Name: Pizurk, the foot
Physical: Pizurk is slightly smaller then the average Uruk, his frame much more slender and dexterous then those of some of his larger brethren. His skin is a pale, almost sickly looking green with an almost leather like texture to it, his eyes an unnerving blue with black irises without any of the more human whites that other humanoid species (and other uruk) are known to have. Like most uruk, his body is covered in various scars and marks that betray the savage, brutal lifestyle that all of them live. He has come to favor leather armor for its mixture of toughness while also being able to move in it, as well as its abundance making it easy to make repairs.
Across his face has been tattooed the brand of the oath that he made to the Warchiefs, Shamans and all of orc kind. It will remain blood red until his oath is fulfilled.
Equipment:
A suit of leather armor with a chain mail vest over the top.
A uruk made curved cleaver-sword made of steel, stained with dry blood.
A small series of well looked after knives of a variety of purposes.
A bone horn with which to communicate orders.
Background:
Pizurk was born in the cave system of the Ashen Wastes, one of the more top side bleak and barren lands that make up the territory held by the southern Uruks tribes. While the top side is a volcanic, barren wasteland due to nearby volcanic activity that happens rather frequently, the cave systems underneath the Wastes were rich with edible plants and animals due to the rich nature of the soil due to the same activity that made living top side so dangerous. Competition for said food was fierce through as with the abundance of food came a wide variety of dangerous predators and wildlife, as well as other Uruks fighting over those caves that processed natural water supplies or over the mines wealthy with workable ores.
Born into this world of constant warfare and struggle for survival, Pizurk learned quickly that in order to stay alive one had to be strong in both mind and body, adopting a pragmatic mindset that justified measures of survival that other races and cultures would have found monstrously barbaric and cruel. He made what alliances he needed to, treasured what few friendships he was able to foster learned to hate his rivals and enemies with a strong passion.
Surviving until he was old enough to start being trained in combat proper, Pizurk quickly found that while he wasn't the strongest uruk by a long shot that he had a talent for moving quickly on his feet while striking hard and fast. As the years passed this talent was refined to the satisfaction of both his trainers as well as the fact that it allowed him to actually survive the training process at all; Pizurk's first kill was when he was eight years old, stabbing a rival to death over the limited amount of food that the trainees were provided with... and providing himself and several of his mates with a windfall of fresh meat in the process.
When he finished his training, Pizurk elected to continue serving his tribe in a military fashion, quickly becoming a leading figure of a small mob made up of the mates that had survived training with him as well as a few hangers on. After leading a successful hunt to cull down the numbers of cave spiders that had recently started to become a problem, Pizurk was officially recognized by Warchief Kurk Blood-Axe for his service and officially promoted a captain position to replace a captain that had recently perished when he was ambushed by a rival and killed.
While Pizurk proved competent enough to hold his position, opportunities to stand out from the crowd and rise up the ranks were few and far between. When news of the Sylver Empire going on the march reached the Council of Warchiefs, it was quickly decided that any available troops were to be sent towards the Maw in an allied effort to stall for time while their proper armies were organized; Pizurk was not only one of the few officers available at the time, but he quickly saw and seized the opportunity to advance himself. Standing before the Warchiefs and the shamans of the tribes, he swore an oath that he and any uruk that followed him would hold the Maw for three days or die trying.
To enforce his oath, he willingly allowed the shamans to brand his face to seal his word and course. He also ensured that all those following him to the Maw underwent the same procedure and oath before marching to war and glory... or death.
Faction:
The Southern Uruk TribesThe Southern Uruk Tribes is the collective name used to describe the series of lands in the south that are populated and held by the Uruk race. It is not a united kingdom or nation as other races are prone to having, instead being a rather loosely 'allied' number of tribes, clans and strongholds that while prone to infighting for dominance and resources will generally band together against outsiders at the beckoning of the ruling bodies of the Council of Warchiefs and the uruk shamans.
Uruk society is built on a pragmatic foundations of survival at all costs and survival of the fittest; A common Uruk saying is 'To become a captain, one has to be strong, smart, cunning or lucky. In order to remain one, they have to be at least two of those things. To rise higher requires three and to become a warchief requires all four.' Military and Political power are closely tied together, with those uruks who prove themselves great combatants or military leaders raising to positions of power. An Uruk remains in power only as long as they can keep a firm hold of it through; In theory, any Uruk can challenge another with the intent of either taking their position or raising their own standing, through in practice only those Uruks able to gather enough support to have a chance of challenging those above them would actually do so. Being strong enough to best a Warchief might mean they'll win a duel, but if they're alone they will quickly find themselves getting killed by those with friends...
As surprising as it sounds through, Uruks do understand the concepts of honor and duty while making an effort to apply it to everyday life. Their versions of them through tend to be dark and twisted things through, balanced by the pragmatic requirements of the daily struggle to survive in a cruel, unforgiving world. Uruk's can and will eat the dead of both their own race as well as other races that they encounter, alongside skinning them to tan their flesh to leather. To them, it is seen as a means of increasing their supplies that would simply go to waste if you buried them. However, it is considered the highest form of respect and friendship in Uruk society if one decides to cremate the deceased body of a fellow Uruk rather then breaking them down for supplies.
The Council of Warchiefs is the closest thing to a ruling body that the Uruk Tribes have. In essence, it is the gathering of every Uruk that is powerful enough to be in charge of a tribe sized number of their fellow Uruks; The exact number of Warchiefs is fluid due to the raise and fall of individual tribes, but it tends to stabilize around five members most of the time. The Council of Warchiefs is called together whenever the Uruks are required to deal with an outside threat, all current hostilities and conflicts between the tribes are ceased in order to unite against the outside foe. It is considered taboo for a Warchief to kill another Warchief, which allows some degree of trust to exist between the tribes during Council gatherings.
Uruk Shamans hold a unique position in society, being held as neutral advisors and healers as well as being fear as practitioners of magic. They are the closest thing to a priesthood that Uruks have, being seen a spiritual guides that make contact with the elements or spirits. Shamans oversee the applications of Oath brands.
While there are many different kinds of brand and oaths that can be given with different rewards and punishments associated with them, the brand given to the Uruks heading towards the Maw is called the Mark of Death or Glory. The Uruks that have received it made an oath that they would hold the Maw for three days or die trying; If they are successful in doing this, the Shamans with the force will perform a brief ritual that will change the color of the Mark to showcase that they have fulfilled their Oath, allowing them to return home with the prestige of serving Uruk kind and surviving a difficult battle. However, for ever day extra that the uruk stays in the fight beyond their original oath, the shaman will alter the Mark to showcase their greater prowess and prestige, raising their standing in Uruk society further and allowing them to reap more rewards. Any uruk that deserts the battle before their oath is fulfilled will be forever marked as a deserter and traitor to be killed on sight by all other uruk.
All uruk undergo a brutal training regime to learn how to fight from a young age until their teenage years, at which point they are free to decide what they desire to do with themselves now that they have been taught the basic tools of survival. While many continue to serve as raiders and warriors, some decide to pursue more civilian pursuits such as craftsmanship or farming. While they may never hold as much power or influence as a ranking warrior, 'civilian' uruks hold a strange position in uruk society by being highly respected and well looked after by their more militant brethren. Uruk warriors are worth a dime a dozen, but one who knows how to forge and maintain weapons or can grow food consistently is worth protecting and keeping happy.
Command:
The forces under Pizurk's command are not a uniformed army, nor do they all come from a single tribe. It is a gathering of what forces were free to be grouped together for the purposes of holding the Maw. Even among uruks of the same tribe there is a strong sense of individuality, with personalized armor made from whatever they had on hand combined with whatever weapons they personally prefer using. Each one of them however has managed to survive not just the day to day struggles of surviving in their respective homelands, but also uruk culture and the brutal combat training that all uruks undergo, making each and every one of them a proven warrior in their own right... but much like their commander, merely missing the opportunity to stand out among their peers.
192 mixed light infantry: Armored in a mixture of mail, leather and padded armor and armed with whatever the individual uruk decided to bring with them, the light infantry of Pizurk's command lack of uniformity provide it with a wide degree of versatility to deal with whatever they encounter. With relative ease, the troops can be broken down into smaller mobs being lead by an 'officer'.
103 Worg riders: Native to their homelands, the giant Worg wolves have been both friend and foe to the Uruk tribes for as long as can be remembered. Taming a worg is a difficult process due to its bloodthirsty, wild manner and many die trying but those uruk that successfully bond with their worg will find themselves with a loyal and protective battle beast that is as fast as any horse and much better in a close combat fight then one.
Support Personal5 Uruk Shaman: Mystics and Healers, the Uruk Shaman have sent a detachment of their numbers in order to provide the Uruks on the battlefield with healing and spiritual guidance... as well as offer up concoctions, poisons and supportive magics to help enhance their forces further. They are also there to ensure that when the time comes, the Marks of Death or Glory are properly altered.
80 Hunters and Trappers: While they are just as good at fighting as any other uruk, the mixture of hunters and trappers that have come with the army to the Maw are not there to fight the battles themselves... they have been brought along because they process skills that will be useful in other ways off the fields of battle. The specialize in surviving in the wilderness, hunting wild game for glory, food and sport with their own preferred methods. Crossbows, javelins and traps are their primary tools of the trade.
20 Metalworkers and Leatherworkers: While just about every Uruk can tan leather and use anything on hand to kill someone, those who can make and repair equipment are highly respected and are well looked after in return for them looking after those in the field.
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