Ayasard: The Mother Mountain

The orcs homeland is the mountains and hills to the north of Aelura, a bulwark against the far north and the impassable frost beyond. The orcs seldom have settlements, and do not divide their nation into countries instead preferring to keep their own peace and the peace of the wandering clans.

However, every ten years the orc chiefs meet at the tallest mountain of the northern ranges: Ayasard, the Mother Mountain.

Ayasard is so tall it can be seen as far away as the elven forests. It is capped with snow year-round, and though the orcs meet there none of their kind have been to the summit. In the other kin’s understanding of the orcs they are often associated with this mountain, and a symbol of the mountain is used to represent orcs in writing and on official seals.

Significance to the Orcs

To the orcs, Ayasard is a living mountain that can see, hear, and speak. Songs and tales of the mountain calm orc children, as the mother mountain will protect them against the evils of the world and guide them through life. While moving among their nomadic paths the orcs will use the mountain as a reference point for guidance, and if a settlement is made it always faces towards Ayasard.

The orcs believe the peak of Ayasard is where the souls of dead chiefs gather after death, and that seeing the peak is a sign of good luck as the spirits are watching over you. They see the mountains as protectors, but Ayasard as the mother of all mountains and thus the queen of them.

As trees and flowers are important to the orcs, carried in their caravan gardens known as kisiasurr, so too are they important to the mother mountain. Each chief when meeting at Ayasard will bring the best plant from their garden and plant it in the soil while they discuss events, and then leave the plant to die when they depart, sacrificing it to the mountain. It is believed that Ayasard prefers flowering plants or plants with sweet fruits on them, but an orc will choose the best plant even if that plant is unfavoured or ghastly.

Significance to the Other Races

Outside of the orc homeland the tallest mountain has many names such as: Titan’s Nose, Greyfinger, Ironback, and Orctusk. All of these names are considered rude to say by the orcs, and polite kin will instead call it “The Mountain” in an orc’s presence.

Because of its size the mountain can be seen from very far distances and is used as a guide for which direction north is when it’s necessary to navigate. The garror are the only surface race that cannot see the mountain from their lands, but they know it exists and use a mountain symbol when referring to the orcs or when making maps to refer to a northern direction.

The kobolds did not know what mountains were before the came to the surface, but have since noted that the labyrinthine caverns beneath the earth do not go far enough north to be under the mountain. However, given how the kobolds hide information about their people and homeland, this could be a lie.

Alternative Names

Titan’s Nose, Greyfinger, Ironback, and Orctusk.