Sacred 2:Book 3 - Nor Plat

From The Art of Cooking
Book 3

Nor Plat

Geography and climate: Nor Plat, land of the Orcs lies in the north of Ancaria. mountains enclose huge frozen plains that border in the north on the Dragon Sea. Looking from the mountains over the land no trees are to be seen, only the dirty brown tundra with patches of grass and moss that cling to the rock fighting against the cold winds. The river Numak runs from north to south through the land. It is frozen most of the year.

Inhabitants: Monsters and creatures roam this harsh, cold land. There are Trolls, Ogres, and Goblins, but the Orcs are the only ones who build settlements and exhibit signs of a "culture".

Two attributes characterize Orcs: their stupidity and their enthusiasm for battle. These potentially volatile combination is best met with a friendly demeanor and short, easily understood sentences. Not many travelers make their way to Nor Plat, that's why the Orcs always welcome visitors and invite them to their mead halls to listen to stories from foreign lands. Travelers who are asked for such a story should make sure that it deals with war and death and still be grasped after five or six jars of mead.

There is only one God in Nor Plat: Kuan, the God of war. Almost every orc prays to him. However, this spiritual unity has not led to a peaceful togetherness. In fact, most Orc settlements are at war with their neighbors. The reasons for this are complex clan hierarchies, blood feuds with long forgotten causes, and the Orcish code of honor. Every Orc, from the ice fishers on the Numak to the trappers in the tundra considers himself a warrior. A wrong word spoken under wrong circumstances almost inevitably leads to bloodshed. It is said that the major cause of death among grown male Orcs is a sudden loss of the head.

Places of interest: Orc settlements consist of simple huts and dirt holes with a large mead hall that serves as a gathering place in the center. The Orcs share these one room huts with their cattle. They have no chimneys. Instead a simply but elegantly constructed drain causes the smoke to pass through the roof while simultaneously smoking the meat that hangs from the ceiling of every Orc hut.

Passionate hunters will find many things to their liking in Nor Plat, everyone else should hope one of the infrequent ice storms that come suddenly over the land and transform it into a landscape of bizarre forms and figures.

Practices: In Entruag, the largest settlement and the only one on the Numak a strange festival called Walrus Wrestling can be witnessed at summer solstice. At sunrise Orcs line the banks of the river and jump into the water as soon as the first ray of the sun touches it. In the water they wrestle walrus bulls thrice their size and try to pull them on dry land. Orcs come from all over the land to be a part of this festival. They are cheered on by Kuan priests. The Orcs believe that Kuan will grant them victory over the elves should they defeat a walrus. This hasn't happened yet, but the festival still takes place every year.

Notes

• Entruag, the largest settlement and the only one on the Numak
• The river Numak runs from north to south through the land
• There is only one God in Nor Plat: Kuan, the God of war