Ukh Meddal Tribe
When all the orcish tribes came together during the Harrowing to fight off the undead plague, they formed the Ukh Meddal. The Undivided Tribe in common. Since then this tribe has only grown larger, stronger, bolder and has its eyes set on the fertile green pastures south of the Trideen Woods. Having always raided human lands the orcs were forever a nuisance, now they pose a real threat to the sovereign lands of the old kingdom.
Structure
In orcish society the leaders of a tribe are the tribal chieftains of Tahigs and 9the shamans or Bashuks. Each hold the respect of their tribe and have different roles to play in keeping the tribe together. Since the orc tribes have become one, a single high chief or Matuk Tahig has been elected from all the Tahigs to lead the confederated tribe.
Matuk Tahig
The high chieftan of the Ukh Meddal, they lead all the orcs that form this enormous tribe. The Matuk Tahig is elected from the strongest of all the Tahigs, normally this is decided in a trial of combat to prove who is the most worthy to become Matuk Tahig. The current holder of this title is Ghazat of the Bitter Spear tribe, he has led the Ukh Meddal through the final years of the Harrowing and was the one who declared the great push south to claim the human lands. He is a giant of an orc wielding his giant spear and unusual magical powers he has only been challenged twice in his reign and both times he has defeated the challengers.
Bitter Spear Tribe
This tribe has always been known to have the strongest warriors of all the orcish tribes, their Oathsworn and Woad Warriors are some of the most feared of all the orcs. Made up of the biggest and toughest orcs, this tribe at it's Tahig have been leading the Ukh Meddal for many years now. The tribe has several thousand members, a lot of which are warriors or capable of fighting, making up the majority of the Ukh Meddals forces. The Blood Wolf, Broken Axe's and Giantfeller tribes joined the Bitter Spears.
Tahig
There are four Tahigs that represent the largest and strongest tribes in the Ukh Meddal, though many more tribes formed the confederation during the start of the Harrowing many of them were very small and weak. As such they were assilimated into the five biggest tribes, their Tahigs stepping down or being beaten by those stronger than then. These five tribes Tahigs are a part of a council that rule the Ukh Meddal with one of them hold the mantle of Matuk Tahig, who leads them all.
Black Dagger Tribe
This tribe is well known amongst orcs for their sneaky and devious methods. Stealth, poisons and dark magics are the Black Daggers style, the tribe itself is the smallest of five with only just over a thousand members. However that does not diminish their talents and deadliness, assassins and warlocks are rare amongst the orcs. Except in the Black Dagger tribe. Their Tahig Dura has formed a pact with one of the most powerful fey creatures, and actively encourages her followers to do the same. Their Heerbann and Shkaa are feared by the other orcs for their deadly killing potential. Both under the cover of darkness and their dark magical powers. The Dead Moon and Curse Callers tribes joined the Black Daggers.
Ashen Hand Tribe
A tribe that dedicates itself to the understanding a manipulation of the elements. The Tahig of the Ashen Hand Shagol is a powerful sorcerer, he strives for knowledge and power of the arcane. So does his whole tribe, though smaller that the rest they make up for it by being adept sorcerers, wizards and arcane warriors. Though some within the Ukh Meddal will call the Ashen Hand crazy or fanatical, no orc would want to go to battle without one of their Oku mages or Taalga warrior wizards beside them. The tribe is respected for it's knowledge and understanding, their advice is highly valued. They are often asked to perform magic rituals that will aid the Ukh Meddal further. The Stormcaller and Thunderheart tribes joined the Ashen Hand
Frozen Woods Tribe
The most nomadic of the orcish tribes they would travel through the frozen icy tundra, forests, rivers and ice flows. Great hunters, skilled archers and experts in navigating and surviving the harshes environments. Orgha their Tahig is a man of few words, he is patient and methodical in all his decisions. His ultimate goal is to lead his tribe south to the fertile lands of humans, for the good of all of the Frozen Woods. The tribe also has a strong kinship to animals often keeping them as companions, hunters and beasts of battle. Their Gardingi are expert rangers who hunt their foes with bow, blade and beast, along with the Godansmen a contigent of powerful druids that march to war with the tribe. The Bear Claws, Jagged Arrow and Dawn Shifters tribes joined the Frozen Woods.
Great Owl Tribe
This ancient tribe of orcs has been around for centuries, utterly devoted to the Tuatha Dé Danann the old gods of the elves they aim to spread faith to all the orcish tribes with both zealous fervour and overwhelming force. The Great Owls are both priests and warriors, the other orc tribes admire their reverance of the gods. So much so that their priests or Taifali are often accepted into other tribes to perform ceremonies, hold rituals and offer council for those orcs. Alongside them are the Fanatics, crazed warriors that dedicate themselves to fighting for the Tuatha Dé Danann ready to throw down their lives on behalf of their deities. Their Tahig Vakgar is the most devoted and fanatical of them all, believing the gods speak through him and that he was sent here to dispense their will. The Cold River and Green Stags tribes joined with the Great Owls.
Bashuk
The shamans or Bashuk of each tribe are the spiritual heads of orcish society. Orcs hold a strong connection to the spiritual world and the elements that are tied with it. Bashuks are selected from the wisest of the tribe, often they are powerful mages, druids and clerics. Having magical command over the elements and spiritual realm deem them to be most suited.
Culture
Derived from the base orcish culture which favours the strongest and wisest in the tribe. Family and tribe mean everything to the orcs, even after the confederation of all the tribes into the Ukh Meddal. Many orcs still retain their old tattoos and tribal colours. Rivalries between these tribes and individuals but most have put this aside for the good of their people.
Not all orcs accepted the confederation of the tribes. Two prominent tribes the Iron Tusks and the Beast Scarred took to their boats at set off when the decision was made. Sailing all the way to the Illamel, seeking the ultimate glory a warrior could want. To become a Varangian Guard. Only the strongest, bravest and greatest of orcs join this prestigious order of elite warriors. Fighting on behalf of the high elves with jotnar. They are regarded amongst their kin as some of the most heroic souls.
Public Agenda
The Ukh Meddal have a very direct focus, to protect and maintain the future of orcs. Primarily to leave their frozen, Harrowed homelands and migrate south
Assets
Thanks to the confederation of all the orc tribes into the Ukh Meddal, their resources, numbers, wealth and settlements have increased dramatically. Numbering between thirty and forty thousand with much of the tribe able to wield a weapon and fight they are a formidably powerful force within the world, something which the Schärn have always feared might happen.
The weapons, armour, mounts and much of the supplies of the tribe have been scavanged and raided from humans. Repurposed for the orcs, their smiths, leatherworks and weavers reforge and refit these raided goods.
The Ukh Meddal have four main settlements, situated on the farside of the Trideen Woods or where the Attlebrun Mountains meet the Unresting Highlands. Though these settlements are mostly a motley collection of hide tents, wooden palisades and simple structures. They are the same size as most human towns and necessary to support the massive numbers of orcs in the tribe.
History
The Ukh Meddal tribe is a very recent power in Tír Suiamhnis. It formed during the Harrowing, when the undead tide swept across the lands. Even the frozen north beyond the Trideen Woods was not safe from the plague. As the orc tribes continued to raid further south many encountered Harrowed creatures, some ended up bringing the plague back north with them. The small orc tribes began to suffer from the plague, as their people turned to mindless undead creatures. The resilient orcs fought back as best they could, controlling the plague just barely.
It was after this that the strongest of the tribes called a moot, a meeting of all the tribes to sacred grounds. All the tribes attended both great and small, during this moot many of the tribes agreed to confederate and form one tribe. The Ukh Meddal. This united tribe would serve to keep the orcs strong, safe and by combining all their strengths give the orcs a better chance at migrating south. With the Kingdom of Polliers destroyed and it's successors weak and warring amongst themselves, this is the perfect time for the orcs to capitalise on the humans weakness.
However not all tribes agreed to this, and some were too small or weak to refuse. The latter ended up assimilating with the five largest tribes, though they maintain their tattoos and colours they are essentially apart of these larger tribes. The former chose to abandon the orc homelands and set forth for Emerald Sea, boarding ships they set sail and eventually reached the shores of the Illamel Ríocht. Here these tribes warriors joined the Varangian Guard, an elite army of orcs, goliaths and firbolgs dedicated to protect the Illamel high elves. The Iron Tusks and Beast Scarred tribes were the only ones to make it to the sunny shores of the Emerald Sea. As for the remaining tribes in the north they agreed to
Demography and Population
Numbering around forty thousand orcs within the Ukh Meddal tribe. The majority of which live in their towns and cities like Ig Udor and Dorzon, though some still chose to live as nomadic wanderers. Patrolling the forest and icy tundra keeping their realm safe and providing for the tribe through hunting and scouting.
Territories
The frozen tundra north of the Trideen Woods have never been given a name due to the inhospitable nature of the land. To the orcs however this is home, this is Rurd Erru the frozen home. No one is quite sure whether orcs have always lived here or not, the mystery behind the orcs ancestry has always been debated.
Military
Each of the orcish tribes that make up the Ukh Meddal must provide to the military potential of the tribe. The warriors differ in their specialities between each tribe, though together they make a powerful balanced force.
Oathsworn
In the human lands these warriors would be known as paladins however to the orcs they are Oathsworn, dedicated to their duty and the oaths they have sworn their lives to uphold. They are the most heavily armoured of all the orcish forces, using scavanged armours they have taken from raids on humans reforged into sizes more fitting for orcish frames. Piecemeal bits of mail made from chain, splint and plate adorn these warriors, armed with huge great axes, claymores, mauls and their oathbound magics they cleave through enemy ranks with ease.
Woad Warriors
Lacking all armour and wearing only the most limited amount of clothing these painted warriors armed with spears, axes, swords and shields they fight in the vanguard pelting the enemy with throwing axes and javelins before charging forward. The Woad Warriors belief in their mystical warpaint to protect them from danger and equally terrify their foes, when an wave of savage orcs painted black, red, blue and yellow come charging fearlessly towards the enemy screaming in rage most run in fear.
Heerbann
Skulking in the darkness, daggers sharpened, bows strung, arrows notched, ready to strike. Scouts, assassins, outriders and saboteurs the shadows patrol ahead of the army hunting for weaknesses in the enemy to exploit, a commander unprotected, a supply wagon left undefended, unguarded positions of their camps and any oppourtunity to set a well placed fire. In a battle they work alongside the Ice Stalkers as skirmishers taking to the flanks to loose arrows into the enemy lines, tipped with deadly fast acting poisons. They are a terror to the humans they raid and attack, waking in the night, the last thing they see is the dark mottled paint of an orc as a blade pierces their throat.
Shkaa
The orcs practice many magics and do not beholden themselves to the same restrictions and taboos that humans, elves, longzhu and jotnar do, warlockery is quite a normal especially within Black Dagger tribe and the Shkaa are the most elite warlocks the tribe has produced. Making pacts with dreaded demons, mischevious fey, dark entities and celestial beings the Shkaa are granted immense magical powers which they use to debilitate and destroy their enemies, assiting their allies with magical aid and empowerment. The other tribes fear them as much as they admire them on the battlefield, for who knows what horrific creatures they have sworn themselves to.
Oku
Mages in orc tribes are rare but when you do stumble upon one they can be unbelievebly powerful, embracing the destructive elements and conjuring powerful spirit entities the Oku command a force many orcs could only dream of. Dressed in only clothing and furs, with teeth, bones and other fetishes drapped or pierced through their skin. Oku look as intimidating as their potent magics, in battle they fight in the thick of it casting all manner of spells. Fighting alongside Taalga they form destructive little units bent on reeking devastation.
Taalga
The Taalga are the guardians of the Oku, warriors chosen to protect and fight alongside the orc mages. In order to do this effectively they are taught the ways of magic by the Oku, though they have limited control over magic they will use it to imbue themselves. Clad in heavy armours made from a mixture of scavanged human armour, bone pieces and fur hides. Armed with swords, axes, maces, flails, halberds whatever weapons they can gather from raids on human. Empowered with magic and skilled with all manner of weapons, the Taalga both protect the Oku and cause devastation on the battlefield.
Gardingi
Hunters, trackers, scouts and one of the few cavalry units of the Ukh Meddal. Riding stolen horses but mostly they ride great elks and aurochs which the Gardingi have tamed themselves. They build great bonds with both their mounts and other beasts from the tundra and forests, artic bears, wolves, hawks, snow leopards and boars. They are skilled riders who use both bow and spear while mounted. Moderately armoured they can be both swift and match up against other cavalry, though that is more due to the sheer orcish strength.
Gondasmen
Taifali
Agathyrsi
Undivided, Unbroken, Undefeated
The Ukh Meddal orcs forego any currency of gold, silver and copper. These have no worth to them, instead they trade and barter with things that are useful. Food, hides, furs, weapons, armour, shamanic totems, herbs, wood and bone. These have worth to the Ukh Meddal and can be put to use to improve the lives of their people.
The Tahigs and Bashuk are the lawmakers and have the final say on all decisions that involve the rules and laws of the Ukh Meddal. Should an orc disregard these laws then they will meet a commitee of Bashuks and the Tahig of their tribe. They will have a chance to speak to plead their innocence, after this the Bashuk will ask the spirits to seek out the truth in what they say. If truth has been told that orc is free to go, if lies they may be sentenced to spend a week in the ice cells, banishment or death depending on the severity of their crimes. If an orc admits to their actions and choses not to lie they will have a chance to fight for forgiveness, for they have shown honesty and honour. This fight will be against one of the great beasts that roam the frozen wastes, should they defeat the beast and bring back proof they can return to the tribe. If they cannot do so they shall either perish or forever remain exiled until they can slay the beast.
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