Tag: orcs

#Lore24 – Entry #164 – Wild West Month #12 – Followers of the Sister Goddess Lashana

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

It is told that during the Great Uproar, when the spirits of the world were still angry after they freed themselves and us from the Devil-Wardens, that chaos was everywhere.  Our ancestors who survived this chaos say that during the early days, when the land was still not settled, there were those who sought ways to bring order to the chaos who were not of the Kerra-Kerra.  These were the followers of the Sister Goddess Lashana, so called because she is as a sister to the Great Mother Saressh.

Great Sister Lashana called her people to the far eastern shores, beyond the Great Walls that would stand through the Uproar, and it is there they would gather the survivors who were agreeable to their faith to work together to survive.  To Great Sister Lashana, there must be order, and to have order, there must be laws, and so it is that those who are most faithful to her, the Justicars, try to spread law to the lawless and hunt down those who would break it. 

We rarely see the Justicars in our lands, though as more moons pass, their numbers have grown more common.  With the coming of the Howling Steel Chariots, those who the Justicars seek have spread to our lands, and so too have the Justicars who hunt them.  The Kerra-Kerra people handle those who wrong us in our own ways, though some tribes have taken to capturing the chaos-bringers and turning them over to the Justicars.

For now, we see the Justicars and those who follow the Great Sister Lashana as allies, though in recent times, some have disagreed with the ways of our people, and some no longer recognize that our goddesses are as sisters.  Siblings do squabble at times, so perhaps it is to be that our peoples too will squabble, though we hold no special hatred for them.  In the Lands Beyond the Great Walls, their laws are supreme, and here, we live free.  Freedom is as chaos to some, and so there will always be disagreement.

#Lore24 – Entry #163 – Wild West Month #11 – The Goblin People of the Far Southern Lands Beyond the Peaks that Never Rest

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

While the Orc Peoples of the north are strong and mighty warriors, there is perhaps a greater danger which lies to the far south, beyond the Peaks that Never Rest.  Long have our people told of the Night Goblin People of the Lands Beyond the Peaks that Never Rest, for it is said they are born of the Devil-Wardens’ foul sorcery.  The lost Mountain Bear tribe of Kerra-Kerra, who once roamed the lands around the Peaks that Never Rest, are said to have been taken by these goblins, though we know not what came of them, for any who venture beyond the Peaks never return.

Though none living amongst our people has seen these goblins, it is said by our ancestors that they are possessed by the spirits of the Devil-Wardens, skin the color of night and with eyes that blaze with terrible fire that can see better at night than even those of our tribe.  Using the secret ways of the Devil-Wardens, they travel unseen, unheard in the dead of night, leaving nothing behind in their wake save what they cannot carry, like some terrible dark spirit collecting souls, not a body left behind, and no blood to be found.  If they take them alive, what do they do with them?  Perhaps foul sorcery of their own, perhaps as food or slaves? 

For many moons, the Goblins of the Dark have been kept away by the Peaks that Never Rest, for travel through them is dangerous because of the constant unease of the powerful earth spirits that dwell within them.  In recent times, those from Beyond the Great Walls have placed settlements nearby, and have pushed further and further to the south, going deep into the Peaks that Never Rest in spite of the dangers.  I cannot know for certain if they even are aware of the goblins that lie beyond, but I fear it is only a matter of time before they learn of them; those from Beyond the Great Walls rarely seek wisdom from our people.

#Lore24 – Entry #162 – Wild West Month #10 – The Orc People of the Great Frigid North

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

To the north of the Plains Which Stretch Forever, where trees grow taller and taller, and the winters are harsher than even the worst we have experienced here, where some places are covered in snow and ice throughout the year, this is the region which the tribes of the Orc People have claimed as their domain.  There is much bounty to be had amongst the Frigid Tall Trees, but the dangers there are even greater than the middle regions of the Bitter Frontier that we inhabit.

The Orc People are a strong and powerful people, building strong homes of wood and stone found amongst the rugged and cold forests, and have opened some small parts of their lands to outsiders, in the form of walled cities used for trade and for expeditions into the wilderness, for the outsiders to look for the stones and Black Blood of the Land that they deem so valuable.  However, many of the Orc People have grown mistrustful of outsiders, keeping them out of their sacred territory with axe and bow and Thundering Weapons, leaving behind the mangled corpses of the foolish as warnings to others.  There is said to be a great Orc chief who gathers their tribes together, seeking to drive the outsiders from their lands, perhaps even to take over new lands.

In recent times, the Orc Peoples have begun to travel further south, into the Plains Which Stretch Forever and beyond, for trade and for hunting, but some have taken to attacking the Howling Steel Chariots used by the peoples from the Cities Beyond the Great Walls, for there is much wealth to be taken.  It is these bands of the Orc People that have joined with bands of the Red Fang tribe that have caused much strife for the tribes of the Kerra-Kerra, the Horse Peoples, and for those from Beyond the Great Walls who live within the Bitter Frontier. 

#Lore24 – Entry #161 – Wild West Month #9 – The Horse People of the Plains Which Stretch Forever

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Though they are called the Plains Which Stretch Forever, these lands are bordered in the east by the mighty River Before the Great Walls, and in the west by the Peaks Reaching to the Sky, and only take many weeks of travel to cross.  These lands are pleasant, yet as part of the Bitter Frontier, they hold their own dangers.  Powerful winds and storms frequently rage across them, and the Expanse of Calm Grasses that Kill have claimed many of the unwary.

Upon the Plains Which Stretch Forever roam the mighty Horse People, Equinari as they call themselves, for they of such size need the vastness of such a place to flourish.  It is here that their tribes roam free and trade with the Kerra-Kerra of the Sprinting Horse and Sly Fox tribes, working with our cousins to hunt the mighty herds of antelope and bison that travel the plains.  Their tribes rarely travel beyond the plains, though the borders of these lands, as with most of the Bitter Frontier, can change at the whim of the Great Spirits.

The Horse People are usually peaceful with our kind, though they often must fight with the Northern Orcs and the Travelers from the Cities Beyond the Great Walls who try to steal their ancestral lands or threaten their hunting.  One would be wise to reconsider any anger towards one of the Horse People, for they stand half again as tall as most others, and are built powerfully, like the plains bison.  Tales are many of those who have angered one of the Horse People who have been crushed beneath their mighty hooves or thrown as easily as if they were one of our spears.  Their shamans are powerful and friendly with the many spirits of the Plains Which Stretch Forever, and can call upon them to drive off those who would dare cross them if the offense is great enough.

For now, the Horse People tolerate the People from Beyond the Great Walls and their Bands of Wood and Steel that carry their Howling Steel Chariots to the far west, and have granted them passage through certain areas of the Plains, but I fear that soon there could be conflict, for they seek ever to expand and stretch the range that their Bands of Wood and Steel cover, and the Northern Orc tribes have taken to attacking these Chariots, for those aboard often carry much of great value.

The spirits and the visions of the Great Mother tell us to be wary, for such troubles will fall upon us sooner rather than later.

#Lore24 – Entry #76 – Fantasy Month #16 – Greatmother Magda

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I’ll admit that I’m not as well-versed in the particulars of the orcish Badaxe clan as I should be, but they are a rather secretive lot, and very closely tied to the Emperor in significant ways, making up the bulk of his elite honor guard, in fact.  Gray Tiger has spoken highly of his people, and has shared many stories of them, but the inner workings of the orcs are still very much mysterious.  Yet, in spite of my lack of knowledge of the clan on a more nuanced level, I am familiar with the name Greatmother Magda. 

Magda is the eldest of the Badaxe clan’s shamans, ancient even by humanity’s standards, let alone the generally shorter lifespans of the orcs.  Though I haven’t seen or met her myself, she is reportedly frail and very much crone-like, but still regarded as tough as the stone of the mountainous clan-home itself and shows no sign of slowing down even with her advanced age.  She is always accompanied by her loyal guards, and rumored husbands, Scrumpy and Wurzel, who likewise are ancient, and are often seen to be guarding the gates to the clan-home.  Gray Tiger has mentioned many times when he had witnessed them covered in frost on the mornings following their vigils, yet they can still fight better than most warriors a quarter of their age. 

Magda herself, as a shaman, is in close contact with the spirits and in tune with the natural world like few others but is further renowned for her talents of farseeing and prophecy.  Many have sought entry into the clan-home to seek her wisdom, though few have been successful as the orcs tend to charge a hefty price set by Magda herself in return for her services (though at least a few accounts exist in the records of individuals who she has allowed to see her for as little as a few copper pieces or a seemingly worthless bauble).  She has frequently been spotted within Draconis Magna at the Imperial palace accompanied by her guardians and members of the elite orcish Black Guard, and the Emperor has long relied upon her guidance.  Though I could not pull any specifics from Gray Tiger, he has at least confirmed that Magda is well-versed in crafting curses as well and will not hesitate to lay one upon any who would offend her or her people. 

The current clan-chief, Mantok Badaxe, likewise holds her wisdom in high regard, as is proper for a wise orcish leader, I’m told by Gray Tiger.  Heeding her advice has led to further gains by the clan outside of their ties to the Emperor, and led to newly established settlements for the Badaxe orcs around the Empire, and, as slow as it is, greater acceptance in general society by humanity and, however begrudgingly, the elves and dwarves. 

I cannot, however, get confirmation from Gray Tiger on the nature of the rumored dour prophecies given by Magda in recent years.  These have been kept very well under wraps by the Emperor, and may in fact have world-shaking implications, though whether these are kept hidden to ease the potential for panic in the populace or in an attempt to circumvent them, I can’t honestly say.  Perhaps one day soon I will have an opportunity to meet Magda myself; she has visited the Great Library on a few occasions, though before my time, so there is always a chance.  Though I would certainly value the chance to meet her, I cannot help but be afraid of what I may learn of my own fate, should she deem me worthy of sharing such knowledge.