Ninjadeadbeard
2012-02-11, 03:24 AM
Following an attempt on this board at putting down my thoughts on Orcs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228220 ), I realized that in reworking one race, I had inadvertently started building a whole setting. In light of this, I thought, “Well why don't I just do that?” So, this is a new setting. PEACH if you could.
Editor's notes: The following is the entire Unabridged version of Aquilus Nemo's seminal History of Mir, Abridged. This contains all the mistakes and omissions from the final Abridged text. According to him, Aquilus composed this draft in the autumn of 4173 Second Era, using a Truescribe mage as dictation. Thus, the unabridged text may seem very informal, even conversational. Truescribes are magically bound to accuracy.
Map
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/sithlord7/ORCFINAL1-1.jpg
Page 1
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/sithlord7/hiftory2modd.jpg
I don't know why I have to do this. It's just more paperwork. I already wrote the damn book, didn't I? Now just because some mouth-breather with a title thought his time was too valuable to be wasted with reading my opus, I have to write, what? An abridged version of my life's work? It's ridiculous, the height of imbecility! I want it on record that I do this under extreme duress. And a heavy purse, yes, thank you Perci.
Now, let's get started, shall we? You have? Since when? Oh. That long? I suppose I'll be editing this later then. No need for the High King to catch wind of this. Already paid for your dictation-spell anyway. Might as well use it.
Mir
The lands of Mir are old lands, lands with the weight of ages upon them. Yet Mir is but a single land at the edge of the world. What lay beyond the Solcean Deserts, or the Easternvale Mountains? What lay beyond the seas? Another land as yet undiscovered? A lost empire? Or would an enterprising sailor merely fall off the edge of the world? Not even the seers can say for certain.
What? Why? Well, because they cannot. I don't know, I never studied – just leave it! Where was I?
Mir is not a single, uniform plain however. It is a land of high mountain ranges, raging rivers and deep forests that split the lands into the realms which we mark upon our maps. Beginning in the North, I shall elucidate on the vast stretches of the Urunic Wastes, the much marred homelands of the Orcs, before moving South and East to Alfandir, the Elven Kingdoms, South again to Thornwood Forest, detouring West to the Empire and the Human race, before ending Southeast with sternest warnings in regards to the Solcean Desert, the Black Highlands, and the Dwarven peoples.
Hmm. A little longwinded, I agree. But let us press on...
Urunic Wastes and the Orcs
The Wastes is a rather misleading name. The term came into usage many millenia ago, prior to the rise of the Lorican Kings. Records of the First Age being as they are (a miserable pile of lies, slander, myths and revisionist pissing contests set down on parchment I wouldn't use on my bum), it has been difficult tracing the origins of this term, but I believe I have a possible theory. In 19,120 FE, Triumvirus Hiergen, an Elf thane of considerable influence was heard to say, “The Northwest could afford the finest examples of natural beauty in the world. Too bad there are Orcs. What a waste”. In the Elven Girreud dialect Triumvirus spoke, this was a witty pun on the words for “beauty” and “waste”. When translated to a human visitor to Triumvirus' court, the term Waste was quickly picked up and carried throughout Human lands, leading to the name.
In truth, the Wastes is a land of gorgeous mountains, lush river valleys, and yes some of the most inhospitable tundra you can imagine. And yet, life thrives in abundance, from the wild Dragons to the wooly Ogres. The Orcs have made it their home, thriving even in its harshest climates.
Orcs are a hardy race, standing between six and seven-and-one-half lengths, and are densely muscular. Their skin is gray, in the same shades as a rain cloud, and their hair is black as night. Their eyes range between black and steel-gray, with a few 'normal' colors appearing sporadically. Orcs possess almost all canine teeth. As I have noted elsewhere (See: A Guide to Orcs Vol II-III) Orcs are closely related to Elves. They possess a similarly angular bone structure and 'swimmer's' build, though Orcs possess a more square jaw, forehead and ears. Not exactly beautiful, but I shouldn't hold them up to Gnome standards. [Editor's notes: Aquilus may not be the most impartial judge of Gnomish beauty.]
They're not particularly well known for elegance or intellectual pursuits, but rather thought of as a noble warrior people for whom honor is paramount. Obviously Orcs are more complicated than that. It's true, places of learning like one may find in Elven lands do not exist for Orcs, but they are not stupid. On the contrary, I have known several in my lifetime, and I would count them among the most intelligent people ever in my company. While they lack structured learning environments, Orcs are quick to grasp new ideas (even if they don't necessarily comprehend some completely), and quicker to implement those that immediately benefit their society.
Notice my choice of words. Orcs tend to value their society a great deal. You may say, “So what? Who doesn't?” You have never understood the idea of 'community' until you've seen what Orcs mean. If one Orc needs something, it is given. If they require clothes, services, goods, anything, it is simply given. Orcs have very little concept of an economy. They realize that other peoples require monetary compensation for such things, but the idea of paying for service between Orcs is utterly alien to them. The bond among Orcs is strong. It is so strong that what we might consider family lines do not exist among them. Who one's parents are is of little import. Deeds, especially deeds that benefit the society are all that matters. If you make an enemy of a Human, you may have a few relatives to deal with. Make an enemy of one Orc, and you are an enemy of Orcdom itself. All Orcs are effectively brothers. Even criminals among Orcs (rare but not unheard of. There's always a bad apple in every good bushel) are treated remarkably well. Exile is the preferred punishment so that no one has to shed Orc blood, and imprisonment is impractical in a semi-nomadic society.
This communal nature is reinforced by a strange social system whereby the Orc males travel in small armies, called Patrols, between the various permanent Settlements, hunting for game and shepherding livestock. Whenever they stop at a Settlement, the worthy males are allowed to breed (Orc settlements are strongly matriarchal). The resulting children are given a choice when they come of age at thirty summers. The females are evaluated by the High Priestess of the Settlement. Magical aptitude may lead one to the priesthood, while hardiness may make her a farmer or guard. The choice is usually theirs. The male Orcs are given but two choices: Join a Patrol, usually the one that is nearest, or Exile. Exile is not so terrible a punishment, and is sometimes celebrated. These Exiles become traveling adventurers and the like. As they get older (usually after a few centuries) these Exiles turn more towards spiritual matters, devoting themselves to a sort of enlightenment. Those who reach this state are said to become beings of fire, gods made flesh. These 'Balrogs', are spoken of in hushed, reverent tones by the Orcs, and fearful wailing by Elves. I spoke to one, briefly. The full transcript of that can be found in 'Balrogs: An Orc's Tale', by myself.
Orcs value martial might. Among themselves warfare is highly ritualized and deaths are both rare and deeply regrettable. But when the Patrols wage war on other races (usually in winter for spoils and kicks) they prove themselves a terrible foe indeed. Orcs typically fight using a shield-wall technique later modified by the Lorican Empire during its rise to power. Orc shields are round and of medium size, however. They fight in loose formations where they are expected to defend the Orc to their side with their shields, and lash out with sword or axe. A select few are trained as Berserkers, wielding two-handed swords and axes. They are used to break the enemy formations, allowing a tiring Orc line to reform. Magic is rarely used offensively in Orc battles. This is partly because Priestesses usually remain in the Settlements (though rogue priestesses called 'witches' are known to travel with some Patrols), but also because most Orc magic is used to strengthen weary warriors and boost their effectiveness in combat. These battlefield clerics stand at the rear ranks, healing those who come back through the rotation.
In talking about Orcs, one must or course speak about Goblins. Goblins are one of the two major off-branches of the Gnomes, the second being Gremlins (or Halflings as they are known in the Empire). Goblins differ from Gnomes in that they typically do not have beards nor the traditional tattoos common to our people. Their ears, interestingly, are pointed like the Elves, and much scholarly debate has risen about that. Goblins do put on a sort of war paint in place of Gnome tattoos. The colors range from blue in the Western Marshes between the western coast and the Silvada mountains, and green to the East of them. They apply their paint for a variety of occasions, from coming of age, to childbirth, to war, to business transactions.
Goblins serve the Orcs in much the same way we Gnomes owe service to the Elves, or the Gremlins do the Humans. If you're not a big person in this world, the saying goes, be indispensable to one. Goblins usually serve as traders and craftsmen. Their hands are dextrous enough for tailor-work or smithing, and their minds likewise for coinage and value. A good trader never works against a Goblin. Goblins do not share in many of the practices of Orc culture as they are not expected to be Orcs. However, many Orc tendancies have rubbed off on them over the centuries, including the idea that Goblins shouldn't charge one another for services. It's everyone else they can scam.
In war, Goblins act as Auxillia units, defending the Orcs' flanks from attack and letting them do most of the fighting.
Alfandir and the Elves
Alfandir is a wide heath, known for both large freshwater seas and the Everwinter Forest. There is old magic there, old magic that lives in the trees and lakes and streams. An Elf, or a Gnome, could lose themselves in its vast wonder. It is far flatter than the Wastes, and far safer. Though the occasional dragon attacks occur, few of the other monsters of the Silvada Mountains hunt so far east.
The Elves have made their homes besides the Alva, Volskein, and Eldra Seas for millenia, stretching their power far to the North and deep into Everwinter Forest, though less and less do they venture south to Thornwood. Elves are marked by their highly angular features and pointed ears and chins. They stand roughly the same height as Man, and their skin and hair come in the same shades.
Elves live in feudal kingdoms to the northeast. Society is held together essentially by the honor system, and I use both meanings. The Elves at the top look out for the one at the bottom (supposedly) while the Elves with little or nothing serve their betters. Of course, there's little recourse for the lesser Elves if the higher ranking ones decide to renege. Elven society is a combination of these feudal loyalties and family bonds that nearly extend to tribalism. The various Clans this system forms provide most of the Elves' source of civil wars. Lords gather their finest warriors, and they gather men willing to fight by them, and they go around and gather up whatever peasants couldn't fake a good enough cough.
I should address the more outlandish untruths about Elves before we continue. Elves do not grow beards. This is not to say they cannot, merely that they choose not. Elves in all but the most Northerly climes think of beards as a “barbarian's scarf”, a way to tell the savages from the rest of civilized society.
Never bother to notice the Gnomes' beards, do they?
As I said, the most Northerly Elves, those who reign in Frostheim and Everyule, have them primarily for warmth in winter, or so the common excuse goes.
Elves are not immortal. I can understand why Humans think that. An Elf could live through a dozen generations of a single Human family line and know them all. In reality, Elves live roughly a thousand years, give or take. Orcs tend to live the same length as well, with Gnomes, Goblins and Gremlins outliving Humans at 150 years average. If you want to know how to tell an Elf's age, check his ears. Their ears grow longer as they age. A stripling of three-hundred winters will have a slight length to his ear-points, but at a thousand an Elf's ears could be nearly half a length long [Editor: A Gnomic Length is roughly one Imperial foot]!
Elves are about as good with a bow as everyone else. Why most people think Elves are born with a bow in one hand I'll never understand. While their skills aren't supernatural or anything to that extent, Elves do take archery very seriously. Peasants are required to practice every week in most kingdoms, as well as provide their own yew bows for war (hence the name of their occupation, Yeomen). Noble Elves also sometime use Archery for meditation.
Now, most humans assume that Elves are magic by their very nature. In fact, they're right. But just because they all have magic doesn't mean they can all use magic. Most Elves don't pursue magic for the very reason that it comes to them so easily. Seems counter intuitive, doesn't it Perci? To them, it's just a hobby. And anyway, that's why we Gnomes are needed.
Gnomes stand outside the usual Elf Hierarchy. Elves tend to think of life as...
Oh? How much parchment is left? Well. Damn. I guess we'll have to pick this up later. Let's lunch.
Editor's notes: The following is the entire Unabridged version of Aquilus Nemo's seminal History of Mir, Abridged. This contains all the mistakes and omissions from the final Abridged text. According to him, Aquilus composed this draft in the autumn of 4173 Second Era, using a Truescribe mage as dictation. Thus, the unabridged text may seem very informal, even conversational. Truescribes are magically bound to accuracy.
Map
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/sithlord7/ORCFINAL1-1.jpg
Page 1
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/sithlord7/hiftory2modd.jpg
I don't know why I have to do this. It's just more paperwork. I already wrote the damn book, didn't I? Now just because some mouth-breather with a title thought his time was too valuable to be wasted with reading my opus, I have to write, what? An abridged version of my life's work? It's ridiculous, the height of imbecility! I want it on record that I do this under extreme duress. And a heavy purse, yes, thank you Perci.
Now, let's get started, shall we? You have? Since when? Oh. That long? I suppose I'll be editing this later then. No need for the High King to catch wind of this. Already paid for your dictation-spell anyway. Might as well use it.
Mir
The lands of Mir are old lands, lands with the weight of ages upon them. Yet Mir is but a single land at the edge of the world. What lay beyond the Solcean Deserts, or the Easternvale Mountains? What lay beyond the seas? Another land as yet undiscovered? A lost empire? Or would an enterprising sailor merely fall off the edge of the world? Not even the seers can say for certain.
What? Why? Well, because they cannot. I don't know, I never studied – just leave it! Where was I?
Mir is not a single, uniform plain however. It is a land of high mountain ranges, raging rivers and deep forests that split the lands into the realms which we mark upon our maps. Beginning in the North, I shall elucidate on the vast stretches of the Urunic Wastes, the much marred homelands of the Orcs, before moving South and East to Alfandir, the Elven Kingdoms, South again to Thornwood Forest, detouring West to the Empire and the Human race, before ending Southeast with sternest warnings in regards to the Solcean Desert, the Black Highlands, and the Dwarven peoples.
Hmm. A little longwinded, I agree. But let us press on...
Urunic Wastes and the Orcs
The Wastes is a rather misleading name. The term came into usage many millenia ago, prior to the rise of the Lorican Kings. Records of the First Age being as they are (a miserable pile of lies, slander, myths and revisionist pissing contests set down on parchment I wouldn't use on my bum), it has been difficult tracing the origins of this term, but I believe I have a possible theory. In 19,120 FE, Triumvirus Hiergen, an Elf thane of considerable influence was heard to say, “The Northwest could afford the finest examples of natural beauty in the world. Too bad there are Orcs. What a waste”. In the Elven Girreud dialect Triumvirus spoke, this was a witty pun on the words for “beauty” and “waste”. When translated to a human visitor to Triumvirus' court, the term Waste was quickly picked up and carried throughout Human lands, leading to the name.
In truth, the Wastes is a land of gorgeous mountains, lush river valleys, and yes some of the most inhospitable tundra you can imagine. And yet, life thrives in abundance, from the wild Dragons to the wooly Ogres. The Orcs have made it their home, thriving even in its harshest climates.
Orcs are a hardy race, standing between six and seven-and-one-half lengths, and are densely muscular. Their skin is gray, in the same shades as a rain cloud, and their hair is black as night. Their eyes range between black and steel-gray, with a few 'normal' colors appearing sporadically. Orcs possess almost all canine teeth. As I have noted elsewhere (See: A Guide to Orcs Vol II-III) Orcs are closely related to Elves. They possess a similarly angular bone structure and 'swimmer's' build, though Orcs possess a more square jaw, forehead and ears. Not exactly beautiful, but I shouldn't hold them up to Gnome standards. [Editor's notes: Aquilus may not be the most impartial judge of Gnomish beauty.]
They're not particularly well known for elegance or intellectual pursuits, but rather thought of as a noble warrior people for whom honor is paramount. Obviously Orcs are more complicated than that. It's true, places of learning like one may find in Elven lands do not exist for Orcs, but they are not stupid. On the contrary, I have known several in my lifetime, and I would count them among the most intelligent people ever in my company. While they lack structured learning environments, Orcs are quick to grasp new ideas (even if they don't necessarily comprehend some completely), and quicker to implement those that immediately benefit their society.
Notice my choice of words. Orcs tend to value their society a great deal. You may say, “So what? Who doesn't?” You have never understood the idea of 'community' until you've seen what Orcs mean. If one Orc needs something, it is given. If they require clothes, services, goods, anything, it is simply given. Orcs have very little concept of an economy. They realize that other peoples require monetary compensation for such things, but the idea of paying for service between Orcs is utterly alien to them. The bond among Orcs is strong. It is so strong that what we might consider family lines do not exist among them. Who one's parents are is of little import. Deeds, especially deeds that benefit the society are all that matters. If you make an enemy of a Human, you may have a few relatives to deal with. Make an enemy of one Orc, and you are an enemy of Orcdom itself. All Orcs are effectively brothers. Even criminals among Orcs (rare but not unheard of. There's always a bad apple in every good bushel) are treated remarkably well. Exile is the preferred punishment so that no one has to shed Orc blood, and imprisonment is impractical in a semi-nomadic society.
This communal nature is reinforced by a strange social system whereby the Orc males travel in small armies, called Patrols, between the various permanent Settlements, hunting for game and shepherding livestock. Whenever they stop at a Settlement, the worthy males are allowed to breed (Orc settlements are strongly matriarchal). The resulting children are given a choice when they come of age at thirty summers. The females are evaluated by the High Priestess of the Settlement. Magical aptitude may lead one to the priesthood, while hardiness may make her a farmer or guard. The choice is usually theirs. The male Orcs are given but two choices: Join a Patrol, usually the one that is nearest, or Exile. Exile is not so terrible a punishment, and is sometimes celebrated. These Exiles become traveling adventurers and the like. As they get older (usually after a few centuries) these Exiles turn more towards spiritual matters, devoting themselves to a sort of enlightenment. Those who reach this state are said to become beings of fire, gods made flesh. These 'Balrogs', are spoken of in hushed, reverent tones by the Orcs, and fearful wailing by Elves. I spoke to one, briefly. The full transcript of that can be found in 'Balrogs: An Orc's Tale', by myself.
Orcs value martial might. Among themselves warfare is highly ritualized and deaths are both rare and deeply regrettable. But when the Patrols wage war on other races (usually in winter for spoils and kicks) they prove themselves a terrible foe indeed. Orcs typically fight using a shield-wall technique later modified by the Lorican Empire during its rise to power. Orc shields are round and of medium size, however. They fight in loose formations where they are expected to defend the Orc to their side with their shields, and lash out with sword or axe. A select few are trained as Berserkers, wielding two-handed swords and axes. They are used to break the enemy formations, allowing a tiring Orc line to reform. Magic is rarely used offensively in Orc battles. This is partly because Priestesses usually remain in the Settlements (though rogue priestesses called 'witches' are known to travel with some Patrols), but also because most Orc magic is used to strengthen weary warriors and boost their effectiveness in combat. These battlefield clerics stand at the rear ranks, healing those who come back through the rotation.
In talking about Orcs, one must or course speak about Goblins. Goblins are one of the two major off-branches of the Gnomes, the second being Gremlins (or Halflings as they are known in the Empire). Goblins differ from Gnomes in that they typically do not have beards nor the traditional tattoos common to our people. Their ears, interestingly, are pointed like the Elves, and much scholarly debate has risen about that. Goblins do put on a sort of war paint in place of Gnome tattoos. The colors range from blue in the Western Marshes between the western coast and the Silvada mountains, and green to the East of them. They apply their paint for a variety of occasions, from coming of age, to childbirth, to war, to business transactions.
Goblins serve the Orcs in much the same way we Gnomes owe service to the Elves, or the Gremlins do the Humans. If you're not a big person in this world, the saying goes, be indispensable to one. Goblins usually serve as traders and craftsmen. Their hands are dextrous enough for tailor-work or smithing, and their minds likewise for coinage and value. A good trader never works against a Goblin. Goblins do not share in many of the practices of Orc culture as they are not expected to be Orcs. However, many Orc tendancies have rubbed off on them over the centuries, including the idea that Goblins shouldn't charge one another for services. It's everyone else they can scam.
In war, Goblins act as Auxillia units, defending the Orcs' flanks from attack and letting them do most of the fighting.
Alfandir and the Elves
Alfandir is a wide heath, known for both large freshwater seas and the Everwinter Forest. There is old magic there, old magic that lives in the trees and lakes and streams. An Elf, or a Gnome, could lose themselves in its vast wonder. It is far flatter than the Wastes, and far safer. Though the occasional dragon attacks occur, few of the other monsters of the Silvada Mountains hunt so far east.
The Elves have made their homes besides the Alva, Volskein, and Eldra Seas for millenia, stretching their power far to the North and deep into Everwinter Forest, though less and less do they venture south to Thornwood. Elves are marked by their highly angular features and pointed ears and chins. They stand roughly the same height as Man, and their skin and hair come in the same shades.
Elves live in feudal kingdoms to the northeast. Society is held together essentially by the honor system, and I use both meanings. The Elves at the top look out for the one at the bottom (supposedly) while the Elves with little or nothing serve their betters. Of course, there's little recourse for the lesser Elves if the higher ranking ones decide to renege. Elven society is a combination of these feudal loyalties and family bonds that nearly extend to tribalism. The various Clans this system forms provide most of the Elves' source of civil wars. Lords gather their finest warriors, and they gather men willing to fight by them, and they go around and gather up whatever peasants couldn't fake a good enough cough.
I should address the more outlandish untruths about Elves before we continue. Elves do not grow beards. This is not to say they cannot, merely that they choose not. Elves in all but the most Northerly climes think of beards as a “barbarian's scarf”, a way to tell the savages from the rest of civilized society.
Never bother to notice the Gnomes' beards, do they?
As I said, the most Northerly Elves, those who reign in Frostheim and Everyule, have them primarily for warmth in winter, or so the common excuse goes.
Elves are not immortal. I can understand why Humans think that. An Elf could live through a dozen generations of a single Human family line and know them all. In reality, Elves live roughly a thousand years, give or take. Orcs tend to live the same length as well, with Gnomes, Goblins and Gremlins outliving Humans at 150 years average. If you want to know how to tell an Elf's age, check his ears. Their ears grow longer as they age. A stripling of three-hundred winters will have a slight length to his ear-points, but at a thousand an Elf's ears could be nearly half a length long [Editor: A Gnomic Length is roughly one Imperial foot]!
Elves are about as good with a bow as everyone else. Why most people think Elves are born with a bow in one hand I'll never understand. While their skills aren't supernatural or anything to that extent, Elves do take archery very seriously. Peasants are required to practice every week in most kingdoms, as well as provide their own yew bows for war (hence the name of their occupation, Yeomen). Noble Elves also sometime use Archery for meditation.
Now, most humans assume that Elves are magic by their very nature. In fact, they're right. But just because they all have magic doesn't mean they can all use magic. Most Elves don't pursue magic for the very reason that it comes to them so easily. Seems counter intuitive, doesn't it Perci? To them, it's just a hobby. And anyway, that's why we Gnomes are needed.
Gnomes stand outside the usual Elf Hierarchy. Elves tend to think of life as...
Oh? How much parchment is left? Well. Damn. I guess we'll have to pick this up later. Let's lunch.