Hoarfrost Orc

Hailing from on the icy peaks of mount Trenboral, the Hoarfrost Orcs thrive in the cold instead of being inhibited by it. They are descendants of the brave few Orcs who set out for the surface; one regiment overshot the distance thanks to a miscalculation of their navigator, and ended up on the peak of the mountain instead of at its foot. These ancestors set up camp, and managed to not only survive against all odds, but also founded their first settlement there. These original settlers named it 'Hoarfrost', a name that the descendants of these Orcs proudly carry to this day.

 

The Scourge of Tyrants

The Hoarfrost Orcs are quite different from their underground cousins, placing more importance on raids as a means of gathering resources for their tribe's settlement. They tend to call their tribes 'clans' instead, and each clan has its own crest. While their ancestors pillaged the nearby Dwarven towns and cities as they pleased and built their reputation as the most feared pirates of their time, the Hoarfrost Orcs now limit themselves to raids on slaver strongholds and the castles of tyrants. Many an overlord has shuddered to find a longship full of Hoarfrost warriors at their gates, and dropped to their knees and pleaded to their vile god for their life when the dreaded Hoarfrost war horn rang outside the front gates of their fortress. But it is usually in vain once the raid's leader makes their way to the target's throne room, as there is a saying amongst the Hoarfrost clans: 'A slaver only pleads to keep his chains whole. He cares not for the lives within them.' The Hoarfrost Orcs believe that one willing to oppress innocent people is incapable of showing empathy to those they hold an iron fist over. Their philosophy includes the idea that for a more just ruler to take the throne, the tyrant must leave it first... Yet the Hoarfost Orcs realize they will never do so voluntarily, and thus accept violence as a means to free up that throne for a proper ruler. Thus, they raid.     This new attitude has mended the relationship between the Hoarfrost Orcs and other races over time, and they are now a welcome sight for oppressed populations. Especially given their habit of sharing their spoils with the needy before bringing untraceable goods home: they know the goods within a tyrant's stronghold were taken from the populace under threat, and believe these goods have belonged to the people who have suffered under one the entire time. One is very likely to meet one of their number in ports nowadays, as their raiders have started seeking raid targets overseas, and stop to supply at coastal towns. As it is a Hoarfrost custom to hold a feast in celebration upon the success of an important raid, these Orcs have an even higher alcohol tolerance then their Underground cousins: often having tasted a bit of ale before puberty, they can drink a whopping 6 tankards of the infamous Earthshaker ale before starting to feel inebriated. It's not uncommon for a Hoarfrost Orc to complain of 'weak drink' when drinking in an inn away from home.

 

A Different Way of Worship

The Hoarfrost Orcs share gods with both their Underground cousins and the Humans, but worship Siarus and Vereus differently from the Humans. Their depictions of Siarus picture him as an elderly but muscular Orcish man, with a long beard and an eyepatch over his missing left eye. He is dressed in scale mail armor decorated with gold and wielding an axe and gold-plated shield. His mongooses are named, and are described to be his eyes and ears in the mortal world. For this reason, Hoarfrost Orcs refuse to hunt the animal. Their depictions of Vereus have him appearing as a muscular Orcish man with longer hair in a low ponytail, a beard, scale armor, a battleaxe, and a shield with the golden scales on it. This incarnation of Vereus is often shown with a sack full of gold slung over his shoulder, with the shield half-buried in the earth and leaning on the handle of his axe. These Orc clans speak of him as a benevolent raider, blessing both their people and the needy with the necessary goods for their societies to thrive. This particular form of Trogur Pantheon worship is exclusive to Hoarfrost culture.   Before an important raid, the Hoarfrost raiders tend to have their own rituals to pray to these gods for good fortune and a swift victory. After they are prepared for battle, they will first visit a seer to receive the blessing of the gods. The seer will have sacrificed a snake to Siarus in advance, drained the blood of the animal, and will dot the raider's forehead with it while saying their blessing. Before boarding their longship, they will often say a last prayer to Siarus, ending with a promise to the heavens to not return without the oppressor's head.