Ozgar Orcs are an orcish ethnic group that are Ozgar and primarily inhabit the region of Soruin. Descended from enslaved Green Orcs brought over to Aelantir as a result of the orcish slave trade, the Ozgar Orcs are well-known for their defiant spirit and rich culinary and musical traditions. Over time the Ozgar orcs adopted many aspects of Soruinic culture, with the majority of modern Ozgar orcs having some degree of Soruinic ancestry and centuries of intermarriage leading to a very large Soruinic half-orc population.
History[]
The Ozgar orc identity initially formed during the massive uprising of enslaved orcs in Endralliande led by the famed shaman Bramash Clouded Eye. The rebellion, dubbed simply “Bramash’s Revolt” or “The Chainbreaker’s Rebellion”, wreaked havoc on the colonial forces and Lorentish plantations of Endralliande before the fledgling Ozgar escaped using a stolen fleet and sailed to the region of Soruin.
Upon making landfall in Soruin the Ozgar began warring with the Eborthíli plantation colony of Eboria, freeing local slaves and seeking refuge in the jungles of Soruin. They built their first settlements in the inland hills of Soruin, the original of these settlements being named simply Ozgar or Free in common, which later become the capital city of Ozgarom, another of the notable early Ozgar orc settlements being the city of Bramashdar.
Fishing to Ozgarom became a vital source of food upon initial landing, which combined with the exodus across the Ruined Sea was the beginning of the Ozgar tradition of fishing and sailing, a legacy of this being the ample use of fish and seafood in Ozgar cuisine.
The Ozgar orcs continued to wage a decades-long guerilla war against Eboria and struck an alliance with the Soruinic of Aen Saldayno and the other Soruinic tribes of eastern Soruin in the late 1570s. This alliance sparked the tradition of Ozgar-Soruinic cooperation and friendship which persists to this day and was further reinforced by the union of their leader Bramash with the legendary Saldayno leader Amarana Tamasi.
With the eventual defeat of the Eborian forces, the Ozgar orcs declared the new nation of Ozgarom, the first orcish republic in history. By this point, the majority of the Ozgar orcs were freed orcs and half-orcs from Eboria, the members of the original revolt in Endralliande becoming the minority. Many of these orcs held differing religious beliefs, some clinging to Great Dookan, while others adopted elements of the diverse practices of the local Soruinic into their practice, even a small few being Regent Court converts and Corinites.
With the eventual passing of Bramash and Ahza White Hands' famed rise to prominence, the majority of Ozgar Orcs began to practice the Ozgaromi sect of Bulgu Orazan, a notable unifying feature being the veneration of Bramash Clouded Eye and his companions.
Religion and Folklore[]
In the modern day, most Ozgar Orcs remain followers of Bulgu Orazan, with some notable Bulgu being:
- The nation's founder and hero, Bramash Clouded Eye, who was deified and venerated by his people as the newly ascendant Bulgu of liberty, wisdom, and defiance. Many in Ozgarom consider him the most important of the Bulgu of all, and festivals and shrines to him can be seen all across Soruin.
- The partner of Bramash and Spear of the Saldayno, Queen Amarana Tamasi, her worship is often done in tandem with that of Bramash, with some of her most fervent followers being Saldayno Ruinborn Elves and Saldayno Half orcs,
- Holga Hearthsong, companion of Bramash and first of the Ozgar Battle Bards, author of Ozgaroms national Anthem "Bardan no Bash" or "Slaves no More", also the mentor of Ahza Whitehand. Her followers and priests are often practitioners of the bardic arts or aspiring artists in general.
- Samur Stormkiller, founder of the paladin group Clan Stormslayer and vanquisher of the dreaded Ozgar warrior turned bloodthirsty pirate Grumar Stormhowl, also one of the first recorded wielders of divine magic among followers of Bulgu Orazan.
- Turkhu the Clawless, perhaps the most untraditional of orcish folk heroes, Turkhu the Clawless was an Ozgar rebel yet almost borderline pacifistic, a champion of honor and peace in life, Turkhu is remembered as having offered forgiveness and mercy to those many others would disregard and dedicated himself to healing the scars of his people's enslavement. He later founded a monastery in Bramashdar. His followers are often affiliated with the White Hand and Grimshadow clans and often take a diplomatic and measured view of things.
- It should be noted Korgus Dookanson is not considered a Bulgu nor a popular figure of veneration. Any veneration of Korgus Dookanson has been historically frowned on or outright opposed due to the worship of Korgus Dookanson being associated with the followers of Grumar Stormhowl (known as the Stormhowlers). Though small groups who venerate him still do exist.
There also remains in Ozgarom a notable Corinite minority, in particular among the faction known as the Flaming Horn Clan which was founded by the Corinite Orc Tiefling Kudran Firebringer.
Culture and Art[]
Many Ozgar orcs have ancestors from various Greentide-era clans, and the influence of these various clans shows in their artistic traditions and aspects of their culture. Beyond just the Venomtooth tradition of guerilla warfare, the infamous scathing insults of the clan mixed with the bardic traditions of the Heartgrinder Clan and local Soruinic, creating a new tradition in Ozgarom of Bardic Duels, where a bardic practitioner faces a fellow bard in a battle of mystical song and slights and earn the support of a gathered crowd to achieve victory.
Another tradition inherited from the clans of old is the practice of scrimshaw, an art famously practiced by the Greentide-era Bonecarver Clan. It was often used in the early days of Ozgarom to engrave the bones of the dead with inspiring tales of defiance and bravery in the face of colonial oppression.
The orcish aversion to most forms of magic is nowhere to be found in Ozgar culture, with the practice of traditional orcish spirit magic, Soruinic magic, Cannorian style arcane magic, and other mystical arts being well integrated and accepted in Ozgarom as a whole. The Clouded Eye Academy in Bramashdar (a school primarily run by Clan Grimshadow), is where many Ozgar magic users receive their education and training, being one of the first formal orc schools for magic in history.
References[]
- Lian J. Tanushar (1902) The Shaman of Broken Shackles; the life, death, and legacy of Bramash Chainbreaker. Self-Published
- Lian J. Tanushar (1903) Ozgarom, A Song of Struggle, Solidarity, and Defiance; the story of the first orcish republic.
- Lian J. Tanushar (1904) Of Ground Hearts and Clouded Eyes; exploring the cultural impact of the clans,