Horseskull clan

Government

Green Earth union is as democratic as it can be, each tribe totally independent, and political decision supposedly votd. But Within the Horseskull tribe, things work differently.   Traders and Druidic adept, the orc of this tribe have a warchief. This title is hereditary and provides the right to lead the tribe, but this leadership is done with the advice of the shaman of the tribe, the advisor of the king.  
   

Culture

Orcish society has always been characterized by hardy and rugged living. As a result, they are staunch pragmatists, and never shy from killing if it will protect the future of the orc or his or her clan. All orcs, regardless of gender or station, are expected to pull their own weight and weakness is considered a grave liability. The weakness of one contaminates the strength of all, and it is punishable by the greatest humiliation an orc can receive: exile. The Horseskull clan is notable for having brought a measure of mercy and compassion.   Yet regardless of their clan affiliations, orcs prize honor over all other things in life — first to bring honor to their clan and secondly bringing honor to the self and to their sense of self-worth as an individual. Likewise, hospitality is considered one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed. Women are able to pursue the same career choices as men, rise to positions of power and are even expected to answer to the call for battle just as men are. Strength (both physical and mental), courage, initiative and independence are prized traits in all orcs. Traditionally, children are seen as children of the parents, but are raised as children of the clan.   The proud members of the Horseskull clan are exceptional fighters, but nonetheless live in harmony with the land, believing that they should adapt to the environment rather than seeking to dominate it. The noble ideals of family and community were highly valued. The Horseskulls pride themselves on suppressing their rage and bloodlust, for they knew that those who succumbed to the beast within became their own greatest enemy. Although they are traditionalists, the Horseskulls rejected certain practices, such as drowning weak or sickly infants.   With the Savage Savannah providing little vegetative nourishment, the Horseskulls depended on their hunters for sustenance. Together with their wyvern companions, the orcs hunt.  

Childhood

One tradition of the orcs was a ceremony for newborns of the clan. The infant's parents would stand in a body of water near the encampment with the entire clan observing from shore. The mother would hand the baby to the father, who would then raise the child to the sky and proclaim the child as his, through himself and his father, and present the baby for the clan's blessings. The clan chieftain would then hold the baby and declare the infant under their protection, with the hope that they bring honor and glory to the clan. The chieftain's heir would then give a blessing. Finally the Elder Shaman would ask for the blessing of the elemental and wild spirits, and the hope that the ancestors would watch over the newborn.   In some clans, if the child appears sickly or frail, they will instead be drowned, likely by the father. A common expression of scorn is that an orc "should have been drowned at birth". This is likely the reason that the parents would stand in the water when presenting a newborn. The Horseskull clan however, were known to have rejected such cruel practices.   Orcs begin weapons training at age 6, when they are nearly the size of an adult human. When they reach 12, they are considered strong enough to fight and allowed to participate in hunting parties. This is also the age they become eligible for the rite of adulthood, making them full-grown adults. To an orc, blood was the ultimate tie. It bound oaths, commanded allegiances, and marked the true warrior in combat. To taint a blood bond was one of the worst crimes imaginable. Most orcs fear the open sea.  

Rite of adulthood

When members of the Horseskull clan came of age, they had to slay a Tamastra and carve their family genealogy as far back as would fit on the creature's largest tusk. Family history and tradition were of great importance to the Horseskull clan, so the largest Tamastra were hunted each season to preserve clan lineage.  

Spirituality

As far back as orcish history has been recorded, shaman have been mentioned, and learning to speak with the elemental spirits ofToriel was a pivotal achievement in destiny for the orc clans. The first orcs to learn the ways of shamanism hailed from the Shadowmoon clan, but many clans claim the mythical "First Shaman" arose from their ranks, even though the truth is that no one is sure of his or her allegiance. The bond between shaman crossed clan boundaries, allowing them peacefully mediate arguments and solve conflicts. Some rare orc undergoing the ritual to become shaman went insane, exiled from their clan, and going underground, they formed the pale orc, or Orog. White skulls were tattooed on their faces, marking them as "dead" to their people. Orcish shaman long used this tattoo practice to similarly mark certain failed apprentices as "dead". When Ner'zhul fell into despair, his mind plagued by visions of death, he had such a skull tattoed on his own face.   Orcs instinctively revere the rugged forces of the natural elements, and as such, shaman are held in high regard. They generally have a close relationship with the nature elements and angering them is considered a grave offense. Over the ages, shaman like Thrall have communed with these spirits and, through patience and dedication, learned to soothe roaring infernos, bring rain to sun-scorched lands, and otherwise temper the elementals' ruinous influence on the world of Toriel. Orcs are reliant on shaman to negotiate with the elementals to provide necessities such as drinking water from fallen rain or fire to warm their hearths.   In orcish culture, any shaman that has been spoken to by the spirits is given equal respect and honor regardless of age or experience.   the Horseskull clan is now also the keeper of draconic druidic secret, valuing their shamanism and druidism even more thanks to that. Access to this tradition is only granted to outsider the tribe judge worthy.  

Cuisine

Orcs are voracious eaters: each orc eats as much as a dozen goblins. The staple diet of the orcs is fresh meat. To satisfy this hunger for flesh, wild boars are trapped and bred for food. Swine meat is commonly sliced up and used to make bacon. During the Orc War, boar meat coupled with a tankard of bloodmead became a bonfire favorite among the hardened troops engaged in a long war march. The prickly fruits that grow on acacia in the Savage Savannah are also commonly eaten. Orcs also eat various types of fish.  

Mounts and pets

The Horseskull clan derived its symbol and name from its kinship with the savage savannah native wyvern, whom the orcs hunted alongside, befriended and even tamed as companions to fight and hunt together as an extended pack family.   In order to be granted full standing within the Horseskull clan, each member had to undertake a solo quest to befriend and bond with a wild Wyvern. Not all clan members passed this trial, but those that did earned a lifelong companion. In life, no two creatures shared a stronger relationship than that of a Horseskull orc and his or her companion wyvern. The two ate, slept, and fought side by side until one or both died an honorable death. Even then, sometimes not even death itself could stop a Horseskull from coming to the aid of its beloved orc.   A "first-fang" was the first of many shed by an adolescent wyvern when their adult teeth began growing. Horseskull orcs often kept the first-fang of their animal companion as good luck charms. Horseskull orcs decorate their saddles with intricate patterns.  

Justice

The Code of the Horseskull Clan

 

1. Thou shall not steal.
2. Thou shall not kill.
3. Thou shall not attack without cause.
4. Thou shall fight with honor.
5. Thou shall protect thy tribe.

Those who break these laws shall pay the Blood Price, through a punishment of physical assault until the debt has been fulfilled.   Wyvern tamed by orcs are considered equal to orcs in many regards, including in regards of this code.  

Diplomatie

Relations

The Horseskull often trade with the Tabaxi, but except for the occasional encounter, the Horseskull lack real alliance or diplomatic relationship.   Similarly, the green orcs sometimes trade with merchant from tana's empire, hoping to bring home wyvern eggs to sell within the empire. especially as the horseskull clan does not calue ecu or coins, but only trade.    

Conflict

As explained before, the conflict and tension between the tribe of the green earth are many. The Redfang clan restlessly attack other tribe, including the Horseskull. Green Earth annual inner-tribal council does condemn those action, but is powerless.  

History

In 2015 BD, some of the orcs who migrated out of the eastern region of Toriel settled in around the mountains east of green earth, among them the Horseskulls.  

The Battle of Bladespire

In 1226 BD, the Horseskulls were led by Chieftain Garad, who embodied the clan's noble ideals of family and community and believed that only by helping each other could the orcs survive in their harsh environment. He pressed his ideals of family and community on his three sons — Fenris, Ga'nar and Durotan — but Fenris later left the Horseskulls to instead join the rivaling Thunderlord clan, which he eventually rose to become the chieftain of. After Fenris' departure, Garad chose Durotan as his new heir apparent over the hotheaded Ga'nar, despite Ga'nar being the older of the two siblings.   For a number of months, tensions began to increase between the orc clans and the local Bladespire ogres. Imperator Kelgrok, troubled by the waning of ogre influence across the region, sought to retrain control of the mountains and oversaw the creation of an army of half-orc, half-ogres known as the mok'nathal. The half-breeds formed the bulk of the Bladespire army as the ogres rampaged across the region and seized large tracts of resource-rich land from the orcs. In response, Garad called upon the Whiteclaw and Thunderlord clans to unite with the Horseskulls against this new threat. Due to Fenris' influence, the Thunderlords rejected the call and instead dealt with the Bladespire in their own way, raiding settlements in the dead of night. The Whiteclaws, on the other hand, did join the Horseskulls, for whom they felt an affinity and with which they shared many customs and traditions. Garad was declared leader of the Horseskull and Whiteclaw army and named Ga'nar and Durotan as his lieutenants. The orcs didn't win any decisive victories, but managed to capture several mok'nathal. Upon learning that the mok'nathal were slaves rather than willing servants, The mok'nathal rebelled against their masters while Garad and his army smashed into Bladespire Hold's outer defenses. The Battle of Bladespire concluded with the allied orc and mok'nathal armies driving the ogres from their fortress. However, hundreds of Horseskulls and Whiteclaws had perished in the battle, including Ga'nar. His death broke Garad's heart, and though Durotan remained to carry on the family line, the Horseskull chieftain never recovered from the loss of his second son.   The next year, many orcs contracted the virulent red pox at one of the Kosh'harg festivals, including Garad. At the shaman Ner'zhul's urging, the plague bearers remained to construct a village to quarantine the affected. The thought of not returning home filled Garad with sorrow, but he did not wish to spread the pox to his family and clan members and instead agreed to remain in Nagrand, taking charge over his fellow plague victims. Durotan volunteered to stay behind with his father, but as he was the sole remaining heir to the clan Garad instead told him to return home and look after the Horseskulls for the time being. In a matter of weeks, the red pox consumed Garad, and the other pox victims named their village Garadar in his honor.  

Rise of the Horde

During the time of the rise of the Horde, the Horseskulls were one of the smaller orc clans, consisting of about eighty members.   In 1223 BD, Chieftain Durotan, his mate Draka and the Horseskull elder shaman Drek'Thar were present when Ner'zhul announced the humans end elves as enemies of the orcs and where nearly every chieftain agreed to unite into a single Horde. Durotan felt conflicted about Ner'zhul's claim that the spirits had told him the humans and elves were planning to destroy the orcish race, but the Horseskull chieftain was in no position to question the ancestral spirits. Additionally, other shaman, including Drek'Thar, revealed that they had received similar visions that confirmed Ner'zhul's claims. Two years later, the Whiteclaw chieftain Zagrel was assassinated under the orders of Gul'dan for speaking out against the Horde. Gul'dan feared that Zagrel could win the support of orcs who questioned the Horde, like Durotan and his Horseskulls. Durotan was already wary of the Horde's war against the humans and elves, and the Whiteclaw chieftain's death caused his unease to deepen, yet he had no proof of who had murdered Zagrel. The next year, Gul'dan called for a new meeting, where he revealed that the shaman of the Blackrock clan had mastered a new demonic power after the elements had abandoned the orcs. Powerless shaman from all clans, including Drek'Thar, pleaded with the Blackrocks to share their secrets.   Shortly after his appointment as Warchief, Blackhand assigned specific roles to the various clans. The Horseskulls were among the clans that would make up the Horde's main fighting force, leading direct assaults on human and elven settlements and forming the backbone of the orcish army. Shortly afterward, Blackhand sent his most powerful warlocks to the other orc clans in order to imbue adolescents with the strength and fury of adults. The thought of subjecting young Horseskulls to the warlocks' strange magics unsettled Durotan, but Blackhand had made it clear that anyone who opposed him would suffer, and the Horseskull chieftain placed the safety of his clan above all else. Thus, he reluctantly allowed the warlocks to imbue his clan's youths with demonic magic to transform them into hulking warriors.   Two years later, Ner'zhul — a captive of Gul'dan — planted an anonymous missive to Durotan where he urged the Horseskull chieftain to not follow Gul'dan's command at an upcoming clan gathering, or he and his people would suffer a fate worse than death. Durotan heeded the warning, and when the other orcs drank the Blood of Baphomet, the Horseskull chieftain refused to participate and forbade his clan from drinking. Gul'dan was already suspicious of Durotan and was infuriated by his defiance, but could not afford killing him and upsetting the Horseskulls.   Blackhand staged mock battles and duels to prepare for the impending invasion. Durotan saw this practice as a disgrace to tradition and began speaking out against Gul'dan and demon's power, urging the orcs to seek ways to heal their world. Most clans saw these actions as cowardly and treasonous and lashed out at the Horseskulls.  

Orc War and exile

The clan initially fought against the humans alongside the other clans in the Orc War, but Gul'dan later confronted Durotan in secret and informed him that his clan was no longer part of the Horde and had to leave immediately. If they ever returned or ever contacted any member of the Horde, Gul'dan promised to destroy every Horseskull male, female, and child. Though loath to part from the other orcs, Durotan had recently learned that his mate Draka was pregnant, and he did not wish to risk her or their unborn child by testing Gul'dan's wrath. He also knew that Gul'dan was merely letting them live because, if Durotan were killed, it would make him a martyr and give his warnings weight among the rest of the Horde. The Horseskulls struck out to the Savage Savannah, but the journey was frightening, for the terrain was unfamiliar and the humans treated all orcs as enemies. The former shaman Drek'Thar renounced his use of demonic power and asked the elements for aid, and in return the spirits showed him a path to their new home.   The Horseskulls avoided almost all contact with humans thanks to the elements' aid. Shortly after the clan arrived at their new home, the Savage Savannah, Draka gave birth to a son whom she would name Go'el. Neither Durotan nor Draka could stand by any longer and do nothing about the dark forces controlling the Horde. They told the Horseskulls to remain in the savanah and carve out a new life while they and their son traveled to reveal the truth to the Horde. Drek'Thar used his shamanic powers to send word to Durotan's old friend, the Blackrock warrior Orgrim Doomhammer, by causing the elemental spirits to whisper in his dreams and inform him that Durotan wished to meet.   Orgrim had begun to distrust Gul'dan, and Blackhand and viewed the banishment of the Horseskull clan as further proof that the Horde's leadership was corrupt. Under the pretense of a scouting mission, Orgrim and a few trusted guards met with Durotan, where the Horseskull chieftain showed him Go'el and told him everything he knew about the Horde's corruption. Orgrim urged Durotan and Draka to take shelter in their savanah for the time being and sent his guards to accompany them home. However, the guards were secretly loyal to the Shadow Council and decided that Gul'dan would want the Horseskulls dead. Several days into the journey, they attacked and killed Durotan and Draka, leaving the infant Go'el to die. A day later, a hunting party led by the human noble Aedelas Blackmoore discovered the grisly scene. Blackmoore decided to take Go'el — who was starving and freezing but still alive — back to Durnholde Keep and have him examined.   After Durotan's death, Drek'Thar became leader of the Horseskulls. The Horseskull clan carved out a new home, isolating themselves from other orcs in the hopes of escaping the humans and elves wrath. It was a harsh and lonely existence, but Drek'Thar had rekindled his connection with the elements and used them to keep his people safe.  

Revitalization of the Horde

For years, Blackmoore secretly raised the young Go'el — whom he named "Thrall" — as a gladiator slave within the Oriin empire. One day, Thrall escaped from the fortress and sought out the rest of his kind, eventually discovering the renegade Warsong clan, whose chieftain — Grommash Hellscream — left a deep impression on the young orc. Seeking the truth of his own origins, Thrall then traveled to find the legendary Horseskull clan, from which he learned of the clan's exile and that he was the rightful son and heir of the late Chieftain Durotan. Under Drek'Thar's tutelage, Thrall studied the ancient shamanistic culture of his people, eventually becoming a powerful shaman and taking his place as chieftain of the Horseskull clan.  

Draco-Giant War-Giant

In 158 BD, during the draco-giant war, the first true military test of the combined forces of the First and Second Dragon Armies was their successful invasion of the unprepared survivors of Green earth, including the Yuan-ti, orcs, and other inhabitants. This decisive victory convinced many neutral bands—hobgoblins, ogres, orcs, and minotaurs—to align with the dragon armies, though several holdouts remained.   Among these holdouts was the Horseskull clan, who sought ways to preserve their neutrality. Refusing to align with the dragon armies, they turned to their ancestral spirits for aid. However, the elemental powers of their spirits proved insufficient against the might of the dragons. Sseth's wingduke, the second-in-command of the Second Dragon Army, chose to honor the Horseskull Clan's neutrality. Defying orders, he stood as their protector.   The wingduke's decision cost him his rank and, ultimately, his life. He died defending the Horseskull Clan, but with his final breath, he revealed the secrets of the Circle of the Draconic to the orcs. This sacred knowledge, combined with the orcs' existing shamanistic traditions, gave rise to a powerful new practice. This fusion of traditions enabled the orcs to endure and thrive through the dragon's era.  

Recent History

Hunters in the hot savanna, they are known traders, even if still hostile to strangers at first sight, they are open to talking, an important skill for traders. In addition to their trading skill, their name come from a certain hatred of horse, they judge them as weak, and unable to carry their proud warrior. The Horse-skull warriors and hunters have wyvern. Taming a wyvern is a right of passage to warriorhood in the Horseskull culture. Those orcs keep the secret of their druidic heritage.   Prone to trading, the Horseskull tribe gladly joined the Union of the clan of Green Earth, hoping this union would bring them more trading opportunities. This unification gathering the Yuan-ti, The Horse-Skull Orc, the Tabaxi, The hobgoblin empire, and a tribe of lizardfolk under a common, banner.   Overall, this union made numerous conflicts arise in between the tribe part of it, conflict mainly for decision-making power.