Crow’s B2+T1+Mike’s World Factions #2: The Orcs
Introduction
Some say that the first orcs were a gift from a bellicose Chaos Lord to a mortal conqueror, given in the time before Man could work iron himself. Stronger and harder than their bronze-wielding foes, tales of orcs always end with them turning upon their masters. Today, unscrupulous wizards mark the recipe: wolf’s teeth, pig’s blood, and iron weapons, best collected from the site of a grim and bloody battle. Brewed for days in a black cauldron and profaned with vile incantations, the mixture yields a section of orcs ready for their maker’s command.
Even common folk know of these robust and warlike pigmen. Skin tones range from a porcine pink, through an ash gray, to a vivid chartreuse. They can survive anywhere and eat nearly anything, but their lives end early due to violence or their blazing metabolism giving out. They are all sexless and genderless but act like rowdy gluttonous men.
Adjusting or adding to the orc-recipe leads to unusual results, but can spell disaster for a careless wizard. Certain theories even suggest that a sort of “half-orc,” one not compelled to make war, could be created. An orc crew that possesses the knowledge to brew their own kind is very deadly indeed, their numbers swelling to the hundreds within weeks.
Forces and Strategy
The bulk of an orcish band is armored footmen carrying two handed weapons or polearms. Orc skirmishers carry javelins, shields, and short swords.
Variations in the orc recipe lead to mutations. 10% of all orcs are mutated in some way, with 1d3 mutations (I like Skerples' Mutations table). Orcs with useful mutations gain privileged positions in their crews, while unfortunate wretches become outcasts.
As unnatural creations, orcs are shunned by livestock and beasts of burden. Draft work and logistics are left to slaves and/or ogres.
Orcs removed from the pot before their time become a frightening, ooze-like amalgam. It has a number of actions and fights as 3d6 orcs, with 2d3+1 mutations.
Religion and Magic
As beings created by mortals, orcs tend towards blasphemy and atheism, scorning holy sites and harboring a special hatred for clerics. They align themselves with Chaos out of shared methods and similar goals, but rare is the orc-priest. Orcs take to wizardry with aplomb. Such magic-users specialize in spells with clear uses in warfare: fire, confusion, boons of speed and strength.
Activities, Encounters, and Territory
Skirmishers can be spotted among the ruins of Emridy Meadows, gathering weapons from the old battlefield for orc-pot. Of all the factions, the orcs will conduct raids upon Hommlet, the Woodfolk, and even the Keep early and often, as their numbers are easily replenished. They will steal livestock, take hostages, and carry out massacres.
A band departing from a stronghold of Chaos, such as the Moathouse, may return to find orcs shoring up the garrison.
Zelligar the Unknown, one of the masters of Quasqueton, is said to have built the complex using orcs. Perhaps the recipe can be found in his sanctum by an intrepid band...
Relationships with Other Factions
Orcs are often willing to parley but cannot be trusted in the long term. They will solicit bribes, hostage exchanges, or assistance in dealing with a rival faction. When the terms of the parley are fulfilled, orcs usually turn on the other party to double their money. Their preferred tribute is vast quantities of food and magic trinkets.
Two rival crews of orcs inhabit the Caves of Chaos and fight with each other almost as much as they do with the forces of the Keep. In most circumstances, they would fight until one group wiped the other out, but the warring gangs share a single orc-pot recovered from Quasqueton. The Evil Priest has put an orc-wizard in charge of the pot, carefully doling out fresh orcs to prevent the balance from tipping.
Should one of the orc bands absorb or destroy the other, the orcs form the Two-Mace gang and become a major threat to the Keep and other factions in the Caves.
The orcs have a special rivalry with the hobgoblins, who occupy the same niche of “bullying older brother” toward the goblins and kobolds. They fear the gnolls and would not mind seeing them eliminated. The bugbears and Minotaur are afforded a grudging but solid deference.
Leadership and Notable NPCs
An orc cauldron recovered from Quasqueton is tended by Papa Doorknocker, an elderly orc with an enormous nose ring. Though blind and frail, his sorcerous powers command great respect from both crews. Papa fights as a 4th level wizard with orc traits and the following spells: burning hands, choking cloud, darkness, enlarge.
Gutripper (4HD) runs the bigger crew in B, and aims to draft the strongest orcs from the cauldron. Gutripper is dumb as a post, but doesn’t need brains given his skill with the slaughter bell. (&&&&&&&Treasure p. 62)
Curseblood (3HD, 3 mutations) is an orc-mutant and the more clever of the two. He leads a crew with many mutants occupying C. Curseblood is more willing to parley, but his crew becoming dominant spells trouble for the Borderlands. He carries the orc mace (Wonder and Wickedness p. 71), a fell weapon that turns its victims into orcs.