Xilentxium
Existential Crisis Management
- Location
- Temperate Regions
Wonder if the orcs have come up with a euphemism for the one way walk.
"Be right back, I'm going to go punch a bear real quick."
"Be right back, I'm going to go punch a bear real quick."
Leaving the house with a Lok'tar probably works.
On the contrary, the orcs greatly value their elders, so it's less likely that more of them would leave like that. Look at Greatmother Geyah. She's basically very old, and that's like...her thing. The elder Geyah with the shamanistic stuff. Then there's Drek'thar. Ancient, blind, etc. but still cared for deeply by the Frostwolves. So one and so forth. Still, if they still desired to leave, they'd probably call it the Last Hunt or something like that. Or maybe they went out hunting, uncapitalized. Maybe?
- Location
- Germany
Didn't the Frostwolf shaman in the Horde novel do exactly that, go out on a hunt without any specific name and die there?
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Pretty sure people are confusing orcs with Quilboar who do the whole willingly going out to die thing when they become a burden to the tribe.
Like GM mentioned we highly respect our elders since it's not easy growing old as an orc, especially in these times, so their wisdom is highly valued most of the time. More so if they are a shaman like Greatmother Geyah.
Might be different for warriors but won't make assumptions.
Like GM mentioned we highly respect our elders since it's not easy growing old as an orc, especially in these times, so their wisdom is highly valued most of the time. More so if they are a shaman like Greatmother Geyah.
Might be different for warriors but won't make assumptions.
Personally I think they would value an old warrior's wisdom greatly, since that means that the old warrior can improve the chances of the newer generation surviving in the wars that they most likely would end up in.
They probably had a special title for them, like they do for blade masters.
I figure that, while elders are honoured greatly, there's an understanding among the elders that the clan has limited resources. They share their wisdom and act as repositories of knowledge because they've slowed down, lost strength and stamina, and teaching what they learned over their life is the best way they can keep the clan strong.
But there's a point where resources become so tight that keeping these increasingly infirm orcs in the clan becomes dangerous to the clan. At which point it's not uncommon for these old orcs to leave the clan or take on a dangerous task that needs doing. They don't expect to return, the clan doesn't expect them to return, their wisdom is lost, but the clan survives.
Of course, this was more a thing when much of the Orcish Clans was a semi nomadic hunter gatherer society, which hasn't been so for decades now.
But there's a point where resources become so tight that keeping these increasingly infirm orcs in the clan becomes dangerous to the clan. At which point it's not uncommon for these old orcs to leave the clan or take on a dangerous task that needs doing. They don't expect to return, the clan doesn't expect them to return, their wisdom is lost, but the clan survives.
Of course, this was more a thing when much of the Orcish Clans was a semi nomadic hunter gatherer society, which hasn't been so for decades now.
...hunter gatherer societies strongly prize surviving elders, as they are essentially the tribe's repository of knowledge passed verbally, as well as in many cases the actual leadership(youths, especially warriors might have field command or squad level, but never tribal command because their turnover rate is too high until they hit their middle age). They invest quite a lot of effort into keeping elders alive.
You might dump a permanently lamed youth to die, but a bedridden and crippled elder would be given priority, at least until they are comatose entirely. They lose elders not for prioritization reasons, but due to lack of facilities and the harsh lifestyle.