Belkzen

Cartographers may designate the lands between the Tusk Mountains, the Kodar Mountains, and the Mindspin Mountains “Belkzen,” but there is no such formal nation and few of its mainly orc residents would deem it a place name. To them, Belkzen is the name a legendary hero, an orc warlord who united the tribes in the area and conquered the dwarven Sky Citadel of Koldukar more than 8,000 years ago. Belkzen renamed the city Urgir, and it remains the largest city in the region by far. Although Belkzen’s alliance collapsed after his death, fracturing the orcs into dozens of feuding tribes, Urgir remains a symbol of power to the them, and despite constant turnovers in leadership the city has continued to grow. More recently, a OPRAK

clever and far-sighted warlord named Grask Uldeth, chieftain of the Empty Hand tribe, saw the economic benefits other nations enjoyed and sought to bring them to Urgir by means other than by simply stealing them. Uldeth created a system of tokens allowing non-orcs to travel through Belkzen freely in exchange for tribute payments, encouraged merchants to relocate to Urgir with light taxes and complete indifference to unscrupulous wares, and ensured their protection in the city with a rudimentary police force called the Closed Fist. Uldeth was slain by a mysterious assassin in 4716 and his steward, Ardax the White-Hair, now serves as Overlord of Urgir. Ardax leads the Closed Fist but not the Empty Hand, which has given him more time to coordinate improvements to the city. Chief among these has been the discovery of several caches of dwarven weapons underneath the city, along with a huge herd of rust monsters that now patrol with the Closed Fist like trained dogs.

When the Whispering Tyrant broke free from Gallowspire, he sent several envoys to regain the allegiances of the orc hordes, just has he had 15 centuries ago. The tribes of Belkzen remembered what had happened to their ancestors under Tar- Baphon, however, and this time the orcs refused to fight and die for the lich-king. The orcs slaughtered the undead envoys as an answer and mounted the envoys’ heads on the walls of Urgir. The Whispering Tyrant was enraged by this defiance, sending an army of undead to cow the orcs in response. In the Battle of Nine Broken Skulls outside of Urgir, Ardax led a desperate coalition of orc tribes to victory over the undead army. The Whispering Tyrant had sought to break the orcs’ morale, but he succeeded only in teaching them how much stronger they could be together.

The orcs know it’s only a matter of time before the Whispering Tyrant sends a larger force or, worse, marches to Urgir personally. While even the most stubborn of the tribes have conceded they must solidify into a united front to repel this incipient threat, they struggle to overcome a long history of strife. Belkzen’s land is harsh and unyielding, and it receives little rain except during the spring floods that turn the region’s largest thoroughfare—the Flood Road—from a wide, dry valley into a river. The orc tribes now struggle to work together to share the resources obtain citizenship via civil and military service is established in Molthune, bolstering the nation’s defenses.

4716 ar The orc warlord Grask Uldeth is assassinated. His steward, Ardax of the White-Hair, takes control of Urgir.

4717 ar

The Ironfang Invasion.

Hobgoblin warlord General Azaersi is routed by the Nirmathi militia and retreats to establish the nation of Oprak in southwest Nirmathas.

4717 ar

Gendowyn reclaims control of the Accressial Court in the Fangwood when Arlantia is slain by Nirmathi militia leaders.

4719 ar The Whispering Tyrant obliterates Vigil, escapes Gallowspire, and overruns Lastwall; he then relocates to the Isle of Terror, reclaiming his old holdings there. The orcs of Belkzen rebuff the Whispering Tyrant’s emissaries and unite to repel the lich’s vengeful forces.

NOTABLE FIGURES

The following are key public figures in the region.

OVERLORD ARDAX THE WHITE-HAIR The Overlord of Urgir, Ardax controls access to Urgir and oversees negotiations between Belkzen and their neighbors.

GENERAL AZAERSI Founder of the Ironfang Legion and now ruler of Oprak, General Azaersi works to establish a hobgoblin homeland and secure the resources of the Onyx Vault.

IMPERIAL GOVERNOR MARKWIN TELDAS The Imperial Governor of Molthune focuses on expanding the citizenry of his nation in order to strengthen it.

THE WHISPERING TYRANT A resurgent villain who has challenged gods, slaughtered saints, and amassed armies, Tar-Baphon is the greatest current threat to Avistan. of their hard land, and fiercely debate whether to reach out to long-despised neighbors for aid against the Whispering Tyrant’s wrath. Orcs who aren’t warriors have used this trying time to gain influence and prestige, both due to their skills at managing resources and their relative neutrality in orc tribal grudges. For the first time in millennia, Belkzen’s orcs value caretakers, artisans, and negotiators—not just its warriors.