Tree Choppaz
Origins: The First Axe Stroke
The Tree Choppaz trace their roots to the sprawling Cragroot Wilds, a dense forest nestled at the base of the jagged Redfang Mountains. Long ago, the forest was considered impassable, its labyrinth of trees and tangled roots home to dangerous beasts and elusive forest spirits. For the orcs, survival meant adapting to this hostile environment—or taming it.
The legend of the Tree Choppaz began with an outcast orc warrior named Grothak Splintarm, who stumbled into the Cragroot Wilds after losing a bitter tribal feud. Starving and weaponless, Grothak crafted a crude axe from a sharp stone and a sturdy branch. With it, he carved a path through the forest, slaying beasts, building shelters, and forging a new way of life. Other orcs, exiled or fleeing rival clans, soon found their way to Grothak. Together, they became the first Tree Choppaz, named for their relentless chopping of the forest to claim their territory.
The Rise of the Lumberlord
Grothak’s legacy grew into a tribal doctrine: "The forest gives, but only to those who take." The Tree Choppaz saw the act of felling trees as a sacred ritual, a testament to their strength and defiance against the wilderness. Their axes became symbols of their power, passed down through generations, each blade etched with the scars of countless battles and forest conquests.
Under the leadership of Tharlog the Lumberlord, Grothak’s grandson, the Tree Choppaz transformed from a small band of survivors into a dominant tribe. Tharlog declared that the tribe’s destiny was to fell the greatest trees and shape the world to their will. The Tree Choppaz began raiding neighboring territories, stealing tools, enslaving weaker tribes, and using their plunder to refine their craft. They constructed crude but massive lumber fortresses, their walls made of reinforced tree trunks and sharpened stakes.
Clash with the Forest Spirits
The Tree Choppaz’ rise didn’t go unnoticed. Their relentless deforestation awakened the wrath of Vinekra, the chaotic forest spirit goddess. As their axes echoed through the Emerald Thicket in the Nedder Reach, the forest began to fight back. Vines ensnared their warriors, beasts ambushed their camps, and trees seemed to shift and grow overnight, undoing their paths.
The most infamous battle was the Siege of Rootshade, where the Tree Choppaz attempted to clear a sacred grove said to hold Vinekra’s Heartroot. The orcs faced an army of living trees and beasts controlled by the Thorncallers, Vinekra’s mortal servants. Though the Tree Choppaz managed to cut down many of these defenders, they ultimately retreated when the forest itself seemed to erupt in a storm of thorns and sap.
This defeat did little to humble the tribe. Instead, they now see Vinekra as their ultimate enemy and cutting her forests as an act of defiance. Many of their warriors adorn themselves with trophies of their battles against the wild, such as animal pelts, thorn-covered armor, and bark shields.
Enemies and Allies
The Tree Choppaz are reviled by many. They war constantly with The Fenraiths, The Morvael, The Thorncallers, The Leaf Cuttaz, The Blackroot Ogres and the Emerald Forest.
Yet, the Tree Choppaz are not without allies. The Blacktooth Gnolls, a savage clan of hunters, often trade beast hides and stolen goods for wooden tools and weapons crafted by the orcs. The Tree Choppaz also maintain a loose alliance with the Ashbrand Warband, a nomadic orc group, united by their shared disdain for elves and spirits.
And the Tree Choppaz has been known to lend their Orcs to help the Halftusk, a raiding band of Orcs and Goblinoids.
Modern Tree Choppaz
Today, the Tree Choppaz remain one of the most feared orc tribes in the region of the Goffik Kingdom, Nedder Reach and the North Eastern parts of Tudor Empire. Their capital, Splinterhold, is a fortress surrounded by clear-cut land and towering wooden palisades. Smoke rises constantly from its crude forges as the Tree Choppaz continue their relentless logging and expansion.
The current chieftain, Gruknar Thornbite, has declared a bold new goal: to find and destroy the Heartroot of Vinekra once and for all, ending her wrath and claiming the Emerald Thicket for the orcs. And take control of the Ancient Trees and use the bark and wood for their weapons and armour, This declaration has sparked fears of a war not just with the forest spirits, but with every tribe and faction that calls the forest their home.
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