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Heroes Community > Age of Heroes Coliseum > Thread: ICTC: The Ziggurat
Thread: ICTC: The Ziggurat This thread is 2 pages long: 1 2 · NEXT»
War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 08, 2006 10:03 PM bonus applied.
Edited by War-overlord on 26 Feb 2006

ICTC: The Ziggurat

The Ziggurat

This is my idea of how the orcs should be implemented in the game.

Quote: “Fire freed our race”
AKA: The orcs, the sea raiders
Associated colours: Fire red, Ash grey
Worship: Fugarass, the Dragon of Fire, the Lord of Volcanoes
Core philosophy: “Fire will choose its own path; it gave us the ability to do the same.”
Country: Mara’Xash, the Chain of Flames
Capital City: Tor’Karth, the Ziggurat of Fugarass’ Flame
Key Symbols: the Flaming Axe, the Smoking Volcano

Description:

Physical features
The Orcs are a mixture of demon and human blood. They have inherited their muscular, hulking form and their boar-like tusks from the demon side of their ancestry. They have their mind, pride and strong will from the human side. Their tough, leathery skin was formed after their rebellion, because the orcs lived in the heat of the volcanoes. Orcs have a tan to green-brown skin colour and dark red to  dark purple coloured blood. Orcs have three fingers and a thumb on their hands and they have 4 toes on their feet, both have blunt yellow nails. Male orcs are mostly bald but do have beard growth, females on the other hand do have hear on their scalps but no facial hear. Orcs have black to brown hair which turns grey as they age. Orcs have a natural lifespan of about 85 years. Often they clothe themselves only in kilts or crude pants and tunics because of that heat. The orcs are seen as barbarians by the other races because their, in the eyes of the other races, crude way of life and because of their savagery in fights. This savagery is caused by both their demon blood and their even stronger survival instinct. Orc infants a start survival training when they are 4 years of age. Orcs tend to have two infants at the same time; however one of the infants usually dies before birth or a few days after their birth. The orcs believe this was caused when the human and demon blood was mixed to create the orcs and was not perceived as important enough by their creators to change (the orcs still hate the humans for that). Orc females are usually pregnant for one year. It is very rare if orcs have only one infant or to have both infants survive, the latter is seen as a sign of the favour of Fugarass.

Islands and dwellings
The Orcs live on a chain of volcanic islands. These islands are all underwater volcanoes, which surfaced after erupting one or more times. Most of these volcanoes are still active and occasionally belch out smoke, ash, debris and lava. These islands have a tropical climate and have some villages and cities on them. The exception to this rule is the capitol island Tor'Karth. This is the smallest inhabited island and the entire island is one enormous city. These islands are often surrounded by large coral reefs. The volcanic soil of the islands is very fertile and is mostly covered by dense mangrove swamps, the orcs also cultivate parts of the mangroves to farm its fruits, which are used to supplement their diet. The most eaten and distilled fruit is the Bloodpineapple, named for its blood red juice. The orcs also keep goats for their milk, wool and when the goats die meat and leather. The mangroves grow at the foot of the volcanoes, the tops are often barren places of rock and ash and the mangroves become less dense further inland and upwards. Between the barren top and the dense mangroves lies a small ring of thicket. The volcano soil is often rich of minerals like iron, copper, tin and sulphur. Orc live mostly in circular houses built with basalt blocks and mortar. The houses have wooden roofs with a small opening in the middle to let smoke out. Family goats and wolves sleep inside the houses, Orcs who "own" turtles are usually richer then most and can have larger houses built so the turtles can enter their houses and reside there. Large buildings are often rectangular or square. Orc don't build their own houses, the houses are built by professional builders, name colonizers, this is partly funded by the Council of Chieftains, the larger the house, the larger the own share of the orc families.

Society
The orcs live in a clan-based society. These clans consist of one, but often more families who are often based on one of the islands. Each clan has its own banner. Leading each of these clans is the chieftain, who is chosen by his or her clan. The main duties of a chieftain are overseeing building projects, solve disputes, lead cremation ceremonies, leading the Coastguard and being the local judge together with the priest(s) of a clan. Judging and punishing minor crimes is done by the clan itself, with clanexile(exile from the clan and being forbidden to join another clan, marked by a branded symbol on the palm of the hand) as the severest punishment. Major crimes are judged by the Council of Chieftains. The worst punishment for a major crime is marooning (leaving someone on a very small uninhabited island with a flask of water and a small knife). Corporal punishment is not unusual, execution on the other hand is not accepted. If an orc wishes to become chieftain they gather their clan and declare to their clan that s/he questions the leadership of the present chieftain and then explains this motion, after this the present chieftain gets a chance to defend his/her leadership. When a debate of leadership is over, the other clan members have one day to choose which orc they think would be the better chieftain. The candidate with the most followers after a day will become the new chieftain, which is shown by simply standing near the candidate of choice. If the election ends in a draw the candidates have to rule the clan together unless one of the candidates backs of. Basic life is the same in every clan, though some rituals and habits vary per clan. For example, if a member of the Sharkhunter clan is at the age s/he is considered an adult s/he has to kill a shark armed with a single shark tooth given by his/her parents, only after that s/he is seen as and adult. Another example, the members of the Magmaforge clan always carry a small hammer with them(this is a clan which brings forth many excellent smiths) and the members of the Mauler clan(the largest clan) have the tendency to file down their tusks. Other large clans are: the Seavulture clan, the Squidbeak clan, the Broken Blade clan, the Bleeding Hand clan and the Coral Spear clan. There are many other smaller clans. Orcs value freedom above anything and will fight every other races to maintain this. Most orcs view honor as the second virtue and faith to Fugarass and the orcish race and nation as a third. The most common flaws of orcs are stuborness, lack of angercontrol and ruthless ambition.

Culture and Politics
Tor’Karth and Mara'Xash is led by the Council of Chieftains. This council consists of every orc chieftain and is chaired by the Priest-Elder. The Council of Chieftains acts as a senate and makes the laws of Mara'Xash. Living on many islands, fish is the main source of food for the orcs and most orcs are therefore fishermen. This also is the main cause of the great skill of the orcs in making and manning ships. Above all Orcs value their freedom to choose their own way of life. When an orc comes of age to be considered an adult, s/he is asked to declare their clan the way of life s/he will follow. The orcs make no difference between male and female, in physical strength there is a minimal difference between both sexes although females tend to be a bit more agile and males are a bit stronger. Even though the orcs will gladly recruit both males and females in the Navy, the military of the orcs, there are very few females that choose for a military way of life. Orcs choose their mates and it is usually the female who approaches the male of her choice. Orc courtship lasts normally 0,5 to 2 years and can only start when both orc are adults. When both male and female agree to be wed to each other, they ask for the blessing of the chieftain(s) of their clan(s). When they are blessed they can be wed by a priest. Wedding ceremonies last one day and consist mostly of lighting a large bonfire on the Ziggurat altar and watch it burn up(having trouble to light the bonfire is seen as a sign of bad luck). During this ceremony the left hand of the male is tied to the right hand of the female with a strong rope, the rope is cut by the priest when the ceremony is over. If the male and the female are both of a different clan, they decide together which clan they will be part of. Divorce is accepted by the orcs, even though it is very rare. Orc names exist of three to five parts. They are 1 honorary title, 2 given name, 3 nickname, 4 family name and 5 clan name. Every orc has a given, family and clan name, an example would be (2)Graktho (4)Markis'Tra (5)of the Sharkhunter clan. Honorary titles are given when an orc reaches a high place in the clan hierarchy, like Chieftain or Priest. Nicknames are given when an orc has a very distinctive feature, like Stumpfoot(which refers to a tree stump-like peg leg(as read in the history)). Orcs are usually only addressed by their first three names, using the fourth and fifth to make a difference if two orcs have the same given name and no or the same title. Orcs are named when they have lived one full year. Officially it is the chieftain of the clan who names the infant, but it is the infant's parents who make up the name of their infant. Orcs write in a rune alphabet which is made of 30 different runes. All orcs are taught how to write and read when they reach an age of 8. Orcs write mostly on parchment scrolls with a rather blunt, hollow needle with a very small opening just above the tip and octopus ink. Like most races orc pay each other with gold. The value of this gold however is not measured by a number of coins but by the weight of the gold. This is why al orc carry a small balance and some lead weights with them. The orcs value a few forms of art. The most appreciated form is coral carvings. They also make bronze statues and tapestries, these are more expensive though and are often only found in the houses of the richer orcs. When the orcs have spare time, most spend their time in taverns, drinking and telling stories. As orcs are very fond of strong drinks, which are distilled from the fruits the orcs farm. To amuse the population the large cities often organized boat races in which the naval galleys and frigates race each other. This also keeps the navy on their toes during times of peace.
The military power of the Orcs is their large navy. The navy is led by the Grand-Admiral, an orc chosen by the Council of Chieftains. The Grand-Admiral is one of the few high positions in orc society that is not occupied by a chieftain. The position of Grand-Admiral is permanent to improve the stability of the navy. Next to the Council of Chieftains, the Grand-Admiral is the only one who can contradict an order from a Warlord. The main duty of the Navy is to protect Mara'Xash. The Grand-Admiral has three Admirals as his lieutenants.

Worship
The Orcs worship Fugarass and his fire, because they believe it was Fugarass who saved them from their human overlords. Fugarass thought the orcs how to use his fire to survive and to make their metal tools. Fugarass is also seen as the creator and controller of volcanoes, therefore he is often addressed as the Volcano Lord or the Master of Fire. The most of the worshipping is done by the Priests of Fugarass. The orcs worship Fugarass on the top of the Ziggurats the erect for him. The Conclave of Priests is based on the top of the volcano of Tor’Karth, at the Cauldron of Fugarass. The top itself is carved as a giant ziggurat. On top of the Ziggurats the priests of Fugarass thank the dragon for his help to the orcs by lighting the Sacred Fire pit, a large deep fire brazier. Priests dedicate half their life to the worship of Fugarass, as priests are allowed(and almost always will) wed. The priests al ledd by the Conclave of Priests. The is a small council of the wisest, oldest and the most intelligent priests, the Priestmasters. The head of the Conclave is the Priest-Elder. The Priest-Elder is a Priestmaster of the Conclave who is elected by the other Priestmasters. Priest-Elder is a lifelong term, however a Priest-Elder can resign if s/he feels s/he is not able to preform the duties of the job. The Priest-Elder also plays a major role in orcish politics, but needs the approval of the Conclave to overrule the Council of Chieftains. The priests also have the duty to take care of the sick and wounded. Therefore apprentices learn how to make several salves and potions that ease pain or heal. The Priests of Fugarass keep a large library in the Ziggurat of Tor'Karth which contains many scrolls on these subjects next to the orcish history. In this ziggurat the Council treasury is also kept. The Ziggurats are inspired by the volcanoes which make up the bulk of the islands. Therefore the main building in every orc settlement is the ziggurat of Fugarass. The ziggurats are usually made of black basalt (a volcanic stone). The larger the settlement is, the larger the ziggurat. In the most settlements that are seen as cities the Ziggurats take up one third of the city. If an orc dies his/her body is burnt on a pyre to send their soul to the aid of Fugarass. (For and idea of what the Ziggurat in my mind should look like follow this link : http://www.fccps.k12.va.us/gm/web2/Yancey/ziggurat.jpg, only bigger, with more steps and black) The orc believe that as long as they remain in the favour of Fugarass the volcanoes will not erupt and harm them.

Race relations
The orcs ally themselves to none of the other races. They still see Haven and Academy as enslavers since they have enslaved the orcs in the past and think that the only person lowers then a slave is a slave driver. They also have a hatred for the Demons because they, in the eyes of the orcs, tried to take their country form them during the second eclipse. The orcs also see the Necromancers as slave drivers, using the mindless undead as their slaves. The orcs make no difference between the Sylvan and Dark elves and view them as well as slave drivers for their use of Minotaur and Treant "slaves". Therefore the orcs are preferably neutral, are distrustful of all other races and are rather left alone. They will fiercely defend their homeland against all of them, because the orcs think the other races are still thinking of "(re)enslaving" the orcs. They have become rather paranoid in the modern ages, as the other races start to venture near their islands. Survivors of shipwrecks of the other races that wash ashore of the islands are nursed back to health by the Priests of Fugarass. They are not allowed to leave their quarters when recovering. The shipwrecked have the choice to be returned home or remain in the orcish lands as a clanless being when approved by the Council of Chieftains. Thus far only one has chosen to join the orcs.


"Brief" history

330 YSD: 1st Eclipse - War of the Blood Moon
A total lunar eclipse provokes a massive rupture of the Demon Prison. The Demon Lords force their way out and raven across Elven lands. Caught by surprise, they are rapidly overwhelmed.

Called upon for assistance, the wizards of the Seven Cities send their forces into battle. They experiment with demon blood, which they inoculate into human slaves and criminals. The monstrous Orcs are created as a result. Bolstered by the Orc shock troops, the Alliance defeats the Demons. The Demon Lords are cast down, and the surviving demons banished back to their hellish prison.

In the wake of this second demon war, Orcs are re-settled in the Falcon Empire as well as the Seven Cities. They are not granted their freedom, but instead serve as indentured troops.

467-504 YSD: The Orc Crusades
Orcish rebellion in the Seven Cities, which spreads to Haven.

Rejecting their masters and the Dragon Gods, the Orcs declare themselves free.

In the Falcon Empire, Crusades are declared against the Orcs – attempts to subjugate them and convert them back to dragon worship. The fighting is brutal, and the Orcs are relentlessly driven back. Eventually, the unrepentant survivors flee over sea and to the steppes and the dessert.

The Haven Fleet is sunk by enormous storms that are caused by a volcanic eruption. The Haven fleet does not witness the eruption the orcs on the other hand do. The Orc crusades are ended.

504 YSD: The setteling of Tor’Karth
The eruption is explained by the Orcs as a sign of Fugarass and his favour for the Orcish race. The orcs start to settle on the newly formed island.

Fugarass appears to the orcs and declares that as long as the volcano island is inhabited by the orcs, they will keep their newfound freedom. The orcs that fled to the steppes and the dessert join the orcs on Tor'Karth.

The top of the volcano is use an altar to Fugarass.

564 YSD: 2nd Eclipse – 2nd Eruption of Tor’Karth
Total lunar eclipse. A small band of demons manage to escape into the world. A few of the demons escape via the volcano of Tor’Karth, causing a second eruption. The Altar of Fugarass is lost in the eruption as is almost two third of the city built on the volcano. The orcs are forced to defend their home and manage to slay the demons.

565 YSD: The Vision of the Ziggurat
The Priest-Elder Mur’Saft, the Wise, Wokat of the Mauler clan has a vision of Fugarass and is told to rebuild the old altar as a Ziggurat. Under the supervision of Mur’Saft the construction is started.

580 YSD: Inauguration of Tor’Karthis Ziggurat
One week before Tor’Karth is completed, Mur’Saft dies. After the construction is finished Tor’Karth is inaugurated and Mur’Saft’s body is burnt on a massive pyre during the inauguration.

During the cremation of Mur’Saft the magma of Tor’Karth rises in the cauldron to one foot under the edge of the cauldron. The College of Priests sees this as a sign of Fugarass’ satisfaction of the new ziggurat.

The city around the Tor’Karth that was also rebuilt in the fashion of a ziggurat.

638 YSD: Orcish Expansion
The Council of Chieftains declares the uninhabited islands near the capitol should be colonized.
The first colonisation ship is lead by Ortha, Stumpfoot, Kogth of the Broken Blade clan. The islands together become the Chain of Flame

Stumpfoot’s colonizers come across a breed of large, ash-coloured wolves. The wolves are quickly tamed and used as mounts, hunting and guard dogs. Stumpfoot is seen as a hero for bringing the orcs in contact with the ash wolves, as they are named.

640 YSD: The creation of the Fleet of Mur’Saft
The Council of Chieftains declares that a fleet must be built to defend the Islands of the Chain of Flame. The first vessel is named the “Hand of Mur’Saft” to honour the priest that returned the favour of Fugarass. The Orcish fleet is called the Fleet of Mur’Saft. To lead this navy the Council appoints the Grand-Admiral Hofftar Shrovac of the Seavulture clan.


The Modern Ages

756 YSD: The trade atempt
The Council of Chieftains appoints several emisaries. The emisaries are sent to the Elves to establish a trade-relation. The Falcon Empire and the Seven Cities are still seen as enslavers and are not approached.

As soon as the emisaries discover the use of Minotaurslaves by the Dark Elves, the emisaries, disgusted by the use of slaves, withdraw their proposals. The negotiations with the Sylvan Elves are broken, since both elves are the same people in the eyes of the orcs and the orcs view the summoned Treants as slaves of the Druids.

819 YSD: The Necromancer contact
Several Necromancers approach the nation of Mara'Xash and ask to start negotiating an alliance. The Necromancers ask for the help of the orcs in their war with the Wizards of the Silver League. The orcs refuse the alliance as the Necromancers are no better then the Wizards. The orcs are convinced the Necromancers will enslave the dead of the war and eventualy turn against the orcs to enslave them in death.

843 YSD: The Fourth Eclipse
The Demons escape their prison and reach Mara'Xash. The Demons are repelled by the Orcish Navy but manage to kill the Grand-Admiral, Zhakash Klawto of the Coral Spear clan. Because the Admirals were not able to agree how to defend the orcish nation, the navy fell into disarray as the Council of Chieftains could also not agree on which Admiral should become the new Grand-Admiral. The Priest-Elder, Rofvuka, the Irrational, Bekreto of the Daggerstone clan, disbands the Council of Chieftains

843-850 YSD: The orcish civilwar
The three admirals start fighting eachother for the position of Grand-Admiral and rally many clans under them, to supplement and enlarge their navies.

The Conclave of Priests tries remain neutral in this conflict, but get draged in the war. Seven years of brutal war follow.

During the war the priest see their power over fire shrink and the volcanoes of the Chain of Flame start erupting. The orcs see they are losing the favor of their Dragongod. Clan after clan refuses to fight and eventualy the orcs become a nation again. The three rival Admirals are marooned. A new Council of Chieftains is formed. The Council agrees to disband the Admirals if the Grand-Admiral dies and to ellect an entirely new Grand-Admiral.

894 YSD: The Sea Raids
A few ships of the orcish fleet are sunk by ships of the Griffin Empire. The Council of Chieftains declares that every ship of the Griffin Empire near Mara'Xash is to be raided and sunk. The first Warlord is elected to lead these raids.

Several ships that venture near the Chain of Flame are sunk by the orcish fleet.

899 YSD: The Height of the Raids
The audacious Warlord Jubkane Prokasst of the Squidbeak clan, the Third Warlord, leads the orcish army out of the waters of the Chain of Flames and starts raiding several coastal settlements of the other races.

Warlord Jubkane returns to Tor'Karth with many spoils of war, but is punished by the Council of Chieftains for forsaking his duties to defend the Chain of Flames. From that day Warlords need the permission of the Council to leave the Chain of Flames and cannot overrule the orders of the Grand-Admiral.

920 YSD: Discovery of the Warturtles
A large fishing vessel is sunk in a storm. Half of the crew is rescued by giant turtles. The crew returns to Tor’Karth to tell the Council of Chieftains about their miraculous rescue. A few Priests of Fugarass study the turtles and discover that the turtles are very intelligent and easily domesticated. The amphibious Warturtles are integrated in orcish fleet.

938 YSD: The Shipwreck Law
A vessel of Dark Elves was able to  remain out of hands of the Orcish Fleet, but was wrecked in a storm. A few of the Elves and one Minotaur survived.

The Council of Chieftains agreed with the Conclave of Priests to create a special law for the survivors of shipwrecks. The Elves and Minotaur were nursed back to health. The Elves were taken back to the shore of the Mainland. The Minotaur chose to remain in the orcish lands. The Minotaur Gottar wished to become the personal servant of the Priest Elder, Shovar Yanarass of the Treefire clan, to thank him for saving his life.

969 YSD: 6th Eclipse
As the other races prepare for war, the Council of Chieftains declares the orcs to prepare to defend their homeland. As the Council is convinced that the races are coming to enslave the orcs once more.

Hero: Warlord (might)
the warlord is an orc clad in red and grey plate armour and a black and red crested Greek helmet(like this one http://www.niximperial.com/npics/2108.jpg ). He rides an Ashwolf which is also clad in plate armour on several parts of its body. The warlord caries a large twin-bladed axe as his weapon and a lager tear shaped shield. The warlord also has a large spear welded to the left side of the back of his armour. The battle standard is fitted on this spear.
The warlord is a chieftain that is elected by the Council of Chieftains to defend Mara'Xash. When the Council feels the orcish county is threatened it asks the members of the council who wishes to take the burden of Warlord. The candidates are elected by the Council. When a chieftain is given the title of Warlord, s/he can ask two to eight other chieftains as his/her "seconds-in-command", these chieftains are given the title of War-Chieftain. The Warlord is then given full leadership over his/her own clan and the clans of the War-Chieftains. When under the title of Warlord the leadership of the Warlord and the War-Chieftains cannot be questioned, this to better lead the army. When the war is over the Warlord and his/her officers reside their titles and return to their normal roll of chieftain. The Council can appoint several Warlords but this is very unusual and it can also dismiss a Warlord before the end of a war to appoint another.
Special skills:
Howling Cleave, the Warlord attacks an enemy directly (The Warlords Ashwolf lets out a howl before it runs up to the enemy. The Warlord strikes with a downward cleave of his Axe(damage increases with level of skill))
Offence Command, the Warlord orders all units move forward at once(1 tile for each level of skill)
War Drums, the Warlords orders to start sounding the war drums (All orc units get an instant morale bonus, this can only be used once every battle(the war drums appear with the war machines, the have no hitpoints and can't be attacked, the drums can be heard))
Master of the Ocean, Seafaring is enhanced above the Ultimate level to Master (needs Tactics, Navigation, Howling Cleave and one Hall of Admirals)

Racial abilities.

Seafaring. Because the orcs live on a chain of islands, they are more adept in (dis)embarking their ships. When the other races need a day to load their troops and supplies on their ships, the orcs do it much faster. Therefore the orcish heroes lose only a third of their movement during this process. The orcs also have a higher morale when fighting at sea, which is their home ground. Therefore they are far more aggressive on a ship, when they are not they tend to get defensive. They are so stubborn in that defence that they often do not feel part of their pain

effect:
A warlord can (dis)embark in less then a day and keep part of his/her movement. Orcs have higher morale when fighting on a ship. Orcs ignore damage when they are not fighting on a ship(a percentage of the damage is not dealt).
Basic: 10% of movement remains, 1 point extra morale, 3% damage is ignored
Advanced: 20% of movement remains, 1 point extra morale, 6% damage is ignored
Expert: 30% movement remains, 1 points extra morale, 9% damage is ignored
Ultimate: 40% movement remains, 2 points extra morale, 12% damage ignored.
Master(only obtainable whit Master of the Ocean skill)
50% movement, 2 extra points of morale, 15% damage ignored


Units:

level 1 : Fisherman (upgrade: Coastguard)
The Fisherman is a simple orc clad in a cloth kilt and a cloth tunic. The Fisherman carries a copper harpoon for a weapon. The Coast Guard wears the same with the addition of bronze arm-armour on their weapon arm (right arm) and bronze shinplates. They use a bronze trident as a weapon.
Orcish society consists mainly of fishermen. The clans under the command of the Warlord are no different. The volcanic islands of the orcs are rich in minerals, so even simple fishermen can afford themselves some metal tools. The Fishermen are not trained in combat, but their job has made them very skilful in using a harpoon. Despite their lack of training, their skill with their "makeshift" weapons and inherited ferocity make the Fishermen dreaded opponents.
The Coastguards are the police and, as their names imply, guard the coasts of the Chain of Flames. To perform their guard duties with more efficiency the Coastguards have received battle training and have some armour to protect themselves. The Coastguards work in city and island districs and wear their district symbols on their arm-armour.
Abilities:
Fisherman:
Coastguard: Long Weapon
Dwelling: Fishersguild (upgrade: Port authority)
Strengths: Fishermen and Coastguards have high defence. Coastguards can also keep their enemies at a distance.
Weakneses: Fishermen and Coastguards have low movement and low attack. They also have low initiative

level 2: Sailor (upgrade: Mariner)
The Sailor is an orc clad in leather trousers, a leather tunic, leather gloves and a cloth bandana on their head. The Sailors have an unshaven face and use a cutlass as their weapon. The Mariner wears leather jacket over a cloth tunic, leather trousers and leather boots. The Mariners use a bronze edged wooden buckler and wears shoulderarmor of the same fashion.
The Sailors are the larger of the crew on all non-fishing vessels of the orcs. Since the high sea raids have started all sailors receive basic combat training to defend the ship in case it is raided. Sailors prefer not to use much armour since it would hinder them during sailing, so they are clad in leather. Trained for raiding battles Sailors will steal some of the belongings of the dead before returning to combat.
Mariners are more skilled in battle then Sailors and can perform their sailing duties when dressed with more armour. While Sailors will only defend their ship, Mariners board the enemy vessels willingly. Mariners are the crew of the military vessels, making them the backbone of the orcish Navy.
Abilities:
Sailor: Raiding, Sailors will steal 1 or 2 pieces of gold for every unit they kill.(units level 5 and above give 3 to 4)
Mariner: Raiding
Dwelling: Docked Ship (upgrade: Docked Frigate)
Strengths: Sailors and Mariners have high attack and provide extra income. Mariners also have high defence.
Weaknesses: Sailors and Mariners have low movement and low hp. They are also very expensive for level 2 creatures.

level 3: Spearthrower (upgrade: Lancethrower)
The Spearthrower is an orc clad in leather trousers and leather shoes(if I don't state that units wear shoes, they walk barefoot). The Spearthrower carries a large, filled spear quiver slung over his back and a long, steal tipped wooden spear. The Lancethrower wears leather handgrips and a leather skullcap in addition to the outfit. The skullcap has one elongation which covers the left eye of the Lancethrower. The Lancethrower uses a full aluminium lance as a weapon. One edge of the lance is barbed and hooked. The upper body of the Lancethrower is more muscular then a Spearthrower.
Orcs employ Spearthrowers in their archery regiments. Orcs favour throwing spears over using bows because in ship combat if a spear misses its target is can still destroy some rigging, railing or cargo, because spears are more likely to pierce multiple targets and because most orc tend to break their bows when they are angry, which happens a lot when orcs miss more then two shots( a spear could still be used in combat when snapped in two). Spearthrowers are trained physically to throw their spears at least as far as a normal bow would shoot. When a Spearthrower has used all his spears, save one, they will enter combat as melee troops. They carry only a few spears with them because it is very hard to hurl a spear in the midst of combat, so the Spearthrowers will try to have thrown their spears before the enemy ranks come close.
The Lancethrowers are trained for several years before being allowed to go into battle. They are trained to be far more accurate and stronger then normal Spearthrowers. Lancethrowers cover one of their eyes on purpose to increase their accuracy. The Lancethrowers are a lot stronger then the normal Spearthrowers and can hurl their lances much farther. Dedicating their training to throwing their lances, the Lancethrowers don't focus on actual combat.
Abilities:
Spearthrower: Carry through, Spears throw by the Spearthrower will strike to targets standing behind each other. + No Melee penalty
Lancethrower: Carry through + No Range penalty
Dwelling: Throwing Range (Upgrade: Range Academy)
Strengths: Spear- and Lancethrowers have high attack, damage and initiative. The Spearthrowers are also very capable in melee combat. The Lancethrowers have more shots then their downgrade(12)
Weaknesses: They have low defence and are very expensive and have low growth. The Spearthrowers have only 3 shots, the Lancethrowers lose their melee efficiency.

Level 4: Ashwolf Raider (upgrade: Ashwolf Cavalry)
The Ashwolf Raider is an orc clad, only, in leather riding shorts and is riding bareback on a large Ash grey wolf. The orc carries a small, iron headed hatchet. The Ashwolf Cavalry is an orc clad in iron plate chest armour, leather riding shorts, iron shin plates iron-shod boots, iron plate gauntlets, iron, spiked shoulderarmor and an iron, roman like, helmet(like the one on showed on this link http://www.knightsedge.com/images/imperial-roman-helmet-8112.jpg , but without the red crest). He rides on an Ash grey wolf, with leather saddle, which head has an iron plate fitted on( not obscuring eyes, nose, ears and mouth), wears iron shin plates and a large spiked collar which also covers the shoulders of the wolf with iron plates. The orc uses an iron, single bladed war axe.
All Ashwolves are perceived as a faithful friend and pet by the orcs and are slightly more intelligent then normal dogs. Because the Ashwolves are larger then most wolves they are often used as mounts and are treated very well as the health of an Ashwolf often resembles the stature of their owners.
Ashwolf Raiders have been present in the orcish navy since the start of the sea raids. Raiders let their mounts jump over the rails even before the ships had collided, striking swiftly, by both orc and wolf, and utterly surprising the enemy. After that they would let their wolves jump back on their own vessel and wait for the command to jump over again and help out the mariners. Raiders are the only wear shorts to lighten the load on the wolf and not being slowed down by heavy armour plus having full manoeuvrability. The Raiders are the only fast moving unit in orcish armies, but are very vulnerable because they wear almost nothing. To compensate their lack of armor the Raiders are trained to strike very fast and very precise.
The Ashwolf cavalry is instead very well armoured and usually advance with the rest of the army. The Cavalry is slowed down by their impressive armour and are therefore a lot slower then their Raider counterparts. Instead of relaying on speed and the element of surprise, the Cavalry use their strength and superior armour to cleave through the ranks of the enemies. Eventhough the Cavalry is slower, they can strike as fast as any Raider. Cavalry is almost never used in sea combat being to large and slow to manoeuvre on the limited space on the ships and the large chance of drowning when being thrown overboard, being weighted down by the armour.
Abilities:
Ashwolf Raider: Jumping, Raider have the ability to jump over small obstacles + First Strike
Ashwolf Cavalry: First strike
Dwelling: Ashwolf Pens (upgrade: Ashwolf stables)
Strengths: Ashwolf Raiders and Cavalry have high damage and attack quickly. Raiders have very high movement and initiative and the Jump ability. Cavalry have very high defence.
Weaknesses: Raiders have no defence. Cavalry have very low movement and lose much of their initiative. Both  cost ore next to gold and have low growth.

level 5: Fire Apprentice (upgrade: Priest of Fugarass)
The Fire Apprentice is a young orc with a small goatee. He wears knee-high, dull red robes, a bright red sash and leather sandals. He uses a wooden rod with a red gem fitted on the top. The Priest of Fugarass is a middle aged orc with a rather large beard. He wears ankle high fire-red robes, a bright red sash, the hood of the robes over his head and leather sandals. The Priest of Fugarass uses a blackened wooden staff with a flaming orb on the top.
The Fire Apprentice is an orc who is still in priests training, but skilled enough to be useful in battle. Fire Apprentices have learned the basics of the magic of Fugarass and are able to call forth large flames and most of all how not to burn their own troops in mistake. Like all orcs of priesthood the Fire Apprentice does not shave his beard and lets it grow his whole life.
The Priest of Fugaras has completed his training and has mastered the use of Fugarass' magic. In addition of flames, the Priest can call Fugarass and ask him to let a volcanic eruption take place, thus damaging the enemy troops and castle walls. The Priest can also make the blood of his fellows’ burn like fire to make them more ferocious in battle. The Priest can also do this for the entire army butt this will decrease the rate the blood will flame and be not as effective. Lastly the Priest can call forth a wall of fire that will block a part of the battlefield (the wall cannot be placed over any kind of units) and severely burn any that passes through.
Abilities:
Fire Apprentice: Spellcaster{Flame
Priest of Fugarass: Spellcaster{Flame, Bloodfire, Mass Bloodfire, Eruption, Flamewall.
Dwelling: Zigguratchambers (upgrade: Altar)
Strengths: Fire Apprentices and Priests of Fugarass are both Spellcasters and have a large mana pool. Priests of Fugarass can also be used as Siege units
Weaknesses: Both are very weak in Melee combat thanks to their low attack, defence and hp.

level 6: Warrior Elite (upgrade: War Officer)
The Warrior Elite is clad the same way as the Ashwolf Cavalry, only being larger, more muscular and wearing a chain mail kilt. The Warrior Elite ahs a small beard uses a large two-handed battlehammer. The War Officer wears the same as the Warrior Elite. Their helmet does have a red crest and his breastplate and gauntlets are painted blood red. The War Officer uses the same hammer as the Warrior Elite butt the hammerhead of the War Officer is engulfed with flames. The Warofficer also have a larger beard which smolders and smokes.
Only the strongest and largest orcs will be trained as the Warrior Elite. The Warrior Elites are the powerhouses of the Orcish army and are the first to want to enter the battle. Swinging their large battlehammers the Warrior Elites bash through the enemy ranks, crushing heads, breaking bones and cracking open armor. The Warrior Elites beleive that they are favored by Fugarass and that the great dragon wil protect them from magic.
The War Officers are the orcs that command the troops and are lower in rank only to the War-Chieftains and the Warlord. The War Officers consist of ship captains and Warrior Elites who've shown they have leadership capability. The War Officers drench the heads of their hammers with oil before battle and set them ablaze seconds before the beginning of the battle. They also weave strings of flame resitant rope through their beards and set these alight, making it look as if their heads are on fire. Not only do the flaming weapons and heads have the psychological effect of having the enemy fear the War Officers even more then they do, but the blazing hammers are able to burn the opponents.
Abilities:
Warrior Elite: Magic resistance 30 %
War Officer: Magic resistance 40 % + Burn, War Officers have a chance of burning the surviving members of the stack, doing them some damage over time.
Dwelling: Warquarters (upgrade: War Headquarters)
Strengths: Warrior Elites and War Officers have high defence, attack and are quite resistant to magic. War Officers also have the ability to cripple their opponents by burning them.
Weaknesses: They both have low movement and have a low growth. War Officers cost suphfur next to a lot of gold.

level 7: Warturtle (upgrade: Siegeturtle)
Warturles are giant alligator snapping turtles as seen here http://big_game.at.infoseek.co.jp/turtle/alligatorsnapper3.jpg and here http://www.astfoundation.org/images/snapper3.jpg)
. They are about 8 meters long, 26 feet if I'm right, 1.5 meters wide, 5 feet, and 2 meters high,6,5 feet. They have an orc riding in a saddle on its neck. The Siegeturtle looks the same save for the, rather rusted, spiked steel plates on its leg and tail.
The amphibious Warturtles have been integrated in the orcish naval force for several years and have been used in both sea and landed based battles. In sea fights, being a whole lot faster then their giant form might suggest, Warturtles ram and crush the hulls of enemy ships with its powerful beaklike maw and head. On the land they have proven themselves to be fearless, lumbering juggernauts, generally biting enemy troops in half or crushing them under his feet. They are far less mobile on land then they are in the water, but then again so is most of the orcish army. Warturtles and their riders bond for life, remaining together until either of them dies. If the orc dies before the turtle, the turtle remain with his or her mate who they generally bond with as well since they become part of a family. If the turtle dies, the orc usually resigns from the navy and remain a veteran for the rest of his life. They develop a very close bond, which makes them more effective in combat as the Warturtles need only very few words to understand their riders. The intelligence of the turtles can be compared to that of an elephant and are extreme omnivores (They will eat anything) but usualy eat fish and crustasions. The Turtles can become as old any orc. Warturtles have an enormous shell that protects most of its body, the only vulnerable part of the turtles being their long necks. The Warturtles have lightning quick reflexes when speaking of their head, the can stretch their neck, bite of some piece of the enemy and retract it within seconds and they often snap at enemies before they actually attack. Aside from warmounts, the turtles are also used as small cargo carriers and wreckers.
The smartest under the turtles are taught a special manoeuvre, the withdraw. They are taught to withdraw their limbs, tail and head in their shell at command without throwing their rider of accidentally. After they master this manoeuvre they get spiked steel plates fitted to their legs and tail that exactly seal of the openings in their shell when they withdraw. This does leave the head unguarded but their already fast reflexes are honed to perfection, thus making them able to withstand a siege.(Hence the name) The plates on the limbs do tend to rust as the turtles spend a lot of their time in the salty water of the ocean.
Abilities:
Warturtle: Snapping, Warturtles have the ability to retaliate before they are attacked.
Siegeturtle: Snapping + Withdraw, the Siegeturtle withdraws its limbs, increasing its defence highly but making it immobile.
Dwelling: Turtlebreeder (upgrade: Turtletrainer)
Strengths: War- and Siegeturtles have very high defence and high attack and have the Snapping ability.
Weaknesses: They have low movement and surprising low hp and are large making them hard to manoeuvre on top of that they cost both ore and gems next to gold.

Buildings
Common buildings:
(I don't think I need to explain the workings of the common and dwelling buildings so I'll only describe them)
All buildings are made of basalt unless it is stated otherwise.

Village Hall
A Ziggurat of 5 layers with stairs leading to the top.
Town Hall
A Ziggurat of 8 layers with stairs leading to the top.
City Hall
A Ziggurat of 12 layers with stairs leading to the top.
Capitol
A Ziggurat of 15 layers with stairs leading to the top. Four columns stand on the corners of the top. A bow of stone stands over the base of the stairs
(the building gets bigger every time it is upgraded(the capitol is one third of the entire town))
Fort
A wall of basalt boulders, piled on top of each other with mortar in the cracks and openings, surrounds the town. The Wall has a large iron barred gate.
Citadel
A moat of seawater surrounds the wall. Two square towers stand next to the gates.
Castle
The wall is covered in triangular battlements. The towers have a large rectangular base. The spaces between the iron bars of the gate are filled with copper plates
Mage guild 1
A six stories high square tower
Mage guild 2
A second tower diagonally across the other tower
Mage guild 3
A third tower at an equal distance of both towers
Mage guild 4
A fourth tower diagonally across tower 3. The four towers stand at the corners of a square
Mage guild 5
A fifth, eight stories high tower in the centre of four previous towers. The four previous towers are joined by walkways at the fourth story
Tavern
A building of two joined circular buildings, in an 8-shape. The entrance is placed at the joint of the buildings. A barrel is placed above the entrance to mark it as the tavern. The tavern is placed very near the docks
Shipyard
A large circular building built next to a wooden dock. At the dock lies a galley without its mast. On the dock stands a wooden crane.
Marketplace
A two stories high square building. At a certain length from each corner of the building stand a wall in quarter of a circle. Between the four walls is a cloth roof stretched to the base of the roof of the middle building
Resource silo
A small circular building at each of the four corner walls of the marketplace.
Blacksmith
A small pool of lava, with two circular buildings across each other on the shore of the pool.

Dwellings:

Fishersguild
A large rectangular hall at the side of the docks
Port Authority
The hall now has two stories and a large anchor above the entrance
Docked Vessel
A large transport vessel moored at the docks. This ship is docked near the tavern
Docked Frigate
A large navy frigate moored at the docks. This ship is docked near the tavern
Throwing Range
A large rectangular field with several targets on one end
Throwing Academy
Four circular buildings are built on one side of the field
Ashwolf Pens
A fenced square field, with a square building on the length of one side of the field
Ashwolf Stables
The building now stands on the length of two sides of the field.
Zigguratchambers
Several chambers in the top levels of the Ziggurat
Altar
A deep fire brazier on the top of the Ziggurat
Warquarters
Several circular buildings clustered together
War Headquarters
A large, three stories, square building is built next to the other buildings
Turtlebreeder
A large rectangular building with a fenced pen next it. Inside the pen are several nests.
Turtletrainer
The building gets an extra story and gets a second fenced pen

Special structures:

Volcano Mine: produces 15 ore or 5 sulphur every weak.
A mineshaft in the back of the town
Fishing Vessels: increases the growth of Fishermen and Coastguards(some extra fishermen cease their jobs and join the army)
A few small boats and vessels are moored at the docks.
Harbortavern(upgrade of the Tavern): increases the growth of Sailors and Mariners(even the Sailors and Mariners on shore leave can be called to join the army)
The Tavern gets a second story
Lavamoats(Changes the colour of the moats): the defending Hero gets + 5 defence.
Hall of Admirals: A requirement for the Master of the Ocean skill. Gives a defending hero + 4 luck during a siege.
A large rectangular hall with a ships bow above the entrance. Stands near the docks
Grail structure: Pyre of Fugarass: Boosts gold production and creature growth of a town. Boosts the spellpower of all heroes.
An enormous pyre on the top of the Ziggurat.

Here are a few maps to make clear what I mean with my descriptions
Marketplace: http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/War-overlord/Marketplace.jpg
Mage Guild: http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/War-overlord/Mageguild.jpg
Castle:http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/War-overlord/Castlemap.jpg
Ashwolf Stables:http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f24/War-overlord/AshwolfStables.jpg

Meaning Symbols:
Flaming Axe
The symbol of the Flaming Axe represents the orcs and their relationship with Fugarass in two ways. The Axe symbolises the orcish race which is protected by Fugarass' fire. The Axe also symbolises the strength of the orcs which is enhanced by the gift of Fugarass, fire.

Smoking volcano
The second symbol, The Smoking Volcano, also symbolizes two things. First it is the symbol used, by the orcs, to symbolize Fugarass. Therefore they see this as a good luck sign. Secondly it is the symbol of the orcish capital, Tor'Karth and it is used when acting with the orders of the Council of Chieftains.

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Foonlegacy
Foonlegacy


Hired Hero
posted January 09, 2006 03:01 AM

I like this town alot, the history, the deep descriptions and background....but what is a Ziggurat???
The only thing I would suggest changing about this town, would be making the town name The Conclave(which means a gathering of groups of people or clans) It seems to match very well with what you already have about them. ex-they gather to elect the new chief for the faction.
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Blitzkrieg_Boy
Blitzkrieg_Boy


Adventuring Hero
The Lone Keeper
posted January 09, 2006 03:04 AM

I think I heard the term from War Craft III as the undead house. I am also quite sure I have read a discription on a dictionary, referring to a crudely built structure. (I don't have any garantee though)

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rldragon
rldragon


Known Hero
posted January 09, 2006 03:23 AM

I think what lesson from history is in order.Ziggurats were temples of ancient Sumerians,Akadians,Babylonians,Asyrians and Persians,were they worshiped their gods.Ziggurats were positioned in centre of cities.Ziggurats were also very tall structures that had ancient observetories on top of them.


No need to thank me.

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 09, 2006 10:06 PM

I've added some things in the race description and the names of most units and the orcs' racial abilities. Sugestions given for the names under construction will be taken under consideration.

Thank you all for the help and constructive commentary.
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Oakwarrior
Oakwarrior


Famous Hero
posted January 09, 2006 10:30 PM

I could suggest Javelineer as the Spearthrower upgrade. Good town, nice ideas. I hope to see your creature descriptions soon.
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Blitzkrieg_Boy
Blitzkrieg_Boy


Adventuring Hero
The Lone Keeper
posted January 10, 2006 06:01 AM

Level 7: Warturtle
Upgrade: Blastoise

Nah, kidding. good town though, I really liked your super long description.

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 11, 2006 09:41 PM

Quote:
Level 7: Warturtle
Upgrade: Blastoise

Nah, kidding. good town though, I really liked your super long description.


That's quite a funny one, I don't think I will use it though. Oakwarrior, thank you for the suggestion as it is a good name, but that wouldn't suit the unit I have in mind.

Anyway I've added some of the unit descriptions and a bit more of the orc anatomy at the top. I hope you'll all enjoy what I have so far.
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urashima
urashima

Tavern Dweller
posted January 11, 2006 11:14 PM

How 'bout:
Level 7: Fire Turtle
Upgrade: Warturtle?

But the idea is nice, the bit with the fishing and their philosophy of fire is a bit contradictive but nevertheless it's ok

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 12, 2006 10:35 PM
Edited by War-overlord on 12 Jan 2006

Quote:
How 'bout:
Level 7: Fire Turtle
Upgrade: Warturtle?

But the idea is nice, the bit with the fishing and their philosophy of fire is a bit contradictive but nevertheless it's ok


Thank you for the sugestion but I don't plan to give my Turtles any firerelated abilities. I'm sorry to say but I don't see how fishing, as in catching fish, contradicts a relegion based on Fire and the Dragon of Fire. This may be because I'm the one one who created this, but some explenation would be nice.

I've finnished the description of my third unit and added the fourth, fifth and the sixth units. The last will follow later.
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urashima
urashima

Tavern Dweller
posted January 13, 2006 03:15 PM

Quote:


Thank you for the sugestion but I don't plan to give my Turtles any firerelated abilities. I'm sorry to say but I don't see how fishing, as in catching fish, contradicts a relegion based on Fire and the Dragon of Fire. This may be because I'm the one one who created this, but some explenation would be nice.




It just sounds a bit odd imo to have a fire-worshipping faction depend on fishing ;P Anyway, it wast just a suggestion. ^^

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 16, 2006 10:48 PM

I have added the last units and some information about orcish litters and names.

Read and enjoy.
Sugestions will still be taken under consideration.
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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 19, 2006 10:34 PM
Edited by War-overlord on 29 Jan 2006

I've added a link to one of the symbols, a piece about clan lifestiles and I've corrected something in the discription of the Mariner. I've also gotten the other links to work.

I have also added the second symbol, named the orcs in the hsitory fully, and added the skills of the Warlord.

I have corrected several spelling mistakes.

I have added the Weakneses and Strenghts of the units and some special structures.

Have fun reading it.


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Axel
Axel


Hired Hero
Centaur Master
posted January 29, 2006 11:25 PM

Well !? do u imagine orcs are some peacefull defending(logo= a burning axe) comunity ? The second mistake is that u said that they live in a chain of islands(water) ! Why is their logo o volcano(fire)?!

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 30, 2006 02:07 PM

Quote:
Well !? do u imagine orcs are some peacefull defending(logo= a burning axe) comunity ? The second mistake is that u said that they live in a chain of islands(water) ! Why is their logo o volcano(fire)?!


It appears I have some explaining to do.
The orcs used to be a peacefull comunity. After the start of the Sea-raids they have become a bit paranoid and started to think the other races have taken up the plan to enslave them again. So they have become agressivly defensive, so they started defending their homeland by attacking everything that comes to close to it. They believe this is the only way to safeguard their homeland and their freedom.

The symbol of the Flaming Axe represents the orcs and their relationship with Fugarass in two ways. The Axe symbolises the orcish race which is protected by Fugarass'fire. The Axe also symbolises the strenght of the orcs which is enhanced by the gift of Fugarass, fire.

The "second mistake" is in fact no mistake. The chain of islands, The Chain of Flames, is a chain of volcanic islands. Al islands are seavolcanoes that have surfaced after several eruptions, so the islands are all volcanoes. Many of the volcano islands are still active and belch out smoke, ash and occaisionaly lava. However the orcs believe that they will not be harmed by the volcanoes because they are favored by Fugarass, who they also call the Volcano Lord. You merely pointed out that I have not mentioned this, clearly, as of yet. I will correct this after I finish this post.

The second symbol, The Smoking Volcano, also symbolizes two things. First it is the symbol used, by the orcs, to symbolize Fugarass. Therefor they see this as a good luck sign. Secondly it is the symbol of the orcish capital, Tor'Karth and it is used when acting with the orders of the Council of Chieftains.

I hope I made it more clearly how I envission the orcish race and I also hope I've corrected a few errors of enterpretation.
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panduwana
panduwana


Adventuring Hero
posted January 30, 2006 02:50 PM

Quote:
Worship: Fugarass, the Dragon of Fire

On the history of Academy, the orcs are saved by storm. Maybe you can change it to worship Dragon of Air (Sylath) or Dragon of Water or Dragon of Sea or any other dragon that "stormy", so it will blend better with the rest histories.

The link is down right now, due to protest to Ubisoft. But here's the copy (my bold):

467-504 YSD: The Orc Crusades
Orcish rebellion in the Seven Cities, which spreads to Haven.
Rejecting their masters and the Dragon Gods, the Orcs declare themselves free.
In the Falcon Empire, Crusades are declared against the Orcs – attempts to subjugate them and convert them back to dragon worship. The fighting is brutal, and the Orcs are relentlessly driven back. Eventually, the unrepentant survivors flee wherever they can, including the deserts of the south, the steppes of the north-east and the Barrier Islands of the east, A great storm sinks the Haven fleet that was prepared to follow the Orcs to their island refuge. The Falcon Emperor declares this a sign from the Dragons, and formally ends the Orcish Crusades.

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted January 30, 2006 03:21 PM
Edited by War-overlord on 3 Feb 2006

Quote:
Quote:
Worship: Fugarass, the Dragon of Fire

On the history of Academy, the orcs are saved by storm. Maybe you can change it to worship Dragon of Air (Sylath) or Dragon of Water or Dragon of Sea or any other dragon that "stormy", so it will blend better with the rest histories.

The link is down right now, due to protest to Ubisoft. But here's the copy (my bold):

467-504 YSD: The Orc Crusades
Orcish rebellion in the Seven Cities, which spreads to Haven.
Rejecting their masters and the Dragon Gods, the Orcs declare themselves free.
In the Falcon Empire, Crusades are declared against the Orcs – attempts to subjugate them and convert them back to dragon worship. The fighting is brutal, and the Orcs are relentlessly driven back. Eventually, the unrepentant survivors flee wherever they can, including the deserts of the south, the steppes of the north-east and the Barrier Islands of the east, A great storm sinks the Haven fleet that was prepared to follow the Orcs to their island refuge. The Falcon Emperor declares this a sign from the Dragons, and formally ends the Orcish Crusades.


If you have read my history well, you will see that the Haven Fleet is also wrecked by storms caused by the eruption(1/6th by the eruption itself, 5/6 by the strom that followed). On top of that the orcs have rejected the worship of Sylath and Fire suits their demon ancestry better.

I have corrected a few mistakes and added some history and a piece on orcish courtship, cattle, payment and writing.

I have added more parts on orcish life, like justice and art.

I started describing the buildings of the town and made the racial ability more usfull on land. I will finish the buildingdescriptions and make some map like drawings to make this more easy to understand, but I will do this tomorrow.

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Phoenixzs
Phoenixzs


Adventuring Hero
posted February 03, 2006 11:50 PM
Edited by Phoenixzs on 3 Feb 2006

-Fishermann orcs are very interesting
-Why does the ash cavalary have low movement?(If its the history sorry ý havent read it yet )
-About the Warrior Elite ability sweep;interesting but why would somebody choose to attack normally if there is the ability of doing %70 more damage every time,seems broken to me or ý missed the whole concept .Does it work only when there are 3 creatures?
-War turtel:Balancing with cost usually does not work good.I suggest you look for another disadvantage.

And you must thank me I reached your post through reading  the posts alphabethically.Anyway good ideas,and good luck in the contest(how about the name upgrade to war turtel=ninja turtel just kidding)

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War-overlord
War-overlord


Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
posted February 04, 2006 03:21 PM
Edited by War-overlord on 5 Feb 2006

Quote:
-Fishermann orcs are very interesting
-Why does the ash cavalary have low movement?(If its the history sorry ý havent read it yet )
-About the Warrior Elite ability sweep;interesting but why would somebody choose to attack normally if there is the ability of doing %70 more damage every time,seems broken to me or ý missed the whole concept .Does it work only when there are 3 creatures?
-War turtel:Balancing with cost usually does not work good.I suggest you look for another disadvantage.

And you must thank me I reached your post through reading  the posts alphabethically.Anyway good ideas,and good luck in the contest(how about the name upgrade to war turtel=ninja turtel just kidding)


To answer your questions:
- The Ashwolf Cavalry has low movement because it is slowed down by armour. The rider wears heavy armor making it harder for the Ashwolf to carry him around. On top of that the Ashwolf itself wears some armor which slows him down even further.
- I think you misunderstood the working of the Sweep attack. If a Warrior Elite attacks normaly he does a full strenght cleave(100%). If he uses Sweep he attacks three tiles but is not able to use his full strength because it aquires more accuracy to do this move, therefor he can only use 70% of his full strenght. Not 170% as you understood it, Sweep is less powerfull then a normal attack but hits more targets.
- Aside from the cost, the War- and Siegeturtles are very big and slow making them hard to manoeuvre on a battlefield, especialy on a battlefield with many obstacles. This is compensating his high atacka and defence because it is hard to get them towards your enemy.

I think I've finaly finished this town. As I added a few missing parts and corrected a lot of spelling mistakes.
Just one minor layout error, I fixxed it.
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phoenixzs
phoenixzs


Adventuring Hero
posted February 06, 2006 06:42 PM
Edited by phoenixzs on 6 Feb 2006

Okay with being the last on the alphabetical order ý think you deserve a little help getting some rating .

Race: 9
History: 8
Creatures: 8 (I think war-officer and sea turtel are not so original but that fisherman and ash cavalary make it count.)
Balance: 8 (would have been 9 if the thing with the sea turtel wasnt present.I am still not so convinced)
Originality: 9(Truly original castle,it has the orcish feel in it.9 is very high for my standarts I will probably give 10 points once or twice)

total:42/50

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