In’Gor, the Livingcurse

Telling the old tales has always been an important part of the Primal Blood’s culture, and these stories of the past, real or imagined, shape the future of the Blood Clans. In’Gor was raised hearing all these incredible tales from every corner of Selejia. For him, the best one by far was the tale of In’Gak Bonebreaker, his grandfather.

In’Gor’s father, In’Valk, despised his son’s appreciation of his grandfather’s actions. It wasn’t a tale of victory and glory, quite the contrary, it was the tragedy of the fall of the In’Grok dynasty. It wasn’t completely gone, otherwise, In’Gor wouldn’t even be alive, but what was once a great bloodline, with many clans bound to their service, was lost by In’Gak’s actions. In’Valk called it foolishness, while In’Gor thought it was bravery.

In ages past, the Primal Blood was guided by Octna, the Warrior-Prophet, but ever since his disappearance, the people were lost without him to show the way and guide the Primal Blood toward victory, after all, it was Octna who had saved them from certain destruction during the Fall. Fittingly, much of the In’Grok dynasty’s power came from the belief that they were the descendants of Octna himself, but that belief was shaken to its core once Thundersteps appeared. All challengers had been bested by the cyclops and its strange relic, and the beast seemed to embody the very nature of the Balance of the Blade. Many clans, tired of the dynasty’s iron grip, left it behind, choosing to follow the giant instead. In an attempt to prove the In’Grok dynasty was still dominant among the Primal Blood, In’Gak stormed against Thundersteps with all his might and armies… This decision would lead to the fall of his dynasty.

Unlike his father, In’Gor didn’t blame In’Gak for their loss for he had stood his ground and marched forward against an undefeated foe. In his eyes, his grandfather had followed the path that Octna had laid for him and his people, nothing more. His rage was directed at Thundersteps instead, the damned beast that took everything from them. In’Valk had quite a different way of interpreting the dynasty’s fate. Whenever In’Gor brought his grandfather’s name up as a great warrior, a symbol of pride, In’Valk made sure to remind his son of how foolish In’Gak had been. Had he made an alliance with his enemy instead of marching against the cyclops, the dynasty wouldn’t be in shambles. The current chieftain of the dynasty would only attack the weaker clans and made a point of avoiding conflict with anyone who could actually prove a challenge. To him, this was the path for the future, no matter how it went against the teachings of Octna. In’Gor swore he would prove his father wrong, he was sure he could conquer back the dynasty’s glory and prove himself a true heir to their legacy, despite what his father may think of him.

For In’Valk, his son was as foolish as his grandfather, dreaming of unachievable glory, risking everything the dynasty had achieved for it. In fact, In’Gor could be considered even worse, since he was a weakling when compared to his peers. Unlike many warriors from the Primal Blood, In’Gor was a shaman, a takra of spirit and not of stone, resorting to magic and scheming to get what he wanted. His silver tongue was well-known throughout the Primal Blood, but his disregard for physical might made him an outcast, at best ignored and at worst shunned, even by his own father. In’Valk believed his tricks and gimmicks were the sign of a weak person, a treacherous mind unworthy of inheriting the title of chieftain. In’Gor knew about this resentment from a young age, and it became even more obvious when In’Valk started to keep his son away from political matters as much as he could. However, In’Gor wouldn’t let anyone see him lament. 

In’Gor had never seen himself as weak, he was just powerful in a different way. While some may balk at him, he knew the Balance of the Blade does not care for the means by which a foe is vanquished, only that they die a bloody death. No matter how much In’Valk despised his ways, In’Gor was sure of his capacities and that he would achieve his objectives. One day, he would sit on a throne carved from the bones of his enemies, and he would lead the Primal Blood towards glory, as Octna had done. When this time came, his father would finally be proud of him.

In one of the many long voyages In’Gor was sent on by his father, in a clear attempt to get him killed, he wandered into the outskirts of Belyos. There, he found creatures only known to him from cautionary tales about the vileness of the Legion of the Dead. These were the spirit walkers. Creatures who chose to sacrifice their flesh for power, these high priests of the Anush-Vah, bound to the relics known as Whispers, attracted In’Gor’s attention. After spending some time with these high priests, In’Gor learned how to wield their spirit magic. Why they shared this knowledge with him would remain a mystery to the shaman of the Primal Blood.

Ingor would return to the lands of the dynasty on the South of Paxos and use his power to reanimate the bodies of those who had fallen in battle. He would first do this in secret, as his power was considered impure, but soon the living would see in him a chance for more than just survival. In’Gor was now a fierce leader, ready to do battle with any who stood in his way, and he would remind people of the tales they had heard as children. Only one piece was still missing, a weapon strong enough to defeat Thundersteps, a sign of the dynasty`s triumph over the cyclops. For that, In’Gor stole the Chaos Fist, his family’s relic, under cover of night. He could have challenged his father for it, killed him, taken it in honorable combat, but it was not his wish. His father had to live, to see the son he had scorned succeed where he himself had failed.

The Chaos Fist would bind itself to In’Gor, not only bolstering his connection with the spirits of the land but also to the spirits of his ancestors. The powers of the Primal Blood and of the Anush-Vah would open his path to glory. With the Relic in hand, In’Gor called for every orc clan who had ever served under In’Grok’s dynasty. Holding the relic, the symbol of his heritage, In’Gor convinced many of his father’s weakness and cowardice and recruited them to his march against Thundersteps.

With his new forces, In’Gor advanced towards Thundersteps domain, resurrecting the fallen soldiers from the previous battle his grandfather had lost, now arising for a second chance at victory. Chaos Fist in hand, emanating magic that had never been used before by his people, In’Gor attacked. He had spent years preparing for this and his glorious moment had arrived. It seemed, for a while, he might actually come out victorious, but as the Primal Blood knew quite well, Thundersteps had never been defeated and In’Gor would not be able to change this reality.

In’Gor had planned to cast a ray of pure chaos towards Thundersteps, a curse of his own design. Powered by the death-dealing Anush-Vah and the destructive power of the Primal Blood, it would make the cyclops incapable of being healed or regenerating. His only possible destiny would be a painful death. However, the would-be orc ruler’s scheme couldn’t have taken into account the strange powers of the giants’ relic and the attack backfired. Thunderstep’s relic protected him and deflected the curse, making  In’Gor the target instead. 

Beyond the indescribable pain from the magical backlash, In’Gor felt his body change. He could feel the curse crawling inside his body, transforming him forever. Realizing death was near, and that his allies were about to see him fail when he had promised them deliverance, In’Gor saw himself trapped, the only way out was through the Malediction. Many would rather die under Thundersteps wrath than risk crossing this damned place, but In’Gor wasn’t ready to face death. In a desperate attempt to live another day, he retreated from the battlefield through the Malediction until he found a safe place, for he felt the curse taking root within him. 

In’Gor might not have lost his life, but his pride was damaged beyond repair. He knew that many among the Primal Blood, loyal followers of his dynasty, would see this defeat as just more proof he wasn’t worthy of ruling them. As if this loss wasn’t enough, In’Gor was discovering, in the most painful way possible, the consequences of his actions. The curse he felt taking over his flesh was different from the one he had attempted to cast on Thundersteps, for the contact with the Malediction changed both the hex and its host. In’Gor could heal from the most hideous wounds, even the ones he got from the chaotic battle against Thundersteps, but the injuries wouldn’t heal properly, creating hideous scars and horrible tumorous growths. In’Gor’s body deformed with each passing day, in painful regeneration periods, and with each new battle he grew further and further from his original form. He had wished for Thundersteps a slow, and agonizing death, and though death eluded him, agony would become his constant companion.

In’Grok’s dynasty got a fatal blow during that fateful battle against Thundersteps. It became weaker because of the defeat, but it also lost one of its leaders. Hearing about his son’s misfortune in battle and the relic’s fate filled In’Valk with shame and made him realize there was no way to save their dynasty. He chose to face death on his own terms. Taking his own life was better than living to see his son destroy his legacy. The news of his passing spread throughout Paxos, and even reached In’Gor within the Malediction. Just as Thundersteps had broken his body, the death of his father would break his mind.

In’Gor has spent the last few centuries wandering between Paxos and Belyos, growing more resentful of his fate with each passing day while searching fruitlessly for a cure for his curse and avoiding those followers of Thundersteps who would have his head. The secret paths he took through the outskirts of the Malediction are now laid bare as the ebbing reveals more and more of the mysteries that were once lost at the heart of the storm of chaos. While his enemies draw ever closer, In’Gor can see the opportunity to conquer the glory he’s always dreamed of. The power hidden in the Malediction is surely the key to ridding himself of the curse and killing the odious cyclops. When this day finally comes, he will regain the admiration of his people, finally being able to unite all of the Primal Blood under the banner of his new In’Gor Dynasty.