Shang was the daughter of a long line of orc shogun. A mighty warrior, she was a hero to her people even at a young age, having defeated evil spirits terrorising a scared forest, a forest which grew the strongest oak for the largest warships of the orc fleet. When asked how she had driven back the Oni, she claimed that she had tapped into something dark within her, and in that moment of hot and blinding fury, she reached inwards to something that her people had long turned away from, out of fear, mistrust or perhaps wisdom. Her rage became manifest as an enormous war spear, searing her hands as it exploded into the material plane.
She fought for her Shogun for many years, and when she was of age, Shang fell madly in love with the son of one of her father’s admirals. A handsome, strong tusked young orc, they protected their people side by side for years, their love deepening with the slow passage of the seasons.
Until one faithful night, Porta Verde was attack by dark skinned gilled creatures from the depths. The wicked deep ones tore babies from the arms of their mothers, and stopped only to gorge themselves on the fallen mid battle. Shang’s rage grew as she saw the injustice, the depravity and horrors of the battle, and taking a stand at the main bridge into the port, side by side with her lover , they held the line and met the assault with a storm of white steel. When the red mist cleared and the rage subsided, Shang stood atop a pile of corpses as tall as a ships mast. As she picked through the carnage her heart stopped, for among them, lay the body of her lover. Turning him over with the slow dread rising in the throat she saw the wound in his chest. Unmistakable. Chernobog.
Although celebrated as a hero that day Shang was driven to despair by the events and left her fleet, left the flotilla, and wandered Vaul alone, searching for … something. Vengeance perhaps, punishment maybe or just solace.
Truly is it a tragic and cautionary tale. Since the last century war the Orcs have broken free from the shackles of their rage, their culture has developed and grown into a sophisticated and nuanced admiralty. The legend of Shang is one such parable, illustrated the suffering that awaits those orcs who regress to a darker time.
( There is more to Shangs story, but this is less commonly known and may require somebody a little better read than a brewmaster to tell you)
Chernobog
Chernobog is a legacy weapon ( there are others) which levels up according to the wielders actions. the secrets to leveling them up are often features of their lore, backstory, the personality of the weapon etc.
for example, When initially Throkk Found Chernobog it was simply an enormous spear, its true potential inert and subdued ( admittedly 1d12 damage from shear size). However when Throkk flew into a rage with Chernobog the first time, a memory of the weapons past life awoke within it and it became a +1 spear plus the additional special effects. Who knows where the other legacy weapons/items are found, and what is required to level them up? Well.. I do I guess.