Orcs are a degenerate humanoid race, famed for their violence and unpredictable ways. The most common racial features include tough grey skin, black greasy hair and a pronounced underbites, often with small tusks. There are variations, as with all races, although they all have some of those characteristics, to one extent or another. They have been described as having ‘coarse body hair and a stooped posture like some primitive man but with a grayish-green skin tone and bestial facial feature beneath a wild mop of black hair. Bloodshot eyes peer below a low, sloping brow, just above a flattened nose, and prominent tusk-like teeth’.

They breed quickly and can interbreed with many different species, including Humans and Ogres. Their distrust of magic and technology, combined with their chaotic nature, means that they live primitive, tribal lives, led by the strongest members. Orcs are crepuscular, and are most active at dawn and dusk, and Orc leaders often take a siesta in the afternoon - often with a female of their choice.

In orc society, there is little difference between politics and social standing - the biggest, strongest, and most insistent is the leader. Disagree, and he will beat you to a pulp if you don’t do as you are told. It is a male-dominated society, females are taught from a young age, that they are baby factories, and their job is to have babies and make sure there are lots of little orcs coming through, so the tribe get bigger and stronger. Open disagreement, results in beatings …

While Orc society seems wild, chaotic and disorganised to most of us, sages tend to use the following terms to describe their social classes.

Bulls - the biggest and strongest who lead groups of orcs. The biggest bull leads the tribe, the others wait, often sullenly. The lowest ranking bulls often serve as the Biggest Bull’s assistants and use their own followers to help keep the boss in power. In most cases this in an Orc, occasionally a Half-Orc but if there are Orogs in the area, they generally take over as the Top Bull.

Boys - Boys are male fighters, however, not all Boys are equal. Some boys are bigger and stronger than others, and they probably have gangs of their own, even if they aren’t strong enough yet to be a bull. They aren’t stupid, and most of the gang leaders linkup with one of the bulls. If you are young, and just starting out, you better join up with a gang quick. The internal pecking order, for Boys, seems to break down to 1) Barbarian, 2) Fighter, 3) Ranger, 4) Warrior.

Untouchables - The untouchables in Orc society are feared, hated, respected, and needed all at once, and consist of the shamans and craftsmen that Orcs deem necessary. Someone has to appease the gods, someone has to make weapons and armour - but it isn’t proper orc! Untouchables live on the edges of Orc society, often in little enclaves of their own, where the bands and tribes come to consult them, ask for help and to buy gear - that they can’t steal. Most tribes can overpower the untouchables in their area, but who can deal with the wrath of the gods, the curses and the anger of other untouchables? Anyway, without the untouchables they would have to use the weapons they took from other people - not their ‘special’ weapons. Think Witches, Adepts, Experts and the occasional Rogue - making Healing Potions, Axes, Falchions, Armour, Boats, Bows, Arrows etc and calling down the wrath of the gods. Many of the brighter females, and many half-orcs, finish up as untouchables.

The Rest - It doesn’t matter if they are male or female, it doesn’t matter of they are half-orc, Human or some other race. So long as you do you are told (by Boys and Bulls) and work hard - you don’t get beaten. OK, if you do as you are told, you don’t get beaten very often. If you don’t do as you are told, you will be beaten until you learn. Most of the jobs involve cooking, brewing alcoholic beverages, herding animals, collecting food, cleaning, and doing what the Boys say. The trick is to anticipate the instructions - food, booze and sex are the most common ‘orders’ - and making sure there is a good supply saves beatings. Fortunately, the Boys rarely remember to follow up on their orders, so a temporary solution often works as well as a long-term solution. There is, of course, a pecking order amongst this class as well - and the biggest, strongest or sneakiest boss the weaker members around, and have their own following. The Rest are mainly Commoners, although there are a couple of minor leaders with other classes.

Slaves - The lowest of the low, the slaves get the hardest and nastiest jobs, such as digging holes, cleaning latrines and carrying heavy loads about. Slaves are beaten regularly, and get less food than anyone else. And often don’t live for very long - unless they are hardy and compliant, when they might get prompted, and join the tribe as one of ‘The Rest’. However, there in nothing formal about that, a slave that isn’t locked up is just one of the rest - while anyone who does get locked up at night, becomes a slave.

Orcs live in bands, squads and gangs, made up probably related orcs. However, orc children are raised communally, and orcs from other tribes are kidnapped, or move by their own free will - so no-one really knows how any two orcs are related - or even if they are related at all. However, Orcs generally have some (limited) loyalty to their band - after all, where else would they go, and where else would they get fed? Anyway, their boss is probably standing behind them …. If not them, another boss … The Bands are fluid and flexible. Members change, the bosses change, lookout camps change, secondary camps change - but the home camp rarely does. However, just about anything could be a home base, so long is it is large enough to house a substantial number of Orcs. It could be a cave complex or something burrowed into the roots of trees, or even a village (or castle) that humans (or some other race) built. But the home base tends to be in the middle of the band’s territory.

Great Warlord - A great warlord rules a series of bands, and is powerful enough to keep the other warlords and their bands in check, and force them to pay tribute. While this is, sometimes, a great and powerful Orc, their rule often doesn’t last long. A half-orc, if they can rise to that position, might last longer, but the more enduring Ork ‘kingdoms’ are led by Orog families. Larger and stronger than normal Orcs, Orogs are just as nasty, but much better organised. Their retribution against rebellious bands is often swift and merciless - and is something to be feared.

Warlords - lead the local Orc Bands, controlling them through fear and intimidation. They raid each other, and there are often skirmishes between the bands, where borders, resources and animal herds are fought over. It keeps the bands small, bloods the boys, and lets them work out their own pecking order. The Great Warlords don’t interfere with the skirmishing, and even encourage it, so long as it doesn’t affect the Tribute. Warlords leads bands that might have somewhere between 50 and 300 members - the only criterium is that they don’t pay tribute to anyone except a Great Warlord (if there is one).

Lieutenants - are warlords in waiting, who each have their own squad of up to 25 boys, and a commensurate number of other followers. The less powerful Lieutenants are kept at the main base, and act as enforcers for the Warlord. However, the most powerful Lieutenants are often given command of secondary or look out camp, to keep them out of the Warlord’s way, and to reduce the chance of them setting up a coup. They skirmish and raid with each other, and with the Lieutenants of neighbouring warbands - and will occasionally change allegiance between bands. They all expect to get strong enough to take over as warlord, and all believe they are the best ….

Sergeants - lead gangs of three or four boys, and work for a lieutenant. Some expect to become lieutenants, and the warlords, in their own right, but many just go for the easy life, with plenty of fighting and booze, and some choice in women. Most get to lead patrols and skirmishes occasionally, and might even be posted to a small look-out camp for a while. So long as they keep their noses relatively clean, and move any troublesome boys along, Sergeants have a reasonably good life - for an Orc.

The Untouchables - are organised in much the same way as any other Orc camp, however, the leader is the Senior Shaman, while his ‘lieutenants’ are either other shamans or senior crafters. The main difference is that you will find a number of females in craft positions, rather than just menial workers. Hunting parties are liable to be a mix of shaman, expert hunters and the occasional rogue. However, they aren’t really organised any better than any other Orc Camp. Many untouchable camps, deal with (and pay tribute to) more than one war-band and all pay tribute, of some sort, to any great warlord who claims the area.

Near an Orc Camp - you might run into a small group of Orcs consisting of a sergeant and his gang, accompanied by few others, mainly females, who will be trying to herd their livestock while collecting nuts, berries and other wild food. The boys will be wrestling with each other, joking about and trying to hunt with their javelins. They might even get a small amount of game, and any kill is a cause for celebration. A few slaves might be hanging around sullenly, waiting to carry everything back to camp. The slaves all know that, if they make a break for freedom, they will become quarry for the gang, and the boys don’t mind if the slave is injured or killed. And where is there to go anyway?