Gorgloth

Written by jlficks

Gorgloth. The Blacklands. The worn torn lands of the Doelms have been left ravaged and destitute for centuries. Endless civil wars between Doelm clans and tribes has brought this society to the brink of ruin. Gorgloth is said to be cursed and has fallen so far backward with infighting that the world believes this race still lives in the tribal eras. The resources of the Doelm lands have been detrimentally depleted and the race scratches a living off rocks. The Blood Wars, as they’re called, has been waging war for so long, Doelms know no other way of life but the bloody horrors of conflict. Doelm tribes have grown infamous for warring over ruins and scant resources with rival clans. Starvation and dehydration claims hundreds of lives every day, so only the strongest survive. Other races have largely left the Doelms to their age old civil war and no longer consider them a threat. Some Doelms have snuck into the west to live as bandits and outlaws in the wilds of Doljinaar. Doelm raiding parties bold and foolish enough to attack one of the many lofty war fortresses of mighty Doljinaar always end in defeat. But most Doelms never leave their native lands and they tend to die very young by hunger, disease or on the cruel edge of a rusty old sword.

Demography and Population

Like human races, Doelm skin tones developed naturally in a variety of colors. Most Doelm tribes can be recognized by their skin color being green, olive green, red, yellow or blue. Doelms have largely segregated by tribe and location, each developing a fierce culture of their own, though for the last few hundred years all have regressed to the tribal eras. Only the ancient line of priests of the dark greens connected to the lost line of ancient Gorgloth have any memory of their past and a dark prophecy speaks of a time coming when the glory of Gorgloth shall be restored… Doelms are fiercely loyal to their tribes but respect only strength. Doelm chieftains are only the strongest and the right of leadership can be challenged at any time in a bloody duel to the death. This makes the pride of Doelm leaders even fiercer than their loyalty. The winner will take any wives, children, slaves, resources and land holdings as their own in what is known as the Alpha Right. Challenges can even come from chieftains of other tribes and the entire losing tribe becoming the spoils for the victor. The victor may do anything he wishes with the conquered tribe, family or slaves. Most Doelms are born to be immensely strong, agile and average seven feet in height. However, a good number are born as runts unfit for battle. Doelm runts are ridiculed, beaten and maimed to ensure their weak genes can never reproduce. There is no greater shame to a Doelm than being born a runt, who bigoted Doelm warriors place on the same level as cripples, who they often kill at birth. Doelm runts are primarily used as slaves who work the hard labor of the land, although Doelms will also make slaves of other races foolish enough to pass into their accused lands.

A Doelmess is often prized and sheltered by dominant males and are surprisingly beautiful. Doelms require their women to be completely covered in cloaks and head coverings. To allow another race to even look upon the beauty of a Doelmess is considered a great dishonor that soils her. As result, the rest of the world is largely unaware of the natural beauty of Doelmesses. While Doelms are largely protective of their women, their chauvinistic and warped code of honor often oppresses their trophy wives and prize children in a cruel patriarchal society. Doelmesses are often regulated to household duties and childrearing. Martial duties can even become insufferable for a trophy wife, won by the death of her former husband. She lives in constant pain, fear of her new spouse and she is often regulated to a concubine who may even see her own children put to death before her eyes. However, there are a few Doelmesses who dare to escape west for a chance at a better life, a journey that comes at the heaviest of risks.

Old Legends Tell...

Old legends speak of a once great night Doelm kingdom, which once ruled much of the East with a brutal iron fist. Rumor swell from Doelm elders that of the lost glories of ancient Gorgloth. Tales of the once legendary great cities of night that were the wonders of the Age of Tribes. Crumbled and black ruins only stoke the bitter mournful memories and beliefs in such tales, igniting bitter ancient anger against the West. Old Seers and Shamans claim it was Gorgloth who first discovering bricklaying, cast iron, constructed the first ships, invented writing and mastered the earliest arts of magic. It was said that Gorgloth once ruled the whole of Sssyrinya, the mountain slopes of Doruggdom, much of the Elderlands, as far south as East Falguard and the old Dervish lands which were swallowed by the Great Waste. And yet their powers were steeped in black magic, blood sacrifices and forbidden rituals. And so they were cursed permitting the Rise of Doljinaar. The sword of men grew in power to the far west, building a kingdom to surpass even the greatest glories of ancient Gorgloth. And so it came to war. The mighty kingdom of Doljinaar, under a united banner of men, marched against Gorgloth, driving the black armies all the way back to the ancient capital itself. The ancient night city of Gorgloth, of the same name, fell and was razed to the ground. The power of the once great Doelm night kingdom collapsed leaving behind a ransacked land, every last city burned out until there was nothing left but ashes… And thus the Doelm tribes turned on each other, fighting over the scraps of their once great kingdom, where they have remained plunged into endless civil wars until this very day…

Territories

Gorgloth retains much of its oldest most historic borders, the lands grew so desolate no other race had any interest in staking a claim. The Blacklands comprises a good portion of far northeastern Sylvane. The ancient night ruin of Gorgloth is surrounded by the cursed wood of Aarzool. Doelm holdings stretch as far east as the Jinrobi Desert and as far south as Dulgoodoor, otherwise known as the Tar Swamps. Important landmarks are the ruined capital city of Gorgloth itself, Mount Gulgorrath and the Tower of Ruul, as it remains one of the few standing, albeit still rundown structures.

Despite all this land no single Doelm tribe has been able to claim dominance over their own lands until now, or so the dark whispers say…

Military

Due to all the constant civil war, Gorgloth has not had an active national military in centuries. Though certainly individual tribes and clans have some of the deadliest fighters in the world being a largely warrior culture. There is few honors in Gorgloth like the life of a warrior and given the extreme conditions of their land, every Doelm and Doelmess has to fight to survive making them one of the toughests races in the world. Only the strongest survive in Gorgloth. There have been some alarming reports that the forging of black steel has returned to Gorgloth. Sailors have reported encountering black ships in the distant seas, suggesting Doelm shipwrights have returned. The ancient tribe of Gorgloth has begun to reexert its dominance and is uniting the Doelm tribes. And yet the world of men do not heed such rumors...

Rumors

Rumors have begun to swirl in far offlands that much is changing in Gorgloth. Some say the broken line of Doelm kings has been restored and the ancient night city of Gorgloth has been rebuilt. The restored Doelm king is a blazing monstrocity of terrible power and unnatural black flames. He kneels only to one...a Man of Darkness of unspeakable godlike power. Worse it is said that all night mortals have united under the banners of night and even dragons have joined their ranks, prepared to unleash a terrible war upon the world....