Lore:Kurog gro-Orsinium

King Kurog gro-Orsinium
King Kurog gro-Orsinium
Race	Orc	Gender	Male
Born		2E 541
Died		2E 582 Orsinium
Resided in		Wrothgar
Next Ruler		Bazrag gro-Fharun
Appears in		ESO

Kurog gro-Orsinium was the King of the Orcs of the Wrothgar Mountains during the Interregnum. Also known as Chief Kurog gro-Bagrakh. He aided King Emeric during Ranser's War in exchange for the return of Orsinium, and afterward joined the Daggerfall Covenant. Kurog's reign came to an end in 2E 582 when, frustrated by the constant disagreements among his clan chiefs, he engineered a crisis between Trinimac and Malacath cults in order to discredit his main rival, Bazrag gro-Fharun, and eliminate the other chiefs. The king's treachery was discovered and he was slain, resulting in Bazrag being crowned the next King of the Orcs.

Biography

Early Life

Kurog was born to Forge-Wife Alga of Clan Bagrakh sometime around 2E 541. As a child, Kurog grew up in an Orcish clan in Wrothgar, and was unsatisfied with his life. He had ambitions to explore the world and prove himself in battle.

He rallied his companions Bumnog, Bizra, and then friend Bazrag "the Butcher" gro-Fharun and joined the Gaspard's Stalkers mercenary company, led by the infamous Gaspard Esmery. After winning skirmishes in Hammerfell and Cyrodiil, the company made its way to Elsweyr. Kurog went to a tavern in the city of Orcrest and met with a Breton woman named Zephrine Frey. He had spoken to her about his past, and said that he would return to his clan and replace his chief by killing him, then taking command of his clan.

Rise to Power

Kurog and his companions later resigned from Gaspard's Stalkers, and were journeying to Wrothgar. He agreed to meet with Zephrine Frey and had visited Wayrest on his way to Wrothgar. She gave him a tour of Wayrest and its' Breton cuisine, and then had him meet with King Emeric in Wayrest Castle. Frey described them to have gotten along smashingly, as they found to have shared similar opinions on politics and warfare, and took great pleasure in making each other laugh. At the end of the evening, Kurog admitted he was returning to Wrothgar to take control of his clan, but decided he would try and rebuild Yashnag gro-Yazgu's kingdom in Falkreath before turning to High Rock. Kurog and Emeric then shook hands, and the latter suggested that Kurog take Zephrine Frey with him to Wrothgar. Kurog, admitting to Emeric that he knew Frey was a spy, agreed anyway as he found her amusing.

During the trip to Wrothgar, Kurog spoke about his dream to have the Orcish people change their oppressive and restrictive traditions, build large cosmopolitan cities of learning, and introduce new cuisine. Soon after crossing the border into Wrothgar, Kurog entered his childhood stronghold, where Chief Bolazgar was waiting for him with four honor guards. Bolazgar asked Kurog if he'd come to grovel and beg for his forgiveness. Kurog instead said he'd come to challenge the chief for his leadership of Clan Bagrakh. Bolazgar, shaking with rage, questioned Kurog if he truly believed he could beat him in fair combat. Kurog taunted the chief saying that he'd grown fat in weak in his time away, and that he'd instead been fighting wars in distant lands. Enraged by Kurog's remarks, Bolazgar charged at him with a scream of pure rage. Kurog stood his ground and calmly unsheathed his sword, and countered Bolazgar's clumsy attack with a block, and than decapitated Bolazgar, killing him, and therefore making Kurog the new chief of the clan. Each member dropped to their knees and yelled "Long live Chief Kurog!," to which Kurog proclaimed "Today begins a new day for the Orsimer! I will lead you to glory! On this, you have my word!"

Kurog spent a few years consolidating his power, growing his clan, marrying wives, and forming alliances with clan chiefs that supported his ideas. To secure her son's success and future, his mother Alga became Grand Forge-Mother, and became an advisor and negotiator for her son. For his hunt-wife, Kurog and Alga turned to Shatul Clan, known for their prized skills in hunting, and Kurog married Hunt-Wife Noroga. For his Forge-Wife, the obvious choice was Ashaka from the prized smiths of Morkul Clan, but Alga was more interested in Tugha. Tugha had studied abroad with the smiths of western Skyrim for two years, with her experience, modern attitudes, and intelligence winning her the place of Kurog's Forge-Wife. Kurog married had many other wives who worked behind the scenes handling a number of different matters, such as his Immigration-Wife Uulitag.

Alliance with the Daggerfall Covenant

He soon turned his resources to Falkreath Hold of Western Skyrim, hoping to rebuild a great city that could rival Wayrest on the site of Yashnag gro-Yazgu's stronghold. In 2E 566, despite the Nords' civil war and Schism years prior, they still proved to be resistant fighters, forcing Kurog to be stationed outside Dragonstar of Craglorn with his troops. King Emeric was fighting in King Ranser's War, and sent Zephrine Frey as an emissary to meet with Kurog. She asked for Kurog's assistance in the war, and while Kurog was willing to participate, he made a number of demands which were to be fulfilled before he would declare war on King Ranser. Emeric agreed to the terms, granting Kurog de jure control of Wrothgar, supporting the construction of Orsinium, agreeing to prohibit Breton or Redguard armies enter the region due to the prior Sieges, and be recognized as an equal in the Covenant. Kurog and his troops were responsible for setting Shornhelm ablaze when King Ranser returned, proving to be a key and final part in defeating him. Ranser then retreated to Traitor's Tor, and met his last stand under Kurog's troops.

In 2E 581, Kurog visited Evermore Palace and met with Flaccus Terentius.

Reconstruction of Orsinium and Death

Negative sentiments against Daedra worship required intervention from King Kurog, who legitimized his people's religious worship among their Daggerfall Covenant allies by claiming that Mauloch wasn't a Daedric Prince like Malacath. However, Kurog would later become a follower of Trinimac, and set about reconstructing Orsinium so that it may serve once again as the capital of Wrothgar and a center of high Orsimer culture. Under the influence of his mother Alga, Kurog plotted with the Vosh Rakh, a cult of Trinimac extremists which she controlled. He planned to unite the tribes of Wrothgar by forcing them to abandon Malacath in favor of Trinimac, either via force of arms or subterfuge. Circa 2E 582, this culminated in an attempt to frame Bazrag gro-Fharun for an attack on the new temple of Trinimac in Orsinium, followed by an assault on Fharun Stronghold by the Vosh Rakh. However, Bazrag survived the attempt on his life, and Kurog's treachery was revealed. When confronted by the Vestige, Kurog and Alga responded with violence and were slain.

Chief Bazrag became the new king, but despite Kurog's treachery he was granted a traditional Orcish requiem for the dead, in honor of the good deeds he did in his life before his mother had corrupted him. The Orsimer became a united people instead of isolated clans, fulfilling Kurog's wish. Bazrag said a prayer for his old friend wishing his spirit safe travel to the Ashen Forge, though his spirit is believed to have gone to Aetherius. Many people of Orsinium liked and respected Kurog, and despite his hidden motives he still remained a popular figure in the aftermath of his death, making it somewhat difficult for Bazrag to lead as the new king.

Gallery

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  King Kurog gro-Orsinium (old appearance in ESO)

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  Kurog on his throne

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  Kurog's spirit

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  Kurog's Funeral

Notes

• 1.	The book Birds of Wrothgar was added with the release of Orsinium and originally placed the DLC's time period as 2E 583, though this was removed years later and confirmed by the developers to no longer be the game's current year.

• Long prior to the release of the Orsinium DLC, Zenimax gave some info on Kurog through some in-game books and dialogue as well as some out-of-game sources that contradicted his finalized character.
  • In the book Return to Orsinium, many names of the locations mentioned were changed for the Wrothgar zone and it was said that the gates of Old Orsinium were being rebuilt. However, in Wrothgar the city is abandoned, and no construction occurs in the ruins of the city.
  • The book The (Improved) Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: Northern Bangkorai and the Mountains described Kurog as "a mountain of an Orc with a face like a giant's slapped arse" and having a number of missing teeth. Though these aspects of Kurog were changed before his final character version, his normally loud speaking voice remained.
  • It was originally stated Kurog controlled Southern Wrothgar. It was later clarified that his area of control was limited to Orsinium and other parts of Wrothgar allied with him.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Elder Scrolls Online article.

Books

• The Chronicles of King Kurog by Zephrine Frey, Chronicler of Wayrest — A Covenant spy recounts Kurog gro-Bagrakh's rise to power
• Kurog's Betrayal — Propaganda calling for Orc resistance against the Daggerfall Covenant

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.