Fireaxe Clan

The Fireaxe Clan was an orc clan residing in the mountains around Port Valor. While primarily consisting of orcs, the clan also included ogres, half-ogres, and at least one ettin, and had a small force of goblins working with it at one point, whether or not they were officially members of the clan. Although the clan was more or less disbanded by its surviving members after the death of Thorak Fireaxe, its remnants are currently led by Othurk.

History
While it is unknown when the Fireaxe Clan was actually founded, it seems to have existed for some time before falling under Thorak's leadership. The clan leader traditionally wielded an enchanted flaming greataxe as a sign of their position. The clan was fairly unsuccessful, especially in comparison to other orcish clans, and many of its members had become aimless. However, once Thorak joined the clan, his clear sense of direction and willingness to take the lead gained him many followers. By this point, Thorak had likely already begun communing with the Burning Knight and started using the clan to fulfill the Knight's plans. While some of the orcs of the Fireaxe Clan were hoping Thorak would lead them to honorable battle, there was one dissenter, named Othurk, who spoke against Thorak's plans of ambushing mages from Atemcester for their magical items.

In the early months of 598, members the Fireaxe Clan began to cause trouble in the area around Port Valor. The clan's attacks on traveling mages continued. Goblins working under the command of orcs from the Fireaxe Clan also raided a mine owned by Balgrus in search of more magical items. Orcs of the Fireaxe Clan also stole a scroll containing a powerful anti-life spell from a group of Atemcester mages on the road between Quadroad and Port Valor. They tested the spell, resulting in the destruction of all plant life in a small surrounding area and the death of a paladin of Cysebelle tasked with the retrieval of the scroll.

As the attacks escalated, Count Corvus of Port Valor requested military assistance from the Emperor in Falas, which was granted. The royal guard sent to Port Valor swept the mountain abbey where the Fireaxe Clan resided, and the citizens of Port Valor celebrated the end of Thorak's reign of terror. However, soon after Port Valor's apparent victory, the remnants of the Fireaxe Clan, including Thorak, attacked again, using a much larger version of the anti-life spell, killing most of the people in Port Valor. Immediately after the attack, Thorak took the Abyssal Crest kept in Count Corvus's vault to turn it over to the Burning Knight that evening. Thorak ordered his subordinates to search for survivors to bring to the abbey as sacrifices to the Burning Knight. They were also given destructive magical artifacts to unleash on the ruins of the town and cause more chaos. Most of the orcs who stayed behind in Port Valor were killed, either by the Champions Valoris (who returned to the town soon after the attack) or the artifacts they had been ordered to unleash. One surviving Fireaxe Clan member, named Torshul, was taken hostage by the Champions Valoris and provided them with information on Thorak's demonic connections and the existence of dissenters within the clan. The day after the attack, Thorak and his closest supporters were defeated by the Champions Valoris and a group of clan members who agreed with Othurk's opposition to Thorak's leadership. However, Thorak killed himself with the blade he used for sacrifices to the Burning Knight, summoning the demon. Excepting one orc who was killed during the fight with Thorak, Othurk and his followers survived the encountered. Othurk rejected Jorah's offer of the clan leader's axe, preferring to leave for Gron-Gammar over leading the Fireaxe Clan in his own name. With the clan effectively dissolved, the remaining orcs left the abbey for Port Valor, where they welcomed Torshul into their number. The orcs assisted with taking care of the survivors and rebuilding the town before leaving for Gron-Gammar, where they intended to face judgment for their complicity in Thorak's crimes.

Known Former Members

 * Thorak Fireaxe (deceased)
 * Othurk
 * Torshul
 * Krogash
 * Thar-Vor
 * Brakk (deceased)