Barbarians
Introduction
Barbarians are defined as any nation or power that the Empire is at war with. The Empire has been at war with for much of it's history. The short periods of peace have usually been marked by increased politics and infighting. At present the Empire is formally at war with four orc powers, the Jotun, the Thule, the Druj and the Grendel although there is a ceasefire in place with the Grendel and the Jotun. If the Senate declares war on any of the human nations that border the Empire, these pages will be updated to reflect that.
The primary role of barbarian threats is to provide the Empire with opponents to fight in the pitched battles that take place at events. This makes it particularly important to try and write interesting and challenging plot using barbarians - we want to avoid them becoming faceless recyclable goons. Barbarian leaders should be sophisticated and capable enemies.
Orc Tribal Structure
Orcs are divided into countless different tribes - each tribe has its own unique name and visual and cultural identity. All these different tribes are scattered across the orc lands, there are Druj in the Jotun lands, Thule magicians who live in Grendel lands and so on. Each orc 'nation' is politically controlled by a single tribe; it is their culture which dictates strategy and tactics and decisions taken by that nation. A Jotun warband that lives in Thule lands will fight and serve the Thule, largely without rancour. Their Jotun culture is not abandoned - they are still Jotun - but they adapt their approach to fit in with the rule of the Thule.
This means it is perfectly possible to include plot with a Thule magician working for the Druj, a Jotun commander in charge of a key Thule fortification. Plot that highlights the difference between these orc tribes is great, provided that the friction is not so great that it undermines the credibility of orc society. It makes no sense for ruling Thule magicians to appoint Jotun orcs to positions of authority if it is clear that their first action will be to betray their Thule overlords.
On battles it means that we can reuse groups of orcs with strong tribal identity in different battles. The Jotun like battle - tribal members take the battlefield eagerly regardless of who they are fighting for. So Jotun warbands can be found regularly in every campaign the Empire fights. This also means that plot (and players!) can create their own barbarian orc tribe, reusing the same costumes, banners, shields, weapons and iconography on multiple battlefields.
Jotun
The Jotun tribe control the lands to the North West of the Empire. They have a traditional rivalry with the warriors of Wintermark, along with a degree of mutual respect for each other. As a military force, they threaten much of the west of the Empire, sharing a front with Wintermark, the Marches and the Navarr and most recently with the Brass Coast.
The inspiration for the Jotun is a mixture of norse viking mythology, with a smatterning of the Spartan warrior-myths. Although all orcs are martial in nature, the Jotun are the only ones to take a chivalric attitude to battle. They disdain poison or venom, for example, preferring to win their battles by strength of arms. They may use complex tactics, but avoid ambushes or other guerilla tactics. They will accept a surrender unless they have reason to believe they are being tricked in some manner, and allow injured opponents to retreat. They have also been known to allow opponents who have fought bravely to gather their dead or injured, or retreat from the battlefield - while ruthlessly crushing those who they believe have behaved in a treacherous manner. However, they are known to greatly respect those who fight against impossible odds ... and express that respect by giving such opponents a glorious and honourable death in battle.
Given their culture, it is no surprise that the Jotun hold the Wintermark in great respect, seeing them as "worthy" enemies. Likewise they view the Navarr with contempt, seeing them as corrupt "mud-bellies" - snakes that crawl in the grass on their belly instead of standing up and fighting like an orc. These views are based on the written briefs of course, it's perfectly possible that in play the Wintermark PCs will prove every bit as untrustable as any normal PC. But if they attempt to fight "honourably" then the Jotun should respond positively to that.
If you are interested in writing plot using the Jotun, then the page on the player wiki is the best starting point.
Thule
The Thule tribe control the lands to the North-east of the Empire. They have invaded both Wintermark and Varushka in recent times. They are the pre-eminant magicians amongst the various orc tribes, viewing magic as a weapon and mastery of magic as the ultimate strength.
Although all orcs have access to magic, only the Thule view it as the preferable solution to almost any problem. The Thule are ruled by their most powerful magicians, their units employ magicians as spell-casters on the front line, and their armies make extensive use of rituals to empower and support them. They also use summoned troops, particularly husks, dead bodies they animate with winter magic.
The Thule are also notable for being obsessed with capturing resources - their lands are poor and produce little - so their attacks are often aimed at economically important locations - either to claim them, raze them or simply deny them to their enemies. The Thule are not greedy - and they are not stupid - they are just painfully aware of their own material short-comings and desperate to acquire anything that helps to alleviate that. The only thing their nation produces in abundance is mana.
If you are interested in writing plot using the Thule then the page on the player wiki is the best starting point.
Druj
The Druj tribe control the lands to the east of the Empire. They have invaded both Dawn and Highguard and have most recently captured Reikos. They epitomize ruthless cunning and the determination to do anything necessary to win.
The Druj are the polar opposites of the Yotun, they take a joy in using underhand tactics in battle that borders on the cruel. The Druj are not evil, but it is easy to view them through that lens because they are amoral pragmatists. For the Druj, conflict is about total war and in terms of a fight versus the Imperials there is no tactic so vicious or depraved that they would not readily take it up. They make extensive use of poisons in battle, but they view fear as the most potent tool you can wield in battle. The Druj cultivate fear the way a farmer rears cattle, ruling the lesser orc tribes who live amongst them with an iron grip. To the Druj mind, if you can make the enemy truly fear you - then victory is inevitable. They like hit-and-run tactics and prefer to avoid a straight-up fight if possible.
Druj diplomats use treachery and deceit the way a general uses terrain. They view the mistrust this engenders as a positive asset, believing that an ambassador who is distrusted will find it easier to keep his enemies guessing as to his true motives. Some claim that the Druj are incapable of speaking the truth, this is nonsense but it reflects the Druj belief that diplomacy is a battlefield and that every negotiation should be an ambush, a trap or a lure. Those who know the Druj well say they lie for no other reason than to become more practised liars, while others claim they are skilled at saying the truth in such a way that it becomes impossible to believe them.
If you are interested in writing plot using the Druj then the page on the player wiki is the best starting point.
Grendel
The fouth major orc tribe - the Grendel - occupy lands to the south of the Empire across the Bay of Catazar. They do not share a land border with the Empire, but launch raids along Urizen, Highguard, the Brass Coast and the territory of Sarvos and have even attempted full scale invasions in the past. They are a traditional maritime enemy of the Brass Coast.
The Grendel are skilled sailors and navigators who prize material wealth and riches but also scholarship and learning. Little is know of Grendel society, but they are known to make extensive use of intermediaries in their wars, paying for others to attack on their behalf.
The Grendel nation includes many other orc tribes who form the majority of the armies fielded by the Grendel. Fighting on land is considered low-status amongst the Grendel, who prefer to man ships and engage in piracy wherever possible.
At present little development work has been done for the Grendel as we do not anticipate making much direct use of them until the Empire builds its first navy. I have a picture of the cities of Qarth and Astapor from Game of Thrones as inspiration for the Grendel, but the ideas remain to be fleshed out. If you are keen to do plot involving the Grendel, it would be best to speak to Andy Raff first.
Further Reading
- Organization
- Writing
- Skirmish