Leirloek

Leirloek, Lilukanese for "stone city" (leir - stone; loeh - city; -k ending designating a place), an ancient city in western Mentak. It was the first city and permanent home to the Orcs, and later became the capital of kingdom Leirluek.

The Founding

Leirloek was founded by the orc chieftain Huaz Lugow circa 5,000 BFE. Orc tribes, coming across the mountains from modern Tok Pisin, settled in the area around 9,000 BFE. They conquered the native tribes, found to be mostly orc and goblin, though some dwarf and human remains have been unearthed. After years of fighting, what could be called the base of Leirloek was formed by tribes gathering in protection of the mountains and Lake Yaqaśk. Years before the founding began, northern goblin tribes raided the land and engaged in a war with the orcs. The war is retold in the epic Stnaad Pharlōtśur. According to the legend, the orcs fled to the mountain, where, stumbling upon a dragon, they learned magic to defeat the goblins. Once the goblins were defeated, they used the magic to build the stone city. The leader, Huaz Lugow, then gathered his best men to slay the dragon and plunder its treasures. Killing the dragon, they also lost their magic.

The Lugow Dynasty

However, the city remained strong, and smaller villages around it popped up in its protection. The city grew encompassing surrounding towns. The descendants of Huaz Lugow and his closest knights became the noble class of what is otherwise a rather egalitarian city. The nobles than picked the oldest descendent, Peh Klongu, as king of the entire kingdom.

Peh Klongu ruled over a relatively peaceful kingdom at first. During his reign, he expanded the boundaries a bit to include more land from farmers around the area. His life was cut short leading the troops into battle against the northern Qwanthokyanese tribes.

Since Peh left no children of his own, Huaz's youngest son, Kalong Lugow, assumed the throne, since all his brothers were too old to rule. He launched an assault against the Qwanthokyanese and pushed them back. He also expanded the city, adding the Sixth Wall.

Kalong died only twenty years as king, and his son, Yori Lugow, assumed the throne. Just two years after becoming king, the Qwanthokyanese and other tribes launched a massive attack against the fledgling kingdom. Yori died in battle, and his son, Yori Lugow the II took up the role as the general and went on fighting the Qwanthokyanese. He was said to have died gloriously in battle, sacrificing himself but deafeating the enemy.

Yori II's son, Taranklong, was too young to take up the throne, so his young mother, Apsha Sedu, became queen of the Lilukanese. The queen then began a series of political reforms to make the royal family wealthier, the noble class stronger, and the capital Liluk larger. She expanded Lilukanese territory south into the territory of the Aranese humans. She then ordered the incursion into Mayao tribes, now extinct.

Apsha's power made many noble's angry. Certain nobles conspired against her with her son, Taranklong, so that he can gain power. Taranklong one night came upon his mother's bedchambers and ordered them both to be alone. Suspecting nothing, Apsha agreed and sent her guards away. The guards were then murdered, and in privacy, Taranklong raped his mother. Humiliated, she was cast from the city, doomed to die outside the kingdom. The next day, she was reported to have been snatched by the conspirators, raped, and then killed. There were some rumors that Apsha had not been killed, by fled the kingdom and became a forest witch.

At the young age of 15, Taranklong ruled effectively, having been made privy to his mother's ways of ruling, and to the army's tactics. He wisely let the general's continue to fight the Aranese and the Mayao tribes, and allowed the nobles to have more say by forming the House of Nobility, a parliament where the nobles are allowed to advise the ruling king. At 19, he took over command of the army, and ordered the slaughter of scores of nobles that he suspected of plotting against him. The loyal nobles he appointed governors of the newly established provinces.

Taranklong died after ruling for 31 years, of unknown causes, and his son, Gurtśa, became ruler. He continued to fight the Mayao, defeating them totally after four years. He also launched fresh invasions into Qwanthokyanese territory, especially since they were weakened by northern Balav skirmishes. He pushed them further north than before, establishing the largest boundary of his territory, and called his kingdom Hwazak.

During his reign, Gurtśa discovered a group of Huoákanese wizards mingling with some locals in the town Pal Korfu. He had them executed, and declared that both the peaceful Huoákanese and any practitioner of magic are enemies. He was assassinated by a familiar wizard in his own castle.

Gurtśa's son, Yori Lugow the III, paranoid from his father's assassination by magic practitioners, launched a massive terror campaign to round up all witches and wizards

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In the year 4722 BFE, Mean Lugow ascended to the throne after killing his brother, Yori Lugow III. Mean then began a series of small wars to conquer much of the land from the Qwanthokyanese and then from there descend upon the Huoákanese tribes. They descend much into their land, but stop at the Zefeli settlements on Tizovil Bay. Having been halted

Modern Ruins

Orcs in Leirloek spoke ancient Lilukese, basically South Gheuankese. They lived in a giant walled city. The houses were generally mudbricked, although they showed signs of digging underneath the houses for plenty of space, much like the tribal orcs do today.