Description
Warchief Ghorzak the Red is a towering hobgoblin who commands respect through both martial prowess and cunning leadership. His crimson war paint—earned through countless victories—covers half his face in ritual patterns that seem to writhe in firelight. His armor is a patchwork of scavenged pieces from fallen enemies: dwarven plate, elven mail, human steel, all bound together with leather and dark iron. Across his back, he carries a massive greatsword etched with goblin war-glyphs, and at his belt hangs a pulsing dark crystal shard—a gift from his “allies” in the Order of the Black Star.
His eyes are sharp and calculating, constantly assessing threats and opportunities. Unlike the chaotic goblins he commands, Ghorzak moves with military precision. When he speaks, his voice is deep and measured, carrying the weight of authority that has unified multiple goblin tribes under a single banner—a feat nearly unheard of in goblin history.
Personality
Ghorzak is a pragmatist and a survivor. He’s intelligent enough to see the bigger picture and disciplined enough to impose order on the naturally chaotic goblin tribes. He values strength, cunning, and results over tradition or sentiment.
He’s not cruel for cruelty’s sake, but he’s ruthlessly efficient. He’ll sacrifice pawns to win battles and eliminate threats before they become problems. However, he’s also capable of respect for worthy adversaries and rewards loyalty among his followers.
Deep down, Ghorzak is driven by a gnawing ambition to prove that goblins can be more than raiders and scavengers. He wants to forge a legacy—a goblin nation that other races must acknowledge and fear. The Order of the Black Star promised him the power to achieve this dream, and he’s seized that opportunity, even as doubt begins to creep in about their true intentions.
Background
Ghorzak rose from nothing. Born in a minor tribe in the mountains, he survived by being smarter and stronger than those around him. When his tribe was destroyed by human mercenaries, he didn’t mourn—he learned. He studied their tactics, their discipline, their weapons. He understood that goblin strength lay not in individual power but in organized force.
Over the years, he fought his way up through various tribes, eventually challenging and defeating a hobgoblin warlord to claim leadership. But Ghorzak wasn’t content with one tribe. He began a campaign of unification—through conquest, marriage alliances, and political maneuvering—bringing multiple goblin clans under his banner.
Two years ago, the Order of the Black Star approached him with an offer: weapons, supplies, magical support, and the promise of “eternal glory in the Black Star’s service.” Ghorzak accepted, seeing it as an opportunity to finally achieve his vision of a unified goblin force. The cult provided dark crystals that enhanced his warriors, rituals that bound the tribes together, and strategic coordination with bandit forces.
Now, Ghorzak leads the siege of Southaven’s eastern approach, raiding the farmlands and cutting off supply lines. His forces are more organized and effective than any goblin army in recent memory. But cracks are beginning to show. The cult overseer watches him closely. Zigra, his trusted hexer advisor, has been acting strangely. And the promises of glory are starting to sound hollow as his warriors die for a cause that may not be their own.