Oula'moseu
History
The Oula'moseu /høːlɑˈmɔzəw/ is the 'Undying Spirit' of the orcs. At the core, it is the deep belief that every orc will stand up to any challenge placed before them and that they will never give up. After the Cataclysm, orcs managed to survive almost through stubbornness and spite. As they began to form tribes, they contributed their success to the undying spirit that every orc carries in their heart, a small piece of the entire soul of their race.
Over the next two millennia, the orcs' interpretation of this pushed them from resolute survival to violent aggression. Any incursion into their spaces was seen as a threat to be eradicated to ensure the survival of the orcs. Humankind, also returning to the world in great numbers, found themselves at odds with orcs at nearly every step.
By the early 2000's, men had established kingdoms, while the orcs found themselves on the backfoot, reduced to raiding from their homes, which they made in the places men left alone. Swamps and mires, rocky crags, wastelands. Their insistence on using the Oula'moseu as a means of aggression was now their only means to survive.
In the 2600's, an orc began a campaign of conquest, but this time not against others, but within the tribes of orcs themselves. Wohrtal managed something no orc had done before, which was to unite all of the orc tribes under a single banner. Then, he marched on the city of Gelencriel.
However, Wohrtal was not seeking to lay siege on the great city, but instead called for a parley. The result of this meeting, the Gelencriel Covenant, acknowledged the orcs as a sentient race and gave them the northlands, in exchange for giving up their raids and aggression.
Twelve of the Tribes refused to go along with the Covenant, accusing Wohrtal of abandoning their Oula'moseu. This led to an all-out revolt and three months of civil war that ravaged the lands southwest of Gelencriel. At the end, three of those tribes were eradicated outright, the others escaping into the sea, the birth of the Meshprezu and the Nine Fleets.
Now, the orcs of the north, the Sprikokon observe Oula'moseu by standard guard over the icy and treacherous north. They face the few threats that rise from the north, allowing Einelund to look elsewhere. The Bludjok display Oula'moseu in their treks across the Ishan, never relenting to the harsh conditions of the desert.
The Meshprezu continue to observe it in the old ways, raiding and pillaging any ships unfortunate enough to cross their path.
Execution
Oula'moseu has no specific rites or rituals. Orcs are expected to never back down from a challenge, whether it is a slight from a tavern drunkard to a glorious battle against massive beasts. Depending on the ethnicity, this core idea has branched into several social customs.
The Sprikokon are open to allowing grievances to pass by seeing them not as challenges, but oversight and mistakes. They are also careful never to issue challenge when unnecessary.
The Bludjok have developed a dynamic system of respect, fealty, and reverence to which they brook no insult. To refuse hospitality challenges an orcs honor. To turn away from an orc while they are speaking directly to you is a challenge of worth. These challenges can generally be defused through displaying the proper respect.
The Meshprezu simply attack anything that insults their Oula'moseu. From battle, to harsh words, even losing a drinking contest can trigger some Meshprezu into fits of rage.
