Orokaar

Orokaar – Orc Nation

The Orokaar are a proud and ancient people of green skin, tusks, and deep connection to the living forests. Though they know the secrets of metal-forging, most Orokaar cling to their stonecraft, bonework, and woodlore, as these tools are believed to carry the blessings of the spirits. Their druids and clerics stand at the center of tribal life, while practitioners of arcane magic such as wizards and sorcerers are distrusted, and warlocks are branded as dangerous heretics.
Nine great tribes form the Orokaar Nation, bound together in tradition, yet divided in ambition.

• Zorfu
• Durzum
• Gunag
• Zaghig
• Urulg
• Bazur
• Auhgan
• Bugrash
• Verthurg

The Shattered Tribes

Zorfu Tribe – Once infamous for their night hunts and mastery of obsidian weapons, the Zorfu scattered after the Great Fire. Their last great chieftain, Grothu Black-Talon, died defending a sacred grove. A handful of druids led by Shaman Urvak Moss-Whisper still wander, preserving their lore. The Zorfu warrior society, the Ashfang Brotherhood, now survives only in small mercenary bands.

Durzum Tribe – Fierce riverfolk who worshipped the rapids and fished the broad currents, the Durzum were broken during the Gnoll Rampage. The surviving warriors call themselves the Stone Current Kin, keeping their traditions alive in exile. Chief Ulmorr Grayfin died leading a desperate escape across the Tahquamenon River; his daughter Kora Wave-Born campaigns to gather the scattered remnants. Their spiritual voice is Shaman Tharun Reedbinder, who hears omens in the songs of river birds.

Gunag Tribe – Known for their mighty tree-fortresses and earthworks, the Gunag now live displaced. Their strongest leader, Chief Mazruk One-Eye, survived the destruction but has sworn a blood-oath against the gnolls and any who ally with them. Gunag druids, led by Verrun Thorn-Singer, watch over the ruins. Their former warrior society, the Burning Root Lodge, is now dispersed, some seeking vengeance, others peace.

The Border Tribes

Zaghig Tribe – Hidden beneath dripping canopy and veils of mist, the Zaghig thrive in the tangled river-vales and basalt clefts of the northern rainforest. Their longhouses rise on stilts above the damp earth, clustered around sacred groves where cedar and hemlock tower like watchful guardians.
Led by Chief Darrukh Iron-Hoof, the Zaghig are cautious but aggressive when provoked, experts at cutting supply lines, choking canyon passes, and vanishing into green shadow. Druidess Khalra Star-Bough whispers that the spirits of raven and owl favor patience and unity, though her warnings often temper but do not halt Darrukh’s ambition.
Their warrior society, the Storm-Boughs, are feared skirmishers who climb into trees and basalt cliffs, descending to strike with spears and stone axes. They paint themselves in bark patterns to blend with the forest and drum upon hollow logs hidden in the canopy, making the forest itself echo with menace.

Urulg Tribe – The Urulg dwell among the black basalt ridges and deep chasms carved by icy rivers. Their villages cling to canyon ledges and cave mouths, where mist rises in ghostly columns from the waters below. Oldest of the border tribes, the Urulg claim stewardship of the canyon-spirits, beings said to dwell in the thunder of waterfalls and echoes of stone.
Their stoic leader, Chief Bolgra Stone-Tusk, enforces strict laws of land and blood. At his side counsels High Shaman Urthak Briar-Chant, who chants to the booming echoes of the canyon walls, interpreting them as voices of the First Ancestors.
Their warrior society, the Earthsplitters, are masters of brutal defense. Armed with colossal stone hammers and basalt-edged axes, they line canyon trails and bridges, striking down intruders before they can even climb out of the river gorges. Few dare to chase them into the winding narrows where every echo hides an ambush.

Bazur Tribe – The Bazur control many of the canyon fords and river crossings, making them both gatekeepers and traders between Orokaar and foreign settlers. Bridge-builders, fishermen, and rivermen, they are constantly in demand yet viewed with suspicion by other tribes for their dealings across the water. Their villages are often built upon broad platforms overlooking river bends, where traders must pass beneath their gaze.
Their shrewd leader, Chief Mornak Red-Hand, balances diplomacy and opportunism, playing both sides to maintain his tribe’s prosperity. The spiritual voice of the tribe is Druidess Valgra Leaf-Speaker, who warns that greed brings ruin but is often overshadowed by Mornak’s ambition.
Their warrior society, the Shadowfangs, serve as both protectors of river trade and raiders along its currents. Adorned in wet-black war paint and armed with bone daggers and hooked spears, they launch sudden canoe raids through the fog, vanishing back into basalt channels as if swallowed by the earth itself.

The Southern Tribes

Auhgan Tribe – Nestled in the upper canopy of the towering ancient trees along the southern reaches of the rainforest, the Auhgan are famed for their treetop villages and intimate communion with the forest spirits. Their settlements are woven into the sprawling branches and hung with woven rope bridges that sway with the wind and rain.
Led by the steady and diplomatic Chief Shora Sky-Tusk, the Auhgan value harmony and balance with nature, often acting as mediators between more aggressive tribes and outsiders. Their visionary shaman, Torvak Owl-Seer, is said to read the dreams whispered by the great owls and interpret the forest’s hidden signs.
Their elite warriors—the Skyfangs—are agile hunters striking from above with stone-tipped javelins and harpoons. Known for their acrobatics and silent movements, they descend from the canopy like swift shadows, making them deadly adversaries in woodland skirmishes.

Bugrash Tribe – The Bugrash dwell in the shadowed foothills where dense forest meets rocky outcrops of basalt. They are noted for their earthy storytelling traditions and fierce warrior culture. Their village fires are places of celebration, lament, and strengthening of tribal bonds.
Chief Urmokk the Boarstalker commands both respect and fear with his immense strength and unmatched prowess in battle. The wise and nurturing Brogra Root-Mother, a revered druid and healer, guides the tribe’s spiritual health and keeps ancient rites of the forest alive.
The Tuskhowlers, their warrior society, fight in berserker fury, often smearing themselves with ash and woad to appear as living spirits of the forest. Their brutal raids and fierce defenses embody the relentless spirit of their wild homeland.

Verthurg Tribe – Guardians of sacred burial grounds carved into basalt cliffs and hidden groves, the somber Verthurg hold ancient knowledge of death and the afterlife. Their villages are scattered around mysterious stone cairns and quietly echo with the chants of ritual.
Under the stern leadership of Chief Vorgrak the Pale, the tribe maintains strict traditions honoring ancestors and the cyclical nature of life and death. Their high druid, Ezkora Bone-Singer, leads intricate ceremonies to commune with spirits and protect the tribe from wandering ghosts.
The Gravehorns, their warrior order, are sworn protectors of their ancestral lands, fighting with mournful songs and solemn oaths. They favor heavy stone weapons carved with ancestral runes and mask their faces during battle to blend with the mist around the canyon.

Unity or Fracture

The Orokaar do not have a single ruler, but many whisper of a coming High War-Chief who could unite the nation. Some follow the dream of conquest, some hope for coexistence, and others struggle to keep to tradition while the world changes around them. Warrior societies clash over honor and vendetta, while druids and shamans dream of omens yet to come. The question lingers in every council fire:
"Shall the Orokaar rise as one, or crumble tribe by tribe into ash and memory?"