Big 'Un

The Ogryn known as the Big ‘Un grew up in an Ogryn tribe in the Dusk Hills — the craggy steppes north-east of the great Arena City of Velyzar. Big ‘Un was remarkable in his tribe, mostly due to his size – which earned him his moniker – but also for his oompanionable demeanor. His nickname was so apt, and he so jovially embraced it, that its use quickly overtook that of his real name. He was huge and strong, and he declared he would use these qualities to bring prosperity to his tribe. He did not know initially how he could. Once Big ‘Un had reached his maturity, the Gaellen Orcs who traded with his family often remarked that Big ‘Un would make for a fantastic raider. They could use him, they said, the next time they wanted to attack a Nomad encampment. The idea intrigued him, but Big ‘Un was uneasy with their choice of targets. Attacking the neighboring Nomads, whom he had known all his life, felt too much like robbing his own family. The thought of winning his fortune through battle stuck with Big ‘Un, however. One year his tribe moved far enough south to receive a caravan from Velyzar, and the merchant sold not only goods, but stories – and Big ‘Un, loving to hear the tales, was her most frequent customer. She told tales of the city’s arenas, their mighty gladiators, and their incredible treasures – it only took a few hints that she could get him into the ring for Big ‘Un to declare that his future was there. He made arrangements with the tribe elders for the them to return this far south again in a few years’ time, with dreams and promises he would have a great bag of gold in his grip when they saw him again. After saying his goodbyes, he followed the merchant back to her city. Big ‘Un did not wait long to enter Velyzar’s arenas, and he flew up the ranks with shocking speed. It took some time for the organizers to find even matches for him, but once they got a measure of his natural advantages he found himself challenged in fights for the first time in his life. Even his great strength and size were barely enough to save him from the incredible skill and power of his opponents. As the fights went on, his injuries mounted, and he feared for his life. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before. Fortunately, Big ‘Un had one advantage that fight organizers had not accounted for: his affability. Many of his fellow gladiators liked him, and so, as he was worn down, one told him the truth. The fight organizers were building up Big ‘Un’s reputation — they were already calling him a horrifying monster. It was a common tactic for coordinators dealing with Ogryn. Once he was seen as a real menace in the eyes of the audience, the Guild would put him up against a hero from the highest tiers of the Arena, so a fan favorite would have a scary villain to put down. It was a classic trick, and the crowds loved it — but it would mean the death of Big ‘Un. So, after his next fight, Big ‘Un tried to take his winnings and leave. This was something the Guild of Gladiators could not leave unpunished. They buried Big ‘Un in contrived fees and penalties, transforming his fortune into debts. To pay off the Guild, Big ‘Un tried working on Velyzar’s docks but, while it was certainly safer than the Arena, he quickly learned that it would never pay enough to buy his freedom. Luck came back around again, however. By chance, he met with an old Orc friend — a Gaellen officer from Big ‘Un’s youth, who had come to the city to try to win in the Arena herself. When Big ‘Un told her about his own experiences she was quick to change her mind, and instead suggested they go into mercenary work. Big ‘Un could leverage his reputation from the Arena and form a mercenary company. Big ‘Un would likely not have much of a say in the kinds of work he did, but he was desperate. He agreed, and the two collected a crew of other ex-gladiators and Gaellen Orcs. But their first job would prove to be far tougher than expected: Big ‘Un was contracted to serve guard duty for a particular client, on his way to the Free City of Tilshire — a necromancer who refused to say his name… but bore a striking resemblance to the Grandmaster of Ireth.