Book I (Ap.C): The Tale of Dureshka Fal, Father of Orcs

This is the story of how orcs came to be, as related to me by Ygun of Clan Rohgar, who assures me it faithfully relates the same story her grandmother, Ygritte of Clan Rohgar, would have told Azraea when they met in the town of Defiance.

Once upon a time, there were two brothers; Dureshka Fal and Ellouin Fal. Ellouin was a stoic, methodical, and calculating warrior. He was a hero, and a true friend, but to many he would have seemed cold. His brother, Dureshka, was also a hero but he was less disciplined and less inhibited. He did what was right when he thought it was right to do so, trusting his heart to guide him, and perhaps not often enough his wits.

Now, Dureshka and Ellouin were not only brothers, they were fast friends, and they did everything together. It was sometimes said that, without Dureshka, Ellouin might never do anything, and without Ellouin, Dureshka might never live to do anything twice. They were two halves of a whole. Unfortunately, this also meant they both loved the same woman, the princess Hannoua.

Ellouin was dazzled by Hannoua’s unearthly beauty and grace, her white hair and blue eyes were so vibrant they were said to be like an icy mountain lake. Dureshka however, was enamored of her fiery spirit. She was filled with passion in all things, especially fighting and loving. [Ygun adds that, she personally would like to think that, whether he admitted it or not, this is also why Ellouin loved her – because she was so much like his beloved brother.] The three were all good friends, and had many adventures together, but this is the tale of how their adventures ended.

Hannoua’s father was the Mage-King Lallau, a powerful sorcerer and a devoted but perhaps overly protective father. Lallau was well aware of the attention his daughter received from her two friends, and was more than a bit uncomfortable with their tendency to whisk her away for quests and such. Lallau was worried that, one day, Hannoua might follow them and not return.

However, King Lallau knew that she loved her two friends so greatly that he could not forbid her to see them. He conspired, then, to bring their adventuring to an end the old-fashioned way – through marriage. Hannoua’s younger sister had already wed, and the time Hannoua spent with the two men raised many eyebrows in the court, especially since they were born of considerably lower station than the princess. Lallau, then, began to pressure her to marry. It was an idea she intensely protested, for she did not wish to be wed to some prince in another kingdom. However, Lallau suggested that, if she were to wed soon he would break with tradition and allow her to marry beneath her station – she could take one of the brothers as her mate, even though neither was royalty.    

It was an unusual concession to say the least, a compromise Hannoua could not refuse. However, she truly loved both of the brothers, each in their own way. Dureshka was passionate and exciting, but Ellouin was comfortingly reliable. One thrilled her, and the other made her feel safe. With one she could imagine growing old together, but with the other, she had to admit, she might not grow old at all.

Hannoua tearfully confessed her indecision to her father. King Lallau, however, was not so conflicted as his daughter regarding who to choose; he liked Dureshka better as a man, but if he was going to trust his daughter to someone, he knew it would be Ellouin. He kept this to himself, though, and promised to help make the decision by giving the two men a test. He would use his power as the king to give each of them one wish, and then, when she heard what each of their wishes were, she would know who the better man was.

So the king called the two men before the court, and made his offer. Because they had both won his daughter’s heart, he would give his would-be sons-in-law one wish each. Both wishes would be granted, and afterwards, the better man would wed his daughter. The two brothers pondered silently for a moment, and Dureshka began to speak first, as usual. Ellouin, however, stopped him and insisted he make his wish first. It was very unusual for Ellouin to do anything before Dureshka, for he never considered anything without lengthy contemplation. Because of the unusual circumstances, Dureshka honored his brother and was quiet, allowing his normally stoic friend to speak first.

Ellouin spoke of Hannoua’s beauty both inside and out, and wished that the king would use his magic to ensure that she never change, that she be not only young and healthy until she died [actually told as “until she awakened”], but that her wit remain sharp and her heart remain good. This selfless wish pleased the king, and he knew for certain, Dureshka’s wish could not surpass it.

Dureshka looked to Ellouin in surprise, but Ellouin simply smiled, and told him that all would be well, and to make the wish his heart told him was best. Dureshka looked to the lovely Hannoua, thought of their many adventures together, and told the king what his one and only wish was – Hannoua’s hand in marriage.

The king was furious with Dureshka for violating the spirit of the exercise, but Ellouin advocated vociferously for his brother, arguing that technically Dureshka’s wish must be honored. You see, Ellouin loved Hannoua but he knew his friends well. If Hannoua married Dureshka, Ellouin knew he would still keep Hannoua as his friend. But if Hannoua married Ellouin, Ellouin feared that he might lose Dureshka as his brother.  

The king had no choice but to grant their wishes. He gave Hannoua ageless beauty and strength and married her to Dureshka, appeasing all three. The king, however, did not like to be tricked, and the fact that Ellouin had been clever enough to do so only reaffirmed his belief that Ellouin would be a better husband, so he used his power to make Ellouin ageless like Hannoua, and he cursed Dureshka to age faster, believing the marriage would end quickly and Hannoua could spend the rest of her very long life with Ellouin.  

The king’s magic, however, had limits. Dureshka aged rapidly while Hannoua not at all, but in the few years he was with Hannoua, their passion for each other and their love of life was so great that she bore several children before Dureshka died, all of whom inherited their mother’s blessing, and their father’s curse – not those bestowed upon them by Lallau, but those bestowed on them by their own nature.

Hannoua’s blessing was that she was as beautiful and genuine within as she was without. Her heart was filled with love for the two brothers and for her own father, but more than anything, she did not want anyone else to be hurt by the choices she made. She was selfless at heart and that was reflected in her outer beauty. Dureshka was not as selfless as Hannoua but, for better or worse, his heart was honest. He knew that he might not have been the better man for Hannoua, but when asked what he desired, he could only answer honestly. Dureshka Fal’s outward appearance may not have mirrored his inner self, but he was transparent in all that he said and did. 

Thus, a child of Dureshka Fal and Hannoua is blessed and cursed, for his or her outward appearance matches the inner soul and nothing can be done to mask it. This is why all orc infants are identical, you see. People begin as blank slates, and so orcs are born all looking the same. We do not even have boys and girls as you think of them, just children who become, in their own time, what they will be. Like anyone, we all have a little beast in our heart, of course, but unlike most others our beasts always show through. Because of this, with an orc you will always know what you’ve found.