-- ToME - Tales of Maj'Eyal
-- Copyright (C) 2009, 2010, 2011 Nicolas Casalini
--
-- This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-- it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-- the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-- (at your option) any later version.
--
-- This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-- but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-- MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-- GNU General Public License for more details.
--
-- You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-- along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
--
-- Nicolas Casalini "DarkGod"
-- darkgod@te4.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Various Orc Prides
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
newLore{
	id = "grushnak-pride-note",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Grushnak's Note",
	lore = [[Treachery! During a patrol around the outskirts of the High Peak I witnessed two orcs - the envoys from our supposed "master" - talking in secret. Remaining to watch them, I beheld as their orcish features sloughed from their bodies, revealing a pair of human wizards! Humans! To think that our great pride has been deceived in such a manner! I should have crushed their skulls there and then. However, mages can be crafty, so I left them to their scheming.

Even now the blood runs hot! What would Garkul, our mighty berserker king, think if he saw our great race bending before humans?! Many times I have entertained the idea of taking a group of my finest warriors and ending this folly, but... loathsome as it is, I must use tact. A rebellion would leave my pride weakened, easy prey. That bone-picker Rak'Shor and his unnatural creations have dreamed of my death (and subsequent dominion) for years, I know this to be true. This conundrum frustrates and confuses! ... At least we are agreed on one matter - the total destruction of those sun-worshipping dogs of the Gates of Morning...]],
}

newLore{
	id = "rak-shor-pride-note",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Rak'Shor's Note",
	lore = [[The eyes of the dead bring interesting news to me. Our masters are not what they appear; they are human, simply masquerading as orcs in our presence. I might have suspected this... it is difficult to disguise the basic weakness and frailty of a human soul, even with complex spells. Their goals elude me, yet I sense strange energies in the vicinity of the High Peak - the voices of spirits long departed from this world... some not from this world at all.

But this is foolishness compared to my current trials. Gorbat remains as obstinate as ever, the dragon-loving, scale-shining buffoon. He thinks that dragons are special, different, not suitable for my craft. I care not for his prattling, I desire the corpses of dragons! Mountains of them! How can his heart not beat a little faster at the prospect of a dracozombie?! The mere thought of it is enough to send delightful shivers down my spine...]],
}

newLore{
	id = "gorbat-pride-note",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Gorbat's Note",
	lore = [[My dragons bring news. They witnessed humans upon the High Peak, speaking of their mastery over our prides. They did not heed my dragons, unwitting of their ability to communicate with me. Now I possess this information, I must think deeply on how to proceed regarding our "masters". Many of my finest wyrmics wish to rise up against our deceivers, see them consumed in wyrmfire. Even some of my dragons have divulged this wish to me. Sadly, this must wait.

Vor's insolence will be tolerated no longer! His claims that his pride's mastery over the elements surpasses that of the dragons is insult enough, but this...! Some of my finest dragons, my glorious multi-hued wyrms, have been captured and held within their armouries in the hopes that they can further their twisted mockeries of fire and ice! This will not stand! I must ignore the plots of our human deceivers for the moment, for Vor requires my full attention.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "vor-pride-note",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Vor's Note",
	lore = [[Strange lights play atop the High Peak. Torches? Nay. The fire of dragons? Not so. A volcanic eruption, perchance? Alas, no. It is unmistakably the fire of the arcane, the fire of mages, and seeing as every pyromancer within our pride is under my dominion, I can only assume that these lights come from one not affiliated with us. The lights are fascinating, I wish to study them; they put me in mind of the fires of the Spellblaze, burning so very long ago...

Sadly, such desires are denied to me at this moment. Plans are in motion, and we are scant weeks away from finally crushing the accursed sun paladins and their tin-plated harlot ruler. Even once the Sunwall lies in ruins I must be careful - the horde of sub-orc savages Grushnak calls a pride are ever at my door, claiming we do not follow Garkul's "true path". He is a fool, but dangerous, and I must be vigilant.]],
}

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- History of the orc race
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

newLore{
	id = "orc-history-1",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Records of Lorekeeper Hadak part one",
	lore = [[Our history is a history of battles, a history of wars. We orcs have always been under attack from the other races, always having to defend ourselves against their ruthless advances. The other races paint us as evil, they think of us as purely beasts. Not so! If we are cruel, it is because they made us cruel. If we are heartless, it is because they ripped our beating hearts from our chests and stamped them beneath their feet!

It was the halflings we first did war with, in the Age of Allure. We were weak then, and disorganised, and in their arrogance they sought to enslave us. But we fought back! And we have been fighting back ever since. They used magic on us, though we had never come in touch with the arts before. They used whips and chains and tried to beat us down. They used us for labour, butchering any young that were not strong enough for them, burning any constructions we tried to make for ourselves.

At first we escaped and fled, and hid in dark caves. Our numbers grew, though we had to endure squalor and hardship. After many years we could hide no longer, as starvation and disease threatened to kill us all. And so seeing our enemy weak we rose upon them in wrath. We were not organised, but we were determined. The elves and the humans and the dwarves tried to oppose us too, but we would not allow ourselves to be beaten! They tried to use their magics against us, but we overcame them with numbers, five of us dying for every mage we managed to kill. With blood we paid and finally we had lands for our own!]],
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-history-2",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Records of Lorekeeper Hadak part two",
	lore = [[After fighting back the other races we began to build and prosper. Finally we had our own towns and cities, and we began to advance our own abilities. Though battles were still ongoing at our borders we were free to thrive and prosper.

But then the accursed Shaloren mages began experimenting with Sher'Tul ruins. Oh what a dark and terrible a day it was for our race! The Spellblaze massacred our people. Earthquakes tore up our new-built towns, fires raged over old and young alike, and the whole world was turned to turmoil. Afterwards disease and blight ravaged our people, utterly ruining all the progress we had made.

Only the strongest of us lived through the dark times that followed. We fled east, back to our dark and hidden places, but our people swore terrible oaths of vengeance on the races that had brought such bloody ruin upon us.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-history-3",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Records of Lorekeeper Hadak part three",
	lore = [[During the Age of Dusk we lay hidden, nursing our wounds and plotting our revenge. But this turned against us, as centuries after the Spellblaze had torn our race apart, the Cataclysm would bring ruin upon us again. We were finally recovering our numbers when earthquakes tore through all of our settlements. Falling rocks crushed and smothered us, thousands of us were left trapped to die beneath the ground. What few of us were left came out to a changed world.

The effects of magic left a grave impression on us then, and we knew we must learn its secrets in order to compete. For centuries we studied the effects of the Spellblaze, and captured enemy mages to experiment on them. Finally we were able to master the arts of magic and use them for ourselves. We built up our capabilities in secret, waiting for the right moment to strike a decisive vengeance. Garkul the Devourer, the greatest of our race, brought the plans to fruition. Under his awe-inspiring leadership we marched out upon the halfling kingdoms and burnt all before us. What glorious retribution we had! Whole cities were felled beneath our wrath. Everywhere we went we piled the bodies of our victims high and lit them in blazing pyres, as a symbol of our indomitable strength.

The Age of Pyre was our age, the time when we showed ourselves the strongest of the races, standing alone and unbeatable.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-history-4",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Records of Lorekeeper Hadak part four",
	lore = [[How greatly our race advanced during the Age of Pyre! Truly none of the weaker races can compare. For it was vengeance that drove us, and so fervently we pursued our goals at the thought of our just retribution on the races that had punished us and beaten us for so long before.

During the Age of Pyre we discovered the farportal, deep beneath the dwarven cities. We were more cautious than the foolish elves before us, and managed to harness the portal's power to open a gateway to the lost east. We sent military forces over, and easily beat back the puny elves and humans that were hoveling there already. We established the Prides there - training camps for our soldiers where they could hone their battle skills before returning to fight the wars in the west.

But all in the west did not go well. We conquered many lands, and came close to wiping out many races, but we became spread thin. As the other races began to fight back our Age of Pyre was to dwindle.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-history-5",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Records of Lorekeeper Hadak part five",
	lore = [[The humans and the halflings made an alliance to defend their kingdoms, and soon the elves and the dwarves joined too, and we were pushed back. Our tactics became increasingly defensive as they made greater advances into our territory.

We fought well and hard, but we were not prepared for the terrible tactics they would use. Instead of attacking our military bases they went for our towns and cities, killing all of our civilians. Babes were slaughtered in their mother's arms, and every last woman and child was hunted down and murdered. It was genocide of the highest order.

What forces we could muster we sent east, leaving behind token troops who bravely sacrificed themselves against the enemy attacks, convincing them that their genocide had been complete.

But what was left of our people in the east was a broken picture. Gone were the majority of our women and children, gone were our centres of culture, gone was all softness that ever lived in us. Our military forces were all that were left, consolidated in the Prides. By arcane experimentation we found ways to breed again, but we are left a hollow people. Until we are free from the threats of the other races we can focus on only one thing - revenge.

We still have a secret presence in the west, in our rightful lands across which we have spilled rivers of our own blood. We are building up our military force at an accelerating rate, and when the time comes we shall sweep across Maj'Eyal with a vengeance that cannot be held back. The other races will suffer as they have made us suffer, and all that they have built will be brought to ruin.]],
}

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Story of Garkul, the greatest of all orcs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

newLore{
	id = "garkul-history-1",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "The Legend of Garkul",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Chapter One: A Young Warrior#{normal}#

#{italic}#"Without hardship you cannot have strength. Only through pain do we truly learn. Our race has lived through war and fire and pestilence, and each one has made us stronger. Each trial we overcome brings us to greater strength."
- Sayings of Garkul the Devourer#{normal}#

Garkul was the greatest orc to ever live, and the tale of his life is the tale of the greatest age for our race. He united our tribes, drove back the enemy races, conquered west and east, and died with ten thousand bodies at his feet.

He was born in a troubled time, when we lived a life of hiding, capable of only sneak attacks on the other races from our dark caves. He was from a small brood of no notable blood, but at a young age proved himself on the streets as a fierce and intelligent warrior. Note that there could be no one like Garkul in the other races. They coddle their nobility and weaken them, whilst those that endure true hardship are doomed to live a life of servitude. We orcs are all born equal, and every one of us is given the opportunity to fight and show our prowess above others. Only the strong live to rule, and only the smart stay in power.

Garkul formed his own street gang, as those who saw his strength quickly devoted themselves to him. Soon he became powerful enough to take over his whole tribe. But one day he was spotted for a greater fate. Verikor the spellmaker was visiting each tribe, gathering volunteers for his experiments in magic. When he came to Garkul's tribe the young orc laughed at him, and said that all the spells of Eyal could not match the muscles in his left arm. Verikor was impressed by this adolescent display of pride, and moreover saw something else in the youth, and invited Garkul to test his brawn against the strongest of the new breed of mages. Garkul accepted, and the two travelled to Verikor's halls.

Here Garkul was surprised, for the caverns beneath the halls hid thousands of orcs training in the ways of magic. They were highly organised, split into schools of ability and rising ranks, with masters teaching them well in the use of the Art for combat. Verikor explained how he had spent his life studying the effects of the Spellblaze, and experimenting on kidnapped mages from the other races, and this was the culmination of that lifelong research. With young orcs from all the tribes he could build an army of mages that could help their whole race fight back against their enemies. Garkul was clearly stirred by the possibilities this could bring.

Then came the time of the trial, for Garkul had bet that with his left arm alone he could fend off the greatest of wizards. So Verikor brought out his three most advanced students, one trained in fire, one trained in ice, and one trained in blood, and the challenge was to see who could knock the other out first. Garkul accepted with a grin, putting his right arm behind his back as he faced the three mages.

The pyromancer began by shooting a wreath of flames at the fighter, but Garkul dodged with immense speed, and before the mage could cast another spell Garkul was upon him, and swept a vicious uppercut into the caster's jaw, breaking it and instantly knocking him out. Then the cryomancer let loose a hail of ice, but Garkul grabbed the swooning fire mage by his robe and used him as a shield as he ran through the icy storm, till he came to the second caster, tossed aside the inert body, and hooked the ice mage soundly on the temple. With two mages down in just a few seconds he then turned on the corruptor, who backed off in fright. Garkul advanced with a laugh, but as he came near the blood mage cast a hex, and the warrior felt his arm suddenly shrivel up, unusable. With a curse he headbutted the final caster, who fell instantly to the ground, and the hex was broken.

Garkul turned to the amazed Verikor and bowed. "You have bested me - I had to use my head for the last one." But Verikor was in awe of the fighter's skills - his incredible speed, his amazing strength, and his quick-wittedness in battle were all far beyond anything he had seen before. The two talked a while, and Garkul brought forth many ideas for how the army of mages could work together with the warriors and the wilders of the tribes to produce an unequalled force. His eyes were open now to the potential for magic, and his brain wrought together new tactics and strategies for how it could be used in battle.

Verikor kept Garkul as his guest for many months, and though Garkul had no inkling for the Art he learnt many things about how to resist and avoid the effects of magic. Verikor never ceased to be impressed by the young orc's talents, and it became clear to him that here was one who was destined to lead their race to great things.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "garkul-history-2",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "The Legend of Garkul",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Chapter Two: Rise of the Devourer#{normal}#

#{italic}#"There are no such things as obstacles, no such things as impossibilities. When a problem presents itself you use your head and your fists, and you remove the problem. If you cannot punch you kick, and if you cannot kick you bite, and you do not unclench your jaws until the thing that was a problem is a problem no more."
- Sayings of Garkul the Devourer#{normal}#

The next spring Verikor brought Garkul to the tribal council, when each of the leaders of the tribes met. Wargon the elder headed the meeting, as they heard reports from the happenings in each tribe.

Garkul listened patiently until one of the western tribes briefed about an attack on their base by the halflings, and he stirred as he heard about how their warriors had fallen to the Eldoral slingers and mages, but Verikor bade him be still. There were mutterings from some of the other tribal leaders, but Garkul was shocked that none called for an avenging strike.

Wargon stayed silent and contemplative, but when the mutterings died down he raised his voice. "These are terrible events, but little can be done. To attack back would be to draw attention to ourselves, to invite further destruction. We must remain silent, perhaps-"

"Fangless dog!" shouted Garkul, standing up suddenly, no longer able to control himself. "You have no teeth! We should fight back, we should teach them a lesson for daring to assault our tribes!"

Wargon seethed with rage at the insult, and gestured for several guards to chop down the young warrior. Garkul tensed as he saw them reach for their weapons, ready to fight back against the whole room if needs be, but Verikor swiftly stood up to intervene. "Elder, forgive the boy; he is young and keen for battle. It is my fault for bringing him here, I accept full responsibility."

Wargon's eyes turned to slits as he looked at the spellmaker. "You would take this boy's stead?" Verikor gravely nodded, and a thin smile crossed the elder's lips. Long had he suspected the mage of building up secret forces, and now he saw a chance to remove a potential rival. He motioned to the nearest guard, who advanced on the unresisting mage and slit his throat.

Garkul remained motionless, staring hard at the elder. Wargon's slitted eyes rested on him for a moment, but the stare made him uneasy. Turning to one of the guards he said, "I do not like the look in this one's eyes. Put out his right eye, and then let him go." Garkul did not flinch as the guard took the knife to his face, and his left eye remained fixed on Wargon as the right was cut open and blood poured down his face.

He returned to his tribe and had the wound tended, but would accept no patch on it, and the name of Garkul One-Eye was laid on him. People asked, "How do you now intend to stand for leadership of our tribe when you have but half vision?" But Garkul responded, "I see more than all others, and I will lead this tribe and more besides."

He awaited his vengeance till he deemed the time right, and at the next tribal council he arrived with twenty of his followers. When he was refused entry he batted away the guards with a single swipe of his fist. He marched towards Wargon whilst his warriors surrounded the tribal leaders. "So, fangless wolf," he growled. "Will you fight me now?"

Wargon clenched his teeth, and not wanting to appear weak he reached for his daggers and sprung at the challenger. But Garkul grabbed both of his arms, and in a swift movement tore them from their sockets. Then he seized the screaming elder by the head, digging his nails into his flesh, and pulled the face close to his own. He opened his jaw over Wargon's right eye and bit down sharply, shearing the orb from its socket, before tossing back his head and swallowing the eyeball. Then he turned to the other eye and did the same, black blood running down his chin as he chewed through the squelching flesh.

He dropped the twitching body on the ground, bent over it and pummelled his fist down on the wounded head, cracking Wargon's skull apart and smashing out all his teeth. He turned then to the other leaders and cried, "See?! For each eye one takes from me, I take two! Follow me, and I will kill two halflings for every one they take of us. There will be no more snivelling and sneaking - we will rise up and bring a blaze of wrath across the lands!" Confronted by Garkul's strength and surrounded by his warriors, the tribal leaders without hesitation all agreed to follow him.

So ended the name Garkul One-Eye, for a new name was born: Garkul the Devourer. The teeth of Wargon he collected and made into a necklace, and he added more teeth to it as he dealt with dissent amongst the tribes, until all followed him without question.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "garkul-history-3",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "The Legend of Garkul",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Chapter Three: Bringer of Pyre#{normal}#

#{italic}#"Fire is a symbol all races understand. To burn is to destroy utterly. When I conquer I leave behind fire - every house, every field, every corpse, burnt to a cinder. This is a sign of our dominance, and the word of it spreads amongst our enemies. To them I become a living, unquenchable flame, and the sight of my army fills them with the dread of incineration."
- Sayings of Garkul the Devourer#{normal}#

Garkul united the tribes swiftly and effectively. He reorganised them, joining together the warriors and the wyrmics into their own bands, encouraging competition between them. Seeing the strength of the mages he split them in two, one for the elements, and one for corruption and death, and he encouraged them to compete against each other further. He said that only orcs could compete against other orcs, for the other races could never compare. Only through competition with ourselves could we achieve our true strengths.

He organised protective groups around the orcish territories, so that any attacks from the other races were quickly put down. But the halflings saw our increased organisation, and began to enlarge their scouting groups and bolster their patrols. Garkul saw that this could not continue any longer, and that the time was ripe to bring his plans to full fruition. He began to plan an attack on Barton, the largest Eldoral city in the region.

The attack was made in the dead of night. Under the shadow of darkness his army marched towards the city walls, and they were not spotted until they were nearly upon it. When the guards let up a cry of warning they tried to close the city gates, but the orcish mages let loose a barrage of spells that tore the defences apart. The Barton army finally rallied and began to flood out of the city gates to meet their attackers, but Garkul ordered that balls of fire be shot into their midst, splitting the troops apart, so that his fighters could easily slice through the few that came through the gates, whilst the archers shot down those held back by the flames. The pyromancers continued to send conflagrations of flame over the city walls, and as the halflings inside tried to escape their burning homes a new chaos erupted. For Garkul had sent necromancers into the city in advance through the sewers, and hidden by arcane illusion they now began to raise the fallen halflings as their undead minions. People screamed as they saw their deceased loved ones suddenly rise as ghasts and wights to attack them. And no leadership could be found amongst the defenders, as Garkul had sent through stealthed assassins to strike them down at the moment of attack. As all resistance crumbled the great leader then let loose his berserkers and wilders into the city, and they tore through the streets butchering every last opponent. Within a few hours not a single halfling remained alive, and not a single cobblestone in the city was left unstained by their crimson blood. And Garkul's victory was truly transcendent, for not a single orc had been hurt in all the battles.

When his troops asked what should be done next he stayed quiet for a moment, looking at a hill to the south of the city. Then he said, "Chop down wood from the forest nearby and bring it to the top of that hill. Then gather all the bodies from the city - every part of every man, woman and child - and construct atop the hill a mighty pyre." And his army did so, and did it quickly, for the word of Garkul now stood above all else in their minds. When the pyre was finished it was over 80 feet high, and crammed with the bodies of thousands of their victims. As dawn began to glow red on the eastern horizon they lit the pyre, and the flames rose up to make a mighty furnace, incinerating the fallen corpses.

The pyre could be seen for miles around, and the other races sent out scouts to find out what it was. Garkul instructed his troops not to stop them, and the reports came back to the leaders of the other races of a butchery beyond all concept. Some could barely believe the words of their scouts, but the next night the same happened again to another Eldoral city, and the night after several towns in the region were burnt to a cinder. Garkul's army was sweeping forth in a blaze of wrath, and suddenly the peaceful world of the other races was falling apart.

These early victories came easy, but as they advanced they met more resistance, as the races had more forewarning of their attacks. But Garkul was always master of any situation, and his strategy and tactics overcame all defences. And after each victory was always the great pyre, and our armies would chant songs of victory as the flames reached into the cold night sky. The battles would become known as the Pyre Wars, and the flames of conquest would spread across all of Maj'Eyal.

Within three months the Eldoral kingdom was broken, and refugees flooded south to the halfling kingdom of Nargol, desperate to escape the deadly pyres. Garkul then consolidated his forces, building new bases in the conquered lands, before advancing out against the other races. None would escape the wrath of the people that had suffered so long from the attacks of the other races. Centuries of oppression had hardened us, and now the flames of vengeance that rose in our hearts could not be quenched.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "garkul-history-4",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "The Legend of Garkul",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Chapter Four: Conqueror of West and East#{normal}#

#{italic}#"Our strength must come through our pride, and our pride must rise from our strength. Many are our powers and abilities, and we are unified in our pride of them. Be proud in our great race and revel in the glories we can achieve together."
- Sayings of Garkul the Devourer#{normal}#

For many years the great conquest could not be held back. Garkul marched across the lands, insufferable of any resistance. The Eldoral were broken, and they fled to their halfling cousins the Nargols in the south. The humans were split into many kingdoms, and Garkul began to pick them off one by one, leaving just a few isolated in the west and south. The Thaloren hid in their dark forests, penned in by the mighty orcish armies. The Shaloren tried to fight, and with their great magics they created grave opposition to the orcish troops, but gradually they were beaten back and forced to retreat to their capital in the south-west. The dwarves viciously defended their halls in the east, and Garkul could not penetrate their cities of stone, but he laid plans in place to take them through caves below.

All the centre of Maj'Eyal was under Garkul's dominion - from the northern wastes to the southern lakes; from the Daikara Mountains to the western ocean. Orc patrols covered every valley and every field, and any enemies found were eradicated. Garkul's support was utterly unwavering, as every orc took new pride in their amazing achievements under his leadership.

But victory was not complete, as many centres of power and resistance still remained, and the Nargol were still a grave threat from the south. Garkul was careful not to overreach, not to spread his forces too thin before victory was assured. He knew he must bide his time and build up his forces to their greatest possible strength.

Then beneath the dwarven city of Reknor our scouts discovered an amazing thing - a Sher'Tul farportal. The blood mages studied it, and after some time they succeeded in activating it, and discovered a new land. It was the lost East, sundered from Maj'Eyal after the great cataclysm. Garkul saw here a great opportunity, and he instructed many thousands of young warriors and mages to be sent over to the east. There they formed training grounds where the military could train and practise to master their techniques before returning to join the wars in the west. Garkul named them the Prides, for he said here was were the strength of our race would lie, and here was what we would be most proud of.

But while Garkul was busy establishing the Prides the Nargol king was planning a strategy of defence. He knew that the orcish armies would come for his kingdom soon, and he drew on the powers of his greatest strategists to prepare a force that could not be overcome. He summoned the mightiest alchemists from all the lands and together they laid plans for a creation that could not be beaten: the giant golem Atamathon.

When Garkul next returned from the east he heard from his spies of great operations afoot in the Nargol kingdom, and he knew that he must face down the halflings. He did not know that it would be his last battle.]],
}

newLore{
	id = "garkul-history-5",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "The Legend of Garkul",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Chapter Five: Fall of the Mighty#{normal}#

#{italic}#"A true warrior never dies. His fall may come on the battlefield, but it is a fall to inspire all others who follow him. He lives on in their every thrust, every parry, every swipe. Whilst blood still spills in his name a warrior is immortal."
- Sayings of Garkul the Devourer#{normal}#

Garkul gathered a force together to take on the Nargol kingdom, striking south at their centre of power. It was not a force as strong as he would have liked, for many troops had been sent east to establish the Prides, but he knew he must quell any resistance from the halflings before it was too late.

He marched with care towards the southern city, with minor skirmishes along the way. As he approached the capital he saw the halfling armies ready, with over ten thousand troops organised into units, ready to defend their kingdom. Garkul had only five thousand with him, but he knew that his warriors were far stronger, and that with his tactics they would easily prevail. But still a nervousness was in him, and he advanced his troops with caution.

The orcs reached a tilled field, and the halfling army stood on the other side, waiting. Garkul eyed the ground suspiciously, but as the halfling slingers began to fire at them he knew he must act - he gave the order to attack. His warriors charged with speed towards with enemy, with his mages following behind, but as they neared their foe there was a sudden tumult in the ground. The fighters were knocked back as the earth tore open and a massive hand rose up, followed by a gigantic head. Slowly rising forth from the ground they saw a monster of unparalleled size - it was the giant golem Atamathon. Long had the halfling alchemists worked on it in secret, crafting its body of marble and its joints of voratun, setting a thousand rubies into each of its eyes and imbuing it with unrivalled power. Carefully had the strategists laid the trap, leading Garkul's army to this place with precisely timed skirmishes, waiting for the right moment to reveal their awe-inspiring weapon.

The orcish troops flailed against the golem, battering their weapons against its solid feet, but to no result. The mages fired spells of fire and ice at its chest, but they were reflected away without effect. Then the halfling alchemists stood forth and channelled their energies through the golem, and its ruby eyes glowed brightly before a beam of flames erupted and burned down on the orcish troops. The golem marched forwards, each step crushing dozens of warriors, whilst its beaming eyes tore through the ranks of mages. Then the alchemists joined in throwing bombs, and the slingers fired shot after shot and a great massacre began.

Garkul saw his troops in disarray, and knew that against this new weapon none of his army could prevail. He ran to his wolf-riders and grabbed the greatest beast, a vicious warg over ten feet long, and mounting it he charged into the fray. He rushed the wolf straight towards the giant golem, and made it leap towards the monster's towering chest. The golem swiped down a massive fist that smashed the warg apart, but Garkul jumped at the last moment and grabbed onto the golem's head, and drawing out his axe he swept it into one of the ruby eyes, shattering it.

Then the golem reached with both hands and grabbed Garkul by the arms, and his axe fell to the ground below. Atamathon held tightly to the great orc's limbs in its marble grip, and proceeded to try and rip them off. But Garkul flexed his muscles with all his strength, and resisted the might of the golem, and slowly he began to twist the golem's fists forwards, drawing him closer to monster's head. When he was close enough to that marble brow he smashed his head forwards against it, and the ringing sound of his steel helm hitting the solid stone tore through the air. The golem shuddered a moment, and Garkul headbutted it again, and his steel helm was torn from his pate. Once more he thrust his head forward, and the impact made a deep gash across his temples, but the thick marble of the golem's head was also dented. Another headbutt was launched forth, and two more as the golem's skull began to crack apart and its legs gave way beneath it. Garkul turned his bloodied head to the sky and roared before delivering a final fatal plunge of his head. His brow met the thick marble, and the golem's head shattered apart beneath the force. The golem collapsed, and Garkul with it. Thus fell the giant golem Atamathon, and its like has not been seen again.

At this the halflings were dismayed, for though the orcish troops were decimated their mighty weapon was also broken. Then they advanced towards the ruins and saw movement within, and before them rose Garkul the Devourer. His head was gashed and bloodied, and his arms were badly bruised, but he had recovered his axe and now faced them with a grin.

He saw he was alone now, for what had remained of his army had been finished off whilst he had battled the golem, and though they had fought well there still remained ten thousand troops before him. But he grinned, for he was a warrior true, and never more happy than when on the battlefield, facing foes insurmountable. He charged.

The bodies soon piled up in his wake as he tore through the halfling troops. He shrugged off blows against him, and swung his axe before him. He cleaved through skulls and sliced through armour and flesh and bones. When they tried to grab his weapon from him he punched them away, or bit through their throats. He laughed as he danced around his enemies, blood spurting up from their wounds and raining down over his face. Hundreds fell beneath his blade before the axe cracked and broke, but still he gripped the shaft and stabbed and clubbed and swiped.

Then the alchemists threw their bombs at him, scorching his flesh. And the archers and slingers fired at him, their arrows piercing his skin and their shots bruising his body. But Garkul roared a mighty warshout, and the arrows and shots in the air were shattered, and the ground before him tore apart. He grabbed two waraxes from the bodies nearby and rushed towards his attackers, raining down blows on them with each hand. The halflings surrounded him, and attacks came from all sides, but he carried on fighting furiously.

But the fight could not carry on forever. A stab from a sword crippled his leg, and a blast from a bomb blinded his eye, and though he continued to battle, wading through the corpses around him, blood now seeped through cuts all over his body. The blades of the axes he wielded became cracked and dented, and he was left wielding the shafts as clubs. He swung them through the troops before him, until his movements slowed to a stop, and the alchemists rained down bomb after bomb until his charred corpse moved no more. So died Garkul the Devourer, though his body stayed upright even in death, clutching his weapons above his head, and standing atop a field of over ten thousand bodies. For when the halflings counted their numbers after, only a few hundred remained.

Our forces never full recovered from the loss of our great leader. The wars continued, but without his strategies failure became more frequent. Eventually the other races began to fight back, and we were driven from our homeland. But the spirit of Garkul remains with us all, and his lessons stay in our hearts and minds. One day we will return to the place of his birth, and the glory he began shall be completed - Maj'Eyal will be ours.]],
}

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Orc breeding pits lore
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

newLore{
	id = "orc-breeding-1",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part one",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part one#{normal}#

What a dread and woeful task I have been given - the revival of our race. The swine humans and halflings have destroyed our whole society, and only the brutes of the military remain to rule our people. We are left with just a handful of women left, and without drastic measures we shall soon be extinct.

And those drastic measures come down to me. I am the sole orc left with any advanced medical knowledge, as I evacuated to the East before our settlement was wiped out. I must find a way to prolong the lives of our remaining females and have them breed at far faster rates. I will use all natural and magical means at my disposal.

I have taken this cavern up as a secret base, far away from the main encampment. I must do dark deeds here, and I wish them to remain hidden...]]
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-breeding-2",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part two",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part two#{normal}#

I have begun work on several of the females. They are being kept in a coma for the duration of the experiments - it's far better that way. Initially I have subjected them to very high levels of wild infusion and arcane regeneration fields, whilst also keeping a direct feed into their stomachs high in protein. Corrupted blood is being pumped into their ovaries with a temporal acceleration field surrounding them. The leaders of each Pride have donated their seed for use in the experiments.

Initial results have mostly been immensely successful. Body mass has grown significantly, especially in the abdominal region. One has even begun developing extra ovaries and sexual organs. I have managed to increase their fertility immensely, and the stimulated foetal growth rate means that new orcs take only eight weeks from conception to birth. The young also seem to be progressing in their development at a very advanced pace, with particularly accelerated muscle development.

Some females have died during the procedures. I can only presume these were the weaker subjects, but it is a tragic loss regardless.]]
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-breeding-3",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part three",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part three#{normal}#

My work is continuing with tremendous success. All subjects now have multiple operational wombs, thanks to the corrupted blood infusions coupled with arcane regeneration fields to quickly repair the corrupted tissues. With greater advances in accelerating the foetal growth stage we are now seeing new orcs every few days! I believe this can be pushed even further.

Though the wombs operate at an advanced rate, we are keeping their vital organs suppressed to extend their lifespans. Perhaps they can live for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Pumping nutrients directly into their stomach is proving a difficulty with the increased activity in the abdominal region. I am currently investigating ways to condense nutrients into the atmosphere so that the subjects can be passively fed through breathing. Initial tests show a slimy build-up on the skin but no other negative side-effects.]]
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-breeding-4",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part four",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Clinician Korbek's experimental notes part four#{normal}#

Oh horrors... Oh black bilious terrors! What have I done? What vile and black sin have I done?!

I have so long been concentrating on my objectives that I never stopped to think of the monstrous acts I was performing on these women. But last night I decided to take one out of her coma to see what reactions there might be. What reaction indeed! Her first action was to moan in pain - her swollen lungs have deprived her of any other form of communication. But then she opened her eyes and saw herself, and saw the others around her, and the panic and disgust that filled those eyes reached into my very soul.

She wanted to die. I know she wanted to die, I could see her accusing eyes on me begging to let her die. But I cannot, I cannot... This is too terrible. I should burn this cave to the ground, and erase my horrible actions from existence! But where would that leave our people...

My mind is in torment. I cannot live like this any longer... I cannot live...]]
}

newLore{
	id = "orc-breeding-5",
	category = "orc prides",
	name = "Captain Gumlarat's report",
	lore = [[#{bold}#Captain Gumlarat's report#{normal}#

I have found clinician Korbek's body in his study. It seems he slit his own throat. This would explain the lack of reports in the last few days.

The reason for suicide is beyond understanding. His research has been immensely successful. Our race can now return to strength! I have read through his notes and based on his findings I will increase the procedures being used to allow for even faster birth rates. The Pride leaders will be pleased.

I see his notes also suggest the mothers may be in pain. I will allow a doping infusion to be administered to alleviate this. We would not wish our women to suffer...

]]
}
