Family History

Mr. Grigash

Lived in Era 25 and got 0 heir(s) .
For many years Grigash's tribe dwelt in the heart of the forest, raiding caravans and barges travelling along the river to the south and west, and fighting with the other small tribes of the forest, as well as the primitive clans of horsemen that roam the plains to the east.

At the death of his father during a particularly brutal attack by the combined might of the other orc tribes, which resulted in the loss of many warriors, Grigash became the Chief of his tribe, the Severed Hand, amid the still burning ruins of his village.

Immediately Grigash gathered his surviving followers and led a breakout through the besieging army, and fought his way free of the forest, heading east.

After travelling for four days, and losing more of his followers to injuries, starvation and desertion, he settled the remnants of his once powerful tribe in the plains southeast of the forest, near to a gentle bend in the river, and set about erecting his peoples new home, building a crude stockade around the huts, barracks and his own newly constructed Long Hall, that began to spring up almost over night.

Now, he and those followers still loyal to him sit and lick their wounds, rebuilding their strength, intent on destroying the tribes of the forest.

Or perhaps he would not destroy them, but serve them an ultimatum. Serve or die.

***

Several months passed, with little more than the odd skirmish between Grigash's forces and the orc tribes of the forest, which normally resulted in (under orders from Grigash that any prolonged battle would result in the captains painful death) the retreat of the Severed Hand forces.

However, over the months Grigash's follower's numbers grew ever larger, as smaller tribes around the fringes of the forest, as well as small groups of orc raiders and bandits from the plains arrived in Grigash's new stronghold, Blackwood, and pledged their loyalty to the chief.

Grigash's revenge on the tribes that drove him from his home was swift and powerful when it came. Using steel weapons scavenged and traded for, Grigash had strengthened his army to a point much more powerful than the sharpened sticks, clubs and stones of the tribes.

He sent a force of 50 warriors up the river into the forest, under orders to raid and pillage, and draw the majority of the enemy orcs after them, away from Blackwood, while Grigash himself would then lead every warrior he could northwards, driving deep into the forest and burning the petty villages of his rivals, one by one.

The plan worked perfectly. Under Grigash's inspired leadership, his forces drove their rivals ever back, until, in just over a week, every tribe of the southern side of the forest had either pledged loyalty to the Severed Hand, or had been wiped out to the last man woman and child.

The northern tribes fell just as swiftly. Luring the army of those that refused to submit out of the forest and into the large open field in the centre of the forest, Grigash cut them to pieces.

With the defeat of all those opposed to him, Grigash declared himself High Chief of the forest, and set about constructing a secondary stronghold to the north of Blackwood, on the eastern fringes of the forest, in order to consolidate his hold over the region.

With the stronghold of Northwatch under construction, his control over the forest tribes complete, and the number of warriors in his horde ever growing, Grigash began turning his attention outwards, and to the human, elf, dwarf and halfling kingdoms surrounding him.

It was at this time that an envoy of the powerful northern kingdom of the Knights of Death, located several days travel to the northeast of the forest, arrived in Blackwood.

The envoy gave much the same ultimatum to Grigash as he himself gave when forging his territory, join or die.

Realising that his fledgeling clan could not stand before the might of the combined armies of the darknights, he swore fealty, and was given the command of the western flank of the kingdom, with orders to expand and strengthen the western and south western border.

Grudingly, Grigash began doing just this, as it was his plan in the beginning to expand northwest ad south anyway.

And who knows, he thought to himself, perhaps in time he could bend this powerful kingdom to his own will.

***