Orda: the Elementals of Eradûn

[They’r elementals! There’s not a whole lot to say so this is a (relatively) short post about them. Enjoy]

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Throughout the Eradûn, there exists a species of giant, highly polymorphic “earth elementals”, ranging from the size of small shrubs at birth, to ancient giants that tower above some of the tallest tree species. Made mostly of wood, vines, and stone, the Orda wander about the forest and surrounding lands seemingly without discernible purpose. However, the older they get, the less they move, until eventually they stop moving altogether, sit down, and slowly fuse into the forest itself as they “die”. These creatures are simple minded for the first century or so, when they are saplings; but ancients can sometimes be considered almost sapient. The Vargr certainly consider the old ones sapient. They react to speech, though they can’t duplicate it, use simple tools when needed, and have a noticeable capacity to problem solve. They don’t live for much longer once they reach this point however; some believe it is an adaptation to help the Orda find the best places to “die”. They don't have a language like we do, but mostly communicate through subtle nonverbal communication, scents, and bellows, but some have been recorded responding to speech with nods and the like.

In the core of every Orda are 50-100 seeds. During "The Pollination", their mating season, which occurs one spring once every decade or so, they find each other and "plant their seeds" in each other. This however just looks like a big strong hug and a shimmering cloud of pollen. They are genderless elementals that all carry seeds that can grow with or without being pollinated by another and have no discernible genitalia. An Orda can pollinate itself, but most instinctively look for partners to increase genetic diversity. The Orda often have a swirling “knot” of wood or vines in their center that can open up somewhat during the mating season from which their pollen can be released. The physical hugging act causes internal fibrous muscles to spray pollen into the other’s open knot.

When an Orda dies its chest cavity caves in on itself and the body starts to rot, only then do the seeds sprout and feed off the body. Only about a dozen seeds actually become Orda saplings, the rest rot and become nourishment, along with the original body, for the new Orda. This species is fairly independent, most go off alone or with one or two others after they’ve grown enough to walk. No one knows where an Orda is going or why it is traveling, it is one of the many mysteries of the world. Some have even argued that they just follow the sun or lack enough awareness to have a direction in mind.

When an Orda decides to stop moving, it may do so for a short period of time, or root itself into the earth and become a part of the land. Wherever they do settle down, considerable natural magic is sown into the earth as well. Whole ancient groves have come from single Orda planting themselves. Every unfulfilled seed becomes a tree or rocky outcropping or both in these types of groves. There are certain signs the Vargr look out for, for when an Orda is going to "root", such as many small fine roots growing out of them around the limbs, the legs getting wider, and the occasional sound of snapping or groaning wood from within its aging body. There are a few sites that are known to "belong" to the Orda. These include The Spiral, a large forest in the northern mountainous area in a spiraling shape where myths say a great battle took place where hundreds of Orda fought and died to protect all life as we know it (this is just a myth though, no one knows the truth and that certainly isn’t it). Another place is the Deephaven; a primeval grove in the heart of old Eradûn where the first Orda supposedly grew. Legend says that in this place where the Wild Mother, Era’nai first died (she dies every winter and is reborn in spring) and where she first died out came the first Orda. Whether these are true or not an Orda may never say, and the places they hold importance may never truly be known.

People have been trying to figure out their purpose for millennia, some have moved to places where Orda are planted, others have hunted and killed scores of Orda. Sometimes Orda attack people for no discernible reason, other times, they will walk right into busy Vargr villages and just stand there for weeks, not moving a branch. Since most have no way of communicating with them, and their behavior can seem quite random, many consider them to be a mysterious race of beasts, or annoying animals. Some biomancers have claimed to have “talked” to Orda, but who can prove it?

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Footnote:

The name Orda comes from old Vargr words meaning roughly “One which walks through the forest and is of the forest”. The “Or” part of the word comes from a very old root word that has branched out and evolved to many modern Vargr words, such as oron for star (sky-walker), ûri which means run, and many more words that generally refer to walking, moving, etc.

The “da” comes from dan or dan’an meaning forest, world, or nature roughly which morphed into dun and in modern Vargr is dûn. Dan’an specifically meant forest/ nature /etc but with a “reflective suffix” common in old vargr but no longer in use which changed the meaning of the word from simply “forest” to “in the forest but also a part of it.'' This emphasis that one is always both in and of the world around themselves is still strongly tied into Vargr beliefs and perspectives even though the word form has mostly fallen out of use except for some words, like Vargar (a person who has achieved oneness with nature, such as a mage), which comes for Varg’arg the old reflective form of Vargr.