6 AA
Turn 6
Things are going well, yet much remains to be done.
Your people are slowly beginning to prosper. The demons of the west have been contained, and Greatmother Geyah tells you that with the assistance of the Furies you may be able to deal with that Gate sooner than you thought. Even better, with the Furies doing so much better since you set the shamans to soothing their pains and helping the land heal, they are capable of doing more for your people and you for them in turn (+1 Piety per turn). Perhaps they are even strong enough to assist you in removing the strange warlock barrier around Oshu'gun?
Garrosh, in the meantime, seems to have almost permanently lodged himself and the Warsong as guards of the Twilight Ridge, leaping into the fray against the demons who even now continue to pour through unabated. Though he might be content to fight there forever, you would prefer that gate closed and its influence removed from Nagrand once and for all. Jorin has been busy refurbishing Gul'rok further, buildings its defenses and such. He seems determined not to see it fall again. Now that they are fully established, it might be time for you to be able to make forays into the remains of Talador. Your one eyed friend sends warm regards back to you and Garrosh, though he tells you that he has some growing concerns about the now eerie forest.
The Spires of Arak are gone entirely, though based on some initial forays by the Bleeding Hollow into the forest have resulted in something that could be good news or bad news. The Arrakoa are not dead. The ancestral enemies of the Bleeding Hollow who forced them into hiding and nearly extinguished Jorin's clan remain alive. Though Kilrogg Deadeye, long dead and tainted, was the one to lead the Bleeding Hollow in an astonishingly successful campaign at pushing back the bird men, he did not exterminate all of them. If they had been draenei, then you would feel awful about that.
But they aren't, and by all reports the vast majority of that avian race was incredibly unpleasant and downright hostile to anyone who wasn't them. Their gods were capricious and self-destructive, and in the end the competing sects of their people assisted in their own destruction. The apocalypse simply seems to have wiped the slate largely clean. But some of those hunched and beaked creatures still walk in the Bone Wastes in the south of Talador around Auchindoun.
As Jorin's scouts found out, they are also still quite hostile to anyone who isn't them and doesn't worship their malicious gods. But there are darker things stirring on the horizon, and though you may not fear for yourself you can still be concerned for the continued well-being of your people. For you found yourself thanking Mogor for his brutish yet effective efforts at forcing the Laughing Skulls into competence at stealth, because Kaz nearly lost some people.
To demons.
They stream from the north of Talador, heading south and into Shadowmoon Valley in vast numbers, numbers that you saw in the Twilight Ridge only magnified. Snarling hounds, multi armed Shivarra, heavily armored felguard and even the more powerful doomguard. Among them walk Succubi and Eredar, and for all the hatred in your heart for the demons you could not throw your people against such a force without knowing that defeat would be likely.
You can only thank the spirits that you are keeping the gate in Nagrand contained, but you must acknowledge now that the other three that the bastard Ner'zhul opened to tear your world apart are open at this point in time. You have no idea where the others are, but based on the fact that the demons are coming south through Talador and not streaming through your own lands then you can assume they are out in the rest of the world. You had hoped that your people could finally know peace and rest, but you can't afford that now especially now that the demons are pouring into Shadowmoon Valley. Worse, there have been no reports of Kargath or the Horde.
As for lands beyond Nagrand, you can no longer deny it after some excitable youth ventured beyond your northernmost border from the Laughing Skulls village. The Zangar Sea is….not the Zangar sea anymore. More of a Zangar
marsh, really. The strange sight of fauna and mushrooms and structures which were meant for underground life having been so changed by the changes wrought upon your world is….interesting to say nothing else. It is time that you sent some scouts out there, now that you think about it. Strange noises fill the air in that glowing place, but you cannot afford to simply leave it as an unknown for any longer than you have to.
But things are going well, and you cannot forget that. The pox is continuing to flee the bodies of the Mag'har, and less and less are forced to stay bedridden with every month. Sunspring is beginning to fill up quickly however, and your efforts at having your people integrate has resulted in many now Dranosh'ar. It is heartening indeed to see brown skinned orcs and green skinned orcs interacting in a friendly manner.
Alas, you can spare no more time for introspection. You're off to talk a walk with Kaz. You've been spending a lot of time with her lately as Greatmother Geyah seems busy, Jorin is off in Gul'rok, and Garrosh is spending a lot of time speaking to the rest of his clan. It's not that bad, she's got a nice laugh…
Military: Garrosh has been rather inspired lately, giving speeches about redemption and forging new paths. All traces of his previous depression has disappeared beneath his new outlook on life. (Choose3):
Hunting Parties - Windrocs: The vicious and feathered Rocs are the winged predator of the Nagrand plains. Deadly, fierce, and quick, they are a worthy animal to hunt. Their feathers are valuable in many rituals, especially those related to shamans, and their hollow bones are useful for making certain useful tools. Also, they are good eating. Even further, they are good training for your hunters and those who use ranged weapons. Good things all around, and it is better to diversify your food sources, isn't it? Time: 1 Year. Reward: +500 Hunting Income per turn. Provide Boost to Base Chance Piety Actions by +5% from this point on.
To The North: Zangarmarsh, as you've decided to call it, is a complete unknown to you. As it is the direct border of Dranosh'ar, it would probably be a good idea to check on it. The Laughing Skulls are good at creeping around, which is honestly a very good thing, because for all you know that entire area is filled with the plant creatures which infested the world in times past. Or other such monsters. Regardless, you need some people out there, and soon. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Zangarmarsh explored.
Garrosh's Journey: Hellscream wishes to make a pilgrimage to the site of one of his father's greatest atrocities, to make see it if nothing else. He has stated a desire to help rebuild it, and you can't precisely tell him
no. Not to mention the demons which are clogging the eastern slice of the forest as they travel into Shadowmoon Valley from who knows where. As for why he's bringing this to you now, well he's going to be taking a lot of the Warsong and other penitent members of the orcs to go there. It's a hell of a thing, but thankfully your lands are preserved enough to take it. Cost: 1000. Time: 1 Year. Reward: ???
Keeping Watch: There is another passage into the Zangarmarsh to the east of Garadar, and north of Hallvalor. You don't really have any guards or anything up there, which should probably be rectified at some point or another. At the very least you need to set up some Watch Towers and a small base from which to keep watch on anything or anyone that might be or want to be coming or going in either direction. A checkpoint of sorts. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Small military base to keep watch over the north eastern passage.
Diplomacy: If there's anything that Greatmother Geyah has taught you, is that not all things can be conquered by a warriors strength. It was with words that the first shamans parlayed with the Furies, the sentient elementals of Draenor. It will be with words that you accomplish more than just a good axe. (Choose 1):
Integration: You could really do with some actual travel between your settlements. At the moment all three settlements seem quite static save for Sunspring where more men and women are funneled every year when they grow healthy once more. You need your people to be unified beyond their name, as an actual group and organization. At least, Greatmother Geyah believes so. You just happen to agree at the same time. Besides, your people enjoy traveling, don't they? Time: 2 Years. Reward: +500 Trade Income. Travel between towns. Mag'har unify further internally.
Will Complete This Year.
Arechron, Leader of Telaar: The draenei know perfectly well you are enemies of the Shadow Council, but can they be fully convinced that you do not desire them as enemies? It's something that you need to find out. The Leader of the Telaari is willing to meet with you. If you are ever to have peace with the Draenei then you must speak with him. Surprisingly Garrosh wishes to come as well to speak, if anything else than to apologize for the crimes of his father against the draenei. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Improved Telaar Relationship. Chance of Success: 75%.
Minors: You are greatly respected by the people for your fiery voice and honorable reputation. All amongst the large clans of the Mag'har are sworn to you by blood oaths, and some took it even farther. But something that you've realized that you feel a bit embarrassed about is the fact that you don't know about any of the minor clans. Even then, you are struck with the feeling that even that denominator is a bit insulting. 'Minor' clans. As opposed to what? They are all orcs. Proud. Strong. They deserve to know that as well. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Mag'har further unify internally.
Stewardship: Garadar simply cannot hold all of these people. Your supplies strain already, and as more and more orcs grow healthy once more the amount of food and housing required will far eclipse what the small city can hold. This must be attended to, and quickly. (Choose 2):
Lok'amon: Lok'amon is an ancient orcish song about starting a family. It is a hearty song about love and life, settling down, and having children. That is to be the name of your new settlement which you will put in the center of Nagrand. It will provide a connection point between Sunspring Village and Garadar, and another place for the Mag'har to live in as Garadar slowly empties itself of the healthy more and more. Eventually the settlement will be able to hold its normal population instead, and a grand day that will be indeed. Cost: 1500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: New Settlement set up in center of Nagrand. +500 Fishing, +500 Farming Income, +500 Hunting Income.
Expanding Sunspring: Sunspring is still growing in population. It could do with the small village expanding a bit. That way your people will have more space, and you could do with some additional farming, hunting, and fishing to be done. One way or another your people are going to keep growing in number regardless of what you do. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Sunspring Expanded. Fishing, Hunting, Farming Income +500.
Hallvalor: The Burning Blade made their choice. Unlike the Laughing Skulls it seems that the clan who all know to be the most heavily corrupted picked up in their entirety to follow after Kargath. Which means they are now in Shadowmoon Valley. Which means that as far as you are concerned the Burning Blade as they were is dead. They had the opportunity to turn away, just as the Laughing Skulls did, but they didn't. Which means that Hallvalor, one of the best settlements to survive after the apocalypse, is up for grabs! A nice cave system to have supplies and fall back defenses, buildings, actual spiked defenses, and the remains of watch towers. It would be a perfect place to both keep an eye on the approach to Gul'rok and that north eastern path which leads out of Nagrand. Despite who they became, the Burning Blade were one of the most established. Cost: 1000. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Hallvalor resettled. Population release valve. +1000 Farming Income. +1000 Hunting Income.
Learning: Jorin and the Bleeding Hollow seem to all be vigorously studying the few arcane tomes recovered from Mogor's little hoard. Though many of them are also at the Throne of Elements, a few core members, led by Jorin, wish to do more with this strange new power that is not of the demons. (LOCKED):
Initiates: The vast majority of the knowledge contained by the books that Mogor had are beginners work or too advanced to immediately jump to. At least you have some initial baseline knowledge to learn. Which, personally, suits you and Jorin just fine. You'd rather have a vast and steady foundation of magic rather than shakily shooting up to the upper echelons of an untested power. This will take
time, you don't want it blowing up in your faces. Even then, your piecemeal knowledge is likely to result in something not at all like 'human mages'. Cost: 1000. Time: 4 Years. Reward: Orc Arcane Warriors Unlocked. Chance of Success: 80%
Will Complete This Turn.
Frost: Jorin seems to have a bit of an affinity with what is apparently known as Frost Magic. He wishes to delve into this more completely, but requires time, supplies, and luck to correctly and successful recreate the knowledge of the 'humans' in these matters. Once that is done, you can record it down and copy it so that future orcs may benefit from the knowledge. Cost: 500. Time: 3 Years. Reward: Beginners Frost Magic added to Orc Arcane Repertoire.
Piety: The Furies stand imperiously at the Throne of the Elements. Greatmother Geyah, the overall spiritual leader of the Mag'har, is the overall spiritual leader of the Mag'har, and it is through her that you make your requests of the elements. (Choose 2):
Actual Shamans: The Furies speak once more, but the true test of the matter shall be whether or not they shall once more grant shamans their blessings and powers. With the ones who help bring water for crops, move the earth for housing and materials, shift the wind and stoke the fires once more empowered by the elements the Mag'har will finally return to their full strength that the demons attempted to take from you! It will be difficult however. But literally everyone believes it is worth it. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Shamans regain their powers somewhat.
Oshu'gun: The Furies probably aren't that happy about what has been done to Oshu'gun. They too greatly disapprove of warlocks, demons, and fel magic. The barriers in place are unmovable by mortal hands, or at least mortal hands that aren't powered with magic. But the Furies are not mortals, and they both wield and physically
are the world. If they can't break Gul'dan's barrier then nothing will. Once that is finally done, you will be able to once more enact the rituals of years past to commune with the ancestors, and perhaps you can enter Oshu'gun and speak to…whatever it is that is apparently in there.Time: 1 year. Reward: Oshu'gun barrier removed. ????
Grant Us Your Blessings: The elements have returned to the Mag'har. Their pain has been soothed. Now, you may once more return to the ways of the past where the spirits helped whisper to the people where to hunt and helped plow the fields and bring the rains. Overall, a great thing indeed that many orcs have been looking forward to ever since the elements returned. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Hunting and Farming income boosted.
Intrigue: Something that you have to admit is that poisonings, skulkings, and general sneaking is something that the Laughing Skulls were forced into becoming quite proficient at. Kaz the Shrieker is skilled at it as well. (Choose 2):
Why Boulderfists?: The Boulderfist have attacked your people, and years ago destroyed Jorin's village of Gul'rok. Even now their aggression seems to be increasing as they head further and further out of their lands. Why is this? Why do this? Especially now? Either they've had an enormous population boom and simply require the new land, or there is some sort of internal division in the hills of the Boulderfist. Kaz has offered to investigate, though on the other hand you can just kill the ogres until they stop as an alternate measure. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Information on why the Boulderfists are being such jerks the last few years.
Auchindoun: The orcs celebrate at the foot of Oshu'gun. There they commune with the ancestors and join together in song, dance, and piety. For the draenei, Auchindoun is their Oshu'gun. It is a place deserving of respect and caution, and the Shadow Council is tainting it with their presence! This cannot stand, but you can't simply attack it without any intelligence. Some of the Laughing Skull rogues have volunteered to investigate. Already you have the confirmed presence of the Arrakoa, who you will most likely come into conflict with, but you have not seen any of the Shadow Council. Yet. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Information.
Reinforced Sneaking: The Laughing Skull is the only reason you know about the coming and goings of Shadowmoon Valley. With the hordes of demons you can't build a base there, you would be torn apart before you could even begin. Your only recourse is to build a small and hidden base from which the Laughing Skulls can keep watch in safety rather than the infinitely more dangerous mode of not having that at all and watching through the bushes where at any moment they could be detected. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Laughing Skull watchers on Shadowmoon Valley much safer, less chance of being killed and removing intelligence from that area.
Personal Actions: You used to have free time. Now you are responsible for tens of thousands of people's lives. It is an amazingly heavy burden, but your back and legs are pretty strong and you aren't about to give up. But you can still make some time for yourself. (Choose 2):
Catharsis With Kaz – You are doing good work with your friend Kaz. Jorin has no issues to speak of, and he is busy running Gul'rok once more. But Kaz continues to be an active member of Mag'har society so long as someone is around to force her into creating the façade of being ok. Except she isn't, and you aren't ok with that. Thus determined to speak with her, you had an idea. You've sparred, but what you
really need to do is help her. She never got that last battle with Mogor. The ogre. You are not allied with the Boulderfists and honestly you don't want to be at the moment considering how they destroyed Gul'rok and have never been great friends with orcs. So, the plan is simple. There are ogres that have begun creating a small tunnel system between Sunspring and Garadar down in the deeper valleys in the center of Nagrand north the future site of Lok'amon. It is time that the Boulderfist returned to their hills…Time: 1 Year. Reward: Kaz gets catharsis, feels better. Better relationship with Kaz.
Spending Time – Greatmother Geyah: The venerable spiritual leader of Garadar. The mother of the now lost Chieftain Durotan of the Frostwolves. Of all the clans, they focused hardest on controlling the blood rage which has been a part of the orcish peoples since time immemorial. But they were also quite spiritual, and though ever clan was spiritual in its own way, you appreciate the cool and serene personality and personality of their own ways. There are, of course, also the hot blooded among any orcish clan, but that is all beside the point. You may not be a shaman yourself, but nothing says you can't speak to one and learn from them. Reward: Better Greatmother Geyah relationship. Reward: +1/+2/+3 Piety. Chance for Success: 90%/50%/10%
For The Fallen: The battle at Twilight Ridge is already spreading across the Mag'har. The greatest fight that many of them have ever partaken in, it is already becoming a thing of legend. But many orcs died there, their brown bodies choked beneath piles of armored demon dead. All who had family members have been commemorated and burned, their pyres burning for weeks. But for the greater whole you feel the need to commemorate their sacrifice, their honorable deaths, and their lives. For all that Oshu'gun retains a barrier around it which your people cannot pass, they deserve something to hopefully communicate their spirits to the beyond. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Twilight Fallen commemorated in song and dance.