Shakraal mulls over the options.
"Brothers. Let us be wily and wary. The Dead Eye are animals, and as such, not to be treated with any kind of trust. Which leaves the Defiled Corpse. Which are illustrious leader hails from. [indicates Thoku] And Choot shares affinity with." [indicates Choot and Thrall in turn.]
Shakraal pauses momentarily before locking eyes with Thoku.
"But. Thoku - your tribe will perhaps not wish to see you leave their creche. I say we keep our new band a secret tryst, and rather we appear to be on a hunt of our own devising, with no more to it than that. Thus we blend truth with fiction, and create …. myth. The Defiled Corpse may accompany us in any kind of strength they wish, but we must retain our prize, for our own designs. Well?"
"hmm, what you say may be true Shakraal as such their is not many in my true who would stand in my way. If we can't get them to leave us be. I know some might be more than happy to let us have our fun at braking a few of the nails bones, they are very hated by the corpes."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I will leave it to Thoku and Choot to talk our way through the Defiled Corpse camp. I would be likely to say something that they might deem 'weak'."
"An excellent plan Shakraal! I can almost taste the blood of our foes on my lips even now".
"right them we will go the way by passing through my soon to be old tribe, lets move out ill keep the lesser orcs from causing us trouble."
so Thoku walks out of the undead giant a head of his comrades with an aggressive stride to his movements any orc foolish enough to stand in his way quickly moves when they see the intensity in his eyes
"As you see fit oh mighty Thoku..." intones Shakraal as the bloodied monstrous avatar outlines his plan. Masked and menacing, Shakraal stalks alongside Thoku.
Choot will extoll the virtues of death and destruction spreading his wisdom to all Orcs with the brains enough to listen.
"The Orc is not the elf who plays in the forest all day. The Orc should rather burn the forest to roast on a spit all of the enemies who stand in his way. The Orc is not the dwarf who hides in the dark digging for treasures all day. The Orc should rather collapse the mine and take the treasures the dwarf has dug for, after all, jewels shall never decay and who should need more of them unless they can be used for destruction, what value have they - none. The Orc is not the halfling who plays all day in the meadows and streams. The Orc should rather churn its war machines across the meadows and redirect the streams to their own villages to provide water for its armies. The Orc is not the gnome who would stay in their hills and play tricks all day. The Orc should flatten those mounds and see reality for what it is, a state of neverending decay which will end all we see. The Orc is not the human who plays in the city all day. The Orc should raze those cities to the ground, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. All shall be crushed underfoot, all shall perish, all shall yield to the mighty Orc Nation one united peoples until the end of everything! This is the will of Zagresh, let the Orc who shall take these words lightly tremble in fear for he shall not live to see the next cycle begin anew when Zagresh creates and destroys all yet again!"
Diplomacy
Daydreaming Kraq,
This should be excellent, become a new clan, take their lands and holdings, become strong, move up the ranks and train, eventually start my school, train many wizards and sorcerers in the ways of various destructive magics and make the clans dependent on me for war casters, this is coming together quite nicely indeed.
"Let us finish these mewling orcs off, we have things to attend to!"
The soon to be blood-bound march through the camp of the Defiled Corpse proudly. Many warriors snarl challenges. A few begin sharpening weapons. But, as Choot speaks the Truth of Zagresh, many of those same warriors sheathe their weapons. Several nod to his words and grunt and roar their assent! The Doom of Zagresh fills their hearts and burns their blood with cold death!
They do not bar the blood-bound's path. The Destroyer walks with them this night!
The Burning Angel has spilled her water across the blue cave, her life ripped from her as the Destroyer's might opens her and tears her from the her place above. The blue cave grows dark, and the Fate Spinners of Selzarian burn in the sky. Even the Night Eye is blinded by The Doom of All Things. Zagresh has shrouded it in clouds, and it does not shed its light upon the plains of the Flood Truce.
The Blood Bound slow their steps as they approach the camp of the mortal foes. A Defiled Corpse warrior, his face painted in a chalk white skull, his body clad in battered armor decorated with the bones of slain orcs.
It is the will of Ungukk that no one crosses to the dens of the blasphemers! He does not wish to turn the Desetroyer's wrath from our tribe! His fellow warrior grunts and hefts a mighty falchion.
Thoku stands strong, as a brave leader of a tribe must be. He stares the warriors in the eye, the wyrdcasters and shaman beside him, as is meet. It is the will of the Chiefs in Fire and Blood that those filled with the smoke of Selzarian and speak with the voice of the Gods strengthen their chiefs. The warriors gulp and stand to the side.
The Destroyer's doom comes to all.
The Blood Bonded stalk through the canyon from the Defiled Corpse to the the dens of the Twisted Nail. Their boots crunch the burned and gnawed bones of slaughtered warriors, grinding them to dust. Ahead, stand two warriors of the Twisted Nail. The slaves of the Twisted Nail raise mighty axes and snarl a challenge.
Look, Bagtru! Fresh meat!
Choot Othul:
Thrall:
Hakak:
Fleshripper:
Kern Dead-Eye:
Grell:
Kraq Skysplitter:
Shakraal Kringsdaughter:
Thoku Blood Drinker:
Twisted Nail Guards:
Kern charges the nearest Twisted Nail slave.
Grell will follow him on its initiative, attacking another slave.
Thrull follows Choot's commands and stalks forward seeking to take a life the of an Orc if it can...
Slam
Damage
Rushing in, the avatar of doom Shakraal times her attack with Grell's...
[+2 Str, +1 mwk, -1 size, +2 charge]
[THF Str]
Choot fires his crossbow at the offending Orc sentries.
Crossbow
Damage
Hakak and Fleshripper both charged the nearest Twisted Nail scum. They would know his might!
Thoku moves up and bites at an orc
taking a good chunk of flesh with him
Save the female, Bagtru. Gorshak finds her pleasing. Bagtru's reply is silenced as the future tribe descend on the Twisted Nail sentries like a swarm. Kern cuts Bagtru nearly in half with a wicked cut from his war-blade. Blood sprays out from the wound in the warrior's gut, splashing the brave beast-speaker across the face and chest in sacred life water. Flesh ripper and Hakak stand beside Kern, eager to receive the gift of battle as well. The earth-speaker's swing flies wide, as the cowardly Bagtru falls back in fear from Kern's mighty thews. But, Fleshripper presses the advantages and rips open the great rent cut by Kern, spilling his entrails at his feet. He whimpers in agony, fear filling his eyes and raining upon his steaming innards. He, like all who bare the mark of the Twisted Nail, has no stomach for the gifts of Varg or the final call of Zagresh. Finally, Kraq sends him to the Destroyer's hoard by calling upon Selzarian's smoke. The liquid power of Rull fills his hands and flies through the air as a hurled stone. It bursts in a splash of lightning and burned flesh. The warrior collapses to the soil, hovering at the steps of Zagresh's tent.
Thoku rushes forward and pounces on Gorshak. The avatar of the Blood God sinks his holy fangs deep into the orc's neck and bites hard, tasting the sweet tang of Gotshak's life fill his mouth. Grell follows, heeding his master's command, and clamps his own maw around Gorshak's thigh, shattering the warrior's leg between its jaws even as Thoku crushes his breath. Gorshak roars in pain, such is the weakness of the Twisted Nail that they cannot use hurt to feed the blood rage! Finally, he seems to regain himself as his teeth grow long and sharp. He opens his maw impossibly wide to attack Thoku , grafting his axe high above his head, when Choot's bolt sings through the air, a warcall like the arrows of mighty Rull! It finds a home in Gorshak's eye. The warrior whimpers once, and then slumps to the ground, barely breathing.
"Shall I keep this one at the edge of life or shall we find a more worthy sacrifice for the Destroyer?"
Thoku looks at the still living orc and grabs the body of one of the dead dragging its body close to him. Thoku looks into the the living orcs eye and tears the head off the body his claws sinking into the soft eye meat causing the blood and juice to drip onto the floor he ask that orc
"Now tell me...would anyone important in your pathetic tribe feel your loss or are you just one of the nameless dead..."
The warrior is young, he has only just seen his thirteenth Proving Time. Still, he stares the whelpling-Chief of the forming tribe in the eyes. His back is steel, his eyes are fire. Then, Thoku drags the corpse over to him and his eyes widen in fear. Still, he makes no sound. He releases his water as the disciple of the Blood God sinks his claws deep into its eyes and pulls, wrenching the head fee of the torso and holding it up to let blood drip to the soil.
"Now tell me...would anyone important in your pathetic tribe feel your loss or are you just one of the nameless dead..."
The warrior drops his greataxe, bearing his neck in a sign of submission.
I am Xuk'kar, son of Xugug! He pounds his fist to his chest. It is a powerful blow, showing that he still has mettle within him, despite the yellow staining his leather loincloth. Shrogkar has said I will be given to Zagresh to become one of the Destroyer's Warsworn!
"I thank you young one for your quick answer. ..but you will never be and orc again or see the distroyer, ahaha"
As Thokus hand moves so fast as he rips the tusk out of the young orc mouth and watches his terror as the reality of what he just did means thoku turns his back on the pathetic creature
"well it looks as we have our target, Let's Move ahaha This Will Be A Bloody Night "
Kern winces at the de-tusking of the young warrior, but deems it a necessary action to ensure the new tribe's renown. He looks any items from the corpses and then follows his new tribe.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Following in the middle of the group as they go deeper into the encampment.
Shakraal watches Thoku perform this very orcish act of savagery.
"You are indeed worthy of leading us Thoku" she intones, with a deferential nod of her head.
"Some haste if we could - my eldritch magics will last not long..."
Hakak grinned fiercely at the de-tusking.
"Xuk'kar, son of Xugug, give thanks that you are still a son," he said in a chipper, upbeat voice.
"Zagresh frowns upon repairing wounds as they are a badge of honor but I wlll assist if only to aid in our holy mission".
Xuk'kar grabs his ruined jaw and runs up the ledge, away from the birthing tribe, and the Twisted Nail camp.
"leave the meat, let let quick with his wellps tusk we might have an easy way to take him aahaha" thoku tucks the tusk away and leads his blood bound farther into. The camp
[ooc]update tonight when I get back from work]
Xuk'kar scurries over the ridge like the dog with his tail between his legs. Unmanned, the tusk less forgets the lessons beaten into him by his tribe and leave a trail of blood and urine easy for even the youngest of a tribe to follow. The birthing tribe let him leave. He will live and spread the tale of their might!
Their bictory was swift and mighty! But, their sacred mission calls to them, and the Chiefs in Fire and Blood fills their hearts with rage and bloodlust. They must slay this pack of the Twisted Nail, their hated foe! With this act, they will declare blood feud, and become a new tribe. So, they advance deeper into this part of the Twisted Nail camp.
A cautious look about a final outcropping of rock, and they see the drinking mess of the Twisted Nail. Two orcs roast on spits in great bonfire, filling the camp with smoke and the warm scent of burning meat. The spits are tended by slaves, humans by the look of their weaknesses. Each is heavily scarred by the lashes of their masters. An orc female, her belly heavy with child, stalks forward, and cuts a strip of flesh from the roasting corpse. The fat sizzles as she pulls it from the flame, and it spatters and crunches as she eats. She nods to herself and pets the head of one of the cringing slaves. The human's mouth works in obvious terror-they are such week creatures, only useful as food and beasts of burden, like their cattle-- weak food gives weak People. The female sneers and smacks the human's head with such force he falls to the dust.
Gurtru! Shrogkar would share words with his hexcrafter!. A powerful warrior, naked but for a guard of bone and straps of leather binding weapons to his body bellows as he leaves the largest tent to the east. His body is heavily scarred and colored with the tales of his prowess!
The female snarls and swings around, her enormous belly makes the move ponderous as slow. May a tree-breeder mount him! Gurtru has read the bones enough this day! Selzarian's paintings will tell her no more this night!
He commands you come, to hear the words of the way-speaker! The way-speaker will tell him of Selzarian's smoke!. Gurtru laughs and spits on the ground. Shrogkar is shaman to our tribe! He speaks with the voice of the Destroyer and will curse us with peace if you do not come! . The warrior bristles with anger and draws a massive falchion from his back.
Tell him Gurtru Whelp-Burner will hear the words of Shrogkar Doom-Speaker! She will read the stars once more.. The pregnant female stomps towards the tent as the warrior takes up a guard position outside the flaps of Shrogkar's tent.
Drazgur lays in the dust at the opening of one tent. His body has been beaten, nearly undoing Choot's stichwork. A stout chain has been bound about his neck, fastened to a ring on one of the tent posts. A warrior steps out of the tent and makes water over th me tuskless' head. Such is his weakness that Drazgur doesn't even try to fight back! The warrior spits on the wretch and stomps back into his tent, the sounds of fierce rutting begin.
Further on, two naked warriors burst out of a tent and begin grappling and fearing Ito each other, blood soon stains the sands, but they show no sign of stopping.
"We should take out those guards quietly if possible. Once we are in the midst of them, we can declare all-out combat. Do you all agree?" Kern whispers to the others.
Choot nods to Kern, "Yes, a wise course of action".
Thoku nods grimly "we will take the child in her and use that as the sacrifice for our tribe"