Species and Races > Humans > Gorgabad
Gorgabad
Located off the upper tip of Dulatica, Gorgabad is the northernmost land mass on Ithuan. This civilization has been tormented by a history of warfare and ruthlessness since its founding by the whim of Gothrag, the Warlord God, when he used his power to transform part of Ithuan into a pseudo-divine realm. In the shadow of his colossal fortress, he built up a culture of ambition, resentment, and brutality, forging the once peaceful humans and even the few elven houses of the region into a relentless fighting force. After the end of the Spirit War, and the sacking of the Tower of Gorgabad, this land was left to decay into disarray for centuries until Gothrag’s right hand, Lord Nazal the Thrice Slain returned to rally those who still heeded the War God’s call.
The natives of this land are hardened by the cold ashen landscape, competing for supremacy, favor, and resources, they embrace the tenants of warfare in their culture, even speaking harsher variants of common and elvish to reflect their rougher outlook. The denizens of Gorgabad live in envy of the other civilizations who laid them low in the Spirit War, and at the behest of their shadowy overlords, they are more than happy to fight against all those who would wrong them. The lifespan for mortals in Gorgabad is slightly shorter than other continents, due to the conditions, and the culture, as dying of sickness or old age is considered somewhat shameful. For the most part the human inhabitants as well as the occasional elves here see eye to eye, as they all swear allegiance to the same banner, under the shadow of the dark tower. But ambition and favor is never far from the thoughts of those who dwell in this accursed land. In addition to the mortal populace, Gorgabad is home to a not insignificant number of lesser dark spirits loyal to Gothrag and Lord Nazal, mostly clustered around the Tower, ensuring the colossal structure can continue to operate from day to day.
Training
Education
In Gorgabad divine history is taught from the perspective of Gothrag as a proud and skilled God, and Methaeus as a vindictive and restrictive tyrant who not only forbid spirits from consorting with mortals, but forced Gods whose domains ran counter to parts of his own to obey his personal moral code. Despite conceptions on the mainland, both these claims are in fact true, although the way they are told in Gorgabad is indeed twisted to glorify battle and loyalty. The two ways to learn in Gorgabad are from tales told by elders or spirits, or from the College of the Blade, the military’s training school. There they ensure a grasp of tactics, combat, and loyalty to the spirits of battle. Feeding the fires of an individual’s ambition towards specific specializations, those in command ensure that Gorgabad’s army is made of soldiers fanatically devoted to their particular craft. Those taught by elders are told tales of the corrupt and power hungry bureaucrats of other nations that sit in wealth and satisfaction, while problems stir beneath their feet, stoking their anger toward the rest of Ithuan, readying them for the coming conflict.
Combat
The warriors of Gorgabad are trained as relentless combatants. Each warrior tends to specialize in a few weapons, and is grouped with others who use different weapons that mesh well with their own. This creates small, well rounded units that allow the larger army to break apart somewhat during a battle, and still hold their own. The soldiers of Gorgabad train in the shadow of the tower, and are tested in its gladiatorial pits, and in brutal survival missions where they’re sent to the islands off the coast. These exercises create merciless and experienced fighters, although their coldness can lead to an inability to accept defeat, and even a kind of difficulty when trying to adapt to a situation as a cohesive unit.
Despite their flaws, these warriors are armed with the brutal tools of their ashen land. Heavy claymores and viciously serrated pikes are commonplace, as are recurve bows and metal tipped arrows. Many wield longmaces, heavy polearms that feature spines and short blades along their length, making then brutally efficient at cracking shields and suits of armored plate. As well, they enjoy the use of axes and brutal cutlasses that they can strike out with from behind their oval shields that bare a nasty set of spikes on the front. The armor of a Gorgabad warrior is embellished with markings, trophies, spikes, and symbols that display both their accomplishments, and their rank to strike fear into their enemies. In particular, their helmets are of a ridged design that features a multitude of slits not only to give them a passing resemblance to both a skeletal fiend, but also to give them a better range of vision in a fight. Their work is aided by the abundance of iron and particularly darksteel found in their homeland. These metals mean that not only can they mass produce common steel, but also temper it with the immensely tough dark variant.
The soldiers of this land are split into squads of around five, then into companies of around forty, then into battalions of one hundred and sixty, legions of around two thousand, and grand legions of up to ten thousand soldiers. These grand legions are overseen by the four Nazalites, the Commanders and closest advisers of Lord Nazal who is the Supreme Commander of Gorgabad’s Military. Many in Gorgabad manifest small amounts of spellcraft in combat, but few can compete with the casting abilities of the spirits, who utilize fire, shadow, and fear as tangible weapons to break down opposing forces so their subordinates can more easily cut through their lines. In particular, grand legions enjoy the support of powerful entities that utilize specific power types which their soldiers can learn to have a particular strategy to utilize most effectively. One of the more unusual aspects of Gorgabad’s army, is its love of ballista, which they often use to target enemy commanders, or soften up defenses for other siege weapons, as well as the prevalence of spies and assassins rather than scouts. These cutthroat agents of the ashen land move into a civilization, sometimes many cities in advance, probing weaknesses, and gathering information, making the moment when their army does strike that much more impactful.
Medicine
The medicine in Gorgabad is based mostly around alchemical means, although the isolation of the landmass and its barren nature makes the transport of materials for this purpose difficult. However, they are unusually good at cleaning wounds using alcohol, and other methods of sterilization. They are also good at casts, and setting bones. However, they have great difficulty with surgical procedures due to the arid dusty air of Gorgabad, and nearly as much trouble with healing magic due to ambient corruption. It is also common for those native to Gorgabad to be more resilient Darksteel poisoning.
Daily Life
Gorgabad is a land built around warfare and proving oneself, and although their past is intertwined with brutality and savage slaughter, in the time since the Spirit War, traditions of honorable combat and challenge have been established. Food is mostly communal, and their economy is for the most part simplistic and resource based, but it has slowly begun to develop. Although they’ve made advances, the people of these lands still feel the shadow of the Tower weighing heavily over them.
Government
Gorgabad is ruled by the Spirits of War, who are currently led by Lord Nazal and his inner circle of ambitious and cruel spirits known as the Nazalites. Smaller groups are led by their most distinguished warriors, established through duels and challenges over the years. These warriors work alongside the spirits who answer eventually to Lord Nazal and his generals. This system of government is the first semi-stable one established since the fall of Gothrag and his subsequent imprisonment.
Religion & Holidays
While Gorgabad once heavily worshiped Gothrag specifically, in his absence they’ve glorified conflict and duels in more specific terms, allowing them to better follow these ideals despite the absence of a divine directive. One of the most time honored traditions that has emerged is that of the Horn of Challenge.
Capable and proven warriors are allowed to ascend into the Tower of Gorgabad, wherein they are challenged by a Spirit of War. If they emerge victorious they are gifted a blowing horn with a metal mouthpiece that is etched name of the spirit that they defeated. Those who bear a horn may be challenged by those who wish to claim their station, or something they own in a duel where both combatants are armed with identical weapons and armor. Defeating particularly difficult foes, or passing trials set out by the spirits can award a bearer with a mark, a rune or depiction on their horn that affords them both renown and benefits for future battles. For example, those who bear the Mark of the Blade may wield a weapon of their choice, those with the Mark of the Hunter may choose a trained beast to assist them, and those with the Mark of the Thrice Slain may inflict three non-fatal and non debilitating cuts to their opponents prior to the duel. Depending on their level of accomplishment, newer bearers are often pushed to accept, as they have yet to earn many marks which implies them as weaker, and more likely to be looked down on if they decline, whereas those who have held their horn for a longer time and have more marks are often seen as justified in turning away lesser opponents, as they have nothing to prove to such fighters.
When a challenge is accepted the bearer blows their horn a certain number of times depending on the conditions of the fight. If it is to the surrender, they blow the horn with three short bursts. If it is to incapacitation (such as rendering an opponent unconscious) they blow the horn once shortly, and a second time for slightly longer. If the battle is to the death, the horn is blow a single time, and the note is sustained for as long as the bearer is able.
If a bearer is killed, the winner wins the right to their horn and its marks. However, they loose the war spirit’s rune, and must journey to the Tower to reacquire one. If the horn is stolen, found, or won without killing the previous bearer, any marks on the horn are stained with black ink, which can only be removed after completing a feat or trial to re-earn that mark. If a horn is taken in this way, the spirit’s rune must also be reobtained. However, if the previous bearer is killed by foul play and the horn stolen by their killer, the rune of the spirit will glow red hot, and crack the horn, rendering it not only flawed, but showing the current holder to be dishonorable as well.
In Gorgabad they celebrate the Summer Solstice with an event known as the Feast of the Conquerer, where the various groups and factions gather to the tower, and feast on the spoils of hunts, with the most renowned warriors receiving the finest foods.
Alternatively, they celebrate the Winter Solstice with an event called the Lamenting, where effigies of the Tower of Gorgabad are burned in memory of those who have fallen in the last year.
Every ten years, they hold an event known as the Proving, where champions and horn bearers gather at the colosseum near the Tower, and can freely challenge one another. The significance of this event is that not only do mortal champions participate, but honored spirits including the Nazalites, and even Lord Nazal himself participate. This event is highly anticipated as the marks that can be earned, as well as the renown are extraordinary, and most horn bearers jump at the chance to test their metal against the greatest champions from all across their land.
Architecture
Gorgabad is somewhat known for its dark stone brick, and simple yet defensive architectural designs, but its most recognized structure is the towering stone carved monolith that bears spikes, ramparts over ramparts, and turrets like those designed in the fever dreams of a paranoid warmonger. The structure known across the cosmos as the Tower of Gorgabad, the symbol of Gothrag’s power, and one of the greatest relics of the Spirit War. Many structures in Gorgabad replicate its basic aesthetic, albeit with a more sane and practical approach and design when compared to the original, since no mortal has proven able to design such a structure so contrived yet defensive, let alone build something so large as the fortress constructed by the Warlord God himself.