Kulgash

Kulgash

Kulgash was born to an unknown mother in Borgoth Bloodfang’s clan, unknown because orc parents don’t raise their offspring, the clan does. Growing up was tough, he was never the fastest, the strongest, or the most skilled. He wasn’t the worst, by far, however, it was still hard growing up amidst beliefs and behaviors that you didn’t agree with, especially if you don’t understand why you don’t. For as long as Kulgash could remember, he had been different. As far as he could figure, he had just been born different.

Young orcs aren’t exposed to the world outside the clan until they reach thirteen years. Until the day that they are introduced to the outside world they are trained in the art, and I use that term loosely, of Orcish fighting and taught the ways of the warlike Orcish gods. They are brought up surrounded by violence and death.

Right after birth Kulgash was thrown in the center shelter with the rest of the fledglings. This may sound extreme, but you must understand that orcs aren’t born as frail and helpless as humans. They can’t be. In this shelter they were screened. This screening process consisted of simple observations. The chieftain and his greatest warriors watched the young. They watched for signs of strength and weakness, courage and cowardice, intelligence (relatively speaking) and stupidity (also relative). One thing that their screening fails to pick up is lack of aggression. Let’s face it; no orc had ever lacked aggression. Kulgash lacked this aggression. While the other orcs were fighting and trying to establish some pecking order he was just trying to survive. He didn’t go on the attack, but he didn’t let himself be abused either.

He made it through the screening period simply because he defended himself. Through this defense he managed to escape being branded as a coward. After several years in this center area, about five, they begin their brutal training. They are taken by the great warriors that screened them and divided up into their future positions. The few showing the most promise are taken by the clan’s second-in-command to be trained to be the officers of the new battalion. The ones with the least promise, the fearful, weak, and stupid (still relative), are taken to be trained as the archers and crossbowmen, because no true warrior fights from a distance. The rest are taken as the general infantry, this is where Kulgash went. Kulgash and the others placed in the general infantry are put through a test to determine the weapon they get trained for. They are tested with spear, pike, axe, hammer, and of course the sword. Our hero, as we will come to know him, was placed in the axe group. He quickly rose through the ranks, he never was first, because he never killed his opponents; however he was recognized as one of the best. This training continued for another five years.

For the remaining three years before their exposure the newly weaponized orcs were trained in tactics. This consisted mostly of learning to charge with no fear. In fact, most of their tactical training was focused on the elimination of fear. They were taught to never retreat, unless ordered to do so, of course. By the end of this part of their training not only had their fighting skills been polished to near perfection, but they also exhibited the ability to completely shut out fear. They were also issued the weapons that they would learn to depend on. Because he was the top of his class, Kulgash was given a beautiful and sinister looking axe with a sweeping blade on one side and an evil spike on the other. The trainers then began to organize the soldiers into their first raiding parties. These parties would consist of about 20 warriors and 1 experienced leader.

Kulgash was placed in his group and they were moved into a separate shelter. He sat alone in a corner listening to the conversations around him. They were all about the same thing. His fellow raiders couldn’t wait the kill their first human. During the last segment of their training the young orcs were taught about the other races. The humans, widely seen as the weakest race, physically, were described as a favored target for orc raiding parties. Kulgash didn’t share his race’s desire for destruction. He saw no reason to attack those that he perceived as innocent simply because they had to power to do so.

Most of his “comrades” had killed before, only about half of the orcs that made it through the screening actually made it to the raids. Kulgash had not. As he listened to the other orcs talk, he knew that he had to do something. He had a 2 days to make a decision; in three days, the raids would commence.