History

Orks originated on a very small jungle world, still unnamed as of this day. On this world, unlike most other races in the universe, there were two sentient species instead of one. These were the Orks and the Ental. The Ental were a race of energy beings. They communicated via telepathy, and Ork lore seems to indicate that they appeared to be “big stars.” Pictures and historical reference show that the race was around six inches in diameter and communicated via telepathy. Modern theorists state that they were made either of pure energy or plasma but little is known about them today. What is known is that they lived entirely underground, were very fragile physically, moved and communicated through psychic means, and were experts in Harmonics and Projection. Records seem to indicate that they were a democracy, though the lack of physical evidence is disturbing to those who wish to study them.

The Orks, by contrast, were a tough race of green skinned humanoids. They lived in a tribal structure, consisting of close-knit family groups. Tribes were frequently at war with each other, mainly for resources. The area above ground was littered with the remains of animals, as the Orks killed indiscriminately for food, sport, and proof of strength. The Orks had two social classes, Warriors and Shamans. The Shamans were the storytellers and history-keepers but did not have any knowledge of the Mystic Arts. The Orks remained aboveground while the Ental below, and neither met for a long time.

The reason that the Orks never met the Ental can be attributed to two things. The first is that the Orks didn’t mine for minerals past the point of taking was needed to make spears, axes, and knives. The second is that the Ental really didn’t want the Orks to know about them, as they were afraid of the tough but barbaric race. Despite some evidence that suggests that they were highly intelligent, they didn’t progress very far technologically. Many anthropologists believe this is due to the severe lack of any metal on the Ork homeworld rather than due to any deficiency on the part of the Ental. Despite this, they did eventually try to show a few Orks at a time the ways of their race. Those Orks that came back to their tribes were seen as visionaries, and soon the Orks united in a search for the Ental.

The Ental, seeing that the Orks had stopped fighting, were pleased at their efforts, and decided that it was time to reveal themselves. One Ental came out of the caves to address the Ork leader. Orks, having heard the stories and realizing that this was indeed one of the “people of the light,” brought them to the Head Shaman immediately. The Shaman then left to visit the Ental for 2 days. When he returned, he announced that the Shamans and Initiates would all go underground to learn the ways of their new friends, and develop “The Arts of the Mind.”

It is unknown exactly what happened in the next ten years, as Orks didn’t make many stories of this time and the Ental left no physical records. It is believed that the Shamans and Seekers were taught the Mystic Arts in their years underground. Some speculate that the Orks may have even developed Psionics on their own and taught that art to the Ental, who had no need for such a discipline and probably would not have developed in on their own.

For ten years, the Ork were banded together with the Ental. When an Ork Shaman told the rest of the tribe that he had mastered all of the arts of the Ental, disaster struck. No longer inferior in any area, the Orks attacked. The rest of the Orks went underground to wage war against their only competition for dominance of the planet.

The War raged for 20 years. During this time, the Wanderers came. As the entire Ork society was underground, they found nothing and deemed the planet uninhabited. Unknowingly, the Orks had missed a golden opportunity for both races by starting their war. At the war’s end, the Ental were gone, and their largest city (located under a mountain) was destroyed, leaving nothing but a large crater. The Orks rejoiced and thought that their unified dominance would last forever.

With no opponents, however, fighting broke out between members of the tribe. Soon the tribe started splitting, and within a year the Orks had fallen back into feuding groups. Their society was not untouched, however. Shamans and Initiates now studied Mystic Arts. Initiates no longer sat back in wars, but became active participants. The use of the tunnels of the Ental for stealth became commonplace. Finally, the crater was revered and no battle was ever fought there. Orks could come there whenever they didn’t want to fight, or wanted to meet without fighting. The Crater was filled with bones of dead Orks and animals, all offerings for victory in battle. Other than these changes, though, Ork society pretty much stayed the same as it always did.

After a while, the Terrans appeared. The Ork tribes discovered this, using the natural cover of the forests and the hidden tunnels of the Ental, and went unseen by the Terrans. Eventually, a tribal council was held. Remembering the Ental’s secret hiding place, it was determined that the Orks should first figure out where the Terrans were coming from, and then deal with them. Due to the fact that the Orks did not have nearly enough knowledge of mystic arts or technology to figure out what a Pathway was, they might have never attacked. Unfortunately, the Terrans found the Crater, by this time known as “The Graveyard.” Ork heads surrounded it, and the bones of animals were almost to the brim by this point. The Orks, feeling that their sacred ground had been violated, attacked the Terran scouts. A war ensued between the Terrans (mostly from off-planet) and the Orks. Eventually, one Ork was captured and they were able to try to talk with it. As the battle raged, they convinced the Ork to go back and tell the other Orks to stop. The Ork must have been convincing, because the tribes did stop attacking, and peace ensued. The Ork and those who had taught him acted as delegates. An agreement was made within a year that the Orks would be taught how to use the Pathways and that Terrans could settle on the planet. The Terrans kept their end of the bargain. As for the Orks, they kept it until they could use the Pathways. Then they invaded each world like a swarm of locusts.

At first, the Orks only attacked predominantly Terran worlds. The Terrans lost almost every time. Eventually, the Orks started attacking worlds of the Fur Federation as well. It was as if the Orks couldn’t be stopped. They would come through the Pathway, attack en masse, and destroy all in their path. Then the Orks either got cocky, foolish, or just hit the wrong buttons on the Pathway, because they went to a Burgunn world and attacked.

The Burgunn Empire now sided with the Terrans and the Fur Federation. It was a war that was almost as memorable as the Great War that created the Burgunn Empire. The Burgunns had superior numbers and technology, but the Orks had strength and tactics unparalleled. After decades of fighting, the Orks were scattered throughout the universe and the war was, effectively, over.

For the Orks, despite being on numerous planets, life is pretty much the same as it was on their homeworld. Most tribes attack the cities of whatever planet they are on, fighting with various levels of persistence for control of those planets. To many tribes, the war for dominance isn’t over, and Orks will one day take over the universe if they have their way. But would the universe be enough? Many Orks would probably laugh and say, “It’s never enough.”

Society And Culture:

Orks society always has, and probably always will, consist of tribal groups. Ork tribes can be divided into three types. The first are War Tribes, which stay on a single planet and wage a continuing war for resources and dominance against the main culture. The second most common tribes are Raiding Tribes, which go from planet to planet using a “hit-and-run” tactic against the inhabitants. In these tribes the Shaman is usually a gatekeeper. The third, which are the most uncommon and smallest, are Civilized Tribes of Orks. These Orks live in cities and urban planets, typically in the Burgunn Empire, and tend to keep any fighting to internal tests rather than attacking the rest of the world.

While they do not age any faster than other races, Ork children are seen as adults and are expected to fight at around age 7. Those who don’t learn to fight are waiting for the Shaman to pick them, but until they are initiates they are subject to the ridicule of the Ork tribe. This practice is thought to be a primary reason why most Ork Shamans will give orders to the warriors of the tribe without forethought as to their survival.

Orks tend to be very individualistic in their views of themselves and others. Each Ork is on a path to be either the Chief or Shaman of the tribe, and all know that they will get there one day if they are strong enough. Of course, even among those who survive long enough and gain enough ability to reach these positions still have to actually obtain it.

In looking at others, they see each and every person as both a friend and competition. Even opponents on the battlefield are considered friends, as they are those that are willing to fight. But even an Ork’s best friend may one day be competing against him for leadership of the clan, so they are seen as competition. Ork society also values numbers over strength in defeating opponents. It is more impressive to an Ork to defeat a hundred small opponents than to defeat one really large and powerful one. After all, once an opponent is dead no one can tell how strong he was, but you can always count how many bodies are on the battlefield.

While Orks typically lack any form of formal education, they are not necessarily stupid. To the contrary, Ork small-unit tactics and knowledge of melee weaponry is higher than that of any other race. They gain a reputation for being stupid with other races due to the fact that they speak with a grunt and that they lack education. That said, most Orks don’t want formal education, and find the prospect of learning how to do any sort of technical work boring. An ax is an ax; it’s how you use it that matters. Even so, most Orks are willing to put up with a few weapon-makers in their tribes, but more often than not go to non-Ork dealers for their equipment. Some speculate that Orks are mentally incapable of large loads of technical work, however this has little basis in fact.

About 60% of all Orks are Warriors. Orks are naturally good at fighting, and it makes sense for most Orks to pick this class. About 15% are Mystics, almost always serving as either Initiates or Shaman in various tribes. About 10% are soldiers, as Ork society is just discovering the value of defensive strategies and ranged weaponry. 10% of all Orks are spies, typically acting as scouts for Raiding Tribes or as gangsters in Civilized Tribes. 5% of all Orks are Engineers, as Orks typically disdain this position, but realize that it is necessary for society to function.

Physiology

Orks are born with green skin. The color is usually a very light green in youth, but darkens with age. This green skin was originally thought to simply be for hiding in dense foliage environments, but it was discovered that there is also a small amount of Chlorophyll in Ork skin cells. This provides them with a little bit of extra energy for emergency purposes. Unfortunately for Orks, this provides little nutritional benefit and such energy use is only good for cases of extreme duress.

Orks are also born with the muscle tendons in their arms being naturally tight. This creates a snap-movement when the arm is moved quickly, and if used properly can increase the damage an Ork can do with a melee weapon. Other than this, Orks have bigger teeth than most other races, with the teeth protruding into the mouth slightly. While this combination makes Ork teeth appear the same as that of any other race, it does cause them to talk with a slight grunt and makes dentistry more difficult on those not familiar with Orkish teeth.

The last factor, but certainly not the least for anti-Ork prejudice, is that Orks, while having the same size of brain as most Terrans, tend to have a larger Cerebellum, a smaller Cerebrum, and a thinner cortex. This tends to make Orks more action oriented and less prone to complex, logical thought, though this is certainly not beyond their capabilities if they put their minds to it.

Government

Ork tribes are often separated from each other by time, distance, and circumstances. Nevertheless, there are certain similarities that are prevalent in most Ork tribes. For example, all Ork tribes, despite their purpose, level of hostility, and means for survival, all typically have a Shaman and a Chief at their heads.

The Shaman of the tribe is almost always the real leader of the tribe. The position of Shaman is inherited from a Shaman to his highest pupil. If the Shaman did not name such a heir before his death, the Chief often chooses through a contest of power of some kind. Regardless of whether they are the Shaman’s choice or not, an Ork Shaman is usually the most powerful Mystic in the tribe. There may be other factors, such as age, wisdom, leadership skill, or ability in other fields. Raiding tribes, for example, often pick the best gatekeeper in the tribe to be the Shaman, while Civilized Tribes are more likely to pick the oldest and wisest than the best mystic. The Shaman acts as the spiritual leader of the tribe and leads the long-term actions of the tribe.

The Chief, on the other hand, runs the day-to-day affairs of the tribe. When most non-Orks think of the leader of the tribe, they think of him. He is answerable to the Shaman, and often the Chief is one of few who are allowed to speak with the Shaman directly. The Chief acts as both the head Warrior and the Public Face of the tribe in most cases, which explains why he is often thought of as the leader. Ork Chieftains are most often determined through Trial by Combat, however in Civilized Tribes and some War Tribes they may choose the best speaker rather than the best fighter. In the tribes that use Trial by Combat, often an Ork can raise to the position of Chief if he challenges the Chief and defeats him in combat. This combination of fear, power, and danger makes the position of Chief much more perilous than that of Shaman, and typically the Chief is under much greater stress then the Shaman. This leads many to believe all Ork Chiefs to be harsh and unfeeling, whereas many non-Orks are more sympathetic with a Shaman.

The rest of Ork Society is composed of three social classes. The Warriors make up the bulk of most Ork tribes, The Seekers are the pupils of the tribe’s Shaman, and weaklings are people either unable to fight (temporarily or permanently) or those waiting to be chosen as Seekers. Most Orks are expected to become Warriors, though there is no shame in becoming a Seeker instead. Any Ork who is physically able can become a Warrior, while the Shaman chooses from the weaklings who will be a Seeker, usually in an annual ceremony. Warriors usually master the arts of close-combat fighting, though some learn stealth tactics or ranged tactics instead. The Warriors typically tease weaklings who could fight until they become Seekers, at which point the Orks will stop in proper respect. Even in civilized tribes, most Orks are trained Warriors and can fight if necessary. Who is allowed to respectably be a weakling varies from tribe to tribe, however usually the elderly, Children before age 7, pregnant women, and the severely crippled or permanently maimed can be weaklings without being the subject of ridicule.

Roleplaying, Costuming and Makeup

When playing an Ork, one should speak with a grunting voice. Though some Orks have been able to overcome (with surgery and time) the condition that causes them to speak with this, most don’t care enough or don’t have the money. To speak with this grunt, there are a few techniques that work well. I recommend moving your lower lip out slightly and speaking slightly lower. Another thing to remember is that most Orks have a fairly small vocabulary, any specialized or technical words are probably beyond them, as is good sentence structure.

The only other thing to remember about properly role playing an Ork is that Orks are uneducated. They are not usually stupid (though, as any race, there are stupid Orks) they just tend to have learned more about fighting than other skills. Most Orks never had the opportunity for a formal education and have no plans on getting one in the future. It just isn’t considered as important or practical to know math as, say, to use your sword more effectively.

When making or finding costuming for Orks, remember that Orks have, on average, one of the more primitive societies in Pathways. They also tend to favor heavy armor, and I recommend as heavy armor as you can get when playing one. However, with an Ork you are probably better off with a suit of old-fashioned chain mail or plate mail than something that looks more futuristic. Orks tend to favor larger weapons, which is something to consider when designing your weapon phys-reps. They also tend to wear barbaric clothing and are often unkempt, and you might want to take these factors into consideration if you want to wear proper costuming for your Ork.

All Orks have green skin, and green skin make-up is probably the way to go with this. I have seen a few good Ork masks, but you are probably better off with just applying green make-up to your face. Masks tend to be too hot and may not have a good fit, which are real concerns when you are wearing them for any length of time. (Particularly in situations where you will be sleeping/eating in character) With make-up, try to buy it from a costuming store, as most other stores not only sell lower-quality make-up, but it is also often a seasonal item. I recommend getting a person at a costuming store help you find the right shade of green, and not to buy anything that comes in a tube. Some tube make-up can’t stand up well vs. weather conditions and it may be the wrong color. No one wants to play the neon Ork. When applying the make-up, be careful about making the face look good. I wouldn’t worry too much about non-face areas in general, as most people care more about seeing the Ork’s face as green than his arms being a little pasty in that area. Don’t worry about any parts of your body that won’t show at all. Lastly, but most importantly, look at the directions for applying the make-up before you use it for the best and safest effect.