Order of Gromthiul Dreng
(Art of the Ancestors for Slaying an Opponent or Opponents in Combat)

This is my fluff for the Slayers in my Army

Rank System:

The King of Karaz Stromgorl has command authority over the entire order and may command them into combat or call on their services at any time.

Tah Kazak Rik/ The War Lord/ The Lord Of War = Highest rank that can be achieved. Equivalent rank of King. Only one member of the Gromthiul Dreng may have this rank at a time. Leader of the Order. Must be chosen by the council, and must have been at level three or higher to qualify (Makaz Rik). Must have mastered all of the Orders major skills, must have mastered the secret skill of the order, must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior three times, must have defeated the twelve beasts Terhorn, must have walked the path of fire twice, must have defeated the current Tah Kazak Rik Udar and the Council, must have found the Wanderer, and must know the names of ever warrior in the order. Serve a 50 years, and must fight the Councils Choosen warrior to maintain the position. The Tah Kazak Rik hold the eleventh seat on the council.

One other way to Become Tah Kazak Rik is to challenge him to single combat. The challenger must have finished training under the Gromthiul Dreng teachings.

Kazak Rik Iy/ Battle Lord/ Lord Of Battle = Second Highest Rank. Equal to a highest ranked General or Prince. Only Ten in the order. Act as the Orders Council. Must be voted. Must have mastered four of the five major skills, must have defeated the Tah Makaz Rik Udar, must have defeated the seven beast of Aerhorn, must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior twice, must know the names of all the warriors of the order, and must have walked the path of fire. Serve on the council for 150 years

Tah Makaz Rik Udar / The Weapon Lord of the Order The Lord Of Weapons for the Order = Third Highest Rank. Equal to Empire ranks such as, Second Highest ranked General or Duke. Only one member of the Gromthiul Dreng may have this rank at a time. Personally in Charge and responsible for every soldier ranked lower than himself. Think Sergeant Major of the Army. Must have mastered all of the major order skills, must have the secret skill of the order, must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior twice, must know the names of all the warriors in the order, must have defeated the seven beast of Aerhorn, must have walked the path of fire, must have mastered all the secret skills of the order, must have defeated the all fifty Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz, and must have found the Wanderer. Trains each warrior under him personally, and teaches them the four major skills of the order. Has a special seat on the council as the twelfth member. Their has not been a Tah Makaz Rik in over 1,500 years until recently Tharin True Beard received this rank. Serve a lifetime

Tolock Narr Makaz Rik/ Weapon Lord of the Wind = A rank only achieved by those who master the skill Whirlwind Of Rage. Must have mastered the first skill Strength of the Mountain, must have walked the path of fire, must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior, must have taken and be able to recite the oath of the wind, must have received the marks of the wind, must have slain the five beast of Derhorn, must know the all names of those who are in the order. Twenty-four per order. Serve a lifetime

Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz/ Weapon Lord and Warrior Maker = Fourth Highest Rank. Equal to Empire ranks such as a Colonel, Sargent Major or Captain depending on skills mastered, time spent in the order, paths completed and so on. Must have mastered the first skill Strength of the Mountain and one other of the major skills, must have walked the path of fire, must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior, and must have defeated the two beast of Ferhorn. They must have also completed Smiting Training. Fifty per order. Must serve 100 years

Makaz Rik / Second Weapon Lord = Equivalent to Lieutenant. Obtained only by surviving the path of fire, and mastering of the Strength of the Mountain. Responsible for the training of Ak-Groz Hazkal-kul and Kazak Drenguli Hazkal-kul must have mastered the first skill Strength of the Mountain and one of other of the major skills, must have walked the path of fire, and must be able to recite the legacy of the warrior. 100 per order. Must serve 75 years.

All warriors above the level of Ak Groz Hazkal-kul are assumed to have taken the oath of the warrior, and have mastered the Strength of the Mountain skill.

Ak Groz Hazkal-kul/ Skillful Artisan warrior of slaying many foes in battle = Second rank achieved. Equivalent to Empire ranks such as Sergeant, Sergeant Master, or Corporal depending on skills mastered, time spent in the order, paths completed and so on. Must have mastered the skill Strength of the Mountain, and taken the oath of the warrior. Very difficult to advance past this rank, for only the council can grant a Ak Groz Hazkal-kul or any other warrior of any other rank above or below this one the chance to receive the opportunity and training required to advance. 15,000 per order. Must serve 50 years. Every dwarf who finishes training under the teachings of the order automatically receives this rank. Royal family members that train in the order and complete it will receive this rank, even though they do not normally serve in the order itself.

Kazak Drenguli Hazkal-kul/ Artisan Warrior of the slaying foes in battle = Lowest Rank or Beginners Rank. Equivalent to standard warrior, but of more importance. Must have taken the oath of the warrior. The council chooses these warriors from the warriors of Karaz Stromgorl through a rigorous selection process. 10,000 are chosen at a time, only half will advance to Ak Groz Hazkal-kul, because many will leave the order due to its intense training, others will not be able to continue and will be asked to leave.

*Assume that in order to advance to another level all of the prerequisites in the earlier level have been achieved and mastered.

1st Level: Kazak Drenguli Hazkal-kul

Oath of the warrior = By swearing to bring honor and justice to those who have none and to stand when others fall, to fight when others run, to help those in need, to be one with ones self, to know and control ones emotions. By taking this oath a young warrior joins the order.

2nd Level: Ak Groz Hazkal-kul

The First Skill:

Strength of the Mountain = Taught to the warriors by the Makaz Rik Zharr-ak. This skill must be learned in order to advance to the second level. This skill gives the warriors of the Gromthiul Dreng the ability to adapt their strength according to their foes, and allows them the clairvoyant ability to see the weaknesses in their opponents defenses.

3rd Level: Makaz Rik

Legacy of the Warrior = In order to advance to the third level, a warrior must have memorized the ten hundred thousand word scroll, called the legacy of the warrior. This scroll details the names and deeds of every warrior in the order past and present. Warriors are taught by the Makaz Rik Zharr-ak to expand their memory and mental capacity. Then they must recite it word for word by memory, to the council.

The four Major Skills of the Order: In order to advance to the third level a warrior of the order must go to the Tah Makaz Rik for special training in the four major skills of the order. They must then master at least one, and be able to perform it in battle.

Blood Fury The Tah Makaz Rik teaches the warriors of the order to strike with such concentrated force and fury, they reduce their enemies to bloody piles of gore. The sight of this causes enemies to turn and flee from such controlled fury.

Breath of the Mountain The Tah Makaz Rik teaches the warriors of the order to respect the surrounding elements and animals of the mountain. One of the most important of these is the mountain itself. The Gromthiul Dreng pupils are taught, that the mountain is deathless and that it will live forever, and if they respect the old ways and follow the order that there spirits will live forever also. With this knowledge the Gromthiul Dreng members are able to focus their spirit to great feats of prowess and skill, even when near death and can strike out even after being struck a by blow that would normally end their life.

Hammer of The Gods Trained To Focus their strength, the members of the order strike with such force, that their blows cause massive damage capable of slaying even the largest of foes.

Strength of the Bear During Their intense training, the members of the order learn how to strike with such accuracy and strength, they are able to decapitate an opponent in one savage strike.

Path of fire = The final requirement to advance to the third level is the Path of Fire. This test consists of a warrior traveling in to the lands of the Chaos Dwarves and into the heart of a volcano and retrieving a rare and precious stone called Talilock. Many warriors do not survive this test.

4th Level: Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz

The two beast of Ferhorn = In order to advance to the fourth level a warrior must fight and slay the two beast of Ferhorn, a Mountain Bear and a Snow Tiger. The warrior must return to the hold with the hides of these great beasts.

Smiting Training = In order to advance to the fourth level a warrior must leave the Sanctuary and take
Receive training from the Rune Smiths of Karaz Stromgorl. They must learn how to forge and maintain weapons, but are not required to learn how to forge runes.

5th Level Specialty Rank: Tolock Narr Makaz Rik (Rarely achieved)

Whirlwind Of Rage = In order to become a Tolock Narr Makaz Rik a warrior must learn one of the secret skills of the order called Whirlwind of Rage. This ability allows a warrior to use his spirit energy to unleash a torrent of unstoppable blows, that no one living or dead can parry. This skill is the most difficult to learn, but it makes the warrior nearly unstoppable.

Marks of the Wind = In order to achieve the rank of Tolock Narr Makaz Rik, a warrior must become one with his weapons called The Blades of the Tolock and have them chained to his body. He must also have his body ritualistically pierced with rings blessed by the Priest of Valaya and the Priest of Grimnir.

The Five Beasts of Derhorn = In order to become a Tolock Narr Makaz Rik a warrior must fight and slay the five beast of Derhorn, a Mountain Bear, a Snow Tiger, a Chimera, a Mountain Troll, and a Griffin.

The Oath of the Wind = In order to become a Tolock Narr Makaz Rik, a warrior must take back his oath of the warrior and take the Oath of the Wind, to bring honor and justice to those who have none and to stand when others fall, to fight when others run, to help those in need, to be one with ones self, to know and control ones emotions swearing, to fight for the advancement of the order, to be one with nature, to hone ones skill so one can share ones knowledge with all others, and to always put others above ones self interests.

Names of Brethren = Must now all the names of all of those who are in the order.

5th Level Specialty Rank: Tah Makaz Rik Udar (Rarely Achieved)

Master of all Major Skills = In order to become the Weapon Lord for the Order, a warrior must have mastered all of the major skills.

Hammer of the Gods
Strength of the Bear
Strength of the Mountain.
Breath of the Mountain
Blood Fury

Legacy of the Warrior = In order to advance to the level of Tah Makaz Rik Udar, a warrior must have memorized the ten hundred thousand word scroll, called the legacy of the warrior. This scroll details the names and deeds of every warrior in the order past and present. Then they must recite it word for word by memory, to the council, twice.

Names of Brethren = Must now all the names of all of those who are in the order.

Seven Beast of Aerhorn = In order to become a Tah Makaz Rik Udar a warrior must fight and slay the seven beast of Aerhorn, a Mountain Bear, a Snow Tiger, a Chimera, a Mountain Troll, a Griffin, a Cave Giant, and a Beastmen Wargor.

Finding the Wanderer = The warrior who is chosen to become a Tah Makaz Rik Udar, must go in search of the Wanderer, a Ancient Gromthiul Dreng Master who lives in the ninth level of Karaz Stromgorls underhalls, in a great and forgotten library, of which no one but those who have been there know of its location. Once there the warrior must learn the secret skill from this great ancestor, a skill even the council lacks. The warrior must also study all HE can from the ancient library. The warrior must stay with the Wanderer for fifty years or until his training is complete. Their has not been a Tah Makaz Rik in over 1,500 years until recently Tharin True Beard received this rank because all of those who left prior Tharin to seek the wanderer for this position are sent home because they were unable to finish the training.

Master of the Secret Skill = During the time with the Wanderer a warrior learn the secret skill of the Wanderer called Path of Chained Fury

Path of Chained Fury - Long forgotten by the masters of the Gromthiul Dreng, this skill is the hardest to learn because it focuses the users inner rage and fury with such concentration that the wielder becomes one with his rage and anger. Many who had learned this skill were not strong enough to break out of the bond and were consumed by their rage and driven mad. This skill was considered lost until Tharin rediscovered it while studying Gromthiul Dreng lore, during his time with the Wanderer. Tharin is the first to master this skill in over 1,500 years, besides the Tah Kazak Rik. This skill allows Tharin to focus his rage and still maintain balance between his other emotions.

Defeated the all fifty Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz = The last test of a Tah Makaz Rik Udar is HE must defeat all fifty of the current Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz at the same time in ritualistic combat, using a specially made axe called Natusi that does not kill ones opponents it simply incapacitates them. But The Makaz Rik Hazkal Grungnaz use real weapons, so it is possible that the warrior trying to become Tah Makaz Rik Udar will die, but no one has died in any of the ritualistic combat used by the Order since its founding.

5th Level: Kazak Rik Iy

Voted = The Council members are voted in by the other members of the order, including the Tah Kazak Rik, but they have to match the below criteria.

Master of the Four Major Skills = In order to become a member of the council, a warrior must have mastered four of the five major skill, one of which must be Strength of the Mountain.

Must have defeated the Tah Makaz Rik Udar = Once voted to the council, in order to earn that vote they must defeat the Tah Makaz Rik Udar in ritualistic combat, using a specially made axe called Natusi, that is designed to incapacitate but not kill. Tah Makaz Rik Udar uses his weapon of choice. No nominee has ever died in combat but few have ever win.

Legacy of the Warrior = In order to advance to the level of Kazak Rik Iy, a warrior must have memorized the ten hundred thousand word scroll, called the legacy of the warrior. This scroll details the names and deeds of every warrior in the order past and present. Then they must recite it word for word by memory, to the Tah Makaz Rik, twice.

Seven Beast of Aerhorn = In order to become a Kazak Rik Iy a warrior must fight and slay the seven beast of Aerhorn, a Mountain Bear, a Snow Tiger, a Chimera, a Mountain Troll, a Griffin, a Cave Giant, and a Beastmen Wargor.

Names of Brethren = Must now all the names of all of those who are in the order.

6th Level: Tah Kazak Rik

Chosen = The Nominee for the position of Tah Kazak Rik is chosen by the Council, the nominee must be of level three, Makaz Rik or higher. The Nominee then must complete the below tasks.

Must defeat Tah Kazak Rik Udar = The chosen warrior must defeat the Tah Kazak Rik Udar in ritualistic combat using a specially made axe called Natusi, that is designed to incapacitate but not kill. Tah Makaz Rik Udar uses his weapon of choice. No nominee has ever died in combat but few have ever win.

Must Defeat the Council = The chosen warrior must defeat all of the council members, (including the current Tah Kazak Rik) fighting two at a time in ritualistic combat using a specially made axe called Natusi, that is designed to incapacitate but not kill. The council members use their weapons of choice. No nominee has ever died in combat but few ever win.

Names of Brethren = Must now all the names of all of those who are in the order.

Master of all Major Skills = In order to become the Weapon Lord for the Order, a warrior must have mastered all of the major skills.

Hammer of the Gods
Strength of the Bear
Strength of the Mountain.
Breath of the Mountain
Blood Fury

Twelve Beast of Terhorn = In order to become Tah Kazak Rik a warrior must fight and slay the seven beast of Aerhorn, a Mountain Bear, a Snow Tiger, a Chimera, a Mountain Troll, a Griffin, a Cave Giant, a Beastmen Wargor, a Orc Warboss, a Vampire, a Ogre, a Saagoth, and The Forgotten beast. The Forgotten is a daemon that lives deep in the tenth level of the Karaz Stromgorl underhalls, in which is reborn every 300 years but is sealed in a Runic Prison until the apprentice Tah Kazak Rik is chosen to fight it.

Path of fire = The final requirement to advance to the level of Tah Kazak Rik. Even though HE has already achieved this task, the Tah Kazak Rik must return the Talilock stone, which HE retrieved when HE advanced to his third level, back to the volcano from which it came.

Finding the Wanderer = The warrior who is chosen to become Tah Kazak Rik, must go in search of the Wanderer, a Ancient Gromthiul Dreng Master who lives in the ninth level of Karaz Stromgorls underhalls, in a great and forgotten library, of which no one but those who have been there know of its location. Once there the warrior must learn the secret skill from this great ancestor, a skill even the council lacks. The warrior must also study all HE can from the ancient library. The warrior must stay with the Wanderer for fifty years or until his training is complete.

Master of the Secret Skill = During the time with the Wanderer a warrior learn the secret skill of the Wanderer called Path of Chained Fury

Path of Chained Fury - Long forgotten by the masters of the Gromthiul Dreng, this skill is the hardest to learn because it focuses the users inner rage and fury with such concentration that the wielder becomes one with his rage and anger. Many who had learned this skill were not strong enough to break out of the bond and were consumed by their rage and driven mad. Tharin True Beard is the first to master this skill in over 1,500 years, besides the Tah Kazak Riks of past and present. This skill allows the warrior who uses it to focus his rage and still maintain balance between his other emotions.

(Real Life Note: Think of the Ranks Tah Makaz Rik Udar and Tolock Narr Makaz Rik, as similar to the Rank of Master Sergeant of the Army, and Command Sergeant Major respetivly. They hold great respect, sometimes more than the Tah Kazak Rik himself)