Orcs of the Red Blade

Path of the Warrior
The teachings of Gnash Bloodfist.

Since ancient times, the orcish race has had the greatest of warriors. Our strength is unmatched, as is our prowess.  Orcs are born for battle: It is in our blood. It is in our spirit. I have tried to write down, what every orc carries in his heart, the principal of battle. The warrior code.

Even though many orcs walk the path of the warrior, not all grasp it's true meaning. Many have strayed from the true path. A prime example would be the murder of  children in the Draenic War. And again in the First Azerothian War. The Bloodlust was no excuse for these terrible acts.

I have tried to lay down the very fundaments that defines a true warrior with this writing. Consider it my teachings, a warrior like any other. For I am flawed like any other. Remember this: there is always room for improvement, even the most seasoned blademaster never ceases to improve his skill.

The Tenets
In orcish society, the warrior upholds four tenets.


Loyalty
The warrior is loyal to his clan and his chieftain. He fights for the survival of his clan. He obeys the orders of the greatest warrior, the chieftain. The chieftain may be challenged by the warrior, when he shows flaw. A warrior is loyal to his brothers in arms. He does not turn his back on a fellow warrior, but fights side by side with him; To the end and in the afterlife.

Courage
The warrior shows bravery on the battlefield. To flee is the biggest shame for a warrior. He does not surrender. He does not falter. The warrior strives to be fearless. This in turn shall strike fear into the hearts of his adversaries. Courage does not equal recklessness. Due to recklessness, many a battle has been lost. Do not repeat that mistake.

Strength
The warrior strives for perfection. Only by perfection it is possible to defeat the strongest of enemies. He tries to achieve perfection by practice and meditation. Practice strengthens the body, meditation strengthens the mind. Strength means not display of power. A warrior must never underestimate his adversary. Even the tiniest of scorpids has a lethal sting when cornered.

Honour
The warrior fights for honour. The greatest honour for a warrior is to die in battle. The biggest shame is to die of old age. Dying of old age is a privilege only for the wise seers and shamans that need to pass on their wisdom to the younger line of orcs. The warrior does not commit honourless acts. If he does disgrace himself by commiting an honourless act, the warrior needs to cleanse himself by ritual and ask for the forgiveness of his ancestors.

The Hunter
A tale on believing in your own strength.

The hunter hunts on the plains. His skin is scorched by the sun and he is unhappy. He prays to the Spirit of the Wild: "The sun is stronger than me. Make me the sun." The Spirit grants his wish.

The sun now shines his bright rays down unto the soil. He is happy. Then a cloud floats by and the cloud blocks his rays from reaching the soil. He prays again: "The cloud is stronger than me. Make me the cloud." The Spirit grants his wish.

The cloud now blocks the sun and he is happy. Then the wind pushes him away and the cloud is helpless. He prays to the Spirit: "The wind is stronger than me.  Make me the wind." The Spirit grants his wish.

The wind now blows through the sky. He is happy. Then a roc flies by and the wind tries to push him, but he cannot. He prays to the Spirit: "The roc is stronger than me. Make me the roc." The Spirit grants his wish.

The roc soars through the sky, no match for any wind. He is happy. He does not notice the hunter hiding in the bushes on the plains below. The hunter shoots down the roc with an arrow. He prays again to the Spirit of the Wild: "The hunter is stronger than me. Make me the hunter." The Spirit grants his wish.

Norvis finishes reading, and nods thoughtfully, trying to relate what he reads to Gnash. He had always appreciated something in the raw strength of the warrior, even though he considered him "impolite". But he can't help feeling that there may be more to this orc than meets the eye. Finally, someone that bothers to also think about what he's doing and how he's doing, and make them available to orcs. The more useful as Gnash was known to be a real veteran, an orc who's scars and trophees would be difficult to count.

(( Cheers! Wonderful story! Now, that is what one calls a great illustration of the Path of the Warrior! Thanks for the reading, Gnash, can't wait to see what will develop from it. ))

Hrm, this is truly interesting Gnash. You should go teaching some orcs soon *grins*