Olkhalsu
Olkhalsu
Religion
Traditions
-15% Construction Time
+20% Trade Steering
A Will of SteelThrough sweat and steel our bodies are etched with the marks of countless battles against craft and foe alike. Like the tools passed down through kin, we have been tempered, and no force shall bend nor break us. We have been harried by centaurs and hobgoblins, both martial masters in their own way, but our hunger tempers our minds, and our very souls have been forged of steel. With this tenacity we shall lead great battalions as before to new triumphs over the hordes on our borders!
-0.03 Monthly War Exhaustion
Mines of the Red WastesThe aptly-named Red Wastes get their distinctive color from the plentiful deposits of iron beneath the sand, which the forgemasters of Olkhalsu mine regularly for use in their creations. This includes hulking suits of armor that adorn the greatest of warriors, battle axes taller than two adult hobgoblins, and ornate shields that tower over even other ogres. These armaments make their warriors some of the most feared soldiers when fighting a war, and the most sought after when traveling across the desert.
-10% Shock Damage Received
Those That Wander AloneThere are those that decide to venture away from the holdfasts and wandering herds of common Soulseeker life, instead making their homes within the depths of the deserts in solitude. There they forge day and night, their minds determined to craft something new while being unburdened by the outside world, and the hunger festering within. When they finally emerge and return to their home Holdfast, they bring with them great enlightenment achieved during their meditative smithing. This often leads to the ogre becoming a kind of spiritual leader for a time, guiding younger ogres to steel their stomach, mind, and craft. These guides will continue to take periodic journeys to achieve further enlightenment and craftsmanship, until eventually they are unable to complete the journey and younger ogres take their path. Over time many unique tools have found their way back to the Holdfasts, each one a slight improvement on current technology, proving that the most enlightened will find a way to exist beyond their corporeal form.
+20% Institution Spread
The Journey of SmithsSituated at the bottom of The Reverent Peaks lies the Holdfast for All, where any and all traveling ogres are invited to rest before the next leg of their journey. Looming above this respite, jutting out off the apex of the Reverent Peaks, awaits a structure visited by only the most accomplished of smiths:a Stone Giant foundry – or, what is left of one. Only the greatest of smiths are permitted to make the perilous trek to the peak in hopes of garnering wisdom from the massive ruins. All sorts of strange wonders can be found within: cracked crucibles that fit three adult ogres, blacksmith’s tongs that require two ogres to operate effectively, and strange twisted sculptures – rusted beyond recognition over millennia are stacked floor to ceiling in dust covered halls. Inspiration from this structure is often cited in some of our society's greatest works.
+10% Fort Defence
+0.5 Yearly Prestige
Steel Made and Steel SoldOlkhalsu does not keep all of its steel, nor the tools made from it, to themselves; in peace times the plentiful reserves of steel are sold to the Clockwork city of Bazuneizar to fuel their great mechanical works. In harsher times, swords harder than many gemstones are sold in great quantities to other groups. These warriors know that should they turn on the smiths with these weapons a deafening roar of ogres and steel shall meet them like a great tide. In many areas, the tools of Olkhalsu fetch a higher price than even the ancient relics of the Elder People, as most people cannot fully utilize these strange objects. Whenever the opportunity arises however, Olkhalsu buys these relics alongside food for times of drought and materials not found in their lands. The desert is harsh and makes growing food far harder than other areas, but quality steel ensures that the ogres can provide for themselves, and remain independent when other powers come knocking.
+15% Trade Efficiency
The Walk of EmbersTo the ogres of Olkhalsu, fire is one of the essential tools on the path to enlightenment - being able to make metal malleable and light the way in the darkness. Bearing the heat of the fire and persevering even under strenuous conditions perfectly defines the determination of the Steelsouls. To represent this path of growth through the fire, an aspiring ogre novice awaiting to join their brethren as full smiths must partake in the Walk Of Embers, where they walk over a floor of hot embers and coal, and must use their steadiness to avoid being burned by the heat underneath them. To successfully walk this gauntlet without being burned is seen as a moment of great cheer, for they have proven themselves to have the will and the fortitude to walk where others could not.
+2 Tolerance of the True Faith
Rk'amurnSoulbinding is practiced in all Soulseeker societies, but only we have access to steel. Through our spirit bound tools, we have further strengthened our greatest asset. Rk’amurn. In 1542, a great smith named Niohuru, found that the steel she was working began to glow a dull blue. Upon forming this steel into a battle-ready polearm blade, it was found that an ogre warrior could fend off spirits in some manner. After many smiths attempted to recreate this effect, it was found that the steel must be tempered and heated in far larger forges than most alloys, and for a great many hours, with spirit bound hammers to take on this blue glow. The ability to ward off spirits in a similar manner to our runes, but without the need for experienced runesmiths or their components, has made this alloy extremely valuable. Despite its large production cost and time, our greatest warriors are granted a Rk’amurn weapon for use either defending our caravans, or heading new expeditions further into the ruins of the Elder People than ever before…
-5% Development Cost
-5% Morale Damage Received
Ambition
+10% Production Efficiency
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD