An Alternate Ecology of Orcs, part 2: Demons
So. Now that we've talked about where Orcs came from in fiction, let's get controversial, and embrace the idea of orcs as just monsters . . . but in a way that has nothing to do with ethnicity, species, or bioessentialism of any kind. If you haven't read part 1, go do that. I'll wait. https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/an-alternate-ecology-of-orcs-pt-1
As we've said, in their earliest origins, orcs are monsters, demons, ogres, from Middle French and Old English roots. They aren't people, and in this part two of the alternate ecology we're going to come up with a version of them that is totally monstrous, but makes some sense. We're also going to work out a scheme where they fit into the goblinoids they were inexplicably separated from.
In this new scheme, Orcs don't really have a biology. They aren't even fungi the way they are in Warhammer. They are demons or devils, spiritual entities that are manifestations of evil given flesh. In this case, they represent wrath. They are summoned into the world by angry magi needing soldiers, or sent in as shock troops by the Lords of the Abyss or Hell, or whatever infernal planes are in your setting. When slain, they leave only smears of grease or puffs of foul smoke. They don't breed, in any biological sense, and they don't really have free will, as a whole, though infinite chaos will throw up the occasional exception. Orcs are wrath, destruction, war. They can be disciplined troops obeying a tyrannical master, bringing order to the world while despoiling its natural beauty, or they can be nearly mindless rampaging hordes simply sent by the Demon Lords to destroy, to help break a world. As demons and devils, they have a variety of colorations and appearances (which are never colors one might find on real world humans, instead being things like fiery red, sickly green, stone grey) but are always recognizable as orcs due to their hulking forms, underslung jaw and tusks, and the madness of wrath in their eyes. They seem to have small scales across their skin, but also often have hair on their heads. Some have tiny horns, others do not.
Orcs do not negotiate, and very rarely can they be intimidated. Orcs do not feel pain. Orcs do not get tired. They savor the pain of others, and some can be quite sophisticated torturers. They certainly have no sense of empathy. In many ways, they are just a disturbingly intelligent outgrowth of their evil plane, more than they are distinct beings, though there are recognizable individuals in their ranks, usually very highly placed.
In point of fact, orcs are actually just part of a spectrum of fiends, all of which are related, somehow. They all possess the same flat face, the underslung jaw, the scaled skin. At the bottom end, we have what are called gremlins. Tiny creatures often less than a foot tall, they swarm in mindless masses across a battlefield or unfortunate settlement, destroying with tooth and claw, eating everything. Winged versions operate similarly, and are often called imps. Next in size, the goblins. These demons are cunning, clever, even if not wise or strictly intelligent. They make traps, and weapons, and horrible devices. They plan complicated ambushes and love to take their foes by surprise.
Larger still, we have hobgoblins, roughly the size of a dwarf or human, and varying in build between them. These are the mainline troops of the demonic or diabolic force, soldiers who fulfill any order that allows them to kill or hurt something. They wear heavy armor, wear shields, fight in formation.
Actual orcs tend to be even bigger. As much as seven feat tall, they are the shock troops of the goblinoids. Lightly armored, they race across the battlefield to be first to crush the foe. Some wield massive axes or hammers, others, a hooked blade in each hand. What they all have in common is a disdain for defense and a focus on doing a much damage as they can as quickly as possible.
Finally, we have the enormous brutes known as ogres. 9 to 12 feet tall, they are living sieges weapons, utilized to break enemy lines or destroy enemy fortifications with their massive ironbound clubs. Very often faster than one would expect from their lumbering forms, they tend to need less armor, as their scaled hides are thicker. Some still wear heavy armor atop that, though it is more rare.
Orcs, Goblins, Demons of Wrath. One and the same, they are the favored forces of dark lords everywhere, because you can summon them to aid you, and all it costs is your soul and a willingness to let them destroy, maim, and kill. What they aren't, is people, or even biological creatures. As demons, they are literally Wrath made manifest, just in different forms.
In Part 3, we'll get more modern, and make some Orcs as people without the 'noble savage' and tribal sterotypes.
