"Travelers in the Labyrinth. You stand on cursed ground. You may proceed no farther into this place of evil, and you may not leave to spread its taint further. I offer you a choice: commit your lives to the service of Kalok Shash and the holy calling of the Ghaash'kala, or die where you stand."
The Ghaash'kala are a loose confederation of four tribes who occupy the Labyrinth that separates the Demon Wastes from the Eldeen Reaches. Ghaash'kala translates from Orc as "Ghost Guardians", and the Ghaash'kala believe that it is their sacred duty to prevent the evil of the Demon Wastes from escaping into the rest of the world.
They worship a celestial force that they know as "Kalok Shash", or the "Binding Flame" in Orc, which called the first of their number to service around 9000 years ago, at roughly the same time that Vvaraak was training the first of the Gatekeepers. The Ghaash'kala believe that every one of them that falls joins with Kalok Shash, empowering it and aiding those that remain.
The Ghaash'kala live brutal, often short lives. The Demon Wastes are a despicable, inhospitable place, and it takes a great degree of skill and luck to survive there for any decent amount of time. The Ghaash'kala believe that they are already dead, that they have given their lives to the cause and it is no longer theirs. This is where they get their name from, they see themselves as living ghosts with a sacred purpose, and that their final death is merely the collection of the debt.
The Ghaash'kala believe that the Demon Wastes taints everything it touches, including themselves. Anybody and anything that enters cannot be permitted to leave.
The Four Clans
- Maruk, the oldest and largest of the Ghaash'kala clans. All others branched off from the Maruk.
- Jaasakah, the most violent of the Ghaash'kala, and the closest to Ashtakala, the city of demons.
- Kastar, the closest to Khyber, with the greatest focus on stealth.
- Vaanka, the final bastion and closest with the Eldeen Reaches.
Life & Society
The four clans that make up the Ghaash'kala largely operate independently of one another, but they gather at least once a year to share information and news. The original Ghaash'kala were orcs, and most of them are orcs today, but they have gradually grown more diverse with time. The Ghaash'kala aren't numerous, and the Demon Wastes are exceedingly dangerous, the Ghaash'kala wouldn't be able to replace the people they lose if they were totally insular. All of the tribes draw in recruits from elsewhere, the Eldeen Reaches, the Shadow Marches, and occasionally even members of the Carrion Tribes of the Demon Wastes. Most often, when the Ghaash'kala encounter people in the Labyrinth, they offer those people the choice to join (or die).
The Ghaash'kala believe that they are already dead, that they died the moment they entered the Demon Wastes. When new recruits join the Ghaash'kala, or someone who grew up among them comes of age, they undertake a rite that symbolises this death, signifying the beginning of their new purpose as a living ghost. This ritual varies from clan to clan, but it always involves swearing an oath to prevent all evil from passing through the Labyrinth, and the ritual is the same for those joining the Ghaash'kala as it is for those born to them.
The Ghaash'kala also have a tradition of tattooing, with warriors adorning themselves with symbols and brands symbolising their commitment, their victories, and their strength. Each clan has their own traditions and styles, allowing the Ghaash'kala to identify each other at a glance, and to trip up any fiends attempting to disguise themselves as members of the Ghaash'kala. These tattoo's are often magical, created by the clan's Malaan, and assisting the warriors in their endless vigil. In addition to tattoos, every Ghaash'kala warrior bears at least one brand, bestowed to them by their clan's Sar'malaan, as a symbol of Kalok Shash. These brands are powerful wards against demonic possession, granted to each warrior after their first patrol.
Each clan lives in an ancient stronghold from the Age of Demons, sustained by artifacts left by the Couatl. The Demon Wastes are inhospitable and barren, so the Ghaash'kala look to the demiplanes of Khyber for food and other supplies, though this is risky, and they often lose people to the demiplanes that provide them with these essential supplies. The clans are divided into two groups, the kala ("guardians") and the drok ("hands"). The kala are those who fight, and the drok are those who support them and perform essential duties to the clan. Both groups are critical for the survival of the clan.
Hierarchy & Organisation
The Ghaash'kala maintain a loose hierarchy, divided in practical terms.
- The Kizshmit (chieftain) and Sar'malaan (Head Priest) share joint leadership of the clan, with the kizshmit handling military matters and the sar'malaan tending to the spiritual wellbeing of the clan.
- The Malaan (priests) further see to the spiritual health of the clan, tasked with creating the brands and tattoos that the kala adorn themselves with. Many of the malaan are also korta or korta'sha, and will fall into either the role of kala or drok depending on whether they can fight.
- The Korta (speakers) are those who hear the voice of Kalok Shash, and often find themselves in lesser leadership roles within the clan. Those with the title of Korta'sha (flame speaker) are those who can wield divine power, and most Ghaash'kala patrols will have at least one korta'sha amongst them.
- The Kala (guardians) are the warriors, those who fight the evil of the wastes directly, and patrol the labyrinth.
- The Drok (hands) are those who primarily remain within the clan strongholds, performing all of the duties that keep the clan alive. The drok are primarily those who are too young or too old to fight, or those whose skills are too valuable to risk. They are the crafters who maintain the warriors equipment, the trainers that bring up the next generation of kala, the cooks that keep the clan fed, and other roles that the clan cannot survive without.