The territory known as Eard is a huge region located in the south west of Relicia directly beneath Unglandan. It is the home of the Orcnar primarily but there are many other indigenous folks who dwell there in small numbers. Its southern coast is lined with a huge range of mountains that extend deep into Encartria in the east and help to further define the boundaries of the Orcnar from their troublesome Nuem neighbours.
The landscape of Eard is largely unaltered by the Orcnar and there is a much greater emphasis placed on preserving the natural order of things present here than there is anywhere else in Relicia. Even so, there is still plenty of interesting architecture to be discovered in the region, even if it is sparse and far apart.
Simplicity is one of the key aspects of all things in Orcnar society and there is clear evidence of this in the design of their buildings which are almost always built upon basic structures that can be easily replicated if necessary. Their approach to warfare is equally as simple as is their general attitude towards technology altogether. It is very rare indeed for the Orcnar to be equipped with anything more than the teeth and claws they were spawned with when squaring off for a battle but there have been times throughout history when the Orcnar have resorted to launching sticks and stones at their enemies in times of desperation. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that from time to time they might find themselves in a situation where they are forced to utilise the landscape and its gifts for their own advantage.
Orcnar design is not particularly uniform or elaborate and is instead built with much more practical intentions.
The temple of Kluk for instance has stood for many hundreds of years. Although massively superior in size to any other Orcnar building, its decorative elements are as simplistic as the basic mud huts that the Unmann will often hastily construct for shelter. It is important to stress that the temple serves no other purpose than to worship Eard itself alone and the Orcnar make their offerings to the land through ritual blood sacrifice. Even in ancient Relicia the Orcnar refused the advances of the Gods and never recognised them or respected their authority.
There are many distinctive environments present in the land of Eard and preparing to travel across the region can be a difficult task due to the unpredictable nature of its seasons. The Orcnar themselves are just as affected by these environmental variations and have evolved accordingly depending on their location within Eard.
Their affinity with the earth coupled with the surge of Maaj unleashed by the Vaettir is the cause of this metamorphosis and it has left many astoundingly different variations of Orcnar walking the surface of Relicia. Those who dwell on the sunny north coast for instance, have much darker skin than those who dwell in the dark mountains of the south, yet those who took refuge in the mountain of Klklk have mutated so drastically that their flesh has become as cold and pallid as the frosty mountain itself.
Make no mistake; whilst the Orcnar do not take kindly to strangers, Eard itself is not a friendly place to be.
They have realised the mistakes that they made in the past and are determined to be more vigilant from now on. The Orcnar see Eard as their rightful home and will stop at nothing to defend it. Even the most harmless, humble creatures should be weary when travelling through the region; else, they might end up butchered for a tasty Orcnar meal or suffer some other cruel fate that is equally just as horrid.
It wasn’t easy infiltrating the ranks of the Orcnar and the magic required to disguise me as an Unmann came from some very foolish dealings I had with a Ridendean Hag. I paid a terrible price for the enchantment and I do not think I will ever be able to reveal the humiliating details of the experience to anyone.
In many ways, it was worth it though and I learnt a great deal from my time spent in Eard amongst the Orcnar. I will admit I was worried at first and fearful they would easily sniff me out as an imposter but to my surprise I was readily accepted by the tribe and my arrival was celebrated by the great Chief Ulluk himself.
After an evening of excessive drinking and feasting I was allowed free passage within the tribe and was able to gather much knowledge.
The Dmoder and the Ealdmoder were the most impressive and interesting creatures I encountered and their clearly elevated status in the tribe allowed them certain rights and freedoms that were denied to many of the lower castes. It was amazing to see the birth of the Nappa and I was truly astounded when I realised just how brilliant and diverse the Orcnar evolution process actually was.
All Orcnar castes, from the towering Abifian right down to the lowly Outcasts begin their lives as Nappa and develop at varying rates into whatever creature destiny has chosen for them. For most it is quite clear from the start what type of Orcnar they will become. The Docga for instance are easily identified and are incredibly dangerous from the moment they are spawned, but for others their identity and rank is not always so readily apparent. The ‘mann’ caste of the species all share very similar characteristics as Nappa and comprise of the Unmann, Grymann and Huntsmann groups. It is this ‘mann’ caste that is the most common to be found amongst the Orcnar of Eard. The spawning of Niwian and Beorn are much more infrequent. I myself was lucky enough to witness the growth of a Dmoder, which was an amazing sight to behold; the same spawning also yielded a large number of Eotan Rifan, the sight of which was nothing less than terrifying.