Oroc'Mac
Ah, the oroc'mac. A truly interesting and fascinating race, who have devoted themselves entirely to the death of demons, wielding the dangerous power of Chaos itself, hunters of the very monsters that nearly destroyed our world thousands of years ago. They are a mighty species, and should not be underestimated.Once subjugated to the Third Ajaran Empire, the oroc'mac have, in recent years, become increasingly outside the swamps to ally with the aj'va and fight against imperial rule. They channel the powers of the fel to resist conquest and domination, but risk the chance of giving in to their own power lust, and become the very monsters they once fought. Within swampy marshes and wetlands, deep in dark swamps that block out the sun, where strange animals and plants grow and thrive, lies the masters of their domain. Able to easily slither their way through the foliage and thick trees, gliding underneath the watery surface to strike their foes, the oroc'mac are undisputed in their claims of territory within Mahsra and the Deep Swamps. Crocodilian creatures of great size and strength, the oroc'mac are powerful, swift, and silent like a watery grave. They remain queer to other races, hidden in their marshes and swamps, with mysterious ways and traditions, but none can deny the absolute dominance they have over their lands.-Esdrasun Tenakith'esh, Master Sage
Basic Information
Anatomy
The oroc'mac are big, roughly a mix of humanoid-reptilian features. They are large and stocky, easily dwarfing any lithryn and rivaling the size of the olliogga. They are covered in thick scales and bony appendixes on their tail, from which they slither upon. Their crocodilian heads are long and wide, useful for eating and snapping food in half.
Growth Rate & Stages
Oroc'mac grow slightly slower than other races, with each mother laying several eggs that hatch into several young corocaks or babies. These corocaks eventually grow into adults by the age 17-20, after taking their first gulagga. The effects of the gulagga result in a massive growth, increased speed and strength, as well as other possible mutations.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The oroc'mac have a diet of vegetables, fruits, and lots of meat. They are known, however, for making bear from manoc, a special native ingredient to their swamps, which is mashed and chewed for use in social adn ceremonial purposes.
Additional Information
Social Structure
At the basis of all oroc'mac life is the clan and family. Clans range from barely a hundred to thousands, and are made up of families with a common ancestors. Loyalty to clan and family is paramount, as is loyalty to the land itself. Clans have been known to ally with other ones, sometimes interacting merely for trade or friendship, rivalry, and even battling each other.
Each clan is led by a chief, called a raga The raga comes from the chieftain's line, though others may issue a honor duel to claim the position. The raga rules his clan with the aid of a council of elders, making important decisions, and leading his people in battles or conflicts. In rare circumstances, a raga may even lead several clans, becoming known as a macaraga.
Each clan must also have a druid, called the thugiur and a warlock known as the thugreol, who handle the more spiritual matters. Each thugiur (almost always female) and thugreol (almost always male) are mates, and attempt to divine what the spirits say to them, advising the raga. Each one was trained by the previous holder of the position; the thugiur acts as the healer for the clan, as well as restoring the land itself. The thugreol emerged after the Great Darkness, and acts to study and understand demons, as well as to channel the power of the fel to stop them. The thugreol also acts to summon demons for the good of the clan, and is vital in many fel-based rituals that are a staple part of oroc'mac culture.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The oroc'mac are capable of great smell and tracking, able to follow prey and trespassers in their waters. They have a rather poor sense of touch, due to their leathery scaled skin, but are able to see with wide peripheral vision.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Oroc'mac names are known to be guttural and harsh sounding and fairly long, jagged just like they are. Male and female names are often difficult to differenciate from. Typically, they are named by their father and mother, and after their first gulagga can choose to be renamed. It is also during this time that the clan chief will proclaim them as one with the clan, and they receive their clan's name as their last name.
Common male names include: Golgol, Gricgalc, Mygglic, Rungakdu, Tekgal, Gregan, Atoglog,Venguul, Gelageth, Grouggrangu.
Common female names include: Vegka, Reeguna, Tekmeagn, Gelgrvag, Sitogree, Gacrocroc, Rocomona, Veckgroame, Golgolme, Kengame.
Major Organizations
Being a rather divided politically (if culturally and religiously similar), the oroc'mac have no true organizations that affect their whole race. Instead, there are a plethora of clans, who range in size, and sometimes form alliances with other clans.
A type of solo organization can be found in the felgrogiattor or "mighty fel hunters." These are a class of individual warriors who have fully dedicated themselves to the solo pursuit of hunting demons, defending the swamps, and fighting for their people. The felgrogiattor are the greatest champions of their race, having consumed demon blood and empowered themselves with the fel, becoming hulking creatures of size and strength that prey upon all who enter their lands with ill intent.
Courtship Ideals
Strength, loyalty, and courage are valued above all in a relationship, and are expected when any oroc'mac is courting another. Typically, a male oroc'mac is expected to choose a mate not too long after his first gulagga, and must exemplify honorable restraint as well as prove that is will love and protect his mate. Male oroc'mac typically do this by doing great feats of strength. The father of the bride-to-be may post additional gulagga for the courting oroc'mac, who does not necessarily have to succeed, but show that he will give his all and prove himself worthy.
In certain situations, the father (or even the brother, sisters, and even the bride herself) may challenge the suitor to a duel, testing his strength and worth to have his daughter. These are most frequent when many oroc'mac wish for the hand of one bride. Through it all, the suitor must be honorable and kind toward his love and her family, and if he proves himself, the father, and sometimes even the clan leaders, will approve and allow for the marriage.
Average Technological Level
Considered primitive by most races, the oroc'mac live simple lives, reflected by their tools and weapons. They are proficient in building wooden and some stone structures, as well as weaving great robes and baskets, and carving wooden tools and weapons. Only a few clans know and have mastered the skills of metal-working.
However, despite this, the oroc'mac are masters of their terrain, knowing the uses and byproducts of all plants, herbs, and animals within the swamps. They are known to concoct strange elixers and drugs, that produce a myriad of effects, ranging from healing salves to hallucinogens and deadly poisons. In addition, while not much in the skills of the arcane, the oroc'mac are proficient warlocks and druids, and beast masters, calling forth the exotic and often dangerous wildlife to their aid.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The oroc'mac speak a guttural growling language they call gumgun'nok or "tongue of the people" which seems to be the oldest still-spoken language in the history of Telarith. It is an oral language, with no written alphabet. Over thousands of years, innumerable dialects have sprang up, with each clan a little particular and unique. There are, however, a few major ones, most notable being the Mahsra and the Moro'ga dialects for each respective region. In Mahsra, their about five major noticeable accents, though there are countless minor varieties.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The oroc'mac live in villages that can number from 40-400, with huge dwellings in the center called a corku. Each is built in the shape of a large ring with an open courtyard in the middle for celebrations. This is a favorite place for the oroc'mac, who have fierce ritual displays. Warriors perform dances during funeral ceremonies, where the deceased body is burned and the ashes and ground bones are mixed with soups, then passed around and drunk by family and friends. In this way, it is believed that the strength of the individual is given to their kin.
All oroc'mac are greatly imparted the history of their race by the clan elders and the thugiur and thugeol, and are raised to serve their clan, their family, and the land itself. The oroc'mac were charged tens of thousands of years ago to protect and promote the vitality of wetlands, and still hold onto that vestige. While the aj'va somewhat continue their charge and the aj'ra have completely forgotten it, the oroc'mac have not, and know themselves as the divinely tasked race to protect their homes, and to expand the swamps.
In addition, the oroc'mac were greatly affected by the number of demons within their lands during and after the Great Darkness. There culture shifted into one of constant conflict and preparedness against demonic forces, constantly hunting down all remnants of the fel.
Even more important is restraint and control over oneself, widely considered the greatest trait an oroc'mac can have. Oroc'mac culture is saturated in the fel, which they have learned to wield most fiercely. However, such great power is very tempting, and many have become ckego'mana or "lost ones" who gave into the whispers of power. All oroc'mac are expected to wield any force to defend their clans and their homelands, but are never to give into their own lusts. This has kept the oroc'mac as a simple race, and if they did not keep themselves in check, then the oroc'mac could very well have been the rulers of Telarith long ago.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Each clan has its own unique customs and followed traditions, often intertwined with that clan's history and myth. However, there are several notable customs almost all oroc'mac follow. For example, when a young oroc'mac is considered ready to become an adult and join their clan as full members, they are tasked with a coming-of-age ritual, called the gulagga or "trial." The gulagga varies with clan, but always involves the participant being left alone in the swamp and hunting down a demon or demonic entity (due to the increasing scarcity of demons left, sometimes fel beasts are summoned or a great animal is chosen instead), slaying it, drinking its blood, and eating its heart.
There are also specific gulagga for other things, such as changing allegiance to a clan, settling arguments (disputes can also be dealt with "honor duels" between two champions), and attempts to win over a potential mate.
Come now, brothers and sisters, and taste the meat of demon flesh. Prepare yourself, and your souls, for tonight, the demons themselves shall learn what fear is!Another important tradition is the Fenagllgo'ra or "Hunt of the Eclipse." During a solar eclipse, the entire oroc'mac clan (and sometimes many clans) will gather to feast and prepare. During the eclipse, they will cast a mysterious ritual that opens a portal into a demon world and commence a great hunt, attacking and zealously murdering any demonic creature in their path, before retreating quickly back into Telarith. During lunar eclipses they hunt wild animals, then feast and enjoy time with each other, a chance for forgiving of debts and ending of feuds. Oroc'mac marriages are known as the Krithkriel or "Joining," where a male and female oroc'mac are married by the clan leaders, and then instantly leave to consummate alone in the swamps, signifying that they are truly mates. They thus become known as kriel'ago or "joined spirits" Another important type of ritual is the Mishkac or "Strengthening." A sacred, and often dangerous, ritual, the Mishkac consists of an individual oroc'mac choosing to hunt down a demon (or summoning one if necessary), killing it and taking its blood & heart. Alternatively, a thugreol could aid the individual and call forth the powers of the fel. During a Mishkac, a thugiur and thugreol are almost always needed, to avert catastrophe. Consuming felfire or demon blood, granting them great strength and power (as well as the growth of wings, horns, and fangs, though this varies and is often repressed by druidic help). The thugiur attending brands the individual's skin in druidic tattoos to keep the demonic influences at bay, thus granting an oroc'mac great strength and skill without too much negative effects. Most oroc'mac undertake the Mishkac, and some perform it several times. Many of these become the champions of their race, called the felgrogiattor. Ritual piercing is a common practice, where specific thorns, sharpened wood, or pieces of metal are inserted into the body. This is to show how strong and capable an oroc'mac is, able to bear the pain.-A random raga, before the Fenagllgo'ra
History
The oroc'mac, despite their long history, have remained mostly the same. Thousands of millennia ago, their early ancestors, the raqui, served the Guardians in wiping out the remaining races that served the Old Gods. The most ferocious yet simple raqui were led by Kurrigos, a great warrior. Sa’judthus, the great Shyn'A, blessed Kurrigos and those who followed him, turning them into new reptilian creatures. They were charged to defend and protect the great swamps of the world, as well as to expand the wetlands. The new race swore to uphold their charges, and named themselves oroc'mac, or "Keepers of the marsh"
And the oroc'mac were faithful to their order. They settled in regions south of Askavos, when the world continents were all connected. They settled in wetlands, and over thousands of years used druidic magic to protect, nurture, and expand the many swamps. bringing more life and order to Telarith.
There are no records from this time, only oral legends passed down by the oroc'mac. They speak of simple lives and the development of many, many clans. The oroc'mac did come into conflict with each other and other races from time to time, but for the most part were a peaceful, if isolationist and mysterious, race. Under their watchful care, the great swamps of Telarith covered vast stretches of ancient land, untamed and wild.
However, they were forever changed by the Great Darkness. The oroc'mac were particularly affected, so close to much of the fighting. The great explosion between the naaru K'avah and Dimensius destoryed much of the swamp lands of the oroc'mac, and during laters stages of the war most of the great wetlands in Eggami were swept under the ocean. In addition, the greatest amounts of demons and void spawn burst through portals in their lands, corrupting the swamps and slaughtering those who resisted them. The marshes and bogs became tainted by the fel and the void, and the oroc'mac clans united for the first time, fighting for their lives and land.
With the rest of the First Alliance, the oroc'mac pushed back the demon hordes and void monsters, eventually, vanquishing and ending the Great Darkness. However, the remaining demons who had escaped the slaughter would flee into the now-called Fel Swamps, where many would remain, twisting the land and planning dark schemes.
The oroc'mac were forever changed, yet still refused to give up their sacred duty and their past. With the world at peace, they settled in the remaining great wetlands (Mahsra), rebuilding and replenishing. But the great demons still prowled in their lands, sometimes slaughtering, othertimes corrupting whole clans to their side. The oroc'mac thus cut all ties with the outside world, and began a great campaign, a secret endless war against the demons, fight clan by clan.
They developed a warrior-hunter culture, both hunting down those who entered and harmed their swamps, and the many demons in their lands. In addition, they also attempted to regrow and nurture the wetlands, cleansing it from all corruption. They developed a strong martial culture, dedicating their lives to mastering the fel against the demons, and relentlessly hunting them down.
Over thousands of years, the oroc'mac would cleanse their lands of the fel-taint, and eliminate all the remaining demons. Sometimes, great wars would erupt between clans, or groups that were mutated into fet-corrupted monsters. A few oroc'mac would even raid and rampage the lands around them, and many aj'va and aj'ra would speak of the "great green hunters" who emerged from swampy depths to pillage and attack.
As fewer demons remained, many clans looked outward, and migrated for better climates, forsaking their sacred charges. Many clans would begin united and carving out territories, becoming great scourges against the Ajaran Empires. The greatest instance of oroc'mac might came when Rugalmon the Demon Horned united the clans of Mahsra, through brute strength and cunning, seducing them with promises of power and conquest through the power of the fel. The oroc'mac, tired of their long wars, gave into their lust for power, and were imbued with fel magic. Rugalmon established a terrible realm, ruling a horde of unyielding fel-powered warriors. However, upon his death the aj'ra and aj'va crushed the vying warlords, and so soundly defeated the oroc'mac that they fled back into their swamps.
This is now known as the Great Shame, for it was the one time the oroc'mac forsook their duties and gave into their fel lust. Those who remained returned to their nature, and firmly vowed never to give into such a great temptation. Mindless oroc'mac were hunted, and the clans returned to a simple peace, guarding their lands, and essentially cutting off all ties with the realms beyond.
However, several times the imperial aj'ra emperors would attempt to seize control over the great swamps, always leading to conflict. During the height of both the Second and Third Ajaran Empire, Mahsra and the oroc'mac were subjugated to the great dynasties. However, recently the oroc'mac, with the aj'va tribes, freed themselves from the yoke of Ajara, and have established the Scaled Covenant. They continue to defend their lands, and hold fast to their traditions.
Historical Figures
The first important figure within the history of the oroc'mac was Kurrigos, considered the father of their race. Beside him, very few major figures affected any majority of the oroc'mac. Their was, however, Korrigan Vakaraga, the leader and champion of his race during the Great Darkness. It was he who led the majority of the oroc'mac during the Great Darkness, fighting with the First Alliance. Korrigan was also considered the first wielder of the fel, and showed his people how to harness demonic forces against the otherworldly invaders.
The last great figure of importance was Rugalmon the Demon Horned. He was the raga of many clans, and was discontent with the state of his race, believing they deserved more. He channeled the powers of the fel, transforming his warriors into unstoppable creatures that raided the land around them, summoning demons to serve his growing empire. Only upon his death did the Great Shame of the oroc'mac end, and they returned to their ways.
Common Myths and Legends
All oroc'mac elders and story tellers speak of the races birth, though there are endless variations within each clan as to the specifics. Regardless, all tales have the same major points: the Shyn'A or Guardians (known to the oroc'mac as the the Ruglor'gran or "Old Giants," who wished to cleanse the world of the spawn of "the Wretched Gods." The Old Giants were then approached by a small abandoned race, who became their chosen tool to wipe out the Oldspawn. Kurrigos, one of the raqui's, major leaders, was most known for his ferocity and deep loyalty. Once the Oldspawn were wiped out, the Guardian Sa’judthus blessed Kurrigos and his followers, who would become the oroc'mac.
There are a multitude of other myths and legends that have sprung up during the long history of the oroc'mac. Each clan has their own tales and legends, pertaining to great heroes and events in their past. A few major myths are more widely known, such as the great legends of heroes like Grucrok King of the Hunt, Kelagog the Demon-Slayer, and Veckgec the Strong. One of the the greatest heroes of the oroc'mac was Korrigan Vakaraga, the leader and champion of his race during the Great Darkness.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
55
Average Height
7'1"-8'6" (excluding tail length)
Average Weight
1300-2200 lbs.
Average Length
13-15 feet
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Varying degrees of splotched greens, helping to camouflage in with the natural swampy water and foliage
Geographic Distribution
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