Physiology
- Origins - Society - Gods
- Myths - The Ork Way - Orks
and Chaos - Orks and the Imperial Cult - Art
and Musik - Credits
PHYSIOLOGY
The Orks are a savage and brutal race who love war. Orks are really just the
dominant element of a race that includes Orks and their smaller cousins the
Gretchins and Snotlings. The Orks are in charge because they are the biggest,
toughest, meanest and most warlike of them all.
Gretchins are very much like their
larger cousins, but not so big, brutal, strong and tough. But Gretchins are
more cunning and clever than the Orks. Snotlings are the smallest and weakest
of all. They remain just like a juvenile Gretchin throughout their lives.
Orks, being bigger and tougher form the warrior elite. They tell the Gretchins
and Snotlings what to do, and do what they like with them. But the Orks also
protect and look after the smaller ones. Without the Orks to defend them and
scare away their enemies, their fate would probably be far worse at the hands
of other races than It is under the Orks.
The Ork
A typical Ork stands about man height, but would actually be taller if he
stood up straight. The frame is muscular and robust, and the arms are long
and strong, ending in clumsy fingers capable of a vice-like crushing grip.
An Ork's skull is thick, with a heavy brow-ridge shading the savage glint
of red predatory eyes. The jaw juts forward, and the canine fangs protrude
from slobbering lips. The head is naturally bald; indeed, all the Ork kind
are hairless. Ork hide is green and tough, bearing the scars of many a fight
(not to mention a plethora of scabs and parasites).
When an Ork speaks, it is in a
slow, gruff tone. The words will be sparse, brutal and straight to the point.
An Ork says what he thinks, and his thoughts are always practical. The Orks
have but one philosophy: might is always right. Whether on the giving or receiving
end, none of the Ork kind ever doubt this for one moment.
The Gretchin
Gretchins are more numerous than Orks and the Orks are greatly dependent on
them (though no Ork would admit this). Orks tend to be lazy and forgetful.
Organisation is not their strong point. Only war and preparing for war really
bring out their innate natural talents. Most of the day-to-day running of
Ork society, such as finding and preparing food, taking messages, finding
things out, fetching and carrying, organising things and many other tasks
are left to the Gretchins.
The Gretchins are quite happy in
this role. They bear no resentment to their Ork masters. To them, Orks are
just a fact of life and it is ridiculous to question facts of life. No Orks
of any kind ask themselves such stupid questions. Only Humans and Eldar upset
themselves with daft notions about the 'reason' for things and such like.
An Ork or a Gretchin or even a Snotling knows that a thing is a reason in
itself.
Individual Gretchin, by a combination
of effort and luck, can enjoy a relatively good existence by providing valuable
services for their Ork masters. Most are owned by Orks as personal servants,
others through scavenging and looting are able to acquire weapons and equipment.
Enterprising Gretchin find a role
as armour bearers, fan bearers, cup bearers and a few may even rise to become
their masters' factotums. Others work as water-bearers bringing drinks to
thirsty Orks on the battlefield, or operating the great fans that hang in
foetid Ork barrack-blocks, providing shade and much-needed draughts of fresh
air as well as something for the Orks to kick when the desire comes over them.
The Gretchins have created an entire
enterprise culture of their own within the Ork-dominated society. They work
every hour of the day and night, snatching a little sleep here and there.
Apart from their duties to their masters, many Gretchin operate two or three
of their own businesses on the side, such as selling fungus-wine or toasted
squigs on sticks, trying to earn a few teeth here and there.
The Snotling
The Snotlings are just like tiny, immature Gretchins. It is believed that
they are degenerate descendants of a lost race which was once the most intelligent
and dominant among the Ork kind, but which was superseded by the stronger
and more brutal Orks. Now the Snotlings are bred and reared by a class of
Orks known as Runtherdz. The main function of Snotlings in Ork society is
the cultivation of fungi, which are used for food, drinks and medicines. Snotlings
also look after the squiggly beasts that live in the Ork cess-pits.
ORIGINS
- THE LOST RACE
Imperial scholars have speculated that on the Ork world of origin, wherever
that might be, there was once another Orkoid race. This race, difficult though
it is to believe, was extremely intelligent, arose to dominance in just a
few generations, and even created the legendary lost Ork Standard Template
Constructs. It was this race, they argue, which must have initiated the Ork
expansion into space.
The Snotlings, now a slave race
trapped in a juvenile state, are thought to be a remnant of this lost race.
The sudden rise of super-intelligent Snotlings can only be explained as the
result of a catalyst. Snotlings are symbiotic with fungi, which they cultivate
and eat. In the underground cave-systems in which ancient Ork culture arose,
it is thought that there was a fungus which caused genetic mutation in the
brain. This fungus was gathered and eaten by the simple cave-dwelling Snotlings.
Over generations, a diet of this fungus stimulated the growth of the Snotling
brain to its full potential. Later, the fungus was cultivated by the mentally-enhanced
Snotlings.
The intelligent lost race of Snotlings,
known as the Brainboyz, were still diminutive in size, so they bred a race
of less intelligent, but tougher and more brutal creatures to fight and work
for them. These were the Orks and Gretchins. Gretchins probably represent
an intermediate stage in the development of Orks. The Orks were put to work
cultivating the fungus. The civilisation of the Brainboyz was expanding beyond
the homeworld, but every attempt to cultivate the brain-enhancing fungus on
other worlds met with failure. The fungus would only grow in the dank cave-systems
of the ancient homeworld of the Orks. This meant that the far-flung outposts
of Brainboyz were dependent on shipments of fungus from the homeworld. Sometimes
these shipments would go astray and not get through. If a community of Brainboyz
was cut off from the supply for many years, a new generation of mentally undeveloped
Snotlings would fall under the domination of their former slaves, the Orks.
This must have happened time and time again throughout the galactic empire
of the Brainboyz until Ork-dominated communities began to predominate. The
final collapse of the civilisation of the Brainboyz occurred on the homeworld
itself.
Here, the Orks who were put to
work harvesting the fungus began to wonder why they were being told what to
do by such diminutive creatures. The Orks were not allowed to eat the fungus
they were harvesting for the Brainboyz. Instead the Brainboyz fed them on
squiggly beasts. Naturally this made the Orks think there must be something
special about the fungus. So instead of harvesting the fungus, the Orks sat
down and ate every toadstool, mushroom and puffball down to the last spore.
It was a disaster for the Brainboyz. They found the bloated, slobbering Orks,
but not a trace of fungus remained.
The fungus had no effect whatsoever
on the Ork brain, because Orks are not symbiotic with fungus. For the Orks
it was no more than a big feast; for the Brainboyz it was a tragedy from which
they never recovered. Throughout their empire, the Brainboyz died out. Their
offspring never developed intelligent brains. Instead the succeeding generations
of Snotlings remained mentally retarded, trapped in a pre-juvenile state.
They became the mischievous, playful creatures they are to this day, content
to frolic in the Ork cess-pits, catching squiggly beasts.
The Orks on the other hand, found
themselves in charge. Their brains were not enhanced, but they were now the
most intelligent and capable of their kind. Ork civilisation, though crude
and harsh, succeeded the civilisation of the Brainboyz throughout the universe.
It is very difficult to reconstruct
this phase of Ork history, because the Orks are extremely reluctant to talk
about it. The story has to be pieced together from Ork legends which have
passing references to Brainboyz and give glimpses of a time when the Orks
were not in charge.
With Ork society now dominated
by its strongest and most brutal elements, Ork civilisation is faced with
a major problem: the maintenance of technology. However, the warlike Orb have
found the obvious solution: slaves. Apart from the Mekboyz, who are Orks with
an innate talent for technology, Orks rely on enslaved Humans and other aliens
in their slave workshops and factories and, more important, on tribute exacted
from vassal alien communities. This tribute is paid in the form of armaments
and technology. Sometimes whole communities and planets are occupied and put
to work making armaments. An incident of this kind occurred some time ago
on Necromunda, an Imperial Hive World. An Ork tribe captured and occupied
three hivecities and was only cleared out after a vicious war which resulted
in the destruction of the hives.
ORK
DOMAINS
Orks live on innumerable worlds. On some worlds they dominate, on some they
live in a state of war with the other inhabitants, on some they rule as overlords.
There are Ork realms, Ork empires and migrating Ork hordes roaming through
space aboard space hulks. Wherever you go in the universe there are Orks.
This is Orkdom, the domain of the Orks.
The Ork expansion into space from
their home world is perhaps the greatest and most significant accident in
Ork history. Ork expansion occurred sporadically, giving a completely random
pattern of settlement throughout the galaxy. In other words, an Ork domain
or a migrating tribe could turn up anywhere.
And this is exactly what has happened,
Orks are to be found throughout the known universe and probably throughout
the unknown universe as well. The Eldar say that the Orks have become part
of reality itself, or as the Orks say 'We are the Orks, we're 'ere 'cos we're
'ere, enuff said'. Millennia ago, a probe was sent out from Terra. Its mission
was to reach the utmost limits of the universe. The Techpriests who built
it hoped that one day it would arrive back to its place of origin having circumnavigated
the universe, or in other words, skirted the edge of reality. This probe is
still sending back signals after fourteen thousand years adrift. The signals
are faint and the probe is not yet on its way back, if it ever will come back.
To the utter despair of the Imperial Techpriests who constantly monitor the
incoming signals, many are identified as Orkish. The depressing conclusion
for mankind can only be this: that wherever they go, the Orks will always
be with them.
The universe is Orkdom...
Ork expansion was only made possible
in the first place because of their discovery of the principle of the force
field and teleportation. Once force fields and teleporters were understood,
the Orks found them easy to replicate. The principles of force field and teleporter
technology, once learned, are elementary, like those of the wheel, writing
or baking bread. When you don't know, you don't know, but when you do know,
you can't imagine ever not knowing because it is so obvious. They are the
foundations of civilisation which take a race thousands of years to develop,
but which take an individual only a few days to master once the secret is
known.
If a force field can keep things
out, it can also keep things in. Force fields are used to trap air in a sort
of bubble around whatever object the Orks choose to use as a space 'raft'.
Then they wait. They wait for a sighting of one of the great drifting space
hulks or other bits of space debris streaking across the sky, just touching
and bouncing off the upper atmosphere of a planet. Then using a simple matter
transmitter, they latch on to the drifting object, hitching a lift so to speak.
They have no idea where they are going, and are led only by their own sense
of adventure and recklessness.
Once on board the drifting hulk,
it is enclosed a force field with its own trapped bubble of atmosphere. These
hulks tend to drift through space on metaphysical arcs, following a current
through both real space and warp space. This means that the Ork passengers
could end up anywhere in the universe. Of course, where they end up is completely
random and unpredictable and often a nasty surprise for the local intelligent
life forms. Over the millennia, Orks have tried to direct or even plan their
journeys, using the talents of their Shamans, the Ork psykers known as Weirdboyz,
to navigate as best they can using whatever scraps of lore and myth that has
been handed down about the space currents. Tribes manage to direct themselves
to specific places from time to time, but uncertainty of destination remains
a perpetual hazard.
Ork Communities
As a result of the erratic process of Ork space travel and their urge to seek
adventure wherever it may take them, Ork communities are scattered throughout
the universe. Each community considers itself to be either a tribe, or a confederation
of tribes united temporarily under a great warlord. A tribe can at any time
be wandering in space, settled on a planet, isolated from other races or in
contact with them as enemies or overlords. Every tribe will include a motley
random collection of Ork clans and castes. It is these clans and castes which
make up the astonishing, rich texture of Ork society.
THE
ORK GODS
All observers agree on this one point - Ork culture is uncouth. Whether they
are Humans who love order and stability, Squats who love honor and tradition,
or Eldar who love art and taste, they all look upon Orks as the untamed barbarians
of the universe. As for the Orks, they don't care. They take one look at Humans,
Squats, and Eldar and dismiss them in three words: weak, weeny, and weedy.
Orks have Kultur, which is something that these pretentious, haughty races
just can't appreciate.
Orks and the Ork Way are strong and powerful forces in the universe. Orks
are a highly successful race; they seem to be able to survive, expand, and
prosper almost effortlessly in comparison to struggling humanity. The Ork
character, which is strong and virtually invulnerable, has its reflection
in the warp in the form of the mighty, belligerent, and boisterous Ork gods.
Known Ork gods include two legendary heroic deifies commonly called Gork and
Mork.
An idea of the appearance of the Ork gods can be gained simply by looking
at the Ork Titans (known as Gargants); they are constructed in the image of
the Ork gods. The Mekboyz who build them work from a vision held within their
imagination (usually inspired during times of Waa-Ork). They try to create
something that represents the essence of Orkishness in mechanical form.
A Gargant is consequently both the ultimate war machine and a religious idol.
These great machines behave very much like Ork gods - they lumber about, leaving
a trail of devastation in their wake. They go exactly where they please, striding
from planet to planet, and they never shun a fight. In some myths, the gods
are felled and broken into pieces. Then, millions of Orkoids swarm out and
put the god back together again. In Ork mythology, the two gods Gork and Mork
regularly confront the Powers of Chaos and the gods of the other alien races.
Gork and Mork are never defeated, they simply shrug off the blows of the other
gods and laugh at them. Then Gork grins, bears his teeth, and lands a mighty
blow on the head of his adversary with his gigantic club. Similarly, Mork,
the meter of low cunning, clobbers his foes when they aren't looking.
It is not surprising that the Ork gods are seen triumphing over Chaos Powers,
because in battle, the Ork Weirdboyz triumph over their daemonic and Human
servants. Daemons and psykers are frequently laid low by the psychic attacks
of the Weirdboyz. The psychic energy of the chanting and stamping Ork warriors
can be focused by the Weirdboyz to banish and destroy such vaunted foes. As
far as the Orks are concerned, these minions of Chaos have been withered by
a blast of pure Orkishness. When the Orks see the terrors of Chaos wilting
before their own loveable gibbering Weirdboyz, they lose all fear of the warp,
secure in the belief that Orkishness can vanquish anything.
Commonly Known Ork Myths
The Hunt
Gork and Mork go looking for a gigantic Squiggly beast and find it at the
bottom of a huge cesspit. Also at the bottom of the cesspit is Nurgle, who
has eaten all the Snotlings. Gork and Mork clobber Nurgle so hard that he
spews up all the Snotlings who are still alive. Nurgle shrinks and becomes
a Squiggly beast. The Snotlings then turn the Squig into a feast for Gork
and Mork. This myth clearly represents the Ork triumph over Nurgle. The Orks
have no fear of the realms of Nurgle, and happily thrive on Squiggly beasts
that breed in their cesspits.
'Ere We Go
Gork and Mork look up into the, sky and see another planet shining among the
stars. Mork challenges Gork to knock it down with his club. Gork hurls his
club for all his worth, but forgets that it's tied to his wrist. The club
sails toward the planet with Gork following after. Mork grabs hold of Gork
and goes as well. This myth represents the adventurous, care-free character
of the Orks and their ability to travel through space.
THE
ORK WAY
The Orks have a far healthier attitude to life than other races, and are better
able to cope with the realities of a harsh universe. Their secret is that they
simply don't care. The Orks simply follow the natural life that they are so
well adapted for - wild adventure, warfare and early deaths. They don't try
to influence their own destiny and then get frustrated when the plans don't
work out as expected. They don't look for something to blame (except perhaps
the nearest Gretchin or a hated rival clan who had nothing to do with it anyway)
and certainly do not reflect on weaknesses in their own way of doing things.
They just try again a different way (mainly because they have forgotten how
they did it the last time}. Thus the Orks make remarkable progress by trial
and error, without counting the cost, while other races steeped in high-flown
philosophy simply fall into the same traps time and again, doomed to stagnate
and decline (or get conquered by the Orks).
Every Ork knows vaguely that when he finally falls upon some stricken field
(the majority of Orks meet their end in battle), his soul will merge with the
mighty Ork war gods in the warp. He will become a crewman for the great ethereal
Gargant in eternity. He has nothing to fear from the ravenous soul-eating gods
that other races grovel to in terror. The Ork gods will protect him. Orks happily
accept this destiny. It is a fitting end for a warrior Ork to become one with
the great immortal warrior spirit of the Orks.
The purpose of life is never questioned. For an Ork, whatever he is doing at
the time is meaning enough. Orks do not have many worries and do not even know
what an aspiration is. Very few Orks are ambitious. If an Ork observes that
others around him are taking notice and doing what he says he will just exploit
the situation as far as he can. In this way he might end up as a warlord without
ever having set out to gain power. This is probably why the handful of Orks
who show qualities of leadership rise so quickly and why the intellect of an
Ork chieftain isn't a crucial qualification in wielding power in Ork society,
though low cunning is exceptionally useful.
ORKS
AND CHAOS
There is no predilection for Chaos among the Orks; indeed, Orks are
much less likely to turn to Chaos than Humans or other races. This is due
to the fact that the Ork race is relatively stable and content. There is little
psychic stress or angst among the Orks, which leaves virtually no avenue through
which Chaos can invade their minds. Some races confuse Orks as being evil
and thus synonymous with Chaos. This is a misunderstanding on their part,
however.
Orks are not inherently evil; neither is Chaos. Likewise, Orks do not naturally
or consistently affiliate with the forces of Chaos. Orks simply live by the
crude survival-of-the fittest principles that pervade the universe. Warlike
civilizations, such as that of the Orks, simply reflect these survivalist
principles all the more. By the same token, Chaos is neither good nor evil;
it simply mirrors the survivalist emotions of intelligent beings in the real
universe. Thus, predatory powers of Chaos, be they deities or daemons, exist
because living things generate these emotions.
By analogy, there are gargantuan Ork powers in the warp -powers that are the
reflections of the Orks' cheerfully irresponsible and warlike nature. At the
same time, it is possible for Orks to overindulge their taste for militarism
and bloodshed, which will ultimately lead them to Khorne. Indeed, Khorne does
feed on these aspects of Orkish character; this shows in the very face of
Khorne, which has markedly Orkish aspects.
Most of their enemies would agree that Orks lack many of the finer qualities
found in the various races of the universe. Not surprisingly, Orks have no
second thoughts about fighting alongside servants of Chaos, especially in
return for pay or loot. Orks are not easily impressed by Chaos, since a typical
Ork raider is likely to be exposed to manifestations of Chaos as he rampages
about the less orderly parts of the galaxy. He is also less liable to be tempted
by lure of Chaos power and sell his soul than many other races. This is in
contrast to the unfortunate Humans who live in ratholes of hive worlds or
desperately trying to build civilizations in inhospitable environments. These
suffer from the stress of day-to-day survival. They become suspicious of the
unknown and begin to look inwardly to find irrational explanations for their
problems and misfortunes.
ORKS
AND THE IMPERIAL CULT
The Orks have heard of the Emperor of Humanity. They know that Humans worship
him as a deity and have seen his shrines and icons on many worlds. Orks regard
the Emperor as the war god of the Humans. The Emperor is something which they
can easily understand since their own gods are war gods. They see the Emperor
as the controlling power of vast armies, great fleets and awesome military
technology. The fact that his servants are all weedy 'oomans does not alter
the impression made on the Orks of the Emperor as a powerful war god.
The Emperor is even sometimes considered of almost equal status to their own
gods, because the Orks, being a warrior society, respect and admire tough
opponents. Orks raid and rampage throughout the Imperium, but the Emperor
is still there. For thousands of years he has commanded the loyalty of his
followers and sent them into battle against the Orks.
There are even some Ork legends in which the Emperor appears as a titanic
caricature of Human kind, to challenge the Ork gods to battle. For most Orks,
the Emperor is envisaged as a vague, remote and ancient power who motivates
his long-suffering followers to take on irrational and pointless tasks which
make no sense to the Orkish mind. Like his Human servants, the Emperor appears
doomed to do everything the hard way or the wrong way from the Ork point of
view. The stress and despair which the poor Humans seem to bring down upon
themselves is yet another cause of wonder to the Orks. Not surprisingly the
Orks use the word 'ooman (Human) as a byword for things that are silly, pointless
or impractical, and will often crack jokes about the Humans and the Emperor.
ART AND
MUSIK
Ork hovels and strongholds are often decorated with wall paintings or carved
glyphs. Clan or family insignia may be painted or carved on the outside of
a building, usually over the door lintel. Inside, the most important rooms
(such as the Boss Ork's chamber or a warlord's throne-room) are decorated
with wall paintings. These usually depict legendary battles of the past or
prestigious deeds of the boss or warlord. The scenes are accompanied by borders
of Orkish glyptic or runic script, which tell the tales of the events depicted.
The chambers of Weirdboyz often have scenes from Orkish mythology, while the
chambers of Mekaniaks may have scenes depicting the construction of Gargants
during some legendary Waa-Ork of antiquity. Ork wall paintings follow a distinctive
Orkish artistic style related closely to their glyptic script and traditional
heraldry. Bright and striking colors are favored. Most Orkish art is created
by Gretchin, who have considerable artistic talent and agile hands.
ORKISH MONUMENTAL ART
As well as wall paintings, Orks also produce monumental sculptures. These
often take the form of a colossal statue of the Ork gods of war, or of a great
warlord. These massive statues are painstakingly carved by teams of Gretchin,
and are made from the best materials to hand - usually stone or petrified
wood.
Statues are set firmly into the ground in an upright position~ and used to
mark the boundaries of Ork domains. Pairs of statues are also used to flank
the doorways of strongholds, and are often placed in prominent locations around
the settlement as a statement of the Orks' territory. Following an Ork invasion,
the sculptures axe set up in conquered territories to intimidate and impress
subject races.
Orkish art is not restricted to buildings and banners - it appears on their
vehicles and spaceships in the form of painted glyphs, cast metal sculptures,
banners and pennants. The interiors of space hulks belonging to nomadic warlords
are just as likely to be decorated as an Orkish stronghold built on firm ground.
MUSIK
Ork music goes beyond the playing of Squigpipes and the rhythmic chanting
used in battle. Ancient and traditional Ork music is still performed by Ork
shouting choirs. The shouting choir involves the participation of thousands
of Orks, who assemble in a valley or canyon for the best acoustic effects.
The choir is organized into family and clan divisions. Each division shouts
a single word, such as "Waa" or "Ork", in a particular
octave. Gretchin and Snotlings are used to achieve high notes and there are
plenty of Orks who can achieve low notes. The Ork conductor, often an eccentric
Weirdboy or Madboy, composes the musik himself. He then stands in the midst
of the choir and conducts each group to shout their note in turn. The resulting
"music" can be heard for miles as it fills the air with echoes.
Ork Warlords occasionally use this music to terrify enemies before battle,
thus leading them to think the Ork army is ten times larger than it is, or
that reinforcements are on their way, singing as they march. There is even
one legend that claims that the wails of an enemy stronghold were toppled
by the sound of an Ork shouting choir. Some Ork composers have even incorporated
the sound of live gunfire into their compositions.
Progressive music is largely the domain of the Mekaniaks. They have the technical
skill and apparatus for recording, sampling, synthesizing, and mixing. They
record battle chants, the squirl of Squigs, shouting choirs, and even sounds
of battle. Meks with musical inclinations blend these sounds into their own
discordant compositions, then blare them out on loadspeakers for the entertainment
and delectation of their fellow Orks. Such popular events are known as Koncerts.
The style of music currently in vogue with most Meks is known as Rokk. The
most progressive Meks in the field of Orkish musik are those of the Goff clan,
who specialize in the eerie sounds of Goffik Rokk. Another popular style incorporates
the sounds of machinery, gunfire, and live recordings of Gargant construction;
this style is known as 'Eavy Metal. Great warlords have been known to commission
works from notable Mek musicians. Many of these musicians earn a considerable
sum of teeth from their compositions, as well as from the sale of recordings.
Meks also construct miniature sets of headphones and portable playing devices
so that Orks can listen to musik as they wander about.
Orks have many other strange musical instruments in addition to Squigpipes.
Squigpipes are inflated with air and squeezed to produce a loud wailing sound.
Other instruments include the Glokenskul, which is a glockenspiel consisting
of a row of multi-sized skulls. These are tapped with a bone to give notes
of varying pitches. The glockenskul produces a strange, hollow sound. Musical
Squigs of various sizes are used to make Squig organs, which produce resonant
warbling sounds. Drums are made from stretching dried skin over an Ogryn cranium.
