Orkish Bands
High in northwest Tarien, along wooded and rocky ridges and valleys where only the strongest survive, the tribes of the Orkish Hills are not a unified nation. All of Tarien is thankful that they spend most of their time migrating though their homeland and warring at each other for when, ones every few hundred years a leader amongst them grows strong enough to unite them, they ultimately wage war on their neighbors.
Structure
The Orks have one rule, only the strong survive. If one Ork is stronger, and can prove it by beating any competitors, he leads. This is very akin to true anarchy, but for Orks, it a way of life. Intelligence among Orks is rare and dangerous, and usually put down when recognized. Occasionally, an Ork will use his intellect in order to sway others.
Culture
Not all Orks are warriors. Some are too frail. Others are too weak willed. These become farmers and craftsmen of the Hills that any functioning society needs. They serve that purpose well and suffer the well deserved disdain from the rest of the society with as much dignity as their lowly position will allow. Most Orks, however, choose the path of the warrior. Only warriors can provide for families and only warriors could possibly lead a tribe, let alone have the presence to unite many tribes.
Ork children wishing to be warriors, upon reaching the age of 10 winters, are thrown into ‘the pit.’ The pit is literally just that, a large pit dug into the center of an Ork encampment. Each day, the tribe drops food into the pit for the young Orks to feast on and fight over. In order to end this ordeal, a young Ork must climb out of the pit. It is then, that he passes the right of adulthood. Orks that have recently left the pit, often stand by its edge, kicking these new contenders back into the pit. Some Orks manage to escape the pit through scheming and conniving. Those that fail, die. Life among the Orks mirrors on life in the pit; the most powerful dominating his brethren.
An Ork's life is war. War with Soulmeliti, Khadra, Flind, and other Orks. Without a fight, an Ork becomes restless. Only glory and the taste of battle will satisfy an Orks existence.
Vorkallic Pass
History
The Orks have no written history. Their chronicles, therefore, are a collection of stories passed from generation to generation. Some events, however, are well documented in the histories of neighboring nations, given their conflicts with the Orkish Hills. The first of these dates back to 1951 BC, when the Orkish Horde, along with its Golbin underlings, invaded New Kharolin, an event that lead to the creation of the Khadric order of the Kharlbhak. The next comes two generations later, in 1912 BC when the Algorinth Styvalhyme lead Soulemliti troops deep into the Orkish hills in war. With the exception of the brief peace with the Soulmeliti, negotiated in 1881 BC that defined the border between the hills and the forests, war with their southern neighbor has been a constant for the tribes of the Orkish Hills.
Still, only a few Orks have managed to gain international fame. First among these leaders was Grat the Undefeatable, who united the tribes and lead the Orcs in their first great war against the Soulmeliti in 1,792 BC. His greatest battle, that of Vorkallic Pass, caused his empire to splinter in 1,776 BC. The final, crushing blow to his legacy came in 1,702 BC when his great-grandson agreed to assist the Soulmeliti in their assault of New Kharolin. While some say he was magically coerced, no Ork will speak this chieftain’s name as thousands of Orks dies as they were herded through dark tunnels. Eventually, the combined forces were, of course, victorious, but only at the cost of many lives as the Khadra destroyed their own city in 1,687, as they fled.
After contributing to the creation of military orders for both the Underground Kingdom of Kharl and the and Soulemliti Forests, the Orkish Hills finally created their own in 321 BC. Outnumbered and starving, a lone Ork consumes vermillion mushrooms before battle. They give him supernatural strength and fury. Orkish priests later confirm that only those warriors strongest in their faith channel this power to become one of Grashua's Ravagers.
In 101 AC, the Orc Tribes were again united under the banner of Gonshi. In one of their greatest triumphs, they raided the Soulmeliti lands, and burned the northern third to the ground.
The third, and last, great Orc leader was Krunk. Krunk united the tribes during the ‘window of fire in the sky’, in order to protect the Soulmeliti forests. After the Elynthi were repelled, however, Krunk’s legions returned to their roots, and began sacking the forest. They burn Dalencroft in 466 AC, after being routed in New Solarin. The horde dissipates by 470 BC. Krunk died in 481 AC.
Demography and Population
Few live in the Orkish Hills other than Orks and their Goblin servants. And if it were for the prodigious ability for Goblins to procreate, they would not live there, either. Orks treat their servants with disdain, more as tools or livestock than slaves. As a result, life expectancy of Goblin in the Orkish Hills is much shorter than that of a Goblin living elsewhere in Tarien. Despite the Hills being the cradle of Goblin civilization, most dream of fleeing to join expatriate tribes in the Rheuthengage Mountains or even Azermathia. Fortunately for their Orkish masters, few are resourceful enough to do so.
Other races found in the Orkish Hills are decidedly not welcome, generally because they are on the hunt for Orks. Most young Khadric warriors make a pilgrimage to the Hills as a rite of passage. The Soulmeliti routinely send patrols into the southern portion of the Hills in effort to prevent various Tribes from establishing territory too close to the Forests. The Flind, however, are the worst offenders of Orkish borders. They regularly send parties deep into the Hills on “Ork Hunts”, a great past-time among the great Flind Warriors. Those Orks that they do not kill are marched out of the Hills and either kept as slaves in the Empire or worse, sold to Merdenkal.
Territories
The Ork Tribes dominate the upper half of Tarien, beyond the Rheuthengage Mountains. Their exact holdings at any time are hard to discern, for they are a mostly nomadic people. They move from place to place, and from warlord to warlord, as climate permits. It is not know exactly how much land the tribes dominate, for few men have been far enough into the Orks' lands to assess how much land there is to the north. Because of this fact, the regions to the north remains unknown and undiscovered country.
Religion
The Orks may pay tribute to many gods and powers, including some that are more spirits that deities, but they revere Grashua above all others. Priests of Grashua are the non-combatant leaders among their people. Their religion is disorganized, savage, and emotion-filled, much like rest of their society.
Foreign Relations
Ork relations with other nations are poor. They are feared in the nearby human state of Dalencroft as they typically raid deep into the Denton Plains at least once a generation. Other human nations largely ignore them as they do not have the means to mount a long distance threat. In fact, Eldoria and some of its foreign satellites even allow Orks to gain citizenship.
The Orkish Tribes have a long, complicated relationship with their non-human neighbors. Typically at a state of cold war with the Underground Kingdom of Kharl, the Flietch-ta Empire, the Elainthai Council, and of course the Soulmeliti Forests. This detente heats up as soon as members of any nation are found within their borders or as soon as an Orkish raiding party has the strength and nerves to raid beyond their borders. Fortunately, full scale war has been avoided for several centuries. Complicating matters, however, is the fact that at various points in history, Orks have allied with one or more of these nations against one or more of the others. Typically, Orks fare poorly in these conflicts, even with their supposed allies. Still, the lust for battle is strong and the old saying that the enemy of my enemy is my ally still carries weight with tribal leaders.
Agriculture & Industry
Orks produce few goods other than weapons, armor, and rudimentary tools.
They do, however, contrary to popular belief, make excellent farmers. The soil of the Orkish Hills is rich and grows crops easily. Unfortunately, the nomadic, warlike nature of most tribes prevents them from putting down roots and establishing true farms. Instead, Orkish farmers are adept at short season growing - root vegetables such as radishes, beets and turnips that mature quickly for both greens and their roots are a popular crop. In addition, many tribes follow similar paths, year after year. Farmers often have patches of vegetables and even some small orchards that produce crops around the time that the Orks typically arrive. Squashes, nuts, and wild berries are common uses for this migratory farms.
Trade & Transport
Ork to possess property aside from what he can carry is rare, unless he is a leader among his people. Trade with the Orks is unheard of, for they would just as soon take goods from foreigners, as they would spend two minutes bargaining about a price.
A Soulmeliti Scout in the Orkish Hills
I would propose, that although they have little in the ways of civilized culture, the Orc tribes of the northlands do maintain a sort of savage organization that resembles the society one might find in a pack of wolves, or even in humans five thousand years ago.
Maps
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The Orkish Hills
The Pit
Darkness . . .
Screams . . .
The smell of blood.
These had been my only companions for as long as I remembered.
Today is different. I have crept from the hole in which I was imprisoned, left there to fight for my very existence. I have overcome those who would wish to take from me what I have decided is mine.
And so I have lived. I have climbed from the pit. And it is with a great smile that I push you back in.
Founding Date
Before Written History
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Capital
Training Level
Untrained
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Orkish
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Deities
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Magic in the Orkish Hills
Orks do not have the same aversion to arcane magic that is found in most lands. They also have little experience with it. Few Orks display requisite combination of arcane bloodline and force of personality to manifest innate arcane powers. Fewer still display the intellect and steadfastness to study wizardry. Even if an Ork possessed these traits, it is unlikely that they would find a mentor in the Orkish Hills. Instead, Orkish magic comes almost exclusively from the divinely granted powers. Grashua, the patron of the Orks, offers power in exchange for worship and, in many cases, sacrifice. Animal sacrifices are the most common, with the more powerful the creature, the more powerful the magic. Grashua is not, however, above accepting the sacrifice of prisoners, especially non-Orkish ones.Flame in the Frosted Mountains
Far civilization, north of the war-torn hills of the Orkish Tribes and beyond the meddlesome yes of humanity, are the towering Frosted Mountains. With peaks that reach above the clouds, winters of perpetual night, and temperatures that would freeze a man in minutes, it is one of the most inhospitable places in Tarien. Yet around fires of the northern Orkish Tribes, especially those camping near the smokey-topped Serpent Mountain on the border the Flietch-ta Empire, tales of inhabitants are told in hushed tones.
These tales often begin with the off-hand remark the Frosted Mountains as a whole have a large number for Dragons. This fact is not in dispute. Many an Ork has looked up as winged shadow blots out the sun. Fewer have had the chance to dive for cover and relate the tale to their fellow warriors. These tales, instead, talk about Orks lost in the north or driven into the mountains by Flind hunting parties. They tell of warm caves, deep in the Valley of Brenkansh. Drawn to the heat, these Orks found whole villages carved into the mountains. Frescos and status of half Ork, half Dragons decorated the entrances and, according to legend, poles with straps to secure sacrifices to the dragon gods stood just outside.
Of course, these tales are always something that someone’s cousin’s parents told them. And they are always colored by the passage of time – a tale from the ancient days passed down from generation into generation. All Orks know that now, regardless of these tales, the dragons themselves suffer no visitors to the valley in the shadow of the serpent. So its foolish to even worry about someone living there in the first place.
I have crept from the hole in which I was imprisoned, left there to fight for my very existence.