Branok

Intro

Orc/ogre warlord, protagonist of the Fall-Winter 2006 Ur campaign. A merciless general and shrewd tactician.

Birth

In the Plains of Ur, sparse populations of nomadic orcs and ogres have clashed violently for thousands of years, ensuring their continued sparse populations. The ogres occasionally seek to impregnate the females in the tribes they attack, and this was the genesis of Branok.

Because the orc tribes are polyamorous, paternity is rarely known, and so a tradition has developed of all the 'potential' fathers standing in a circle around the birthing mother, who gives birth standing up. Orcs are born strong, capable of crawling within minutes of birth, and the direction the dropped infant wriggles is taken as an indication of the father.

Half-ogres, however, are considered an abomination, and set upon by the fathers-to-be immediately, torn limb from limb, and fed to the fleabitten dogs that travel with the tribes.

When Branok was born, and was about to be torn to bits, an orcish witch warned that an exception must be made, for to slay this halfbreed would bring about the extinction of the orcs as a species. The fathers relented, and allowed the mother to care for the infant.

Childhood

As a child Branok was a bully. As a half-ogre, he was considerably larger and stronger than others his age and took out any frustration violently. He killed an adult orc in early adolescence when the elder tried to break up a fight with another adolescent.

Early Adulthood

In his early 20s, Branok was part of a hunting party in some rugged hills, when the group came upon a cursed crypt. The elders in the party knew of it and cautioned against approaching any further. Branok insisted that these were orc lands, and hence belonged to him, and he refused to flee from his own land -- implying the cowardice of the rest of the group. Branok killed 3 of the group and beat senseless 4 more before the remaining 5 bowed before him in obedience.

The crypt was indeed cursed, and poisonous traps and other hazards slew 2 of henchmen during the exploration.

In the end, Branok emerged with the Helm of Ahkad and declared his rulership over orc lands. Through sheer force of personality (aided by the helm and deft slaying of the orc chieftain of his tribe), his position was sealed.

Branok began a campaign of subjugating other tribes under his banner, and even made focused attacks on ogre positions. His reputation as a leader, tactician, and warrior spread across the windswept plains.

During a masterful attack on a well fortified ogre tribe position, in which he used an engineered rock slide to kill most of the defenders, Branok came face to face with his destiny.

He realized, as he entered the cave-like 'throne room' of the ogre chieftain, that he was looking at his own father. Surrounded by a small cadre of his elite warriors, and facing the same in the opposition, he proposed that the final battle be decided by a one-on-one between the two leaders, and that loser's forces would then bow down to be enslaved, beheaded, or whatever.

The ogre chieftain agreed, and the two rulers fought. Branok emerged with only minor injuries, and as he held the severed head of his father in hand, declared himself the rule of the Plains of Ur, and that the ogres were to be part of the army, and that human lands were the next target of his wrath.

And hence a mighty army was formed.