**Type**: Orcish War Clan **Region**: Valley of Ketaca, Western Orc Union **Status**: Destroyed **Known For**: Warrior traditions, elite training, brutal punishments for defiance --- ### Overview The **Bonefire Clan** was one of the smaller but most disciplined clans in the Valley of Ketaca. Renowned for its strict honor code, elite combat training, and fierce loyalty to its leaders, the clan was both feared and respected. Its warriors were known to burn the bones of the dead during rites of passage, giving the clan its name and reinforcing a belief in ancestral strength. The clan was ultimately destroyed from within by betrayal, bloodshed, and a tragic collapse of leadership—an event shrouded in mystery to the wider Orc Union. --- ### Beliefs and Traditions - **The Code of Bonefire**: A sacred oath taught to all warriors that bound them to loyalty, strength, and tradition. - **Burning of the Bones**: Ritualistic burning of fallen warriors' bones to honor their spirit and ensure their guidance. - **Trial of Worth**: A combat rite where young orcs proved themselves to earn their warrior names. - **Orc-Elf Hatred**: Like many orc clans, the Bonefire Clan saw elves as untrustworthy and dishonorable, viewing ancient elven magic as a corrupting force. --- ### Leadership - **Chieftain Rorgash** – A wise and honorable leader who taught the values of restraint and honor. His death marked the beginning of the clan’s downfall. - **Gorgol** – Rorgash's son and successor. His envy and insecurity led to radical decisions, including the unjust attack on a nearby elven village—an act especially controversial because, while the Bonefire Clan generally harbored hatred for elves like most clans in the Valley of Ketaca, [[Bordak]] alone viewed these particular elves with respect. This divergence led to his exile and the eventual unraveling of the clan. --- ### The Fall of the Clan When **Gorgol** became Chieftain, he sought to assert dominance through acts of aggression and violence. Ignoring his father’s wisdom, he ordered an assault on a nearby peaceful elven village. **[[Bordak]]**, once Gorgol’s closest friend, protested this order. Unlike most of his kin, [[Bordak]] viewed these elves with a rare sense of honor and empathy. For his defiance, he and his family were exiled. The betrayal reached its peak when Gorgol executed [[Bordak]]'s wife and daughter. In an act of devastating vengeance, **[[Bordak]] slew the entire clan**, leaving no survivors. The true story is known to no one but [[Bordak]]. Among orcish circles, rumors of the clan's fall cite curses, elven spells, or demonic retribution. --- ### Legacy - The Bonefire Clan is remembered as a fallen relic of orcish tradition. - Many clans in the Orc Union view their destruction as a cautionary tale about weakness and betrayal. - **[[Bordak]]**, the last of the Bonefire, walks a path alone, bearing both the honor and the shame of his former people. --- ### Known Members - **[[Bordak]] Darkslayer** – Once the clan’s greatest warrior, now its only surviving member, carrying its legacy in silence. - **Nubshak** – Warrior and [[Bordak]]’s wife, slain during the clan’s betrayal. - **Naruz** – Daughter of [[Bordak]] and Nubshak. - **Chieftain Rorgash** – Honorable leader before Gorgol. - **Gorgol** – Betrayer of the clan, whose actions led to its destruction. --- ### Quotes (Orcish Sayings from Bonefire Clan) > "Honor is not given. It is burned into the bone." > "Loyalty without wisdom is the path to ruin." > "Only ashes speak truth."