The Chronicles of King Kurog , Book V Content . Let ' s talk about the wives of King Kurog of Wrothgar . He began collecting wives shortly after he returned to Wrothgar and defeated Bolazgar to become chief of his clan . His first selections were purely political , taking wives to shore up his alliances with other clans . It was about this time that I became aware of Kurog ' s mother , Alga . He had mentioned her a few times in conversations we had over the years , but she never seemed to be a major influence in his life . At least , she wasn ' t prominent in his life as a mercenary . Now that Kurog was chief of his clan , his mother had stepped in to fill a need he never knew he had . She took the title of Grand Forge - Mother and immediately set out to negotiate marriages for her son . For those of you not intimately familiar with Orc traditions , you must understand that the only male in a clan allowed to take wives is the chief . He functions sort of like the primary male in a pride of lions , lording over all until someone younger and stronger comes along to take his crown . Just as Kurog did with Bolazgar . The chief ' s wives become the highest - ranking people in the village , taking charge of important clan functions while the chief supervises everything from a distance . The only activity the chief personally takes charge of is war , whether leading raids or actually taking his clan into battle against a hated enemy . The most - influential and powerful of the chief ' s wives is the hunt - wife , and this was the first marriage that Alga worked to secure . Rumors abound that more than a dozen young hopefuls were vying for the position , but Alga and Kurog had a specific goal in mind . In the end , a powerful daughter from the Shatul clan , famed hunters of the Wrothgar highlands , was selected to solidify the alliance between the clans . Noroga pledged her loyalty and the loyalty of her clan , taking her place as Kurog ' s hunt - wife . When it came time to find Kurog a forge - wife to oversee blacksmithing and mining for the clan , Alga looked no further than the famed weapon and armor smiths of the Morkul clan . The obvious choice was the Morkul chief ' s eldest daughter , a powerful Orc maiden named Grugha . But Alga was more interested in the younger Tugha , who had traveled abroad for two years to study with the blacksmiths of western Skyrim . Her experiences , modern attitudes , and obvious intelligence won her the position of forge - wife for Kurog and his clan . If there was a requirement other than bringing another powerful clan under Kurog ' s banner , the role of hearth - wife demanded not only a brilliant household administrator but a talent for cooking that went beyond the usual skills of a mountain - bear hash - slinger . Kurog , as I ' ve mentioned in previous volumes of this chronicle , relished food with a passion . Between fighting and eating , I ' d be hard - pressed to determine which activity Kurog enjoyed more . Be that as it may , it would take years to find someone of Orcish grace and exceptional talent to fill this marital role . A great competition was eventually staged while Kurog was off aiding King Emeric at the end of Ranser ' s War . While Kurog was away , at least according to my sources , Grand Forge - Mother Alga invited the most eligible Orc maidens from the most powerful clans not yet allied with Kurog to compete for the title of hearth - wife . She made them engage in a culinary battle that was as violent and bloody as any skirmish Kurog himself had ever undertaken . The women had to track , kill , and clean their own ingredients . They had to fight each other to secure spices from distant lands . And then they had to present their finished meals before time ran out . Alga and Kurog ' s first wives , Noroga and Tugha , would judge the worth of each contestant ' s offering . Bumzal won the day , as much for her physical strength ( it is said she killed a mountain bear with her bare hands ) as her deft use of delicate spices . Kurog has many and varied lesser wives , most of who I have no real knowledge of , as they work behind the scenes and rarely make their presence known . Two , however , are always at Kurog ' s side . These are his protectors , the shield - wives . Two powerful fighters currently fill these roles in Kurog ' s household , the warrior - sisters Oshgatha and Razbela . The sisters are as loyal to each other as they are to the king , ready to lay down their lives to defend him should the need arise . Even Noroga and Tugha remain on best behavior when the shield - wives are present .