Crushbone
The Greater Faydark is a vast forest containing many different creatures. Animals and monsters roam the woods, and wise travelers go in numbers and stick to the Caravan Road. At either end of the road is a city — Kelethin of the Wood Elf to the west, and High Elven Felwithe to the east. But a third city of sorts exists in the great forest, though few travel there of their own free will: Crushbone, home of the Orcs and a bane to virtually all others in the area.
Those who have heard the name and the stories assume that Crushbone is merely a large keep, or that it is a camp of Orcs from Clan Crushbone. Both of these are accurate, and yet neither is complete. The difficulty for outsiders lies principally in two facts: first, the name Crushbone is used separately for clan, city, and keep; and second, few who visit Crushbone ever leave.
Demographics
Most who live within Crushbone are Orcs, but others are also present in the city. The Dark Elves have struck up several trade agreements with the Orcs, and their ambassador, D'Vinn, lives within the Citadel full-time. Other Dark Elves arrive and stay for days or even weeks to handle business, so that at least 3 or 4 other Dark Elves are usually in Crushbone at any given time, sometimes staying in guest rooms in the Citadel, and sometimes staying on their own boats.
Wood Elves, Humans, and Dwarves also live within Crushbone, but none do so willingly. These are the slaves, and they are kept in the slave pits when they are not working. Although the slave masters are harsh, they tend not to mistreat the slaves unduly — sufficient food and water are provided, and those slaves who are injured are tended to, unless the injury has rendered them unfit to work. After all, the point to having slaves is to get work out of them, and an injured or starved slave is less effective.
The only other regular occupants in Crushbone are the black wolves. Several of these beasts have been captured by Orc hunters and brought back to the city, where they have been tamed, trained, and bred as hunting and attack beasts — and are used occasionally to add to the excitement of an arena match. The wolves are kept in special pens within Crushbone.
Government
Emperor Crush rules Clan Crushbone as its absolute leader. The current Crush is the 22nd emperor of that name — every time a new orc ascends the throne, he changes his name to Crush. On one occasion the new emperor was actually a female, and she still went by that name. This creates a sense of continuity for the clan, and fosters their enemies' belief that the orc leader is somehow immortal.
Although Crush is their commander, Crushbone has become too large and too populous for one Orc to handle every decision. Instead, the emperor relies heavily on his three Wardens. These orcs speak with the authority of Crush himself, saving only that they cannot contradict his direct orders — if two wardens issue conflicting commands, the emperor hears the debate and makes the final decision.
Currently, one of the wardens, Chokehold, is in charge of trade. The second, Bonefire, handles defense, while the third, Bloodgurgler, oversees day-to-day operations like managing food delivery and overseeing new construction or repairs. This frees Crush to worry about expanding the city and to plan attacks on the Orcs' enemies.
Beneath the Wardens are the taskmasters (equivalent to legionnaires). These orcs have been entrusted with specific tasks or areas, and they all report back to one of the three wardens. Often the taskmasters are summoned to report to all three wardens and the emperor at once, so that everyone in charge knows of any important developments. The only Orcs in all of Crushbone who report directly to Emperor Crush and not to the wardens are Lord Darish, Marrowbane the thaumaturge, and one known simply as the Prophet. Each of these three holds an equivalent rank to the wardens, and deals directly with the emperor.
Emperor Crush and the Wardens meet every evening over dinner to discuss the events of the day. Lord Darish, Marrowbane, and the Prophet often join them for dinner, and update the others on the activities in their particular domains. Although he trusts his assistants to take care of matters, the current emperor likes to remain informed. He also realizes that the wardens are the most likely candidates to take his place — the majority of the Crushbone's 22 emperors, including the current one, were Wardens or the equivalent before assuming the throne.
Appointing a new emperor is not a democratic process. When a current emperor grows old, he appoints an heir — this Orc is often his son (or, on at least one occasion, his daughter), but can be anyone he thinks will do a good job as the next ruler. If the emperor dies before selecting someone, a power struggle occurs, and the most powerful and savvy Orc usually wins. Choosing an heir is no guarantee that that orc will be the next emperor, of course, as power struggles have occurred even then, and in several cases the heir has not been strong enough to defend the claim. The rest of the clan sees this as a good test, however, and generally supports whoever wins.
Defences
Crushbone was attacked by Elves and their allies not long after it was first occupied, when the clan was unprepared for such an onslaught. The first Crush vowed not to let that happen again. As a result, the Orcs have spent a great deal of time fortifying their city and preparing it against possible attacks.
The first noteworthy defense of Crushbone is its outer wall. This was initially comprised of two low ridges that ran on either side of the hill, and the Orcs used dirt and mud to link the two together and to build them up further. The resulting earthwork wall is not terribly tall, perhaps 10 feet above the surrounding forest floor, and on the inside it is a gradual slope with roughly 3 feet of wall at the edge. Beyond the wall, the dirt taken up to extend the wall has formed a ditch, which has since then been turned into a hardened gully using water, fire, and pitch. From the bottom of this ditch, the wall extends upward 15 feet, and it is nearly vertical. The ditch itself is over 6 feet wide at all points to prevent anyone from walking up to the wall, and most of it has been covered over with nets and leaves, camouflaging the area. Someone not paying sufficient attention could easily fall into the ditch before they realized it was there.
The second defense is in the trees, or lack thereof. The area is technically part of Greater Faydark, and its trees extended this far north, until the Orcs cleared the area for their town. The basin is now devoid of vegetation, giving Crushbone several miles of visibility to the only valley entrance in the southeast.
The third line of defense is the guard posts. At each point of the outer wall, a guard platform has been placed. Though Orcs are not fond of climbing, the guards have resigned themselves to the necessity, and 3 Crushbone Guards sit on each of these small platforms at all times, 20 to 40 feet off the ground, equipped with torches and horns. Their job is to watch for intruders, to stop anyone approaching if possible, and to sound the alarm if the unwanted visitors are more than they can reasonably handle. The guards recognize the value of slaves, and are under orders to entangle people with the nets if possible — killing potential workers is to be saved for a last resort.
The interior of Crushbone has also been designed with defense in mind. In the center of Crushbone stands the low hill that first attracted the clan to this location, along with the river flowing past it. At first the Orcs had wanted to set their castle atop that higher ground, but after the first keep had been destroyed, and their leader with it, Crush took control of the tribe. He decided that the hill was too obvious a target, and instead built his stronghold, the Citadel, off to one side. The hill was leveled at the top, and a great bonfire set in the center.
That bonfire has burned there ever since, maintained by the orcs, and today it serves three purposes. First, it provides some light to the rest of the city. Second, it draws the attention of anyone attacking; as the single largest visible light source, attackers would tend to assume that the bonfire is set next to the orcs’ castle, and so mistakenly head toward the hill (a fact aided by the positioning of the practice wall upon the hill). Third, the firelight casts long, deep shadows across the ground at night, making it very difficult for those without darkvision to notice the canals — until they fall into one.
One of Crushbone’s greatest defenses is something for which the Orcs can take no credit. The great Thicket Maze sits 100 miles south of the city, and runs thence toward the west, blocking large scale passage between Crushbone and Kelethin. This enormous holly thicket is so dense that the Orcs cannot chop through it, and the gaps within it are so narrow that only a single young orc can pass at a time. Further, although they help almost anyone lost inside, sometimes even Orcs, the druids who tend the thicket do not tolerate anyone trying to damage the thicket.
Crushbone scouts have tried several times to find their way through the Maze, but they have always given up a short way in — the thicket is completely impassable for them. Even if they did make it to the other side, the Orcs would have to face the Elves of Kelethin, and would be sorely outnumbered. This maze has proved of immense value to the Orcs nonetheless, however, because it serves as a strong defense for their front door. No large force can attack them on that side, and around the rest of the city they have the wall and their guards.
Crushbone is guarded by 25 pawns, 70 warriors, 120 centurions, 60 guards, 18 legionnaires; 6 prophets; 5 thaumaturgists.
Industry & Trade
Most travelers think that Orcs survive merely by preying on the other races, killing and looting for whatever they need. This may be true for small bands and tribes, but a city the size of Crushbone could not survive on such slim pickings, particularly not in Greater Faydark where few people are foolish enough to travel, let alone travel anywhere near Crushbone. This does not mean the Orcs don't send out raiding parties, but raiding is not their only source of food, or of wealth.
The Orcs draw much of their food from the river. The Bloodwine flows right through the city, and even though it splits into several streams (which run through channels the Orcs have cut) within the basin the water still has significant force. Fish are often swept along with the current, and the Orcs have strung nets just within the wall where the river enters. Most fish are caught here, and the catch is pulled out each day and carted off to the smokehouse.
To supplement their fish, the Orcs hunt constantly. Few deer and rabbits dwell in the vicinity of Crushbone because of over-hunting by past generations of Orcs, but lizards, mice, weasels, and other small creatures can be found. The Orcs' preferred prey, however, is the giant bats, for these creatures provide decent meat in good quantities. The Orcs have also learned a bit about the local plant life, and they harvest mushrooms, tubers, nuts, and whatever edible berries they can find.
Although Elves and Humans would likely never believe it, the Orcs also farm. Small areas along the wall have been set aside for wheat and other hardy grains, and these provide enough to make hard, flat bread for the Orcs' meals. Farming is considered a demeaning occupation among Orcs, of course, so only women and those male Orcs too young to hunt or too old and infirm to be effective warriors are relegated to this chore.
Finally, the Orcs trade for any food and drink they cannot find or grow themselves. Most of their trading is with the Dark Elves, but some unscrupulous Humans do deal with the Orcs as well. The latter can be found off the northern coast of Faydwer, and Orc parties send a troop up the coast once a month to deal with these sea merchants (whom most would call pirates).
Of course, trading requires either money or goods. Fortunately, the Orcs have both. Only a small amount of Crushbone's money comes from raids and loot. Most of it, instead, is mined from within the city itself. While digging foundations for their dwellings, the first Crushbone settlers discovered gold and silver here. They searched the basin, and finally located the source: a small cave that led down into the bedrock of the continent. This shaft has been expanded, and is now the entrance to the mines. Here the Orcs (or, more accurately, their slaves) mine gold and silver, which is then minted into bars and coins. The Orcs have proven to be clever, however — they make coins that look exactly like standard Elven, or even Dwarven or Gnomish coins, so that no one will discover the true source of the money.
Crushbone's other major commodity is slaves. They almost always try to take enemies alive, and those victims are brought back to Crushbone, bandaged or healed as necessary, and put to work. The pirates with whom the Orcs trade sometimes have a use for slaves, as well, as do the Dark Elves, and the Orcs are perfectly happy to trade slaves for meat, ale, and wine. After all, they can always get more slaves.
Crushbone is, for all its size, still the home of a single clan. That means that every Orc in the city is somehow related. This makes it far easier to distribute the wealth — or, more accurately, to avoid doing so. The emperor keeps all clan monies in the Citadel. Within the city, every Orc can take whatever he needs in terms of food and clothing, weapons and armor. Anything he needs that is not currently available he can request from whoever would provide such things (armor and weapons from the smith, clothing from the tanner, etc.). Coins are not handed out except when the Orcs set out to buy from the pirates or the Dark Elves. The Orcs do not draw salaries — instead, they get food, clothing, and whatever else they need or require. This does not mean that none of the Orcs has money, of course, but most have only whatever coins they have themselves found or looted, or been given as a reward for good work (and possibly whatever they have made off that initial stake by gambling at bones or on events in the arena).
Infrastructure
Canals
Most likely the first thing anyone entering Crushbone would notice is the canals. The city is separated by several waterways, which divide it into several districts. Originally, the Bloodwine River flowed in from the southwest, cut down around the central hill, and then flowed back out in the northeast corner. Smaller streams split off from the river, but none of them were deeper than 2 feet, so they were easily forded. The first emperor and his generals changed all that. They saw the river as a natural defensive barrier, but wanted it to do more than divide the city. They began to carve deeper channels for the streams, and also to narrow the riverbank, forcing the waters to spill out into the new channels. These were cut not straight and neat, but winding and curving to divide the city more fully and to confuse anyone not familiar with the layout. Orcs are strong swimmers, so they had little worry that the rivers would be a problem for themselves. The canals are 18 to 20 feet wide and roughly 8 feet deep at their center, but the sides slope rapidly inward, so that near the edges they are no more than 2 or 3 feet deep. This is to prevent large boats from gaining passage; the Orcs themselves use boats with deep keels and shallow drafts or small, buoyant canoes. The original river channel is a fair bit wider and deeper, running nearly 40 feet across and almost 15 feet deep at its center. Rope bridges do cross the canals in strategic places, and rope ladders also exist in several spots so that the Orcscan pull themselves up onto dry land. When an alarm is sounded, however, the ropes are quickly cut, making it very difficult for non-orcs to get from one section of the city to another. Iron and brick caps are also slid into place over the spots where the river cuts through the outer walls, slowing the water and preventing anyone from sneaking in through the grates. What is not readily apparent are the smaller channels. These narrow passages, no more then six feet across and six feet deep, branch off from the larger channels, concealed by camouflaged wooden arches and surfacing inside a home or building. The Orcs use these side channels to get from their homes and workplaces into the channels or back out again, without anyone watching the surface from knowing. It helps that the Bloodwine River is so dark and warm that observers using normal vision or darkvision cannot make out anyone swimming beneath the surface.Crushbone Citadel
Easily the largest and most impressive building in Crushbone is the Citadel. This is the home of Emperor Crush and his three wardens, and the center of the clan's power. From a distance, Crushbone Citadel is an imposing structure. Circular and fully three stories tall, it has four large towers outside the main building, all connected by walkways and halls on the third level. The tops of the towers and of the main building's roof are pointed and appear almost jagged, so that the entire structure resembles a row of monstrous teeth preparing to bite a chunk from the sky.Barracks
When the Bloodwine River was diverted into several channels, one channel was made to wrap around Crushbone's low central hill on three sides. On the fourth side, just south and east of the hill, sits a long, low building. This is the barracks. In Crushbone, every adult male Orc is a warrior. But many Orcs have other tasks as well, such as fishing or crafting wood or metal. Only those who have no other occupation but soldiering live in the barracks, including the Crushbone Warlord. The Orcs' professional soldiery is divided into three ranks: centurions, guards, and legionnaires. The legionnaires each command a band of roughly 10 centurions, and these bands patrol the area around Crushbone, checking to make sure that no one is trying to attack them. They also go on raids into the forest and as far as Kelethin or the Caravan Road. The guards are commanded by the Warlord himself, Lord Darish, each squad of 10 having its own sergeant, and they generally perform special missions and security details. The barracks is a simple building, but large, with over a dozen rooms. A pair of wide doors opens onto the hill to the north, and wide doors on the shorter ends of the building, east and west, allow soldiers to enter and exit without crowding. This building, like most of those in Crushbone, is made from heavy logs and thick wooden beams; only the Citadel has its eerie bone-brick construction.Training Ground
In front of the barracks stands the great central hill. At its top, the ground has been carved away, creating a flat plane of hard-packed dirt. In the center of this stands the bonfire, lit at all times, but Orc warriors also use this space to practice for battle. The training ground also has several wooden structures, built to help the warriors practice various maneuvers. The largest of these is a wall 20 feet high and 40 feet wide, with arrow slits for windows and ramparts at the top. The wall looks like that of a standard keep, but behind it is nothing but three logs to prop it up and the rest of the training ground. The Orc warriors practice scaling this wall and fighting their way inside; the back of the wall has platforms by the windows and ramparts, so that other orcs can defend the structure. This wall also has an added purpose: Anyone approaching Crushbone from the back and sneaking past the outer defenses would see this structure atop the only hill in the city and might assume it was the real Orc keep. Besides the wall, there are several low platforms, a few hurdles, some barrels, and several thick posts solidly planted in the ground. The posts are used for tying ropes, both to create rope ladders (so the Orcs can practice fighting on a narrow rope, as if they were walking through a treetop city) and to construct rope mazes (so the Orcs can test their ability to get through a maze quickly). Every day, all of the Crushbone centurions and legionnaires in the city (except those currently on duty, of course) march up the hill, drill for an hour in formation, and then make a complete circuit of the entire city at a run, all with full armor and gear. After completing the circuit, the Orcs return to the hill, where they break into small groups and practice close combat in pairs. Lord Darish participates in all of this — he would never consider making his soldiers do anything he would not do himself — but he is not technically in charge of the training. That honor belongs to a grizzled old warrior named Stingtooth, who was once a mighty warrior and captain of the Royal Guard.Smokehouse
Most of the fish caught in the city is brought here to be cleaned. Then it is coated with salt and laid upon wooden racks, and these are carried to the smaller structure and slid into grooves along the walls. The door to this structure, the "smoker," is closed, and the fire beneath it is always kept stoked. The smoke from the fire cooks the fish and seals in the salt, so that the fish will be edible much longer than otherwise. Once they have been properly smoked, the fish are bundled up in leaves and portioned out to the various buildings in the city. The larger structure next to the smoker itself is the smokehouse, where all of the spices and salt are kept. It is also here that the smokemaster lives. Inside his hut are a simple bed and shelves all along one wall to hold clothing and other items. A table sits in the opposite corner, with two chairs. Working the smokehouse is considered one of the more menial jobs in Crushbone, since it does not take a great deal of skill to handle the smoker. Nonetheless, it is an important occupation, and the current smokemaster is unusual in that he actually enjoys the job; although not terribly old, his knees are not good, so he can no longer run with the other warriors. Instead, he sits here and tends the smoker, and passes the time by carving small figures from pieces of wood. He is one of the few orcs to know of the Thaumaturge's woodworking hobby, and the two occasionally spend an evening comparing carvings and discussing their craft.Slave Pits
Each of these holes is roughly 25 feet deep and more than 40 feet across. Those whom the Orcs have enslaved are kept here in these pits. They have no shelter from the elements, and no means of escape; the walls of the pits have been carved smooth to the point where water flows down without pause, and the sides are almost impossible to climb. Every morning, ladders are lowered into the pits so that the slaves can climb out and go to work. At night, they are sent back down the ladders, and the ladders are then pulled up and tossed beside the lip of the pits. The slaves huddle at the bottom of the pits, pressed together as much for comfort as for warmth. Baskets of bread and meat are thrown down in the evening, along with waterskins. These are collected again before the slaves are allowed to climb up or go to sleep. On particularly cold nights, the guards grudgingly toss down blankets, since they need the slaves healthy enough to work. The system of confinement is very simple, but very effective. No one in the pits can do anything without being seen, so there is no way to plan an escape or dig a tunnel or even conceal a weapon. Most of the slaves are consigned to their fate; they know that, as long as they obey and work, the Orcs will let them live. Every so often a new slave decides to rebel, and is taken away to the arena. All of the other slaves are brought to watch, so that they see firsthand the punishment for being disobedient. As a result, most of the slaves are so terrified of their Orc masters that they would rather turn on any would-be rescuers than actually try to escape.Slavemaster's House
This house is divided into three areas. The first, by the door, functions as dining room, kitchen, and sitting room. Several large fire pits line the wall here since the slavemaster is responsible for providing food to the slaves. Over the fire pits are spits and grills, and pots and pans hang from hooks overhead. A large oven next to the fire pits is used for baking bread. A few chairs rest along the walls, and a dining table with several chairs takes up the rest of the room. The guards and the slavemaster sit here for their own meals, or when relaxing at the end of the day. The second room houses the slaves' guards (Crushbone centurions), containing a series of bunk beds with drawers beneath and hooks alongside. The guards spend little time in here; usually they are out watching the slaves, or else sitting in the front room. The third room belongs to the Slavemaster. This room has a single bed, a bedside table, and a large iron-bound chest. The Slavemaster and his guards search each new slave carefully to be sure the slavers didn't miss anything. Every so often they find something valuable or interesting, and the Slavemaster confiscates these and keeps them in his chest.Slaver Camps
Although the 16 or so slavers in these two camps are from the same clan, the two groups compete viciously to see who can bring in the most slaves. Emperor Crush allows this because the two camps don't fight each other directly, and the competition makes both work harder. The two camps are much the same; each is a collection of tents where the slavers sleep, and have a thick stake stuck in the ground before them and a second stake a little distance away. The tents in both camps are arranged in a circle around a single fire, where the slavers cook their food. New victims are brought into the city and to the slavers' camp, where they are searched for weapons and items of value. Extraneous clothing is stripped away — the climate is warm enough that very little protection is needed. Once all of this has been done, the slavers take stock of their catch. Anyone considered too weak to be of use, or too ill or wounded to survive, is simply killed. The fit slaves are chained together, and the ends of the chain are attached to the two stakes. This keeps them from wandering away, either close enough to take a weapon from the slavers or far enough to try leaping into the channels. In the morning, the slaves are gathered up and taken to the slave pits, where the chains are removed and the newest victims are dumped in with the rest of the workers. The slavers themselves are a rough lot; these are Orcs who excel at hunting, with Elves, Dwarves, and Humans being their favored prey, and pride themselves on bringing their quarry back alive, and even largely unharmed. They use nets, whips, and their bare hands to capture people, and resort to real weapons only when necessary.Arena
Between the two slaver camps is another deep pit, similar to the slave pits except that the upper half of the wall has been cut back and away from the hole into steps. Along the northeastern side, a narrow section has been cut into a steep ramp with a heavy wooden door blocking access. Disobedient or rebellious slaves are brought here and thrown into the arena. Sometimes two or more slaves wind up at the bottom together. Sometimes the slave(s) face a starving wolf. Sometimes the Orcs manage to capture other dangerous creatures, such as giant spiders, and toss them into the arena as well. The rules are simple, however — it is a fight to the death, anything goes, and the last creature breathing wins. The Orcs gather around the arena to watch, sitting on the steps carved into the side and betting on the outcome. If the slave wins, he is maimed, usually an eye is put out, as the Orcs want to keep arms and legs intact for work purposes, and returned to the slave pits. At least one arena match is held each week, and sometimes more, though the Slavemaster, who runs the arena and makes a good deal of money betting on the events, is careful to space out the entertainment. He knows that making the matches too frequent only causes the other Orcs to lose interest and bet less money.Pens
At the south end of the same city section, not far from the arena, are the pens. This is a squared area where the ground has been cut away slightly, so that the bottom of the square is about 2 feet below the surrounding earth. A tall wooden wall surrounds the entire square, with only one iron door in and out. Within the cage are over a dozen wolves and dire wolves the Orcs have caught and tamed — or at least conditioned enough to obey basic "attack" or "stay" commands. When a wolf or dog grows too old or injured to be useful, it is starved for several days and then set loose in the arena with a troublesome slave. The wolf pens are watched over by the Orcs' Beastmaster, who is responsible for the wellbeing of the wolves and for their training.Tunnels
Each of these heavy wooden doorframes, the tops of which are below ground level, leads to underground tunnels — the mines. The tunnels have been made wide enough for a handcart to be pushed through them, and wooden beams support the walls and the ceiling, with small lanterns or torches at intervals to light the way. Every day, the slaves are marched down the tunnels, pushing the handcarts before them. At the end of the day, heavy iron gratings are lowered over each tunnel entrance, with the handcarts and tools just inside.Mines
The mines are well below the surface, and occupy numerous large caverns, all tall enough for an Orc to walk through without banging his head and wide enough for four carts to move alongside each other. The Orcs have found bountiful veins of silver and gold, and smaller veins of copper, tin, and iron have been located as well. A handful of gems have been uncovered, the largest being the giant quartz crystal that was fashioned into Emperor Crush's throne, but for the most part the mines contain metals rather than gems. Every day the slaves are led down here under the watchful eyes of the Slavemaster and his crew, and are put to work with picks, chipping ore out of the walls and digging new passages to explore. Thick wooden beams are stacked up in a few different portions of the mines, and these are used to support walls and ceilings in the new tunnels, to prevent cave-ins. The Orcs are patient with their mining — they would rather take years to find a new vein than rush and endanger the entire operation, as well as the city above. Surprisingly, very few slaves have tried turning the picks against their captors — but then, the Orcs are better fed and better armed. So far, anyone who has tried has wound up in the arena, and only a small handful throughout the history of Crushbone have ever survived that ordeal.Smithy
A short distance east of the tunnel entrances is the smithy, where a brawny but disfigured Orc smith, named Oblod, melts down the gold and silver ore and pours the metals into coin molds. He also purifies the iron ore and forges it into weapons and armor. The copper and tin are refined and made into bronze, which is then shaped into bricks for easy storage. The smithy contains a massive forge, which is fed with hardwood and with coal from the mines. In front of the forge are two large anvils and a long wooden table. The table has metal trays upon it, and the trays hold coin molds so that the gold and silver can be poured in while still molten. Next to the anvils are two large buckets filled with water, for cooling weapons and other tools once they have been shaped and hammered. It is worth noting that Oblod has an assistant. One of the slaves captured several years ago was a young Dwarf named Gonagur, and one day in the mines he accidentally revealed that he knew something about metalworking. He was immediately removed from regular duty and assigned to work with Oblod instead. Over the years the two have almost become — if it were possible — friends, and the Dwarf seems happy enough to be shaping metal rather than digging it from the ground. Both the Orc and the Dwarf sleep on bedrolls under the tables, and cook their food on top of the forge itself.Tannery
This is the tannery, where leather — either from animals or from slaves — is cured, tanned, dried, and worked into clothing, armor, and gear. The tannery house is very similar to the smokehouse, but with two beds, a table, two chairs, and a wall covered in shelves. The table is covered with tools and with wooden blocks carved into various shapes. The tannery stinks, however, even worse than the smokehouse. The tanners and the smith have grown used to the stench, but anyone else approaching the tannery will find it hard not to wretch uncontrollably. The 2 tanners take hides and hang them on long ropes strung from the edge of the house to a pole to let the hides dry. Then they remove the hides and place them in the smoker to cure, drying the leather and conditioning it so that it will not crack. One of the tanners is also the leatherworker, who cuts and stitches several pieces of leather together, then trims the edges to finish the piece. The wooden blocks on the table are used as templates for fitting and cutting leather objects — one block is for pouches, another for boots, another gloves.Fields
In these narrow, oddly shaped fields grow wheat, oats, corn, barley, and potatoes. The Orcs assigned to the fields tend the crops every day. They carry cans to dip into the nearest canal and long knives to prune away damaged or diseased leaves, keeping the plants healthy. This is considered the lowliest job in the city, unfit for a true warrior, and is usually reserved for the old, the very young, women, or those in serious disfavor. When harvest time comes, the Orcs use sickles to chop down the wheat and barley, picking the rest by hand. Everything is placed in large baskets, and these are carried up to the Citadel and placed in the storeroom there.Housing Area
While the majority of common Orcs live in this area, in housing units of simple but sturdy wooden construction, the most notable part of this section of the city has never been seen by most of the clan and is not even suspected by outsiders who have merely snuck a glimpse at the city. The river that cuts through Crushbone is not its only source of water: a second river flows through as well, from the east to the southwest. This river is underground, however, and never surfaces — or at least not anywhere near Crushbone. The Orcs discovered the river in its natural stone channel when they were laying the foundations for Crush's Citadel, for the water runs directly beneath it. Rather than move, though, the Orcs simply decided to use the river as a source of fresh water, laying strong braces, arches, and pillars along the river's edges to support the keep above. More than a century after the Citadel had been built, a patrol of Orcs were surprised one day to hear strange sounds coming from the grating beneath their feet. The sounds were very similar to someone talking, but in language they did not recognize. The grating was lifted aside, and guards were lowered by ropes, spears at the ready. It is difficult to say who was the more surprised — the Orc guards, dangling at the end of their ropes, or the dark elves on their boat, suddenly confronted with Orcs descending like spiders from the ceiling. Fortunately for both sides, one of the legionnaires on the scene was a level-headed old veteran, and he urged the guards to lower their weapons. One of the dark elves spoke a little of the Common tongue, as did the legionnaire, and the two of them established a brief truce. The Dark Elves, it turned out, used the underground river to ferry supplies, and they had no particular grudge against the Orcs. Indeed, they quickly saw the advantage in having an ally standing watch over their route. And the Orcs had both money and slaves, two things the Dark Elves appreciated. For their part, the Orcs realized that they could either fight the Dark Elves constantly or establish an alliance. The Dark Elves had access to food and weapons the Orcs could not obtain on their own, so the decision was easy. However, the Orcs couldn't keep lowering guards on ropes, and the Dark Elves couldn't stop their boats for long in the middle of the swift river. The solution was the docks. An area was found along the subterranean river where the sides sloped gradually enough that an almost level surface existed next to the water. An entrance was cut down into this area, and the wall was leveled still further. Thick posts were sunk into the river bottom, and a pier extended from the wall. The result was a quay some 30 feet long and 15 feet wide, half of wood and half of stone. The river at this point is more than 60 feet wide, leaving the boats enough room to turn so that they can moor to the dock. The elves bring their boats alongside and unload their goods, and the Orcs have bags of coins or groups of slaves waiting in return. The entrance to the docks is concealed by a short, broad building with a set of heavy doors in front; there are 2 Crushbone Guards here, just inside the doors, at all times. The doors open onto a broad set of stairs that lead directly down to the dock, where 2 more Guards are posted; one runs to alert Warden Chokehold whenever a boat approaches. Several of the Orcs posted here have wondered where the river leads, and have requested permission to get a boat and find out. However, Emperor Crush and Chokehold are leery of upsetting their new allies, and have insisted that no Orc explore the underground river. They hope to send an ambassador to the Dark Elves some day, much as D'Vinn stays with them, but the Dark Elves have never suggested the possibility and the Orcs are unwilling to press the matter and lose such a mutually beneficial arrangement.History
Orcs are not without their own histories and myths, and Clan Crushbone is no exception. Their shamans tell of a time long ago when the forest covered the entire land, and when walking trees protected it. But the Orcs came to Faydwer around 3000 AN, during the Age of Monuments, along with their kin the Ogres and the Trolls, and began felling trees and building keeps. The walking trees rose up against them and drove them back, but not before a large space to the south had been cleared. Then the trees caused a tall, treacherous mountain range to appear, cutting the Orcs and their brethren off from the remaining woods to the north. The mountains were too difficult to scale, so the Orcs contented themselves with building keeps in the southern area, cutting down every tree they could find.
Many centuries passed, and the Orcs grew more numerous. Finally, the leaders of one clan — Clan Crushbone — declared that they were heading north to seek more space and more prey. That meant entering the forest, and the clan talked several others into joining forces with them on this endeavor. The Orcs began to hack their way through the forest, heading straight north to where the forest was thinnest. The walking trees came after them, of course, but by the time they had mobilized, the Orcs had already carved a swathe right through the forest and had reached the northern shore of the continent. And thus one forest became two.
Still Clan Crushbone was not done. They had been cowed by the trees once before and refused to accept such humiliation a second time. "We cannot let the forest defeat us!" their leader declared. "We enter the forest itself and settle there, and no tree will tell us different!" The rest of the clan had its reservations, but their leader killed those who objected too loudly, until soon everyone agreed to follow his plan. They admitted that living within the forest would protect them from rival clans, who would probably be afraid to enter the woods.
The Crushbones set out southward, exploring the woods and slaughtering any creatures they encountered along the way. This continued for several weeks. Then a scout returned and announced that he had found a great hill in a basin of the northern mountains at the edge of the forest. This was the first non-level spot they had seen in the forest, and the clan eagerly gathered there. Upon closer inspection, to the Orcs' delight, it was more than a simple hill the scouts had discovered, for around the low, broad mound was a shallow bowl, and beyond the bowl the ground rose up again slightly, as if forming a low wall. Through this bowl ran a river, which split into several streams as it entered the depression and then merged again on the far side. The abandoned the forest for this new, more defensible position.
"This is our home," their leader announced. "It has water, it has height, and it has walls. Here we will live."
The Orcs immediately began to set up camp. They very soon discovered one problem with their new location, however. The Elves, their hated enemies, had been pushed out of Antonica by the god Solusek Ro and had fled to Faydwer around 4980 AN. They had also settled in the woods — and their home, Shadow-Wood Keep, was only a short distance south of the Orc's new camp.
"We must kill the Elves before they come after us," the Crushbone leader announced. The Orcs, always prepared for battle, marched late that very night to Shadow-Wood and surrounded it. The battle was brutal and short, and the Orcs easily conquered the surprised Elves. Then they set fire to the keep and returned to their own camp.
But not all of the Elves had died. A few had escaped, and they had gone in search of help. It took the scattered Elves three months, by which time the Orcs had begun building walls and a keep of their own, all made from the trees that had grown on that hill. Then the Elves struck, with Fey allies, as well as the few Humans and Dwarves they could find.
This time, it was the Orcs who were surprised and overwhelmed. The battle was fierce, but by the end of it many lay dead on both sides, and the Orc keep had been burned to ash. The Orcs did manage to repel their attackers, and finally the surviving Elves retreated, but not before slaughtering the Orcs' leader.
Once the Elves were gone, the Orcs regrouped. Their dead leader's son, Crush, assumed command of the clan — only two Orcs objected, and he killed both of them with his bare hands. "They will not drive us out!" he told the others. "We have claimed this spot as our own, and now our people have spilled blood and died for it. Let them come at us again. We will be ready!"
Then the remaining Orcs, still numerous, began building in earnest. The earth around the edge of the site was dug up and piled atop the existing ridge, creating an earthwork wall with a ditch before it. The streams of the river were deepened, transforming them into channels, and rope bridges were installed, limiting the places where invaders could cross. The central hill was made taller. And the keep was also rebuilt, but not from weak, flammable wood — Crush took the many bones, of both orc and elf, found about the area, and had them baked into bricks made with dead tree matter and clay dug from the river's edge. He transformed the site into a true orc city, and declared himself emperor of the region. By 4990 AN, Crushbone had become a formidable permanent fortress for the Orcs of Faydwer.
For the past few centuries, the Elves have tried to rid the forest of the Orcs. They have never succeeded. Clan Crushbone is too firmly entrenched, and their city is too well fortified for anything but a full-scale army to have any success. And although Kelethin is a good-sized city, it simply does not have enough warriors to form an army, especially since it cannot afford to leave itself undefended. Because of this, the Orcs have survived almost without attack — scouts and raiding parties are often assaulted out in the forest itself, but Crushbone has been left alone by the Elves and their allies.
Nor have the Orcs been lax over the years. They have continued to expand and improve their city, so that it has grown larger and stronger over time. To the natural defenses of their hill they have added fortifications and other advancements, several of them quite clever.
Those who have captured and questioned Orcs have been surprised to hear them refer to Emperor Crush as their current ruler. Many worry that the Orcs have found some way to live forever, and that this is the same ruler who first founded the orc city. This is not the case, however.
The Orcs have a longstanding feud with the Elves, as is well known, and also with the Fey of the forest.
Geography
Crushbone is roughly pentagonal in shape. The only entrance to the city is a gate cut into the middle of the southern wall. The river, which the Orcs have named the Bloodwine because it appears as dark as blood in the low light of the forest, enters Crushbone from the north and flows in several channels through Crushbone, then eventually exits the city at the western corner of the south wall.
The city itself has been largely cleared of trees. As a result, there is little (and in some places no) canopy above Crushbone, so normal light does shine down in places for a few hours surrounding high sun each day. In other parts of the city, only sparse light trickles down with shadows falling everywhere, and the light throughout Crushbone is generally a bit brighter than in the forest to the south.
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