Gorgath gro-Orsinium

Character Name: Gorgath gro-Orsinium.

Nickname(s): Gor, 'Little Green'.

Race: Orsimer.

Sex: Male.

Age: 24.

Birthplace: City streets of Nova Orsinium.



Height: 6' 2".

Weight: 197 lbs.

Eye Color: Dark blue-grey.

Hair Color: Dark brown, bordering on black.

Hair Style: Keeps the side of his head neatly shaved, exposing the scalp beneath. Has a single strip of hair running down a ridge in the centre, he keeps it braided in short locks (3 or 4 per row) that hang backwards in a hawk.

Facial Hair: None, keeps himself well shaven. Says he'll grow a beard when he gets old and gets a wife.

Skin Color: Darker version of the typical Orsimer greeny-brown

Build: Muscularly built, as is befitting a true son of Malacath. Doesn't look atypical from the average Orc; could easily look to be a warsmith, warrior or hunter.

Distinguishing Features: His companion distinguishes him quite heavily from other Orsimer outside of Nova Orsinium.

Has small bone outgrowths on his eyebrows and the temples of his head, along with his sizeable tusks (a point of pride for the youthful Orc).

Like most Orsimer, his skin carries its own story. He is battle-scarred and worn from travel, his two most notable wounds being a recent axe-scar to his back and a far older and longer scar along his lower stomach.



Profession: Adventurer (in his wandering years).

Skills: Pretty good with a spear and shield, even better with his two-handed axe. Likes to swing wide and keep enemies on their toes, or cut them in (almost) half.

Magic: None. Being a Shaman is a female's job! Not that there's anything wrong with being a Shaman.

Training: A year's experience as a blacksmith's apprentice for the Imperial Orsinium Legion, knows the trade and how to repair arms and armour (with the right tools). Had some experience helping the fletchers and alchemists out too (general camp follower/helper things). Had some Legionnaire combat training as part of his stay in the camp, the Legion's ethos of training and arming the Orsimer's in their Orsinium camps (even if they're outside of the Legion) makes them probably the most well-defended camps in Tamriel.

Other Abilities: Cooks a mean Saber-Rat stew (known to substitute other Rats often, including Skeever and Sewer).

Likes to tell stories of long-gone Orc Heroes, keeps his companion Ledunk enthralled well enough.

Apparel: Wears a skin and fur tunic, looks like it's been sewn a few times by a giant in places. Owns an Imperial-style steel breastplate that has been fastened over the top of the tunic. The arms of the tunic are stitched (and tied) together pieces of thick fur from hardy mountain animals.

Wears a dense fur kilt, kept together by a leather belt with a circular steel buckler. The buckler is branded with the horned and tusked dragon of Orsinium's Legion. Similarly has fur gauntlets and boots accented with steel plates for protection.

Had a horned helmet once. Doesn't anymore.

Weaponry: Brandishes a very large and very Orcish battle-axe, this one however isn't made of steel and is his proudest possession: Orichalcium. A real Orcish weapon for a real Orc. The axe is usually kept fastened to his back by snap-able buckles.

Other Equipment: Carries (well often throws it on Ledunk) a large leather backpack filled with all the survival tools an Orc needs in the Western Reach and the Wrothgarians; a skinning (and occasionally whittling) knife, a whetstone, a small hammer, some leather strips, some rations he's managed to stop Ledunk from eating and fire-starting tools. The rest is kept empty for small trinkets he can sell.

Carries an oversized (he IS an Orc) canteen attached at the hip, and a self-whittled branch wrapped in oiled cloth for a torch on his other hip.

Companions: His longtime friend, the Ogre Ledunk.



Affiliation: Believes in the values of a strong Nova Orsinium and as such holdsthe Empire that granted it provincial status and aid to a high standard of honour.

Religious Belief: Devout believer in the Daedric Prince Malacath; although he respects the Aedra's existence he doesn't believe they're the right gods for Orcs. "Too weak", in his words.

Sexual Preference: Heterosexual.

Relationship Status: Single.

Personality: A proud and honourable Orc, although a little tougher and street-wise than his brethren that segregate themselves in their autonomous Holds. Gorgath has a love of stories, both old and new, of Orsiniums past and present and the heroes that founded and lived in them. He doesn't neglect the more 'rough-tusk' stories from the Holds either, noting them as primitive in comparison but no less honourable in the eyes of Malacath's Code.

Gorgath respects Imperials, and would readily befriend one, but holds an innate hatred for Bretons, Reachmen and Redguards (at least those outside the Legion) due to their long history of betraying Orcish kind and breaking their oaths with the Orsimer. With Nords he respects their strength (and the fact that they haven't scoured Orsimer kind from Skyrim like certain smaller half-blooded mongrels), although finds them too stubborn to deal with easily. He has no outwardly noticeable view on Khajiit or Argonians, except that they look weird and act weird.

On the other hand... He isn't so fond of Elves. He finds Altmer repulsive, especially the Direnni lot. Bosmer are basically mini Altmer so they get thrown in that too. Dunmer are... Alright sometimes. But they're too angry for their own good, and that's coming from an Orc.

In short, he's a good friend to most and a quick enemy to others. A strong trustworthy arm if you've the honour to befriend him, and a smiling face around a campfire. Unless... He's hitting your face into it.



It ain't easy being green.

Throughout Tamriel Orsimer are persecuted for the crime of existing. Bretons wage an endless war against Orcish kind in the Wrothgarians, Redguards force Orcs to pay heavy taxes on their goods and the Aldmeri Dominion forces Orcs to live outside of their cities - or worse. Even in Skyrim and Cyrodiil, Orcs are looked down upon as primitive tribals; their clans only granted space because they serve a use. But there's one place that is decidedly Orcish, a place carrying on a tradition that dates back to the First Era. A place where Orcs are in charge, and where they can live without persecution. A place built by Orcs, Ogres, Goblins and Gremlins - all Children of Malacath in one form or another.

The current iteration of Orsinium, named Nova Orsinium in its Imperial Provincial Charter, is the first Orsinium to be founded away from the original Wrothgarian settlement. Without the ancient ruins of Orsiniums gone, the Orcs who rebuilt the city had to begin completely anew. The city was built lending styles from northern Cyrodiilic cities like Bruma, with multiple layers built into a hillside. The buildings themselves follow the Orcish wooden architecture still used today in their various Clan Holdings; a stone wall topped with large stone towers has been built to protect the city in the older architecture of ancient Orsinium.

The city itself is dominated by Mauloch's Hold, a grand temple-palace that houses the reigning King of Orsinium and the priesthoods of Malacath, Mauloch and Muluk. There exists a smaller shrine to the Eight Divines on the Eastern side of the city, in what has been named the Imperial Quarter; the smallest section of the city housing the Orsinium Legion Quarters. The rest of the city's wooden structures are often oversized but short, and have deep underground sections. They serve to keep the heat in during the harsh winters, but also to make the city accessible to the Ogres that live in the city. These structures are watched over by tall stone towers, that house the city's guards: Orcs equipped with shields and clubs, Goblin roof-runners and massive Ogres turned into living bulwarks.

Several Goblin tribes have settled in Orsinium, largely living in the artificial cavernous system named "Muluk's Deep" that runs along the western side of the city, a place that contains the majority of the city's smithies and forges; the goblins tend to find a lot of ore in their endless expansion of the Deep. Some Goblins still cling to their tribal heritage, and hold a deep hatred for Goblins of other tribes. These organised gangs cause endless trouble for the city guard in Goblin-majority sections of the city, and threaten to undermine the unity of Orsinium. Surprisingly the majority of Orcs and the few Ogre Clans that have joined Orsinium don't hold this grudge against other clans. Although the clans and tribes that have settled outside the city as its satellites haven't gotten passed their territorial debates yet.

Like all cities, there are richer and poorer sections to Orsinium. The rich male Prcs tend to have multiple wives, in a similar manner to Hold Chiefs, and are able to build themselves large compounds in the shadow of Mauloch's Hold consisting of multiple buildings - and even personal forgeries. Poorer Orcs and most Ogres, Goblins and Gremlins work in either the city's industries or commerce, males work to save the Septims to woo a wife and later support them. Females look to marry up the unofficial caste system, or support their own way in the city. While the poorest are forced to live on the scraps of work that comes their way, living in cramped condition or on the street corners of the destitute part of the city - "Rat Town".

Gorgath was, unfortunately for him, born in Rat Town. His mother well... Gorgath didn't know his father, let's just say that. He was born in a small shed at the back of a warehouse, surrounded by muck and snow. Cold, but not quite alone. His mother fed him, nurtured him. Kept him safe from those who'd harm them. He can't remember these days, but he knows in his heart his mother cared for him. She would've done anything for him, but Skooma is a Daedra in disguise.

He remembers this part too vividly. He must've been six or so, his mother looked all thin and pale. Like a Goblin that hadn't seen sunlight since it was born. She shook a lot back then, he remembers that too. He thought she was cold, he had a blanket she could use. He ran to get it, but his mother had already stopped shaking. She'd just stopped.

For years the little Orc, just getting his tusks, wandered Rat Town and the Meat Market. He'd steal food when he could, Septims when he couldn't. He'd catch rats in the sewers, make himself a little fire and sniffle over it as the rat popped and crackled. Other, older, groups of Orc-kids would usually steal his food. So he'd fight back, he'd get beat up each time but that wouldn't stop him from trying. They didn't like him, called him weak-tusks. So he'd call them man-skinned and they'd beat him even harder.

One day, maybe when he was ten, he saw that same group of kids beating on something big and round and grey. It wailed and thrashed at them with too-long arms but they just laughed and hit it with sticks. Gorgath watched, the poor thing didn't know what to do. Didn't know that the quickest way to stop the beatings was to hit back. It just cried. Gorgath had his first taste of pity, for something more unfortunate than even him. He picked up his own stick, found his squeaky battle-cry, and got his tusks handed to him with a side order of knuckle-sandwich.

It took days to get the little Ogre (which he realised it was when he managed to get a good look at its long ears and big black eyes) to talk. Gorgath didn't even know if it could talk. It only knew a few words. Ledunk was one of them, and Gorgath took that to be his name. It's other favourite word was 'hungy'. Gorgath had another mouth to feed.

It was hard, but he felt he had to help the little thing. He'd park the Ogrelet somewhere and come back with a rat or some stolen bread. Ledunk didn't wait for it to get cooked the first few times, just bit straight into the fur. Gorgath managed to get that out of him after a few weeks, eventually showing him that most things tasted better cooked. Ogre hands didn't taste very nice cooked, it took him a few weeks to teach him that too. He learnt words quickly, although he struggled with some. Still does to this day.

Ledunk started to pay Gorgath back after his first growth spurt. The same size as Gorgath, already twice as wide and only half his age; Ledunk was a big lump of an Ogre. When the Orcs came around to steal his rats, and Gorgath fought them back as usual, Ledunk would start to help. At first by throwing rocks from afar (he was a terrible shot) and then by picking up his own stick, and following Gorgath's lead thrashing it around and hitting people in the head. They stopped trying to steal from them eventually, and Gorgath in his early teens found he could start taking rats from those Orcs who'd helped steal his. All was well - then Gorgath swiped the wrong coin purse.

He wasn't as lithe as he used to be, his puberty had set in. He'd grown bigger, his tusks had come out and currently looked too big for his body, he couldn't run as fast (even if he could run further). So when he snatched the coin purse of an old Orc in the Eastern Marketplace he'd been poorly prepared to outrun the Goblins the guards had sent after him. They hit him across the head, hard. Woke up in a metal cell. Orcs stood on guard, but their outfits made of steel stood them out from the city guard.

Legion. Seems the old Orc had been some sort of commander. He came to the cell, inspecting Gorgath's tusks like a chief. "That your Ogre, come tearing in and almost break three carts?" Two hulking monsters of Orcs dragged an Ogre up to the cell, gigantic manacles bound his arms together (how long would they last?). "GORG!" Ledunk shouted, throwing the two Orcs aside as he barreled snarling into the bars.

"Watch out for that Ogre, people might think he's feral." The old Orc said, unphased by the Ogre currently being wrestled into control by all four Orcs.

Ledunk cracked a grin, "He's harmless, when he's with me."

The commander let out a snort, but the glint in his eyes told his secret planning. "I could use an Ogre... Some hard labour over at the new fort. It's got to get done."

So that's how Ledunk and Gorgath got to working for the Legion, the first Ogre used in Legion service for manual labour and an Orc resigned to paying his debt to the Legion as a camp aide. Became somewhat of a friend to the current smith, spent much of his time watching the old Orc mend and craft the arms and armour fit enough for an Orc of the Empire. The pair fit in surprisingly well with the Legion. Gorgath and Ledunk were a little bit of home to the Orsinium Orcs in the fort, they soon found friends. It was sad when, after a year of hard labour, the two were done. They'd found a home here, even if it was still a pile of rubble and materials. The foreman didn't know what he'd do without Ledunk, who'd become instrumental in shifting the materials about the site. The commander came again, and corelled Gorgath into active service with the Legion. As a black smith's apprentice, but he'd get paid at least. His first (legal) job. Gorgath got a crash course version of the regular training a Legionnaire would get, only because everybody was expected to defend the fort if they needed to.

After another year, the fort was finally done. Ledunk suddenly became more than he was worth. Legion brass were unwilling to keep the Ogre around, an Ogre Legionnaire? Were they mad? His cost in food and fur clothing was enormous as is, he just had to go. Gorgath loved his work in the Legion, but couldn't abandon his life-long friend to go back to the Meat Market... No, clearly there place wasn't in the Legion. Ideally it wasn't in Orsinium. It was out in the wilds, he wanted to explore. Wanted to take Ledunk and see the world.

So, he was allowed to go. While technically against regulations, the old blacksmith wrote off Gorgath's armour and as "unrepairably damaged" and slid him a battle-ax "on the side".

Gorgath owes that Orc smith a life debt. He's been upkeeping the same gear for four years using the techniques he'd picked up from the blacksmith and it's seen him out of hairy adventures right across Orsinium Province and even out into the Wrothgarians and the Reach.