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Hey guys,

Foremost Spoiler warning regarding the Dark portal in WoD.

Let's get to it then.

I just had a realisation, regarding to the Dark Portal, that most likely will heavily affect the Tribes buisness.
Most of you know already, that when WoD hits, the Dark Portal in the blasted lands will change its colour and will be realligned to Draenor in an alternate Timeline, with the Iron Horde and stuff.

The problem that we now get, is that our way to Outland is cut off, meaning the World/Continent will be completely blocked off. Seeing that there is no connection anymore. So no entry and this will also mean, that we cant travel to Outland ever again.

Of course this is just speculation as seen in this Forum post.

But this should in my opinion be discussed in some form or another.

Greetings,
Nograx

Some days ago in the barrens.

Sweat dropped from his chin as he made his decent to the ground. Hot air and dust crept upwards, making breathing difficult. His fingers ached under the weight he carried down with him. The slain raptor on his shoulders would have normally not been such a pain in the arse. But this climb down into the molten depths of the barrens brought him to his limits... Which in turn brought a smile on his face.

Surely the Elements of fire would take notice of his suicidal attempts of making contact with them. Sooner or later they just had to. After a quick look down, he released his grip on the rocky wall and dropped down on a little island of rock, surrounded by lava. He flexed his fingers and exhaled in relief, befor he flung the raptor over his shoulder on the ground and unsheathes his knife, starting to prepare the offering he was about to make. It was a fresh kill and as soon, as he had cut open the raptor chest, blood started to flow down into the molten stone befor him, evaporating soundly on contact. He took out the organs, that weren't needed and placed the raptor on its back, facing towards the lava.

With closed eyes he sat down, folding his hands together and began to focus on the heat and fire around him. He had done this plenty of times by now. The smell of burned blood entered his nose and sweat kept flowing over his body.

Inhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Exhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Inhale...one... Two... Three... Four... Exhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Inhale...

His breath began to steady, his heartbeat slowed down, the only thing he could hear was the random bursting of lava-bubbles.

„Fire! Head my call! I seek your assistance, your guidance, your strength! I have brought an offering to show my good will and my honourable intentions!“

Images started to form in his head. Of him sitting around the fire among his tribesmen, sharing the warmth; his mate in his lap and his son in his arms, cosy, peaceful.

„Don't try to fool me...“

His eyes opened in surprise. He looked around the molten canyon, expecting to see something, but nothing had changed He narrowed his eyes wary and closed them finally trying to focus back to the campfire again.

Two hours passed and nothing had happened. This was the last time he would be able to come here in a long while and he wouldn't leave without some progress. His impatience began to leave a mark on his thoughts.

The campfire started grow in his head. The tribe around him, his mate and his son where gone and he wasn't sitting anymore. Eventually the fire sprang towards him and he could feel a breeze. He was flying on a scaled red beast, setting houses on fire, burning flesh from bones, leaving men as smouldering piles of ashes. Suddenly he fell into the flames himself and the scenery changed. The fire departed and a jungle sprang forth from the ashes around him. He heard shouting. gunshots, the clashing of sword and axe, warcrys. He was there, hurling a grenade towards a dwarfen rifle squad. The blast ripping through their bodies, setting their own explosives off and immolating the foxhole they sat in. The fire caused by the explosion started to leash toward the bushes around him. He ran, avoiding to get trapped in unnaturally fast spreading inferno, but the flames sticked to his heals. Catching up to him, reaching for him, spreading further and further as he ran faster and faster. Suddenly he tripped over something and fell.

He awoke in a ill lighted cave. Not knowing where he was, he stumbled around in the darkness. Minutes passed without anything happening, when he heard a noise.
„Head my call“ he whispered in the dark. Nothing happened. „Blasted elements“ he cursed. Mustering his courage he journeyed forward to the source of the sound. With every step it came closer and it dawned to him what is was. Hasty chewing. Only broken now and then from a ripping sound and the occasional loud crack of something that got broken.

As the noise was just a few meters away from him, he tripped and fell hard on the ground. Something cut into his hand deeply, but instead of blood, flames came dripping from the wound, starting to illuminate his surroundings. Nograx attention on his burning hand was finally disturbed as the chewing sounds around him got replaced by hollow growls. He held his burning hand up like a torch and his jaw dropped terrified as he saw the hundred of undead around him, feasting on the corpses of orcs. But closest to him, where the orcs of the tribe. Heads cracked open, limbs ripped off, skin torn from the bodies.

„How did it come to this?“ he hissed and looked around, not believing what he saw, until he spotted his mate, dead eyed and her stomach carved open. Above her stood a female undead and a little leg was dangling from her mouth.

Realisation struck Nograx as hard as an amored kodo, but befor he could roar out in grief and anger the undead where upon him, starting to rip off his jaw, gauging out his eyes and pulling out his entrails. With each wound fire came forth until it engulfed him completely and the only thing he could feel was an immense heat. Burning everything around him, he finally stood alone, burning amongst ashes and bones.

„So that is what you want.You think you can use me for your own little agenda? Such arrogance.“

Nograx eyes opened and he gazed around. The lava had risen and his island had shrunk as a result of it. He could barely sit on it and the cliffs where out off reach.

Trapped.

A low growl escaped him as he got aware of his situation.

„You are not worthy to wield the flame. You'll pay for this insolence, little Dragonmaw.“ With these words the lava in front of him began to tremble violently and the bones of the raptor he just offered came forth, filled with molten stone and a fire burning in its sockets.

„All I want is asking for your ai-..“ Before he could finish the elemental flung a fireball towards him. Trying to avoid the flames, he ducked to the right but couldn't completely get out off the way, due to his unadventurous position.

„Groms blood! You damned piece of filth!“ he snarled as his left shoulder got seared by the flames. He reached for a grenade and hurled it towards the elemental, which erupted upon contact instantly, knocking it back into the lava.

„Don't you think I'll go down that easily!“ With these words he unsheathes his adamntite knife and turned around, weapon raised, looking from where the next strike may come. But instead the lava around him crept closer.

„If you try to kill me, show atleast some guts and do it face to face!“

„As you wish...“

As soon as the lava started to tremble again befor him, he leaped towards it, landing on the back of the fiery skeleton, which started to flay around in hope to get rid off him. Immediately Nograx, who has found a satisfying grip on the skeletal shoulders, started to thrust his knife into the skull, causing the elemental to howl in anger.

„What kind of orc are you?!“

„The one that does whatever it takes!“ And with these words the elemental suddenly became still and the lava began to creep back into the depths, where it came from, until they stood on solid ground again.

A hearty but twisted laughter escaped the elementals fiery mouth.

„What is so funny?“

„Maybe you are worth something. Next time you call out for me, I want to see exactly what you are made off. Bring an offering that is worthy.“

Confused Nograx opened his mouth to form an answer, but his words died in his throat as he hit the ground and the scorched bones of the raptor fell on him.

"Something worthy?"

Mok`ra Tribe!

In the wake off the dice based events with our beloved Kozgugore something came to my attention.

Fortuna is a bitch.

So. How do you deal with a bitch? Just walk away from her as some would say. Just leave the dice in the corner and never give him a look again.

I find that kind off boring, since the dice adds an element of suprise and uncertainty. Having experience with the table tops such as Warhammer 40k and Fantasy Battles, I took a look at my old rulebooks. And I got this marvelous Idea.

Why not use character sheets for dice based events? So instead of leaving the bitch fortuna. We slap her in the face with lovely roll modifyers.

Naturally the system cant be to complex. I was thinking more on the lines of a simple set of stats for our orcs, that would give certain bonuses when fighting.

I took some freedom and made such a character sheet prototype so you can get the general Idea.

I was thinking about Perks aswell. Such as Scarred which would give you more HP, but havent really delved into it.

This is obviously a topic that can and has to be discussed, if people are interested.

He waited till his mate was fully asleep before he ventured outside. He wandered over the field of battle. To the foul smell of the shadowmoon valleys air came the stink of rotten flesh, shit, piss and blood. The smell of war. But he didn't ventured outside to gaze upon the battlefield. He had something to do.

His hand reached under his tabard and grabbed the amulet, he was wearing. Two tooth where on it. Dyed black. A mark of the Dragonmaw. Given to those, who are worthy of being called a member of the clan. He came along the tents of the wounded. Groans, the stench of sweat, cries of pain as damaged limbs got cut off. He knew this shit all to well. But, how terrible this was, they survived. The tribe survived. His friends survived. His mate survived. And that was all that mattered... Or was it?

He finally managed to get to where Rosh`tul Rimeweaver lead them against the charging Dragonmaw Fel- Orcs. So many of them. A big mess of red and black upon the dead soil of the valley. He sighed at the sight of this and got to work. Carcass after carcass he reached under the tabards of the Fel Orcs and every time he pulled out the amulets. By the time he was done his hands where full with these. He couldn't tell how much more burned away in the lava.

Branches, leather straps and some pieces of cloth. He sat outside the village on a hill and was putting these things together. He had done this times befor. So many times, that this act was ironically some kind of a routine for him.

We do this after every battle. To honour the dead.

The crude looking totem stood before him ontop of the pile amulets he had recovered. It had the shape of a dragon, spreading its wings and howling into the sky. Not pretty but that wasn't needed for this task. With heavy steps he went to the brazier and took out a burning branch.

„May your spirits fly free to the home of your ancestors.“

The wooden sculpture and the amulets catched fire within the the second and began to burn.

They are no true orcs anymore.

But the amulets. They are still dragonmaw. No matter how corrupt or fel infused. They still cling to tradition... Such an old tradition.

His hand reached for his own amulet and he looked between it, the burning pile befor him and the carcasses on the field back and forth. The same way the voice in his head came back and forth. Telling him this and that.

Was this right?

Nograx couldn't help to feel that he cared as much for the burning amulets befor him, as for the injury's his fellow tribesmen had. If not more for the amulets.

He stood there until the fire had died out and only ashes were left befor him.

Peons worked restless. The Overseers pushed them to their limits. Barricade upon barricade. Murderholes where dug out. Spikes are raised.

"Aaah! The night before a siege."

Nograx breathed in the foul air of the shadowmoon valley, as peons and warriors ran around him. He could smell the desperation in the air. He smirked at all the preparations they did.... And something began to stir inside of him.

„War.“ He growled. A time where the blood is running hot and the nerves are at their highest. Warriors are stressed in the anticipation of the coming battle. And so was he. Flexing his muscles, rolling his shoulders, swinging and inspecting his weapons. Trying to keep the blood flowing. He longed for it. To get a taste of battle. A real battle. Not the pitiful skirmishes with the alliance on the open field.

The thought of fighting dragonmaw, shortly ran through his mind. But it didn't leave any mark. For he was way to much in his element to care about who he was going to fight against.

Eyes on the prize. He told himself.

This was war in its purest form. Fighting. Without a place to retreat. No backup plan. Lok`tar Ogar. Victory.... Or death. The moment when heroes and champions are born. When true warriors are tested.

He thought he was past this mindset. But in a situation like this, he couldn't help but to fall back to the past.

With the sound of wardrums in the distance, Nograx raised his head and grinned.

"Death or Glory. The same old story."

His eye opened. The lamp was burning over him sending out a dim light, through the room. Thunder rolled down on the earth, as if it where to break a mountain. He glared around. The tribe was sleeping all around him. Content snores could be heard from every corner of the room. Grulda had her arm wrapped around him. Peacefully at sleep. Peace. The bare fought made Nograx grind his teeth. Even though his body was damaged, his mind was awake, working, fuelled by a hatred, like some kind of engine. And it wont run out of fuel any time soon.

How can I beat him?

A thought, that ran through his mind time and time again. In all these years he took pride in the fact, that no enemy had bested him. He was always able to outsmart or simply overpower his foes. But he always had his weapon. His armour. It was gone now. Ripped from him, by a simple hand gesture from Northcliffe. And it made him furious. How was he to protect those, he cared for, when he could be so easily robbed of his power?

Doomshout was right. He had no tricks up his sleeves. Fel! He didn't even had sleeves anymore. Northcliff was a foe, he was powerless against. The only thing, that kept him alive in that crypt, was his rage, which made him brake the shadowy shackles of the forsakens binding.

A low growl escaped his throat as his anger rose. Not for Diederich, but anger that was directed at himself.

I have become weak.

He uttered the words lowly and clenched his fist. A chilly wind came through the building and the lamps went off, sending the room into darkness.

That WILL change. I`ll get my vengeance.

His torso rose. The pain, that was sent down his body was dulled, by the anger that burned in him.
Every muscle ached under his movement, refusing to set in motion. Grunting and growling he forced himself slowly on his feet, breathing heavily.

He stepped outside and rain began pouring over his beaten body. He looked down into a puddle. Lightning revealed his face for a brief second. He could see the „D“, that was carved in his forehead and roared, as thunder came down on the land.

I have work to do.

Hello fellow Orcs. Just wanted to try this.

Bite of the Dragon

He stepped onto the platform of the watchtower. The night air was chilly and the hair on his neck was sent upwards by its touch, as he gazed into the sky of Nagrand. He looked around and spotted a floating island above Garadar and saw a skeleton of a drake in it. He sighed shortly and grimaced.

„Even the dirt is able to fly with a Dragon.“

He clenched his fists and spat from the platform. A Dragonmaw without a dragon. I am a joke and an embarrassment to my people. He searched one of his beltbags and pulled out a badge, placing it in his palm. He snorted with anger. The badge, made out of finest steel, was fashioned to resemble the symbol of the Dragonmaw. I was once a captain for fels sake. He closed his fist, pressing the badge.

„Why can't I tame them anymore?“

His body trembled with anger. Because I am to stubborn. The Thur`ruk said it to me after the hunt as if it is a good thing. He thought back at the day in the Highlands. After the business with the Twilight Hammer he set out with some of the Dragonmaw for a celebration hunt. A dragonhunt. His people offered him this chance, the kind of coming home present he had never expected. He didn't expected anything at all and it was his chance to prove himself, to be worthy of those markings on his forearms again. And he was hell bent on doing it right. He would return to the fortress, mounted on a drake, bending it to his will. With force if he had too. They rode out on wolfs, searching the land for signs of a Dragon and they found them. Footprints, fresh blood on the grass in a nearby forest at the foot of the mountain. The branches of the trees around them lay scattered to the south. They tracked the beast down to its den. But as they entered there was no mighty dragon there. Barely big enough to ride, the black drake slept peacefully, sending clouds of dirt in to the air, when it exhaled.

„I am to tame that? It is barely big enough to take a rider.“ He remembered asking his fellow hunters.

„It doesn't matter how big he is. In fact a young drake is by far better. So you have time to show it, who is its master, before it comes of age to carry you.“

One of his fellow hunters handed him an iron club.

„We will make sure it stays in place, while you show him who is boss. Tell us when you are ready.“

The hunters readied heavy chains with weight on them and assembled themselves around the sleeping drake with care. They looked towards him, with eyes full of doubt. Searching him. Judging him. They are testing me. Testing my worth. Nograx gazed down at the heavy club in his hand, tightening his grip around it. He nodded and stepped towards the drake.

The drake roared as soon as the chains fell on him and the orcs sticked them to the ground. It tried to brake free, but his effort was futile. His looked around, as if didn't knew what was going on until it found the eyes of Nograx and starred directly at him. Nograx eyes widened at what he saw. No anger. Just... Fear. He is afraid. 

„Are you going to stare him into submission or what?“

The hunters laughed. He pitied the drake before him. It certainly had no clue of what was happening. But the laughter stirred something inside him. He could feel it. They are laughing at me. Focus. Do it! Prove yourself!

„Obey me!“ He roared with his guttural voice at the drake and raised the club, ready to strike. The drake winced and tried to brake free. He hold in. Remorse and his will to prove himself battled inside him. He was frozen.

„Just raising the club wont do any good either. What is it old orc? Have you forgotten how this works? Beat him!“

The laughter around him was filled with spite. Anger filled him. Beat him! You want this! His expression darkened and the club descended onto the drake. Upon the sound of the hit the roar of the drake followed, filled with fear. Pleading at him. But Nogax ears where shut. He heard only the laughter in his head and it fueled every blow he dealt. He was deaf for everything around him. Starring into the eyes of the drake which closed with every blow of the club. Until they opened no more. A fluid sprayed on his face and he blinked. Suddenly the laughter was gone and the den went silent. Blood? He... He is dead? Blood flowed down the drake head. His eyes widened and his grip opened. The club hit the ground and broke the silence.

„Well. Great. You where supposed to subdue it, not kill it. You really forgot how to do this old one, eh?“


He opened his fist and looked at the badge again, sighting and putting it bag into its bag.

„Stay stubborn.“ He spat out the words. He heard a wolf barking below and turned his gaze towards it. There was Fen, looking at him, swinging with his tale. He smiled. Tomorrow old friend. Then we will head to the valley.