12.16.6 The Vorrak Mines

After centuries of war between the Horde and the rest of Aetherius, vast armies
of ogres and their allies began to slowly migrate down into the more populated
areas with increased frequency. Skirmishes normally reserved for the unwary
traveller in the northern Dardanic plains and Reate forest regions now occurred
close to the Celidon forest. A sudden stillness pervaded the area as the Horde
seemed to vanish from the face of Aetherius, yet strange rumblings from beneath
the forest could be heard which brought a nervous unease among the forest
population. Rumours of a new, intelligent race of Horde were whispered in the
darkness, spreading across the lands like wildfire through cities and villages.
The ominous rumblings grew louder beneath an orc base camp located within the
western Celidon forest, yet the source remained a mystery. Alarmed, yet
cautious, an armed group of warriors explored the camp and few survivors
returned with ramblings of giant ogres, intelligent orcs, and strange beasts
living in vast underground tunnels, though many dismiss these stories as
delusions.