The Orokar Make their Mark
For six hundred years, the Elves created by the Alevar had the bounties offered by Cartyrion all to themselves. In this time, which is but the span of a single lifetime for the Elves, their settlements in the Elvenhome grew and prospered, but apart from a second major center based in the forest they called the Feywood, the rest of the world saw little impact from the Elves.
Many varieties of these creatures were provided. All were potentially deadly, but some were far more formidable than others. This allowed Orcs to learn to hunt with cunning and skill, with ever increasing challenges awaiting them as their prowess grew. A young Orc's first hunt might be to defeat a Masked Bear, or perhaps a Giant Badger. A Giant Wolverine would be an even more formidable test, while only the strongest - or most foolhardy - would ever attempt to bring down a Brown Bear or Giant Boar alone. Even the bravest and most highly skilled hunters knew better than to attempt to challenge a herd of Wooly Bison without assistance. These formidable beasts required coordinated tactics often involving every hunter in a settlement - tactics that would be developed into formidable battle skills used in clashes with other Peoples over the years.
Thus, when the second race of Astralar - the Orokar - arrived, they found a world already filled with the flora and fauna created by Berdea and Atezana of the Alevar. The plants and wildlife were nurtured and tended by the Fey, but apart from two enclaves of Elves, there were plenty of places for the Orokar to make their own contributions to life on Cartyrion.
Though both groups would be loathe to admit it, both Alevar and Orokar are quite similar in their preferences for form and color, thus the Orokar felt no need to challenge the creative choices made by their predecessors on Cartyrion. In fact, they found the forests and plains to be quite suitable to their tastes.
However, while the two Astralar races may have had similar tastes in artistic style, they had quite different outlooks on cultural and social attitudes. While they could, on one level, appreciate the intricacies of creation wrought by the Alevar, the Orokar looked upon these things as resources rather than works of art.
This outlook was instilled into the new people that the Orokar Awakened, and as the Orcs expanded their range and eventually came in contact with the Elves, it would be the reason for clashes between the two peoples. Elves were angered by what they saw as unnecessary destruction of the beauty their gods had provided, while the Orcs couldn't understand why the Elves refused to make use of the bountiful resources that surrounded them.
The newly Awakened Orc People were also instilled with an inherent desire to distinguish themselves not only as a People, but as individuals. One way to do so was to demonstrate prowess as a hunter and provider, but the wildlife that had been put upon Cartyrion by the Alevar gods offered no real challenges to newly Awakened Orcs. They would need more challenging prey than squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs and timid deer.
Though both groups would be loathe to admit it, both Alevar and Orokar are quite similar in their preferences for form and color, thus the Orokar felt no need to challenge the creative choices made by their predecessors on Cartyrion. In fact, they found the forests and plains to be quite suitable to their tastes.
However, while the two Astralar races may have had similar tastes in artistic style, they had quite different outlooks on cultural and social attitudes. While they could, on one level, appreciate the intricacies of creation wrought by the Alevar, the Orokar looked upon these things as resources rather than works of art.
This outlook was instilled into the new people that the Orokar Awakened, and as the Orcs expanded their range and eventually came in contact with the Elves, it would be the reason for clashes between the two peoples. Elves were angered by what they saw as unnecessary destruction of the beauty their gods had provided, while the Orcs couldn't understand why the Elves refused to make use of the bountiful resources that surrounded them.
The newly Awakened Orc People were also instilled with an inherent desire to distinguish themselves not only as a People, but as individuals. One way to do so was to demonstrate prowess as a hunter and provider, but the wildlife that had been put upon Cartyrion by the Alevar gods offered no real challenges to newly Awakened Orcs. They would need more challenging prey than squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs and timid deer.
Creating Challenges
The most powerful of the Orokar, Khaara’khaash and Khataala’khraamh, placed creatures into the world that would challenge their mortal children. For those Orcs Awakened in forest settings, they created varieties of badger and bear. Great herds of horned bison appeared in the grassy plains where other tribes of Orcs were Awakened. And in both environs, varieties of fierce wild boar sprang up. The Orokar felt these would be proper tests for the cunning and valor of their newly Awakened People.Many varieties of these creatures were provided. All were potentially deadly, but some were far more formidable than others. This allowed Orcs to learn to hunt with cunning and skill, with ever increasing challenges awaiting them as their prowess grew. A young Orc's first hunt might be to defeat a Masked Bear, or perhaps a Giant Badger. A Giant Wolverine would be an even more formidable test, while only the strongest - or most foolhardy - would ever attempt to bring down a Brown Bear or Giant Boar alone. Even the bravest and most highly skilled hunters knew better than to attempt to challenge a herd of Wooly Bison without assistance. These formidable beasts required coordinated tactics often involving every hunter in a settlement - tactics that would be developed into formidable battle skills used in clashes with other Peoples over the years.
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