by Jason Soles

The Orgoth have a long and nigh symbiotic relationship with the Fellgoeth infernals, who serve as patrons of the Orgoth. These outsiders demand a steady tithe of souls, which the Orgoth provide to barter for arcane power and favors in the afterlife. It is said the great warlords of the Orgoth climb from the Outer Abysses on the bone piles of their dead, and there is some truth to this.

Not content to languish in the abyssal halls of the Fellgoeth for all of eternity, the mightiest of the Orgoth offer a simple proposition to them: free us, and in return we shall provide you with an endless bounty. Every sentient being slain by an Orgoth warrior—no matter how lowly the killer or victim—is an offering to the Fellgoeth. The mightiest of the Orgoth warlords can provide vast numbers of souls, both from those they personally slay and from the sacrifices they can command with each conquest. Those who can gain the attention of the infernals with their deeds might even seek a reprieve from death, being allowed to slip from the dark halls of the Outer Abyss and return to earthly flesh and bone. Such a boon, however, is not without its cost.

The souls of the fallen can only return and reside in the mortal body of one of their own line. And when they return, it is often only with the dimmest recollections of their past lives. Overall, they are a blank slate, an empty vessel of enormous potential and great responsibility, for the Fellgoeth expect a return on their investment. In general, the souls of the mighty are returned to the next born of their direct line, where they are treated with great deference. The training and rearing of such ancient and infamous souls is considered both a great honor and heavy burden, for should such a soul fail to live up to its potential, that soul will be lost forever back to the Abyss and those entrusted to serve as the soul’s guardians will be judged harshly in the black halls of death.

It is the warwitches of the Path of Shadows who oversee the grim transference of souls, sentencing the body’s native soul to the Abysses while anchoring the returning spirit to its new flesh.