Salvation of the Orcs

As the lingering warmth of autumn faded away, several citizens of Magnagora began to report sightings of shifty looking orcs on Spectre Island, all sneaking about while carrying large sacs of spectral essence. All attempts to detain one of the thieving braves failed as the orcs always managed to evade capture by the slimmest of margins. A later attempt to interrogate the orcs of Shallach, led by Yurizhi and Jarlegiya of Magnagora, resulted in nothing more than the death of the reticent creatures.

It was not until several months later that Yiskka Feyranti, captain of the Crimson Lady, announced to the city that she had caught one of the orcs stowed away in her ship’s hold. Eager to finally get answers, Nefara of the Geomancers along with Cyna and Avurekhos of the Nihilists quickly took responsibility for the orc’s ‘wellbeing’ and dragged him in chains to the Bridge of Torment where he was to be vivisected, flayed, and finally fed to the trio’s expectantly waiting demons. Though the orc put on a defiant face at first, his resolve swiftly crumbled and he revealed that the orcs had been collecting undead essence on the orders of the ‘smart one’ recently come to the ruins of Shallach.

After gaining access his lair, the ‘smart one’ turned out to be an orc mystic named Vorugh Soulseeker and his driving ambition was to find a way to return his people to strength by giving them the gift of Undeath. Appealing to the Magnagorans by providing tantalizing scenarios where a tribe of naturally stealthy and cunning warriors would be in their debt, he enlisted those gathered to help him complete his elixir of undeath.

Before too long, Cyna succeeded in gathering the necessary ingredients and the elixir was successfully completed. The chieftain of the orcs, Xhurug Deathstalker, downed the foul mixture before it had had time to cool and promptly dropped dead. Yet for the first time in Orcish history the strongest of orcs rose once more, his form practically melting and shifting before the eyes of those gathered. With a shout of elation Vorugh immediately turned back to his work, more driven than ever to bring the benefits of undeath to the entirety of his people.