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Battle Related Forums => Board Battles => Board Battle Suggestions/Creation => Topic started by: Tyvaris on April 09, 2010, 10:03:28 AM

Title: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Tyvaris on April 09, 2010, 10:03:28 AM
I'm a little torn right now as to how I should  progress with my fictional setting Misthaven.  I wanted some input from those interested in taking part in the Misthaven BB on Orcs/Orks.  I don't know if I want to make Orcs serious sinister creatures who have brains but are so animalistic or brutal that they aren't rational, or to make "Orks" which are big green dumb oafs from say Warcraft or Warhammer.  I sorta like the idea of dark evil Orcs sorta Urk Hai type black skinned evil Orcs from LOTR, compared to bungling screaming "Orks" from WHF.  You'll noticed I used Orcs and Orks in two different lights, I'd say Orcs are the Tolkienesque/Peter Jackson type and Orks are the GW/Blizzard variety.   I'd like anyone input, although I am seriously leaning toward the ORC variety.

Any input would be awesome.
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Tamrissa on April 09, 2010, 12:25:02 PM
Warcraft orcs, according to the books I've read and other lore, were actually never meant to be goons.  They are rather brutish in looks and mannerisms, but before they were subjected to fel magic and demons, they were a shamanistic tribal society on Draenor.  What gives them a bad name in Azeroth is the way they were introduced to that world.  Coming through a magical portal and attacking anything that is in the way in order to feed your own personal bloodlust...no wonder they are considered hate-blinded and too stupid to think for themselves.  When in fact there were some orcs that did not drink Mannoroth's blood and remained shamanistic and were quite intelligent and willing to be peaceful.  I.E. the Frostwolf clan

My own personal opinion would be to go with the more cunning Orc...a bunch of 'Werk, werk, okie dokie' oafs running around could get boring.  Maybe still let their weapons and machinery be a bit crude, but allow them the muscle and the brains to be exceptional fighters?  Having them be sinister would be traditional, but if they were working towards their own ends rather than being seduced by the promises of some wizard or demonic presence, that might be kinda new. 

Either orc variety would be familiar enough for people to base characters around, but I definitely like your thinking on going with the smart, potentially evil, uglies.  :)
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Kitharsis on April 09, 2010, 02:58:40 PM
Both can be fun to play with! 

-.- that didn't help your decision...

In such a setting as Misthaven, I think the dumb, primitive Orks would be out of place.  It would be difficult to interplay steam engines, flying machines and creatures that solve everything by smashing.

But then again it really depends on what role they will play in the battle.  A chaotic nuisance?  Or a calculated threat?

There could be different clans with different attitudes/cultures.  Some with primitive technology a few years behind the cultured races, and some that ride wild boars and chuck spears...

Ultimately its your choice!
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: DM on April 09, 2010, 03:38:43 PM
Yeah GW orks and Warcraft orcs are nothing alike. Actually orks are much closer to Tolkien orcs than Warcraft ones. :)

Originally 40k orks were a much more regimented, militaristic society, almost Naziesque. You could make them the 'brutal, mid-tech' race with Big Goddamn Zeppelins and simple but efficient war machines with grinding gears and belching plumes of smoke. Well, more so than everything else.

This setting sounds strangely familiar and I can't help but think I've seen it before somewhere. Not to paint you as a plagiarist or anything! It's just nagging me.
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Tyvaris on April 09, 2010, 04:15:08 PM
Well I'm more or less stuck between magical WOW-esque and LOTR serious fantasy with rare magical items and very few wielders of magic.   

I'm probably gonna make it a very diverse fantasy environment on the cusp of steam and gunpowder technology but more advanced than GW or any other mainstream epic fantasy setting currently is.   

I'll probably post a little fluff every week until it goes live.  I really don't know if I should lay the setting out and have the characters already live in the setting or have the characters emerge onto the setting and have the setting weave itself out through the course of the story.   BTW, I'm not exactly the best with grammar so don't be surprised if you see a bunch of run on sentences.   I don't have a collegiate education, yet...


Orcs are already forming in my mind to being not necessary a dwindling race, but a cornered one.  The free folk or I may change the name to the Fair folk ,as that is how they would classify themselves as they are still a monarchy society, have banded together to war against the Orc .  After being beaten by more modern technologies Orcs have been forced out of most of the fair folk areas and wage war out of necessity to survive, almost akin to Native Americans.   They differ in the fact that they do still have large numbers but cannot sustain their population on the lands they have and must raid against the fair folk to survive.   Great expanses of land still exist because the technologies which exist for steam travel is not  mass produced.  Also a ship, plane, or steam tank can only travel so far before it needs to be refueled and other human tribes or cities who do not have the technologies to supply the fuels for return trips from those places are still in the transition phases.  Sail has been the big means of travel and still is in the world of the Five Realms.   Also the Five Realms is the local name for part of one continent.  There will be several continents although the characters know or are only loosely aware of the main one in which the Five Realms is located.   

Misthaven is the largest city and also a central point in the land.  Think of Misthaven as the Rome of this fantasy setting. A great cultured city that is the bright light in the dark world. 

Orcs have cities too, although not as elaborate, most areas Orcs dwell in small nomadic settlements chasing after game.  The bigger Orc tribes have formed cities not because they have developed farming but because they actually  have openned up trade with Humans and Dwarves who provide most of the necessary sustenance for survival in return for  mined coal which is powering the steam age.

Namely though the economics of the setting don't matter much... as I have said there are Five Realms and I have not revealed what the fifth realm is.  Four of the Realms stand for the Four Races that inhabit them; The Dwarves, The Elves, Man, and The Orc. The fifth realm is the dark realms.  This is where there is uncharted territory and where the Orc even fear to travel.
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Veldanya Venalla on April 09, 2010, 11:22:08 PM
yes WoW orcs originally (WC1/2) were just violent monsters but as seen in WC3 and beyond they are actually a "good" race.  WH40K orks just exist for pure destruction and to smash lots of stuff :)  Either sounds awesome to me
Title: Re: Misthaven Orcs/Orks?
Post by: Tyvaris on April 13, 2010, 11:25:12 AM
I've decided to add magic to the world although im not wholly sure how strong or how much it will influence the setting.  Orcs will be a serious variety that I'll mess together.  I appreciate everyones input. 

I plan on posting some info later this week.  I'll try to draw up a map also to give everyone an Idea of what the area looks like and area names for possible places for a character to be born.  I'll also make a few cities that vary to make a good starting point for a character.  Although don't be afraid to come up with your own if it fits the parameters that I'll come up with in the Character Guidelines.