Shakhbûrz GoshurStronghold: SeregostSeregost is a place of lava and red rocks. Serving as the eastern gate to the Lilithlad in a gap at the Mithram Spur. It has been said that the Black Uruk's of Barad-dûr came from here, hiding there after the defeat of their master in the Second Age, awaiting his return. At the time of the War of the Ring this structure was a place of Dark Sorcery and continued to serve as the breeding ground for the eltie Black-Uruk-Hai. But with the destruction of the one ring and the fall of Sauron the fortress fell into decay but remained standing on its molten foundations. Serving even now as a great fortress that guards the Eastern Road. The river of Caranduin flows down a mountain close to the fortress, all the way down to the sea of Núrnen. What once served as fuel for the many smithing stations and as a means of transport for supplies, is now mostly used as a source of water.
Commander: Ukshak the Bone CollectorUkshak stands at seven feet tall, an uncommon sight for Black Uruk-Hai though made much more intmidating as of recent, with the elimination of most of his kin. He is clad in an armour literally made from the bones of those that opposed him, serving as a reminder to those under his command that they too, if not showing unquestionable obedience could suffer a similar fate. The skull of a troll is the most notable piece of his armour, adoring his head like a helmet. The remainder of his armour appears to be a mixture of the standard issue Uruk armour but modified, removing weight and armament to instead make place for several large bones and thus exchanging protection for intimidation. He keeps two large blades hanging from his belt, showing that he prefers to fight using two weapons at once over a single blade. The belt that holds his swords shows an equal display of craftsmanship as the rest of his armour, holding several skulls of different races.
Description: After the destruction of the one ring and the Battle of the Black Gate most of Sauron's forces were either destroyed or fled the scene, the notable exception being those most loyal to the dark lord. Most notably the Easterlings, Haradrim and the Uruk-Hai. Though in the end, most if not all of the Easterlings and the Haradrim surrendered, forcing the remainder of the force to retreat inside the ruins of Mordor.
Amongst those forced into the tactical withdrawl was Ukshak and his company of men. From the scattered remnants of the once mighty force, several companies of the disciplined black Uruk-Hai united under a single banner and attempted to unite the other creatures under their sway. Their ultimate goal being to form a new army and to regroup at their former home, the fortress of Seregost. On the march there they encountered several groups of Orcs, distraught and without proper leadership they offered little resistance to assimilation into the army. And so, as the miles they travelled increased, so did the size of the newly found army.
The eruption of Mount Doom proved to have destroyed most of Northern Mordor, leaving many dead in its wake and making the already inhospitable plains of Gorgoroth into an even more unbearable wasteland of lava and toxic clouds. Those whom did not know the path were doomed to certain death, many amongst those unfortunate to get lost were former servants of the Dark Lord. Goblins, Orcs, Uruk's and even Humans. The latter could offer no resistance and once caught were made prisoner and led to a fate worse then death.
Eventually the group was reunited with the the stronghold of Seregost. It had suffered some damage from the eruption and aftermath of Saurons destruction, most of the inhabitants had also left or escaped. The force that remained were former slaves, the breeders and smiths of their former masters whom had attempted to make the fortress their new home.
The Goblins proved to be no match against the onslaught of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai and were swiftly defeated and forced into slavery once more. The days and weeks that followed saw fighting amongst the inhabitants, eventually leading to a newly established chain of command but leaving many dead in its wake.
Hierarchy:The Black Uruk-Hai make up the leadership and most influental part of the Warband, despite being one of the smallest in terms of numbers. They are the strongest and therefor fit to be at the top, the leadership chain is one of dominance and brute force. If you wish to gain a rank you need to face the former holder of that position and challenge him for it, even the leader can be challenged. Though these duels can often lead to death and are not attempted often. The Uruks keep the group together and ensure that Goblins and humans are not killed or harmed in order to ensure they remain available for duty.
Below the ruling class of the Black Uruk-Hai are the Orcs, large in numbers and chaotic. Wickedness and violence are their nature, and they are known to quarrel and kill each other over petty things. Without firm leadership, Orcs have been known to go into battle in complete disarray and without any semblance of formation or tactics. Their strength in combat comes from numbers and sheer violence. They hold no position of power in the Warband and are subjected to brutal forms of discipline and order to keep them in line and from fighting amongst eachother. To keep them satisfied and obedient they are allowed to push around those below them, the Goblin slaves and Humans.
The Goblins are much like the Humans in terms of status, both are used for construction purposes and have to face their superiors with unquestioning obediance. Goblins however enjoy the privilige of standing above the Humans in rank and even they are allowed to push around the men and woman unfortunate enough to be their slaves. The Humans have little rights and in desperate times could be used a source of food.
Resources: Most of the resources were simply there when they returned in the aftermath of Sauron's destruction, the large Demi-Trolls and groups of Goblin slaves had been used to oversee the breeding process and the creation of new structures and armament. The Black Uruk-Hai that now serve as the leadership of the fortress already called it their home before being forced to retreat back to the safety of its walls. The only other real resource the stronghold acquired was the army of Orcs and the group of Human slaves whom they simply guided like sheep, to the stronghold with the promise of safety and shelter.
Agenda and concerns:The river Caranduin flows from the mountains close to the stronghold of Seregost and serves as its only source of water. The large fortress has no source of food and the once fertile lands of the Gorgorth Plains have been all but destroyed and the only viable way left to gather supplies is to follow the Caranduin river down south to more fertile lands, or to travel the rough and harsh Deamon Road to the slave fields.
This puts the Warband at a disadvantageous position, having no usuable land close to the stronghold forces them to seek food elsewhere. Fortunately though, their former position as a breeding ground means they hold large stockpiles of armour and weapons, which could possibly be used to barter. Though the current leadership seeks to use it to wage war and gain themselves a more fortunate position closer to the fertile lands down south.
Resource Allocation:5 Demi-Trolls (Two points.)
300 Black Uruk-Hai (Three points.)
500 Goblin Slaves (Four points.)
200 Human Slaves (One point.)
