Grey Orc Clans

The **Grey Orc Clans** is a nation of Grey Orcs located in the volcanic oasis in the south-western desert of Eftar, formed following the Great Interregnum after the destruction of their creators and enslavers, the (name being determined) Empire.

## History

### Fall of the (name being determined) Empire, and the freedom of the Orcs

The Grey Orcs were created by the powerful mages of (name pending) to be their soldiers and slaves. With this new army they became a great and powerful empire, stretching over much of the southwest, transforming the dusty, scorching dunes into a paradise with their powerful magic.

As the centuries past, a being began to take pity on the plight of those conquered and the Orcish slaves that were forced to conquer them.

Legend tells that this being, known to the Orcs as the shattered king, a divine spirit who had been warring with those from who’s realm the mages of (name pending) drew their power, sensed an opportunity to weaken the servants of its enemies. The shattered king sent one of it’s servants, disguised as a common soldier to the capital of the empire , who awakened the Heart of Chasm under the very volcano which fertilized the homeland of (name pending). Chasm, a God made material, was enraged by the treatment of the Orcs, and with it’s rage and power caused the great volcano, long thought dormant to erupt in glorious fury. The eruption annihilated the great capital of (name pending), and the tremors and earthquakes it caused returned the green and verdant land back to the harsh desert it once had been.

The remnant people of (name pending) along with the surviving members of the Imperial dynasty and the mages fled north, deep into the desert, sequestering away much of their magic and artifacts, but the damage had been done.

Soon the volcanic lands would grow green again, becoming even more fertile than before thanks to the blessings of the Shattered king and the great Chasm, and the Orc’s that remained would emerge from their hiding places, and settle this new land that had been gifted to them.

### The Great Interregnum

However, the Orcs, knowing nothing but war since their creation, struggled to maintain peace in their lands, and soon conflict erupted to decide who would rule these new people. The Orc’s rallied around their own officers, and large-scale infighting commenced.

For (still being decided years) the many different armies of Orcs warred all throughout the land, soon armies evolved into different clans and tribes as they developed their own identity and culture over the years. Over time, the fighting began to settle, and although violent infighting would still happen commonly, an uneasy peace would settle across the land, although no definite leader had emerged from the chaos.

With their flanks somewhat secure, some Orcish warbands began to look outward, and began raiding the neighboring tribes and cities of the desert. Some cities and towns were taken, but the Orcs were never able to hold onto them for long, not that they had any interest in doing so.

As the years drove on, the Orcs began to be influenced by the societies and cultures that they interacted with, with many abandoning their militaristic ways to pursue other interests such as agriculture and art, crudely at first, but as the captains and clan leaders began to notice the benefits of these more civilized pursuits, they began to be encouraged en-mass, beginning the first Orcish golden age.

In this golden age, many Orcish clans abandoned their militaristic semi-nomadic lives and began to settle into many different city states and small kingdoms throughout the volcanic lands and the surrounding desert, soon developing technology and culture on par with their neighbors.

After many years of warring and intrigue, two states emerged as the dominant powers, the Federation of Kardesh, an alliance of city states centered around the city of the same name, whose agricultural dominance made them a trade superpower. The second is the Holy League of Maraksh, a more centralized theocratic state with its capital at Mör-Akaz, which is built on the ruins of the old Imperial capital of (name-pending). The federation was formed in response to the holy league's aggressive foreign policy, which made many smaller states feel threatened, choosing to turn to Kardesh for protection.

Tensions have begun to rise as both nations seek to consolidate power, and a final confrontation to decide who will unite the Grey Orcish people seems likely in the near future.