Grenth

Ancient Ascalonian mural of Grenth.

Grenth is the god of darkness, ice, and death. Originally a half-god, Grenth was the child of Dwayna and a mortal sculptor and the first god born of Tyria, with domain over mortality and judgment and called the "Prince of Ice and Sorrow." To Orrians, Grenth was the god of death and judgment, and the patron of strict ethics. Grenth ascended to godhood with the aid of the Seven Reapers by supplanting the previous god of death, Dhuum, in Orr and sealing him behind the enchanted doors of the Hall of Judgement. Grenth then shattered Dhuum's tower in the Underworld, creating the Chaos Planes. He took his place among the gods in the presence of his mother, in the spot where his father had fallen. As a god, he is attributed to the judgment of the dead, vengeance, and destruction alongside darkness, ice, and death.

About 250 years ago, Dhuum's minions waged a war in the Underworld against Grenth and aided the servants of Abaddon in trying to bring about Nightfall. This culminated when Dhuum woke from his slumber, though the Reapers were able to place him back into dormancy with the aid of adventurers. However, given that Dhuum had repeatedly awakened, the true outcome of the war is still unknown, though many creatures from the Underworld, such as Aatxes and Shades, have been seen coming through portals.

Grenth's body appears to be that of a human, and he bears the skull of a fallen beast. He is often depicted with the dead crawling for his acceptance. Being a deathly figure, many human necromancers worship him. Grenth promotes the casting off of illusions and "the gilded trappings of sanctity," and encourages the perception of the world as it truly is. This fits with his role as judge to dead souls, and perhaps opposes him to Lyssa, goddess of illusions. He also promotes not fearing those claimed to be divine, and his followers seek to cast down false deities.

Before The Cataclysm, Orrians worshiped Grenth at the Cathedral of Silence.