4741
Aveli, The Travels of Aveli, Bk. 1; 1322. II. The Legend of Kragor
Alex_Pan
::In my travels to Krugmar, I saw two orcs fight, with gleaming iron swords, to the death ove r a petty dispute. I stopped to speak to a shaman-in-training, who explained to me that one orc had not shown him the respect he deserved and had thus challenged him to a duel to the death. The small quarrel had left the accused in four different parts; his face peeled off and worn as a bl oody mask as the winner paraded the arena, mocking his dead opponent. The shaman-in-training went on to recount the legend of Nub'osh. He tells of the orc, who lived many generations past; but his nam e had been immortalized. Nub'osh was the chieftain of a very prosperous orc tribe. He was loved by t he members of his tribe, and envied by those of other tribes. Legends of his deeds had spread among the tribes of Krugmar; he was depicted a god walking amongst mere mortals. He considered himself to be both the wealthiest and most fortunate of orcs, favoured by the gods; th at his legend would live forever. He would, in fact, find that his legend lived forever; perhaps not how he had expected, however. One day, the elder shaman of a poor tribe visited Nub'osh - this was not uncommon - to see the tribe of the god-like chieftain. Nub'osh showed the shaman his tribe, his beautiful farms and diverse liv estock, and his collection of gold artifacts. Nub'osh interrupted the tour to ask the shaman who he believed to be the most fortunate orc. Expecti ng his name, he was astonished at how quickly the shaman responded, "Kragor". ::"Why do you say that?", Nub'osh asked, trying to hide his anger, in respect. Or rather, that's wha t the orc would have said, had he not had a ghastly tongue which perverted the words which came from his mouth into misconstrued monstrosities; but I digress. ::"Kragor was a peasant who worked in the mill, over his life, for fifty thousand days; took up arms to defend our tribe; and died doing so.", the shaman replied. ::"A peasant, you say?", Nub'osh could no longer hold his anger,"Then, tell me, shaman; how fortunat e do you take me to be, if not as fortunate as a peasant?" ::"While the wealthy orc is better able to content his desires, and to bear up against a sudden buff et of calamity, I cannot say. Call him however, until he die, not fortunate but happy." ::With this, the shaman was expelled from the village, and given a single loaf of bread and cut of m eat to make his trip back. And as the tribes that were at present powerful, were weak in the olden t ime, and as the formerly great tribes fell to his own, becoming insignificant; such a fate befell hi s own tribe. Nub'osh, however, did not take up arms like his brethren, convinced his army was unbeat able. And while no army is, or ever was, invincible, he had foolishly believed otherwise. Nub'osh was drag ged by his hair from his tent to the town centre, where dozens of orcs took their turn spitting and urinating on him. He was burned alive, as he cried the shaman's name,to be eaten. His brother, Bub'osh, however, had f ought most valiantly; slaying three invaders before being subdued; and was rewarded as such. His bod y honoured by the invaders, his soul blessed by Krug, and his name immortalized through legend.