Kuzgmorb
Kuzgmorb orcs are a people of violent passions in all that they do, not just war. Bonds of blood are especially strong among these orcs, and lineage is important. The strongest bands are typically made up of brothers and sisters in more than arms; orcs fight harder when they are protecting their own kinsfolk, and warriors will fight tirelessly to avenge fallen family members. This emphasis on bloodlines is not an altruistic one, however, and is in fact a double-edged sword. Orcs whose families have been killed find themselves at the bottom of the clan’s totem pole, and even a famous chieftain can become powerless overnight if their brethren aren’t there to back them up.
The chaotic and fractious nature of kuzgmorb culture results in a great variety of beliefs, superstitions, and legacies among different clans. This cultural divergence causes substantial infighting among the bands. It can also frustrate many attempts at diplomacy, as the taboos of one band may be commonplace and thoroughly accepted practices among others. Navigating a specific band’s culture can often mean the difference between life and death to those who deal with kuzgmorb off the field of war. Although orcs, as a rule, rarely deal with outsiders, they recognize the benefits of trade and willingly swap resources with other violent peoples like hobgoblins and drow.
Most kuzgmorb communities define themselves through two things: pain and glory. Each earns respect in near equal measure, so long as the pain is borne with stoicism. An orc with many scars who walks uncomplaining with a broken leg draws as much admiration as one who wins a great victory on the battlefield.
Power in an kuzgmorb hold comes from strength or family lineage. The structure tends to be feudal, with the weak working at the behest of the strong. One mighty orc dying in battle can shake up an entire power structure, leading to squabbling and duels to decide control. Many who tire of being subservient split off to form their own warbands, traveling to new territory.
Little is feared by kuzgmorb but most distrust magic. Magic is seen as a tool that bypasses the physical and allows the weak to contend with the strong, a belief that runs at odds with their values. While they respect the physical might of warpriests, and even druids who take on the forms of great beasts, they find arcane and occult magic questionable at best and unethical on the whole. All but the most depraved kuzgmorb communities see necromancy as a foul art that steals glory from the dead.
The chaotic and fractious nature of kuzgmorb culture results in a great variety of beliefs, superstitions, and legacies among different clans. This cultural divergence causes substantial infighting among the bands. It can also frustrate many attempts at diplomacy, as the taboos of one band may be commonplace and thoroughly accepted practices among others. Navigating a specific band’s culture can often mean the difference between life and death to those who deal with kuzgmorb off the field of war. Although orcs, as a rule, rarely deal with outsiders, they recognize the benefits of trade and willingly swap resources with other violent peoples like hobgoblins and drow.
Most kuzgmorb communities define themselves through two things: pain and glory. Each earns respect in near equal measure, so long as the pain is borne with stoicism. An orc with many scars who walks uncomplaining with a broken leg draws as much admiration as one who wins a great victory on the battlefield.
Power in an kuzgmorb hold comes from strength or family lineage. The structure tends to be feudal, with the weak working at the behest of the strong. One mighty orc dying in battle can shake up an entire power structure, leading to squabbling and duels to decide control. Many who tire of being subservient split off to form their own warbands, traveling to new territory.
Little is feared by kuzgmorb but most distrust magic. Magic is seen as a tool that bypasses the physical and allows the weak to contend with the strong, a belief that runs at odds with their values. While they respect the physical might of warpriests, and even druids who take on the forms of great beasts, they find arcane and occult magic questionable at best and unethical on the whole. All but the most depraved kuzgmorb communities see necromancy as a foul art that steals glory from the dead.
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