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Post by Minister on May 2, 2004 8:10:18 GMT -5
As you are not realy replicating anything from a GW publication directly I don't see how they could object.
Anyway, seems all good to little me.
By the way, my thinking is not doing well due to an infection (I'm sure I've got a Nurgling with a runny nose living in my lungs), and so the report may take a while.
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Post by Lordof on May 3, 2004 6:50:21 GMT -5
If you mean training as in the Human military style of drilling and marching then no Orks do not train (Except Blood Axes)
But if you take the concept of Training and put it into an Orkified vision then all sorts of scary concepts of what orks could be coaxed into to doing to improve their ability to fight may be.
Such events could be a lot of Fungus Brew and a few choice words, A Squig Hunt, placing the last bottle of brew attatched to a really fast and nimble squig.
All sorts of things which a clever warboss could contemplate to motivate his warriors to fight and learn how to fight better.
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Post by CELS on May 3, 2004 8:12:09 GMT -5
Well, no, I'm not replicating anything from a GW publication directly... not the way I've done it so far. But if I were to, say, replicate everything GW's written about Gretchin in Codex: Orks (2nd edition), that would be dangerous. My point was merely that if anyone else wants to contribute to my article, I must stress that it's meant to compliment the fluff in the latest Ork publications, not be a substitute, like the fluff bible was. As for your infection... the Emperor protects I'm not in a hurry though. I doubt I'll get the article finished before my exams anyway, so it'll most likely be finished this summer. Lordof, I pretty much agree with what you say, except that not all warbosses are bothered with training their boyz. Orks live in a quite violent society after all, and I would think that few orks reach an age of ten without killing a handful of various Orkoids. Since all orks seem to have a tendency to form mobs and gangs and fight for supremacy, there's really little need for combat training when the Waaagh! comes. Blood Axes will think differently though, and may train mobs to fire in unison like Mordians or to be especially stealthy and use camouflage, which few orks will have any experience with at all. This is actually an important point which should be clarified in the Military Structure section.
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Post by Lordof on May 3, 2004 20:24:50 GMT -5
Well i do think Warbosses would want their Orks to be the bestest boyz out there.
So they would plausibly atleast initiate what they would think of as Wargames with neighbouring Warbands (We would think of them as invasions)
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:06:57 GMT -5
Right! It's done! I've finished my ork article! All 10,293 words of it! I'm posting it here in all its glory, even the bits that I've posted before, because I've added small changes here and there. Not much added to the Oddboy section though, I admit. Except for the stuff that came up after discussion, such as the nature of Sumboyz, the intelligence compartmentalisation, etc. Oh, and I did not include a section on the squigs, because A) There is very little fluff on them and B) They have so many different forms of which the fluff offers only short descriptions that it would be more like a superficial list than anything else. Oh, and I still need a good name for my article. Suggestions? Anyway, without further ado.... Index Xenos – Orks 1. The Orkoid species [/li][li]a. Orks [/li][li]b. Gretchin [/li][li]c. Snotlings 2. Ork nature 3. Ork oddboyz [/li][li]a. Mekboys [/li][li]b. Painboyz [/li][li]c. Runtherdz [/li][li]d. Weirdboyz [/li][li]e. Brewboyz [/li][li]f. Diggerz [/li][li]g. Sumboyz [/li][li]h. Yellerz 4. Gretchin and Orkoid society 5. Snotlings and Orkoid society 6. Ork clans. [/li][li]a. Badmoons [/li][li]b. Deathskulls [/li][li]c. Goffs [/li][li]d. Snakebites [/li][li]e. Evil Sunz [/li][li]f. Blood Axes [/li][li]g. Brimstones 7. Ork military structure 8. Ork religion 9. Waaagh! 10. Ork warp travel PS: I'd like to thank my family, Sojourner, Kage, Lordof, Zholud, Minister, Destecado, and my fans
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:11:47 GMT -5
1. The Orkoid species[/size] The Orkoid species consist of a group of four sub-species; the orks, the snotlings, the gretchin and the squigs. Imperial geneticists have long known that all Orkoid sub-species share a common genetic base, but have been unable to understand exactly what connection there is between these creatures that vary in size from that of insects to that of houses. As some of the members of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition are partly aware, the orks are a genetically engineered warrior race, created by an almost mythical race known simply as the Old Ones. Designed to be independent, resourceful and resilient, the orks are in many ways the ultimate warrior race, seeking naught but war itself.
Though the Orkoid species vary tremendously in form, all four sub-species share a common genetic structure, consisting of a standard primary genetic structure with the chromosomes that define each sub-species and a secondary plant-like structure. This plant-like genetic structure is the basis of the algal cellular sub-system that is common for all Orkoids, and contains the reproductive system of the Orkoids.
Drastically different from that of all Terran animals, Orkoid reproduction takes place post-mortem. As an Orkoid dies, its body begins to develop large numbers of small cysts embedded in the outer musculature, below the skin. These cysts contain asexual germ cells which roughly perform the function of the blastocyst in humans. As more time passes, the original form of the Orkoid body changes, growing into an unrecognizable fungus of varying size depending on the environment.
All Orkoids also shed algal spores in amongst dead skin cells throughout their life, which are blown on air currents around the habitat which they occupy. When these spores settle on an Ork corpse, they reactivate and multiply rapidly on the decaying flesh, simultaneously invading the germ cells contained within the reproductive cysts. This stimulates the germ cells to begin division and differentiation in a similar manner to human embryonic development. At a given point of development, the embryo extends an appendage through the host corpse and into the substrate on which it lies, then proceeding to migrate into a membrane located just under the ground. While this structure develops resembling many varieties of flora, gestation continues inside the swollen body. After a remarkably short period, one or more small facsimiles of the parent Ork emerge from the nurturing membrane.
In the same way as humans can have ab-human and mutant offspring depending on chromosome arrangement, any Orkoid can have Ork, gretchin, snotling and squig offspring. Compared to that of humans however, Orkoid chromosome arrangement is far more unpredictable, with Orkoid embryos developing into either sub-species seemingly at random. Though the division of offspring sub-species depends greatly on the environment, gretchin and snotlings typically are more numerous than orks.
The fungus growing from dead Orkoids can survive in all kinds of different conditions, from murky swampland and thick jungles to arid savannahs and even polluted wastelands. The sub-species of the offspring and number of offspring vary tremendously, depending on the amount of water and nutrients in the soil, but the squigs typically emerge first from the ground, creating a substantial food source for other Orkoids. Varying in size and shape from the insect-like buzzer squigs to the gargantuan squiggoths, the squigs are the Orkoid subspecies that are most affected by their environment. The squigs are followed quickly by the Snotlings, then the Gretchin and finally the Orks.
Even to the exalted Tech-Priests of the Magi Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the nature of Orkoid reproduction is something of a mystery. Because of their ignorance, ork infestations are common on Imperial worlds all over the Imperium. Though it is almost common knowledge that ork infestations are common in areas where orks have suffered casualties in battle, the secret to this phenomenon has eluded the Imperium for millennia. On hiveworlds, orks can continue to appear over centuries for no apparent reason, their bodies carefully cremated to avoid further contamination, whilst the real source of the infestation is a family of snotlings living in garbage containers. This Orkoid ability to survive is truly a testament to the capabilities of the Old Ones, and the undeniable power of the Orks.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:13:29 GMT -5
a. Orks The orks are genetically engineered warriors, created with the sole purpose of doing war. They have a greater muscle mass than most alien races encountered, and usually stand two meters tall after only a few years of life. As orks grow older and participate more in combat, they continue to grow, with the most dominant orks growing over three meters tall, fully capable of tearing an armoured man to shreds with their bare hands.
Orks are humanoids with powerful, long arms that almost reach the ground in their typical hunched stance, with five digits on each limb. Their skin is green, but darkens considerably with age. Orks are completely without hair, though many orks have symbiotic relationships with a sub-species of squig that live under their skin, growing hair of various colours.
Ork sensory organs are very similar to those of humans in principle, but are considerably more advanced. The ork brain is completely different to the human brain in structure, making it plain to see that the orks are an artificially created race, genetically engineered. Unlike the brain of most terran creatures as well as alien creatures, the ork brain can not be divided into a forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain which clearly show the process of evolution from simple organisms to intelligent creatures. The ork brain is structured in such a way that many functions, such as the regulation of heartbeat in the brain stem of humans, are carried out by many different parts of the brain, greatly decreasing the effects of local brain damage. The ork skeleton is also obviously constructed for war, with the brain being protected by very thick layer of hardened bone, and spine and vital organs protected by solid bone plates. Orks grow great fangs that can easily render meat, and these grow back again if they should be lost.
b. Gretchin[/color] The smaller cousins of the orks, gretchin stand little over one meter tall, resembling children in size and movement. The gretchin are far weaker and more vulnerable than the orks, and even compared to humans. They also have smaller jaws than the orks, and bigger noses, making their faces easily recognizable from those of orks. Internally, however, the resemblance to orks is great. Most organs are quite similar, differing only in size, and the algal cellular sub-system is virtually identical. The brain of gretchin is slightly different in structure to that of the orks, with the various lobes of the cortex more specialized, which accounts for their slightly higher intelligence. Unfortunately, it also makes the brain more susceptible to damage. Taking their physical characteristics into consideration, it is quite understandable that many gretchin are eager to avoid combat. Unlike the orks, they were simply not made for war.
c. Snotlings[/color] The snotlings are smaller still than the gretchin, measuring less than one meter, and far less intelligent. Only rarely capable of the most basic language, snotlings are only slightly more intelligent than dogs, and have a remarkably small attention span. Like the gretchin, the snotlings have great internal resemblance with orks, and even their brains look remarkably like underdeveloped ork brains.
2. Ork nature[/size][/color] The orks are often misunderstood by humans, who see them as simple, stupid creatures with no sense of honour, beauty or other concepts that humans value. Considering the Imperial xenophobia, this is perfectly understandable, but also completely wrong. That orks are single-minded and devoted wholly to the pursuit of power and war is beyond question, but there is more to this race than meets the eye.
Over the millennia, human commanders have met orks at war, and laughed as the green aliens charge headlong over battlefields with little or no cover, oblivious of danger, only to be cut down by ruthless Imperial guns. All over the galaxy, the orks are known to fight to their death when the only sensible thing is to retreat, to engage in hand to hand combat even when they have superior firepower, and to waste countless lives against the enemy’s most elite troops when they could easily avoid them and attack less protected regions. Imperial commanders see this as stupidity and poor tactics, writing orks off as brutes lacking foresight. Ironically, the same commanders will ignore examples of orks displaying superior tactics, blaming it on luck or the occasional incompetence of Imperial officers (the latter typically resulting in the execution of said officers).
Ork commanders do not send their troops charging towards well-defended Imperial trenches with any illusions of the immortality of their troops. Actually, this is a perfect example of the orks’ incredible sense of honour. To the orks, retreating and evacuating is inexcusable cowardice and a mockery of the ork gods. To neglect firearms and charge one’s enemy with close combat weapons such as chainswords and power claws is the most honourable way to fight, and to die with sword in hand is something that no proper ork fears. This enthusiasm over close combat is tempered, however, by the orks’ ambitions for victory. While the orks leave crewing artillery and other long-range weaponry to their cowardly gretchin counterparts, most orks have a great love of guns. While this may seem at odds with their concept of honour, the orks make up for this fact by charging into close combat when they’ve done enough shooting, thinking that it’s alright to start out with guns as long as they claim victory as proper orks, eye to eye and blade to blade.
When not at war, the orks spend most of their time working to strengthen their warbands, which vary in size from mobs to small armies, training new recruits, building and repairing machines of war and working to afford better weapons and armour. Pit fights are very popular in ork society, both as a form of entertainment and as a way to settle disputes between individuals. Many orks make money and kill time betting on squigs, in squig races, squig fights and squig eating contests. Yet another popular activity is racing. The orks have such a fanatical love of speed that many of them dedicate their lives to building the perfect machine, outracing and outgunning all that come in their way. On ork worlds, some of these speed-crazed orks can be seen racing on open highways or even in crowded cities, occasionally shooting anyone faster than themselves, and even repairing their vehicle in motion, only stopping for fuel.
In war, orks show an intuitive understanding of battle tactics, naturally cooperating with little need for leadership or communication. Despite a total lack of training, the orks have an unparalleled ability to assess their enemies and read the battlefield, making even the youngest orks worthy adversaries of veteran Imperial Guard.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:16:05 GMT -5
3. Ork oddboyz[/color] The Oddboyz are the cornerstone of ork society. Without them, the ork empires would collapse in no time at all, as most orks have no knowledge about things such as steering space craft, organizing industry, running farms or doing all but the most simple of mathematics. The Oddboyz were once genetically engineered by the mythical Brainboyz, who equipped some of the ork race with special skills and abilities that would be required for the ork race to function on its own. Though the orks were created for warfare, a whole race of dedicated soldiers would obviously not be able to survive on its own, without supporting industry, agriculture, administration, and so on. This is why the Oddboyz were created, each group with its own unique skills which had been imprinted in their DNA to ensure that they would be able to carry on without the leadership of the Brainboyz.
Though it is quite impossible to imprint genes with explicit memory such as the schematics for a ship or formula for certain chemicals, the Brainboyz were able to equip the Oddboyz with extremely specialized skills and forms of intelligence. In the same way as some humans with special mental disorders have a special skill when it comes to mathematics, being able to perform mental operations with high numbers and complex calculations, oddboyz have a higher form of intelligence than other orks, in specific areas. One group known as Mekboyz was equipped with an innate understanding of spatiality, mechanics and physics, enabling them to construct highly advanced machinery with little or no training. Another group known as Weirdboyz was given different psychic powers, enabling them to navigate ork ships through the warp, communicate by telepathy across the stars, and use psychic powers in combat. Together, the Oddboyz are the specialists that uphold the ork society, supporting the dedicated ork soldiers everywhere in the galaxy.
a. Mekboyz[/color] Mekboyz are the most common type of ork Oddboy. Natural mechanics and innovators, the Mekboyz are responsible for running most of the ork industry, and construct anything from kitchenware to ork gargants, depending on their skill and status. Most Mekboyz start their career by opening their own workshops. These small one-man shops are typically very flexible, producing anything the customers might require, and filled with all kinds of house wares, vehicles, tools and assorted inventions, not to mention weapons in all shapes and sizes.
As soon as the Mekboy starts earning money, the lesser Orkoids called gretchin and snotlings inevitably show up in the workshop, working for food and shelter. Though the work is hard and painful at times, getting work is usually only way the lesser species can avoid being sent to war by their ork masters.
As the Mekboy’s workshop continues to grow, he will need more educated help than that of the lesser Orkoids, and he will usually merge with nearby shops or hire younger Mekboyz. The number of gretchin and snotlings will grow faster and faster as business thrives and often outnumber the Mekboyz more than a hundred times over. As the workshop grows to factory-size, it will have huge halls with countless small Orkoids scurrying around, operating small machinery, assembling parts, and even doing occasional maintenance. Both the intelligence and the physical strength of the lesser Orkoids are limited however, and they are typically given intensely monotone tasks, often relying on lever-operated cranes and pistons.
Unlike most orks, the Mekboyz are generally unconcerned with honour and such, rather focusing on the joy of their work. When a Mekboy strives to build up his workshop, it is only to get richer customers who will pay for more advanced machinery and bigger guns, which is more enjoyable work for the Mekboy. For this reason, Mekboyz as a group are considered more cooperative than other individualistic orks, who generally seek power and glory. Mekboyz are often seen forming Guilds and organizations that let them take on bigger assignments, controlled by councils more often than by single executives.
b. Painboyz[/color] A less common group of Oddboy, the Painboyz, or Docs, are gifted doctors, surgeons and biologists. The main activity of Painboyz is that of amputation and grafting mechanical limb replacements in cooperation with a Mekboy, and tooth pulling. Due to the violent nature of orks, Painboyz typically work alone, roaming the land and doing work whenever it comes up, knowing that they won’t have to go far to find an ork in need of surgery. Some Painboyz have greater ambitions though, and build great labs to do all kinds of experiments with biological and mechanical augmentation. Like Mekboy workshops, these labs will be filled with lesser Orkoids doing all sorts of menial tasks, but also Mekboys and Brewboyz who help with the Painboyz’ strange experiments.
As soon as a Painboy has mastered the art of mechanical augmentation, his economical worries will be over, as war crazed orks will flock to the lab to graft power claws and mind-controlled firearms. Should the Painboy earn the favour of an ork warlord, he might even be hired as a personal medic, in which case he follows his employer on distant battlefields.
Painboyz are not the most popular group of orks however, not trusted because of their reputation for experimenting on their patients. In addition, they tend to become oblivious with the pain of their patients as they become more experienced, their minds obsessed with augmentations and experiments instead, which has earned them their name as Painboyz.
c. Runtherdz[/color] Runtherdz are responsible for training the Orkoids known as gretchin and snotlings and training and breeding the different forms of Squig animals that are so vital for ork society. There are many ways that the Runtherdz can make a living, since snotlings are typically so stupid that they can only be used for the simplest of tasks without proper training. Runtherdz can also make a living breeding different kind of squigs, either as livestock or as specially trained pets or even for war. Many Runtherdz open special schools or academies, where they specially train gretchin or snotlings for war, farming, advanced factory work or even assassination.
Another very important job for Runtherdz is training and directing slaves from other races. Orks are one of the few races in the galaxy known to take prisoners as slaves, and there are many records of orks conquering Imperial worlds and shipping billions off-world to be used as slaves on distant ork homeworlds.
The Runtherdz are usually clearly marked out from other orks, using Hair squigs to grow impressive beards or scalp-locks, often riding powerful squigs resembling boars, and accompanied by flocks of lesser Orkoid servants.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:17:56 GMT -5
d. Weirdboyz[/color] The psykers of the ork race are known as Weirdboyz, a catch-all phrase for astropath, navigator and combat psyker, since the ork psykers usually have a wide range of abilities, and can often take on more than one of these roles. Compared to human psykers, ork Weirdboyz are quite powerful, but lack the skill and training of the Scholastica Psykana graduates. The most powerful Weirdboyz are known as Weirdboy Warpheadz, and are equivalent of alpha-level human psykers. Typically specializing in their own twisted parody of pyromancy, these Warpheadz are powerful enough to challenge even the Eldar Farseers in psychic combat. When it comes to navigating ships in the warp, and interstellar communication through telepathy, the ork Weirdboyz are far inferior to human Navigators and Astropaths.
Weirdboyz are quite different from the psykers of most races, in that they absorb psychic power from orks around them. Whilst most orks are incapable of using psychic powers in the same way as most humans, they still emit a sort of psychic aura that the Weirdboyz are able to absorb. The more orks that are close to the Weirdboy, and the more excited they are, the more power the Weirdboy absorbs. At times such as in a Waaagh! the Weirdboy can find himself surrounded by so many excited orks, that he is unable to contain his powers, often resulting in him injuring both himself and those nearby. For this reason, Weirdboy are honoured in battle, but in many ways shunned from the daily life of ork society.
The ork Weirdboyz do not live in the same settlements or cities as orks, as this is far too risky. Instead, they live in their own settlements, separated from the other orks. These settlements are usually surrounded by high walls as well as poles and fences of copper, intended to absorb most of the damage that Weirdboyz cause involuntarily. Some of the more reliable Weirdboyz are allowed outside their settlement, typically to do work as astropaths, communicating with other planets or distant ork fleets, or even to be assigned to ork fleets as astropaths and navigators.
Because of their dangerous nature, ork Weirdboyz are always dressed in bright colours intended to warn other orks. Bells and chains are also popular. To make sure that the ork Weirdboyz don’t run off into heavily populated ork neighbourhoods and blow up entire buildings, Weirdboyz are escorted by strong ork bodyguards known as Minderz, who are often forced to keep their Weirdboy in chains to keep him running away.
e. Brewboyz[/color] Brewboyz are by far the most popular of the Oddboyz, being the only orks knowledgeable in the art of brewing alcoholic drinks strong enough to affect the resilient orks. This is only a small part of their capabilities however, as they are really gifted in all kinds of chemistry, concocting powerful potions and drugs, chemicals needed for construction and maintenance, different types of fuels and even chemical weapons and explosives.
Because of the ork’s love of alcohol though, Brewboyz are often forced to spend much of their time brewing squig beer and fungus booze for the masses. Though Brewboyz have a nice income compared to other orks, they tend to have less privacy than other orks, often dragged out of their laboratories or even their beds at night to supply other orks with drinks.
As Brewboyz get older and can afford hiring younger Brewboyz to produce the alcoholic drinks for them, they are free to spend their time on more advanced and lucrative jobs, such as producing fuel or explosives. Unlike Mekboys, Painboyz and other sorts of ork Oddboyz, few Brewboyz actually dare to hire lesser Orkoid assistants as business grows however. This is perfectly understandable of course, considering they work in endless mazes of various flammable and explosive chemicals, and that Brewboy factories run by gretchin and snotlings have been known to be troubled by frequent fires, or even to blow up altogether (taking a few blocks with them).
Sometimes, especially wily warlords will bring Brewboyz to battle to make use of their knowledge with explosives and chemical weapons. Such alliances are fearsome indeed, as the Mekboy will typically equip other orks with fantastically potent explosives and flamers, and drugs that drive the orks into an unstoppable frenzy. Some orks, especially from the Blood Axe clan, are also known to use weapons engineered by Brewboyz that other orks would consider dishonourable and “unorky”, such as acid spraying cannons and chemical gas weapons.
f. Diggerz[/color] As their name suggest, Diggerz seem to believe that their purpose in life is digging, and that’s pretty much all they’re good for. Expert miners, the Diggerz will dig through a mountain with fanatical glee, with a seemingly instinctive sense of direction. In reality, the Diggerz are low-level psykers, who use their powers together with their obsession for digging and finding minerals. Though Diggerz generally don’t understand that they are using psychic powers, they have the ability to search solid rock with their minds. The distance is very limited however, which makes the digging random enough to avoid drawing suspicion.
The Diggerz have other psychic powers than the ability to see through walls and solid rocks however, but these vary greatly. Some Diggerz have abilities of telepathy and mind-reading, others telekinesis. Whatever their powers though, the Diggerz are such low-level psykers that when they happen to use these abilities, it is commonly attributed as bad luck, a blessing of Mork, or just ignored.
Diggerz employ great hordes of gretchin, snotlings, in addition to using whatever machines they can get their hands on. Squigs are also a common sight in ork mines, pulling carts of minerals and crystals to the surface. The gretchin and snotlings are usually used to get into cracks and openings, scouting ahead of the powerful digging machines. Many Diggerz also use gretchin to plant explosives, knowing that even though they are likely to blow themselves up in the process, there are plenty more where they came from.
Ork mines can grow to fantastic proportions given enough time, with gretchin raising different Squig and fungus farms as they go along, providing food and oxygen. Sometimes, the gretchin and snotlings have such growth in numbers in these mines that the Diggerz are no longer able to control them, starting their own digging expeditions and disappearing into the deep. The greatest ork mines will thus have thousands and thousands of Orkoid workers, reaching many kilometers in all directions, spewing up fantastic amounts of rocks, minerals and crystals at a steady pace. Because of the exhaust from the machines, the air in some places of the mine would be outright deadly for humans, but gretchin and orks can usually breathe it with little difficulty.
g. Sumboyz[/color] Of all the Oddboyz, the Sumboyz are the closest link to the mythical Brainboyz, if only for their sheer capacity of mathematical tasks. This group of ork has earned its name from its mathematical skills, being able to perform all kinds of mathematical operations at amazing speeds and using figures too large for other orks to comprehend. Still, the Sumboyz are far from clever. Though they can multiply and divide great numbers without aid, they still lack the foresight and social intelligence to gain a dominant role in ork society. Instead, Sumboyz are hired by ork bosses and warlords to take on various administrative and economical tasks, such as accounting.
The Sumboyz are by far the smallest group of Oddboyz and are rarely seen among other orks, spending their entire lives working for the leaders in ork society. This works out fine for them, mostly, as they are quite small and even cowardly compared to other orks, and usually manage to get themselves into trouble and harm’s way, as orks have an ability to sense fear. As soon as they’re hired by a powerful boss though, Sumboyz are quick to paint his glyphs on their clothes, giving them a level of immunity.
h. Yellerz[/color] Another small group of Oddboyz, the Yellerz are the messengers of ork society, known to have powerful voices, big lungs and fantastic memory, and also to be great voice imitators. The Yellerz have a small but important role, carrying to orders of the bosses to his forces, spreading news to the masses and even communicating between rival bosses. Because of their seemingly unimportant role, it is likely that the Yellerz were in fact an unfinished work of the Brainboyz, and that they were originally intended to have a different role in ork society, such as leaders or even diplomats. Whatever their intended purpose, the Yellerz have managed to adapt to the ork society as messengers, and can usually be seen sprinting around cities and settlements from one crowd to another, making long speeches and declarations. In times of war, Yellerz are sometimes used when large amounts of information must reach many different recipients, and the use of Weirdboyz is too unreliable. Because of this, Yellerz can be seen sprinting across war-torn landscapes, or driving fast, unarmed buggies between ork forces, seemingly oblivious of enemies or the state of their vehicles.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:21:34 GMT -5
4. Gretchin and Orkoid society[/color][/size] The gretchin are a smaller species of the Orkoids, and form a vital part of ork society. Also called grotz, a derogatory term, the gretchin are something of a slave caste in ork society, forced to serve their brutal ork masters. The gretchin outnumber the orks on most ork-held worlds and are given many important tasks, such as factory work, preparing food, handling information, delivering messages and property, and so forth. Though smaller than their big brothers, the orks, the gretchin are more clever and cunning, if a bit cowardly.
In feral and feudal ork societies, gretchin act both as hunter-gatherers and builders, but are interestingly sometimes eaten by the orks. The tradition of eating gretchin is rather unusual however, done almost exclusively by the Snakebite clan and other feral clans, or by other clans in times of great hunger.
In more advanced ork societies, gretchin are sought after by ork specialists such as Mekboyz, Painboyz and Diggerz. The huge industrial complexes that cover large parts of ancient ork worlds are filled almost entirely with gretchin, who have no problem performing tasks that are too boring and dishonourable for most orks, and too complicated for most snotlings.
When the orks go to war, the gretchin join them in great numbers, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes not. Some gretchin are trained by Mekboyz and Runtherdz to operate heavy artillery and serve in the logistics division of ork armies, and others form units of infantry that are typically given minimal equipment, if any, and used as cannon fodder.
Though most gretchin are happy to serve the orks, doing what they can to impress them and thus stay out of trouble, it is not unheard of for gretchin to rise against their brutal masters when years of terrible abuse, slave work and forced service in war finally drive the gretchin to rebellion. Though the gretchin are able to survive without the orks, such rebellions are usually short-lived as the orks quickly strike down any trouble makers. Still, there are incidents of gretchin escaping their ork masters to build their own societies in inaccessible areas such as high mountains or thick jungles, or even colonizing their own planets.
5. Snotlings in Orkoid society[/color][/size] Snotlings, or runtz, are even smaller and more cowardly than gretchin, and far less intelligent to boot. The snotlings are considered little more than pets by orks, and though useless on their own, the snotlings can be trained by the ork Runtherdz to perform simple tasks or even to be used in war. For the orks who can’t afford the service of Runtherdz, using snotlings can be frustrating and even dangerous.
Typical tasks assigned to snotlings include tending squigs, harvesting fungus, digging in ork mines, and delivering written messages or property. In battle, snotlings are used for great swarm attacks, overrunning the enemy’s position to silence their weapons and thus prepare way for the orks. Some Runtherdz have learned to train snotlings for more stealthy attacks, as the small creatures can easily sneak up on the enemy from the flanks, creeping unseen through woods or rubble.
Snotlings are not as numerous as gretchin, but are still a common sight in ork society. Snotlings are mostly seen in ork farms, squig kennels and mines, but usually pop up everywhere in ork cities and villages, living in garbage heaps, abandoned buildings or even starting families in less used parts of ork homes, such as attics, basements and large closets.
6. Ork clans[/color][/size] Across the galaxy, orks form communities that are known as clans. These clans have their own traditions and culture. In times of peace, orks mostly stick to their own clans, forming social and professional relationships with like-minded orks. In times of war however, different clans form great armies to take advantage of the different strengths and abilities of each clan.
There are countless different clans across the galaxy, but six of them are especially well known to humans, as they have been encountered in almost every part of the Imperium. They are the Bad Moons, known for great wealth and love of food; the Deathskulls, known for having great faith in the ork gods and scavenging equipment; the Goffs, reputed as the biggest and most aggressive of orks; the Snakebites, known for their feral ways and strange snake rituals; the Evil Sunz, renowned for their love of noise and speed; and finally the Blood Axes, distrusted for their knowledge about humans and unusual strategic abilities.
Since the ork clans have different qualities and strengths, it is often in their interest to cooperate even in times of relative peace. Though the clans form distinct communities such as cities, regions or sometimes entire worldwide empires, the most powerful ork empires are invariably those that consist of several clans. In such a multi-clan empire, the Bad Moons, known for their wealth and specialization in commerce, typically become something of a merchant class. Similarly, Evil Sunz are obvious candidates for transportation, driving road freighters and aircraft with goods and raw materials. Of course, this transportation isn’t always reliable, as the Evil Sunz wage road wars or push their machines so hard that they literally explode, but it’s dead fast if nothing else.
a. Bad Moons[/color] Orks use ork teeth as currency, and as it happens, Bad Moons grow teeth faster than any other clan. In addition, Bad Moons typically have a special interest in trade, and these two qualities contribute to making most Bad Moons richer than other orks. Wearing the proud yellow and black colours of their clan symbol, the Bad Moons are easy to pick out in a crowd, thanks to their gaudy clothes and expensive gear. Bad Moons are also known for their love of good food and squig beer, often making them as heavy as Goffs, but not nearly as muscular.
Bad Moon culture is often considered very individualistic and boasting by other orks, and similar to Blood Axes, Bad Moon orks are known as dishonourable in some ork regions. This reputation stems from the Bad Moons’ greed and love of money, and whilst other orks will go fighting for glory and honour, Bad Moons will typically only engage in combat if they can profit from doing so. Bad Moon individualism is also connected to this greed, as Bad Moons value their own profit higher than the glory of their mob or warband. Whilst Goffs and Snakebites may form bonds of comradeship that last a lifetime, Bad Moon relations last only as long as both parts consider it profitable.
On the battlefield, the Bad Moons’ cost-benefit way of thinking is often camouflaged by their intense greed. For example, a Bad Moon might engage a Space Marine in Terminator armour, intent on selling the armour for a high price. This greed often leads the Bad Moons to engage the toughest foes in close combat, from Dreadnoughts to super-heavy tanks, much like the Deathskull clan.
b. Deathskulls[/color] The Deathskulls are very religious for orks, and show great faith in the ork gods, Gork and Mork. Marked out by their blue skin paint meant to honour the ork gods, the Deathskulls are among the few orks that actually engage in active worship of the ork gods, even known to build crude shrines and temples in honour of Gork and Mork. These shrines are usually the sites of ritual combat as a form of sacrifice, and also sacrifice of equipment and trophies scavenged on the battlefield.
Deathskulls are notorious for their habit of plundering the battlefield, and other orks frequently joke about Deathskulls who will scavenge armour and weapons from a still-living foe in close combat. Descending upon corpses and wreckage after (and sometimes even during) a battle, the Deathskulls plunder their enemies of weapons, equipment, clothes and anything else of value. Though other orks always keep a suspicious eye on the Deathskulls, who will not shy away from scrounging some equipment from their fellow orks, the Deathskulls see nothing dishonourable about their traditions. In fact, this is the way of Mork, god of low cunning, they claim.
In battle, Deathskulls engage their enemy with unrivalled ferocity, engaging the toughest foe in sight to scavenge the valuable equipment they may carry. As a counter-weight to their reputation for stealing, this fact makes them a valuable ally for other clans. The Mekboyz of the Deathskull clan also contribute to making this clan a valuable ally, as they seem to have a special ability to understand and recreate alien technology, from Imperial tanks to eldar beam weapons.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:25:31 GMT -5
c. Goffs[/color] The Goffs have the reputation of being the biggest, ugliest and meanest of the Orks – which is saying something! While Bad Moons devote much time trying to accumulate wealth and Evil Sunz spend most of their lives working on their bikes, buggies, trucks and tanks, the Goffs are mostly concerned with fighting, plain and simple. Though they love combat in all forms, the Goffs are specialists in hand-to-hand combat, spending all their time when not at war in pit-fights, fighting for money, or fighting in mob wars.
Claiming that bright colours are not suitable for proper orks, the Goffs prefer black clothing, and rarely bother to paint over metal surfaces on their weapons or armour. Leather is especially popular, but some Goffs go as far as stating that anything other than metal is unsuitable for proper orks to wear. These orks are suitably called ‘Ard boyz.
The Goffs have a very anarchistic way of life, and are prone to rebel from their Warboss, especially if he is from another clan. There is no need for law and order, since the strongest will get their way in the end, and this has always been the ork way, they argue. Not bothering with enforcing laws and rules, the Goff communities are strong, yet divided and leaderless, to a degree.
Goffs consider themselves superior to orks from other clans, whom they consider more or less cowards, since they don’t have the same affinity with close combat as Goffs do. For this, Goffs are often considered very self-righteous and arrogant, but few dare to make such comments to their face. Of the few who dare, most belong to the Snakebite clan.
d. Snakebites[/color] Snakebites are rather primitive compared to other orks, showing great disdain for certain aspects of technology and for those who would copy the technology of other races such as humans or Eldar. Relying on the use of squigs rather than advanced machinery and vehicles, Snakebites are famous for riding into battle on squiggoths and other ferocious creatures.
Much like the Goffs, the Snakebites consider them superior to orks from other clans, but for different reasons. The Snakebites consider it dishonourable to rely on alien technology and also shun the use of suits of armour. While Bad Moons and Goffs might go to battle in great suits of Mega armour, the Snakebite heroes go unarmoured into combat, using their speed and ferocious attacks to overcome armoured opponents in close combat.
In times of relative peace, the Snakebites are nomads, herding squigs and other livestock and moving wherever the winds and weather takes them. Orks from the Snakebite clan are especially well known for their loyalty to the Clan and to their tribes, gladly giving their lives for the common good. For their sense of loyalty, Snakebites are great allies for an Ork Warboss, but this can be a double edged sword as the Snakebites expect the exact same loyalty in return. This can lead to unexpected conflict, when a Warboss from the Blood Axe clan orders the retreat, only to find his forces under attack by Snakebites who feel betrayed by such an act.
Snakebites have very strict hierarchies compared to clans such as the Evil Sunz or Goffs, and tribe members have great loyalty to the laws of their tribe and to their warlords. Some Snakebite tribes are even known to use more advanced forms of government such as tribe councils formed by the tribe elders, a tradition that is fairly unique amongst orks.
Snakebites are named from their many strange rituals that are an important part of their culture. The initiation rites of the clan, for example, involves the new Snakebite being bitten by several very poisonous snakes, and then sucking out the venom straight away to prove his toughness. Other rites include wrestling strangler snakes, eating snakes alive and catching extremely poisonous snakes without getting bitten. All such trials contribute to making Snakebites resilient to pain, calm and clear-headed in dangerous situations, and as fast and deadly as the most dangerous of snakes.
e. Evil Sunz[/color] Though most famous for their unstoppable charges on great war bikes with truly fantastic amounts of firepower, the Evil Sunz can really be seen operating all kinds of vehicles, on ground, sea and air. From highly advanced fighter-bombers to armed and armoured road trains, each Evil Sun clanner has his special preference, and most orks from this clan keep their vehicle throughout most of their lives, constantly making it faster, better and bigger.
The clan colours of the Evil Sunz are red, black and yellow, with most of their vehicles being red because of the old Ork adage that “red wunz go fasta”. Evil Sunz are also known to decorate themselves with chains and various piercings, sometimes even decorating their foreheads by screwing metal studs directly into their skulls!
Like the Snakebites, the Evil Sunz are a nomadic kind who almost never settle down for long enough to build a home. In times of peace, the Evil Sunz often make a living operating heavy machinery such as digging machines or bulldozers, or doing transport work as they travel endlessly and almost at random between ork settlements and cities. The Evil Sunz can be seen racing along open highways, grasslands, crowded city streets and generally anywhere a vehicle will fit and sometimes even in places a vehicle really doesn't fit.
The Evil Sunz are the most anarchistic of the ork clans, with tribes and warbands forming and splitting up on a regular basis, even from day to day in times of peace. Because of this, Evil Sunz rarely form their own empires, as they are dependant on other clans to form settlements and produce food and equipment for them.
f. Blood Axes[/color] The Blood Axe clan is a relatively young ork clan, formed when the orks first encountered humans. For many millennia, the Blood Axes have been in contact with Imperial culture, both through hostile and peaceful relations, and this has clearly put its mark on their culture.
Blood Axes believe that the orks cannot overcome their enemies through brute force alone, but rather through the combination of superior strength and cunning. Knowing one’s enemy is the key to success, they argue. Still, the Blood Axes scarcely consider races such as the fading Eldar, the upstart Tau or the unorky Tyranids worthy of admiration. Instead, they look to the Imperium, the largest empire in the galaxy, with some of the greatest warriors. The unstoppable might of Imperial Space Marines, armoured companies and towering Titans, these are things the Blood Axes can admire and learn from, and ultimately recreate in the image of the orks and their gods.
Inspired by humans, the Blood Axes are considerably well organized and structured compared to other ork clans. Their cities are structured, their empires have laws which are actually enforced by the servants of the Warlords, and their armies are considerably uniform compared to most ork armies.
Blood Axes are easily recognised by their attempts to copy Imperial culture and battle practice, as their warmachines look like twisted parodies of human machines, their armour and clothing inspired by Imperial warriors whom they consider especially worthy of admiration.
In battle, the Blood Axes are renowned for quite advanced tactics compared to most orks, ironically using the Imperium’s own tactics against them. Though Imperial commanders are hesitant to admit it, there have been many examples of Blood Axe warlords actually outwitting Imperial commanders and strategists, proving that orks are not to be underestimated as stupid.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:28:02 GMT -5
g. Brimstones[/color] The Brimstone clan is a fairly small and ancient ork clan, located in the galactic south-east of Segmentum Ultima. The Brimstone clan dates back many millennia before humans first came in contact with orks, and it is one of the few clans performing ritual worship of the ork gods. Named after its rituals around volcanoes and great pyres, the Brimstone clan is a mysterious and secretive culture compared to other ork clans. The Brimstones are known for their high number of Weirdboyz and their mystic ways, and many orks show a mix of respect and fear of this clan because of this.
Devoted to the worship of the ork gods, the Brimstones believe that the ork gods require constant sacrifice, worship and noble deeds to bless the orks with their strength and wisdom. Some of the older Brimstones become dark prophets of their tribes, and guide the other Brimstone clanners by reading omens and portents and offering their own morbid prophecies.
Gathering around volcanoes and pits and rivers of molten lava, Brimstones perform dark ceremonies in honour of their gods, sacrificing trophies and slaves, and doing brave feats to impress Gork and Mork. Their many Weirdboyz absorb the fantastic build-up of energies, and vomit great gouts of psychic flames, contributing to the great inferno. Drums are also important to the Brimstone clans, and their rituals can be heard from miles away as the greatest orks thunder away on gigantic drums made from the stretched skin of their enemies.
On ancient ork worlds in the Segmentum Ultima, communities of Brim Stone clans might be found around volcanoes or in deep mines where Diggerz have reached the molten core of the planets. Though not as primitive as the Snakebites, the Brimstone clan does not typically show a great interest in technological wonders, trusting that the ork gods will help them overcome without such things. Brimstone society is similar to that of the Deathskull clan, and all members show great loyalty and respect to the clan warlords and prophets.
In battle, members of the Brimstone clan can be picked out by their proud blue and orange colours, their many torches and great drums. The Brimstone leaders known as prophets typically wear flaming orange hoods, inspiring their fellow orks by roaring great prophecies and promises of reward from the ork gods, and driving them into an unstoppable frenzy.
7. Ork military and social structure[/color][/size] Orks do not divide their armies into precise companies and regiments like humans. Their armies evolve naturally, from small mobs to great hordes. Though the orks have different names for different size units, these are hardly as reliable as Imperial designations. Ork units can consist of members from a single clan only, or several clans, typically depending on origin and size. Whilst it is very rare for a mob to have members from several different clans, it is equally rare for a large ork army to only have members from a single clan.
[/li][li] Mob: Rough equivalent of squad or platoon. Ten to thirty members. [/li][li] Warband: Rough equivalent of company. Tens to hundreds of members. [/li][li] Tribe: Rough equivalent of regiment. Hundreds to thousands of members. [/li][li] Horde: Rough equivalent of division or battle group. Tens of thousands of members and above.
Ork military units do not always use an appropriate designation however, and it is not unusual for small warbands to call themselves tribes to sound more dangerous, or for warbands or tribes with especially famous leaders to suddenly have tens of thousands of orks joining their ranks, and thus go by the name of warbands and tribes before they are aptly renamed hordes.
Though orks are famous for fighting for the position of leader of their forces, and some ork armies have been known to switch leaders many times on a single day, the orks still try to maintain a strict military hierarchy, from mob-level all the way up to the rulers of empires. Should an ork claim to hold a higher rank than is actually the case, this is considered as a challenge to the leadership of the current holder of that rank, which is normally resolved through ritual combat. This is especially common for Nobs striving to become Warboss of their own warband.
[/li][li] Boy: The common foot soldier. Equivalent of Imperial Guardsman in terms of military and middle class citizens in terms of social hierarchy. [/li][li] Skarboy: Veteran warrior and respected citizen. Equivalent of Imperial Guard veterans or storm troopers in terms of military and high middle class citizens in terms of social hierarchy. [/li][li] Nob: Leader of a mob and . Equivalent of sergeant or lieutenant in terms of military, and nobles in terms of social hierarchy. [/li][li] Warboss: Leader of a warband or tribe, and typically in control of a region of land on ork worlds. Equivalent of officers in military terms and regional governors in terms of government. [/li][li] Warlords: Leader of an ork horde, and in control of entire continents or planets. Equivalents of generals or warmasters in military terms and Imperial commanders in terms of government.
Ork society can be described as more feudalistic than imperial in organization. On ork worlds, each continent is usually controlled by a Warlord, though some ork worlds have a single Warlord ruling the entire planet. Under the Warlord, the continents are divided into regions, each of which is controlled by a Big Boss or Warboss. Such regions have no set size, and grow and shrink in time as wars and trade alliances rise and fall. Though the Warlords do not have direct control of the regions of the Warbosses, the Warbosses are required to pay the Warlord homage, pay tithes and owe him their allegiance. Should a Warboss fail in his duties, this is considered a challenge, and resolved through ritual combat or an all-out war.
Since the Warlords demand taxes from their Warbosses based on the size and population of their regions, most Warlords don’t really care if some regions grow or shrink, or if an ambitious Warboss takes control of an other’s region, as long as everyone pay what they should in accordance with their wealth. Should a Warboss become too powerful, this is also considered a challenge to the rule of the Warlord, and this is again resolved through ritual combat or war.
Public services such as building roads and providing water and electricity is usually done by the regional Warboss and his servants, since each Warboss strives to make his region more attractive for other orks to live in, and thus more powerful. Law enforcement varies hugely from clan to clan, but ork society in general can be described as quite anarchistic compared to that of other races. The human expression ‘mob law’ carries a special meaning here, as it is left to the mobs to penalize deviants for crimes such as robbery, cowardly murder or mocking the gods.
8. Ork religion[/color][/size] Most Orks (and also Gretchin to some degree) worship the two ork gods known as Gork and Mork, who are seen as the epitome of proper ork nature. The god Gork is seen as a warrior with unrivalled strength, resilience and skill, who can destroy any enemy through brute force. His counterpart, Mork, is the god of cunning, preferring more devious methods to vanquish his foes. Obviously, the ork religion has a great focus on war and conflict, the very purpose of their existence.
The standard Ork creed teaches that all orks most strive for a balance between strength and cunning, worshipping both gods equally. Despite the beliefs of most Imperial commanders, orks do not seek to win their wars through brute force alone. If an enemy is so inferior that it can be defeated without the use of tactics, there is little honour in victory. Similarly, if an enemy is defeated through some masterful scheme, letting the orks win without breaking a sweat, this is equally without honour. Seeking this honourable balance between guile and strength, orks strive to find worthy enemies. Of course, the orks do not hesitate to destroy lesser foes, but the easier the victory, the less honour it carries for the orks.
There are orks that do not believe in an equal share of guile and strength, and this can seen within the differences of the Ork clans, to some degree. The Blood Axes and Deathskulls for example, are often accused of mocking the god Gork by their cowardly ways. On the other hand, some of the most brutal Goffs are accused of mocking Mork by neglecting the use of ork cunning.
When it comes to worship, the traditions in ork religion vary tremendously. The majority of orks do not spend time on prayer, ritual sacrifice or similar acts of worship. Instead, the act of doing battle is partly seen as worship of the ork gods, and some orks go as far as considering anything that benefits the orks as worship of the ork gods. Some clans have a tradition of more ritual worship, such as the Brimstone and Deathskull clans, who decorate their body and armour in honour of the ork gods, and even participate in ritual combat and sacrifice.
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Post by CELS on Jun 20, 2004 21:30:56 GMT -5
9. Waaagh! and ork collective psychic powers[/color][/size] All Orkoid creatures emit low levels of psychic energy that drive can drive their armies into unrelenting frenzy, fill the ork psyker Weirdboyz with enormous power, and even change the currents of the Warp itself. Orks owe much of their success to these collective psychic powers, the workings of which they do not fully grasp themselves. When orks get aggravated or excited, they emit increasing levels of psychic energy that can be absorbed by other orks nearby. As more and more orks are aggravated or excited, the effects increase in proportion, and each individual is affected emotionally and thus physically. Each ork will experience increased aggression, excitation, confidence and a sense of well-being. As this effect starts snowballing, a crowd of orks can be driven into frenzy, sending them on a rampage that will only end given great amounts of time or diminished numbers through death or exhaustion. Taken to the extreme, such rampages are called Waaagh!s- holy wars that are similar to Imperial crusade in most respects, except that they do not end until the ork warriors are utterly defeated or sufficiently divided. The orks’ collective psychic powers are not only have empathic in nature- they can also have direct effects on physical objects. A well known example of this, is the common belief amongst orks that all vehicles painted red will move faster than identical vehicles in other colours, or “red wunz go fasta”. Interestingly, ork vehicles do in fact move faster when painted red, but the colour of the vehicle is not the direct cause. Actually, orks have such great belief in this phenomenon, that when a group of orks are riding a red vehicle, they unconsciously use collective psychic telekinetic powers to increase the volition of their ride, thus confirming their beliefs. This phenomenon of collective psychic powers making the impossible possible can be seen other many other situations. Individuals or machines that orks believe to be invulnerable can actually be shielded by these psychic powers, which work to deflecting enemy attacks and boost the powers of their heroes. After much war against the orks, this has led to a myth amongst some researchers that orks can make the impossible possible, using stupendous guns that should by all rights jam and explode in seconds, for example. Though there is some truth to this myth, thanks to psychic telekinesis, it is largely exaggerated. The collective psychic power of orks is far too uncomplicated for them to unconsciously manipulate highly advanced weaponry, force fields or other equipment. 10. Ork warp travel[/color][/size] Orks are an ancient species that can be found almost everywhere in the galaxy, and have countless interstellar empires or varying sizes. Though one might not guess it to look at them, it is fairly obvious that the orks are capable of constructing warp drives, similar in principle to human warp drives. Some Imperial experts claim that very few ork ships have ork warp drives, and that most ships have actually scavenged these from Imperial or other alien ships. Though many orks do scavenge all kinds of parts from enemy ships, including warp drives, this is still far from the truth. Many ork Mekboyz are capable of constructing warp drives, though not nearly as reliable or powerful as Imperial equivalents. With their more primitive warp drives, orks can make short calculated jumps, just like humans and most races with warp travel technology, but the actual calculations take a lot longer for the primitive ork cogitators. Another advantage most Imperial war ships have over their ork counterparts is that of Navigators. Without Navigators, ork ships are unable to make as long warp jumps as Imperial war ships, and are usually left with calculated jumps. Some of the most powerful ork psyker Weirdboyz are able to assist in navigating through the warp however, increasing the range and speed of warp travel to a degree. Still, ork warp travel is far from as fast or reliable as that of the Imperium. Despite all this, there are times when orks seem capable of navigating the warp just as well as even Imperial Navigators, with frightening speeds that rival even that of the Eldar! During the largest Waaagh!s, the orks build up such terrific energies from their collective psychic powers, that they are able to influence the tides and currents of warp itself. Together, the orks themselves manage to direct the currents of the warp into the direction of their own choosing, bringing them quickly and safely to their desired destination. Not only does this speed up the warp travel and reduce the chances of ships being thrown of course, but it also affects nearby ships and psykers on nearby worlds. For example, it is a known phenomenon that huge space hulks and all kinds of derelict ships often appear before and during the arrival of the orks. Another known phenomenon that few realize is directly connected to the psychic build-up of an ork Waaagh! is the interference in the warp that prevents interstellar communication by use of Astropaths, and in rare circumstances, blur or block out the light of the Astronomican. + + +[/color][/size] Right, that's it. That's all she wrote. Tell me what you think. Anything from major disagreements with the whole way I've portrayed the ork race to petty spelling errors!
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Post by Kage2020 on Jun 24, 2004 1:28:16 GMT -5
Since I noted the criticism elsewhere, I thought that I would make some generic comments with the caveat of my normal approach to orks. Overall ImpressionLong, but not inappropriately so. It is perfect as a few linked pages attached to the project but, in this case, it would need a bit more 'colour text'. I'm sure that is exactly the type of thing that you were going to include as time permitted and, indeed, exactly the type of thing that was originally suggested in the "Eldar Sourcebook"... you need the colour to back up the BW text, as it were! Some general comments which spring to mind... - "..orks are in many ways the ultimate warrior race..." Perhaps replace 'ultimate' with 'quintessential'? Orks have never struck me as 'ultimate' at anything, but that they are in essence the manifestation of a brutish war-making culture is 'orky' for me.
- "Even to the exalted Tech-Priests..." This is the kind of thing that puts the adeptus mechanicus into the traditional "Adeptus Me-can't-icus" approach, which I find untenable. Perhaps this is a point where a piece of colour text could be used to indicate that it is more a lack of viable specimens that creates the problem, rather than just the generic implication of the incompetence of the adeptus mechanicus? Reference could then be made to the potential of gengineering by a primordial race, rather than specific mention of the Old Ones (we all know about this).
It also makes me wonder about the energy requirements - the price, if you will - of this blatantly powerful ability.
- "...created with the sole purpose of doing war..." Not sure about this sentence. Perhaps "...created solely for battle..." It doesn't imply specific strategic/tactical abilities as an abstract form, but rather just their normal orky preference for mayhem, hacking at things with disproportionately sized cleaver-like swords, and big guns with smoke stacks attached to them, or whatever.
- "...tearing a man to shreds..." I'd say 'pieces'. Shreds implies something a tad sharper than brutish strength.
- "Orks are completely without hair... growing hair of various colours..." Would be best to replace the latter, perhaps, with something that says "...growing materials of various colours which are commonly mistaken for hair..."? Or mention of a 'hair analog' or some such?
- "The ork brain is completely different... genetically engineered." Sentence structure is a bit weird, for me. How about "The ork brain is manifestly different from the structure encountered in both humans a number of other species vivisected by the magos biologis of the adeptus mechanicus, with a number of a features indicative of not only different evolutionary pathways but also of genetic intervention."
With that said, I'm rather fond of the 'diffuse brain' approach. Very holographic!
- As a general comment on physiology, perhaps it would be better to break this into sections. At the moment it seems more like the various parts are 'passing references' rather than a definite approach to them (i.e. ork skeletons, for one).
- "...more specialised, which accounts for..." I'd say remove 'which accounts' and replace with just 'accounting', but that's more than likely just me.
(And this does bring up the parallel consideration that the adeptus mechanicus are able to not only observe cultures of orks outside of war, but seem to find the process of reproduction to be a mystery... Seems strange to me.)
- "other concepts that human value..." Perhaps the addition of a reference to 'civilisation'?
- "...more to this race than meets the eye." I would select another phrase. This sounds far too conversational to me, but again might just be a writing style thing.
- "Ork Nature". Seems more 'psychology'...?
- "...over battlefields with little or not cover..." The irony being that in 40k the troopers and commanders show the same myopia to military science!
- "...uniques skills imprinted into their DNA..." I'm still wary of this concept, out of interest especially for the more abstract races (and the same reason that I'm not fond of the Jokaero). I do, however, like the mechanism of explanation in the second paragraph. Very good and something that I could "live with", even if I'm not fond of it! Congratulations!
Once again I find it somewhat ironic that the Mekboyz are basically green-skinned adeptus mechanicus, at least if you take the common approach. (And, indeed, the analogies between the two even a more developed system are marked.)
- "...these Warpheadz are powerful enough to challenge even the Eldar Farseers in combat..." It's amazing what brutish strength can do even over consumate skill and power!
Although it's canon, the idea that their connection to the warp is not the source of their ability seems a 2E manifestation of the 2E concept that races must be 'immune' to Chaos (except humans, of course). Guess it's just a version of 'psychic vampirism', of course, or empathy, but it would be nice to see the warp/ork connection be more fully detailed.
- "...far less intelligent to boot..." Another one of those 'conversational' comments that I would replace or remove.
- "[snotlings]...delivering messages..." Poor Yellerz being made redundant by this little oiks.
- "...Deathskulls, known for having great faith in the orks gods and scavenging equipment..." Should that be 'scavenged equipment'? Otherwise it sounds like they have as much faith in their gods as this concept called 'scavenging equipment'.
- "...known for their feral ways..." That seems to be like finding a needle in a stack of needles. Are not all orks 'feral', as least by common approach?
- "Orks use teeth as currency..." <sigh> Was kind of hoping that there was a way around this, erm, absurdity. But then again I can see a basis for them, so I'll shut up... Just has peculiar, erm, ramifications.
- The Deathskulls sound very Greek in their approach to scavenging, out of interest...
- "Ork society can be described as more feaudalistic than imperial in organisation." I would question this statement since the Imperium is feudal... though I guess the Imperial Commander=satrap analogy does allow some lattitude for this statement. Hmmn... not sure.
- I'm not sure whether the logic of developing an infrastructure makes sense given the rest of the description of Ork 'society'. E.g. they're a warrior society who band together to fight and, indeed, it is the power and ability of the 'warlord' that makes them do this. But they're also attracted to "roads 'n' stuff"...?
- Ork religion... I would be intrigued to see an attempt at ork creation myths perpetuated by Weirdboyz, or something.
- Orks and Waarghs. Again we have the gestalt phenomenon... do other races tap the same reserve and, if not, why not? Also not sure whether the analogy between Imperial crusades and Waarghs holds, but there we go.
I also find the generic access to psychic powers weak (ork consensual effect on reality), but I guess that must operate on some form of threshold, i.e. a number of orks need to be banded together before the phenomenon can be observed.
- "Despite all this, there are times when orks seem capable of navigating the warp just as well as even Imperial Navigators, with frightening speeds that rival even that of the Eldar!" This statement worries me given what you've said above in the Weirdboyz section. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that they could rival the speeds of the Webway except in those points where the route is circuitous. But, erm, guess that's the point... It's just that this statement seems to be the standard means for GW to say "Erm, well, anything that you want really. It doesn't really matter when it comes down to it" that I find ultimately worrying.
Retrospective CommentsWell, it's the best summary of the orks that I've read, that's clear. It does, however, lack a few things... Firstly, the same applies here as with the FB IA. The inclusion of 'colour text' that illustrates specific features and/or brings across the conflicting nature of representation and actuality. Secondly, other than the reproduction side of things it doesn't really tell us anything new. I know that was probably not your goal, rather just a summary of what we know out there which doesn't go down the route of the "'Fluff' Bible", but I hanker for new approaches and new information... The reasons that the Weirdboyz are different, the nature of Gork and Mork, etc. But maybe some of that is a bit esoteric. Erm, I'm going to shut up now...
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Post by CELS on Jun 24, 2004 4:42:05 GMT -5
First off, thanks a bunch for making a reply, and another thanks for making such a detailed reply, even helping me with grammar and such ;D Overall ImpressionLong, but not inappropriately so. It is perfect as a few linked pages attached to the project but, in this case, it would need a bit more 'colour text'. I'm sure that is exactly the type of thing that you were going to include as time permitted and, indeed, exactly the type of thing that was originally suggested in the "Eldar Sourcebook"... you need the colour to back up the BW text, as it were! Definitely. As you say, not only is it something I should do, but it's something I want to do, to explain certain things, such as ork sociology, (how do orks interact. Do warbosses literally beat everyone into doing what they want?) ork psychology, mekboys, etc. Anyway... That's a good point. But there are those within the 40k universe who believe that the orks really are the 'ultimate'. They're the underdogs who no one expect to make it all the way, yet somehow... they do Well, maybe not. I'll change the sentence. I find that equally unbelievable. The Adeptus Mechanicus have studied the orks for millennia. They're the first alien race they ever encountered.. actually, you're right. What I wrote in the text isn't believable either... I just wrote it in an attempt to not contradict the fluff by ignoring GW's fluff on ork reproduction. But perhaps it would be more believable if the Adeptus Mechanicus has this knowledge, but it is merely not well known throughout the galaxy? Then again, I find that untenable as well, because it suggests that the Adeptus Mechanicus does not comminicate well internally or to the rest of the Imperium, or both, which I don't really believe. The Adeptus Mechanicus guards its knowledge well, but I don't see why they'd keep this kind of information secret. The last plausible explanation I can find for it, which I dislike immensily, is to explain this by saying that the Genetor-Major Anzion was not only wrong in his assumptions, but even so incompetent that he didn't bother to do research and find out what everyone else in the galaxy already knew. This is what GW has suggested for fans who dislike this specific piece of fluff, IIRC. I don't remember whether or not it was Gavin Thorpe who actually replied to this, but the reply was something like "The writer of that article was but one man in the Imperium. You can choose to believe it or to ignore it." Not sure what you're getting at here. Are you suggesting that captured orks don't reproduce? My point however, is that orks don't just excel at war because they like noisy things and sharp objects. They excel at war, not just battle. Much fluff makes it sound (incorrectly) as if the orks are stupid, but good in a fight. I'm not saying that orks are a bunch of Einstein's, but they're not the head-scratching clowns that some people make them out to be, using loaded guns as clubs. Fair enough. I'll change that. Hmm, I'll change this as well. Cheers! And English sentence structure is something I suppose you would know more about than myself (or MS Word ), so consider it changed. I actually thought of that when I wrote it, and I know this part is rather horrible, but I couldn't find a lot of things to say about ork physiology, except for the brain, which is the only body part I know something about Perhaps someone could help me speculate what ork skeleton, muscles and internal organs would be like when compared to that of humans? Similar to what was done with the Eldar physiology thread on Portent..? Not at all. Using too many words is something that my norwegian teacher often criticized As stated above, I agree with this. I presume that you mean "other concepts that human civilisation value". Will do. Nah, you have a good point, and I was aware of this when I wrote it. I guess I was just tired at this point Yeah. And it sounds better too *grin* Now, now, let's not go there... I'm afraid you've lost me. What warp/ork connection? That orks appear to be immune to chaos? Hmm, yes. I was just affected by the 'conversational' comments in Codex: Orks. (I.e. "A Gretchin's instincts will tend to carry him away from danger - usually as fast as his legs will carry him!") Do motor-cycles make cars reduntant? LoL! Erm.. right According to www.dictionary.com, 'feral' means "Existing in a wild or untamed state" or "Having returned to an untamed state from domestication". You might say that orks are feral when compared to humans, but in a strict sense, not even the snakebites are truly feral.
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