Legends of Belariath

Ogre History

Ogres are probably the most hated race of all. I would say misunderstood but they are not. But are they hated because they are hulking monsters who kill and destroy for no good reason, or is it because of the legend.

According to an ancient legend, many many years ago, before any known history, the world was ruled by Ogres. Not the ogres of today, but civilized creatures, Intelligent Ogres who build giant cities and enslaved all the other races. But after ruling for hundreds of years, to Ogres became vain, and thought themselves higher even then there gods, and so the ogre gods turned their backs on the ogres, and the gods of the enslaved peoples rained down fire upon their giant cities, and did kill many of them, and destroyed their many wonders. Those ogres who survived were driven out into the wilderness, and cursed by the gods, so that, instead of being people they would be little more then animals. Of course, this directly contradicts many established histories, especially that of the elves, so very few people believe this legend.

In any case, the majority of ogres have lived in what is now called 'ogre country' ever since then. A large stretch of land surrounding a giant mountain, called Naimtnou, which means 'home' in the Ogre tongue.

Ogre mating can be an awe-inspiring thing, if viewed from a safe distance. Unfortunately, a safe distance tends to be beyond the range of most creature's senses. However, the process is fairly simple. One of the ogres (usually the female) will initiate mating by attacking her chosen mate. A fight then ensues, with both mating partners struggling viciously for control. This 'foreplay' ends when one of the ogres is knocked senseless or unconscious. The victorious ogre then binds the other down, either with many ropes or by bending pieces of iron around the other. Then the actual intercourse begins. After the male has ejaculated, one of two things may happen. If the male has been victorious, he will generally leave. However, the female may begin to pound on the male, hoping to excite him for another round. Ogre females tend to be nearly insatiable, and may even literally fuck their mate into unconsciousness, then drag them back to their homes, a form of 'marriage' most male ogres prefer to avoid.

This is why the males prefer to find females from other races to mate with. It's safer. It should be noted that the word in the ogre language that means 'mating' is, in fact, 'Rape'.

Ogre women, like women of all races, are very much a slave to the lunar cycles. However, some ogresses fall prey to a sort of ogre heat at the hight of their fertility, during which time they give off a very distinctive odor, and during which time they will literally mate with any male they find. If you plan to enter ogre country, learn that smell, and when you smell it, RUN! An ogress in heat in called K'sleftuc'tah, or slave of lust.

Of course, by the time an ogre male reaches a certain age, around 30 or so years, they no longer find the concept of 'settling down' so appalling, and may even take a wife themselves. When an ogre forms a family, they generally choose for themselves a family name, which must be approved by the clan elders. Ogre clans can range in size from the small, made up of only a dozen or so families, and perhaps 30 adult ogres, to the large ones that may contain thousands of ogres. Clans are generally run by the strongest ogre, who appoints 'fists' to assist him, usually family members or trusted friends. Ogres can usually tell another ogre's clan by scent, although there are also physical signs of clan membership.

On an ogre's eighteenth birthday, they are brought before the clan elders, and tested. Provided they are found worthy, they are then marked as an adult with a tattoo that identifies them as an adult member of their clan.