A Breton's Guide to Orc Clans volume I: Wrothgarian Mountains and the Frozen Bay

By Maxevillian Creloix of Camlorn 2E 512

The Orcs (or Orsimer) of the Wrothgarian Mountains have troubled the Kindoms of northern High Rock for many hundreds (or even thousands) of years, as with the Direnni and Ayleids before them. There are also records of of Orcish and Dwaven conflicts, but these reports have been difficult to verify. The Orcs of Wrothgar (like in otherplaces) are divided into Clans. These clans are more often than not ruled from a central Stronghold, or "Clanhold" as some finer Orcs like to refer to them as. These Orc Clans are some of the oldest in Tamriel, some place their founding as far back the Dawn Era, but most Historians place it at a more careful Middle to Late Merethic Era. As few written records remain from this time we are unlikely to ever het a definitive answer. Below I have compiled a list of all larger clans of the area and a short description of each.

Clan Bagrakh: This clan was once quite minor and was founded aroud the time that Torug boult his original Orsinium, likely as an offshoot of Clan Igron. The Clan the quickly grew, possibly due to the fact that they early on gained major support from the Trinimac worshipping Orcish factions. After the destruction of Orsinium and the death of King Golkarr gro-Igron they disappear from history, only to later reappear as a rich trading clan with a Stronghold in the northeastern Wrothgarian Mountains. During this period Balagog gro-Bagrakh initiated the conflict that was later to be called the "Balagog Blood-Purge", after all the Malacath worshippers that were mudered during this time. The Clan prospered for a hundred years before in once again vanished. Records from the mention several unexplained disappearances and deaths. The last mention of the Clan from that time is from the "OPULUSCUE FA-NUIT-HEN HIE GHARTOK VA NIRN". It is written entirely in some unknown variation of Ehlnofex and mainly in Daedric letters. It mentions a "KYNEX BAGRAKH ORSI-MERI", which according to the Evermore Mages Guild traslates to something like "[The] Orsimeri Clan* [of] Bagrakh". The Clan has recently reappeared, having built a Stronghold in the Southeasten Wrothgarian Mountains and is once agai beginning to rival the larger clan of Fharun.

*Could refer to any kind of collection of people, but is here translated as "Clan".

Clan Igrun: Formerly known as Igron, this is by far the oldest clan in Wrothgar. It gained major power when King Torug gro-Igron founded the first (under that name) Orsinium. Everytime Orsinium fell Igron rebuilt it, each time stronger than the last. But when King Golkarr and the fourth (in some sources fifth) Orsinium fell Igron (like so many Orcish clans) fell into obscurity. They reappeared a few centuries under the name Igrun. Igrun has had minor Strongholds scattered across Wrothgar since then, but has never been able to reestablish itself as the great Orcish Clan it once was. the Clan now mainly lives on as a collection of loosely connected Malacath cults, who are greatly overshadowed by the Agra Crun of Fharun.

Clan Fharun: Clan Fharun rose to prominence with the founding of Orsinium, but they had existed long before that. Not much is known about the Clan from this time, other than that it contributed geatly in the defence of Orsinium. Unlike most other Clans Fharun was not particularly damaged by the destruction of Orsinium. Instead Fharun thrived in the northernmost peaks of Wrothgar. They built their Stronghold on an island far to the north, and that Stronghold stands still today. During the Balagog Blood-Purge Fharun sided with the Malacath worshipping majority against the Trinimac worshipping Clan Bagrakh. After the civil war, which ended with the death of Balagog, the Agra Crun was formed within the Clan. The purpose of the Agra Crun was and is to defend the religion of Malacath against all who would oppose it. The clan is also know for it's skill in the popular Orcish sport "Vosh ball". A great shrine to Malacath is sain to be hidden underneath the Clan's stronghold, but noone has been able to prove it.

Clan Morkul: Famous as the Forgemasters of Orsinium, the Morkul Clan supplied the Orsinium Army during both war- and peacetime. Their history, however, stretches back much further than that. The ancestors of clan Morkul are said to have created a great forge in the very mountain during the early first Era. This forge is known as Morkuldin, but noone has been able to find it in the present day. They have a Stronghold on the coast of Central Wrothgar, and the smoke of their forges is said to be visible from miles away. Clan Morkul has unlike many other Clans never forgiven the Bretons and Redguards for the sacking(s) of Orsinium and are to this day known to raid Breton towns along the Wrothgar border.

Clan Murtag: This Clan is ancient, but quite small. It has it's Stronghold on the border between Stormhaven and Wrothgar, west of the Jehanna road. The Clan is known for building its Strongholds largely undeground, witholding ancient Orcish building conventions. Unlike many other clans Murtag has largely forgiven the Bretons and Redguards for the sack of Orsinium and is known for trying to keep good relations with the nearby Breton Kingdoms.

Clan Shatul: This Clan is said to have formed when the clans Shar and Tuul came together on Malacath's command. They were also one of Orsinium's founding clans. This clan has it's Stronghold in eastern-central Wrothgar. It survives on trading Echatere (a kind of wooly insect-thing) meat, fur and milk. While it is one of the smaller clans it's one of the most influential ones. Without Shatul's Echatere large parts of Wrothgar's population would starve. The clan has it's own temple of Malacath, known as the Bloody Knoll. There potential Cheifs contend for the position and there sacrifices to Malacath are made.

Clan Tumnosh: Clan Tumnosh has recently grown quite large due to it's extensive trade with stone with the other clans. The clans Stronghold is located in southern-central Wrothgar. They supposedly provided Clan Igron with the stone they needed when building Orsinium. The name Tumnosh means "Death-land" in old Orcish and likely refers to the unforgiving environment near the Clan's current and historical Clanhold.

These are the largest Orc clans of Wrothgar, but there of course are many more. Clans like Agluk are not included simply because of their very small size and influence.

In my next volume I shall talk about the Orc Clans of Valenwood and Elsweyr and their history and culture.