Zetes
Zetes was born into the
Storm Moon tribe, a migratory Orc tribe of north eastern Batlich. The son of
Hunters he was always expected to follow the families traditions and become one
also.
The Orc children were raised
communally, they were taught about the world by the Tribes Elders and Shamans;
while the Hunt Master and his Hunter packs taught them survival and fighting.
Zetes always spent far more time with the Elders and Shamans than his birth
siblings (children born in the same season).
Zetes’ father, though
pleased with his sons achievements in survival and weaponry was always dismayed that Zetes, his
eldest son, never shared his love of hunting. Zetes’ Mother understood her
son’s fascination with the world the Elders and Shamans told tales of, but was
always dismayed by Zetes lack of interest in settling down. As he got older he
seemed more distant and quiet, especially when compared to his blood siblings
(two older sisters and four younger brothers), and the other birth ‘brothers
and sisters’ of the tribe.
At age sixteen when Orcs
come of age and are thinking about how good they are with their weaponry, how
best to secure a mate and a position in the tribe Zetes was alone. He had grown
into a social misfit, more at home with the wilds and the tribes animals than
other people. Talk about him began to circulate, there were rumours about him
being ‘strange’, talking to animals, ignoring his tribal duties. Zetes for the
most part either never heard the rumours or never responded.
The Years End celebration in
the Storm Moon tribe was a major social event. Zetes, as usual, stayed on the
fringes- often he would take the watches none else would. At the end of his
sixteenth year Zetes was again on watch while the tribe celebrated. The Year
End celebration culminated with the Orcs that came of age that year being
confirmed into the tribe as adults. Zetes resisted the call to come and be
confirmed, he sent the messenger that came for him away, telling him that there
was a danger around them. Eventually his father came for him and almost dragged
him back towards the celebration.
Zetes was a reluctant
participant in the ceremony, he was clearly agitated by something. As he was
called to go towards the Chief he froze en route and pointed out towards the forests.
As he did a howl escaped from the forest and Hobgoblins poured from the woods.
The tribe defended themselves, scrambling for weaponry. It was a short but
bloody battle, the Hobgoblins were utterly defeated, but there were several Orc
casualties, amongst them was the Hunt Master, and two of the Elders.
It was acknowledged that
Zetes’ warning had helped the tribe survive the attack, but his strange
behaviour in predicting the event had unnerved the Chief and he asked the
Shamans to help Zetes find out what had caused it.
While the tribe prepared to
shift camps Zetes underwent an examination. Initially, the Chief Shaman, a
Runic of Earth and Water talked to him and decided that Zetes’ spirit was
disturbed and that his magic potential would be unfulfilled without him seeking
the source of it. One of the Elder Shamans, a Orc of the Wolf Totem discerned
that Zetes’ spirit was crying out for a totem. With permission from the Chief
he performed a ritual to invoke the Totem in him. Zetes was then sent from the
Tribe until be found what he needed.
Zetes left without problem,
although it had not happened recently, many prospective Shamans had been sent
from the tribe before to uncover their magic. Zetes went in the opposite
direction to the tribe heading north-east into the snows of the mountains. He
spent a long time Wandering, the days all blurring into one. He encountered
many animals and peoples; he met, and befriended, his first Troll during this
exile, but he never seemed to content to stay with people for long.
He headed back for the
Trolls cave to escape the worst of the Winter months, Preece was interesting
company and always had good ale. Less than a day away Zetes was caught in a
blizzard. Disoriented, he found a hollow and waited it out. After the storm he
was bruised but had survived. He was also lost.
Travelling through the
strange forest he was in, Zetes came across a huge brown Bear caught in a trap.
Something inside him couldn’t stand the sight of the animal with its paw stuck
in the traps jaws so he attempted to free it. It was not grateful, full of pain
it howled and clawed him as Zetes struggled to loosen the teeth. When he’d
finally sprung back the trap, the Bear mealy pushed him aside and lumbered off.
Zetes could do nothing but collapse bleeding.
Zetes’ mauled body was found
by a Trapper. He nursed Zetes back to health, and when the Orc was well enough
listened to Zetes’ tale. In return for saving him Zetes offered to stay with
the Trapper and use what few hunting skills he had as payment for the Trappers
help. The Trapper agreed.
The relationship was stormy
at first, trapping was different to hunting and the two often argued over
method, however they soon found their skills complementing each others, and the
became a sharp team. Together they hunted and trapped all sorts of animal-
dear, rabbits, and the odd boar were their usual game.
After two years they had
become close. However it all came apart when they caught a Bear in a trap. At
first Zetes had no problem with their catch, but then the Trapper pointed out a
jagged line on a hind leg, the Bear had been caught before. Zetes recognised
the scar, and the Bear and the old feeling of compassion overcame him. He
argued with the Trapper to free it but he would have none of it, surprised by
Zetes’ attitude.
Zetes eventually stuck him
down as he went to finish the Bear. Zetes helped the Bear free, again being
mauled badly. When the Bear had left the Trapper came to the mangled Zetes and
spat in his face then left him to die. Zetes drifted into unconsciousness.
As he sank he dreamed of
Bears. In his dream he was a Bear, then he was an Orc, then a Bear. He shifted
between his love of the wild with the safety and warmth of a Den. In the dreams
the same Bear face, that of the one he had rescued, kept appearing- sometimes
he wore it sometimes he saw it.
A desire grew in him, a
burning desire to find the Bear again, a need that coursed through every fibre in his being.
Zetes woke surrounded by
fur. He was circled in a ball like a baby. Around him was a Bear, curled round
him as if he was a cub. As he stirred it woke, stood up, and moved away. Zetes
realised he was naked, and very cold. He missed the fur, the warmth. He tired
to stand and found he couldn’t, he tried to reach out to the Bear, but it mealy
watched him. Then it stood up on its back paws. The huge Bear towered over
Zetes, it’s claws glinted in the sharp sunlight. Zetes realised that this was
it, he was the Bears, there was absolutely nothing he could do, and he accepted
his fate. He lay still and waited for the first swipe.
It never came. The rearing
Bear came crashing down towards him, its huge bulk heavy enough to kill him outright,
but there was no pain Zetes saw the Bear hit him, and vanish into him. Suddenly
he was warm- he felt as if he had the fur again, as if he was the Bear in his
dreams; for a moment he was a Bear, an imprint of freedom and strength was left
deep within him. When his vision and reason returned he looked at himself, Bear
had left his skin to him, he was almost drowned in a dark brown, still warm,
pelt.
Zetes used the pelts claws
to fashion a rude covering for himself, then set out to track the Trapper. It
was a long chase, the Trapper knew he was being hunted, it was only Zetes use
of the magic he was quickly learning from Bear that tipped the balance. When
Zetes caught up with the Trapper he attacked him, and in the red haze of battle
he nearly killed him, only the thoughts of their friendship stopped him.
Instead of killing him Zetes instead extracted a promise never to hunt or trap
a Bear again. The Trapper, faced with a fur clad, six foot berserk Orc warrior,
readily agreed.
Once he had his promise
Zetes let the Trapper go. Initially he was just going to leave him, but loyalty
ruled his head and he took the Trapper Home to heal him. When he’d recovered
they surprisingly found their friendship still intact. The Trapper stayed true
to his word, and the promise was his own first step on finding Bear himself,
eventually taking the name Bearfriend.
Zetes returned to his tribe shortly
after Bearfriend found his totem. He took Bearfiend and the Troll Preece with
him, their appearance causing a bit of disturbance. His return was a surprise to
many, Zetes had been away the longest time of any prospective Shaman, and the
first to bring back companions.
Ten years after Zetes and
Bearfriend met Zetes had an argument with his father, now Chief, over the
direction of the tribe and the training of the younger Orcs. Zetes could not
agree with his father’s heavily traditional views and eventually rather than
split the Tribe took his supporters and, in traditional Orc fashion, left to
form his own tribe.
Zetes and Bearfriend called
the Tribe they formed the Somraw, an Olde word for ‘The Learners’. The Tribe
was headed by Bearfriend, with Zetes as Chief Shaman, and Preece as Master of
the Hunt. Although Zetes had caused the split he would not head the Tribe
preferring to remain advisor, Shaman, and Teacher.
Though comprised mostly of
Orcs the Somraw Chief is a Human and the neighbouring Tribes of the land they
settled were at first hostile to the newcomers. The Tribe found it very hard to
integrate into the small town of
The cold shoulder treatment
continued until Chief Kiddgy of the leading local Tribe, the Long Memory Tribe
died and his son Mar’loc was appointed to the position. Mar’loc, a Half-Orc,
was well accustomed to the cold shoulder treatment and feeling a kinship to the
Somraw forged links with them. Overcoming his own Tribes hostility Mar’loc
quickly made the contact pay off for everyone when the two Tribes managed to
bring the first fresh meat of the year to Marsen two weeks before anyone else.
The coo broke the ice with the other Tribes and the Somraw slowly became fully
established.
Zetes spends much time away
from the Tribe adventuring. His adventures are not always profitable but the
tales they produce are worth more than Lunar. After his fifth adventure away
Zetes appointed the brightest of his pupils, Tazron to teach in his place.
The adventures Zetes
undertakes are done for a reason. Zetes grew up on Elder tales of the Great
Orcs; tales of the days of Sorcery when Orcs, with Dwarves as partners forged
the magnificent Parzane Culture. Parzane Orcs ran the Empire; their skills, arts,
magic, and thoughts counted and helped change the world. Orcs had power both
magically and politically. The Stories always fascinated Zetes who could never
understand how the Orcs could of become savage again. Set against the general
indifference and dislike Orcs often encountered Parzane sounded like a Golden
Time.
As Zetes grew older he
decided that he would seek out the Great Orcs and their artefacts. Somewhere,
something would of survived and Zetes set out to find it.
The Long Memory Tribe holds
several direct descendants of the greatest Great Orcs, the Prophet and his
friend Joell. However, despite having a great many differences and customs to
most Orc Tribes they had little of what Zetes short. The Tribes Shaman Kempec
told Zetes a tale of how the Prophet hunted for years to find a pocket of the
Parzane Culture even as the Sorcerer Wars were happening. He never found it,
instead turning to teaching a savage Orc tribe. Kempec recommended Zetes give
up his quest and return to his teaching. The idea only fuelled Zetes’
stubbornness and he vowed to continue the hunt.
Though diverted by Tribal
matters and the job in the Joestown Adventurers Guild Zetes is still hunting.
He occasionally picks up bits of information, but a lot of the time they are
false leads, even so he feels he is closer now than ever before.
In the last few months
several things began to bother Zetes, a general sense of unease over the
direction of his life, and a distinct feeling that he was drawing away from
Bear. Zetes interpreted the feelings as a sign that he was spending far too
long in the towns and cities of Batlich. Resolving to do something about it
Zetes went to see Kempec.
After great discussions
amongst the Shamans of the Long Memory Tribe and the Somraw it was agreed Zetes
would undergo an ancient blood ritual. It would either solve his problem or
kill him.
Wrapped in only the skin of
his totem Zetes undertook the Ceremony of Bleeding. Zetes can not recall the
ceremony itself, just a growing feeling of Bear like he had not experienced
since he first became a Shaman. He emerged a changed person. His faith in Bear
was restored and his problems became trivial. His connection to Bear was
different than before, Bear now made him put his own life-force into his magic;
to cast straight from his blood, thus straight from the heart.
The renewal led to changes
in Zetes life, he still quests for the Great Orcs but he is not adventuring
much, preferring to remain with his Tribe and thus away from settlements, back
into the wilds and forest. He is now an Elder of the Somraw, and has healed the
wounds with his father. Zetes is settled for awhile- until Bears restless
spirit galvanises him once more.
The Somraw Tribe
Location:
Based on a large tract of
forest/ farmland in the mountainous areas of Northern Batlich. The nearest
settlement is the small trading town of Marsen.
Relations:
The Tribe is on good terms
with most of the neighbouring Tribes, especially the influential Long Memory
Tribe. There are a few smaller Tribes in the area that disagree with the Somraw,
mostly on trade terms. Only the Orc Blood Bones Tribe seriously disagree with
the Somraw. The Blood Bones are a Tribe of Orc ‘freedom fighters’ who campaign
for Orc ‘freedom’ and ‘rights’. They are very much against the idea of a Human
leading Orcs.
Composition & Organisation
The Tribe is mostly Orc, but
there are a few Humans, Half-Orcs (they call themselves Nu-Men), and a small
Troll family.
All members of the Tribe are
equal, but Elders (defined by Age, or legend), Shaman (all Runic, or Totem
Casters), Children and Pregnant women are revered and protected.
The Tribes structure is somewhat
fluid. Everyone must learn a weapon skill to help defend the Tribes lands, and
regular training is expected of everyone. However there are no set jobs for
Tribe members unlike in many Orc Tribes the Somraw try and train everyone in
aspects of all the ‘jobs’ of the Tribe.
Thus anyone proficient with
a weapon and in good health can join the Hunts that gather half the Tribes
food, there are The Hunters under the Leadership of the Hunt Master who are the
core of and organise those hunts, they are perhaps the ‘fighters’ of the Tribe.
Those who want to be considered Hunters are picked by trails twice a year.
The food the Tribe grows for
itself and market is looked over by those who are not Hunters and those who are
not out on hunt. The youth also help in between their lessons.
Those that can’t Hunt; the
Elders, the ill, and the pregnant fix and build things for the Tribe. There is
no problem in the Tribe with disabled people provided they do not consume too
much of the Tribes resources. Those who are seriously damaged often ‘leave’ of
their own accord. The Tribe burns its dead.
The Children of the Tribe
are looked after communally, with the children being brought up by those not
out hunting or in the fields- mostly the Elders and pregnant. Unlike many
Tribes the Somraw have a plan of education. From an early age children are
taught by the Elders about the world, and by the Hunters about the skills they
will need to survive. Children must spend half of each day with either group,
but there are no set classes or times. The Tribes children know what areas are
not safe on the Tribal lands, and cases of children vanishing is relatively
low.
Families are large. Orcs and
Humans are both very proficient races. Family means little, all children are
Birth Siblings to each other if born
The Tribe is led by
Bearfriend, a Bear Totem caster. He is a Human.