Gruh'tular

When a newborn ork gets introduced to a clan has to go through this ancient ritual, whose name meaning roughly Community colours. Once the ritual has been completed he becomes part of the clan and his subject to his authority and protection.

Despite the fact that humans consider Orks barbaric creatures, totally devoted to chaos, that's far from the truth. They care for they newborn and, in case of premature death of the natural parents, take care of orphans with a complex ritual. They remain one of the most violent cultures on Phaldorya, but are worth of study.

— The diary of a dead explorer(2445)

History

The orkish society goes through a significant turn-over because ork's life is short, but this ritual pre-dates living memory. It is actually one of the few ritual to have been put in writing, more a series of pictogram that shaman's copy on the clan totems. It may forerun the conflagration, since some ancient totems with engravings similar to the contemporary ones have been found.

Execution

At the first full moon after the birth, the clan whom they belong formally accepts the newborns. The ritual is performed by depicting the traditional war colours of the clan using a mixture between the mother's milk, the father's blood and the typical pigment of the tribe. If the mother or the father is dead before the ritual is scheduled other ork can adopt the newborn performing the ritual in their place. The ritual overrules biological bonds, therefore if one of the parents is believed to be dead and returns after the ritual has been perform the newborn will be recognized as children of the step-parents. Only pure-blood ork are allowed to partake the Gruh'tular, as half-orks aren't accepted in the clan and, often, are bullied by their members. If the conditions aren't suitable to perform the ritual at the first full moon of the newborn life, it can be perform at any full moon later on in life but until that time the ork will not be part of the clan and, therefore, will not be under its protection.

Participants

The ritual are generally attended by the all tribe, but to be valid the only participants required are the newborn, the parents (or step-parents), a shaman and two witnesses. The phases or the ritual are the bathing of the newborn with water, the preparation of the pigment, the depiction of the pattern on the newborn body and the presentation to the clan or their witnesses. If the clan is reunited, there will be some ritual singing and dancing, and a communal meal.