . Followers of Yurtrus believed death was inevitable for all living beings . The ravages of an epidemic were simply death taking victims who had not fallen in battle , so orcs should choose their end where it was most likely . However , disease would ultimately attack all living creatures . Orcs could only avoid the touch of White Hands by begging for mercy , and they should fear him , for death was always lurking in the shadows of Luthic ' s cave , and it will certainly strike again .