Bulgu Orazan

**Bulgu Orazan**, roughly translated in Common as “Songs of the Wise '', is a catch-all term for the various post-Dookanist religions that emerged in orcish society. While exact tenants vary greatly across Halann, all sects share a common belief that the orcish god Dookan is dead, the importance of the orcish soul and elevation of that soul to enlightenment (Bulgu).

## History

### Background

From the dawn of orcish civilization to the post-Greentide era, orcish faith had always centered around the worship of the imprisoned god Dookan. For much of this period, the orcish clans followed what has come to be known as “Old Dookan” which centered around the belief that Dookan was wrongly imprisoned by the dwarves for trying to find a home for himself, and that the orcish people were created to free Dookan and defeat the dwarves for their treachery. However, a major reformation would occur during the early 15th century with the rise of Korgus Dookanson.

Declared as the son of Dookan himself, Korgus managed to accomplish the incredible feat of uniting much of orcishkind with the Serpentspine. As he grew in power, so too did a new form of Dookanism, Great Dookan. Much like in Old Dookan, Great Dookan centered around the unjust imprisonment of Dookan. However, it was not just the Dwarves and their gods who were at fault but also those of the Cannorians. In an attempt to honor and free his father, Korgus then lead his orcs into Escann, beginning the Greentide.

The invasion, while initially successful, would end in crushing defeat for the orcs when Korgus was slain in the Battle of Castonath. The united orcs fragmented into warring clans. And while Great Dookan did not immediately perish with Korgus, the defeat left a wound in orcish society outside the Dwarovar.

### First Stirrings

In the following years after Greentide’s end, the shattered orcish clans would spend their energy not only fighting amongst themselves, foreign adventurers and native reclaimers but also debating the meaning of Korgus Dookanson’s death and defeat. Strength was, and still is, central orcish culture, especially in the martial sense. And defeat was typically synonymous with weakness.

Within every clan the same questions were asked. Was the son of Dookan weak? Was the creed he espoused false? Some dared to even quietly question if Korgus Dookanson was even divine.

On the surface, the answers to these questions seemed obvious. According to a rudimentary understanding of orcish culture defeat was invalidation. However, orcish belief was not so simple. None could ignore the incredible success the Greentide had enjoyed. Nor could they deny the power that Korgus had wielded. Indeed, it took an avatar of their enemy’s pantheon to defeat him. And even then, it came at the cost of her life.

Initially, it would seem no wide ranging consensus would ultimately be reached amongst the post-Greentide clans. Some clans continued to hold onto Korgus’ vendetta against other gods and hold him as a martyr. More still reverted to a form of Old Dookan. Yet, across these clans, some would come to believe that the defeat of his chosen was proof that Dookan died long ago instead of being imprisoned, but passed on his soul -the orcish soul- to the people he created, and that it was up to every orc to nurture his inner “orcish soul”. Many heroes born in the crucible of the Greentide would be held to an unusual height of veneration. With this neo-Dookanism would come the first stirrings of Bulgu Orazan.

### Taking Root in the Deepwoods

While Korgus’ death left many clans in Escann shocked and questioning of Great Dookan for the clans lost to the Deepwoods, it only reaffirmed their disillusionment with Korgus and Great Dookan. This was in small part thanks to the years, upwards to decades due to fey temporal displacement, of harrowing fighting these clans had experienced, all without Korgus Dookanson lending his alleged divine aid once. His defeat only served to expedite the evolution from Great Dookan to neo-Dookanist thought that a number of Escanni orcs would experience, if tinged by small environmental context based changes such as Dookan being trapped behind a timewarped prison (much like how the orcs had been).

However, whereas Corinism would eventually sweep over the Escanni orcs that were not enslaved and displace the proto form of Bulgu Orazan, this emerging faith would remain uncontested until the rise of the Emeraldtide in the early 16th century. Starting with clan Silent Blade, a number of Green Orcs would be transformed via fey sorcery into feymarked Emerald Orcs, subservient to the Prince of the Blackened Branch and his Ashentree Court. Though the Prince and the Emerald Orcs would eventually be defeated, the experience would deeply traumatize the isolated orcs of the Deepwoods.

While all races within the Deepwoods had been threatened, only the Green Orcs had faced the possibility of not only extermination but also of true enslavement. A fate averted only thanks to efforts of heroes such Bron Blackmoon and Vogaa Cursed Howl. For this reason, a new line of thought gained purchase within the newly forged state of Karkakhanbar: Dookan was dead and only his greatest legacy, the orcish soul, lived on.

Evangelized by Grash Stoneheart, a veteran of the Emeraldtide, worship of Dookan fell away entirely in favor of the celebration of orcish heroes during religious gatherings. Initially, little changed aside from the general absence of Dookan in these gatherings. However, over the course of the ensuing decades, Grash Stoneheart and his followers would gather a series of “soul conclaves” (rushuvra in orcish) to determine the final tenets via battles of wits and strength.

### Arrival in Aelantir

With eventual victory of the Escanni adventurers and their successors, many Escanni orcs would ultimately abandon Bulgu Orazan’s early form in favor of Cornism. The exception to this would be the orcs who fell victim to the Greenskin slave trade. Toiling on the plantations in Endralliande, these orcish slaves would retain onto the various Dookanist faiths. And they would take these faiths with them to Ozgarom when they broke free of their shackles under the leadership of Bramash Chainbreaker

It is for this reason that, in the immediate years after Bramash Chainbreaker’s passing, the faith of the freed slaves of Ozgarom was an ecliptic one. There were a few who, despite generations passing since the end of the Greentide, still held fast to Korgus Dookanson’s Great Dookan. Many more held onto an oral tradition stemming from Old Dookan, believing that the harsh environment of Aelantir was a promised land granted by Dookan himself. And still others, like the ruinborn amongst the orcs, remained true to more local beliefs.

Amidst this swirling collection of faiths emerged Ahza White Hand, born Ahza Grimblade, a half-orc born of the union between an orc and ruinborn. Assigned as junior mediator to the White Hand clan upon reaching adulthood, Ahza’s mark on history began when she arrived to resolve a brawl between a crowd of orcish Chainbreaker warriors and a handful of ruinborn hoping to join the clan. Stories have it  that, after failing to intercede through normal means, the half-orc allegedly gave a powerful cry. So loud was the shout that it was enough to interrupt the fight. Tales then speak of how the once clashing orcs and ruinborn turned to Ahza, questioning who this interloper was. After a moment of hesitation, the junior mediator seized the moment and boomed out an orcish hymn of battle brotherhood. Unusually though, it was in the rhythm of a Soruinic Ruinborn. Despite this, the message of unity managed to eek through with the two sides voluntarily stepping apart after the hym ended.

While such incidents between orcs and ruinborn, especially within the more insular Chainbreakers, were not uncommon, the resolution to this particular incident would catch the ear of Orbaz White Hand. Indeed, despite having much of his energy devoted to maintaining the very existence of Ozgarom against Cannorian revanchism, Orbaz’s later writings indicated he was equally worried of internal divisions tearing apart the newly freed slaves’ state.

It is perhaps unsurprising then, that after summoning Ahza White Hand and hearing her story, Orbaz saw an opportunity to mend some of these divisions through Ahza. Assigning her the role of Durazar (peace singer), he set her upon commissioning and then spreading a series of hymns, songs and melodies that brought together old Soruinic Ruinborn Seranset traditions native to the land with the various forms of Dookanism within the orcish communities. At the center of these works, he stressed the importance of Bramash and his legacy. What arose would form the foundations of Ozgaromi Bulgu Orazan.

## Tenants and Beliefs

### Commonalities

While a number of regional differences color the various sects of Bulgu Orazan, they do share a set of core beliefs:

1. The old orcish god Dookan is dead.
2. Dookan’s creation, “the orcish soul”, remains and mortals can be reincarnated with that soul.
3. It is possible for those with an orcish soul to become Bulgu, roughly meaning “enlightened” in Common.

### Deepwoods

The oldest recognizable form of Buglu Orazan, the Deepwoods sect is defined by its focus on a heroic pantheon. Worship occurs weekly in the form of a communal choir typically led by a shaman or other major community figure. Songs center around sacrifice, freedom and tenacity while espousing the importance of defending the community, specifically toward outside threats.

In this sect, orcs, and orcs alone, who are able to rise up and defend the freedom of the community may potentially be elevated to Bulgu. Of those Bulgu, a select few enter the heroic pantheon to lead the way for future Bulgu.

### Ozgarom

Born in the 17th century, the Ozgarom sect centers around the celebration of Bramash Chainbreaker and his closest followers. Highly colorized by the old Soruinic Ruinborn faith Senanset and the political situation of the time, the Ozgaromi sect all around a more inclusive form of Bulgu Orazan. Unlike the Deepwoods sect, this sect espouses that any sentient creature can be born with an orcish soul and thus is capable of becoming Bulgu. However, these paragons are almost never elevated pantheonic status and are reserved for admiration not worship.

Due to the nature of Ozgaromi society, worship practices depend on one’s clan. Chainbreakers typically follow religious services as dictated by commanding officers.White Hands, however, are more prone to regular open attendance worship. Finally, Grimshadows tend toward highly individualistic expressions of faith.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Armyn Stynài (1741). *After the Whirlwind, a Deepwoods History*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Armyn Stynài (1835). *The Rise and Fall of* *Karkakhanbar*