The metal known as dorakite is the foundation of the orcs’ military abilities. Dorakite is easy to mine and forge once one knows the technique, but can be made into nearly indestructible weapons and armor. As a result, orcish armor has a reputation for being unbreakable, and the two-handed weapons which are the orcs specialty strike with lethal force and precision. Even more powerful than dorakite weaponry are the advanced firebrand armaments, designed to draw power from the firebrand crystals which grow in the Crystal Desert.
Firebrand weaponry is rare primarily because of the incredible difficulty and danger associated with crafting it. Dorakite is plentiful and easy to mine in large quantities, but the crystals are another matter entirely. Firebrand crystals grow in large underground deposits, often forming in caves, but occasionally reaching above ground. These deposits are incredibly volatile, and will explode if they are mined without incredible care, sometimes causing devastating chain reactions. Once the crystals have been mined, they are transported to any of the monastic armories located on the outskirts of Kuven. There, the smiths carefully incorporate them into specially designed weapons and armor, often affixing them in decorative housings to display not only the power of the weapon, but the skill of the crafter. Only a single firebrand weapon is crafted at a time, in a painstaking ceremony requiring prayers from onlookers, precision tools, and a slow, steady hand. When a weapon is completed and has been tested to ensure it functions correctly, it is sent to the most deserving warriors, often a high-ranking bishop or cardinal on the front lines.
Each type of weapon interacts with firebrand crystals uniquely, but in a way that suits the orcs’ characteristic brutality on the battlefield, and all glow the same burning red as the crystals themselves. Greatswords take on a burning aspect, able to melt even the strongest armors like butter in the sun. They occasionally vaporize the bodies of the fallen, burning them to ashes in mere moments. Warhammers create a shockwave effect, blasting opponents and debris away from the point of impact. As one can guess, this has a rather unpleasant effect on organic matter. Greataxes are similar to greatswords, but rather than burn the bodies, they have the curious effect of causing firebrand crystals to grow from the wound, often leading to the combustion of the enemy. The orcs’ weaponry is not limited solely to melee weapons. Orc crossbows can be modified to fire bolts made from firebrand crystals, which explode shortly after embedding themselves in an enemy. Rarely, these bolts can explode in the process of firing, making them dangerous even for skilled archers. The ballista is a much larger version of the same weapon, capable of striking targets from much longer ranges. These are mostly in use on the borders of Kuven, guarding the land of the orcs from all invaders.
The Goblin Graveyard 