Broken Lands: Orc Factions

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        Drek-Hhakral
        
         From the report of Drudzak the Cunning-Teller, before the throne of Great Chief Kujagur of the Drek-Hhakrall. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Great Chief! Champions! All who stand before the Great Chief, who eat of his gifts, who live because he lets you, who bow to him. Listen! 
        
        
         

        
        
         I have spoken to our wise hunters. I have listened to our cunning spies. I have cheered at the war stories of you, our great Champions. So I have 
         heard and learned, and thought. I have thought of the enemies that we’ve killed. I have thought of the enemies that we haven’t yet killed. And I 
         can tell you, all, now of each. I can tell you what their weaknesses are. I can tell you where they have some strength. If you hear what I say, 
         and learn, your next victories will be more bloody, more glorious. 
        
        
         

        
        
         But first, I speak of the greatest warriors. I speak of the mightiest armies. I speak of the fiercest, finest, most ferocious force to tread 
         these lands since the mages fell! I speak first, of us! I speak first of the Drek-Hhakrall! 
        
        
         Who should be spoken of before us? How dare any name be mentioned before ours! 
        
        
         

        
        
         Does anyone have a general as strong as the mighty Great Chief Kujakur? Does any army have Champions as fierce as those who stand here? Do any 
         races or kingdoms command hordes as bloody as ours? No! 
         So first, let us remember why it is that we are strongest, why it is that we are supreme.
        
        
         

        
        
         First, we are Orc! In the First Age, when time began, the Always-Chiefs said that Orcs should conquer all. They knew that Orcs are strongest, 
         that Orcs are born to fight and kill, that Orcs will make slaves and rule. It is in our blood to be strongest! 
        
        
         

        
        
         The Pirate Kings of the middle sea, or the peasant Kings of Virten, are they so strong? No! Humans scheme and plot, ride horses so that they can 
         run away, that weave pretty cloths to wear at quiet feasts, sing stupid love songs, learn useless arts. How can such weak creatures stand against 
         us! We do not scheme, but fight. We charge to battle, we do not flee. We wear the hides of beasts that we have killed ourselves. How much 
         stronger are we! 
        
        
         

        
        
         Second, it is not enough that we are Orcs. More, we do not forget that we are Orcs! We remember how to be Orcs! In the First Age, the Always-
         Chiefs said that Orcs should fight all and rule all. We know this! We roar for this! 
        
        
         

        
        
         The Kartur-Hhakrall, they think that it is their place to serve! They hear of the First Age, and think that the Always-Chiefs want them to snivel 
         and fawn before people they should crush! They have made themselves slaves to humans! You, here, are you stronger than slaves? Yes! Then you are 
         stronger than the Kartur-Hhakrall. You know how to be true Orcs! 
        
        
         

        
        
         The southern Orcs, too. They forget the stories of the First Age. They forget that they should serve great chiefs. Is a fist stronger than a 
         finger? Yes! Is an army stronger than one warrior? Yes! Is a fist stronger when it hangs idle, or when a clever mind commands it? It is so with 
         us. While the southern Orcs fight in little groups, we come together like a great fist. And we fight at the command of the greatest chief in any 
         land – Kujakur! 
        
        
         

        
        
         But there is one more reason why we are strongest. And it is this! It is because we were so low! Who here, in this hall, was not beaten as a 
         child? We all were! And we are stronger for it! We learned to take pain, and we learned to hate, and we learned to hit back harder. How many 
         scars do we all have, from a battle where a foe was quicker, or used a new move? Many scars! And for each scar we learned a lesson. We learned to 
         be quicker. We learned new moves to watch for. We learned to train harder. 
        
        
         

        
        
         So it is! Anyone who is knocked down will stand more firm when he gets up! Any who is beaten, will hit back with great rage! And we, through the 
         Second Age, we, mighty warriors, were slaves! We were slaves to Elf Wizards! 
        
        
         

        
        
         Other tribes, other people, they say that the Sundering was very bad. They weep that so many died. Pathetic! There is always death! For us, the 
         Sundering made us free! We were freed from slavery, to rise, and rule, and fight, and slaughter or enslave any who dare face us!
        
        
         

        
        
         Madh-Vraken-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral]
        
        
         The orcs of Madh-Vrakn-Kalj are a beacon of true orcishness, they say, beset by "rabble" to the south (Free Orcs), "cowards" to the west 
         (Kartur-Hhakral), and "traitors" to the east (freebooting orc warbands who claim allegiance to the Drek-Hhakral, but follow their own whims). 
         Visitors should expect a paranoid, unfriendly and usually violent reception.
        
        
         

        
        
         Shqur-Mich-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral]
        
        
         Great Chief Kujagur of the Drek-Hhakrall has made Shqur-Mich-Kalj his home, which is a source of great pride for the War Chiefs here. He says 
         that he considers the orcs here most purely, truly orcish in temperament - strong, aggressive, loyal, cruel, arrogant, uncomplaining. Some see 
         this as a veiled criticism of the paranoia of the Madh-Vrakn War Chiefs, and the pragmatic compromises of the Thujn-Kuckut.
        
        
         

        
        
         Thujn-Huckut-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral]
        
        
         The War Chiefs of Thujn-Kucku know that orcs are the greatest race, the strongest, the rightful rulers. But they don't see that as a reason to 
         avoid selling weapons, providing troops or otherwise swallowing their pride if the lords of the Pirate Islands want to pay them enough gold. The 
         Drek-Hhakral saying, "orcs never compromise", has a somewhat different version here - "orcs never speak of compromise".
        
        
         

        
        
         

        
        
         
          
         Free Orcs
        
        
         From the daily reports of Commander Cirian Danorian, deep reconnaissance mission. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 1, morning: Yesterday we made contact with an Orc warband on the shore. We asked them to fetch their leader, or someone who could speak on 
         their leader’s behalf. He appeared, surrounded by retainers, big Orcs, with many scars. We asked for his permission to travel through his lands. 
        
        
         

        
        
         We offered gifts, and veiled threats. Our own Kartur-Hhakrall guards took the lead on this, and spoke to him Orc to Orc. It worked. He took the 
         gifts and gave permission. So this morning we make landfall, and start east. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 1, evening: There is good hunting in these lands, and we brought down plenty of game, so that we will eat well tonight. We saw Orc scouts 
         behind, ahead and to the sides, but they left us alone. Presumably they have got the message that we have permission to be here. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 2, morning: Violently awoken. Camp attacked. One of our cooks was killed, a scribe injured. One of the Kartur-Hhakrall also dead, two others 
         slightly battered. So much for promises of safe passage. The scribe can walk, and the Kartur-Hhakrall want to pursue our attackers. They want 
         revenge. I want to know why we were attacked. So, we will follow our attackers’ trail. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 2, evening: Caught up with our attackers. I held the Kartur-Hhakrall back, not wanting to lose more people. They contented themselves hunting 
         down one of the stragglers, then withdrew. We have camped in an easily defensible position, atop a steep scarp. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 3, morning: Little rest last night. Three separate incursions from the local Orcs against us. They seemed designed to test us, not hurt us. 
         No deaths on either side, though we lost a pack mule, felled by a javelin. I have allowed our Kartur-Hhakrall to attempt negotiations. As I write 
         they are bellowing insults and goading the Orcs to attack us. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 3, noon: My Kartur-Hhakrall seem to have decided that attacking is a form of negotiating. Half of them disappeared earlier, and have just 
         returned. They carry the severed heads of two young Orcs. We are now fortifying the camp. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 3, evening: The Kartur-Hhakrall notion of negotiating works well with these local Orcs. A messenger has just shouted from the woods that 
         their leader will speak to us tomorrow morning. We expect attacks in the night, of course. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 4, morning: Quiet night. No attacks. The Orc leader arrived at dawn. She wasn’t someone we’d seen before, not the same leader we bargained 
         with from the ship. I asked why she had not stood by his promise, and she spat and cursed, saying that she would not bow to him. She bowed to 
         nobody, she said, for she was a free Orc, not a slave. Discussions followed. It seems that these Free Orcs have a thousand leaders, none 
         acknowledging the others. I asked of stories of great Orc strongholds here, held by mighty chieftains. She said that she could be such a 
         chieftain if she wanted. Asked why she didn’t want to, she said they never survived more than a year, and she had many years of fighting to do. I 
         asked if she would ever follow one of these chiefs, and she said that she had, and might again, but only if she felt like it. I am bemused by 
         this, and have left further negotiations to my Kartur-Hhakrall. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 4, noon: We will move off again soon. The Kartur-Hhakrall decided not to do a deal with the local warleader. They decided that she would see 
         it as a sign of weakness if they sought peace. Instead they told her what route we would take, and invited her to attack us if she wished. I’m 
         not convinced by this. Inviting attack seems foolish, but it is too late now. We will march as far as we can today. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 5, evening: After one and a half days of peaceful march, we are leaving Orc territory. We noted scouts watching us, but none have attacked. I 
         have thanked my Kartur-Hhakrall for their work ensuring our safe passage, but will be happy if we do not have to deal with the Free Orcs again.
        
        
         

        
        
         Vduch [Free Orcs]
        
        
         The orcs of Vduch boast that they are the the finest hunters in Illyria - because, they say, while others hunt mortal beasts, they hunt ghosts. 
        
        
         

        
        
         This seems to be a reference to the Guul-Hai, whom the Free Orcs view as an abomination, as corrupted orcs.
        
        
         

        
        
         Vrakun [Free Orcs]
        
        
         The stronghold of Vrakun has grown up around the Cask of Skulls, a huge cauldron into which returning warbands hurl the skulls of anyone whom 
         they kill. By custom, when the cask is filled with skulls, the ruling War Chief of Vrakun must step down. This serves the orcs well, as each 
         victory therefore brings the chief's tenure closer to an end, so that few have any incentive to turn against or overthrow a successful leader; 
         and Vrakun's warlords are unusual amongst the Free Orcs for retiring peacefully from office. But for visitors, this can seem morbid, as trade and 
         socialising all take place around this great cauldron of bones.
        
        
         

        
        
         Gjuk-Darak [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Many cultures tell of a ruler who must draw a sword from a stone or tree to prove his worth. The Free Orcs of Gjuk-darak have their own version 
         of this: a sword lies on the altar of the main temple, and if their War Chief should die his successor is he or she who retrieves that blade, and 
         sits with it upon the great throne in the marketplace. Picking up the sword is easy; nothing secures it. Getting out of the temple and through 
         the market, without being killed by rival claimants - that is a challenge fit for a would-be War Chief.
        
        
         

        
        
         Grisj-hhuragk [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Torkurz has grown up on the site of an old orc slave market. Storytellers still tell the bloody tale of the uprising that placed a Slave-Chief on 
         the throne of this stronghold. Less well known is the tradition that, just like the stronghold's founder, each new War Chief must also be a 
         slave. Conveniently, the proud Free Orcs have found a way to reconcile this tradition with their independent yearnings: it is quite normal to see 
         a new chief kneeling before the bloody remains of his deposed predecessor, pledging himself in servitude to the fresh corpse.
        
        
         

        
        
         Kachak [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Kachak resembles not so much a unified stronghold as a crushed collection of warring camps. Buildings are fortified against one another, and 
         ownership of a prime area, such as a part of the market, can be hotly contested. One of the few laws enforced by the War Chief is that the orcs 
         should not kill or main one and other. Brawling, on the other hand, is common, and fights erupt several times an hour. Visitors are recommended 
         to employ burly bodyguards, and to become hardened to minor injuries.
        
        
         

        
        
         Jhkej [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Jhekj's War Chief demands that other warbands within the stronghold actually do what he says, avoid brawling between one another, and submit to 
         his law courts. Hence, most people within the stronghold are either the War Chief's slaves or followers, or are visiting traders and travellers. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Most of the other warbands based here can, instead, be found camped outside the stronghold, huddled up against the walls - which allows them the 
         convenience of access to the citadel, weaponsmiths and marketplace, without the inconvenience of submitting to anyone's authority.
        
        
         

        
        
         Grujt Uruk [Free Orcs]
        
        
         The stronghold grew up around the Altar of Storms, dedicated to orc deities (Always-Chiefs) of war, ice, death and destruction. Petitioners and 
         penitents trek here across The Long White to stand at the exposed Altar, sometimes for hours or days; many earn frostbite scars that will never 
         fade, and some are blinded by the cold.
        
        
         

        
        
         Trazurk [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Clustered around an icy fishing port, the warbands of Trazurk scheme. Some argue, implausibly, that they will one day launch an invasion fleet 
         against Virten. The more pragmatic hope that the town's market might become a centre for trade in hides and furs from The Long White. Others muse 
         about building a pirate fleet. But always they bicker and fight amongst themselves, and never agree on a single plan.
        
        
         

        
        
         Vdekurch [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Vdekurch is the coldest, most desolate, most inhospitable of the Free Orc strongholds - and the local warbands are proud of their ability to 
         thrive here. They deride northerners as "comfortable" and "without frostbite", and say that a battle against the elements is a battle worthy of 
         any true orc.
        
        
         

        
        
         Torkurz [Free Orcs]
        
        
         Torkurz has grown up on the site of an old orc slave market. Storytellers still tell the bloody tale of the uprising that placed a Slave-Chief on 
         the throne of this stronghold. Less well known is the tradition that, just like the stronghold's founder, each new War Chief must also be a 
         slave. Conveniently, the proud Free Orcs have found a way to reconcile this tradition with their independent yearnings: it is quite normal to see 
         a new chief kneeling before the bloody remains of his deposed predecessor, pledging himself in servitude to the fresh corpse.
        
        
         

        
        
         
          
         
        
        
         Guul-Hai
        
        
         From the daily reports of Commander Cirian Danorian, deep reconnaissance mission. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 34, evening: This is as far from the ship as I want to go. Legends say this is the land of the Guul-Hai. Nobody from Virten has ever seen 
         one. Stories say they move without a sound and can melt into the dark. They are supposed to be Orcs, but some tales say that they were changed by 
         the mages long before the Sundering, and they’re now something else. We have lost good men already, and now people are nervous. So this will be 
         our last search. Even the Kartur-Hhakrall are restless. We’ll try to make contact. Then, we’ll head home. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 35, morning: Have worked out a search pattern, and today we will start criss-crossing the area looking for tracks or settlements. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 35, evening: Nothing. No sign of habitation at all. The scouts noted an unusual number of wolf tracks, so we secured our camp perimeter 
         carefully. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 36, evening: Another fruitless day. Men exhausted from searching, and all scouting parties returned to camp having found no sign of Orcs. 
         Plenty of animal tracks, though, and we ate well on a deer that we felled. Disturbed by the disappearance of a bearer, sent to fetch water from 
         the spring at dusk. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 37, morning: Scouts searched the spring. Snow fell yesterday, and ground around the spring is muddy, so tracking should have been easy. Our 
         man’s tracks just stopped a few paces from the water. Lots of other tracks in the area, all wolves, but no sign of a struggle, no sign of him 
         being chased, felled or dragged. Someone suggested the Guul-Hai might be riding wolves, but from the paw size and short gait these wolves are too 
         small to ride. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 37, evening: Another useless day. Long discussion around the campfire, working out a new plan. Someone asked why there are so many wolf 
         tracks, when we haven’t seen wolves. This suggested a new direction. Can’t solve the mystery of where the Guul-Hai are. So we’ll look into 
         mystery of the wolves. Maybe there’s a link. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 38, morning: Awoken by screaming. Found our missing bearer. His body was hanging from a tree in the middle of camp. He had been stripped, and 
         guts, heart and brain removed. No sign of clothes or innards. Our surgeon says he had been dead for a day. Much shouting at the guards who had 
         been on watch. No idea how someone got past them with a corpse. No tracks on the ground. Guessed someone had climbed the tree to string him up, 
         but no tracks by the tree. Someone suggested that his killers must fly. I dismissed the idea. No rumours of flying creatures here, and Orcs 
         certainly can’t fly. But I have no theory of my own. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 38, evening: Better day. Two scouting parties found big groups of wolves. The groups were much bigger than normal wolf packs, and they 
         wandered aimlessly. Someone suggested they were more like a flock of sheep than a pack of predators. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 39, morning: Bad morning. One of our human scouts has vanished, from the middle of the camp. Nobody saw him leave, no tracks, no sign of a 
         struggle. Then I had my first argument with the Kartur-Hhakrall. They’ve been absolutely loyal until now. But they think it’s stupid to keep 
         searching. They look nervous. It isn’t like them to be scared of anything. I asked them if they didn’t want to find fellow Orcs. The Guul-Hai 
         have been separate from our Orc retainers for five centuries. I assumed they’d be curious. They said no. They said the Guul-Hai are unnatural, 
         tainted. They said that a good leader would turn back. I understand what that means. I told them we’d search for one more day, and then I’d 
         decide what to do. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 39, evening: Spent the day looking for and watching wolf packs, or herds. This may be a good line of enquiry. One scout reports seeing an Orc moving amongst a group of wolves, though later investigation showed only wolf tracks there, no Orc tracks. Another scout found a cooking pit, 
         buried to conceal it. I asked him how he found it and he said he just searched in an area where there were no
          
         tracks. Another scout found a cooking pit, 
         buried to conceal it. I asked him how he found it and he said he just searched in an area where there were no tracks, in the middle of an area 
         with lots of wolf tracks. He estimated that half a dozen people might have eaten from the food cooked there, and suggested that we search for 
         similar trackless areas amidst areas with lots of wolf activity. It is a good suggestion, but I am starting to agree with the Kartur-Hhakrall, 
         that we should not be here. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 40, morning: Our missing scout was found by the camp fire, where he had been sleeping. As before, clothes, heart, guts and brain were 
         missing, and our surgeon says he has been dead for a day. I have given the order to strike camp and head back. 
        
        
         

        
        
         Day 40, evening: Two hundred paces from camp a Kartur-Hhakrall scout smelled something, so went to look. He came back with gnawed animal bones. 
        
        
         

        
        
         He said the tooth marks showed that Orcs had been eating them, last night. There were other bones, from previous nights. The place where they 
         were had a clear view down into our camp site. We had spent five days failing to find the the Guul-Hai, and they had been watching us all along. 
        
        
         

        
        
         We marched more swiftly after that, and covered a good distance, glad to be leaving these lands.
        
        
         

        
        
         Eshtuk [Guul-Hai]
        
        
         Eshtuk, travellers report, is a ghost town. There are a few empty huts, a collapsed warehouse, an over-grown market square. There is nothing 
         here... though travellers who try to stay the night often go missing, and a traders' rumour tells that the town is inhabited by some monstrous 
         beast, which devours the unwary.
         Some canny traders smile at these stories. The deserted village, they say, is just a decoy. Eshtuk itself is not where, nor what, one expects.
        
        
         

        
        
         Ijek [Guul-Hai]
        
        
         Animal paths circle about a dense expanse of woodland, and Ijek is said to be in the middle of that. Occasionally travellers, skirting the area, 
         glimpse what might be the tops of wooden towers, poking out from the trees deep within this thicket.
         But there is no visible way through the brambles and thorns into the dark wood. It is said that only the elusive Gull-Hai know how to get in to 
         Ijek, and they themselves are rarely seen, let alone spoken with.
        
        
         

        
        
         
          
         
        
        
         Kartur-Hhakral
        
        
         From the Teachings of Urgrukt the Blind, first High Priest of the Kartur-Hhakrall. 
         Pilgrim asked: “What is best for Orcs? We do what we want? We kill? We hunt? What?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “Here, you ask me, because I am wiser. In war, the warrior asks the champion, because champion is stronger. In the forge, the 
         young maker asks the master maker. In all things, ask the better, and they will teach. In great issues, ask the greatest. Ask the Always-Chiefs, 
         who are elders to all, who are stronger than all, who are wiser than all, who came before all.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “The Always-Chiefs. What do they want?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “All Orcs, in all lands, know the stories of the First Age. There were four champions. The greatest was called Orc. He founded 
         our race. He asked the Always-Chiefs what he should do. They said he should fight to make slaves of all the lands.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “So we should fight? Or we should make slaves? Which is greater?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “All Orcs know that it is good to fight. It is in our blood. We are born knowing it. Great Orcs learn that it is good to make 
         slaves. When a champion first sees slaves bow before him, slaves he has won in blood, then he learns, in his heart, that this is the greatest 
         thing, greater than killing, greater than fighting. So to win slaves is greater, but cannot be without fighting. Many Orcs have learned this. But 
         it is not the greatest thing.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “So what is the greatest thing?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut asked: “To get his answer, what did Orc do?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim answered: “He asked the Always-Chiefs. He asked those greater.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukt said: “He could have no answers without asking those greater. He had no-one to fight for, without serving those greater. It is easy to 
         know that we must fight. It is easy to learn that we should have slaves. Many Orcs understand that. But when Orcs understand no more, when they 
         forget that they must serve, then all Illyria pays the price.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “So who should we serve? The Always-Chiefs?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “In your heart, always serve the Always-Chiefs. But the Always-Chiefs have left Illyria. So you must find a mortal master.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “The priests serve the Always-Chiefs, and hold the secrets of the Always-Chiefs. So should I serve the priests?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “The priests are just Orcs, like you. Wiser, but not your lords. Do not trust a priest who wants to be your lord. Trust a 
         priest who would be a priest, and find a lord who is the greatest lord.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “Who, then, should I serve? Who is the greatest lord?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “Orcs are the greatest warriors. But we are not good at the things a great lord must do. It is in our blood to fight and make 
         slaves. Great lords must build, and maintain.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “In the Second Age, Orc warriors fought for the Order of the Silver Light. I should find lords like the Order?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “The wizards of the Silver Light were not great lords. They tried to make slaves, but they were not Orcs, so they were bad at 
         it. When their slaves rebelled, they did what no Orc should do, they destroyed all that they had, wasted all that they had, killed their servants 
         and slaves as well as their enemies. These are not things that a great lord would do. Only serve the greatest lords.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim asked: “So who, then, should I serve?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut answered: “You should serve the New King, raised up by the humans. Of course the humans are weaker, descended from weaker fathers, and 
         birthing weaker children, and so are not as great in war as you. But they are better at the things that a ruler needs to do. They can build, and 
         they can maintain. So, you should be the greatest warrior. But you should serve the greatest lord.” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Pilgrim thought long, and then asked: “What if the New King of the humans is a bad lord? What if he is stupid and destroys those who serve him, 
         like the Silver Light?” 
        
        
         

        
        
         Urgrukut smiled: “Be sure that the New King knows that you are the mightiest, that he fears you and admires you. Be sure that he knows you are 
         loyal. But be sure he knows you will destroy him if he is not the best that he can be. Then he will make sure he is the best ruler that he can 
         be! This is what it is to be an Orc. Be the greatest warrior. Win many victories. Make many slaves. And through your strength, be sure that the 
         lord of the lands is the best lord for the lands!”
        
        
         

        
        
         Nderurk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         The commanders of Nderurk boast of the exploits of their warriors on Arctic Warfare Training. Orcs see through the euphemism, understanding that 
         Training missions are just excuses to travel to The Long White and kill things - to hunt animals, to skirmish with the Free Orcs... but to 
         satisfy the human rulers of Virten they persist with the pretence that such forays are purely educational.
        
        
         

        
        
         Besnurk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Besnurk was founded four hundred years ago, after the battle that crushed the Strendur Rebellion. Built on the battle site, the stronghold 
         proudly displayed the skull of the rebel leader in the main square, and the stronghold came to be the site where the Kartur's greatest battle 
         trophies are displayed. These are still on view to visitors, though the orcs are embarrassed that there are have been few recent additions.
        
        
         

        
        
         Trimek Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Trimek Barracks is the main training centre for the Kartur, and all new recruits come here for three years before their first real posting. The 
         streets throng with eager students of violence, and their youthful bloodlust gives the town an energy that can be inspiring, or terrifying, or 
         sickening, depending on the visitor's perspective.
        
        
         

        
        
         Fytorj Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Fytorj Barracks is the official residence of the High Commander of the Kartur-Hhakral, but there is nothing here to show that the stronghold has 
         any particular significance. Beautifying the site or glorifying the High Commander, would have no military value, and so visitors will find the 
         barracks to be just as sturdy, ugly, dour and uncultured as any other Kartur stronghold.
        
        
         

        
        
         Zgudun Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Many of the Kartur's finest weapon-masters have made their home in this mountain retreat, and young warriors often seek permission to travel 
         here, to seek out these masters, to hone their skills under their elders' tutelage. Focused on study and training, Zgudun is unusually quiet for 
         an orc stronghold.
        
        
         

        
        
         Syguf Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Syguj Barracks is the most hated posting for Virten's orcish defenders. There is nothing for miles but quiet farmlands and pretty woodlands. 
         Nothing to fight, no threats, no glory. But it was the first Barracks to be established, five hundred years ago, and its defences are 
         impregnable, so the commanders have no intention of abandoning it.
        
        
         

        
        
         Famak Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Neighboured by human and elven strongholds, Famak Baracks is the most cosmopolitan of the Kartur bases. The orcs have even taken to playing up to 
         their varied visitors, and have opened up their drills as public displays where outsiders can watch their formation exercises and demonstrations 
         of individual weapon skills.
        
        
         

        
        
         Gjuntak Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         The Kartur's wisest warriors recommend Gruntak Barracks as a posting. The rugged scenery inspires the orcish heart, and the quiet location makes 
         it perfect for focused training. But within marching distance there are cultists to hunt in the north and undead to slay in Silbeaur, and so 
         Kartur warbands fan out daily across the lands, looking for a taste of blood.
        
        
         

        
        
         Detyrk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral]
        
        
         Many expect that if Virten were ever invaded, attack would come from the Orken Coast, not from The Long White, and so young warriors are keen to 
         be stationed here, in the hopes that a war will come and that they will then be in the vanguard of the fighting. But an invasion has never 
         materialised, and early eagerness can turn to frustration.
        
        
         

         
        

Edited by Fiona - 15 Apr 2015 at 18:23

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Fiona Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Wordsmith Joined: 02 Jul 2014 Status: Offline Points: 139	Post Options Post Reply Quote Fiona Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Broken Lands: Orc Factions Posted: 07 Apr 2015 at 17:17
	Drek-Hhakral From the report of Drudzak the Cunning-Teller, before the throne of Great Chief Kujagur of the Drek-Hhakrall. Great Chief! Champions! All who stand before the Great Chief, who eat of his gifts, who live because he lets you, who bow to him. Listen! I have spoken to our wise hunters. I have listened to our cunning spies. I have cheered at the war stories of you, our great Champions. So I have heard and learned, and thought. I have thought of the enemies that we’ve killed. I have thought of the enemies that we haven’t yet killed. And I can tell you, all, now of each. I can tell you what their weaknesses are. I can tell you where they have some strength. If you hear what I say, and learn, your next victories will be more bloody, more glorious. But first, I speak of the greatest warriors. I speak of the mightiest armies. I speak of the fiercest, finest, most ferocious force to tread these lands since the mages fell! I speak first, of us! I speak first of the Drek-Hhakrall! Who should be spoken of before us? How dare any name be mentioned before ours! Does anyone have a general as strong as the mighty Great Chief Kujakur? Does any army have Champions as fierce as those who stand here? Do any races or kingdoms command hordes as bloody as ours? No! So first, let us remember why it is that we are strongest, why it is that we are supreme. First, we are Orc! In the First Age, when time began, the Always-Chiefs said that Orcs should conquer all. They knew that Orcs are strongest, that Orcs are born to fight and kill, that Orcs will make slaves and rule. It is in our blood to be strongest! The Pirate Kings of the middle sea, or the peasant Kings of Virten, are they so strong? No! Humans scheme and plot, ride horses so that they can run away, that weave pretty cloths to wear at quiet feasts, sing stupid love songs, learn useless arts. How can such weak creatures stand against us! We do not scheme, but fight. We charge to battle, we do not flee. We wear the hides of beasts that we have killed ourselves. How much stronger are we! Second, it is not enough that we are Orcs. More, we do not forget that we are Orcs! We remember how to be Orcs! In the First Age, the Always- Chiefs said that Orcs should fight all and rule all. We know this! We roar for this! The Kartur-Hhakrall, they think that it is their place to serve! They hear of the First Age, and think that the Always-Chiefs want them to snivel and fawn before people they should crush! They have made themselves slaves to humans! You, here, are you stronger than slaves? Yes! Then you are stronger than the Kartur-Hhakrall. You know how to be true Orcs! The southern Orcs, too. They forget the stories of the First Age. They forget that they should serve great chiefs. Is a fist stronger than a finger? Yes! Is an army stronger than one warrior? Yes! Is a fist stronger when it hangs idle, or when a clever mind commands it? It is so with us. While the southern Orcs fight in little groups, we come together like a great fist. And we fight at the command of the greatest chief in any land – Kujakur! But there is one more reason why we are strongest. And it is this! It is because we were so low! Who here, in this hall, was not beaten as a child? We all were! And we are stronger for it! We learned to take pain, and we learned to hate, and we learned to hit back harder. How many scars do we all have, from a battle where a foe was quicker, or used a new move? Many scars! And for each scar we learned a lesson. We learned to be quicker. We learned new moves to watch for. We learned to train harder. So it is! Anyone who is knocked down will stand more firm when he gets up! Any who is beaten, will hit back with great rage! And we, through the Second Age, we, mighty warriors, were slaves! We were slaves to Elf Wizards! Other tribes, other people, they say that the Sundering was very bad. They weep that so many died. Pathetic! There is always death! For us, the Sundering made us free! We were freed from slavery, to rise, and rule, and fight, and slaughter or enslave any who dare face us! Madh-Vraken-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral] The orcs of Madh-Vrakn-Kalj are a beacon of true orcishness, they say, beset by "rabble" to the south (Free Orcs), "cowards" to the west (Kartur-Hhakral), and "traitors" to the east (freebooting orc warbands who claim allegiance to the Drek-Hhakral, but follow their own whims). Visitors should expect a paranoid, unfriendly and usually violent reception. Shqur-Mich-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral] Great Chief Kujagur of the Drek-Hhakrall has made Shqur-Mich-Kalj his home, which is a source of great pride for the War Chiefs here. He says that he considers the orcs here most purely, truly orcish in temperament - strong, aggressive, loyal, cruel, arrogant, uncomplaining. Some see this as a veiled criticism of the paranoia of the Madh-Vrakn War Chiefs, and the pragmatic compromises of the Thujn-Kuckut. Thujn-Huckut-Kalj [Drek-Hhakral] The War Chiefs of Thujn-Kucku know that orcs are the greatest race, the strongest, the rightful rulers. But they don't see that as a reason to avoid selling weapons, providing troops or otherwise swallowing their pride if the lords of the Pirate Islands want to pay them enough gold. The Drek-Hhakral saying, "orcs never compromise", has a somewhat different version here - "orcs never speak of compromise". Free Orcs From the daily reports of Commander Cirian Danorian, deep reconnaissance mission. Day 1, morning: Yesterday we made contact with an Orc warband on the shore. We asked them to fetch their leader, or someone who could speak on their leader’s behalf. He appeared, surrounded by retainers, big Orcs, with many scars. We asked for his permission to travel through his lands. We offered gifts, and veiled threats. Our own Kartur-Hhakrall guards took the lead on this, and spoke to him Orc to Orc. It worked. He took the gifts and gave permission. So this morning we make landfall, and start east. Day 1, evening: There is good hunting in these lands, and we brought down plenty of game, so that we will eat well tonight. We saw Orc scouts behind, ahead and to the sides, but they left us alone. Presumably they have got the message that we have permission to be here. Day 2, morning: Violently awoken. Camp attacked. One of our cooks was killed, a scribe injured. One of the Kartur-Hhakrall also dead, two others slightly battered. So much for promises of safe passage. The scribe can walk, and the Kartur-Hhakrall want to pursue our attackers. They want revenge. I want to know why we were attacked. So, we will follow our attackers’ trail. Day 2, evening: Caught up with our attackers. I held the Kartur-Hhakrall back, not wanting to lose more people. They contented themselves hunting down one of the stragglers, then withdrew. We have camped in an easily defensible position, atop a steep scarp. Day 3, morning: Little rest last night. Three separate incursions from the local Orcs against us. They seemed designed to test us, not hurt us. No deaths on either side, though we lost a pack mule, felled by a javelin. I have allowed our Kartur-Hhakrall to attempt negotiations. As I write they are bellowing insults and goading the Orcs to attack us. Day 3, noon: My Kartur-Hhakrall seem to have decided that attacking is a form of negotiating. Half of them disappeared earlier, and have just returned. They carry the severed heads of two young Orcs. We are now fortifying the camp. Day 3, evening: The Kartur-Hhakrall notion of negotiating works well with these local Orcs. A messenger has just shouted from the woods that their leader will speak to us tomorrow morning. We expect attacks in the night, of course. Day 4, morning: Quiet night. No attacks. The Orc leader arrived at dawn. She wasn’t someone we’d seen before, not the same leader we bargained with from the ship. I asked why she had not stood by his promise, and she spat and cursed, saying that she would not bow to him. She bowed to nobody, she said, for she was a free Orc, not a slave. Discussions followed. It seems that these Free Orcs have a thousand leaders, none acknowledging the others. I asked of stories of great Orc strongholds here, held by mighty chieftains. She said that she could be such a chieftain if she wanted. Asked why she didn’t want to, she said they never survived more than a year, and she had many years of fighting to do. I asked if she would ever follow one of these chiefs, and she said that she had, and might again, but only if she felt like it. I am bemused by this, and have left further negotiations to my Kartur-Hhakrall. Day 4, noon: We will move off again soon. The Kartur-Hhakrall decided not to do a deal with the local warleader. They decided that she would see it as a sign of weakness if they sought peace. Instead they told her what route we would take, and invited her to attack us if she wished. I’m not convinced by this. Inviting attack seems foolish, but it is too late now. We will march as far as we can today. Day 5, evening: After one and a half days of peaceful march, we are leaving Orc territory. We noted scouts watching us, but none have attacked. I have thanked my Kartur-Hhakrall for their work ensuring our safe passage, but will be happy if we do not have to deal with the Free Orcs again. Vduch [Free Orcs] The orcs of Vduch boast that they are the the finest hunters in Illyria - because, they say, while others hunt mortal beasts, they hunt ghosts. This seems to be a reference to the Guul-Hai, whom the Free Orcs view as an abomination, as corrupted orcs. Vrakun [Free Orcs] The stronghold of Vrakun has grown up around the Cask of Skulls, a huge cauldron into which returning warbands hurl the skulls of anyone whom they kill. By custom, when the cask is filled with skulls, the ruling War Chief of Vrakun must step down. This serves the orcs well, as each victory therefore brings the chief's tenure closer to an end, so that few have any incentive to turn against or overthrow a successful leader; and Vrakun's warlords are unusual amongst the Free Orcs for retiring peacefully from office. But for visitors, this can seem morbid, as trade and socialising all take place around this great cauldron of bones. Gjuk-Darak [Free Orcs] Many cultures tell of a ruler who must draw a sword from a stone or tree to prove his worth. The Free Orcs of Gjuk-darak have their own version of this: a sword lies on the altar of the main temple, and if their War Chief should die his successor is he or she who retrieves that blade, and sits with it upon the great throne in the marketplace. Picking up the sword is easy; nothing secures it. Getting out of the temple and through the market, without being killed by rival claimants - that is a challenge fit for a would-be War Chief. Grisj-hhuragk [Free Orcs] Torkurz has grown up on the site of an old orc slave market. Storytellers still tell the bloody tale of the uprising that placed a Slave-Chief on the throne of this stronghold. Less well known is the tradition that, just like the stronghold's founder, each new War Chief must also be a slave. Conveniently, the proud Free Orcs have found a way to reconcile this tradition with their independent yearnings: it is quite normal to see a new chief kneeling before the bloody remains of his deposed predecessor, pledging himself in servitude to the fresh corpse. Kachak [Free Orcs] Kachak resembles not so much a unified stronghold as a crushed collection of warring camps. Buildings are fortified against one another, and ownership of a prime area, such as a part of the market, can be hotly contested. One of the few laws enforced by the War Chief is that the orcs should not kill or main one and other. Brawling, on the other hand, is common, and fights erupt several times an hour. Visitors are recommended to employ burly bodyguards, and to become hardened to minor injuries. Jhkej [Free Orcs] Jhekj's War Chief demands that other warbands within the stronghold actually do what he says, avoid brawling between one another, and submit to his law courts. Hence, most people within the stronghold are either the War Chief's slaves or followers, or are visiting traders and travellers. Most of the other warbands based here can, instead, be found camped outside the stronghold, huddled up against the walls - which allows them the convenience of access to the citadel, weaponsmiths and marketplace, without the inconvenience of submitting to anyone's authority. Grujt Uruk [Free Orcs] The stronghold grew up around the Altar of Storms, dedicated to orc deities (Always-Chiefs) of war, ice, death and destruction. Petitioners and penitents trek here across The Long White to stand at the exposed Altar, sometimes for hours or days; many earn frostbite scars that will never fade, and some are blinded by the cold. Trazurk [Free Orcs] Clustered around an icy fishing port, the warbands of Trazurk scheme. Some argue, implausibly, that they will one day launch an invasion fleet against Virten. The more pragmatic hope that the town's market might become a centre for trade in hides and furs from The Long White. Others muse about building a pirate fleet. But always they bicker and fight amongst themselves, and never agree on a single plan. Vdekurch [Free Orcs] Vdekurch is the coldest, most desolate, most inhospitable of the Free Orc strongholds - and the local warbands are proud of their ability to thrive here. They deride northerners as "comfortable" and "without frostbite", and say that a battle against the elements is a battle worthy of any true orc. Torkurz [Free Orcs] Torkurz has grown up on the site of an old orc slave market. Storytellers still tell the bloody tale of the uprising that placed a Slave-Chief on the throne of this stronghold. Less well known is the tradition that, just like the stronghold's founder, each new War Chief must also be a slave. Conveniently, the proud Free Orcs have found a way to reconcile this tradition with their independent yearnings: it is quite normal to see a new chief kneeling before the bloody remains of his deposed predecessor, pledging himself in servitude to the fresh corpse. Guul-Hai From the daily reports of Commander Cirian Danorian, deep reconnaissance mission. Day 34, evening: This is as far from the ship as I want to go. Legends say this is the land of the Guul-Hai. Nobody from Virten has ever seen one. Stories say they move without a sound and can melt into the dark. They are supposed to be Orcs, but some tales say that they were changed by the mages long before the Sundering, and they’re now something else. We have lost good men already, and now people are nervous. So this will be our last search. Even the Kartur-Hhakrall are restless. We’ll try to make contact. Then, we’ll head home. Day 35, morning: Have worked out a search pattern, and today we will start criss-crossing the area looking for tracks or settlements. Day 35, evening: Nothing. No sign of habitation at all. The scouts noted an unusual number of wolf tracks, so we secured our camp perimeter carefully. Day 36, evening: Another fruitless day. Men exhausted from searching, and all scouting parties returned to camp having found no sign of Orcs. Plenty of animal tracks, though, and we ate well on a deer that we felled. Disturbed by the disappearance of a bearer, sent to fetch water from the spring at dusk. Day 37, morning: Scouts searched the spring. Snow fell yesterday, and ground around the spring is muddy, so tracking should have been easy. Our man’s tracks just stopped a few paces from the water. Lots of other tracks in the area, all wolves, but no sign of a struggle, no sign of him being chased, felled or dragged. Someone suggested the Guul-Hai might be riding wolves, but from the paw size and short gait these wolves are too small to ride. Day 37, evening: Another useless day. Long discussion around the campfire, working out a new plan. Someone asked why there are so many wolf tracks, when we haven’t seen wolves. This suggested a new direction. Can’t solve the mystery of where the Guul-Hai are. So we’ll look into mystery of the wolves. Maybe there’s a link. Day 38, morning: Awoken by screaming. Found our missing bearer. His body was hanging from a tree in the middle of camp. He had been stripped, and guts, heart and brain removed. No sign of clothes or innards. Our surgeon says he had been dead for a day. Much shouting at the guards who had been on watch. No idea how someone got past them with a corpse. No tracks on the ground. Guessed someone had climbed the tree to string him up, but no tracks by the tree. Someone suggested that his killers must fly. I dismissed the idea. No rumours of flying creatures here, and Orcs certainly can’t fly. But I have no theory of my own. Day 38, evening: Better day. Two scouting parties found big groups of wolves. The groups were much bigger than normal wolf packs, and they wandered aimlessly. Someone suggested they were more like a flock of sheep than a pack of predators. Day 39, morning: Bad morning. One of our human scouts has vanished, from the middle of the camp. Nobody saw him leave, no tracks, no sign of a struggle. Then I had my first argument with the Kartur-Hhakrall. They’ve been absolutely loyal until now. But they think it’s stupid to keep searching. They look nervous. It isn’t like them to be scared of anything. I asked them if they didn’t want to find fellow Orcs. The Guul-Hai have been separate from our Orc retainers for five centuries. I assumed they’d be curious. They said no. They said the Guul-Hai are unnatural, tainted. They said that a good leader would turn back. I understand what that means. I told them we’d search for one more day, and then I’d decide what to do. Day 39, evening: Spent the day looking for and watching wolf packs, or herds. This may be a good line of enquiry. One scout reports seeing an Orc moving amongst a group of wolves, though later investigation showed only wolf tracks there, no Orc tracks. Another scout found a cooking pit, buried to conceal it. I asked him how he found it and he said he just searched in an area where there were no tracks. Another scout found a cooking pit, buried to conceal it. I asked him how he found it and he said he just searched in an area where there were no tracks, in the middle of an area with lots of wolf tracks. He estimated that half a dozen people might have eaten from the food cooked there, and suggested that we search for similar trackless areas amidst areas with lots of wolf activity. It is a good suggestion, but I am starting to agree with the Kartur-Hhakrall, that we should not be here. Day 40, morning: Our missing scout was found by the camp fire, where he had been sleeping. As before, clothes, heart, guts and brain were missing, and our surgeon says he has been dead for a day. I have given the order to strike camp and head back. Day 40, evening: Two hundred paces from camp a Kartur-Hhakrall scout smelled something, so went to look. He came back with gnawed animal bones. He said the tooth marks showed that Orcs had been eating them, last night. There were other bones, from previous nights. The place where they were had a clear view down into our camp site. We had spent five days failing to find the the Guul-Hai, and they had been watching us all along. We marched more swiftly after that, and covered a good distance, glad to be leaving these lands. Eshtuk [Guul-Hai] Eshtuk, travellers report, is a ghost town. There are a few empty huts, a collapsed warehouse, an over-grown market square. There is nothing here... though travellers who try to stay the night often go missing, and a traders' rumour tells that the town is inhabited by some monstrous beast, which devours the unwary. Some canny traders smile at these stories. The deserted village, they say, is just a decoy. Eshtuk itself is not where, nor what, one expects. Ijek [Guul-Hai] Animal paths circle about a dense expanse of woodland, and Ijek is said to be in the middle of that. Occasionally travellers, skirting the area, glimpse what might be the tops of wooden towers, poking out from the trees deep within this thicket. But there is no visible way through the brambles and thorns into the dark wood. It is said that only the elusive Gull-Hai know how to get in to Ijek, and they themselves are rarely seen, let alone spoken with. Kartur-Hhakral From the Teachings of Urgrukt the Blind, first High Priest of the Kartur-Hhakrall. Pilgrim asked: “What is best for Orcs? We do what we want? We kill? We hunt? What?” Urgrukut answered: “Here, you ask me, because I am wiser. In war, the warrior asks the champion, because champion is stronger. In the forge, the young maker asks the master maker. In all things, ask the better, and they will teach. In great issues, ask the greatest. Ask the Always-Chiefs, who are elders to all, who are stronger than all, who are wiser than all, who came before all.” Pilgrim asked: “The Always-Chiefs. What do they want?” Urgrukut answered: “All Orcs, in all lands, know the stories of the First Age. There were four champions. The greatest was called Orc. He founded our race. He asked the Always-Chiefs what he should do. They said he should fight to make slaves of all the lands.” Pilgrim asked: “So we should fight? Or we should make slaves? Which is greater?” Urgrukut answered: “All Orcs know that it is good to fight. It is in our blood. We are born knowing it. Great Orcs learn that it is good to make slaves. When a champion first sees slaves bow before him, slaves he has won in blood, then he learns, in his heart, that this is the greatest thing, greater than killing, greater than fighting. So to win slaves is greater, but cannot be without fighting. Many Orcs have learned this. But it is not the greatest thing.” Pilgrim asked: “So what is the greatest thing?” Urgrukut asked: “To get his answer, what did Orc do?” Pilgrim answered: “He asked the Always-Chiefs. He asked those greater.” Urgrukt said: “He could have no answers without asking those greater. He had no-one to fight for, without serving those greater. It is easy to know that we must fight. It is easy to learn that we should have slaves. Many Orcs understand that. But when Orcs understand no more, when they forget that they must serve, then all Illyria pays the price.” Pilgrim asked: “So who should we serve? The Always-Chiefs?” Urgrukut answered: “In your heart, always serve the Always-Chiefs. But the Always-Chiefs have left Illyria. So you must find a mortal master.” Pilgrim asked: “The priests serve the Always-Chiefs, and hold the secrets of the Always-Chiefs. So should I serve the priests?” Urgrukut answered: “The priests are just Orcs, like you. Wiser, but not your lords. Do not trust a priest who wants to be your lord. Trust a priest who would be a priest, and find a lord who is the greatest lord.” Pilgrim asked: “Who, then, should I serve? Who is the greatest lord?” Urgrukut answered: “Orcs are the greatest warriors. But we are not good at the things a great lord must do. It is in our blood to fight and make slaves. Great lords must build, and maintain.” Pilgrim asked: “In the Second Age, Orc warriors fought for the Order of the Silver Light. I should find lords like the Order?” Urgrukut answered: “The wizards of the Silver Light were not great lords. They tried to make slaves, but they were not Orcs, so they were bad at it. When their slaves rebelled, they did what no Orc should do, they destroyed all that they had, wasted all that they had, killed their servants and slaves as well as their enemies. These are not things that a great lord would do. Only serve the greatest lords.” Pilgrim asked: “So who, then, should I serve?” Urgrukut answered: “You should serve the New King, raised up by the humans. Of course the humans are weaker, descended from weaker fathers, and birthing weaker children, and so are not as great in war as you. But they are better at the things that a ruler needs to do. They can build, and they can maintain. So, you should be the greatest warrior. But you should serve the greatest lord.” Pilgrim thought long, and then asked: “What if the New King of the humans is a bad lord? What if he is stupid and destroys those who serve him, like the Silver Light?” Urgrukut smiled: “Be sure that the New King knows that you are the mightiest, that he fears you and admires you. Be sure that he knows you are loyal. But be sure he knows you will destroy him if he is not the best that he can be. Then he will make sure he is the best ruler that he can be! This is what it is to be an Orc. Be the greatest warrior. Win many victories. Make many slaves. And through your strength, be sure that the lord of the lands is the best lord for the lands!” Nderurk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] The commanders of Nderurk boast of the exploits of their warriors on Arctic Warfare Training. Orcs see through the euphemism, understanding that Training missions are just excuses to travel to The Long White and kill things - to hunt animals, to skirmish with the Free Orcs... but to satisfy the human rulers of Virten they persist with the pretence that such forays are purely educational. Besnurk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Besnurk was founded four hundred years ago, after the battle that crushed the Strendur Rebellion. Built on the battle site, the stronghold proudly displayed the skull of the rebel leader in the main square, and the stronghold came to be the site where the Kartur's greatest battle trophies are displayed. These are still on view to visitors, though the orcs are embarrassed that there are have been few recent additions. Trimek Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Trimek Barracks is the main training centre for the Kartur, and all new recruits come here for three years before their first real posting. The streets throng with eager students of violence, and their youthful bloodlust gives the town an energy that can be inspiring, or terrifying, or sickening, depending on the visitor's perspective. Fytorj Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Fytorj Barracks is the official residence of the High Commander of the Kartur-Hhakral, but there is nothing here to show that the stronghold has any particular significance. Beautifying the site or glorifying the High Commander, would have no military value, and so visitors will find the barracks to be just as sturdy, ugly, dour and uncultured as any other Kartur stronghold. Zgudun Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Many of the Kartur's finest weapon-masters have made their home in this mountain retreat, and young warriors often seek permission to travel here, to seek out these masters, to hone their skills under their elders' tutelage. Focused on study and training, Zgudun is unusually quiet for an orc stronghold. Syguf Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Syguj Barracks is the most hated posting for Virten's orcish defenders. There is nothing for miles but quiet farmlands and pretty woodlands. Nothing to fight, no threats, no glory. But it was the first Barracks to be established, five hundred years ago, and its defences are impregnable, so the commanders have no intention of abandoning it. Famak Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Neighboured by human and elven strongholds, Famak Baracks is the most cosmopolitan of the Kartur bases. The orcs have even taken to playing up to their varied visitors, and have opened up their drills as public displays where outsiders can watch their formation exercises and demonstrations of individual weapon skills. Gjuntak Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] The Kartur's wisest warriors recommend Gruntak Barracks as a posting. The rugged scenery inspires the orcish heart, and the quiet location makes it perfect for focused training. But within marching distance there are cultists to hunt in the north and undead to slay in Silbeaur, and so Kartur warbands fan out daily across the lands, looking for a taste of blood. Detyrk Barracks [Kartur-Hhakral] Many expect that if Virten were ever invaded, attack would come from the Orken Coast, not from The Long White, and so young warriors are keen to be stationed here, in the hopes that a war will come and that they will then be in the vanguard of the fighting. But an invasion has never materialised, and early eagerness can turn to frustration. Edited by Fiona - 15 Apr 2015 at 18:23

Endrok Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Wordsmith Joined: 12 May 2012 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 104	Post Options Post Reply Quote Endrok Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 Apr 2015 at 16:13
	Nice and it highlights something the Devs seem to have got wrong The description for Torkurz is the same as Grisj-hhuragk " Torkurz has grown up on the site of an old orc slave market. Even using the Torkurz name.