Records: Rise of the Orks

## **The Swine Scourge**

Across Eurasia, both wild boar and domesticated pigs *mutate*. Over a period of just a few hours, the change turns the beasts into what appears to be pig-human hybrids, with wily intelligence and a complex, innate language. There are two varieties based on whether they came from wild boar (who tend to average 6 feet) or domesticated pigs who average 5 feet tall and much stockier.

Both varieties have an inherent hatred for humans, but the shorter is hyper-aggressive and particularly sadistic, possibly as a result of being bred for bacon. Overnight, cultures with a heavy pork investment are hit hard, from England through Europe and Asia. As much as 10% of the human population was slaughtered literally overnight, before they knew what was happening or could respond. The speed of the devastation made the plague pale by comparison.

### **The Next Few Weeks**

A few areas were able to respond decisively: *where there were Regiments*. Any standing military force was already equipped and trained to respond, but anything less than a pre-mobilized militia usually meant the area was open to devastation.

Pork farmers were universally destroyed, and most agricultural areas were wrecked beyond repair and recognition. Where humans were able to respond, it often turned into a kind of street-to-street civil war as the orks appeared bent on exterminating humanity. Where humans got the upper hand, rather than face complete extermination, the orks withdrew, turning into agents of chaos as they waged a guerrilla war.

## **What Hath Been Wrought**

By the end of May, it was estimated that 20% of all humanity through Eurasia had been killed outright. The Royal Academy, the Order of Merlin and the collective Sergeants-at-Arms brought together intelligence and reconnaissance reports that was forming a picture of what was unfolding.

The orks had hooves and tusks, natural weapons, that could be used quite effectively against unarmed humans. The orks' mutation included effective thumbs – and a naturalistic, brutal fighting style that was naturally suited to human weapons (that was even more effective than their natural weapons). In their now-humanoid shape, human armor fit and they quickly adapted its use.

It appeared the orks spoke the same language no matter where they originated, meaning it was a language that was inherent to the beasts (or universal to the process that changed them). There was no trace of the original swine or boar from which they appeared to originate from, meaning it was likely some sort of blanket effect. Killing them did not return them to their pre-mutated state.

### **From Whence They Came**

There was no trace of arcane magic in the pens, or on the bodies of the orks (and *everybody* who had any sort of arcane training had the ability to test). This meant it was divine magic, and that placed either in the lap of God Himself or... everbody's favorite culprit: the "work of the devil." Given Lucifer (or whatever the preferred local name) was a fallen angel, that seemed to fit.

Also noted: the inherent hatred of humanity. While that wasn't hard to do considering the human track record with nature, the ferocity of the hatred was reminscent of the megafauna in the Western Hemisphere. This was likely sparked by the same source, though that opened up new questions.

Why wasn't there megafauna in Eurasia? The answer was technically unknowable, but the best guess was that the density of apex predators was too low through Eurasia to warrant whatever effort or effect it took to create it. The megafauna had likely been a laboratory for what was done to the Eastern Hemisphere.

### **Strategic Predictions**

The human divides had been deep enough, the wars and potential conflicts already devastating, but the orks sparked a spike in end-of-the-world fears and cults, especially in agricultural areas. It also caused a massive climb in vegetarian practices...

In areas where there were natural boars and a low density of humanity, there were expectations that the orks would multiply and dominate. Indeed, it appeared that like domestic pigs, the orks could and would eat *anything,*including humanity – *but not each other*.