NPC Spotlight

Malachi Ornoos

When Malachi left the party it was a tragic but necessary action. He needed to bring his tribe back together and find a home for them. For a long time he had thought that his entire tribe had been wiped out. As it turned out, on this remote island far into the ocean, there were surviving refugees. The chieftain blood in his veins called for him to bring them back together into a unified tribe.

He left on foot with his trusty animal companion, a direwolf pup he had rescued. Together they traveled from settlement to settlement. Whenever he found and orc he would inquire about their lineage. He ended up meeting many that were also not from his tribe, those he thought would bring good, he asked to join him. He offered them a community of peaceful people that just wanted some land to call home and the ability to trade for what they needed. They settled in what is known as the Timberwald in the northern part of the island where forest and met snow. It was a harsh environment but it was theirs. No one had claimed the land yet and there were no natural inhabitants besides the animals that abounded there.

When it came time to name a chief he was asked first and because he had the best interest of his people in mind he accepted the role and asked that a council of elders also exist as was tradition to help him make decisions and keep the interests of the village in mind and heart. It would be their duty to bring the needs of the village and any disputes before him. He was respected and loved by his people. The fact of his half-orc nature was not an issue as they had accepted him wholeheartedly. They became lucrative fur traders and their culture flourished. A large village eventually sprung up because they no longer needed to roam as much. They could go hunting and still come home for dinner. Farms were also started to allow them to remain self-sufficient and able to maintain a growing community.

Malachi married a few years after the village was established. His bride was a full blooded orc woman. She was bigger than him in size but had agreed to the match because his prowess in battle was unmatched and his strength had won her heart. She soon became pregnant and it was towards the end of that pregnancy when that they received word of an excursion to fight the Queen of Ash. Having fought with the Hand of Destiny in Barovia, he knew that she had escaped and that her curse had ravaged the land. It had taken a few of his own people. The cold had staved off the worst but it had brought grief in its wake.

He had put together a band of volunteers to follow him into battle. To his surprise his wife had insisted on accompanying him, belly bump and all. She had already donned her armor and sharpened her weapons. She would not take no for an answer. They battled together. Malachi lost an arm but later took one from an orc on the opposing side whom he had defeated. He attached the arm with magic and, though it was bigger because it came from a full blooded orc, it worked well. They came through the battle with less than they had arrived with but with the knowledge of having averted a great evil.

When they returned to their village his wife had their child. Together they welcomed a new generation into their family and the village feasted for a whole week in celebration. They didn’t live happily ever after. There were times of famine and drought. There were also times of great success and profit. Life was not perfect but they were free and they were proud of their community.