The Orcs of Krogoliath

 

Lifespan: 30-40 years
Racial costuming Minimum: Pale Blue skin on jaw and neck extending up to and including ears. Pointed teeth/ tusks. Colouring entire face/ body is encouraged but not required

Rather than embrace The Eternal War of their cousins, the Krogoliath Orcs instead opted to retreat to the mountain ranges of the north. The years of adjustment and preparation have changed the Krogoliath way of life drastically, making anything to try and threaten them in their home a poor and often fatal idea.

“Seven days and seven nights atop the wall at dizzying heights I stand and watch snow covered sights always am I ready.”
-Dovoth family song.

Society:
The leadership structure of a clan or settlement is very simple. An elected leader advises how resources should be used and appoints others as they see fit to accomplish that job. The leader of a local clan is chosen yearly through a ceremony called “Verona’s Vigil.” Where potential leaders stand watch over their settlement for seven days and nights and are the only line of defense allowed. Those who exhibit traits of vigilance and purity are elected as that year’s leader. Successful leaders are welcome to attempt again the following year, while unsuccessful or corrupt leaders are barred for attempting. While strength is seen as a desirable trait, the lack thereof is not seen as a malady. The weak are encouraged to find other ways to contribute. They also tend to have more concern for their sick and elderly than their Gigoth cousins. The sick and elderly are taken care of, as their experience is well respected and helpful in living in such a harsh environment. 
 

Culture:
While sitting on one's hands and waiting for a crisis to blow over is usually an ill advised plan, the Krogoliath have managed to bring some form of success to their endeavours. Because of this, the value of being strong enough to weather the tide is a central aspect of their identity. The Krogoliath value hardiness over all else, and their measure of strength is how much someone can take before succumbing to their struggle. The sick, weak, and elderly are welcome to live as best as they can until a time comes where an elderly Orc decides they are too old to live, in which case they take a knife, their clothes, a small pack, and they leave their clan to never be heard from again. This is to preserve some sense of glory for the departed, as stories of victory in death are often made up about those who have left. Stories are often told as both ways of passing on history and teaching valuable lessons to their young, as such, one of the reasons the old are kept well cared for is so that they may pass on these stories to the young. Most Krogoliath Orcs care not for things that cannot keep them warm or survive, and this extends to those who have left their home country. Paper is mostly used to start fires, and parchment is hardly produced, and they use their leather for armour and clothing. As such, their art is mostly in song and story, and mostly family lines will have a particular song or story that they are known for telling and singing.
 

Family:
Relationships are seen as eternal bonds between two people, binding their family lines together. The length of one’s family line is a point of pride, as it is a testament to how strong the family is. Children are seen as both continuing both family lines, but the first child is to always represent the mother’s family, while the second is to represent the father’s. Marriage ceremonies involve passing the family story or song over to the other, and an exchanging of knives.

Religion:
The Krogoliath are deeply religious, and which deity the worship is up to the particular individual. A large amount of the population primarily worships their creator Verona. Verona, Terona, Synne, and Aria are all fairly popular Gods with none of them being seen as abnormal. Soldas is seen as a god of futility and surrender, which goes against the ideals of the Krogoliath. Vumella, Penoriel, and Mythnera are not as common as the others.