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Architecture & Infrastructure
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Design Philosophy | Function over form. Buildings designed for defense first. Fortifications use massive stone blocks reinforced with iron beams. |
| Materials | Iron-bound Stone (primary), Scavenged Metal (repurposed from defeated enemies), Thick Hides (tents and temporary structures), War-Timber (siege ramps, palisades). |
| Iconic Structures | Kragthar Hold (largest fortress-city, built into a mountain). Gor-Mok Forge-Citadel (siege-engine production hub). The Great Moot Ground (open-air amphitheater on the Ironspine Plateau). |
| Transport Infrastructure | Highland Trails, Siege-Ramps (temporary roads for heavy engines), River-Barges (flat-bottomed boats). No rail or magical transport. |
Architectural Styles by Region
- Highland Clans
build into cliffsides, with narrow defensible entrances and deep internal chambers. Vertical architecture dominates. - Plains Clans
construct wide, low-profile fortresses with thick walls and broad courtyards for siege-engine storage. - River Clans
build on elevated platforms to avoid flooding, with docks and barge-yards as central features.
The Hall of the First Hammer
The most sacred building in Orcish civilization, the Hall of the First Hammer is carved from a single enormous basalt cavern beneath Kragthar Hold. Its ceiling is 40 meters high, supported by natural stone columns reinforced with runic iron bands. At its center stands the Anvil of Gorrak, a massive stone platform where the Rite of the Ironblood is performed. The walls are covered in runic murals that glow with shifting colors, depicting the full history of the Orcish people from the creation myth to the present day. Only those who have undergone the Rite of the Ironblood may enter.