Honor the Hold!

Nicely done! Also, there are also some efforts to bring civilization to Belkzen, including among orc leaders. The Pathfinder Wiki article on the Hold of Belkzen is a good place to start for information as well

The Orc hordes are coming. Nothing can save us.

The Orc hordes are coming. Nothing can save us.

...except the Pugwampi hordes! To mischief!

...or battle, I meant battle...

DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:

The Orc hordes are coming. Nothing can save us.

...except the Pugwampi hordes! To mischief!

...or battle, I meant battle...

You've somehow made everything WORSE!

Sweet - liking that there will be some moral greys thrown in with the Hold's neighbors being just as aggressive as the Orcs themselves.

I'm thinking Canterwall will be mentioned, maybe?

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

This is so awesome. I frigging love orcs. Great post and I hope that there's more in store for the green skins as time goes on. I can't wait to see the latest books and news about my favorite races.

Looking forward to all of this.

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

It's creepy as hell is what.

Place is crawling with draculas and frankysteins and skellingtons...

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

I do believe that Lastwall was originally built as a bulwark against the Whispering Tyrant, not to keep out the orcs. Also, the location of Lastwall may have something to do with geography. Maybe there is no or only one pass from Belkzen into Ustalav but Lastwall is more open plains, necessitating the "wall" to prevent invasion from the NE.

FallofCamelot wrote:

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

I do believe that Lastwall was originally built as a bulwark against the Whispering Tyrant, not to keep out the orcs. Also, the location of Lastwall may have something to do with geography. Maybe there is no or only one pass from Belkzen into Ustalav but Lastwall is more open plains, necessitating the "wall" to prevent invasion from the NE.

Looking at a map right now and there is quite the large gap(in the neighborhood of 50-60 miles) between the Tusks and the Hungry Mountains and nothing (apparently) in between to separate Belkzen and Ustalav.

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

The gap is pretty much handled by the county that encompasses it - Canterwall. Two military factions exist; the Foreguard (which guards the borders) and the Wallguard (which protects the provincial capital of Tamrivena.

Along the border is what is known as Bleakwall - several towers and fortresses - which part is used by the Foreguard, when they can effectively man it (think of it sort of like the Wall from GoT). It is mentioned that a few towers aren't used, due to some nasty things lurking in them. I'm sure those beasties/ghosts aren't picky about what ends up on the menu.

FallofCamelot wrote:

My question about Belzen is this:

Lastwall is presented as a battleground whereby the forces of civilisation have built great bastions and walls and are barely holding back the savage horde.

OK that's fine but that begs the question:

What about Ustalav?

Renchurch is roughly 100 miles from Urgir which by all rights should make it a fortified frontier town yet when it was detailed it was presented as a sleepy farming town with no mention of orcs.

I can understand the Orcs reticence to attack the Mammoth Lords or the warlike tribes of the Shoanti (even though I reckon the Orcs would smash them into goo if they felt like it) and no-one messes with Irissen but Ustalav? What's stopping them?

The gap is pretty much handled by the county that encompasses it - Canterwall. Two military factions exist; the Foreguard (which guards the borders) and the Wallguard (which protects the provincial capital of Tamrivena - and is borderline paranoid).

Along the border is what is known as Bleakwall - several towers and fortresses - which part is used by the Foreguard, when they can effectively man it (think of it sort of like the Wall from GoT). It is mentioned that a few towers aren't used, due to some nasty things lurking in them. I'm sure those beasties/ghosts aren't picky about what ends up on the menu.

The trailers for "Dracula Untold" give a pretty good idea of what probably happens to any major force of orcs which ventures into Ustalav.

The trailers for "Dracula Untold" give a pretty good idea of what probably happens to any major force of orcs which ventures into Ustalav.

Then again, Vlad's Golarion analogue did manage to bring (admittedly dark and terrifying) order to the orcs of Belzen for a while...

Which admittedly says a lot more about Kazavon himself than anything else. And he was from Ustalav...possibly...

I keep getting the trailers for Dracula Untold and Castlevania : Lords of Shadow 2(major spoilers for the first one) mixed up. ;)

I freely admit that Lords of Shadow is the biggest reason I'm looking forward to Dracula Untold

I want a new mainline Castlevania. Give me the War of 1999! ;.;

The orcs of Belkzen do raid into Ustalav quite a bit, but are kept at bay by the forces of Canterwall, as has already been mentioned upthread. Also remember that orcs are very, very superstitious, which means that Ustalav kind of freaks them out, but that's just my interpretation.

Didn't the whispering tyrant also conquer the hold of Belkzen for a while?

Indeed he did. Tar Baphon took the Hold before marching into Ustalav.

can't wait

So, out of how many warlords and would be conquerors, we've gotten maybe three people in all the known history of Golarion that have managed to unite the Orcs of Belkzen under one banner.
Belkzen
Tar-Baphon
Kazavon (to a lesser extent than the other two, but for a time he was gathering Orcs under him)

It's almost like the time is ripening for another great warlord, another great Waaaagh!
One of the great things about Orcs is that only ONE of those three individuals is an Orc. The others are a human lich turned demi-god and a monstrous blue dragon. The thing the three all have in common? Ungodly power and utter ruthlessness.

You just have to imagine how powerful, cunning, charismatic, driven, and intelligent Belkzen was to unite the Orcs. He wasn't a lich or at least believed to have been a powerful spell caster, he wasn't some dragon blessed by a deity and personally recognized by said god. He was a mortal. And an Orc no less, the guys that get -2 to each of their metaphysical stats.

Wait until you hear what Grask Uldeth is up to. He's just an orc too, but one of the most forward-thinking ones in many, many generations.

So, out of how many warlords and would be conquerors, we've gotten maybe three people in all the known history of Golarion that have managed to unite the Orcs of Belkzen under one banner.

Belkzen
Tar-Baphon
Kazavon (to a lesser extent than the other two, but for a time he was gathering Orcs under him)

It's almost like the time is ripening for another great warlord, another great Waaaagh!
One of the great things about Orcs is that only ONE of those three individuals is an Orc. The others are a human lich turned demi-god and a monstrous blue dragon. The thing the three all have in common? Ungodly power and utter ruthlessness.

You just have to imagine how powerful, cunning, charismatic, driven, and intelligent Belkzen was to unite the Orcs. He wasn't a lich or at least believed to have been a powerful spell caster, he wasn't some dragon blessed by a deity and personally recognized by said god. He was a mortal. And an Orc no less, the guys that get -2 to each of their metaphysical stats.

you also got to think Orc just don't like working together unless there is a powerful leader to force them to