vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Orks - Origins: The Orks are a biologically-engineered species, created more than 60 million Terran years ago as a warrior race originally called the Krork by the long-vanished reptilian alien species known as the Old Ones, whom the Orks refer to as the Brain Boyz.The ancient Krork were known to possess more advanced technology than that of the present Greenskin race, and to be on average larger, in some cases standing as tall as 12 metres.The Orks were created by the Brain Boyz to fight the Necrons and their C'tan masters in the great interstellar conflict called the War in Heaven that shattered the galactic civilisation of the Old Ones that existed prior to the rise of the Aeldari.Orks are thus genetically engineered to be muscular, aggressive, and none too bright; their technology is maintained by a caste of Oddboyz who possess genetically-implanted dispositions and technical knowledge that grant them unusual skill with maintaining and developing technology.However, this skill is an unconscious one preserved through genetic memories hard-wired into the Oddboyz's DNA by the Brain Boyz millions of standard years ago.Indeed, the Brain Boyz were apparently able to encode information on how to build simple machinery into the genomes of all Orks; thus Mekboyz require very little training in their function within Ork "kultur," since they understand mechanical principles at a fully instinctive level.Orks lack individual psychic power, being denied such abilities by the Old Ones. However, they do have a sort of collaborative, collective psychic ability, meaning that if enough Orks believe something is true, then it will actually become so, brought into being in realspace through the power of the Immaterium by their gestalt psychic ability.For example, Ork rockets painted yellow create bigger explosions, simply because the vast majority of Orks believe they do.This is also why much of the Orks' seemingly ramshackle technology will do terrible damage in the hands of Orks, but will cease to function when used by other intelligent races.
Orks - Ullanor Crusade: The Ullanor Crusade was a vast Imperial assault on the Ork empire of the Overlord Urrlak Urruk during the Great Crusade in the final year of the 30th Millennium.The capital world of this empire and the site of the final assault lay in the Ullanor System of the Ullanor Sector, which had long been under the dominion of Urrlak Urruk's Greenskins pocket empire.The crusade included the deployment of 100,000 Space Marines, 8,000,000 Imperial Army troops, and thousands of Imperial starships and their support personnel. The Luna Wolves spearheaded the assault into the heart of Urlakk's fortress-palace.During the height of the assault, Horus and a retinue of Luna Wolves Terminators from the elite 1st Company came face to face with the massive Ork warlord and a retinue of 40 Ork Nobz. Horus charged into the Nobz, hacking them apart with his Lightning Claws until he finally faced the Ork Overlord himself.Urlakk was simply no match for the Primarch's skill and unnatural power. First crippling his enemy, Horus hefted Urlakk's broken body out onto the roof of the Greenskins' palace and threw it screaming from the battlements to fall far below amongst the horde of Orks still assaulting the lower levels.Seeing their leader defeated sent a panic through the Greenskin forces, which started to fall back from the Terminators. But the fleeing mobs found they had nowhere to run, as the outer walls had been breached by the attacking Luna Wolves, and the day turned into a slaughter.In the Overlord's chamber, Horus found every Ork and Terminator dead, apart from the gore-drenched First Captain of the 1st Company, Ezekyle Abaddon, who was surrounded by crushed and broken Ork bodies.The Ullanor Crusade marked the high point of the Great Crusade's vast effort to reunite the scattered colony worlds of Humanity. The Orks of Ullanor represented the largest concentration of Orks ever defeated by the military forces of the Imperium of Man before the War of the Beast and the Third War for Armageddon began during the late 41st Millennium.
Orks - War of the Beast: The War of the Beast, also known as WAAAGH! The Beast, was a massive Ork WAAAGH! of extraordinary size that threatened Terra itself in the mid-32nd Millennium and brought an end to the prosperous period of Imperial history remembered as the "Time of Rebirth." It was led by the mysterious warlord known only as "The Beast."The Orks of this horde rampaged across the Imperium on a massive scale beginning in 544.M32. The number of attacks grew until it became the greatest Greenskin invasion that the galaxy has ever known, eclipsing even the one defeated by Horus of the Luna Wolves upon the world of Ullanor during the Great Crusade, which earned the primarch the title of Warmaster.Nothing was safe from the Orks' primal desire to conquer the galaxy, and the War of the Beast was the largest conflict fought by the Imperium since the Horus Heresy.The Orks' widespread advance was only halted in 546.M32 when the Imperium resorted to the most extreme and desperate of measures to invade the Ork homeworld of Ullanor Prime and eliminate The Beast. The war incurred terrible costs upon the Space Marine Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes and the other military forces of the Imperium. However, the war also gave birth to the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition and the Deathwatch Chapter of Veteran Space Marines who were together tasked with making sure that no xenos threat to Human dominance of the galaxy ever grew so great again.
Orks - Ork Nature: As noted above, theories abound that Orks harbour the genetic traits of both animal and fungal life forms, and that it is this unusual biology that gives an Ork his remarkable constitution.Orks' green colouration could be explained, Imperial scholars suggest, due to some form of algae or green fungus that permeates their cellular makeup.Such a substance could break down and repair damaged tissue at an incredible rate, accounting in part for the Orks' extremely durable metabolism. Those observers of other species who maintain this theory point to the well-known fact that an Ork's head can live for some time after being completely severed from the body. Indeed, operations to reattach these are a staple of many a Painboy's repertoire (staple being the operative word!).Yet for all the questions that still hang over the Greenskin species, what cannot be disputed is its relentlessly bloodthirsty nature. An invasion by Orks has been likened to an incurable disease by the Imperium's scholars.Once a world or star system has faced attack by the Greenskins once, it will be ravaged by them time and again until it finally withers and dies. Even as a world's defenders are celebrating their first victory over the Ork invaders, new tribes of Greenskins will be multiplying in the dark and shadowed corners of the victorious world.At the same time, Ork survivors will carry word with them through the void, spreading the tale of how good a fight a particular world put up. Keen to have a go themselves, fresh waves of Orks will soon descend upon the horrified defenders, often before the damage from the previous Ork incursion has been put straight.These attacks will increase in severity, wave after wave of Greenskins from space now supplemented by the tribes that have risen up from the world's own wilderness. The planet's populace will be overrun one stronghold at a time, drowning in a rising tide of roaring, battle-mad Greenskins.The harder a planet's defenders fight back, the worse their predicament will become. Every Ork slain makes way for two of its bellowing brethren, while every attack wave the defenders bloodily repulse just draws more enthusiastic Greenskins down on their heads.In this way some worlds can become the unintentional focus of a WAAAGH!, the Orks' numbers and frenzy reaching critical mass as they fling themselves against the world's defences time and again.Eventually the pressure from Ork invaders both within and without becomes insupportable, leaving the defenders only two choices: stand and fight, dying to the last in the process, or flee with whatever they can salvage, leaving their stricken world to the Orks.
Orks - Reproduction: Orks have not only survived, they have prospered and are more numerous than even the myriad trillions of individuals who comprise Humanity across the galaxy. This is due in part to how Imperial scholars now believe that they reproduce: Orks release fungal spores, which grow into a plant-like womb underground that nourishes the gestating bodies of the various Orkoid species.This is the entire basis of the Orkoid ecosystem, producing first Squigs, then Snotlings who cultivate the Squigs and the Orkoid fungus they feed on, then Gretchin to build the Greenskin settlements, and finally the Orks themselves. This means the Orks, wherever they go, will have an abundance of food, slaves and other resources, a moving Orkoid ecosystem that supports them as they unleash their WAAAGH!s.This also makes it extremely difficult to rid a planet of Orks, even if the initial invasion is defeated. Orks release spores throughout their lives, but release them massively at the moment of death.Without a nearby population of Orks, the Orkoid fungus will eventually start the Orkoid life cycle anew. Solar decades after weathering an Ork WAAAGH!, settlements on a planet can find themselves faced with an unexpected attack from Feral Ork tribes coming out of the wilderness. seemingly from nowhere.The only way to effectively remove all of the Orks once they are on a planet is through a planetary Exterminatus action.
Orks - Snotlings: Snotlings, or "Snots", look like tiny, immature Gretchin. Their scrawny limbs are too small to bear weapons larger or more complicated than shards of broken glass or chunks of scrap.Lacking the violent tendencies of their larger kin, they make for very poor soldiers indeed, and are predominantly kept as little more than pets for their Ork masters, although they make excellent ammunition for the strange weapon the Orks call the Shokk Attack Gun.Nonetheless the Snots do perform a valuable function in Orkoid society. Snotlings cultivate the great patches of fungi that spring up around Ork settlements. In this way the Snotlings provide food, drink and medicine for the rest of the Greenskin race.Snotlings also look after the ferocious Squiggly Beasts that live in the Ork cesspits (known to the Orks as "the drops"). Their natural affinity with these life forms is far greater than that of other Greenskins. Helpfully, this means that in a day only a few dozen Snotling attendants will be devoured alive by their ravenous charges.The Snotling populations that spring up around Ork settlements are monitored and cultivated by a caste of Orks known as Runtherdz. These grizzled and merciless slavers use a variety of methods to bully their charges into a state of anxious obedience, not least of which are the much feared Grot-prod and the ferocious Squig-hound.
Orks - Squigs: Squigs, or Squiggly Beasts, are an integral part of the mobile and incredibly aggressive Orkoid ecosystem. The Squigs eat the refuse of the Orks (not to mention local plants, animals and quite often each other) and the Orks eat the Squigs. There are many forms of Squig and each variety incorporates many subtypes.Mekboyz squeeze viscous black lubricant from the snouts of Oil Squigs to keep gears and gubbinz working. Painboyz use Mending Squigs to stitch wounds shut or suture limbs back in place. Eating Squigs, Parasite Hunting Squigs, Bag Squigs, even rare and bizarre sets of musical squigpipes, all have their uses.Yet perhaps the most infamous Squigs are the ravenous Face-biters, which the Orks use in the same way humans might use attack dogs. Little more than a snapping, drooling mouth on legs, these ferocious beasties are a sign of status and many an Ork Warlord keeps a pet Face-biter Squig that dines upon those who have fallen out of favour with him.Other equally sharp-toothed Squigs grow and breed in the sprawling cesspits of the Ork settlements, lending an air of unpredictability and excitement to even the briefest trip to the drops.
Orks - Ork Social Hierarchy: The Ork way of life is as straightforward and brutal as the Orks themselves. Much like their approach to everything else, Orks do not waste time pondering why they do things, or how they might do them better.Instead they simply act, instinct and ability driving them on in a never-ending cycle of violence and conquest. Orks have their own distinct culture (or "kultur" as the Orks call it), the origins of which are lost in the dim and distant past.Though likely a corruption of whatever may have come before, by and large it functions very well. Perhaps this is because the fundamental tenet of their society is a simple one that even the most pea-brained Snotling can understand -- might makes right.Orks instinctively obey those larger than themselves, provided they are a healthy shade of green -- most Orks would rather die than bow to a non-Greenskin's will. The rulers of Ork society are the most powerful Orks of all, known as Warbosses or Warlords. These monstrous killing machines can reach up to ten Terran feet in height, and their sheer muscular bulk makes them wider at the shoulder than a fully armoured Space Marine.Though some Warbosses rise to prominence through low cunning, most seize power through the application of brute force. A Warboss will hold dominion over all he surveys, and beat the living daylights out of anyone who says different. His decisions are enforced by a ruling caste of Orks known as Nobz, who are larger, richer and more aggressive than normal Orks, and never miss an opportunity to remind them of it.The bulk of an Ork horde, which can be hundreds or even thousands strong, is comprised of great mobs of infantry that call themselves Boyz. Goff klan mobs in particular are famous for the sheer number of Boyz that they can field at war, often outnumbering their foes several times over. Orks tend to be lazy and forgetful, and only war and the preparations beforehand really bring out their innate talents.Though the bigger, meaner Ork Boyz will lord it over the smaller, ganglier ones, even a subservient Ork is of limited use when it comes to practical tasks that do not involve fighting.Most of the day-to-day running of Ork society is therefore left to the Gretchin, whose duties include preparing food, taking messages, hauling stuff about, general organisation and just being around the place when an Ork wants something to kick. This gives the Orks plenty of time to swagger about, getting into fights and coming up with new ways to kill things.The Gretchin are happy enough in their role. They bear little resentment towards their superiors, for to them Orks are just a fact of life. Questioning this usually leads to a clip round the ear, and not much else.Individual Gretchin can enjoy a relatively comfortable existence by providing valuable services to their Ork masters. In fact the Gretchin have created an entire enterprise culture of their own within their Ork-dominated society, and many Gretchin operate their own black market businesses on the side, selling fungus beer, roasting Squigs on sticks, coordinating the bets when a fight breaks out and then looting the resulting corpses.
Orks - Bad Moons: The Bad Moons are the richest Orks around, because their teef grow faster than anyone else's. This is not regarded as an unfair advantage, as any Ork big and nasty enough can simply smash the teef out of a Bad Moon's head. The Bad Moons essentially fulfill the role of a merchant caste in what passes for Ork society, and have a reputation for showing off.They are always continuously buying, selling, swapping, and conning to get teeth. The highest ranking amongst them wear garishly decorated war banners on their backs and the richest openly flaunt their wealth by wearing necklaces of teef. They trade with other Orks to get the biggest gunz, the flashiest wargear, and the best food, but are not as concerned with close combat as other Orks.They have been noted to have a greater proportion of Weirdboyz in their ranks than other klanz, who use their wealth to dress flamboyantly. Unfortunately for them, they end up being dragged off to battle and used against the enemy like any other weapon.The signature mob of the Bad Moons are the Flash Gitz: Orks with devastating kustom Shootas who have a taste for the best wargear and clothing. For instance, Kaptin Badrukk, the infamous Ork Freebooter, is a Bad Moon and was kicked out of the klan for having too many teef for his own good.Bad Moons love gold more than any other metal, and will commonly sport a couple of glinting teef in their avaricious grins. They favour strikingly-patterned golden yellow and black for their wargear. Their armour and wargear is painted with gaudy patterns in the klan colours and they have more jewelry and piercings than any other klan. The Bad Moons Klan take a snarling moon on a field of flames as their klan sigil.
Orks - Blood Axes: The Blood Axes were the first Orks to encounter the Imperium of Man. They have picked up many Human tactics, such as using camouflage (although it may seem a bit too brightly colored to a human's eye) and retreating when they are losing ("It don't count as losing, cuz we can also come back for anuvver go, see?"). Indeed, when they do retreat, Blood Axes will in fact return with larger numbers.They trade with humans for wargear and vehicles, and have even worked as mercenaries for the Imperium at times (such as during the Massacre at Big Toof River). All of these things lead followers of other klanz to brand them as dangerously treacherous, cowardly, and downright un-Orky!Most Blood Axes are back-stabbing "Kommandoz", essentially serving as Ork special operations troops. Blood Axes wear combat fatigues and forage caps in shades of green and drab colours, commonly in camouflage patterns. This betrays the influence of Imperial military style, as do the other personal adornments commonly worn by Orks of this klan. The Blood Axes bear the klan motif of crossed, bloodied axes.
Orks - Deathskulls: The Deathskulls are looters and plunderers who grab whatever they can from corpses on the battlefield, although they are not above "acquiring" things from other Orks who are not watching. They collect anything that might be useful, as well as grisly trophies and various lucky trinkets and charms.They are superstitious even for Orks, and often paint themselves and their wargear blue (which Orks feel is a lucky colour) to protect themselves from harm.It is not uncommon to find looted Imperial vehicles in Death Skull armies, such as Chimeras and Rhinos. When dealing with the Death Skulls, many other Ork klans will often find a few of their vehicles missing as well, and then suspiciously similar ones reappearing painted blue amid the ranks of the Death Skulls' vehicle pool.The symbol of the Death Skulls is the horned skull.They also use skulls, other intelligent races' teef as luck charms and have more Gretchin than most Ork tribes as they are used to scout for (and occasionally make off with) valuables.
Orks - Evil Sunz: The Evil Sunz are an Ork klan who are dedicated to speed and making as loud a noise as possible when in combat. Just as the Goffs klan loves violence and aggression, so the Evil Sunz love speed.The Evil Sunz have adopted the general Ork maxim that "Red 'uns go faster" as their klan motto. Evil Sunz prize fast vehicles like Ork Warbikes, Warbuggies and Trukks on which their Boyz can ride to battle.To assist their highly-mobile warbands, the Evil Sunz possess a larger population than normal of Mekboyz to keep those vehicles tuned and running. By far the largest number of Ork Speed Freeks come from the Evil Sunz klan.An Ork's love of speed can easily affect his brain, to the point where an Ork becomes addicted to the thrill of a wild ride into battle. Beyond even a Speed Freek's delirium there are also Flyboyz, whose need for speed has driven them into the air in search of ever greater thrills, piloting the Ork's Fightas and Fighta-Bommerz.Members of this klan wear at least one item of red clothing at all times, which makes their appearance quite distinctive. Red is a hard colour for Orks to come by as few of their regular enemies have red uniforms to loot and rip up, and most red dye is used for red paint. The use of red face paint is another expression of this klan's obsession with the colour red.Once again, they resort to the use of blood when the red paint runs out. Evil Sunz are distinguished by their use of bright colours, especially red and yellow. They like flame patterns and many sport goggles and driving gloves, whether they are driving a vehicle or not. The Evil Sunz are also found as an Orc tribe of the same name on the Warhammer World of Warhammer Fantasy.
Orks - Goffs: The Goffs are the toughest and most brutal Orks to be found in the galaxy, roughly equivalent to elite Warhammer Fantasy Black Orcs. The Goffs are the biggest, meanest and most brutish of all their kind, and that's saying something, since they are Orks. Of all the Ork klanz, the Goffs are the most inspired by the thrill and thunder of battle.Goffs will take any excuse to start a brawl, even amongst themselves. As a result, the Goffs are specialists in hand-to-hand combat who prefer their battles up-close and personal. They are particularly fond of the Stikkbomb, because these Ork grenades are hurled by hand and are good for close combat in trenches, ruins, bunkers and ratholes. Goffs usually carry a brace of hefty Stikkbombz stuffed down their black jackboots.Goff armies are notorious for the sheer number of Ork infantry they muster in times of war. A mob of Goff Boyz is usually at least twenty strong, and a true Goff horde has a hundred times that number at its heart.When the Goffs go to war, the ground shakes to the incessant thump of thousands of steel-capped boots. The Goffs boast the greatest numbers of Nobz and Stormboyz amongst any of the Greenskin klanz. This is because the Goffs are the most militaristic of all the Orks.All Orks love war and combat, and wage war as a way of life, but of the Goffs it can truly be said that they live only for war. Goffs dress mostly in black, with some white checks for relief, as they see bright colors as being un-Orky. Their symbol is the black bull's head, and Goff Nobz almost always wear big horns on their helmets. Ghazghkull Thraka is a member of the Goff klan.
Orks - Snakebites: The Snakebites prefer ancient Orky tradition to advanced technology, shunning things like force fields and armoured vehicles in favour of protecting themselves with war paint and riding into battle on huge boars wielding spearz and choppas.Depending on how fundamentalist their anti-technology beliefs are, the Snakebites may choose to remain as Feral Orks even after their civilisation possesses the technical knowledge required to advance to an industrial state.Orks of this klan are covered in swirling red tattoos, like coiled snakes. They are also known to cultivate Hair Squigs so they can decorate themselves with extravagant crests and topknots. Other common features are wolfskin headgear and wolf pelts, which add to their wild and primitive appearance.One of this klan's most distinctive elements of dress is their snake belts, which are fastened with metal buckles in the form of a snake. The totem of this clan is the venomous serpent. This klan's whelps are toughened by allowing venomous snakes to bite them, hence the name "Snakebites" given to them by the other klanz, which they adopted for their own.
Orks - Freebooterz: Ork Freebooterz are not in themselves a klan but notorious pirates and thieves, plying the void in smoking, sparking voidships with the intent of causing as much mayhem and destruction as possible. They prey upon anyone foolish enough to stray into their hunting grounds, screaming out of the dark on plumes of fire to blast apart their foes.When an enemy vessel is crippled or foolishly tries to surrender, the Freebooterz will smash their way on board, killing anything that moves and stealing anything that doesn't. The Freebooterz will then haul their booty back to their hidden bases and count their ill-gotten gains.When a Warboss wants to invade a planet, he calls on fleets of Freebooterz to see off enemy ships and clear the way for the Orks to get down to the surface.For this service Freebooterz claim exorbitant scavenging rights as well as a fortune in teef, and a Warboss has little choice but to pay up if he wants their help, as Freebooterz that don't get their price often simply vanish into the void in search of more loot.Even if a Freebooter's terms are met, he might still get distracted by better prospects, the lure of easy plunder enough to sway most kaptins. Whether they fight alongside a WAAAGH! or tear around the void raiding planets and stealing ships, Freebooterz often become disgustingly rich, leading many to become Flash Gitz.Ork Freebooterz are by no means always Flash Gitz, but all Flash Gitz eventually end up as Freebooterz. Arrogant and boorish, a Nob who fancies himself a Flash Git will normally alienate himself in short order from the rest of his tribe.Whether because of his grating self-aggrandisement, eating the local Big Mek's favourite Grot oiler without permission, or committing the cardinal sin of strutting about with a bigger, shinier Shoota than the Warboss, a Flash Git will normally find himself ejected from his tribe.When a whole band of Nobz get ideas above their place in the order of things within the tribe all at once, it can lead to bloody infighting. This will usually end up with the departure -- at gunpoint or otherwise -- of a whole mob of newly freebootin' Flash Gitz.However they find their way into this new situation, Flash Git mobs will quickly take to the Freebooter life. Fighting as mercenaries allows successful Gitz to accumulate vast sums of wealth in a short space of time. Even better, they can gleefully spend it all on themselves without a Warboss around to take his cut.With teef galore flowing into their coffers, successful mobs of Flash Gitz will soon be riding through the void in their very own Kill Kroozer while wielding the kind of firearms that Deathskulls Lootas can only dream of stealing.They bedeck themselves with natty finery, and even their Grot minions get stuffed into gold-buttoned frock coats and brag loudly of their masters' wealth. Flash Gitz also sport profusions of piercings, furs, glyph-plates, brightly coloured pirate garb and extravagant hats. All of this showy nonsense does absolutely nothing though to hide the hulking, muscular bulk and bestial lethality of the Flash Gitz themselves.
Orks - Ork Philosophy: Orks have but one philosophy: might makes right. They believe that the weak must suffer the rule of the strong. Over the countless millennia in which the Greenskins have waged their wars, not one Ork has ever doubted this for a single moment.This unshakeable self-belief is perhaps the most dangerous quality of the Orks, for they will never give up until they plunge the galaxy into an eternal war. The Orks rule their barbaric civilisation with an iron fist.Ugly and violent creatures, they are the dominant life form of a race that includes the smaller Gretchin and Snotling sub-species.Orks see themselves as the toughest race in the galaxy, mightier by far than Humans, Aeldari or T'au. To prove their point, the Orks are more than willing to fight and kill everything that crosses their path.One of the greatest strengths the Orks possess is the simplicity with which they approach their existence. For an Ork, the universe is an incredibly straightforward place, free of the angst and worry that plagues most other races.Orks do not try to influence their own destiny and get frustrated when plans do not work out as expected. They do not look for something to blame (except perhaps the nearest Gretchin or a hated rival tribe) and certainly do not reflect on weaknesses in their own way of doing things.They just try again a different way, usually because they have forgotten how they did it the last time. Thus the Orks make remarkable progress by trial and error, without counting the cost.Meanwhile other intelligent races steeped in high-flown philosophy fall into the same traps time and again, doomed to stagnate and decline, unless of course they are first conquered by the Orks.So long as the average Ork has someone to fight, someone bigger than him to tell him who to kill next, and someone smaller than him to beat up, he will know contentment. Orks don't tend to go hungry as they can eat virtually anything, even Grots, Snotlings or one another at a pinch.Greenskins have no concept of cannibalism or the moral outrage that accompanies it, as it is only natural that the bigger Orks should live at the cost of those weaker than themselves. With war and killing as their only real motivators, most Orks have little interest in gathering material wealth or luxuries.The one exception to this is a desire to possess ever bigger and louder weapons and vehicles. An Ork will go to almost any lengths to get his hands on a louder Shoota or faster Warbuggy. He will obsess over its acquisition until the exact moment he has it, at which point his eye will stray to something even bigger...
Orks - The WAAAGH!: Barbaric and savage, the Greenskins spread across the galaxy like a viridian stain. They plague the battlefields of the late 41st Millennium in great numbers, overruning any who stand before them in a torrent of bloodshed and usually mindless violence.An Ork WAAAGH! is war on an apocalyptic scale. Orks beyond counting swarm from one world to the next. Whole civilisations are exterminated and defenders' armies laid to waste as the Orks plough ever onward in an unstoppable tide. Orks need battle just as humans need food and drink.Due to their warlike nature, they constantly fight amongst themselves, or launch piratical raids upon nearby enemies. Such conflicts tend to be small-scale or localised. They never really develop beyond random outbursts of violence and looting.However, Ork populations can reach a critical mass that leads to a full-scale planetary migration. This is known as a WAAAGH!, a crusade of pure aggression that crashes through star systems in an orgy of violence.Ork behaviour is dominated by the WAAAGH!, a gestalt psychic field they generate that affects the Ork psyche, which allows Orks to instinctively recognize who is "bigga," and therefore who is in charge, since might makes right in Ork society. All Orks generate this field, and it grows stronger as the Orks enjoy themselves, generally while fighting, and as more of them congregate together in one geographical area.The WAAAGH! helps give momentum to the Orks' planetary assault campaigns, which are also known as WAAAGHs! (the Orks like to call a lot of things WAAAGH!s). Such a WAAAGH! is a cross between a holy crusade and a pub crawl, with a bit of genocide thrown in for good measure.Thousands of Orks will gather together, drawn to the power of a single dominant Ork called a Warboss or Warlord if the WAAAAGH! is particularly massive, who is bigger and more intelligent than the Orks around him.Then the Orks will set off to find an enemy to fight and defeat. Ork WAAAGHs! will sweep whole planetary systems away and destroy armies and fleets in tides of bloodlust and carnage, and only once the Orks have killed every available enemy will they start to fight amongst themselves again.The Imperium of Man's Tech-priests have theorised that this gestalt psychic field also has a telekinetic or quantum probabilistic effect, allowing the seemingly ramshackle and poorly designed Ork technology to work as the Greenskins expect. It is believed that the reason this hypothesis came into existence is that the Imperium adopted the Adeptus Mechanicus' religious belief that aspects of a universal "Motive Force" inhabits all technology, and that these Machine Spirits serve Mankind at the command of the Machine God.If this is the case, without a Machine Spirit, Ork machines could not work, requiring some psychic cause to justify their often devastating effect. Furthermore, Mechanicus Genetor Lukas Anzion has noted that many Ork-built weapons will not function at all unless wielded by an Orkoid, possibly supporting this hypothesis.
Orks - The Great WAAAGH!: It is generally thought within the Imperium that over the last Terran century or so, the Orks have become even more aggressive and warlike than ever before, and the numbers of WAAAGH!s being recorded in all five Segmentums is increasing.The Imperium has long theorised that the Greenskin race possesses low-level background psychic abilities, a kind of gestalt Warp resonance. Orks, of course, neither know nor care about such things. Yet as Warpspace becomes more turbulent, so the Orks too are becoming ever more belligerent.This rise in new WAAAGH!s has been most notable around Warp space anomalies and regions plagued by Warp Storms, with hundreds of Greenskin invasion forces emerging from these areas every Terran year.Members of the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos have noticed a trend in the translations of glyph-sequences found in Ork camps, which speak increasingly of "da call of da gods," a phenomenon felt most keenly by the nomadic Gorkanaut and Morkanaut pilots.The emergence of Weirdboyz seems to be increasing exponentially also, with many claiming that they see visions sent by Gork and Mork. On thousands of worlds the ominous silhouettes of Gargants rise against the war-torn skies.The Orks' foes can only watch in horrified bewilderment as the phenomenon known as the Great WAAAGH! sees the Greenskins flooding across the galaxy in numbers never before witnessed, slaughtering everything in their path as they go.
Orks - WAAAGH! Organisation: Orks gather into various levels of organisation. The first is the mob, a squad-level unit of Orks with similar ideas of how to act on the battlefield, generally led by a Nob (short for "noble," but pronounced "knob").A number of mobs will gather together into a warband, which is roughly equivalent to an Imperial Guard company (although with a greater variation in size and strength), led by a warboss.The largest Ork organizational unit is the tribe, a group of numerous warbands all under the command of a warboss. Different tribes can be united by a powerful warboss known as a warlord when he raises a WAAAGH!
Orks - Ork Religion: The Orks are a powerful force in the universe. A highly prolific species, they are able to expand and prosper effortlessly in comparison to the other civilisations who struggle even for simple survival.The Ork character traits have a reflection in the Warp just like the impulses and emotions of Humanity and the Aeldari. These traits are made manifest in the belligerent Ork gods known as Gork and Mork.The Orks say that Gork is brutal but kunnin', and Mork is kunnin' but brutal. Gork and Mork are divine powerhouses, deities so strong they are never truly defeated. They simply shrug off the attacks of other gods with a raucous laugh.Gork grins, bares his long teeth, and lands a mighty blow on his adversary's head with a spiked club the size of a comet. Mork, always the sneaky one, waits until his foe isn't looking before clobbering him with a low blow.An idea of the appearance of the Ork gods can be gained from looking at Ork Gargants and Stompas, mighty war machines constructed in the image of Gork (or possibly Mork). The Mekboyz create these titanic engines of war to reflect the essence of Orkiness in mechanical form, and as such they serve as potent religious idols.To the Orks, these clanking behemoths behave very much like their gods, lumbering about and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. They go where they please, and never shun a fight.The aspects of Gork and Mork are likewise evoked by the Gorkanaut and Morkanaut. These huge armoured war suits are intended as a tribute to and imitation of their chosen god all in one, and their pilots are frequently gripped by visions of Gork (or possibly Mork) urging them on during the heat of battle.As the apocalyptic designs of the Chaos Gods approach fruition, the immaterial realm is roused to ever greater fury. So it is that Gork and Mork fight all the harder against the daemonic tides washing about their feet.The Ork gods' joyful battle-lust echoes into the material universe, their roars clearer to the Greenskins with every passing solar day. The Weirdboyz claim that Gork and Mork are calling all their children to the last mighty battle, for the Great WAAAGH!, the everlasting war, is upon them.The priesthood of these gods has no representation, although the infamous Goffs Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka claims to be receiving visions from both.Also, there has been some mention of Yellerz (the Ork version of a priest) although they are not seen in-game. In earlier versions of Warhammer 40,000, a third god, Bork, appeared, but has since been dropped from the lore.Orks generally tend to distinguish between Gork and Mork as one being mean, and the other being cunning. Some religious divisions lie in determining who is meaner; another factor preventing Orks from being united.It is doubtful if the distinction between Gork and Mork means anything in Ork kultur, as long as it allows them to bash something. Perhaps Gork and Mork are actually truly only one god with two guises, the twin halves of the Ork psyche.
Orks - Ork Currency: Orks use their teeth -- or rather, their "teef" -- as a form of Greenskin currency. This is quite a natural solution to inflation and income support, as Orks go through teeth in a similar manner to Terran sharks, replacing them quite frequently, and Ork teeth do degrade over time, so it is impossible to hoard them.This keeps prices constant, ensures all Orks have at least some access to money, and allows constant values to be placed on commodities. A toof will buy a good Squig pie and a tankard of fungus beer, while a bag of teef will buy a cheap Warbuggy.A big flashy Battlewagon could cost a warboss hundreds of teef. This system also promotes aggression, as all an Ork needs to make more money is to knock teef out of another Ork's head and then collect them for himself.
Orks - Ork Language: Orks have their own, simple language which they are able to speak from "birth," but many also generally speak a debased and primitive form of Imperial Low Gothic, with mangled pronunciation and more than a few "Ork" words mixed in.Therefore, it is possible for Orks and Humans to communicate (although rarely easy). Most Orks communicate through this bastardised form of Low Gothic, although their pronunciation and grasp of grammar is uniformly atrocious.However, a few extraordinary Orks like the Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka have managed to master High Gothic.The Ork written language is a crude glyphic script. The core of the script is composed of glyphs that indicate klan, common Ork concepts, and elements of Ork names.This is augmented by phonetic symbols which can be used to write most Ork words, along with any alien names or words.
Orks - Ork Technology: Ork technology appears ramshackle and slapped-together (it often is), but is as potent as any weapons used by the Imperium or other intelligent species.Ork technology (or "teknologee") is characterised by a constant stream of poorly thought-out experimentation and attempts to constantly outdo the competition to build the biggest gun, the largest Gargant (a huge land-based combat walker), or the fastest Warbuggy, and also mainly by the fact that in many cases the only reason it works at all is because of the Orks' latent psychic powers.This means that if enough Orks think it will work, it usually will. Many a Techmarine has opened an Ork Slugga to find it to be just a box with bolts and bits of metal in it.Therefore, Ork technology is not uniform, lending Ork warbands a cobbled-together, slapdash and random appearance.Ork mechanics and engineers ("Mekboyz") are specialists in the field of producing powerful force fields that can protect against damage, and battlefield repairs.They can salvage almost any burnt-out wreck, and many Ork vehicles have been reported destroyed dozens of times, only to be cobbled back together, given a fresh lick of paint (if even that), and sent back into the fray.The tough, resilient nature of Orks means they accept crude bionic ("bionik") replacements, organ transplants, and other medical shenanigans being performed on them with ease.Some Orks build inventions that fly for airborne bombardment, which they call Fighta Bommas, while some Orks loot vehicles from their enemies.Ork weapons include Sluggas, Choppas, Burnas (Ork Flamers), and Kombi-weapons like the Shoota/Skorcha, Shoota/Rokkit Launcha and the twin-linked Shoota.They also make use of Stikkbombz, which are crude Ork grenades.However, due to the highly experimental and competitive nature of Ork technology, some weapons and wargear they have created are as effective and deadly as they are unique and random.Prime examples are the Shokk Attack Gun (a gun built by an experienced (i.e., "lucky-to-be-alive") Mekboy, called a Big Mek, which creates a tunnel through the Warp itself, (which the Orks have put to good use by firing Snotlings, and occasionally the Big Mek firing the gun, at the enemy), the downright dangerous Deffkoptas (crude helicopters, fitted with oversized weapons, blades and bombs and piloted by renegade Speed Freeks for whom the ground is a bit tame) and the shoulder-mounted Deffguns (created when an Ork approaches a Mek with some of the enemy's guns he found on the battlefield, and asks the Mek to "make dem mor killy").
Orks - Forces of the Orks: Orks are a barbaric alien race that infest the galaxy from end to end. No matter how far Mankind has travelled, from the galactic core to the blackest depths of deep space, they have found that Orks are either already there waiting for them or will be arriving there soon to launch their characteristic attacks.Orks are brutal, green-skinned creatures that have more in common with a great savage ape than a man. They delight in carnage and so great is their need for conflict that, without a more obvious opponent, the Orks will indulge in fighting bloody wars with themselves, just to ensure they get a good scrap. Over the long millennia, the Orks have proven to be the most prolific threat to the Imperium.They can be found in countless warbands, klanz and tribes spread across many planets, even forming their own volatile stellar empires. They are so numerous that, if the disparate groups were ever to cease hostilities with their own kind, the Orks would be able to sweep over the galaxy, smashing everything as they passed.
Orks - WAAAGH!: Size dominates Ork society and the largest of their kind invariably rise to lead them to battle. On occasion an especially hulking Ork Warboss or Warlord, a violent visionary who can inspire his thick-skulled comrades like no other, will conquer several rival groups, forming the survivors into a massive single army. What follows is known by that crude race as a WAAAGH! -- part invasion and part holy war.During such times, the Greenskins will put aside their differences and rival klanz work together. It is not just rare inter-species cooperation that happens during a WAAAGH!, but other behavioral oddities occur as well. Large conglomerations of Orks generate mental energies, their bloodlust echoing through the Warp to act as a beacon -- summoning more Greenskins to join the cause. Orks many star systems distant become further agitated, multiplying in numbers and attacking anything they can reach at a redoubled rate.Ork Mekboyz, as they call their engineer-builders, begin the construction of larger works of battle -- towering Stompas or, if there is a large enough stockpile of parts, even a mighty Gargant. Such creations are great mechanical effigies of the Ork gods, laden with enough guns and missiles to flatten a city. Mekboyz also cobble together crude spacecraft, so that the hordes of warriors and massive war machines can rush off to join the growing movement, taking part in the ensuing battles.Ork WAAAGHs! grow in size so long as they have something to conquer. Success breeds further success, and every Ork victory calls yet more Greenskins. They can mass in such overwhelming numbers that nothing can stop them. Even Fortress Worlds or Space Marine homeworlds are overrun, the Orks blasting them apart to fuel the WAAAGH! further. Of course, it takes a dominant Ork to hold a WAAAGH! together, as the many different factions are always prone to break apart at any time.A large and powerful Ork can lead a WAAAGH! for a while, but to string together many victories and to find ways to get the massed infantry and machines of war into contact with worthy targets to smash takes an Ork with cunning as well. Luckily, the combination of brawn and brains is rare amongst Orks, although when such a leader rises, the whole galaxy trembles. Some of the darkest moments in the history of the Imperium have been the result of massive Ork WAAAGH!s. The Warboss known only as the Beast nearly took over the galaxy, and it can only be a matter of time before another apocalyptic Greenskin rising takes place.
Orks - Warband: Ork warbands infest the galaxy from end to end, and they vary greatly in size and composition. Wherever they come from, they will inevitably include the warboss that united them in the first place, a hard core of his most dangerous warriors, and a teeming mass of Boyz drawn to the promise of carnage.Orks draw great strength from their numbers, the psychic WAAAGH! energy that courses through each Greenskin amplified by the bellowing mass of battle-hungry maniacs charging towards the enemy lines.This mysterious force can be harnessed by a canny warboss to drive his ladz into a killing frenzy at a critical moment, driving them forward in a ground-pounding stampede that can overrun the most stubborn of enemy gunlines.Even the Gretchin brave enough to accompany the Boyz try to make themselves heard over the deafening volume of the Ork battlecry; they give it their best shot, biting and scrabbling at the enemy's weak spots in their eagerness for the kill.Needless to say the true danger comes from the charging Orks themselves, a thunderous mass of muscle, metal and bad attitude that slams headlong into the foe before breaking apart to hack and slay with joyous abandon.
Orks - Warlord: An Ork warlord is an exceptionally powerful Ork warboss who is particularly powerful, wealthy, and successful on the field of battle. In taking on this title, the warlord consolidates power through cunning, ruthlessness and sheer force of will, bringing together disparate Ork tribes, mobs, and warbands under his banner to serve some greater purpose.Usually, this greater purpose is simply to sweep through star systems to fight as many fights as they can and to collect as much treasure as they can carry.Occasionally, however, such an army turns into a full-blown WAAAGH!, numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of Orks, and can pose a grave threat to even the most strongly fortified sector or Segmentum.Army upon army will flock to the banner of a prominent Warlord until he commands a horde of terrifying size. Ork Warlords often command forces so large that they can wipe out entire armies and conquer whole star systems with the green-skinned fury of a WAAAGH!. They can successfully face entire Imperial armies, the hordes of the forces of Chaos, or any other military force in the galaxy.