Gane
History
The Ogres of Gane trace their lineage to the Bloom Age, though their origins remain uncertain. Some claim Rochaut carved them from valley stone, while others say they rose from the rivers of Ruisseau-Noir. Whatever the truth, they did not spread beyond their homeland. Where others sought new horizons, the Ogres endured in the valleys, forests, and plains where their gods had set them. Strength was survival, not conquest.
The Blood Age shattered this way of life. War came to Gane, though no single truth remains of how it began. Some say the Ogres struck first, testing themselves against outsiders. Others claim they were forced to fight, that the first battles were acts of defense, not ambition. Some tell of betrayals, of kin turning on kin, of war spreading not from foreign hands but from within. What is certain is that the Ogres changed. Warbands formed, the weak fell, and the gods were abandoned as steel and blood became the only certainty.
The Blight Age brought no peace. The same warbands that had turned against each other and their neighbors in the Blood Age continued their raids, striking Tuinleas across the bay, clashing with Bethune, and fighting the Dwergar of Azare Kazak in the west. To the southwest, they battled Korath, while others fought for control of the Long Deep's coast. There was no single war, no unified effort, only scattered conflicts driven by survival, ambition, or vengeance. When Ibunor invaded, the Ogres resisted for decades, but without unity, they fell. By 632 BTA, Gane was conquered, its warriors conscripted, its people made subjects of the empire. Decades of war followed as the Ogres fought and died in Ibunor's campaigns, culminating in the Long March against Keld. Those who survived returned not as conquerors, but as expendable soldiers in service of a foreign power.
Now, rebellion smolders. After generations as slave-soldiers, warbands rise against Ibunor, striking where they can. Some still serve, too broken or pragmatic to fight, while others see resistance as the only path forward. The empire, stretched thin by other wars, has yet to fully crush the uprising, but their response grows harsher. The Ogres of Gane are no longer warriors of conquest. They are soldiers of a war they did not choose, fighting to reclaim what was lost.
Government
Gane is ruled by Ibunor through imperial governors, each enforcing control with garrisons and military oversight. Some allow limited tribal customs, while others impose strict imperial law, reshaping Ogre society under occupation. Ogres hold no true power; those who rise as local leaders are seen as collaborators, distrusted by their own people and used as tools by the empire.
The Ogres of Gane are not citizens; they are conscripts and laborers. Many serve in Ibunor's armies, while others toil under factions like Colderyn and The Poke, valued only for their strength. Religious freedom depends on the governor: some permit old rites, while others suppress them, ensuring faith does not become a banner for rebellion. Imperial rule does not seek to integrate the Ogres. It seeks to break them.
Interesting Facts
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Ogre labor has reshaped Ibunese industry. Their strength allows forges to work with larger, denser materials, producing armor, weapons, and siege equipment on a scale previously unattainable. Once dismissed as crude, Ogre forging techniques have influenced Ibunese metallurgy, leading to hybrid forges that blend precision with raw durability.
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For the Ogres of Gane, the Long March was not just a war, it was a reckoning. Sent to fight for Ibunor in distant Keld, they waged war against an enemy they did not know and suffered massive losses. Many of the dead were left unburied, denied proper rites, their spirits never returned to Ruisseau-Noir.
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Names are earned, not given. Ogres are often called by simple descriptors in childhood (Tall One, Loud One, Quick Hands) until they prove themselves. A true name is granted by the tribe, often tied to a deed or defining trait. In addition, some also have Ibunese names, either by choice or force.
Current Challenges
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The Rebellion. The Ogres of Gane have begun to rise against Ibunor, but the rebellion is fractured. Some warbands strike at supply lines, others ambush patrols, but no single leader unites them. Without coordination, the empire crushes each uprising in isolation.
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Bois-Sombre Logging. Gane's forests have been cut back for fuel, ships, and construction, and now Ibunor has sent ogres to deforest Bois-Sombre, the divine sanctum of Charnu. Some groves refuse to die, their trunks growing twisted, their roots bleeding sap the color of blood. Loggers speak of tools breaking, of trees that scream when cut, of missing workers found days later with their eyes gone black.
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Ogres Without Tribes. Raised in Ibunese cities and distant from their ancestral ways, these Ogres find themselves caught between two worlds. They are outsiders among their own people and tools to those who rule them. Some attempt to reclaim their heritage, while others shape new identities within the empire.
Tribes of Gane
The tribes of Gane are shaped by their lands and the gods they honor. Though once independent, they now live under Ibunese rule, forced to adapt, resist, or serve. Some warbands fight for rebellion, others for survival, but all carry the weight of their past.
Lescroix Tribe
Region: Highlands near the Kazak border | Traits: Stoneworkers, raiders, defiant
The Lescroix carved their homes into the cliffs, shaping stone with iron and resolve. For generations, they clashed with the Dwergar of Kazak, raiding their borderlands and fortifying their own. When Ibunor came, they retreated into the hills, striking from hidden strongholds. Many have been forced into labor camps, their skills turned against them, but the Lescroix endure. They break rock, they break steel, and they will break their chains.
Mornat Tribe
Region: Coastal regions of the South Brine | Traits: Fishers, shipwrights, smugglers
The Mornat lived by the sea long before Ibunor came, following the tides and the rivers that fed into the South Brine. They built sturdy boats, not for war, but for survival, using their knowledge of the coast to navigate treacherous waters. Now, the empire controls the ports, taxing their trade and pressing their strongest into naval service. Some Mornat work with Ibunor, building warships and keeping the peace. Others slip past imperial patrols, smuggling supplies to rebels and vanishing into the mist before the empire can strike back.
Chazelles Tribe
Region: Deep forests bordering Bois-Sombre | Traits: Hunters, survivalists, wary of outsiders
The Chazelles once roamed freely, hunting beneath the thick canopy of Gane's forests. They moved with the seasons, following the herds and living by the land's bounty. But war and conquest drove them deeper into the woods, where they now live on the edges of Bois-Sombre. They know the signs of Charnu's presence, and they do not disturb what should not be disturbed. The empire does not reach them easily, but neither does anyone else. Those who enter their territory uninvited rarely leave.
Aubriac Tribe
Region: Plains and steppe of western Gane | Traits: Nomadic, skirmishers, relentless
The Aubriac move with the land, following ancient paths worn into the plains. They do not build permanent settlements, instead setting up temporary camps where the land allows. War shaped them long before Ibunor came, and they adapted to meet every challenge. They fight in small bands, striking hard and fading into the grasslands before their enemies can retaliate. Many have been conscripted into the empire's armies, valued for their strength and endurance. Some believe loyalty will bring them favor. Others wait for the moment to turn their weapons against their masters.