Blood Tithe

"The Blood Tithe? They're as welcome as a tarantula on a slice of angel food cake. They'd sell their own mothers for a handful of coins, and smile while doing it." — Sorek Redmarch

The Blood Tithe

“They care not for blood or kin, only the weight of coin and the screams of their victims.”

Overview

The **Blood Tithe** is a feared and reviled mercenary company of half-orcs and brutal overseers, infamous for their cruelty and willingness to betray even their own kind. Formed from the worst remnants of society—former slave overseers, Qazaq refugees, and violent outcasts—they have become the tools of the **Khorovisk Dominion**, employed to do the jobs too vile for respectable forces. Other half-orcs view the Blood Tithe as traitors and scum, despising them for their history of oppressing and brutalizing their own people.
The Blood Tithe’s brutal reputation stems from their willingness to burn villages, crush rebellions, and slaughter indiscriminately—all in the name of their paymasters. Though effective, their methods are so ruthless that even the Dominion keeps them at arm’s length, deploying them far from the eyes of boyars and other notable figures.

Banner

The Blood Tithe marches under a stark and sinister banner: a black field bearing a crimson handprint, fingers clawed and dripping blood. This symbolizes the suffering they bring and their loyalty only to the coin that pays for their bloody work. The banner is intentionally crude and stark, representing their disdain for honor or tradition.

“Their banner is a simple shield smeared with blood; it’s a warning to all who see it—run, or die in torment.”

Organization

The Blood Tithe is a fractured and brutal hierarchy, where strength and ruthlessness dictate rank. Their leaders rule through fear, and their enforcers maintain order with cruelty.
Structure:

**Commander:** The undisputed leader of the Blood Tithe rules with an iron fist, crushing dissent and inspiring fear both within and outside the ranks.

**Champions:** Trusted lieutenants who command raids and enforce the commander’s will. They are often as hated as the commander themselves.

**Riders and Reavers:** The rank-and-file, composed of Qazaq horsemen and savage fighters.

**Overseers:** A handful of human taskmasters, exiled from polite society for their cruelty, serve as disciplinarians and strategists.

Leadership

Commander: **Dhorvek "The Bleeding Blade" Vorthar** Dhorvek is a towering half-orc with a scarred, brutal visage and a massive, curved blade that drips with crimson dye as a symbol of his ruthlessness. Once a slave overseer who betrayed his own people to survive, he rose to power through sheer violence and cunning. Dhorvek has no loyalty to anything but survival and power, leading the Blood Tithe with a mix of terror and twisted charisma.
Notable Champions:

• Ythara “Ashspeaker” Khazal: A Qazaq warrior with a talent for psychological warfare. Known for burning entire villages and leaving ash-covered survivors to spread tales of horror.
• Vardak Grelm: A sadistic human overseer who acts as the Blood Tithe’s strategist. His knack for cruel efficiency ensures that no rebellion survives their attention.
• Gorran “Steelflesh” Drashak: A monstrous half-orc enforcer, notorious for his scarred body covered in crude iron plates bolted directly into his flesh. Gorran serves as the Blood Tithe’s battering ram.
• Kassa "Bonepicker" Vorath: A scavenger and looter, Kassa oversees the aftermath of raids, collecting spoils and ensuring nothing is wasted.

Tactics and Reputation

The Blood Tithe is known for its ruthless, scorched-earth tactics. They excel in spreading terror, breaking morale, and leaving devastation in their wake. Their main tactics include:

• Mounted Raids: Qazaq horsemen use hit-and-run tactics, striking hard and fast before disappearing into the wilderness.
• Fear and Intimidation: They intentionally spread horror by leaving grotesque displays of their victims to demoralize their enemies.
• Rebellion Suppression: The Blood Tithe specializes in rooting out and crushing uprisings, sparing no one.
• Brutal Discipline: Within their ranks, discipline is maintained through terror. Desertion or failure is met with gruesome executions, often public to serve as warnings.

“The Blood Tithe doesn’t just win battles—they destroy legacies, leaving nothing but fear and ash.”

Allies and Enemies

Allies:

The **Khorovisk Dominion**, who use them as expendable tools to deal with distant or rebellious territories.

Certain **bandit lords** or petty nobles who value their cruelty.

Enemies:

**Half-Orc Tribes:** Many half-orcs view the Blood Tithe as traitorous scum for their role as slave overseers and enforcers of oppression.

**Paladins and Clerics:** Orders dedicated to justice actively hunt them, seeing the Blood Tithe as irredeemable.

**Border Lords:** Many neighboring realms despise the Tithe, associating their raids with the Dominion’s excesses.

Legends and Rumors

• Dhorvek Vorthar is rumored to have betrayed his own tribe, personally slaughtering their chieftain to save his own life.
• Ythara Khazal is said to commune with dark spirits, using their whispers to manipulate her foes and inspire fear.
• Vardak Grelm keeps a ledger of every rebellion they’ve crushed, marking the names of every leader they executed.
• The Blood Tithe allegedly possesses cursed relics taken from ruined temples, which they believe protect them from divine retribution.

“If the Blood Tithe comes for you, it’s because someone has paid them well to ensure no one remembers your name.”