Ghorza Avinnordal

Ghorza Avinnordal

Chieftain of the Sultog tribe of orcs in the Swamps of Urshok, Ghorza Avinnordal is one of the most respected banoks of the Swamps, even among those outside her tribe.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Youth
Ghorza was born in the seaside village of Bolgir in the Sultog Tribe on the eastern edge of the Swamps of Urshok to Bradok, her father, and Nadkaz, her mother. Bradok worked as the village blacksmith, taking the iron from the Karrog and Sulmag tribes. Her mother was in the process of learning the ropes of agriculture, as the Hyperion Empire's raids on their fishing vessels in the Deuridian Ocean were becoming increasingly commonplace and bringing the tribe to the brink of starvation.
She was the middle child and had three sisters and five brothers, each of them either helping their mother with the farming, their father in the blacksmith, or otherwise assisting the tribe as needed when they were growing up. Not many paid much attention to Ghorza, and she always tried to fit in rather than stand out from her large family. In her mind, there was no need to make a point of what she did; her quiet actions would speak much louder than her siblings' constant showboating. She kept her head down and focused on her own work, striving for excellence while always living in the shadows of her older siblings. However, she never let this discourage her. Instead, the attention that was always given to them made her focus harder on her work, train longer into the early hours of the morning before waking up at dawn to help her mother tend the fields. All of this in preparation for her Bahgtrukal in the mountains of Athasor's Rise.
When she turned eleven, Ghroza could barely contain her excitement. All of her siblings thus far had at the very least passed their Bahgtrukal, with one of her brothers, Yamok, having become one of Bahgtru's Axe with his stellar performance against the Frost Giant he fought. Inspired by his bout just three years prior, she aspired to repeat his feat and claim the title as her own. Her entire family ventured to Athasor's Rise when it came time for the festival, traveling to the opposite end of the Swamps and making their way to the top of the mountains. The Frost Giant clan welcomed them with open arms, and a week of festivities followed the arrival of the newest group of orcs ready to undergo their Bahgtrukal. Ghorza's excitement grew with each passing day, the tension of waiting for her moment growing to a tipping point until finally the day came.
When it came time for Ghorza's Bahgtrukal, she faced off a larger giant than she expected, and one that was much bigger than those faced by their compatriots. Unbeknownst to her, the chieftain of the Sultog Tribe, Nuhrak Uvatruk -- Thunder Render -- arranged for one the Frost Giant's warband leaders to face off against her. The Chieftain felt threatened by the ferocity Ghorza's siblings had displayed in previous years, believing that they may be planning to overthrow him. Nuhrak thought that if he could sufficiently embarrass the family, he would never have to worry about them threatening his rule.
And, before she knew it, the bout started, and the giant rushed her, quickly slamming her into the ground with a force she never felt before and knocked the wind out of her. The snow and dirt of the ring blew up around her, scattering through the area. She barely had time to dodge out of the way of the giant's fist as it crashed to where she had been standing. Breathing hard, she tucked into a rush of her own, aiming for the giant's ankle. Despite lifting with all her might and punching with every ounce of strength, the giant didn't budge. Instead, it laughed as it reached around and wrapped its hands around her and lifted her into the air. She struggled and kicked, hitting the giant in the nose and forcing it to drop her. Thus it continued for several minutes of her ducking and dodging, doing whatever she could to get an ineffective blow in and all the while growing more and more battered and bloodied.
Though weapons were generally disallowed during the Bahgtrukal, her father, seeing the disadvantage his daughter was at, tossed her what was supposed to be her surprise for succeeding in the rite of passage: A warhammer with a sharp jagged edge on one end of the head and a clawed edge on the other. Though it was almost as big as she was, Ghorza caught it more out of surprise than anything as the giant began to bear down on her, it laughing with each thundering step it took closer. She charged and swung with all her might, the talon-headed hammer digging into the giant's thigh and ripping a chunk of skin from it. The giant roared in anguish and swiped at her angrily, lifting her into the air and readying to toss her away when the Frost Giant Chieftain stepped in, stopping the bout. A brief confrontation ensued between the two, and, at the end, the bout was ended, and the chieftain declared that Ghorza had passed her test.
Yalakgh, one of the chieftains of the Gruumsh Zogak Tribe and leader of Bahgtru's Axe, approached her after the bout, commending her on the tenacity with which she fought and never giving up. He bequeathed upon her the name Avinnordal -- Talonhammer -- with a gesture towards the weapon her father made her. Before walking away, however, he did what she could scarcely believe: He offered her a position as one of Bahgtru's Axe. Without any hesitation, she accepted, and her training as one of the elite within the Swamps of Urshok began.
Bahgtru's Axe
The several years of instruction were rigorous, but nothing Ghorza hadn't been accustomed to by then, what with all the self-motivated training she had done leading up to her Bahgtrukal. However, she was the smallest of the bunch and, as a result, always viewed as weak. Instead of letting it discourage her, she used the taunts of the other trainees to push herself harder, proving why she deserved to be there. After five hard years of training, she came out at the head of her class and named an Anzogbanok -- Battle Leader -- of a group of Bahgtru's Axe made up of her fellow novices.
Her first instruction was to guard the Gates of Gruumsh with her band consisting of five other Axes. This was considered a high honor to be chosen to defend the most important section of the Swamps. The decisions she made along with the other Anzogbanoks, as well as Banok Yalakgh, would mean life or death for the rest of the Swamps of Urshok. She carried out this duty with the utmost reverence and respect, ensuring she never let her guard waver.
It was around this time that she met Jartag Zhundrol -- Cold Dagger, for the greatsword given to him by the Frost Giants after his Bahgtrukal -- near the Gates of Gruumsh while on patrol through the forest. He was from another squadron of Bahgtru's Axe, one that had graduated two years prior. The two immediately became friends, and, after several late night escapades, more than that. However, their relationship didn't last. Shortly thereafter, Jartag's group was called to the Gates to fend off a small army of Nelcean warriors testing their defenses. After a bloody battle, the squadron returned without Jartag.
The news of Jartag's demise was especially devastating to Ghorza, though tempered somewhat by hearing how he fell honorably in combat, with his sword in his hands. This didn't lessen the blow, especially considering she had important news to share with him: she was pregnant. This was seen as a great honor, a blessing from Luthic, even if the father had perished. However, Nuhrak did not see it this way; he saw only another of the family that would be trying to overthrow him, and he attempted to banish her from the tribe. This was quickly retracted, though, when he faced backlash from the rest of the tribe members.
For a period of time following Jartag's death, perhaps infected by Luthic, she went into an almost bloodlust, her ferocity unmatched by any who dared get in her way. She slaughtered countless Nelcean soldiers, silently praying that each was the one who took her beloved from her. Even those orcs who stood by her side were put off by her actions, as even those they would normally have spared were mercilessly slain. She rose through the ranks of the Bahgtru's Axe, eventually reaching the rank of Sharbanok -- War Leader.
As the end of her pregnancy drew closer and closer, her bloodlust seemed to fade until she was practically drained of all power. Her sisters and mother helped her back to the eastern town and their home of Bolgir, and Yalakgh relieved her of her duties as a Bahgtru's Axe, though temporarily. He promised her that once she returned to full strength, she would be given her rank back without question. And it was in Bolgir that she gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter whom she named Shalnik, after her great grandmother whom had died before Ghorza was even born.
Despite Yalakgh's offer to allow her to return to her position, and her family's constant offers to care for her child, Ghorza couldn't bring herself to abandon the child, even if it was to family. Though she wished to raise the child alone, her family refused, helping her whenever and however they could. As the child grew, the more involved Ghorza became in ensuring that the child received proper warrior training, the same way she had taken it upon herself when she was younger. After Shalnik turned five, they trained from dawn to dusk, every day the both of them growing stronger. Repeatedly, Yalakgh pleaded with Ghorza, asking her when she planned on returning to the Gates, and, each time, she told him she would return when her child no longer needed her.
When Shalnik turned 11, just as Ghorza did, she partook in her Bahgtrukal, and passed the test, albeit barely. The girl was ashamed that she would not be able to follow in her mother's footsteps, but Ghorza assured her that she didn't love her any less. But with the Bahgtrukal come and gone, Ghorza could no longer make excuse and went back to her band at the Gates of Gruumsh. She begrudgingly sent Shalnik back to Bolgir with her family and went willingly with Yalakgh to the Gruumsh Zogak tribe.
It was barely a year later when devastating news made its way once more to her: Nuhrak Uvatruk was forcing Shalnik to marry him despite her protests. In the Sultog Tribe, as well as the other tribes, it was unheard of to force a marriage onto another. Ghorza, infuriated by the blatant lack of respect, abandoned her post at the Gates of Gruumsh and traveled to Bolgir as quickly as she could. When she made it, she found Shalnik trapped inside of Nuhrak's hut, and Ghorza challenged him to single combat for her daughter's freedom.
The bout was short lived, as Ghorza, with her now legendary Talonhammer, dispatched Nuhrak with a single blow and claimed the title of Banok for herself. She held her daughter tight, happy that she was at least healthy. Only those firmly in Nuhrak's inner circle opposed this change in leadership, and a brief fight ensued before Ghorza, with the help of her family, eliminated them one by one, beating them into submission.
Now, she rules the Sultog Tribe, guiding them on a path that will bring them closer to the Hyperion Empire and end the pointless bloodshed that she once encouraged.

Education

Like most of the orcs of the Swamps of Urshok, Ghorza received no formal education. Her mother and father, as well as other elders within the tribe, did pass on what knowledge they had, but it was more practical than informational.

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Banok