Ogren’s Horde
The warcall can be heard as far as the winds will carry it; but the tribes are broken, and many will refuse the call. Only the Ogren, mightiest of the orcs, has the strength to reunite the tribes, and only then will the horde emerge from the throngs of the Deadlands.
Etymology
The name Ogren follows the earliest of stories told by the orcish people, a great warlord who was said to have conquered the world. His legend shapes orc hierarchy and traditions to this day. The term Deadlands comes from a mistranslation of badlands, mixing with legends of criminals and traitors being sentenced out into the wastes as execution.
History
DetailsBefore the Horde, and The Warrior
Many millennia ago, perhaps thousands of years before the emergence of the first inheritor races, was the Time of Orcs. The god Gallus wished to craft a race to truly rule, to tame the world and thrive, rather than live peacefully alongside it. As he shaped the orcs into existence, he made them tough and resilient, powerful and strong. Starting in the northernmost reaches of the mainland, they were quickly united under one single orc. Ogren was his name, the Warrior, for he embodied the warrior spirit in every way.
It was said that Ogren stood ten feet high, teeth the size of warpicks, and had managed to defeat the bugbear warlord Kul-hrum singlehandedly. His most impressive tales speak of the Warrior confronting and pinning a dragon to the earth with a single hand. Around 5000 B.W., Ogren would lead his people over and through the mountains, building Og’visal, a grand and illustrious kingdom that stretched all of Fehr’gia. Ogren ruled by might alone, and was so proficient and beloved that he is remembered in song and story throughout all of orcish history.
Peace would not last forever, as Ogren would eventually succumb to illness, for none could best him on the battlefield. After he was buried, the seed of doubt and corruption began to spread. The orcish kingdom was unstable, and without proper government or infrastructure it crumbled into itself as neighbor fought against neighbor for control. The kingdom diminished until all that remained were the original armies of the north. Stories say that the blood spilled in the conflict drenched the soil, turning it red and tainting it so that nothing would grow in the Deadlands ever again.
Gallus, their creator god, would become so ashamed of his creations that he abandoned them when he was needed most. The tribes that remained would remember this betrayal well, cursing him and the other gods for all time. Tales since the shattering of the Og’visal are hard to come by, as much was lost in the ways of literacy and technology. However, whenever the tribes have been reunited, stories would be told from father to son, as those looking for a better life carried word over the border. Ruins from this ancient kingdom can still be found across the world today, and are often mistaken as elven by junior archeologists.
The Second Ogren, The Pirate Queen
The tribes would remain broken for centuries, surviving in a dying landscape through grit and resolve, resorting to raiding and hunting. One tribe leader, named Eigna Fer’ven, would attempt to unite the tribes once again, where so many before had failed. Eigna, however, was a clever devil. Her tribe was close to the sea, and had become proficient in sailing and fishing. Wielding their success, she would use diplomacy and tales of gold to convince other tribe leaders to join her flag. Her sly and wicked words pierced the hearts of many, allowing her to band together a kingdom from scraps, without drawing a drop of blood. Her greatest idea was to shed her old name and take the mantle as Ogren, a name still carried through stories. The people seemed almost ravenous to join such a ruler, and she would quickly put them to work.
Rather than cross the southern mountains, she pushed for a new way of raiding. She would have her followers construct a fleet of ships to sail out across the seas. Her focus on naval superiority brought rise to a great deal of advancements, such as the use of compasses and the stars at night for navigating, cannons for waging naval warfare, or spyglasses to extend sight. She was also the first recorded orc to incorporate goblins into her armies, many of which were lost in battle, or haphazardly misplaced on the many islands she visited and plundered.
Her travels would take her far and wide, circumnavigating the continent from the Yamisora to the Ore Coast. She plundered east to west, gaining new crew members and sowing the seeds of piracy, even sparking the age of piracy amongst The Islands of the Reaches. She often happily accepted all manner of crewmates into her fleet, from easifa to even the odd halfling. For years, her raids went without fail until coming into contact with the sea elves, the king of whom would be the first to challenge her on the open sea. Both sides would fight in a bitter war, with some songs saying that the rivalry between the Pirate Queen and the Ocean Lord, Zeceri Aoilis, would bloom into romance. While there were no confirmed accounts, they met personally in over twenty-four battles on the open sea, managing to survive even when reduced to a single ship.
Eventually she would lose this war and fall in battle, leading to the eventual shattering of the orcish tribes. From then on, however, any orc attempting to unite the tribes would take the name Ogren, leading to many accounts conflating across history as academics would work to piece together which orc did exactly what. In orcish culture however, this only served to grow the legend of the Warrior.
The Third Ogren; Cabalist
The third horde was raised in 2472 B.W. by a scheming orc named Illska Bloodreave, who would do anything to rule. He forged a pact with the archdevil Bouldarouth, and conquered the tribes in a brutal fashion. The contract gave the Cabalist strength in exchange for future service for the devil of war. Over twenty years, Illska would lead his unholy campaign to unite the tribes, and as he finally succeeded he looked to his patron for guidance. What he found was a blight that would plague the orcs; a terrible curse, known only as The Drums of War, would be cast upon the orcish people. It drove them into a blood fervor, and those that resisted would have their sanity degrade.
Using this newfound rage, he led his army to the dwarven border and easily smashed through their defenses. Ogren the Cabalist would find a moment's hesitation against his first opponent, High King Hjalmiir, who dealt Ogren a humiliating blow, beheading the Cabalist in mere seconds. The siege ended in an instant, and the orcish people were left with a curse, and without repentance. The Cabalist was left a hated figure by all orcs, and the event led to an abandonment of consorting with gods or devils.
Current Day, and Ogren the Righteous
In the ensuing millennia, no orc has managed to unite the tribes. Though some had come close, it wasn’t until 1038 A.W. that one accomplished what had not been done in nearly three thousand years. His original name has been forgotten, having adopted the title of Ogren in full. While the global stage is waiting with bated breath to see what this new contender will bring to the table, he has not shown his hand since taking the throne. Some dwarves grow worried, as the orcish raids have all been stopped, leaving the howling winds in their place. Those that have immigrated away from the Deadlands have told of this new orcs' proclivity for human tactics, and fondness of history. Some cite his extreme interest in the great war, and that his message is simply “The rebirth of our power”.
Government
DetailsOgren’s Rule
Through most of their history, the orcs were broken into countless tribes, engaging in nomadic pastoralism throughout the Deadlands. Each tribe chooses its own leader, and while the method varies, their word is followed without question. When the tribes are united, however, everything changes to follow the will of the ruling Ogren. The weight of such a name alone is known to be earned, and as such is respected from elder to child. In the past, entire populations have been pulled to construct grand fleets or castles, and today they would do so unquestioningly should a new Ogren arise.
Drums of War
Today, many orcs are plagued by the Drums of War, a curse passed through birth from parent to child. The curse raises aggression; a sound like the beating of a drum is often described whenever orcs find themselves before a fight. Many true horror stories tell of the most civil of orcs descending into a raving madness, or even dying of heart failure should they further resist the siren call of battle. Even while the tribes are broken, many voices cry out for the curse to finally be lifted, to allow the tribes to unite once again without the need for a warlord.
Military
DetailsUnited in Strength
The orcs' natural physical prowess, and ability to remain in fighting condition for most of their lives, allows for their armies to easily sustain a much larger percentage of their opposition. While other populations may outnumber them greatly, the Deadlands forces the orcs to fight just to hunt and survive, and as such the average levy or militia is equal in number and often overpowering in strength of their opposition. Their military supply chain, however, is relatively weak. Without proper infrastructure, maneuvering large armies comes at an equal risk. Said soldiers will often be without armor, as metalwork and production is rare in the Deadlands. What they lack in supplies, however, they make up for in sheer ferocity.
Culture
DetailsLife in the Deadlands
Survival is the foremost priority in the Deadlands, and even the most skilled can find trouble in doing so. Tribes usually range in number from five to fifteen, with the largest gatherings of orcs growing no larger than a hundred. Regardless of the group, every individual has its purpose. Hunters, warriors, and raiders make up the largest portion of the population, with others focusing on rearing livestock such as aurochs. The heart of any tribe is its root-treader, a role focused on digging for bloodroot. Bloodroot, named for the red tint of its juice, is a root vital plant able to store water for years.
While many think otherwise, orcs treasure life. Working alongside goblins as equals towards shared survival, and even employing prisoners in manual labor. These prisoners, either criminals or captives from raids, can easily raise themselves in the tribe's hierarchy and become equals if they show promise. Slackers, or those that fail to prove themselves as a valuable asset to the tribe, are often excommunicated rather than executed.
Honorbound
Trust is vital in the wastes. Orcs do everything in their power to maintain their honor amongst their tribes, which are often treated as extended families. Tribes will eat together, hunt together, and sing and dance together to celebrate a successful raid. One’s word is law in the wastes, and to break that trust is to break the law. Orcs make a habit of only promising what they know they can accomplish, which at times can come off as brutal or even cynical honesty. An orc promising the world very well believes he can achieve that goal.
The Wastelanders
While orcs are the primary inhabitants of the Deadlands, they are surprisingly joined by many others. Wastelander humans are commonplace amongst the tribes, and groups of kobolds and ratlings survive on the underside of the cliff sides. Just as numerous as orcs are the goblinoids, ranging from goblins to hobgoblins of every tribe and type. Goblins have become heavily involved in orc life, some tribes depending and trusting heavily in their smaller allies.
