The Aven'giira (Ah-ven-gear-a)

The Aven'giira is used to describe the individual Orc clans living within the region of Czélone (Chay-low-nay), on the continent of Vangolia, whom are part of the Viragonate of Avengir. This term refers to the heritage of Orcs that trace their ancestry to the great warlord Avengira, both warriors and labourers.
The Aven'giira are known for their monopoly of fine tailoring and craftsmenship when it comes to making silk. When the orcs achieve modicums of peace, and reach unions under their battle-proud warriors against the many barbaric tribes of Vangolia - the orcs ply their trade and tradition of fashioning silk, sewing, quilting and crotcheting through the generations. A proud tradition between the men and women alike. The process of creating each Aven'giira Silk can take between 1-3 years. Great care and detail is woven in each stitch. A significant portion of these linens are shipped out from the clans that hold claim upon the sea coasts to the west, and make trade with occasional traders into Ozon'Siiari & across the Silk Trade dividing between the northern and southern continents.

NAMING TRADITIONS

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FAMILY NAMES
Many family names tend to follow a pattern of their founding ancestors (grandfathers and grandmothers), and those who have proven their worth in numerous battles and raids against Gnolls, Minotaur, Feral Tieflings, Elves and the Anga-Volka of northern Vangolia. These names are kept in honour of their ancestors and their deeds.
Family names often end in harsh-sounding vowels and consonants, like -ur, -uk, -um, -ug, -uz, -or, -ok, -og, -ov, -oz, -ir, -ik, -ig, -iv, -ar, -ak, -at, -ag, -av, -az. Males and females are distinguished usually by having their names preceded by either 'Gro-' or 'Gra-'.
Some family names would also indicate the stronghold to which the orcs belong or belonged. These include: Burazog, Gortbug, Lograk, Cromdbuk, Rugiv, Orumharzav, Murugak.
FIRST NAMES
Most names with the Aven'giira are common amongst the Orcish clans of Vangolia. In addition, variations of the Viragon (warlord leaders of the Orcs of Vangolia) are also common, such as: Bashil, Throltal, Atzakk, Grirn, Mauhzgob, Olfmar, Lugor, Gratz, Cragnor, Thuth, Oroman, Lagarn, Murosha, Rulzug, Mehdu, Vanme, Eze, Amtu, Shikha, Kanzi, Karzanet, Tomga.

CULTURE

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Major language groups and dialect
Orcish is the most well-spoken language. The language spoken by the Aven'giira is harsh, blunt, loud and grizzly like a growl, grunt or roar. There is a harsh and strong feel to the dialect, indicative of survival and straightforwardness. However, there is general respect for Cyclopean & Giant, more the former than the latter, as it has been their ancestral and historical language for depicting their oral history and celebratory festive cheers, hymns and battle-songs. It is deep, filled with thrums and long drawn out vowels, and ending with hardy and rough consonants. This is usually preserved by the elders, passed on to the rulers of the clan & to the shamans of the dead - but is recited during ritualistic songs and battle-cries that are taught and memorised by all members of the clan, though the language itself is unspoken only to those worthy of speaking it. When addressing funerals or making spiritual journeys to visit their ancestors, or their spirits, they are strictly speaking in Cyclopean.
Common Dress Code
Coming from an ancestral history of nomadic tribes, settled raiders and cave dwellers, they commonly wear what is practical, warm and easy to move in. They adorn themselves in warm furs for the winter, of dark brown to grey, red or white pelts. Meanwhile, in the summers, they wear lighter and cooler dresses of leather and silk (kurtas), when within their stronghold. But those that hold great respect in the tribe, and earn their dominance are allowed to adorn themselves in the procured silk robes and clothing of warriors and conquerors, earning their rights of comfort through hard battle. They enjoy wearing these robes during the temperate weather period in the warm wet season but tend to don more fur-rich dresses during the harsh winters or in the stormy seasons.
The different family trees and tribes tend to favour identifying themselves through the adornment and polishing of particular skulls, bones and furs of particular animals that they commonly hunt or have been known to slay. Great hunts and their hunters who dealt the killing blow, who brought these beasts back to the tribe in full form and before it becomes decayed and rotten are rewarded to wear the cleaned and polished bones of these creatures as a sign of renown, respect and glory. Partners or future mates are gifted with necklaces of teeth or claws, hollowed tusks as drinking horns.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Most Orc members that are raised traditionally in Aven'giira style follow in a cycle of martial training, the opportunity to bear children and a time to provide for the family through hard work and communal crafts. While for most Orcs it is a matter of duty to their community and to their ancestors, but honour and respect are won through arduous work and mostly by proving oneself to preserve their community and ancestors, usually through combat, raiding and hunting. There are severe social pressures put on any individual that seeks to deviate from the norm, particularly towards those that demonstrate an incapability to provide for the community by hunting or gathering, working towards mastery of a skill, or being cowardly and dishonest. Orc kindness is not the same as other races, as they will point out their personal flaws bluntly and straight to the point so as to make them better and stronger, whereas others may see this as a rude and bullying notion. This harsh honesty serves a second purpose, with constant berating and shouting at one another preparing their psyche's for harsh combat or in times of lack of resources where one has to become resourceful and resilient. The only insult is taken when they link weakness, dishonesty, cowardice, greed or arrogance to their family or their ancestors, and not to their personal momentary flaws.
Among the time-honoured crafts of the Aven'giira are:

• STONEMASONRY
• LEATHERWORK
• WOODCARVING
• SMITHING
• HERDING
• SILKCRAFT

During raids against the Drow in the ancient times of Vangolia, the Orcs managed to procure several silkworm cocoons - and developed the trade mainly through the works of several children, women and men. It developed into such a craze due to its prismatic appearance, that it was limited in use only to warriors of profound renown and the Viragon. At the time, it was a sign of great wealth, due to its shimmering appearance. Over time, silk extended gradually to others across the Viragonate, though mainly the most profound of warriors. It became used in decorative means and in less luxurious ways: musical instruments, fishing, and bow making all utilised silk. It also became a form of currency, using lengths of silk cloth to pay different tribes and compensate warriors who were considered worthy. In the same manner that one would sometimes estimate the price of products according to a certain weight of gold, a length of silk became a monetary standard in the Viragonate, in addition to precious metal coinage. There became specific headgear for warriors, shamans and chieftains, and others for religious use. The Orcs managed to develop a machine that would unwind silkworm cocoons; the cocoons being placed in a large basin of hot water, the silk would then leave the cauldron by tiny guiding rings and would be wound onto a large spool, using a backward and forward motion. Far superior to any spinning wheels in the west. They used these methods and silk to trade with other countries, mainly the Azure Sultanate of Ozon'Siiari, as they believed them to be worthy allies as the blue-storm dragon held similar powers and might as their god, but could never be as mighty.
The greatest festival in Orc Aven'giira history is to celebrate their patron deity, Lorkhan, during the Festival of Storms. The Festival occurs not only on a specific day, believed to be the rise of their god in ancient times, it often occurs spontaneously upon the arrival of great stormy seasons. It is said that occasionally Lorkhan would visit and bless or smite those he finds worthy or unworthy, granting them his blessing and potentially great sons and daughters blessed with his might and strong blood.
Birth & Baptismal Rites

• A child born during a storm is considered to be 'Stormborn' and blessed by the Storm God Lorkhan, and will grow to be a great warrior and leader.
• A child born during an earthquake is considered to be a herald of great change, known as 'Harbingers', whether that be of fortune and lead the tribe or clan into prosperity through great battle and glory, or lead them to disaster with poor decisions and disastrous strokes. Whichever the case, they are looked upon cautiously and every action is bullied and spat upon until they prove that they are able and strong enough to prove them wrong and fight back. Their influence extends not only to this generation but two generations afterwards, heralding change not only in this life but also in the afterlife as great teachers or keepers of history, victory and losses.
• A child born during a volcanic eruption is a feared child, believed to be the bearer of the rage of the mountains, and thus the gods, but also the rallier and crier of new and wise words - they are known as the 'Godscorn'.
• A child born during a full moon is said to be blessed with the luck of the hunter, whose marksmanship will be unmatched. However, they are often isolated in their communities as they believe that they are weak and 'Elf-Touched', founded to be affiliated with the elf-friendly goddess Shelúne.

Art & Architecture
Many Aven'giira takes up whittling, woodcarving, stonemasonry and smithing. Creating idols, small statues out of bone, obsidian, flint, ivory, river stones or slabs of rock from the mountains - creating forms of beasts, family figures or even interpreted maps of the surrounding region and landmarks out of tree stumps. Some stonemasons or stone carvers are devoted to creating stone slate portraits of families through careful observation and over time, although not perceivable as great works unlike the elves or dwarves, this is an intimate affair that immortalises their images and is taken to their family cairns or ancestor shrines.
Seeing their bodies as the ultimate tools and weapons, the Orcs of the Aven'giira have developed a prominent body art and several styles. Tattooed words are usually in Cyclopean, and tattoed names are seen as very devoted & sentimental, which are seen as more like pictographs than a written language. But they believe that these words hold power, and grant them strength and support from their ancestors. There are many styles adopted, Czeoic style is known for large images that cover the back, arms and legs in colourful or black patterns from depicting historical images, scenery and figures, or great beasts and legends - Lorazai style is derived from original tribal tattoos, made of thick and bold black lines in a variety of geometric shapes, incorporating new patterns and imagery into mesmerising pieces swirling in different forms, ranging in size from small to entire body tattoos - lastly, is the Ora'art style, which is favoured as stylistic tattoos that tell stories in ink, having a distinct look and use symbolism to show meaning, and requires great artists and years to finish and accomplish.
An honoured practice among the Aven'giira combines music with battle and their history through their skald-songs. Each Aven'giira is expected to know as children, from memory, the battle-song of their ancestors known as the Mor'gemnoiostrothk (Mor-gem-noy-o-stroth-ka), the 'Spirit of Everlasting Glories'. When raised in unison with the rest of their clan during battle or a hunt, it is a resounding and terrifying spectacle to those that oppose them when sung with fury and pride, but within their clan grounds at gatherings or ceremonies, they sing it slow and sing it low until it comes to a fortississimo (soft to as loud as possible) to resonate like the sound of sudden thunder. Whereas each tribe has a small group of dedicated skalds in service to the high shaman of their tribe, of whom commit to memory, in Cyclopean, the collective history and songs of their people through constant practice and in isolation among a high point within the clan territory, in a hallowed ground to their storm god known as the Bombastion.
They practice stone-carving and cave art as a ceremonial and spiritual practice to mark down recent or old events to detail the actions of great heroes and victories against others in the past, marking an illustrated path of their tribe's history with the use of entire caves and tunnels lit by torchlight. They create new tunnels to mark personal histories, but otherwise follow the free-form of the cavern to mark the history of the clan as a total, not individuals, for that right is marked only for heroes worthy of legend or infamy. Small or great idols are carved from stone to be added to their caves. The bodies of their ancestors are interned within separate locations to their historical frescoes and painted caverns - with headstones not marked by names or dates, as it is expected that the shaman knows their ancestors by name, but rather they are the most carefully carved and illustrated pieces of stonework in all their culture, capturing their form and given attributes of the beasts and enemies that they have defeated (following the adage that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger), and the graves are marked with a flat tablet that details their death in detail, usually in glorious fashion - but for those that are dishonoured their tablets are small and usually one-worded, e.g. "Coward. Stabbed. Alone."
The Aven'giira build their architecture in different forms - as most are nomadic, they hold mobile and portable camps (yurts) made from leather, tanned hides, furs and supported by ironwood pillars or the tusks of great mammoths. The larger the tent, the greater the status and the longer their career as hunters and warriors amongst the clan - circular structures supported by a collapsible wooden frame and covered in wool-felt - greater tents were made on carts, and were the centre of their tribal circle and neighbourhood, acting as a monastery.
Whereas, the permanent Aven'giira settlements are palaces and fortresses formed by the early brothers, sons and daughters of the first Viragon. Usually made of more stone and less so out of wood, as it is no longer an abundant material within the region. There were sculptures of mammoths and bulls at each gate of the walled settlements. Steles on the backs of these statues were topped with beacons for travellers to see. Buildings were multi-tiered and multi-angular, built on platforms surrounded by double-tiered terraces, pavilions and pools. Some are rounded, but most are quadratic and rectangular, cutting deep into the ground or into the sides of mountains, built from bedrock. The roofs of these buildings, supported by pillars and walls, served also as the ceiling.
Temples were designed with six and twelve angles and pyramidal roofs approximating the round shape of the yurt. Newer designs and further expansions led to a quadratic shape in the design of the temples, with roofs in the shape of pole marquees. Trellis walls, roof poles and layers of felt were eventually replaced by stone, brick beams and planks. They developed over time to adopt a five pagoda and stupa temple style, with several different levels over an elevation (providing great scenery) surmounted with images of hundreds of lauded ancestors images carved into it walls, each on differing slightly from the other. Inside these temples are the representations of the 'wheel of life', the representation of the universe according to the Orcish cosmology, and on rare occasions, a cosmological map that illustrates the positions of numerous stars.
Common Taboos
The Aven'giira believe that a life not marked in the blood is a life unfulfilled, and to not taste battle or be able to hunt is a sign from the gods of a weakling, a burden upon the tribe. It is bad luck for an Orc chieftain to die of old age, not being overwhelmed by his sons or daughters, for they take it as a sign that the Chieftain has failed in his sacred duty to make the clan as strong as he was during his youth. It is worse still to kill a child before he is able to wield a weapon, and infanticide is a crime in the eyes of their god Lorkhan, although he is a war god and a god of strength, he frowns upon the senseless killing of those who have no means to protect their honour or face glory with blind eyes of a mere babe. To forget the ancestors is to forget their past, and their past is their god and his own rise against the Titans - a duty that must never be allowed to falter, or great omens will come and the storms will beckon and toll for the tribe's demise and punishment. To harbour resentment or hatred outside of an honoured duel is not talked about nor accepted, and any bouts initiated between a fellow tribe or clan members outside of the stronghold circle is often never talked about, and are private engagements between warriors.
Common Myths and Legends ...

IDEALS

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Beauty Ideals
The Aven'giira value strength and wisdom more than their appearance. Despite this, metal studs (usually over lips or eyebrows), piercings, scars and tattoos are accepted and looked upon greatly as body art and representations of character and connections with their ancestors. However, scars over tattoos are looked upon as ugly, as they have marred a devoted art.
Broken tusks and teeth are seen as ugly, and so are well-kept and filed down until their points grow back. Unkept teeth and mouths that become unhealthy, if their gums blacken, is seen as an undesirable trait and so keep them clean with fresh herbs like mint, and are picked routinely with whittled bones of small animals. Despite this, many men and women tend to keep clean.
Women do not tend to shave their arms, legs or armpits, as this is more helpful to conserve heat, and the hairier they are seen as to hold stronger bloodlines. Some women only tend to shave to prepare for their first conjugal night with their mate or partner, but this is optional. Women favour a variety of hairstyles, from buns, ponytails or braids, to short-cuts or baldness.
Men also do not shave, in any instance other than to have tattoos etched on their skin, having prominent chest hair but are known to grow their hair in length to denote their age. Keeping it in wild styles, unkempt, but have a single ponytail they keep sealed and only unfurl in sleep or in private. Only when their head begins to bald do they completely remove their hair.
Dark eyes, dark beauty spots or freckles are seen as exciting.
Coming of Age Rites
Many Aven'giira chooses their own namesake and stronghold affiliation at the age of 12-14, to whom they will follow in battle and respect as their own brethren. They go upon a pilgrimage to their tribe or clans proving grounds for five days and five nights and are expected to hunt for themselves, survive, and return with a kill and a newly fashioned weapon they used to make the kill to be honoured and add to their ancestor's trove. If they survive, they are blessed with a fulfilling life in the clan.
Relationship Ideals
The relations vary by tribe, but many Aven'giira is polyamorous - women are able to have multiple partners or concubines, but males are only able to have one partner at a time unless they rise to the rank of chieftain where they are able to have multiple wives and concubines.
There are no marital contracts in their society, as partners are expected to survive and grow together, to grow stronger. If they are together, and with others, and become stronger, there is no need for marriage contracts. But if they do separate, there are no hard feelings and move on. It is expected, that they stay close and together if there are children, and help raise them alongside their community until they reach appropriate ages and pass into adolescence.
Couples are expected to observe and sing the songs of their clan together, hunt and fight alongside one another side-by-side (in all their pairings). Romance is an entirely private affair, and intimacy is reserved for those that form deep partnerships - and love, like the food and the water and land, is shared between the community. Each is expected to keep each other strong, to point out one another's flaws and to honour one another for their successes and achievements.