Garuk One Ears

The Garuk One Ears were a tribe of goblinoids, orcs, and ogres active in the Galena Mountains of Vaasa in the mid-to-late 14 century DR. They were easily recognized by the fact that every member was missing one ear.

Organization
The tribe was led by Garuk, an unusually large and intelligent goblin who offered to pay anyone who joined the tribe up-front and in gold. Goblins and orcs received one gold piece, bugbears received three or four, and ogres received five. Anyone who agreed to join had to first prove their commitment to Garuk by cutting off their left ear, and then to share a meal with the tribe in which the ears of new recruits were served in a soup.

The tribe was established in the after construction on the Bloodstone Gates had begun following the defeat of Zhengyi the Witch-King. The combination of cash and savagery that the tribe advertised led it to become the fastest growing goblinoid faction in the Bloodstone Lands.

Activities
In truth, the tribe was little more than a scam run by Garuk. The soup was actually made from local vermin, and was served to the tribe in order to conceal the fact that the severed ears were being smuggled out to Palischuk. From there, half-orc associates of Garuk laundered them through the Vaasan Gate to collect the generous bounties posted by King Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara. Garuk then used half of these rewards to pay his new initiates and thus acquire their ears as well.