The Orokar, or "free orcs", are clans of orcs who have fled the Barukar in their homelands. They have found new homes along the borders of some of the human realms, such as Moar. Here they live in a tentative truce with the humans nearbye, face constant scrutiny by the human soldiers guarding this land, and are often the target of viscious attacks from rogue elements seeking to force them out of the human lands. Orokar have denounced their faith in Gamorgh and most have declared themselves for other gods, such as Kalrik and Torik. A few still, though, are still loyal to Gamorgh and gather in hidden cults to perform their rituals. An even rarer few have actually fully adopted the human faith as their own and seek to join the Ronan Church, though thus far none have been admitted to even enter such a church.
By casting off their faith in Gamorgh and the older gods, the Orakar have freed themselves from corruption. Each generation they become less wicked in appearance, and perhaps some day they will be accepted amongst the societies of the Children of Naeja. For now, though, they are looked upon as unwanted refugees and are barely tolerated.
WHO ARE THE ORCS?
Orcs are the descendants of another corrupted Titan, named Oraknush the Unbroken. Oraknush also corrupted 3 Lesser Titans to serve him and they were Kurmerak the Bloody, Balgrhith the Brute, and Gamorgh the Defiler. These gods ruled over the orcs for many eons and led them to many great victories. These titans created the Orcs in their likeness. They are stocky beings, tall like humans, with deep green, brown and black skin tones. Their eyes are blood red or sickly yellow and their hair can be black, brown, green, yellow or even red. Like Oraknush they are very warlike and pleasure in the terror and pain of others. They rivaled the Ogre Kings and threatened to dominate much of the world. However, they had many enemies and a prophecy was told of the Destroyer, or Sha-lok in their tongue. This Destroyer finally arose in the form of a Troel-borne, a being half-human and half-ogrek. This man hunted the Orcs for hundreds of years. During this time he found Balghrith in his ancient castle and slew him there, ripping out his one horn as a trophy. Then he began to hunt the other Orc Gods. Kurmerak desired Oraknush’s power and so made a terrible plan to have him slain. He sought out the Destroyer, and convinced the orc-slayer that he could lead him to Oraknush. And so it was, at a great war festival before Oraknush would march the Orcs upon the humanoid kingdoms that Sha-lok strode into their midst. All the orcs coward in fear, and Kurmerak taunted Oraknush until the deity agreed to face the Destroyer in single combat. Sha-lok ripped the ancient god apart with his mighty axe, and took his eyes as trophies. Kurmerak saw that the destroyer was very injured from the battle and so dared to slay Sha-lok himself and take Oraknush’s throne. It was a grave mistake, for Sha-lok in turn cut him down and used the blood god’s own blade to pin him to a massive stone. Kurmerak’s blood flowed freely into the earth and over the stone on which he fell. It is said that the Destroyer was mortally wounded and was carried off on his black steed into the night. The orcs to this day claim he died alone, but fear that he still exists somewhere in this world. The last Orcish God was Gamorgh, lord of the dead and death. He came to rule over those who remained, and his reign of terror was one of darkness and despair. The Orcs had lost their will to be anything more than the tools of death and murder. They did their dark lord’s bidding and cowered in fear of his shadow.
However, another prophecy was foretold. It spoke of the coming of a new god, and this has given the Orcs new hope. What more, the first part of the prophecy says the blood of Kurmerak will be rekindled in the hearts of those orcs who are faithful to the prophesied god. So it has come that the Ig-Baruk have risen. Somehow a terrible curse is rolling over the Orcs, but they do not see it as a curse. Their spirits have become more wicked and vile and they have turned upon Gamorgh. They have changed and are becoming something different. This curse seems to be spread by loyalty to this new cause and it is growing.
Orcish civilization is tribal; a Chieftain usually rules each tribe of up to two or three hundred. There can be many hundreds or thousands of tribes in a given Orcish Realm and each tribe has a High-Shaman who answers to a Grand-Shaman. The Grand-Shamans commune with the deities and pass their will on to those tribes within their diocese. The Grand-Shamans also meet in councils to help form “consensus” on what the true will of the deities is. All the Grand-Shamans in a realm answer to the Hierophant Shaman.
Orcish Realms are usually vast forests. Orcs prefer nature and living off the land, though they use it entirely to their advantage and never give back what they take. Instead they will ravage a local area and then when the resources are depleted move on. They are carnivorous, so almost any animal is game to them. They also tend to cause many wild fires that have destroyed vast acres of forest. It is this habitat and irresponsibility that has put them at odds with the Gelvani. Orcs do not always live in forests though, and many lead raiding parties beyond their realms and establish encampments in opportunistic sites.
Very few orcs seek anything good or decent for themselves, but those who have, often find their end at the blades of Gelvani and other enemies of their kind. Sometimes an orc will reproduce with a human, in whatever terrible way this happens, and the offspring are often ugly and ill-tempered humanoids commonly called Half-Orcs.
Their Heritage.
In the primordial world there were only the Elder Titans. The world was violent and chaotic, with huge volcanoes, tumultuous seas, roaring winds, and massive earthen mountains. The Elder Titans battled with each other and so terrible chaos reigned. They also laid with each other, but their emotions were as chaotic and passionate as their spirits. Hence they bore forth children as chaotic and emotional as themselves, the Greater Titans.
Galur and Amal bore two sons: Lojandar of the Mighty Earth and Anvurgar of the Terrible Flames. Morda and Ciel bore a daughter, Muran of the Deep Cold Seas, and a son, Sturmgar of the Stormy Skies.
Then Amal laid with Anvurgar and from their union was born Zorith, first of the Titan Lords. Amal then laid with Lojandar and so was born the second Titan Lord, Vornakar.
Vornakar was named the Titan Lord of War and lead the other Titan Lords into war. The Greater Titans and the Titan Lords overwhelmed the children of Magmodin.
The Duervar battled the giants with such ferocity that they quickly drove them to the far fringes of the world. Thus ended the Age of Titans and began the the Duervan Empire. The war went on until most of the Greater Titans were defeated, but the Duervar had not yet defeated the Elder Titans.
One Titan finally raised the strength to challenge the Duervan Empire. This was Olginthoth, Titan Lord of Ice. He created a terrible glacier, called Thothgald, which spread from the north, down and over the entire world. It split the earth and sundered the Duervan Empire. Thus began the Age of Ice.
As the last of the glaciers of the Age of Ice receded the Duervar began to emerge from their strongholds. They once again encountered the giants and had to fight them for dominance over a world now uncontrolled by any God or Titan. This was called the Age of Chaos.
Though the Titans had mostly been defeated and their giant children were few in number, the world was still theirs to wander freely. Neither Fey nor Folkin stood in their way, and the Duervar kept to their mountain homes. In time, though the Human race began to spread over the world. The Titans that remained were soon competing with them for the same resources and thus they slew them as they could, razing any civilizations they could find. However, the humans grew in number and took dominion of more and more land with each passing century, until finally the Giants were greatly outnumbered. Humans were primitive and their weapons simple, but their numbers and unity made them a true threat to be fearful of.
It was then that Vornakar tried to form an army of Titans and Giants to slay their enemy, but the other remaining Titans wouldn’t get involved, remembering his failure in their last war. Only Asheba joined his battle, for she despised humans as much as he. Ashamed of his defeat, Vornakar turned to the Nameless One, giving his service to the Corrupter in exchange for the power to crush his enemies. The Corrupter, as often was the case, told him to bear new young for the war to come. The Titan of War laid with Asheba and from their union were born five Corrupted Lesser Titans; Oraknush the Unbroken, Kurmerak the Bloody, Liandric the Mother, and Urntuus of the Dead. Oraknush, first born and strongest of the siblings, beat his brother Kurmerak in a fight and took dominion over the others. Liandric then laid with Oraknush and bore him two sons Balghrith and Falghrith. As children the two boys fought often and Balghrith, easily angered and incredibly strong, killed his brother. So it was that Oraknush again laid with Liandric and she bore him two more sons, Garnak and Ballagar.
Now Kurmerak grew jealous of Oraknush’s offspring and so he took Liandric and she bore him a Son, Tarkov, and a Daughter, Volgra. He envied the sons that Oraknush had, though, and so he took Liandric again and this time she bore him twin daughters, Ulgra and Magra. Disgusted, he had the girls thrown to wolves to be eaten. He did not know, though, that the girls killed the wolves and were then rescued by Liandric who swore vengeance upon Kurmerak.
Oraknush didn’t care about Liandric, but he wouldn’t take such an insult from Kurmerak, so he took Volgra and she bore him a son, Belgrak and a daughter Nuulgra. Blaming Kurmerak’s blood for begetting a daughter he went back to Liandric and she bore him two more sons, Gishnak and Valak.
Not wanting to be outdone, Kurmerak took Oraknush’ daughter, Nuulgra, and she bore him a son, Ildrigox, and a daughter, Zargra. Ashamed that he produced so few sons, Kurmerak chose not to bear any more children.
Angry at having no say in the matter before now, Liandric chose her next mate, Urntuus, and she bore him two sons, Gamorgh and Vargath. Urntuus taught his sons the secret lores of death and the power of undeath.
Following LLiandric’s lead, Magra chose Balghrith as her mate, and bore him two sons, Barakath and Varaketh; and Ulgra chose Garnak as her mate, bearing him a son, Vaygrik, and a daughter, Igna. Valak then lay with Zargra and she bore him two children; a son, Gorkaal, and a daughter, Agra. Thus it was that the blood lines of Oraknush and Kurmerak mingled.
Vornakar saw that his numbers were growing, but not fast enough. The corrupter told him to have his youngest descendents mate and bear children, and they would be as the humans, small, but ferocious and great in number. So it was that their offspring were a fierce race of warriors who matured quickly and were eager for battle. Thus were born the Orcs, and they spread in vast numbers.
The Orcs chose the darkness of the forests as their dwellings, using the ancient woods to hide them from the light of Sheliak and build their armies. The strongest amongst them quickly came to rule, and those that would not swear fealty to another formed their own clans. These clans began to battle one another, and thus they became a people of war.
It was in this time that Kurmerak began to plot to usurp Oraknush’s place and take Dominion of their people. Kurmerak convinced Urntuus, Vargath and Gamorgh to rise against Oraknush. However, Liandric told Gamorgh to betray them and before the assassination could take place, Gamorgh warned Oraknush of what was coming. Oraknush awaited Urntuus and when the other Titan tried to slay him, Balghrith appeared. Together, Oraknush and Balghrith slew Urntuus. Gamorgh killed his brother Vargath, and using the secret lore taught by their father, he stole his brother’s powers. In reward for his fealty, Oraknush granted Gamorgh the right to take Urntuus’ power as well, and thus he became the Orc Lord of Death, Darkness and the Undead. Many times after this Kurmerak plotted to overthrow Oraknush, but with Balghrith at his side, the Orc Lord was just too powerful to defeat.
In time, though, Vornakar united the Orcs and his army marched upon the civilizations of Humans and Duervar. The Duervar held their own for some time, but the humans were faltering under the power of the orcs. The Duervar knew, though, that the orcs would continue to rise in new generations and eventually, when the humans were gone, they would be overwhelmed. So it was that the Duervar made allegiances with the Humans and gave them the secret of steel. Now armed for war and united in a common cause, the Children of Naeja came in force against the Orcs and the Titan of War. They drove them back to the darkness of their forests.
For over a thousand years the Orcs continued to rise and fall, always driven back to the deep woods. The Orc clans grew restless and warred amongst themselves once again, as did the Orc Lords, and to the world beyond they were no longer a threat.
The Orc Clans