Kiril Hoxha's page

The natives of a southern island of Vayangurr have sharp features, olive skin, and black hair--distinct from their northern neighbors' blunt faces, fair-skin, and blonde or red hair. Over two hundred years ago, the pale-skinned northern Vayangurr landed longboats on the forested island, intending to conquer and settle it. What followed was a brutal three year war of the natives slowly losing ground, until they were forced to sign the Asamt Treaty, which made the island part of Vayangurr. The treaty allowed the natives to keep their local laws and customs, which included worship of Vitheras, the lion-headed god of war, strength, survival, pillaging and the spoils of war, blood, and victory. Vitheras is known for devouring his captives and slain foes, as they belong to the victor, which made him a rival of the northerner's Crow God, who teaches that the dead belong to the crows. They consider themselves Vayangurr, but when differentiating they refer to themselves as "Ellri" (elder), and the pale northerners as "Nabui" (neighbors). They rarely intermarry, but in most other ways the two cultures have blended and borrowed from each other. The northerners brought the tradition of tattooing, and the Ellri began marking themselves with their thick red and black designs in contrast to the dark swirls and runes of their northern neighbors.

Before the Vayangurr, they shared their island with Orcs for thousands of years. The Ellri culture was heavily influenced by Orcish tribalism and religion. While there were occasional small conflicts and tensions, their coexistence was mostly peaceful. The Ellri lived along the rivers and lakes, the Orcs in the caves of forested mountains and hills. Trade was rare, but amiable. Laying with an Orc was and still is considered taboo, and Half-Orc children are a clear violation of that.

Kiril's mother was exiled when news of her half-orc son spread. Her sister left with her, promising to look after her. They fled to a small village that grudgingly tolerated the clearly broken taboo. Her sister fell in love with one of the villagers, but died tragically young during a hard winter while giving birth to a little girl--Mihaila. Growing up, Kiril became fast friends with Mihaila. He was much bigger than her, and a year older, but she was clever. They looked out for each other. Kiril didn't know or care where his Orc father was, but if he ever met him, he'd kill him for leaving. As he got older, he developed a rebellious streak. His mother was always angry with him, yet fragile, and that made him feel guilty. He hated that. Mihaila always seemed to understand exactly what he was feeling.

One day, a giant of a northerner, pale skinned with a braided red beard, came through their village recruiting for a mercenary company. Kiril jumped at the chance. His mother would worry herself to death, and there wouldn't be anyone to protect Mihaila, but he was certain its what he had to do. The strict and brutal northern mercenaries shaped Kiril from an angry inexperienced youth into something resembling a soldier. He learned tracking, scouting, tending to horses, riding, and battle formations. Once all the new recruits were trained, the mercenaries returned to the mainland and joined the rest of the Iskurral Wolves--an infamous company of sell-swords that recruit from Vayangurr and work on the mainland to the highest bidders. Known for their howling before battle and tight circle formations of axe-and-shield berserkers with strong pike-men behind them. They wear chain mail and heavier plates with furs around the shoulders, and have a reputation for drinking and taking whatever they want when they aren't fighting.

Despite all his bluster and confidence, Kiril pissed himself during his first battle and tried to climb over the men behind him to get away. This left a gap in their lines and people died. After the battle, he took fifteen lashes and had to walk behind the horses for the rest of the march, tied to them. It was made perfectly clear that if he tried to run again they would execute him. Only through years of battle was Kiril hammered into a real warrior, and with his Orc blood he even exceeded the pale-skinned berserkers in size. He had his first taste of large-scale warfare when the Iskurral Wolves accepted a lucrative contract by the Alodoans to help put down the secessionist rebellion. At Sergan's Crossing the rebellion was crushed at no small cost. Bodies littered the field as far as Kiril could see. A Vangar that Kiril didn't recognize was being shouted at by a group of Aldoan soldiers. The Vodhan cleric refused to bury the dead, as he believed they should be left for the crows according to the teachings of Vodhan, the Blind God of Crows. Kiril interjected, "If you're not going to eat the bodies, then don't waste them on the worms," he grinned, canines bared, his heavy maul resting casually on one shoulder. Between the two of them, the soldiers decided it wasn't worth the trouble. The blonde, bearded Vangar grunted as he looked at the massive half-orc, not exactly approving--as he recognized the faith of the lion-headed Vitheras, rival of the Crow God--but acknowledging his assistance. They went their separate ways and never saw each other again.

When Kiril finally returned home he found his mother older and weary, but joyful to have him back. Mihaila hadn't changed at all, but she had a husband and two little girls. They were struggling to make ends meet, but making it. The coin Kiril had earned helped them out significantly, and kept his mother warm and fed, but he realized he needed to do more. He needed to make his fortune and get them all out of that tiny village. He set off for the mainland again and went looking for adventure and riches. No more following orders, no killing people he didn't want to kill, and best of all no hard marches. In the cities he made fumbling attempts at romance, but never had much luck. His fear of commitment and fatherhood made relationships typically brief and disastrous.

One night in a tavern he heard a rumor that on the Island of Baylor a Princess had been captured by a Vampire Queen, and more importantly that fabulous riches and land holdings with titles were offered as reward for her safe return.