Horkos

> *"Anger sustains me. Rage is my armour." -Horkos*
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## Summary

Horkos is the orc-like deity of war, pain, and torture. He is a betrayer god, loyal to Thureen. He portrayed as a hulking orcish figure with horns and tusks, wearing spiked metal armour and carrying a large wooden stake with a victim impaled on it.

## History

### Second Astral Birthing

Horkos was born during the Second Astral Birthing, during the battle between the Sun & Moon Tyrants against the Elemental Chaos. Horkos emerged as a formless being of pure hatred, war, and destruction- a manifestation of the battle itself. Over the course of the battle against the Elemental Chaos, Horkos' form hardened into his spiked armoured shell, which protected him from the Elemental Chaos. In the battle, Noz'Ri'Dan, incarnation of fire, attempted to scorch Thureen. Horkos was quicker, and took the blow himself, burning his armour from a brilliant gold to an ashen grey. Horkos' devotion to Thureen and the Celestial Court earned him great respect among the gods.

### Astral Breaking

Horkos dutifully served the Sun and Moon Tyrants for many thousands of years, effectively acting as their dog of war. That was, of course, until the Astral Breaking. When Pyrus discovered he was fated to die by the hand of Thureen, the Sun Father attempted to change his fate by killing the Death God. This attempt failed, but cost the life of Obscurum, Thureen's friend. This resulted in Thureen's conspiracy to slay the Sun Tyrant in revenge. Horkos took the side of Thureen, fueled by a lust for revenge against Pyrus. In the resultant Astral Breaking, Eleusia attempted to revert Thureen's form with her moonbeam - but like with Noz'Ri'Dan so many years ago, he was quicker. Horkos took the blow himself, only this time, it didn't just discolour his armour. Instead, the beam disintegrated his body entirely. However, the war-god's empty armour remained, animated by the formless War-God's focused will and hatred.

## Relationships

Before the Astral Breaking, Horkos was part of a trinity of war gods consisting of himself, Abika, and Merrion. Merrion fought tactically and strategically, using all methods to calculate victory. Abika fought honorably, and was the best duelist of the trinity. Horkos was the most brutal of the three, not content with merely killing his enemies but inflicting the most pain possible onto them. When Abika issued her challenge for her hand in marriage, the remaining two members of the Trinity agreed that they would not fight Abika, nor help others who wished to defeat her (despite Swendall's pleas).

## Legends and Stories

### Creation of the Orcs

Horkos was the creator of the orcs in Cerrellus. They were originally called the "Or'kos", after their patron god's namesake (Hor'Kos/Horkos). Over time, the word was Dynakinized from "Or'kos" to "Ork" to "Orc". Nowadays, most orc populations want nothing to do with Horkos and his legacy. The biggest orcish tribe, the Tav'Arj, are known for their staunch belief in justice and peace, and strong connection to the forest and wood-carving. These values that directly contradict the destructive industrial evil that Horkos endorses.

### The Second Kaiser?

It is theorised by many that the hulking figure in armour that slew Saint Anton Kord, known as Death Lord Saal (later the Second Kaiser of the Blood Crown), was actually Horkos himself. After the War-God's defeat from Eleusia, it is possible he went down to the mortal plane and slew her late husband's favourite champion out of spite. Since "Saal" is currently the Kaiser of the Blood Crown, this would make it one of the only modern nations that is explicitly ruled by a deity.

## Forms and Representations

Older depictions of Horkos usually depict him as a horned and tusked orcish figure in spiked armour, absent of a helmet. Often he will be a giant-sized figure, with bodies impaled on his spikes. The Horkosian Swine is one of the primary forms of Horkos too, but is generally more prevalent in the Vampiric province of Schweinstager. Modern forms of Horkos only show the armour, and the Horkosian Swine is clad in metal. Post-war Horkos is not represented as part of the Trinity of War, and all imagery involving the full Trinity is considered blasphemous.

## Organizations and Factions

Horkos is associated with many Betrayer God cults, although sometimes he is still worshipped as part of the Trinity of War.