Orcs of Rasgath

The western orcs of Rasgath are a nasty bunch. Once living in the forests of Náraleth under constant harashment from the elves, they were finally driven away when a great fiery stag summoned by the combined power of the last dark elven king Nárindo and Kyil'Zhal entered their lands and destroyed their homes. No choice but to flee from the destructive flames, they now reside on the mountains north of Náraleth and beyond. A growing bitterness has taken root among the orc race and for years, they have prepared to claim vengeance for their fallen brothers and sisters. Even though the dark elves are now nearly gone, the Kingdom of Náraleth still stands and blood must be spilled. For every dead orc lying in the ashes of the Forest of the Forgotten, two elves must also be put beneath the ground.

Rasgath itself is a large fortified "city" located on the western mountains, directly north of the Forest of the Forgotten. It was officially founded in the year 3990 by a powerful western orc named Ratghor. 10 years after the burning of their homes, Ratghor was able to unite many of the surviving orc tribes under his banner as they were all now driven by a common hate for elves and Náraleth in particular. Ever since then, they have been fortifying the west and gathering more members for their army. While they are mostly made up of western orcs, they have begun accepting hobgoblin mercenaries and northern orcs as well as strong wildmen and half-orcs to their ranks. From the western mountains, they conduct frequent raids to the northern borders of Náraleth and take what trophies they can; elven body parts, particularly ears and eyes, fetch a high price at the markets of Rasgath and they act as a sort of secondary currency to the western orcs.

Currently, Rasgath is lead by a group known as the Sons of Ratghor. Their numbers are unknown but they are all bound by blood to the original founder of Rasgath and have all named themselves after him. As Ratghor himself was becoming too old to lead Rasgath, he took his personal armor and weapons and traveled deep into Náralethian lands, never to return. He gave his countless sons the task of continuing his mission and to honor his name, which they have all done. His sons all operate in different parts of Rasgath and western Énelya and all go by the name Ratghor, as Ratghor is not just a single person anymore. Highly influential shamans are needed to legitimize those that call themselves Ratghor, in order to solidify their position and confirm their birth right. Along with them, the most influential tribes in Rasgath include the Beastrider Tribe and Stonesplitter Tribe, lead by Chieftain Kalnor and Chieftain Arpin respectively. The beastriders are dedicated to mounted combat, scouting and training of various beasts for fighting purposes. The stonesplitters are made up of the strongest western orcs, wielding the largest and deadliest weapons with the strength of giants. The Shaman Circle, lead by Chieftain Edski, is another group of more spiritual orcs who can form a special connection with ancestral orcs and deliver important messages between orc generations. They also claim to converse regularly with the spirits of orcs that died in the fires of Nárindo; many shamans have said that they see haunting and cryptic visions of both past and future events. Though magic has no place in orc society, the shamans can keep the other orcs calm and collected in their rage and bring them relief in times of need. Aside from these three groups, other minor tribes also operate within Rasgath and dedicate their members to the cause.

The western were not always known to be so hateful as they have now become and before this shift in their nature, they were actually quite comparable to the wood elves in their ways of living. They lived in modesty, deep in the forests and away from others. They had no need for claiming land or creating powerful kingdoms as they had their own tribes and that was enough. However, western orcs can be extremely territorial and the elves saw them as intruders on their lands. Encounters were almost always less than friendly and the conflict only raised more bitterness among both races. Now that their relations are at an all-time low, the orcs of Rasgath are probably looking to launch the largest orcish invasion in all of history. As king Undariel is currently more focused on the south, the time for this invasion may be closer than one would think.