07.04d: Orc Camp in Winter

[Joshua]

(OOC: So, the short of it... there's a lot of orcs here. Grunts, violent raiders, cultured tribes, even a shadowrun orc. (No 40k ones, thankfully.) Cameron has enough sway and authority to start to mold the society into what he wants.)

After a short time of this, Narkt will arrive, leading three black-skinned orcs with yellow eyes. They're about 7' 4" and probably weigh close to 500 pounds each, mostly muscle. They will find Cameron, and basically shove Narkt out of the way like a rag-doll.

The leader will stride forward. "Cameron!" he will thump his chest. "Kothir of the Black Garrison speaks. Will you take rulership from the weaker races? Too long beards and ears have a say. Morgana* is weak. Do you stand with us?"
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*: A better translation would be "Morgana is peaceful." Despite the wording, it is the only part of his statement said with any tone of respect.

[khadjair]

Cameron looks up to Kothir for a moment, fixing him with a steely gaze.

"You do not understand the dynamics amongst the worldwalkers. Morgana is more powerful than you give her credit for, and I am a newcomer. Were I to challenge for and claim rulership, I would govern poorly at best, and leave us weak in the face of the other courts. We have enemies enough outside that we do no tneed to weaken ourselves internally for the challenge."

"I am not saying no. Help me show the orcs can stand as equal partners to the dwarves, and goblins, the trolls and drow who are already here. We will show them our strength in ways they understand, in stone and steel and gold."

He fixes his gaze on Kothir again, hand drifting to the Star though trying to not make it a threat, looking up at the great black-skinned orc.

"Or are you going to challenge me?"

[Joshua]

So.. Yeah... Kothir hauls back and decks Cameron. It's more a ritualized test of strength than a desire to kill, but he's not pulling the punch. Thankfully, despite the difference in size, Cameron has comparable strength. So, between that and the psyche advantage, you can react early, or whatnot. You're not going to stop the punch, but you choose how you block. A strength-based one is likely to impress him more. Even just not being knocked down is likely to earn some respect.

[khadjair]

Cameron will brace himself to take the blow without moving. There's the internal wince, but he understands, this is how it needs to be. The point is to appear stoic, unflinching and unphased, which he will focus entirely on doing. Once the ringing in his ears stops, he will look up with a humorless smile, a small trickle of blood running from the base of one tusk.

"My turn, or do you concede? If that truly is your best..."

[Joshua]

Kothir will smirk and ask, "Should I kneel, or can you reach?"

[khadjair]

The sound of that question won't even have had a chance to echo before Cameron will bring his right foot up, trying to hook aroudn Kothir's knee and yank him down, using the momentum of that motion to bring his right hand up in a swinging arc at where (he hopes) Kothir's chin will be. There's a snarl on Cameron's face, though his eyes go near-cold as he settles into the rhythms of the fight, such as they may be.

[Joshua]

So, Kothir is a little outclassed here. His head spins a bit from the hit... There's a few hits back and forth, but he doesn't have nearly the staying power that Cameron has. After the third or so round, he's on the ground, Cameron's foot on the orc's tusks.

[khadjair]

Cameron looks down. "I am capable of fighting, but there is a time to think, too. Right now.. Morgana is the better leader for Ht'gon. So say I - do any others challenge?"

((OOC: Assuming there are no other challengers...))

Cameron leans down to help Kothir up. "You fought well. I would have you speak when you believe I am being too cautious." He turns to the others. "We are a great people. We will prove ourselves more than vagabonds and savages, and one day one of our own -will- sit the throne. Today is not that day, and I may not be that orc. For now, we must build.. and -show-.. our strength. And my skills are bent to the task."

He pauses, wiping the sweat from his brow an spitting a little blood on the ground. "Now... We have a city to design. I need to speak with the smiths..."

[Joshua]

Everyone gets out of cameron's way... Most stop offering annoying objections, and stick to the more legitimate concerns. Worries about what a show of strength will look like ot the city. If the orc fortress should merge with Ht'Gon, or the city of Amber... or jsut be a suburb or whatnot.

[khadjair]

Cameron will come up short. "Some of these are political decisions, and in that... I am only our representative on the Ht'gon court. That is a decision for your leaders to make. I just know that...we have a place here, and it is up to us if we will make that place, or accept that which is given. War may come - why else would they have such a massive fortress here? - and right now all of us are exposed here. Despite appearances.. I do not wish to lead. I will if I must but I am not suited to the task. I am prone to... wandering far and away."

"Put a hammer or chalk in my hand, and I can do wonderful things. Put a sceptre or a sword, and eventually it will come to sadness. Let me show some of these ideas to the smiths, and then... er.... maybe I should speak to whoever actually leads here, and apologize profusely for my actions."

"Barring that... let me speak with the smiths, and maybe the stonemasons. So I can put some of my skills to their use."