Druj look and feel
Overview
On the battlefield the Druj strive to project a terrifying image. The clothing worn by the Druj is intended to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy, but they will rarely encumber themselves with anything that would make fleeing impractical. Bones and skulls, often impaled on spikes or staves, body parts, leather made from human or orc skin, vicious and intimidating runes are all common decorations.
Druj are very fond of weapons that allow them to attack from a distance; spears, thrown weapons and bows are all favoured. Warriors who must fight in close combat opt for pole-arms over one- or two-handed weapons where they can get them. Where they use heavily armed troops, they tend to favour shock attacks and punishing charges, rather than become bogged-down in line fighting. Shields are often kept small to ensure that a warrior doesn't become complacent and place trust in equipment that can be broken or dropped.
As with other barbarian roles, PD will provide some simple items of costume that you can use when monstering the Druj. Due to the large numbers of players monstering battles there is no guarantee that PD will have enough costume for everyone. The following page provide an overview of how you can improve upon the basic barbarian breastplate and soft kit available, and go about making your own Druj costumes.
Breakdown
Colours
Green is the tribal colour associated with the Druj, it is especially common among Druj warriors but even their subject tribes are likely to be seen in green clothing on the battlefield. Scouts and skirmisheers also wear woodland browns and murky greys, but these base colours are often contrasted with splashes of acid greens, bright yellows, reds and oranges, echoing the colours used by poisonous animals to warn of their danger. The green cloth used tends towards more natural tones, matching the green grasses and leaves found in the dark, dense, cloying forests and swamps of the Mallum.
Iconic Druj item
The iconic item of costume for the Druj is a mantle or cape worn over the shoulders. They can be made of fabric, padded cloth or even leather and serves a practical purpose in shielding against inclement weather. Among Druj warriors, the mantle also serves as an item of cultural importance, decorated with depictions of poisonous insects, reptiles, and amphibians, or drawings of skulls, bones and weapons. A seasoned warrior might incorporate small skulls, shrunken heads, hair or teeth from those they kill in battle; all serving to make the wearer as fearsome and ghastly to behold as possible.
Base Layers
The basic Druj costume is a simple war skirt or pair of dark trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. These are worn by both male and female Druj, with more martial Druj supplementing the clothing with pieces of leather armour that will protect the limbs. Over this most druj will wear the an iconic mantle or cape, richly decorated with brutal trophies where they can acquire them.
In practice any green base garments are better than nothing as a starting point if you are volunteering to play a Druj.
Iconography
Druj warriors most commonly use iconography and symbols that relate to their totem animals, usually reptiles, arachnids, insects or other such creatures. The arkad page shows the kind of creatures chosen and the common style - any variants of this type of image are welcome.
Arkad units will often use the iconic design representing their totem creature or some variant thereof; the Chikad might hang a loin cloth from their warskirts that features the razor skink as a stylised lizard; while a unit of Pakkad paint the black beetle design onto shields or armour. Banners bearing the designs or variants thereof are common. Some Vikari mages encountered by the Empire decorate their mage armour with scorpion designs, molding chitin and sinew into shapes that echo the pincers and tail of the clawed arachnid.
Armour
Most Druj warriors try to avoid heavier armour, preferring light or medium leathers that permit greater freedom of movement. Only the Pakkad deliberately choose heavy armour; other Druj warriors will only wear steel mail or plate if there is there is nothing better available. Mithril armour, such as that represented by the PD armour is considered to provide the ideal compromise between protection and manoeuvrability. Even so a full harness of mithril is relatively rare, unless some Druj has been lucky enough to loot it from a fallen Imperial warrior.
The heavy infantry Pakkad units prefer mail or plate armour that they have looted from fallen Imperial soldiers. By such means they benefit not only from the superior crafting skill of the Empire's artificers, but also the psychological impact a bloodied cataphract's steel harness may have on the enemy.
Most Druj armour has a rusted and marked appearance, the better to allow each warrior to blend in with their surroundings and their fellows.
Weapons
Spears, short swords and daggers are favoured among Druj troops, offering a variety of combat approaches when facing a disciplined enemy. Great weapons such as pole axe and flamberge are also common among heavier Druj forces, capable of inflicting devastating damage on an un-armoured foe with a single strike. Shorter weapons are often coated in ichors, filth and poisons to inflict further pain and suffering on a foe who isn't quickly dispatched by a Druj warrior in an initial strike.
Javelins are common weapons for poorer Druj skirmishers who cannot afford a bow. Being easy to carry and cheap to produce, these small missiles can be used to surprise an advancing enemy, or to soften up a formation before a charge. The Druj prize long ranged weapons, deploying units of archers on most battlefields. These groups are trained to keep their distance, peppering the enemy with shots from afar before fleeing any attack against them.
Shields
Large heavy shields that limit maneuverability are strongly discouraged by Druj battle commanders. The Druj view is that those who are encumbered will soon find themselves cowering behind their shield for protection - better to stay mobile and move away from the worst threats.
Small, light shields, especially bucklers are a different matter - and are strongly encouraged especially for skirmishers. Like armour, they often make use of Imperial bucklers that have been looted from the battlefield - hoping to enrage any enemy that might recognize the item.
Accessories
Many Druj go to elaborate lengths to create grisly trophies and fetishes that they use to adorn their armour and clothing. These are often strung from warskirts or hung from a wide mantle over their shoulders. The items most commonly include ribs and other bones, but the more imaginative orcs fashion shrunken heads, severed fingers, braids of hair and necklaces made from teeth. Druj will also add splashes of bright colours to their clothing, bilious greens or sickly yellows, echoing the beasts their culture holds dear. All these items are designed to cause unease in those they encounter.
What to bring
Everyone who is volunteering to monster should turn-up wearing base costume and carrying a weapon wherever possible. If you are able to bring extra costume, weapons, and armour that are suitable for Druj orcs when monstering then it will contribute to a fantastic looking battle.
Any of the following kit is ideal when volunteering for a skirmish or battle involving the Druj.
- Swords, maces, one-handed spears
- Bucklers or small shields
- Light or medium leather armour
- Any greaves and vambraces
- Dark coloured shirt
- Dark trousers
- Leather warskirt
If you are playing Empire, then some of your personal kit may be extremely useful whenever you are volunteering to monster. Imperial kit that is especially useful when volunteering for Druj battles is covered below.
Wintermark & Marches
Heavy chain and plate are not ideal for the Druj, but Steinr medium leathers and the light leather jacks of a Bounder are excellent for playing a Druj warrior. The robes of a friar or the elaborate headdresses of the stormcrows could also work well for a Cicatrix or Vikari mage. Marcher bows and bills are both excellent Druj weapons, perhaps looted from dead Dawnish yeofolk in the Barrens.
Varushka
Any lamellar armour is a good look for the Druj. The sort of kit that is common for a warden archetype - light leathers, bows or spears - also fit well with the brief. These items could be complemented with furs and hoods to represent orcs from the more northern areas of the Mallum.
The leather and well worn look of the Navarr works well for the Druj, and their traditional weapons such as the bow, shield and spear are perfect to represent the eastern orc tribe. There are also great similarities in how both the Navarr and Druj fight as pragmatic warriors, not bound by concepts of honour or fairness. There is a reason the Jotun call the Navarr the 'Imperial Druj'...
League, Highguard & Dawn
The heavy armour of these nations is ideal for playing Pakkad warriors if you are interested in forming an elite military unit with other members of your nation, otherwise it is better to turn up wearing lighter armour if you have it. Monstering as the Druj is a chance to take the battlefield without all that heavy armour weighing you down! Anyone with the kinds of pole-arm or bucklers that are common in the League can use it to portray a fast-moving Druj warrior, but Dawnish or Highborn great swords and similar are also great weapons for the Druj.
Imperial Orcs
If you are playing an Imperial Orc then most of your costume is likely to be useful when volunteering. The shabby, well-worn layers of Imperial Orc kit suit the Druj well, and the abundance of leather armour is ideal. Imperial Orc kit is very distinctive, so if you are able to replace or supplement any elements with green fabric then this will help to make your kit look more Druj.
Brass Coast & Urizen
Mage implements and mage armour are perfect for playing Vikari warriors if you are interested in forming an elite military unit with other members of your nation, otherwise it is better to turn up with whatever weapons you have that are suitable for portraying a Druj warrior. The kind of weaponry often used by corsairs and sentinels can easily be reused to create a Druj skirmisher.
Brass Coast armour that is light and flexible can be used for a Druj warrior, especially if you can find a good way to embellish it to make it look worn and bedraggled.