Midnight RPG - Chapter 37.834

Setting

While in Firsthold, just outside of town.

Conversation

Kyuad and Durgaz talk about the civilizing of the orcs and of writing systems.

Kyuad

Kyuad approaches Durgaz and says, "So, of this new clan. Does it have a name? Have you thought yet about how they will work with resistance fighters who are trained to see all orcs as enemies?"

Kyuad clearly expects that Durgaz has an answer for these questions, but continues, "The natural tendancies of orcs leans toward violence, does it not? Even violence against fellow orc, I've noticed. It would be best for them and for our success in the future if they learned who their friends are, and how to be friends to others. At least allies."

Pulling some loose notes out from the center of his Lorebook, Kyuad adds, "I would also like to continue our work on this writing system. I assume you intend for your army to be the first educated in its use?"

Durgaz

"They will work together because I am not offering them a choice. We do not have enough soldiers to afford them the luxury of squabbling over old hatreds. I am not telling these orcs to consider these elves and men friends, because we are not bringing them together as friends. We are bringing them together as two groups of warriors who share a common foe, and we are telling them to stand and fight together because the alternative is defeat and death. If anyone among them cannot accept that necessity, I will dispense with him by whatever means prove necessary."

"It is my hope that these orcs can be shown who their true enemy is. Most who serve in the Shadow's legions do it not out of any particular care for his goals, but because it is the only existence they know. We are brought from the warrens into the South, armed, and pointed at whatever our commanders wish to be destroyed; elves, men, it does not matter. It is not the reason that matters. It is the killing. It is the opportunity to spill blood, to crack bone underfoot, to hear the dying wails of our foes. If they could do so without consequence, most orcs would just as soon fight one another."

"No. The reason we slay elves and men is because we CAN ... and because we know that if we did not, they would destroy us. We know this because the Shadow tells us so. But the Shadow's voice will not reach these orcs any longer. So I will fill that void with MY voice, and I will tell these orcs who to slay. I will tell them to murder the legates who robbed them of their birthright, and to execute those orcs who remain weak, who do not possess the strength and pride to rise up and butcher these masters themselves. I will fill them with hatred of the god who has made his own children into a race of pathetic slaves who cannot even see the chains about them, and we will turn the full force of the Shadow's own fury back upon him. And once this is done, they will have no reason to care whether those fighting alongside them are men, fey, demons or the walking dead. All that will matter is whose blood they are set to spill, and whose screams are to be cut short by their vardatches."

"I have given them a new name. They are Blood-Wolves no longer; they will now be known as Dulugolauk. Their old commander is dead. Their old orders: failed. They are not the orcs they were. I mean to reforge them, and if they cannot be reforged, they will be broken and discarded."

"And yes, once they have proven their loyalty to us and our cause, I intend to teach them to write, and read. We will not be slaves or beasts of burden any longer. The Shadow forbids it because it allows one to craft his own destiny. I can think of no better gift to grant a race of orcs remade."

Link: Orcish Written Language

Kyuad

Beautiful stuff, Andrew. Very well-written.

Kyuad has 3 ranks in Orcish now, so could you please detail the meaning of "Dulugolauk," if Kyuad would probably understand its meaning? Also,could you please provide a pronunciation guide to that name? Is it (DOO-loo-go-LOCK) or (duh-luh-GO-laowk) or something else entirely? Is there any way to shorten it to 3 syllables? We'll have to say this a lot.

I just watched Patton recently. GREAT movie. The attitude that he has about what it means to be a soldier is beautiful. You should watch it, especially because I see Durgaz as having a bit of his attitude. Especially in the "private-slapping incident." Some of my comments here reflect Patton's honor and respect for those who faught selflessly and with great courage.

To give you a synopsis of the following: "Orcs should be like Klingons, not crocodiles." You know, disagree or not, that's my message.

"You'll forgive my lack of understanding in the ways that armies and soldiers function. I am glad that we have your expertise; our efforts would be far more hindered without you, on whom we greatly rely.

"However, we do have a bit of a problem on our hands. The Shadow has an almost unlimited supply of orc soldiers. Our supply is currently fixed, and it is unclear as to when we can recruit more. I'm not sure that, to borrow your forging example, we can afford to chip off scraps to get to the good metal," Kyuad continues. "Or mettle..." he mutters to himself. "The forge will need to heat them to the point of flexibility, and then it will be up to you to hammer them back into the shape they need to take, losing as little as possible to the fire."

"Furthermore, What has worked for orc commanders before may not be wise for us. Those who do not perform as you like immediately are certainly a detriment to the Dulugolauk as a whole - is it a fist? But the loss of even one is bound to be dearly felt. I feel as though treating their deficiencies as opportunities for further education in the right... the new way to do things would better serve our long-term goals than simple disposal.

"Do not forget something. The reason that they fight against the Shadow is not simply because the Shadow is the enemy and what is done in the name of the Shadow is bad somehow. This way of thinking lasts only through a battle. They must be given a reason to care that bad things are done to themselves and others.

"The work of the legates that has been so successful in the past, even to the point of becoming a main element of the orcish culture itself, is the idea that individuals don't matter. Without the concept that an orc is as valuable a person as a rich sarcosan landowner, an elven defender, or a halfling slave, the evils that are done to others will continue to be of no consequence to these Dulugolauk.

"So it matters to the future of our fight against Izrador that the orcs that you can rally against the Shadow understand that they have worth and value. They are not merely a disposable asset to their commanders. Each and every one deserves respect - not because they are orc, this would be mere racism - but because those who deserve respect are courageous warriors who serve with selfless bravery and passion. Change this dynamic, and even a gnome standing against the Shadow with horse whip in hand and no prayer of survival becomes a valuable warrior worthy of respect."

Questions

Conversations for information only, especially from the GM, go here.

• List item
  • Replies are colored, and can be formatted any way that seems appropriate.
• List item

---

LINKS

PORTAL | DURGAZ | ERANON | KYUAD | ZAL'KAZZIR