Orcs Campaign: How, When , Why, What! [important]

[LordKarasuman]

Seizing Reknor isn't starting a war, is it? Typical Halfling-centrist thought, there.

[darkgod]

Yeek are peacefull little furry things yeah .. but their endgoal is .. hum .. well go win with one

[Atarlost]

A win with a yeek is not something likely to happen for me in the near future, but I can buy they're evil like a Tribble/Borg cross.

The other races, not so much.

The Halflings acted pretty much like Europeans in the past acted towards black Africans. Or the way Arabs acted towards black Africans. Or the way Turks acted to non-muslims. Or the way the Japanese acted towards the Chinese. Or the way the Europeans acted towards the Chinese. Or the way the Europeans acted towards the Americans. Or the way the Americans acted towards the other Americans. Or, well, you get the idea. The fact that the first king and queen of Lost Hope had heirs demonstrates that humans and halfings are actually the same species so it's really just the perfectly mundane phenomenon of humans acting like humans. They seem to have outgrown much of the racism since foundation of the unified kingdom. The atrocities (excepting those relating to the zigur/mage conflict) have stopped and everyone involved has been dead for a long time.

The Humans are pretty much like the Halflings. And just like Halflings are no longer enslaving people Humans are no longer cutting off Halfling feet as luck charms.

The Thalore seem to be innocuous arrogant tree people.

The Shalore seem to mostly be a perfectly decent race that centuries ago had lousy safety standards, but the people responsible for that all got themselves killed in the accident that resulted. And then there are the crazies, but they're about as mainstream as necromancers, just more organized. It's not like real world humans have ever had legitimate causes (like, say, Irish home rule) attract terrorists.

The Dwarves are xenophobic, but we don't see them engaging in any more atrocities than anyone else in the past and none in the present.

The Orcs, though, have ongoing atrocities. Maybe the people of Sunwall are horrible monsters, but there is one unambiguously innocent group the Orcs are continuing to oppress: female orcs. And it's not necessary anymore. The offspring of the mothers should be gender balanced and normal family structure should have been restored in a couple generations. If the change couldn't be reversed they should have been put out of their misery. And that's if the action was justified in the first place, I would argue it wasn't even if species survival was at stake, which is not certain. Humanity has adequate genetic diversity for survival in spite of the existence of a mitochondrial eve and the orcs had several. The orcs are also the only race that tolerates necromancy and treats their corrupters as a component of their military rather than a terrorist organization.

Currently playable races were horribly evil generations ago, or in the case of the Shalore a breakaway faction is evil. Orcs are engaged in horrible evils now.

[Grey]

The Orcs, though, have ongoing atrocities. Maybe the people of Sunwall are horrible monsters, but there is one unambiguously innocent group the Orcs are continuing to oppress: female orcs. And it's not necessary anymore. The offspring of the mothers should be gender balanced and normal family structure should have been restored in a couple generations.

All orcs born to greatmothers are infertile.

The orcs are also the only race that tolerates necromancy and treats their corrupters as a component of their military rather than a terrorist organization.

The first contact the orcs has with magic was at the hands of the halflings, and it left a scar in the race's psyche. They believe that magic is necessary in warfare to equal the other races, and that without it they'll be vastly inferior. It's insecurity and paranoia that drives them to the darkest of dark arts.

[Doctornull]

All orcs born to greatmothers are infertile.

The Blight giveth, and the Blight taketh away.

The first contact the orcs has with magic was at the hands of the halflings, and it left a scar in the race's psyche. They believe that magic is necessary in warfare to equal the other races, and that without it they'll be vastly inferior. It's insecurity and paranoia that drives them to the darkest of dark arts.

The fact that they're legally insane doesn't actually justify their war crimes.

It might justify putting them down like rabid dogs.

Or at best, forcing them into re-education camps ... er, "therapy". That's what the Zigur have re-branded themselves as. Arcane Addicts Anonymous.

[PureQuestion]

I take offence to this portrayal of Necromancy and Corruptions as bad. They're perfectly reasonable forms of magic and I assure you that necromancers and blood mages make perfectly suitable babysitters.

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

Seconded! Necromancer babysitters come with there own collection of playmates for the child, no extra charge!

And well, if that corruptor can't make your child behave, I don't know who can!

[LordKarasuman]

Well, if Orcs have cornered the babymaking industry, then the babysitting industry shouldn't be far behind.

... I feel several magnitudes more crass just for making that joke.

[darkgod]

lol

[Robsoie]

They didn't start a war with the West, they performed small raids to nab weapons to help with the war against the Sunwall. They were also being manipulated by the sorcerers.

Not much manipulation is going on as in the lore you get from clearing the Prides, 3 of the 4 Orc Pride masters (only Vor seems oblivious to this) are perfectly aware the sorcerers are humans, but they're so much at each other throats and dreaming of destruction of both the Sunwall and the other Orc Pride masters that they don't care much and go with the flow until their own plans are done.

[HousePet]

Well they only found that bit out later.

[Robsoie]

When they found out is unclear, those notes could be old or recent, there's no real timeline in them.

But from the notes, what is clear is that this discovery wasn't important enough for them to change their priority : killing the other Pride master they're hating and destroying the Sunwall because they hate them too.

They mention acting against their fake leaders, but only after achieving their ambition first.

[Grey]

We have similar problems with politicians in the real world :(

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

Clearly, orcs are just an analogy for real-world humans. Furry feet bad, broodmothers good! Furry feet bad, broodmothers good!

(And, for the first time, an Orwellian reference in ToME.)

[Doctornull]

We have similar problems with politicians in the real world

I find your lack of patriotism disturbing.

Now, please read this loyalty oath while looking into the camera...