Found in the fjords scattered along the rocky coasts of the Islands ob the Draishon Archipelago, the local orc tribes are a bit more organised than many others. That doesn’t stop them bickering among themselves and raiding each other – but they are held (partially) in check by the spirit of the Great Ones. They are patrons to their tribal witches, who teach the secrets of building ships and making Snortshot.

Note: The Great Ones is a name, given by the witches, to represent their Patron Ancestors (all witches have The Ancestors as their patrons) This represents the combined knowledge of all the previous wise women, who managed to build up, and hold on to, their place of importance in The Tribe.

Each ‘tribe’ consists of about 150 bodies - Made up mostly of Orcs, a few half-orcs and a few captives of other species. About 20 of the Orcs are Marauders, males who are in their prime and the main raiding force of the tribe, who are accompanied by about the same number of Bloods, or less experienced raiders. Another dozen, or so, are Elders, those male orcs who are passed their prime, and are no longer considered fit to go raiding. Most of the rest is made up of females and youngsters, who are responsible for the captives, gathering seasonal food, repair gear etc. There are a few fields and animals, mostly looked after by captives and youngsters, although they only add a small amount to the village’s food stocks.

Every village has a witch, who serves as the tribal wise-woman. The witch is always female and is leader of the women – who maintains her place in the tribe because she knows stuff - the secrets of building war canoes, and brewing good Snortshot - she is also the only one with Healing Magic. Hurt a witch, too much, she will unleash other magics that can hurt you back - or maybe they just give you the evil eye, or … Witches are scary ….

There are always leaders. A tribal chief (L7 elder), a War captain (L5 Marauder in charge of the marauding party and chief in waiting) two or three lieutenants (L4 Marauders), Chief Hunter (Elder, L4) to round out the numbers.

• Marauder = Male Orc, 1/2 Orc: Warrior-3 with Studded Leather & Falchion
• Bloods = Male Orc, 1/2 Orc: Warrior-2 with Studded Leather & Falchion
• Elder = Male Orc, 1/2 Orc: Warrior-2 – (Middle aged or old) with Leather & Boarding Axe
• Witch = Orc, 1/2 Orc: Female, Witch-3 ( with a couple of lower level apprentices L1 or 2)
• Youngsters = Male Orc, 1/2 Orc: Warrior-1 – Leather & Spear
• Females = Female Orc, 1/2 Orc: Commoner-1 - unarmoured, clubs
• Captives/Slaves = Race, class and level vary - but mainly low-level.
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• Snortshot = Fermented honey, berry and pine needle mixture. The type of berry changes throughout the year and is often supplemented by other things that you wouldn’t expect to be in an alcoholic beverage. It is not to the taste of most races, but Orcs seem to enjoy it.

Everyone lives in one great longhouse. One end is walled off for livestock and the less desirable captives, everyone else lives in the main part of the longhouse, leaders, marauders, witches, (some) captives – everyone. Along with half a dozen (guard) dogs. Life is hectic.

Young Bloods get to practice their seamanship in the village’s Faering (Rowing boat) while the females fish. Elders and Young Bloods, hunt game, and supervise the captives as they work in the fields or with the animals. Females cook, repair clothes, fix boats and carry out basic crafts. Marauders hang around disrupting everything, unless they off on a raid - skirmishing with another village, a ship-borne raid of a foreign town or just pirating.

Raids are short and sweet and often directed at small towns, villages or merchant ships. The Orcs land, set fire to things, loot, steal food, drink, weapons (basically anything of value) and kidnap a few of the locals. Then back home for a party. Occasionally, they will send out a larger expedition, under a Great Chief, where boats from various villages work together to hit a larger town. The large groups have been known to take whole ships and hold them for ransom. Once they lande it is mayhem, each Marauder doing their own thing until they are sated and have enough loot. Smaller towns and villages are often left devastated, when the drunken orcs have finished their pillaging and plundering.

Pirating works very much the same way - Orcs fighting their way down to the hold, then back again with as much loot as they can carry. These raids are short and sweet, and vessels rarely lose more than one point of plunder during one of these raids. Many sailors' lives have been saved, by staying clear of the path the Orcs take to the ship's hold …

There are land raids as well, the hills around the Fjord are home to Cavemen clans (Neanderthal), and there are often clashes between Orc hunting parties and parties of Cavemen. Sometimes the cavemen are followed home and their caves raided for food and captives.

The tribe’s war canoe is the pride of every village – long sleek and powered through the water by forty paddles, with a simple crab-claw sail for when the wind is in the right direction. The war canoe is seaworthy and deals well with open water, but is too light to be fitted with a ram or siege engine. It can deliver a band of about 50 orcs raiders to the shores of any settlement, and is fast enough to make a decent getaway if they are outnumbered. Since the arrival of the colonists, they have taken to attacking merchant ships and generally acting like pirates.

The normal crew consists of The War Leader, a Lieutenant, 20 Marauders and 20 bloods, supported by a team of sailors, composed of Elders and 1/2 orcs.

While captured slaves, half-orc offspring and young orcs labour to build and repair the vessels - any real knowledge of their construction and repair is a secret held by the tribal witches.

It was only when the shout went up, and the noise brought me to the window of my room, that I saw them. It was the best room in the inn, double bed, wash stand, a wardrobe and a view out to sea. The ship was low in the water and difficult to see, but it was moving forwards quickly, so quickly in fact that it’s prow was on the beach almost before I noticed. The ram at the front sitting proud, it must have been just on or above the water line. As soon as it arrived on the beach, the Orcs poured ashore across the bow of the boat, they were all dressed in some sort of chain shirt, although each was different, one had pauldrons attached to the shoulders, another had a buckler set in the middle of their chest, while others had various animal skins draped around their body – no two were alike. The leaders, alone, bore rams’ horns on their helmets and carried great axes, while the rest of the marauders carried great swords wielded in both hands, Falchions I believe.

The last few were less well armoured than the raiders, and some looked barely out of their youth. They pulled the boat high up the beach, so there was no chance of it sliding back out to sea, and started looting the buildings closest to the boat, and stabbing at anyone who came close with their spears.

The main band made a beeline for the town square and the guard towers there, hacking their way through the door and making short work of the paltry town guard, although I didn’t wait for the outcome. Stuffing as many valuables as I could into my pockets, I made my way to the back of the inn, and then used a potion that I reserve just for this sort of occasion. Before long I was up on the roof, and settled down between a couple of chimneys, just peeking over enough to see what was happening.

The marauders then split into three groups and started going through the buildings as they saw fit. Some were spared completely, others ransacked while a few were set alight, even before they went in to take their plunder. As the raiders returned to their vessel, each carried something taken from the town. I saw barrels of wine, and even a barrel of fine brandy, the arms and armour stripped off the guards, and a whole series of things from the blacksmith’s in town, sacks of grain accompanied by sides of bacon from the town’s winter store - and all the while the marauders are drinking from whatever bottles they couldfind - Ale, mead, wine, spirits … they didn’t care.

Then came the women and children, dragged from their hiding places and cuffed into silence. One brave man, perhaps trying to rescue his wife or child, rushed out into the street with an old spear and shield. He was cut down in seconds, and left dying on the beach, while the shield and spear were thrown aboard as extra booty.

Half an hour after they had arrived, they had gone - heading back to wherever they came from. The town was devastated, half-a-dozen buildings put to the torch, dead and dying on the beach and streets, wives and children abducted, shocked survivors barely able to understand what had happened - and next to no one left to tell them what to do.

When they were out of sight, I slid back down the roof and climbed back into the inn. They hadn’t got as far as my room, so I might have saved that potion. However, the lower floors had been ransacked, and the bar-room almost completely destroyed. I don’t think there was anything left to drink in the whole place …