Kherkhanash is the language of the Seret, which bears elements of the tongue of the Sand Elves and Kaliti, but some Dwarven elements too.

The Blue Orcs of the Seret are so called due to their mottled blue-gray skin and that is only the beginning of their differences from the typical Arethil orc. Their eyes are smaller, more inset, and have smaller pupils that are more easily adjusted to the glare of the sun off snow or sand. They are also taller and more broadly built than the average Arethil orc, typically standing anywhere from six to seven feet. Where the orc tribes of the Savanna and Steppes in particular appear to be more lithe and lean, the Sereti are as solid as the mountains they make their home.

The Kherkhanites dwell in the Seret Mountains, a range that is neither so tall nor as broad ranging as the mighty peaks of the Spine. Even so, the desert meets the base of the mountains, which are sparsely populated with trees, though these grow thicker toward the mouths of the Baal-Asha and Baal-Duru. Higher up in the mountains, the peaks are snowcapped, and deep in mountain caves dwell dangerous wyrms and other predators, with whom the ogres must contend for dominion over the mountains. Most of the fortresses of the ogres are located further down the mountains, including Kherkhana, which sits at the mouths of the twin rivers.

The Sereti ogres have a culture focused on producing consummate warriors. There is a noted absence of luxury in their lifestyles. Every ogre trains from birth in the use of their enormous, curved swords, which have been said to kill horses in a single blow. They also continue to practice archery, using absurdly thick compound bows made of layered horn and resin, to hunt the leopards, rams, and other beasts that live in the mountains, including organizing annual wyrm hunts. A terse people, who seem to find great amusement in expressing themselves in as few words as possible. The sparsity of their communication is as sparse as their homes, which are often bare of any art or pottery - and certainly do not have any of the silk fabrics and pillows so common to the Kaliti household, which has left many Kaliti proclaiming that the Blue Orcs sleep on hard stone (this is not true, they use bedding made of many ram’s hides and fur covers). However, the Sereti do still maintain shrines to their gods and ancestors within their homes, most prominent among them the great eagle Kujluk, the Lord of the Mountain.

Their greatest expressions come in the form of their walled towns, which are impressive things, though blocky and plain compared to the blue walls of Annuakat, and in their smithing, which produces fabulous weapons and armor, not as elegant as that of Elvish smiths, nor as intricate as that of the Dwarves, but of excellent quality nonetheless.

They are a race of warriors and smiths. Their mine shafts delve deep, bringing forth valuable ores to smelt weapons and armor and jewels with which to trade. They once dwelt in small family units known as fists that survived in the snow peaked mountains as hunter-gatherers. However, in ages past they became a more settled people, unlike their cousins in the Savanna, the Steppes, or the Spine. Some fists dwell in the mountains still, rejecting the settlements and thinking them weak.

There is some evidence among their culture of what appears to be Dwarven craftsmanship, leading to much debate concerning the apparent absence of Dwarves in the Seret. Some say that the towns the Blue Orcs live in used to be Dwarven towns, but the orcs came down from the peaks and slaughtered them to the last, then settled the townships in their stead. However, there are no mass graves that would indicate this. Others say that it is possible that the Blue Orcs may have captured a number of dwarves and forced them to give up their knowledge of stonecraft, which seems far more likely. The Sereti histories are unclear, as they have only come to form a cohesive language and alphabet within the last century. They merely say that a series of great warlords conquered other fists and then together this Great Fist built settlements so that the people would no longer live in fear and hunger.

“Truly, if I had a gem for every elf uprising, I would be a rich man indeed.”

“Do your Kherkhanite mines not produce enough for you now?”

“Ah, but ogres. So stupid. So big. I hate dealing with those creatures.”

“I hear the women of court think differently. Those blue muscles, so defined. So big. Why, they thought to ask that Grozkalla of the Bronze Claw. Pay him to strip for entertainment.”

“Foolish talk. The ogres are brutes, meant only for physical tasks.”

-Ozman and Cambes, Kaliti nobles, prior to their deaths at the hands of a Kherkhanite mercenary

• The Arena
• The Sun Falls on Heavy Shoulders
• The Great Rites
• The Rising Sands
• The Forbidden City