Forgeborn

Forgeborn mother and orclings in the market to trade trophies.

## Intro

The Forgeborn were once a wandering tribe of Orc blacksmiths and hunters, living near the Feywild, known as "The Deep Forest". Though simplistic and primitive in appearance, due to their nomadic nature, their smithing skills were comparable only to the Dwarven forges in the mountain kingdoms. Many peoples welcomed the roving orcs and the trade they brought near to their towns, leaving the Forgeborn to their ways and traditions, so long as they never joined in the great Orc floods that occurred every few decades. Once, a mighty War Chief arose within the Forgeborn, with dreams of power and a lust for personal glory. He was Lurog, and the Forgemaster crafted a mighty blade in his honor, as was tradition.

Over time, however, Lurog's greed overtook his sanity, and he broke from Forgeborn tradition, ordering his people to build monuments in his honor and to begin raiding the towns and villages they had traded with, in the past, seeking to raise his own status and join the ranks in the coming Orc flood. On the eve of declaring his allegiance to the other Orc War Chiefs and swearing his people to the flood, the Forgemaster, his tribal wife, poisoned his drink with distilled black-root. In shame, the tribe buried their chieftain in one of his monuments, a great tomb filled with his trophies and conquests. They tattooed their chins with an inverted triangle, representing "poison" and "betrayal", one of the most dishonorable ways for an Orc to die. Though their chieftain was dead, they needed a new chieftain, so they forced the Forgemaster to craft a new blade for the tribe, as no one would claim Lurog's Pride from his cursed tomb. She poured all her remaining hatred for the former chieftain into the blade, ultimately casting herself into the forge itself, with a curse upon her lips. Thus, Lurog's Shame was forged, bearing the last curse of the Forgemaster, a final test for any who would desire leadership within the Forgeborn. If a warrior could overcome the curse, unlock the tomb, and lay it to rest, in exchange for reclaiming Lurog's Pride, he would be worthy to lead her people.

The first warrior to wield the blade was driven mad by the curse and charged into the Deep Forest, never to be seen again. With their pride lost, beyond their reach, the tribe scattered and continued to wander the lands, until a stranger came wandering into their midst, carrying Lurog's Shame upon his shoulders. He was an outsider, a mountain-born Half-Orc, with no more ties to his people. Hagurth had found him, wandering with other adventurers and claiming to have found the blade within the belly of a great beast. She took him to the current Forgemaster, Mazoga, the cursed Forgemaster's daughter. He was told of Lurog's Tomb and the quest to reclaim Lurog's Pride, but nothing else. He agreed to lay Lurog's Shame to rest and reclaim Lurog's Pride from the clutching grasp of their restless chieftain.

They sent him away, not expecting a return, but he did. Zorubaash returned with Lurog's Pride upon his shoulders and claimed the Forgeborn, as their new chieftain. He led them to the town of Venzor and ordered them to watch and learn the ways of the mixed peoples that called the town "home". Then he left, again, in search of another quest. This time, they expected a return, but for six months, he did not return. No word was given, and no knowledge was found as to the fate of Zorubaash and his party, The Band of the Noble Rat. Enemies came and assaulted the Hall of the Noble Rat, where the Forgeborn were camped, killing many within the tribe and the guards that protected the area, but still their chieftain did not return. Then, one day, a great, arcane doorway opened before the gate to the Hall, and their chieftain and the Rats emerged, dragging the skull of an ancient dragon behind them. Much had happened to all of them. Some did not return, but he did. He always returned to his people, until that day...

## Location

The Forgeborn were last seen encamped within the walls of the Fortress of the Noble Rats, having become a main site of trade and prosperity near the town of Venzor. Their wares were traded with local citizens and adventurers who had come seeking quests or to parlay with the Rats. With their chieftain lost, now, there is no telling if they will remain at the fortress or continue their nomadic ways, seeking to find their wandering War Chief.

## Inhabitants

The Forgeborn are made up of mostly brown and green skinned orcs, though others have joined, since Chief Zorubaash had initiated an open trade with the other races, leading to relationships outside the tribe and bringing new blood into their ranks. Before his disappearance, some mountain tribes of orcs, still untainted by the dread warlock, Syrdar, and his infernal masters, and a few other lowland tribes had joined under the banner of the Forgeborn. Additionally, some other nomadic tribes of elves, humans, and even some Dwarven outcasts had come into the ranks, adding their strength and skill to the Forge. Though it is unclear as to the current state of the Forgeborn, they are now inextricably bound to the fate of the land and its peoples, having as many half-orc and other-than-orc members or loved ones as there are "pure blood" orcs. Older Forgeborn still bear the mark of shame upon their chins, but it has been scarred, to mark "the breaking". All younger Forgeborn and every generation since bear a single scar upon their chins, running from their lower lip downward, and embellished with red paint, mimicking the mark upon their wayward War Chief's own chin and representing the end of their shame.

## Special Notes

Forgeborn craft some of the best and mightiest weapons and armor, found in the lowlands. Thanks to their chieftain, they now have one of the largest forges in the land, rivaled only by those of the Dwarves and their mountain fortresses. Thanks to open trade and a fixed location, Forgeborn wares are now exported across the realm, at top price. The Forgeborn have even expanded their craftsmanship, incorporating the skills and tools of other races, and have begun to create finer wares, such as jewelry, chain armor, and advanced ranged weapons.