Orcs ("Warhammer"): character descriptions

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Orcs came to modern culture from the tales of Western Europe and firmly settled in it after the appearance in "The Lord of the Rings" by John Tolkien. Actually, the word "orc" was born thanks to him. Only in the books these warlike creatures, somewhat similar to goblins, did not linger and migrated to many fantasy universes and games on them. Dungeons and Dragons, Warcraft, Might and Magic, The Elder Scrolls… I can't list them all. But today we will talk about the universe where there is only war and where the orcs feel like fish in water. Of course, it's Warhammer. Perhaps in a world of constant war, no one feels as confident as the orcs.

Warhammer and its fans have expanded the world of greenskins to unthinkable proportions. Almost everything is known about the orcs: from theories of the origin of their race to what currency they pay with each other. But first things first.

Origin theories

There are two main theories about the origin of orcs in the Warhammer universe. The first, which, by the way, the greenskins themselves adhere to, says that they were born by some kind of orc-like race of wisers. They were far from powerful warriors and needed obedient fighters to defend themselves from strangers. With the help of changes in the genetics of their species, the mudrils managed to create warlike and powerful soldiers. The second theory claims that the orcs were raised by the race of the Ancients - the most powerful and oldest beings in the entire universe. This (as well as the creation of other intelligent inhabitants of the galaxy) was done to fight the K'tan, who, together with the Necron race subordinate to them, fought the Ancients.

Types of orcoid creatures

Orcs reproduce through spores, like mushrooms. In addition to the greenskins themselves, they can be born:

squigs (orkoid beasts that have numerous uses in greenskin life: from food to use as weapons and even peculiar living hairpieces);

Snotlings (the most mentally retarded members of the orcoid race, who are mainly engaged in growing mushrooms for orc beer);

goblins (in the Warhammer fantasy universe, they are weak, but very cunning, cunning and intelligent creatures that create most of the orc technology);

gretchin (goblins in Warhammer 40,000, do all the dirty chores for the orcs; on the battlefield they serve artillery, andcan also act as a human shield, projectile carriers and a demining tool)

Society and customs

Orc customs are, frankly, barbaric. Trophies from the battlefield can only be chosen by the Boss - the largest and most powerful orc, who is at the head of the orc community. But even among them there are gradations when the greenskins unite in large masses for military operations, which, however, are ongoing. Below the rank are the Nobs. They are inferior in size and strength only to the Boss himself. When the campaign is successful, the Nobs gain strength and begin to look at the place of the leader. In such cases, the Bosses often give them either truly suicidal tasks, or hit them in the head with an ax.

Further in the Table of Ranks are Mekboyz (chief ork mechanics), Boleboyz (medics) and Supernaturalboyz (orc sorcerers who do not understand how everything works out; however, like everything else with most greenskins). The most numerous are the Boyzes - ordinary soldiers who make up the core of the army.

Economy

Teeth are the currency. Orcs have many of them: new ones are constantly growing, and old ones fall out. To become a little richer, it is enough to hit your neighbor hard and collect the fallen teeth. But this way of earning is a little risky, because the offended party can simply hit back. Various Orc commanders hang themselves with whole necklaces made from the teeth of enemies or obtained in drunken brawls. Due to the excellent hardness, teeth become not only the equivalent of currency, but also the material for weapons andbooking. Greenskins have a strange craving for the color red. They believe that vehicles painted in this color drive much faster. And since the orcs have a terrible euphoria at high speed, their craving for red becomes clear.

Language

Orcs speak in the original in heavily distorted English with a lot of mistakes. It is translated into Russian appropriately. The most famous word in the Orcish lexicon is Waaagh!. It has several meanings: from a special psychic field created by the orcs, and thanks to which even two linked sticks start shooting, to a military campaign and a favorite cry on the battlefield.

Where Gork da Mork will be sent

And in whom, besides themselves, do the orcs believe? "Warhammer" would not be "Warhammer", even if the aggressive greenskins were not somehow connected with the Warp - hyperspace in the world of the war hammer. The main gods of the orcs are Gork and Mork, who, moreover, are twins. The first is cruel but cunning, and the second is cunning but cruel. This vagueness leads to numerous disputes between Ork theologians, which simply result in massacres. The twin gods are constantly fighting the gods of other races. They are impossible to defeat: Gork smashes the heads of enemies with his club, and Mork vilely beats on the sly.

Sometimes in the myths, the twin gods are cut down, but thanks to the union of millions of orcs, they rise again unharmed. In general, the greenskins do not care which of them to worship. Usually Boyses pray to Gork, and Mork -Mekboyz and Supernatural Boyz. In the image and likeness of the twin gods, the orcs build their most powerful fighting machines - gargants, which will be discussed below.

Warhammer Orc Vehicles

Now a little about the most interesting pieces of equipment. What do orcs use? Warhammer 40,000 gave birth to dreadnoughts, which are divided into Megadreads and Deathdreads. They can be created by Boleboyz and Mekboyz. A seriously wounded orc or gretchin can act as a pilot, with which the skull is drilled to connect to the control of the machine. The most terrifying machines are Gargants - analogues of human titans. This is an amazingly tenacious and deadly machine, each system of which is duplicated. Each gargant is individual, because it is built according to a single project. After a victory, next to this colossus there are often spare parts of defeated enemies, which are used by the orcs to repair the gargant.

"Warhammer" (fantasy) offers an interesting variation of the ancient catapult - the goblin diving catapult. Initially, it was used for reconnaissance, but then someone came up with the idea to launch goblins already as projectiles, causing considerable destruction to the enemy.

Orcs in Warhammer games

Orcs are best known for their Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War games, where they were available to play. Already in the first part of this game based on the Warhammer universe, you will have to fight against the orcs hand in hand with the order of the Blood Ravens. From the latest gaming productsThe Warhammer industry stands out with the Total War Warhammer strategy. Playing as orcs in it may seem a little strange: the player cannot trade with anyone, his armies can suddenly start fighting each other, and the economy is completely geared towards raiding the enemy. But the beginning of the game for the greenskins in "Total War Warhammer" can please: the orcs can field large armies almost immediately.

Epilogue

So, this is the end of a short story about what the orcs are like in the world of the hammer of war. "Warhammer", without any doubt, greatly enriched their history and image.