Krag'Durn¶
The Krag'Durn, the Stonesplitter tribe, are "Orcs of the Plains" (S359), a mounted orc people of the plains between the Kingdom of Arnyr and the ruins of Vaal'Dunak in the Fourth Age. They fight as a warband of riders on wargs under a chieftain and a shaman. Under their new chieftain they claim the western provinces of Arnyr.
Also called: the Stonesplitter Tribe (S360).
Leaders¶
| Leader | Note |
|---|---|
| Mokkar'gul, "Voice of the Plain" | the old chieftain, "tactical commander / elite combatant", who "stays near Banner-Riders, enters combat at decisive moments, personally challenges strong foes" (S360) |
| Khargol "Storm-Skull" | shaman and warlock, the band's "spiritual support / battlefield omen" (S360, S362, S359) |
| Grish'nak | the "*New* Chieftain of the Krag'Durn: HUGE. 10' tall," with a massive two-handed sword, "magically enhanced" and in magical gear (S359) |
The chieftain's mark of office is a headdress. The tribe asked the Marshford party to go "south … Haunted ruins" and "recover Orc Bone Headdress from corpse of previous chieftain" (S360); a "bone carved orcish headdress" was later found on a demon in the Mint of Vaal'Dunak (S360). The figures themselves are described on the Minor Figures of Marshford page.
The warband¶
The tribe's war-host is a company of mounted bands, each with its own name and part to play (S360):
| Band | Strength | Part |
|---|---|---|
| The Breakers | eight lancers | "shock cavalry / line breakers": a javelin volley, then "a full lance charge", then withdraw, regroup and charge again |
| The Bone-Splitters | six infantry | "executioners / terror troops" with dual curved blades, who "leap from mounts into melee" and "target wounded, isolated, or high-value enemies" |
| The Wind-Harriers | four bow riders | mobile skirmishers who "circle targets at range" and "rarely stop riding" |
| The Iron Leash | four beast-tamers | "control specialists / capture units" with ropes, hooks and weighted lines, who "pull enemies from saddle or feet" and "disable rather than kill when ordered" |
| The Dust-Walkers | four pathfinders | scouts who "range far ahead or flank wide" and "set ambushes or lure prey into kill-zones" |
| The Hide-Bearers | two banner-riders | "lieutenants / morale anchors" who "relay commands via banner signals" |
The bands carry their marks openly. The lancers' "long ashwood lances" are "tipped with bone or iron" and their hides "reinforced with horn plates"; the Bone-Splitters wear "jawbone masks or skull helms"; the Hide-Bearers ride under "massive hide banners stretched on bone frames" with "shield faces carved with tribal sigils" and mounts "adorned with ritual scars." Khargol goes in "pale paint, bone fetishes, rattles," "often surrounded by circling birds or drifting spores," on a mount "unusually calm and marked with symbols", and "reads winds, dust, and omens before engagement," using "subtle magic rather than overt destruction" (S360). Their mounts are wargs, trained to kick, rear and join the melee; see Beasts.
Customs¶
Strong foes are met in single combat; the chieftain "personally challenges strong foes," and in the Marshford Campaign a member of the party "challenges the Chief in single combat" (S360). Outsiders who earn the tribe's trust are given a "Krag'Durn pendant", marking them "honorary members of the Orc Tribe" (S359, S362, S360). The tribe keeps a "3 Story Stone tower" (S359), and its village has a teleportation circle that the Marshford party used (S362, S359).
Relations¶
Under Grish'nak the tribe "wants a message delivered to the King of Arnyr .. Orcs want Western Provinces" (S359). Councillor Yunpril, who wears the sunburst of the Collegium of the Amber Sun, "warned them" of "Orc Sympathizers" (S359). Whether the Feldrak Hunters who rode against the party on the road to Vaal'Dunak were Krag'Durn, the sources do not say; they are listed among the Orc Clans.
Earlier accounts¶
The two later copies of the tribe's notes (S362, S359) repeat the shaman and old chieftain from S360 and differ only in game statistics, which are not recorded here.
Gap
The sources do not say where on the plains the tribe lives, how large it is beyond the warband, what gods it keeps, how Mokkar'gul's rule ended and Grish'nak's began, or why its chieftain's headdress came to be in Vaal'Dunak.