Ozcura warrior from Entartea
O Z C U R A,Grisa Orcii
Race:Ozcura
Class:Orc
Species:Goblinoid
Other names: Grey orcs
Allegiance: Dark Legion of Demons
Ozcuras are goblinoids of the orc family, who were created by the demon Dark Lord of Entartea Tulkhut, bred from a mix of grey and green orcs, goblins, kanovs, drow, humans and dark elves,being then considered a demon creation. They are originally from Entartea, but extended through most of the region of Polforia and the North of the continent of Aels.
Physical Description
Appearance
Ozcuras were goblinoids characterized for their grey skin, black or grey hair, eyes with yellow sclera, short fangs and proportions very similar to elves in the case of females. Together with the Koktos and Ur Dur, they compose the family of the daemonibii orcii, or goblinoids created by the demons. Their range extends from Navatiak to Zaghäl in Polforia, being originally from Entartea. They had an average living span of 25-30 years.
Sexual Dimorphism
The Ozcuras size and weight can vary considerably, due the reason of having been breed from several species and races by the demons; however normally the females are about the height of the Koktos or black orcs of Tok-Thoria, and they weigh up to about half the weight of the males (a male being called an ozcuro), who are considerably larger, and have a somewhat more orc-like appearance in features and proportions. These orcs are the most sexually dimorphic of the then seven orc races.
Growth and Development
When reaching 8 years old, a ozcurilla, a ozcura youngling is already a adolescent, and at 12, they are adults.
In the Ozcuras society, the women are the warriors and workers: however, their culture truly is extremely patriarchal:
Asymmetric Gender Proportion
There are about one adult Ozcuro, -male- every 8 or 9 ozcuras: Normally, they born in the proportion of 2:8, but less than half of them reach adulthood:
Culture
Harem Structure
The ozcuras are the workers, the gatherers, the artisans and the warriors: the males dedicate to fight each other for herds of Ozcuras, they breed, eat or sleep, hunting as well sometimes to pass the time:
The ozcuros establish and defend distinct territories in the Ozcuras pits and settlements, where they continuously will make threat displays toward neighbors and intruders to protect both territories and females, aside from fist and armored fights will be about vocalizations, head shaking, stares and bluff lunges.
Normally, an Ozcuro will have a herd of 3 to 18 ozcuras, being the more successful the larger older males:
For this, there aren't love among these orcs: the males may pick the females when they return from war or forage and coerce them into their territories and herd, stealing them as well from other males, as for them the herd aren't only for reproduction but as well have an economic value, as the females ozcuras work -something the males doesn't do-.
The herds are composed of the Ozcuro, his ozcuras and the ozcurillas and pups, and among the female ozcuras it is common to fight to be the main ozcura of the herd.
The males that failed to secure territories and herds, most often sub-adult ozcuros, will cause group raids in attempts to change the status-quo and gain access to females, and sometimes they will abduct ozcurillas and pups, in an attempt to control the mothers.
Demon Servers
Created to be slaves of the demons, all of them served lords of the Dark Legion, except some few deserters, and the males let their ozcuras go to fulfill their duties, or otherwise they will feel the consequences:
During campaigns, as the males stay behind with their other females and in their territories, is said the ozcuras to act extremely aggressive towards the females and pups of other races and species, meanwhile they will be very open to other male minions of the dark legion -as green and black orcs, for example, humans and many others- as well sometimes prisoners, and this explains the further process of hybridization among the ozcuras.
As well, being creations of demons, many of their more orcish social conducts were modified, as for example the bathing habits, as they were forced to bath daily, meanwhile the black orcs for example will never touch the water if they can.
As orcs, they prefer to eat meat -and don't have problem if its from sentient people, or other ozcuras if they aren't from their pit-, but they can be omnivores.
History
Early Dark Legion
When the Demons of the Dark Legion appeared for the first time in the surface of Aiers, with the destruction of the cities and nations of the island of Demonach, Mount Satanmet at the year 1.365 After the Apparition of Humanity (a.a.H), many said a new age had begun: a age in which the power of humans, kanovs and the high elves would be contested.
At first, the armies of the Dark Legion were composed only of their own ranks, demons and nightmares who bring fear and destruction to the hearts of their enemies:
But soon, the wars with the human Dumian Empire will take a heavy toll on the Dark legion, who needed to retreat to the steppes of the north, needing to make alliances to fight their enemies, using barbarians (Kanov and humans) and beast-men, as the numbers of demon soldiers had grown insufficient:
Two centuries were needed by the Dark Legion to venture again in a full out war against their first enemy, the (human, northern) Dumian Empire: But in the battle of the Hannian fields, 1651 a.a.H, their armies suffered a defeat, taking heavy casualties.
However, despite the defeat, it didn't stop the efforts of the Dark Legion, who conquered, sacked and destroyed Dume, the Capital of the Dumian Empire, at the 1.676.
This marked the beginning of the Dark Age of Demons.
Dark Age of Demons
The Dark Age of demons, despite the fall of their main enemies, the costs of such victories had the Dark Legion in a weakened state: And when began a war for the spoils of the North Dumian Empire between the demons of the Dark Legion and their former allies -Kanov, human and beastmen- (1.677 a.a.H) the demons were forced to retreat, abandoning what cost them so much to conquer.
They went to the far north, to the lands of Polforia, where they founded the new capitol of the Dark Legion, the Daimon City-State of the Dark Tower of Dol-Nur, at the 1.703 a.a.H.
However, Polforia wasn't an uninhabited territory, with a population of kanov, human, elves, orcs, dwarves and beast men, disputing for the power: by the time of the arrival of the demons, the kanov tribes had become the hegemonic power of Polforia, and because that they were the main and first enemy to oppose the Dark Legion and their dark tower of Dol-Nur, beginning the Kanov-Daimon wars of Polforia, known also as the Kanovhook wars, at the 1711 a.a.H.
Few in numbers, and despite their power and ferocity, the demons needed to fight the numerous hordes of the Kanov, and for that, they needed servants: The first to come to their influence, were the enemies of the kanovs and human, who had been hunted as animals to the swamps and forests of Polforia: beast men.
As well, the daimons presented themselves as gods, and predicating their religions, they made the orcs their vassals -if not slaves-, making as well alliances with Dragons, giants, Ogres and Trolls.
As well, they reinforced their armies with human and elven mercenaries:
But the great demon lords remembered too well how many of their allies and vassals abandoned them after the wars with Dume, and had the idea to breed their own armies, loyal only to their masters, and not their clans, shamans, chiefs and kings...
The Creation of the Ozcuras
A Durogon war beast
At the beginning, the first trials of the demons to create their slave-warriors, were unnamed monsters, creations and Abominations, done with different forms, molds, with diverse secret arts and terrible ways.
But they wanted something else, different: and so, the first of the servants of the demons were born: The Ozcuras.
The grey orcs or Ozcuras were created during the campaigns of Entartea against the Kanov tribe of the Konolardos: the creator, a lieutenant of the dark Tower of Dol-Nur, bred them from many diverse ancestors -orcs, goblins, drow, human, kanov, elves and more- in unknown ways, while his fortress was being sieged by the army of the Konolardos, at the 1780 a.a.H: When his army was ready, he unleashed the Ozcuras for first time in Polforia.
Still few in number, battles were lost and won by the Ozcuras of Entartea, playing a key role in the final defeat of the Tribe of the Konolardos -at the 1816 a.a.H-.
The Ozcuras were seen as a great advance for the demons in the search of some loyal armies, but were seen still as flawed, and several other demon lords tried to develop their own kinds of servants -as the Hattak, the Uniox and the Ur Dur-. But the grey orcs became widely accepted within the demon lords of the Dark Legion, and large armies were bred:
And so, by the time of the great battle of the Abyss of Dhermon Hel at the 1.855, the forces of Ozcuras were the spine of the dark legions, fighting along with the other orcs and more loyal vassals of the demons.
Finally, with the rendition of the Kordor -and their union to the Black Legion- ended the Kanovhook wars at the 1.869 a.a.H, after 158 years of war.
During the rest of the XIX century and the XX century, the ozcuras would extend all over eastern and north Polforia, serving in the legions of Entartea, Dbejor, Gredkër, Serak, Iztah, Morod, Ded and Dol-Nur, playing a key role as workers and soldiers of the Dark Legion, fighting in several wars -border wars against human, kanov, orcs, goblins, dwarves and elves, internal wars of the Dark Legion, and the wars against the Amazons of Hieyokscream or the conquest of the humans of Kdaimon and Nutkia-.
Ozcuras during the First war of the Powers
During the First War of the Power, fought between the Dark Legion and their clients and vassals against the Aelian Christian Human kingdoms and their allies, which lasted between the 2.203 to the 2.223 a.a.H, the Ozcuras played an important role in the northern Aels campaign, being one of the key components of the forces of the Dark Legion of their armies of Polforia:
They were part of the spearhead in the attack over the human tribes of Amazons and particularly the Queendom of Priva -along with Priva's rival Amazon tribes of the Helzar-, and were the vanguard along the Kanov vassal armies:
They will fight in the battles of Navätiak, the mountains of Helmed, Degoland and Sargos -and many sieges in the human lands-, the campaigns in Huncle, La Cruz and Tardos.
After the defeat of the northwestern human kingdoms at the 2.208 a.a.H, the armies of the Dark Legion -and mostly the Ozcuras- were dedicated to fight remnants of the human forces, occupying the lands and resisting some landing attempts of Akresh, putting down rebellions of cities and castles: It was so until the arrival of the high elven army of the Empire of Whide Axis, who landed in the bay of Begian at the 2.209 a.a.H: Against this powerful army -soon reinforced by the remnants of the northwestern human kingdoms' armies- the dark legion quickly mustered their forces, and at forced marching arrived to face their enemy in the battle of the Cold Plains:
There, battled the army of the Whide Axis of near 140.000 warriors against 42 legions of the Dark Legion, 252.000 warriors: And the tired forces of the Dark Legion, after the forced march, suffered a terrible defeat.
Many retreated to the north -where after knowing of the Dark Legion defeat, raised several rebellions in the occupied human lands, that they had to fight- and others retreated to the south.
The Whide Axis, instead of marching to reinforce the rebellions of the northwestern human lands, decided to march to the south, where the more important human kingdoms of Aels -Uslen and Purpurian- existed:
The Dark Legion tried to stop them at the Battle of the Bultr bridge, but once again the Dark Legion -who reunited 34 legions, 204.000 warriors, against near 130.000 of the Whide Axis army- were defeated.
While the Whide Axis marched to the south, and continued the war of the Powers in the southern scenario, the Dark legion prepared their forces in the north, massing once again their armies: but as the news arrived of the fall of the Unholy mountain of Hortann, the defeats of the Nigromante of Tok-Thoria and the loss of their fleets and the slow but steady advance of the Whide Axis armies, the demoralized armies of the Dark Legion, tried to stop the Whide Axis in the mountain Pass of Montes Cado ( Battle of Montes Cado ): But once again their forces were defeated, retreating into the Dark legion homeland: Polforia.
The last serious attempt of resistance by the Dark Legion was in the Battle of Polforia, where the -human and high elven chronicles- tell that the Dark Legion massed an army of over 600.000 warriors: but demoralized, the dark legion armies fell apart: the remnants of the dark Legion army were defeated in Morod, and Dol-Nur was besieged:
At the 2.223, the War of the Powers ended, and the remnant ozcura orc forces, who had been occupying the northwestern human lands, scattered, while the Great demon Lords were sealed in Mount Satanmet.
Ozcuras during the Middle Human Age
The Dark Legion existed no more, and their forces were scattered. The Great Demon Lords were sealed, and the humans and the Whide Axis were triumphant.
But slowly, the demon lieutenants, Remnants of the Dark Legion, began to reorganize, claiming back to be the true successors of the Dark Legion: the Ozcuras once again raised in number in Polforia, and were used widely by all the warring factions of the former Dark Legion.
However, it was demonstrated during the Great War of the Powers (which later will become the First war of the Powers) that the light ozcura infantry, was better to act as skirmishers, rather than the core of their armies: and so, while some demon lords -as the Nigromancer of Tok-Thoria- developed their new breeds of slave-soldiers -as the black orcs, the Kokto Orcs- the ozcuras kept a key role, due to their numbers and being cheap and easily replaced by the demon lords.
Between the 2.300 a.a.H and the 2.420, there was an era of wars, famine and chaos in Polforia, with the Witch King of Dol-Nur slowly rising to an hegemonic power over his rivals.
Ozcuras during the Second Coming of the Darkness, and Second war of the Power
At the 2.430, the Witch King of Dol-Nur decided to put an end to the chaotic state of the Remnants of the Dark Legion, and along with a small army, he marched to the south, to the Demonach Island. With the reluctant help of the Nigromancer of Tok-Thoria, who wanted to be a Great Demon Lord by himself, they defeated the Elven garrison of Mount Satanmet at the 2.434 a.a.H, liberating from their exile the Great Demon Lords, Saatan and Satman the Apprentice.
It was the time of the Second Coming of Darkness, and the beginning of the Second War of the Power.
The new Dark Legion moved quickly, massing the armies of all the remnants and warring demon states, and at the 2.440 a.a.H, they launched the largest invasion force ever seen in Aels to that date against the human Kingdom of Sargos, the largest and most powerful at that moment Human nation of Aels, hoping that soon other nations will follow:
The human chroniclists tell that the Dark Legion gathered an army of more than 2.000.000 "enemies of mankind" -the bulk of them being Ozcuras -grey orcs- and as well green and red orcs-.
However, what was a secure victory of the Dark Legion turned into a complete disaster, as the humans used the "Sand Beings", defeating and dispersing the armies of the Dark Legion.
After this defeat, once again turned the policies of the Dark Legion to gather allies and vassals -Ice Giants, Dark Elves, Kanovs and beast men-, and to raise new armies.
For example, in their alliance with the Dark Elves, the Dark Legion gave them some lands in Polforia, where they founded the City of the Wicked, Zaghäl, at the 2.476 a.a.H.
Weakened by these defeats, and with much of their prestige gone, some Demon lieutenants with ambitions of sovereignty –from their experiences of independence during the Middle human age- claimed independence, as did the Nigromante of Tok-Thoria, in the 2.483, or Anutkahook of Anutkia, at the 2.493 a.a.H.
This forced the Dark Legion to delay their plans for the Second war of the power –limited now to border engagements and local campaigns- focusing in trying to suppress the successionists with brutal wars, as the Anutkahook war, and the war between the Unholy Mountain and Tok-Thoria.
These civil wars damaged much the prestige of the Great Demon Lord, leader of the Dark Legion, Saatan: and because of this, his second in command, Satman the Apprentice, tried to stage a coup d’etat against Saatan, Lord of the Demons, at the 2.535 a.a.H: His attempt failed and he was banished, becoming “Satman the Fallen”: But it meant a vacuum of power for the other demon lords, trying to gain for themselves the place as second in command, under Saatan:
And as such, began the War of the Four Black Kings, between the more powerful lieutenants of Saatan: Anutkahook of Nutkia, the Nigromancer of Tok-Thoria, the Witch King of Dol-Nur and the Dark Elf king of Zaghäl.
In this brief but brutal civil war, that lasted between the 2.536 to the 2.538 a.a.H, the armies of the Polforian demon lords –forming around the Witch King of Dol-Nur- and the elven armies of Zaghäl, composed largely of Ozcuras, were defeated by the Nutk humans, kanovs, koktos and Pixerianos of the Nigromancer of Tok-Thoria and Anutkahook of Nutkia:
And so, while Anutkahook was crowned as second in command of the Dark legion only under the Lord of Demons Saatan, granting the Nigromancer the fortress of Satman the Fallen, the Unholy mountain of Hortann, to secure the peace, was the end of the age of the Ozcuras as the main fighting force of the Dark Legion in northern Aels:
The end of the era of the ozcuras was signed in the battles of the Dargoinan Pass and the Plains of Morod, during the 2.538 a.a.H:
After this time, the ozcuras were reduced in their roles only as skirmishers and support light forces, while the Kokto Orcs occupied their former roles and the Pixerians became the core of the Dark Legion.
The Second War of the powers ended at the 2.539 with a stalemate, as the weakened by internal wars Dark legion retreated to their borders, and the human kingdoms reunited their strength…
Ozcuras at the Late Human Age and third war of the Powers
A new era would begin for the Dark Legion with the consolidation of their power in Polforia and the uneasy –and often broken- peace with the Holy Sargonic Empire, as the borders settled in the “Walls of Olga”, the mountain ranges that separated Polforia from the rest of Aels.
While the Holy Sargonic Empire was dedicated to the expansion in Ushaenor, suppressing heresies, and the Caliphate of the Orange Sun of Blazakhov rose in the south, fighting Tok-Thoria, unified under a single rule Polforia developed:
After the Great Plague that began at the 2.543, hitting Aels for the rest of the XXVI century, Polforia didn’t suffer the worst of it, and the population expanded, more lands were put to work in agriculture, knowledge was pursued, in a more tolerant society: the demonic arts and architecture reached their zenith, while trade relations extended with Hieyoks and the Sea of Tok, building roads, channels and cities all over Polforia.
And slowly, the Dark Legion was preparing for the final war, to defeat once and for all the Humans, to expel them from Aels: In the armories, were forged legions of Pixerians, armors, weapons and war engines, the battle magic was developed to perfection in the magic academies and armies were raised:
Finally, at the 2.633 the[Dark Legion of the Demons, unleashed their forces in the Third War of the Powers against their Christian and Muslim enemies: and this time, the war was not only fought in Aels, but as well in Ushaenor, Hieyoks and northern Zarhuy.
By the 2.673 a.a.H, after 40 years of bloody and savage battles of the third war of the Power, much of Aels and parts of Hieyoks, Ushaenor and Zarhuy laid in ruins.
Cornered, The Holy alliance against the demons decided to launch their last forces in an offensive. These remnants advanced at the 2.674 a.a.H against the Mount Satanmet in the Demonach Island: After a series of fierce naval and land combats in the island, the “Holy Alliance” reached the damned mount, and used the 31 of December of 2.674 the Holy Relic of Eden –that the Sargonic forces had captured 175 years before, during the Holy Wars-:
This caused the Great Cataclysm (The Cataclysm), which will change forever the surface of Aels:
Many lands sunk into the ocean, mountain ranges surged from plains, and mountains became lakes: New lands surged from the seas, and the old world was destroyed.
Ozcuras in the Modern World
After the 2.675 a.a.H, ended the fantasy age and began the modern age, with the Fall of the demons and the Dark Legion, the Ozcuras, their creations, fell with them.
With the world, and their cities in ruins, and without the demons to lead their civilization, the ozcuras disbanded in the new uncharted lands: Some created their own kingdoms, free from demonic tutelage, but who soon were lost in time. Many more, joined other orc tribes, and soon lost their own racial identity. Many others became slowly mixed with humans and kanovs: And so, by the XXX century a.a.H., the ozcuras had already disappeared as identifiable, differentiated groups: However, their heritage survived, in groups of mixed ancestors who were by then, already considered humans.
Ozcura Nations
Created by demons, the ozcuras didn't had neither nations, governments or much of their own cultural expressions, adopting instead the ones of their demon masters, or of other of the vassals and members of the dark legion.
Ozcuras of the West
Among the western mountain range, after the first war of the power most of the ozcuras mixed with other orc groups -as the kaihem green orcs, or the Brûmer red orcs-, mixing quickly within them.
These ozcuras adopted the fashion, weapons and equipment of the other orcs, including this in the way of fighting and the use of armors
Ozcuras of Morod
The Ozcuras of the North, being used mostly against the Amazon tribes had adquired much of their equipment, armament and fashion: these ozcuras came mostly from the forests of Ded, before becoming differentiated with them.
Normally, as most of ozcuras, they use no or little armor, normally fighting only with some loincloths and light shields: this specific ozcura use as well an armor done of padded line.
They use normally as well leather armors (or part of leather armors) and uniforms similar to the ones of the Amazon Queendom of Helzig.
Among these bands are the Ozcuras of Kocorralia.
Ozcuras of Ded
The Ozcuras of the forest of Ded where the slaves and servants of the Witches of the forest of Ded, adopting from them the fashion of using whidely feathers and other ornaments (of bone, leather and wood), mostly for the ozcuras fascination with shiny and colorful objects.
Like most of ozcuras, for war they almost don't used armor, aside from warpaint and ornaments of all kinds, with some padded armor pieces. Among the veteran warriors and officers was normal the use of skins of Loranor -beast people- and animal skulls.
The Ded Ozcuras where extended not only in the forest of Ded, but as well in Kordor, eastern Nurandia, Iztah, northern Brûm, western Polforia and Dol'nur.
Some of the bands of Ded Ozcuras where the Dark Cloaks, Veshian and Billiboncian ones, among others.
Ozcuras of Entartea
Entartea was where the Ozcuras where born, being the original ones, and they extend in most of eastern Polforia (Entartea, Gredkër, Rumnelia, Dbejor, Zaghäl, and Serak).
They use what was originally the "standard" equipment for the Ozcura infantry in the Dark Legion: loincloth, boots and some leather armor pieces for officers, aside from what was scavenged from the battlefield.
The other "nations" of Ozcuras derived from Entartean ozcuras groups.