Azrak, Shaman of the Maggot Lord

[moonsaves]

Full name: Azrak
Age: 47
Race: Grey Orc
Sex: Male
Date of birth: 4th Hammer, 1315 DR
Place of birth: The Hordelands
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Patron deity: Yurtrus
Profession: Shaman
Classes: Cleric, Hierophant
Primary language:Orc (native language)
Secondary languages:
Common - Somewhat limited and with a fairly reduced vocabulary. Learned from interacting with slaves and trading.
Undercommon - Somewhat limited and with a fairly reduced vocabulary. Learned from interacting with slaves and trading within the Underdark.
Rashemi - Limited and with a reduced vocabulary. Learned from interacting with slaves and trading in the Hordelands.
Abyssal - Limited and with a reduced vocabulary. Learned from being the Priest of an evil deity, and observing interactions with low-ranking demons from rituals and spells of the cult.


Physical description:

Azrak presents the figure of a diminished, rather wilted Grey Orc. His skin and eyes are paler than is typical of his race, and upon his face is usually daubed a white skull in some foul-smelling substance. He walks hunched, sometimes leaning upon his bleached, gnarled staff.

Matted, greasy dark hair spills down to either side of his face, though typically this is covered by the mangy pelt of an old grey wolf. His attire is a patchwork of mismatched and grotty furs. A myriad of pockets and pouches house a collection of objects that he has picked up in his travels, many of them tribal fetishes of wood or bone.


Psychological description:

Gruff and aloof, Azrak is generally dismissive of anything that isn't an Orc. All races apart from Orcs are treated with equal contempt, except from those known to be able to produce suitable half-orc offspring, which he will at least humour as part of a divine plan. To this end, he has at least some form of trace respect for creatures such as Humans or Ogres, at least insofar he doesn't think they should all be immediately slaughtered, at least for now. Conversely, he treats all Orcs as sworn kin, regardless of how much or little Orcish blood they have.

Generally an Orc of few words, he is subject to go into manic states of holy fervour should he feel the need to impress wisdom where he finds it lacking. Diseases and plagues are another interest he holds dearly, and he will focus intently on learning from them should the need arise, even suffering is required for this to happen.

He holds respect for Orcish culture and tradition dearly, but cares nothing for that of others, happily defiling their corpses for when he requires necromantic servants or test subjects. He sees the current way of the world as temporary, and so sees no harm in taking whatever advantage he can to work towards his goals.


Religious views:

Azrak worships Yurtrus above all, seeing him as the one who will truly bring the Orcish race into its rightful place in the world. He teaches fear and respect for the Maggot Lord, instilling in Orcs of all ages that he holds their lives in his white hands.

As a follower of the Orcish Death God, Azrak puts great importance on seeking out Orcbloods who have proved themselves worthy of their ancestry. To this end, those who have a final worthy death have their skulls retrieved and modified to have only one eyehole, so that they may be sent to meet Gruumsh in the afterlife through ritual.

Yurtrus is also respected a God of food and wellbeing, and so Azrak looks after the camp's food stores and goes on gathering missions to procure medicines and foodstuffs. He tends to the health of the tribe, keeping an eye for sickness and weakness.


Biography:

Family:
Father - deceased from battle before birth
Mother - deceased from old age
Brothers/sisters - dead from plague

Despite the revulsion others may feel for him, Azrak considers all Orcbloods his family, uncaring if the notion is returned.


History

Azrak was born at the beginning of 1315 DR to the Red Axes tribe of Grey Orcs in the Hordelands. Not long into his youth, he and his older brothers and sisters were all stricken by a terrible plague that wasted away their very bodies. Though prayers were made and rituals observed, they perished one by one. Only Azrak was left, and rather than allow his weakness to disrupt the tribe, they observed their nomadic wanderings and moved camp, leaving him behind.

Azrak was left among the corpses of his siblings, gasping for air. Staring up into the blinding sunlight, his lips chapped and scabbed, he tried to scream for the gods. There was no answer. He continued until his throat was bloody and raw, and his tongue worked no longer - but still, he continued to plead. Only when no sound escaped his lips was his prayer finally heard.

Azrak saw the heavens open above, and felt two white hands take him and bring him above the clouds. Only here, looking down, did Azrak understand - these were the lands the Orcs had been denied. As he watched, the lands filled with a miasma that crawled across it like a great, scabbed wolf. Millions died, clutching at their necks, but atop the mountain of corpses strode those with Orc blood - marked for a destiny above the lesser beings.

Waking with a choking snarl, Azrak vomited green slime into the sands. His body had purged what Yurtrus had sent to test him with, and he had succeeded where his siblings had failed. Standing to his feet, Azrak began to realise his holy mission.

He caught up to his camp within the day. They were terrified of the god's retribution for leaving him, but Azrak taught them how they could receive the Maggot Lord's penance. And so this went for many years, with Azrak wandering between the different nomadic tribes, teaching of what was to come and what he believed. Many were resistant, and he would be chased away - but many also feared his god, and would listen - begrudgingly or not.

After several decades, he had a vision once more. A great meteor crashed from the sky into the region of the Western Heartlands, a great conduit for the Evil Eye's power. This was the sign he felt he had been waiting for, and he fully believed that this would be the centre of the Orc's future dominance of the world.

On a journey that took years, Azrak made his way to the meteorite's crash site, sheltering with and preaching to the numerous Orc tribes across Faerun as he went. Now, he has arrived, and has entered Uruk Lurra as an Orc with what he perceives to be a divine mission.


Future

Azrak sees the Orcs around Urruk Lurra as having destiny thrust upon them, and wishes to aid them in establishing supremacy of the area. He wishes to help form a strong tribe with mighty holdings, and with his deity holding great influence. His ultimate goal, however, is to produce the perfect plague that will only affect those without any Orcish blood, purging the world of what he sees as weakness.
Heirloom item

(No Heirloom - XP reward)


Plot hooks

- Work towards a plague that will affect all beings apart from Orcbloods, so that the world can be reclaimed by what he sees to be its true rulers.

- Investigate the meteorite and its power.

- Indoctrinate halfbloods into the tribe at Urruk Lurra, seeking to take cityborn halfbloods and show them the true orcish ways. He sees the strength in having agents that can walk in both worlds.

- Support and build Urruk Lurra, helping to establish it and strengthen Yurtrus' hold on its population.