Resource Title:   DA'NOGRA
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Terry Zimmerman
ORCS
Word Document of Da'Nogra
May 30, 2004   
A deity for orc player characters and NPC's..


The content below is an article written by Terry Zimmerman. This article presents gaming information for a "d20 format" orc character class. All information contained within is protected by international and Canadian copyright laws. This article was produced in accordance with the d20 Open Game License.

 

 
Great-One, The Axe, The Render, Elf-Slayer

(Greater Deity)

Symbol: Large battleaxe dripping with blood.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Orcs, chaos, battle, warriors, conquest, brutality
Worshippers: Barbarians, fighters, shaman, orcs.
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, LE, NE
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Orc, War
Favored Weapon: "Renderer" (Battle axe)

Da'Nogra (da'noh'gra) is a powerful greater god who thirsts for battle and thrives on watching his enemies die - all in the name of his might and glory. The Great-One believes in bringing the battle to the enemy. He is the essence of chaos and brutality. Da'Nogra rewards the strong and punishes the weak. The Great-One has intolerance for failure and is quick to judge.

Da'Nogra does not seek world or racial domination - he simply wishes to see his enemies living in fear of his orcs and/or brutally slain by their hand. The only exception is elves - the Great-One seeks genocide on this race.

The worship of Da'Nogra typically does not take place in any structure or on any regular interval. Clerics of Da'Nogra, called shaman, will perform rituals and/or ceremonies before any battle. Orcs are instilled with a sense that they must constantly prove their worth to Da'Nogra - and the only place to prove their merit is on the battlefield. Some day when the orcs' mortal bodies fail, the worthy souls will be taken to another plane to fight one of Da'Nogra's other wars. Those souls not worthy are discarded.

When engaging any foe, orcs will shout out their battle cry, "Nograaahhh", to remind them the kill they are about to make is being claimed for Da'Nogra. Shaman will always fight side-by-side with the warriors of clan.

Shaman of Da'Nogra pray for their spells at dusk and always wait for the last remnants of any sunlight to fully vanish. Shaman are not intermediaries between Da'Nogra and the orcs - they simply serve to be a constant reminder that certain death will befall any who do not worship the might and glory that is the Great-One. During the down time that the orcs are in search of their next great battle, shaman will perform various ceremonies and recite lore to remind the orcs of the power of Da'Nogra and why every last elf that walks upon the lands must be destroyed.

History/Relationships: When Da'Nogra first emerged into the material plane he found it lacking of creatures with ambitions of conquest, brutality and chaos. Da'Nogra had never created a race before so he tried a few varied experiments which he was not greatly satisfied with. Born into the world with these experiments were trolls, kobolds, bugbears, and various other insignificant monstrous races.

The first major race Da'Nogra created was the ogre. Created somewhat in his image, the ogres were large, powerful creatures whose mere sight would instill fear in their enemies. Sadly, the ogres significantly lacked intelligence and it was clear that they would never become an organized menace in the lands.

Da'Nogra then created the hobgoblin. They were a ruthless and clever warrior race capable of asserting their presence upon the lands. As they organized themselves and became the masters of their domains they found that they did not need the worship of Da'Nogra to accomplish their goals. Da'Nogra's chaotic influences and seemingly meaningless rituals hindered the progression of the hobgoblins. They rejected Da'Nogra.

Next came the goblins -- small yet vicious. Da'Nogra knew that with their insignificant stature they would always look for guidance and assistance from their maker. One of the most remarkable abilities Da'Nogra gave the goblins was their rapid ascent to maturity. Quickly goblins were spawning across the lands with their numbers more than making up for their lack of strength. The goblins became impulsive and brash though. Most goblins only ever saw one major battle or skirmish in their life. Although the goblins were quickly able to replace the numbers of their fallen kin, their replacements lacked combat experience. With no combat veterans in the race, the goblins were little more than a mass of thugs who were slaughtered by their opponent's superior equipment and use of battle tactics.

The fourth and final of Da'Nogra's major races was the orc -- a tough, ferocious, unrelenting, race. Orcs seemed to have all the strengths of the Great-One's three former races. They were given the ogre's strength, size and fearsomeness, the hobgoblin's keenness and the goblin's rapid breeding abilities. Each of these traits was tempered though - ensuring the innate threat that these abilities exhibited in the past would not again be weaknesses.

The orcs poured forth across the lands, seeking to kill all others they encountered in an endless war of conquest. Orcs who worship Da'Nogra believe they are the superior race and all others should either be slain by them for the glory of the Great-One or be their slaves.

The birth of the orcs dates back centuries to the birth of the elves. When elves were set within the lands they quickly noticed the orcs' savage and destructive bent on destroying all others. The orcs stood for everything that the elves opposed. The elves took it upon themselves to be the core defenders of their lands and swore oaths to rid the orcish menace. The elven deities also struck out and moderately wounded Da'Nogra which fuelled a great anger within him creating desire for the total destruction of the elven race. The war between elves and orcs has continued to be waged for centuries.

Dogma: Prove yourself to Da'Nogra in battle - slay as many enemies as you can to gain his notice and assure your place in the next war upon passing. Punish or destroy the weak. Show your enemy your full brutality, strength and superiority - make him scream in pain as he is rendered apart.


Orc Domain

Deity: Da'Nogra
Granted Power: You can enter a state of rage which makes you stronger and tougher. This exceptional ability is identical to the barbarian's rage ability except the duration of the rage is equal to the cleric's level, plus any barbarian levels, plus the character's (newly improved) Constitution modifier.

  1. Enlarge Person: Humanoid creature doubles in size
  2. Bull's Strength: Subject gains +4 to Str for 1 min / level.
  3. Rage: Subject gains +2 to Str and Con, +1 Will saves, -2 AC.
  4. Magic Weapon, Greater: +1/four levels (max +5).
  5. Stoneskin: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.
  6. Righteous Might: Your size increases, and you gain combat bonuses.
  7. Blasphemy: Kills, paralyzes, weakens, or dazes non-evil subjects.
  8. Cloak of Chaos: +4 AC, +4 resistance, and SR 25 against lawful spells.
  9. Wail of the Banshee: Kills one creature per level.

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