Orc

Orcs are a fantasy character that many members of Belegarth choose to portray on the battlefield.

Orcs are characterized by gruff, brutish behavior and relentless ferocity in battle. They're sort of the catch-all "evil" race.

Many Orcs are followers of Gruumsh.

Though there is some question as to the nature and origins of the orcish race; fallen and twisted elves, fungal spores from the depths of space, the blessed creations of Gruumsh, or even simply another humanoid deviation, there are some universal traits that all Orcs share that make them one of the most fun races to RP on the field. And let's face it, if you are playing a monster, you are in it at least as much for the LARP (read: Antagonizing the Opposition) as the green paint and the awesome garb.

How Orcs Do

Orcs don't fight to win, they fight to fight.

Number one on the Orcs mind is getting in the fight and squashing some pinkies. If the battle field tactics get too complex, Orcs get pissed off and charge the nearest group. They roll over groups of under trained rookies as happily as they crash through Roman shield walls. And die to one just as often as the other. If they win, it's only because they are THAT good.

Orcs are highly spiritual!

That right, regardless of if it's Gruumsh, Mork and Gork, Sauron or one of your own making, Orcs really believe in the power of their gods. They sing about them, talk about them, preach them and scream to them in combat. They wear tokens to and from their gods and whenever they win, it's because their gods wished it and when they lose, it's because the gods are pissed off. They also believe in the power of symbolism. Tribal banners, runic writing, war paint and tattooing are all considered divine powers to the Orcs. The only orc in the tribe that gets as much respect as the Big Boss (Or Chief, or Warlord, what have you) is the Shaman, because he has a direct line to the gods!

Orcs like accessorizing. (Like, OMG!)

Bits of bone, shiny doodads, whole skulls of their enemies, scalps, braids, hides, sashes and personal banners, Orcs decorate with whatever they can find. This is typically associated with their belief in divine symbols of power. These are their personal power symbols.

Orcs are racist buttholes.

Yep, Orcs KNOW they are better than pinkies! This is the second most important thing to Orcs behind fighting. Showing and telling pinkies that they are puny and stupid and ugly is absolutely an Orcs favorite pastime. All pinkies are for is breeding, killing, eating and burning (In that order!) Other greenskins and monsters are considered lesser, but to varying degrees. Orcs look at Goblyns like younger siblings, and as such treat them with various degrees of taunting, bullying and snuggling. They consider the Hobgoblins and Ogers (two physically superior races) to be the closest in glory to the Orc, but will still look down on them whenever possible.

Orcs, not stupid. (But don't mind if you think they are)

Though their command of the "common" tongue is typically weak, this is due more to a disdain for pinkies. (See: Orcs are racist) If looked at closely, one will find that Orc grasp of certain skills (Primarily related to War) are honed to the level of any of the "intelligent" races. Weapon and armor making, poisons, explosives, anatomy(for the sake of killing) and in the case of the physically weaker of the species, subterfuge and misinformation. Additionally, Orc shaman, witch doctors and augurs tend to show an unusual level of understanding of things that most pinkie races would not believe capable of such a brutish race. Typically this is only applied to their various incantations, prayers, and political and tribal gains.

Orc might is right.

The leader is the strongest, meanest Orc in the tribe. He may be challenged at any time and that's ok with him, because he's an accommodating sort of guy.

Orcs are a multi-faceted race that extends beyond the brutish thugs that most people would label them as.

Yes, they can be big, mean, brutish, loud, and warmongering tanks (and who wouldn't enjoy that?), but they can also be cunning, slick, devilish assassins or raving, maniacal, chanting augurs and witchdoctors. Ork proverbs

That pretty much covers the best parts of the Orc.

Lastly, here are some general tips for Orc-ing it up.

Orc colors: Ocher, Maroon, Brown, Black, Darkest greens. Mountain Orks are blue

Orc language: Guttural, expectorant (slobbery and spitty), harsh vowels and consonants. (Sh, Kha, Cho, etc)

Additionally, some black speech for your perusal at the bottom. (I use bits of this, some made up crap and a little Klingon, works well.)

Orcish "common": Is a very simple, yet versatile tongue. Smarter races get confused easily, while the less intellegent races seem to pick it up rather quickly. To begin with, there are no separate pronouns for the first person. Me and I are the same word: Me.

Next is posessive. Me is the posessive form of Me. You is the posessive of You. Simple, right? Pointing at something and saying "That is Mine" requires an extra word in a language that serves no extra purpose. Pointing at an axe and saying "That is me" Obviously doesn't mean that I think I'm an axe, so I must mean it is mine. So why have two words for it? Then comes Be. Am, Is, Will, Are, etc are all summed up in one word: Am. "Me am kill you" gets the point across just as well as "I am going to kill you", so why throw in extra words and different words that say the same thing?

Orc Creation

Creation Story of the Orks.

In the time before time, there was only the black. It stretched from nowhere to nothing and encompassed everything. The great god Gruumsh was pleased with the blackness for he is always tired and loves to nap, it is only when there is a battle to be fought that Gruumsh awakens and lifts his weapons to slay his axe to slay enemies.

From the darkness there came a scratching sound. Unused to things disturbing his peace and quiet Gruumsh lifted his axe and lashed out at the noise, hitting a thing where once none had been. It was then that a great crack split the vast nothing and poured light into the new world. From the crack of terrible, awful, rank-smelling foulness poured all manner of things into the ever expanding and terrible light. Animals came and men and elves and as soon as they came they began to build and create. The men hammered all day long building houses and the elves sang, neither would shut up. The men were never finished building, for as soon as they had finished one house they decided they needed an inn, and no sooner would the inn be finished than it was time to start work on a church. The elves were never done singing. From the time they woke up it was time to sing to trees and rocks and birds and squirrels and all manner of stupid and inane things.

As he is wise and impulsive, Gruumsh saw that the world could never be pure and black again, so he split it into two parts, the dark and the light. These two would struggle from then on, creating the day and the night.

This grotesque lack of respect angered Gruumsh and he knew something would have to be done about them if the world was ever to be black and pure once more. But, like many gods he is lazy and so created a people that they might scour of the plague and creation and singing from the earth.
Taking one of the few remaining handful of blackness he spat upon it three times and then cast to the ground. The mud took form and the first orks (though they were not yet called this) crawled out into the night half of the world. They saw their creator and were greatly angered with him. One of them, Kro, first leader of the great people shouted at the god, asking why should they help him? The men and elves were his problem, not there's. The god would have to prove himself.

Through the benevolence of Gruumsh the great people were led near to the elves. When they heard the horrible singing they were nearly as angry as Gruumsh. It was unspeakably high and light and foul. What manner of beast would make such a noise. Let us go and bite it's throat till it is dead. they said, but Gruumsh took them instead to the land of men where they could see more of those who he intended to be their enemies.

But then something happened that Gruumsh, in his impulsiveness had not foreseen. The great people of Gruumsh fell in love with the sound of striking hammers. They saw the buildings that men wrought and perceived a goodness to them. They understood then that this world was theirs to master, and if these beings could show them that, they must also be good.

Oh, what folly, the race was but a few days old, how could they know any better? Only Kro stayed back, somehow wary of the ugly, pale skinned creatures. The rest of the great people walked straight up to the human city and spoke to the men. But the men could not understand their words and in their ignorance cast stones at those who wanted to be their friends. Though they were strong the great people were few then and were overwhelmed. The men cut out their eyes and sent them out into the world to die.

Gruumsh was disgusted at the ignorance of his creations and decided to go and take a nap. He pulled a mountain over himself to keep out some of the men and elves' racket and went to sleep.

The great people would have died before ever being great and the story would end there had it not been for Kro. He called to the people, and they followed his voice. He walked in front of them, calling until he could no longer speak. When his voice was gone he took two stick and beat them together for miles and miles the people followed him and the beating of the sticks until they came back to a place of the elves.

The people, having lost their sight, hated the singing of the elves all the more. Kro tried to hold them back, remembering the debacle of the humans, but they surged forward and began to blindly attack the elves, feasting on their flesh and stealing their eyes. Kro saw the slaughter and could not help himself, he ran forward after those that fled, striking them down with his sticks and taking their eyes for his people. When it was over, the great people had new elf eyes.

The great people saw things differently with their new eyes which were green and blue and brown, unlike the red of their old eyes, the red of Kro's eyes. The new eyes showed them how to bend the trees into shapes. The elves had used this to stretch the trees to the sky, but the orcs saw that they could use it to make tools. They called out to the trees, not in the light and foul song of the elves, but in the strong and masterful howl of their people. The trees bent and shook loose beams for clubs.

The people took their clubs, and with Kro at their head, returned to the human city under cover of the dark half of the world. They sprang upon the unsuspecting humans who thought them to be still blind and helpless. The men died under the clubs of the great people.

After the killing was finished, Kro saw that his people were joyous, for they had discovered something better than wood for weapons. They took plows and tools from that the men had used to cultivate the land and made swords and spears and all manner of armaments. Until the coming of the great people, the world had never known war. It did now.

The humans, though weak, were not as stupid as they first appeared. They were clever enough to copy the great people's innovations for their own defense and sought out the elves to aid them.
Kro saw that his people were too few to win against the men and so sought out allies of his own. Goblyns came in droves of thousands to feast upon the flesh of the pink ones. Trolls crawled from their caves and accepted the helms and hats which the orcs gave them that they might not turn to stone when the light half of the world came. Many others came to fight the pestilence of the light.

But there was no battle. The humans and elves, seeing the might of the assembled horde, were frightened. They fled, leaving no one for those assembled to fight. The horde turned on itself and it was then that many trolls were taken as slaves to the goblyns.
The great people nearly perished in the fight. Only 40 survived, but one of these was the great Kro. He cursed his bretheren as fools for fighting with the other monsters. He said that their eyes had polluted their minds and that they were now ORK, opposite of himself. He declared that he would find a cave in the mountain where Gruumsh slept and kill the god for his arrogance and abandonment which had led to the despoiling of the great people.

Kro was as good as his word and traveled the dark places under the earth until he came to the resting place of the napping god. He climbed onto the god's head and thrust his sword into Gruumsh's left-eye. Gruumsh awoke and was angry and in pain, but he could not see what had stung him. Kro yelled from his place at the top of the god's head that he would kill his creator for his lack of attention.

And once again the unexpected happened. Gruumsh began to laugh. He sprang from the mountain with Kro still riding atop his head. This sent rocks hurtling through the air and produced an earsplitting crack. Reaching atop his head, Gruumsh lifted Kro (though Kro struck at him and nicked the god's fingers with his sword), setting him on the ground.

"You, little warrior, have earned my attention. I see that you have led my people and killed enemies. Though I will sleep again I will give you the means to call my attention." Saying this, Gruumsh took a snake and killed it, then stretched it's skin over a hollow stump which he had ripped from the ground.

"Beat upon the skin when you want my eye upon you and your people," said Gruumsh. He then turned and cut a hole in the air to a dark and quiet place. After stepping through the hole he turned to look at Kro. "You are the last of your kind, but the remainder of your people are not worthless. Teach them of the drum and I may gaze on them from time to time." With that he closed the hole and was gone.

Kro returned to his people, bringing word of Gruumsh's drum and his new favor with the god. The great people welcomed him to the city of man that they had reworked to fit them, their needs, and their ways. A new generation of Orks had been started, to which Kro added many, but never since have the red eyes of Kro been seen among the great people. They keep his teachings alive, and beat their drums and howl in the night for Gruumsh to gaze on them lest they put out his other eye.

Known Orcs

Orcs t'ink dey important and somebody wrote a song

A song to the tune of "Complete History of the Soviet Union, Arranged to the Melody of Tetris" by Pigwiththefaceofaboy written by Caleidah

To TA I came seeking tribute

But they're making me rule til I'm dead.

The pinkskins they have it so easy

The Sons won't sleep til Horde is dead

The monsters in Horde are all hungry

But think what a feast it would be

If we could create a Pinkie free state

Who hate people alongside me

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves

That are thrown down the slope from up above

They come down and I hurl them around

Til they splat on the ground like glob of mud

Sometimes it feels that to toss Dwarves is fine

And the points, they will be scored as they fall.

Then I see that I have misjudged it

I should not have shaved it afterall.

Can I have an old one please?

Why must these clean shaven dwarves tease?

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves

That we always will toss from up above

Come Orcs, we fight, let the Greenskins unite!

A collective regime of hate and blood.

I work so hard in arranging the Dwarves

But the Slayers and Bowmen bleed us dry.

Yes, the Orcish Clans rise, they will not compromise,

For we know that the Mountain Keeps must die.

Long live madness, kill them all

With their bones we build a great wall!

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves

That, as always, we toss from up above

The teef in your hand do not grow on the land

A collective regime of hate and blood.

I have free choice in arranging the Dwarves

Under Alachi's rule what I say goes.

The rule of my game is all Orcs are the same

A superior being with perfect throws.

Long live bloodshed, it loves you

Toss these Dwarves or you know what I'll do.

I am the Orc who arranges the Griks

That now capture the dwarves beneath the peaks.

They're weak and they're slow, but they go down below

Or we kill them and eat their fellow freaks.

I am the Orc who arranges the Ranks

That will make all the Pinkskins disappear.

The humans are dead, their land is stained red!

We will make all the living know their fear.

Bloodshed lives forever more.

We can start an unending war!

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves

That we forced to dig this highly secret base.

Hip hip hurrah for the Orcish rulah

He is conquering lands for one true race.

I work so hard in arranging the Dwarves

But each night I go home to my den in rage.

"What's de point of de war

Wen de pinkskins make moar?

Dey breed like drunk rabbits in a cage."

"Pointless war for pointless land,

Dis must stop fore it gets out of hand."

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves!

...but tomorrow, I think I'll toss instead.

The winter was brief, I've got plenty of teef,

And I'm standing in line to stack instead.

Maybe we'd be better off,

If we killed the Dwarf holds off!

I am the Orc who arranges the Dwarves

That are now lying dead inside their keeps.

The mountains are free, all these teef are for me,

Tell me what do I care for war and blood.

The mountains are now free, all these teef are for me!

Tell me what do I care for war and blood.

War and Blood.

Waaar aaaand Blooooooood.

And now the keeps are down

The Orcs all frown

There's foreign Dwarves all over town.

But in the den, you'll see it then,

The war is brewing yet again.

The pinkies gave us shining steel

Their weakling kings will make to kneel

But now that Orcblood's in a boil

Who stands in our way?

So we reject non-mountain trade

And once again the keeps we'll raid

Prepare the horns to sound a peal

Cause we will make this new war real

We shall regain the Mountain soil

We shall obtain the pinkskin's toil

We shall obtain the Dwarves and toss

Forever and a Day

Hoooooooorde Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiin