The Greatest Orc Epic of All Times: Golgarothiad Ch V: The Downfall of Kingdoms & Heroes

It was not only the Ogres, who had noticed the success with which Theodorian’s efforts had met with. Aristedes and Theodorian had noticed, with the former being more fearful of treachery on the part, of the noble manly commander, than they were of the terrible enemies before almost their very gates. Calling him hither to the capital, the commander was threatened with being declared, a traitor and rebel if he did not return to the capital at once. Defeated, yet hopeful that he could still rescue Nexos, from disaster the man did as ordered. The morning after his arrival, his head decorated the gates of the city of Nexos.

As to the man’s sons, they held off the Ogres for another week, before the Ebonstones and those with them, broke into the city. The whole of the population was slaughtered to a man, save for a small group of Darkhooves and Redtusks members, who fled south wherefore they found shelter in Mackenya. As the rest of the city of Valkanth, was put to the sword, including the sons of Theodorian and his entire family, died swords in their hands and their honour intact, with Theodorian even succeeding in scarring Dulkan’s face himself.

Amongst the last men to perish, Hektor and Avax the sons of Theodorian, fought side by side, holding off Dulkan so well, along with countless Ogres with even Ogres celebrating their courage. Such is the respect, and esteem all later held these men in that even Ogrish parents oft wishing to their sons, ‘May ye be as valiant, as the sons of Theodorian’ to this day.

*****

The fall of the neighbouring city and the resultant week-long blood bath, that made it impossible to traverse through the city, without slipping on blood, or the remnants of corpses. Filled people with horror, for decades, until Pelagius had the entire city’s remains burnt, then a large temple dedicated to Hades and the souls of the fallen built there. The great temple, was black and rectangular as all Dorisian temples are, and with bronze columns supporting the thirty-meter high roof. Painted black, in mourning for the fallen, it was decreed that constant prayers had to be given by four-thousand papas and five thousand hiereiai, for the souls of the men and women who died there.

One might have expected Nexos to panic, and yet none reacted to the news in the capital. So complacent, towards their fate were the people, of Nexos that it hardly mattered to them that, the entire west of the kingdom had been destroyed. Seizing one fort after another, Kulghar’s army swarmed over all of the forts that stood between them and Nexos, within a single year.

Convinced by his own madness, to allow the Ogres into the capital, just as the guards in a panic barred the gates to the city, the King ordered the gates opened. Quite why, he wished to as he put ‘welcome his gods-sent new warriors’ into the capital, is a mystery. As there has never been such madness, amongst the Ogres, with the human king peculiar even amongst humans. Who rarely exhibit such madness, or stupidity; quarreling with Andronikos, his regent, who at last realized the error of his ways.

The city inhabitants attempted to defend themselves, heedless of the chaos in the palace, they saw to the management of the walls, of the gates, for a solid five days. So courageously did they fight, against the tainted warriors that many of the untainted, praised them years after. Patient this time, Kulghar waited for his chance, while the palace gates at last swung open to the city. Sadly for Nexos, Leotidas the mad king who believed himself, to be a woman at times, had ordered Andronikos dead and a foolish guard had obeyed his orders. This in the midst of an argument, in gratitude he had had the man promoted, to the rank of commander only for the man to grab the treasury, with several of his friends, and to flee out the northern gates.

Taking the treasury east, they made it as far as Ludria, before Theodorian seized them and their treasure, put them to the sword and had the treasury safely hoarded, in a nearby fort. As to Nexos, the Ogres were informed of the opening, by the north gates via one of the king’s lackeys, and poured into the city. It was in this manner that, the citizens were betrayed by their own monarch, and wiped out to a man.

All were sacrificed to the terrible ‘glory’ of the demons of Jotunvheimr, by the followers of Kulghar who wasted no time, in sacking the city. They destroyed all the temples, burnt down the public spaces, devoured many, and then in an act of supreme brutality, sacrificed all to the demons, who thrummed in their blood. As to Leotidas, he and those about him believed stupidly that, Kulghar and his hordes were there to glorify him. They were not.

His palace was broken into, by Kulghar himself the day after the destruction of Nexos, and there he found the king dressed in his finest silk and robes. His nobility and closest compatriots were seized, with all taken to the center of the city, to be sacrificed. No mercy was shown, as the king pleaded for them to sacrifice his son, his wife, his nobility in his stead. Thither they brought him, and whither to the lowest bowels of Nifleveimr they sent him, to the Dark Queen who devours souls. As he descended into his simpering tears, all looked upon him with hate, as he had well-earned with his end a slow one, as the Ogres tore one organ from him, after another. As they did so, one of the untainted Ogres took pity upon the queen, and preferred to cut her down, swiftly. For this, he endured the king’s fate also, much to the disgust of his kindred, who argued bitterly for his release, regardless of his ‘treasonous’ deed. The Ogre in question’s name, became legendary amongst some, for the honour with which he had comported himself, with many dubbing their sons after him. Notably my father, the chieftain of the Bloodthornes, has in recent times, followed in this tradition, when he gave to my brother this great name, full of honour and courage against all odds; Grakus.

*****

The kingdoms by this time, had begun to realize just how dangerous, the invaders were only with the sack of Nexos. With it being the great incident that, cemented the great feud that lasted through to the age of Korax. It was then that the Ogres marched both east and south at once, dividing into two great units; those under the command of Kulghar and Dulkan. The former led the forces south, where the son marched east against, the kingdom of the Thespii.

Leaving but a token force to occupy Nexos, as they did Arenia, this one under the command of the shaman, Vul’rar, Kulghar marched through the forest of Péfkodero, or ‘Iron Pine’. A cunning Ogre, Vul’rar was renowned for his evil, as much for his disgusting experiments upon a great many of those captured by him, or sent to him during the wars.

Kulghar was thus to surround his enemies however it happened that Valtarian the Centaur who had rallied a number of the defeated enemies and led to another escape from the Ogrish attempt to pincer the Aecheans, joined with King Agelaus I who arrived at last.

The place of the first battle was known as Adhmýlo, for the fact that it was fought near the village that bore that name. The second battle that followed just afterwards saw Kulghar invade the north of the kingdom of Lykia whereupon Valtarian with the assistance lured him into the village of Adhmýlo which had been emptied.

There it was that the armies of King Agelaus I the eldest of those kings that had aligned themselves against the Ogres encountered them in battle. A man known for his patience and his wisdom, he had ruled for more than thirty-three years as king, so that though his son had perished in the fields of Adhmýlo, he remained steadfast in spirit as in mind.

The stalwart King was to oversee the battle from a distance, coordinating with this flag or that banner that the trap might be sprung properly. It happened that the cavalry was led by Valtarian and that the King’s second son both of whom burnt the city with the Ogres trapped within the high-walls just before they let them escape through a single set of barriers. After this, came the slaughter.

The Ogres fought and fought well. Their battle-horns echoed across the distant hills, from rock to rock, so that it is said that they resound still in the land and in the valleys of that region.

The Aecheans and all the Beast-Folk who fought at their side, fought as only they could. Doing so with the valour that all men know to be inherent in all men of Aechea so that they pushed back the Ogres and made them rue the day they set out from the north for the south.

It took the full might of their muster for the Ogres under Kulghar’s command to at last be felled. This lay in the manner in which they charged time and again, throwing themselves forward time and again so that they exhausted the supply of missiles of their foes and even broke through to the fields near the village.

It was at this time that the mighty King Agelaus I gave the order, “Charge as our ancestors might well have in ancient days!”

This was the final cry ere the King of seven decades led the way against the enemy, who made their last stand against him and those Centaurs who chose to fight on at his side. Valtarian valorous and just threw himself forward also, though with some trepidation for old King Agelaus I. It was to prove fatal for the old King though in his last moments he laid low a number of captains of the Ogres.

It was to be Valtarian who carried back the corpse of the old monarch south, for the heir of Agelaus I. The new King Nestor II (who was named after his grandfather Nestor I) was to receive him well however after a number of months he was to have the Centaur cast out of the realm claiming that his actions led to the death of his father, and therefore they were treason.

“Doomed is the house of Nestor, doomed! For when I arrived hither in friendship and the kingdom was in danger all welcomed me, and now that thou believes the danger attenuated ye cast me out? I say to thee that thou art one and all cursed and all men shalt hold thee up as the worst of men! For where wert ye when thy noble father and I battled with the beasts of the north?”

Not long thereafter Valtarian for all his blood-feuds with the Ogres was driven from the southern lands and far to the west. He was then hounded from those lands, and was invited north as the Ogres had become fascinated by his valour and brilliance. Still consumed by hatred for them, he turned south and was to join with another of the Kings of Aechea all while Kulghar continued his southwards advance. As to the house of Nestor it was destined to in time be destroyed, and replaced by what became known as the house of Iardanus, after the finest of Lykia’s generals in that great conflict.

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