Shadowmoon clan

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.   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.  

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.   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.  

Spirituality

As far back as orcish history has been recorded, shaman have been mentioned, and learning to speak with the elemental spirits of Toriel 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 Shadowmoon were known to be the most spiritual of all the Orc clans, and were relatively peaceful compared to other orcs. Fascinated with the starry sky, the Shadowmoon believed they could glean the future from stellar movements. They were a deeply mystical people, and they developed traditions and rituals centered around astrology and ancestor worship. A key source of the Shadowmoon clan's power came from their understanding of the stars and their omens. For centuries, they recorded the patterns of the stars and their interpretations.   Shadowmoon mystics often inscribed secret runes into their flesh using ceremonial bone needles to more clearly speak to their ancestors and the elemental spirits. Consultation with the spirits of previous generations was considered essential to Shadowmoon shaman whenever an important decision was to be made. Talismans and other relics that were important to an ancestor during life provided a more clear spiritual conduit for shaman to speak to them in the afterlife. The clan's shaman frequently journeyed to the Throne of the Elements to commune with the elemental spirits.  

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. Orcs also eat various types of fish.  

Mounts and companions

Long ago, the orcs tamed the large and swift wolves. These massive canines came to be the orcs' chosen companions as well as their favored method of transportation. The wolves' unflinching temperament made them especially well-suited for battling large prey.  

Justice

• If a house is on fire and an orc steals from the property; may they throw them into the fire
• If an orc lies before the court; may they cut off their tongue
• If an orc rapes another orc; may they kill them
• If an orc strikes another orc; may they pay 1 gold
• If a slave strikes an orc; may they cut off their hand
• If an orc borrow a worg and beats that worg to death; may they take their worg and beat it to death. If the orc has no worg; may they take their child and beat him to death
• If an orc steals; may he return ten times the value to their victim. If they cannot, may they cut off their hand

 

Diplomatie

 

History

Early History

Around 2015 BD, the orcs began to migrate out of from the eastern region. The Shadowmoon clan formed far from the other settlements, allowing them to live in relative peace.   Shadowmoon mystics frequently set out on pilgrimages across the world, hoping to hear the will of the divine. Many of these travelers received strange dreams and visions near the mountains of in between the eastern region and Green earth. The first Shadowmoon visitors to the location learned about the world's primordial spirits. They treated these beings with utmost respect and named the site of their discovery the Throne of the Elements. The orcs learned to guide the elemental spirits with a sense of harmony, becoming the first orcish shaman. The Shadowmoon were the first to dedicate themselves to the elements. They soon began spreading their teachings to the other clans, nearly all of which adopted the practice. The shaman became highly trusted spiritual leaders among the orcs, able to peacefully solve conflicts between clans. The Shadowmoon clan began a biannual gathering of shaman called the Kosh'harg festival, which soon grew to include all orcs.  

Rise of the Horde

In 1226 BD, the Shadowmoon were led by the wise chieftain Ner'zhul, who was respected by every clan. He acted as an advisor to all shaman and helped foster the loose bonds between the different clans. One day, Gul'dan, an orc exile who had agreed to a pact with the Demons, approached the Shadowmoon and claimed that his home village had been destroyed.   Orcs accepting newcomers into clans was uncommon, but the Shadowmoon took pity on Gul'dan and did just that. Gul'dan carefully observed the clan's shaman for one that would work, and eventually settled on the chieftain Ner'zhul. He was dedicated, forthright, and persistent, but also held turmoil and sorrow because of the death of his mate Rulkan and the recent trouble with elemental spirits. Gul'dan preyed on Ner'zhul's inner darkness and convinced him to take him on as an, unbeknownst to him, pretend shaman apprentice. Through Gul'dan, Baphomet now had access to a public figure. As the demon began to manipulate Ner'zhul, he tasked Gul'dan with making the orcs see the humans and elves as enemies.   As Ner'zhul rallied the orcs for a war against the humans and elves at the behest of a powerful ancestor referred to as "The Beautiful One" (in truth, Baphomet in disguise), Gul'dan supported Ner'zhul fully. However, when Ner'zhul began to notice that they could no longer call upon the power of the elements or the ancestors, the shaman began to sense something was amiss. He discovered that he had been duped by Baphomet and attempted to back out. To Ner'zhul's horror, he discovered that Gul'dan had seen everything and told Baphomet of it all before Ner'zhul returned, as his clan treated him like an outcast.   As a necessity of his bid for power, Gul'dan trained a number of like-minded and powerful orcs, whom he named the Shadow Council. The Council was soon using its power and influence to direct almost every aspect of orc society, so as to distract those few who opposed his dark ideals from their true masters, Gul'dan and Baphomet. He opened schools of demonology and necromancy to teach shamans new power to replace their lost connections to the elements. To seal the bargain between him and Baphomet, Gul'dan and the Shadow Council offered the clan chieftains the Blood of Baphomet. The first chieftain to accept his gift was Grommash Hellscream, with majority of the remaining following suit right after. The resulting Horde was bloodthirsty, barbaric, and evil, an extension of the demons whom they now worshiped.   With this new horde, Gul'dan and the shadow Council guided the orcs into battle, facing the elves and humans. The Orrin empire wasn't preapred for this assault, nor was the kingdom of Lorien, rumors spread through the streets talking about orcs as vengeful spirits. The horde marched on the lands of Orrin, murdering every single being they could find on their path of destruction. Filled with the demonic blood of Baphomet, the orcs lusted for war and would destroy anything that prevented them from reaching their goal; to conquer the west of Toriel.   Following the Horde's defeat, most of them scattered, but the shadowmoon clan, at the center of this war, was desroyed