The hollowed ground, scarred and worn from countless training battles, and drills, lay before the assembled warriors. Dust swirled in the harsh wind, catching the light as thousands of Rock Bear and Black Tree orcs stood shoulder to shoulder, a sea of green, brown,black and reddish skin beneath the unforgiving sun.
Males and females, their faces grim but resolute, awaited the beginning of their ordeal. Sakh'arran, his imposing frame silhouetted against the pale sky, addressed them. His voice, a deep rumble that vibrated in the very earth, echoed across the vast expanse.
"Warriors of Rock Bear and Black Tree," he began, his words slow and deliberate, "you stand here today on the precipice of a transformation. The training you are about to endure will test your limits, your endurance, your very spirit. You will be pushed beyond what you believe possible. You will be treated harshly, your pride humbled, your strength challenged."
