Orcs

Orcs
Characteristics
Faction	Marauders
Planet of Origin	Gora
References
Mantic Store	Firefight Deadzone

Orcs orignated on the planet Gora

About

The most common species within the Marauder genus is the Orc, and it is hard to imagine a creature more naturally adapted to warfare.

Orcs are, simply put, the perfect warriors. Humanoid, but averaging over two metres tall with upwards of 160 kilos of raw muscle - next to a human they are are little short of monsters. While their physiology works on vaguely the same basis, it outstrips human performance in all physical ways. The average Orc is faster, stronger and, while their epidermis contains over fifty percent more nerve endings, can shrug off wounds that would leave the toughest Marine in catatonic shock. It’s postulated that these over-stimulated pain receptors is one reason for the Orc’s naked aggression. The skin is also naturally leathery and averages two centimetres of depth. Alone it can weigh 40 kilos, making it an almost natural armour to bladed weapons and can even rob the kinetic energy from low calibre ammunition. If this were not enough, the green shading is a reaction to the intense ultraviolet from Gora’s sun, and gives all Marauders some protection against radiation.

The Orc’s metabolism is almost preternaturally fast, and they can burn through calories at a startling rate. Among their organs is an acid producing gland that actively suppresses myostatin protein generation, causing a muscle hypertrophic condition and giving all Orcs a natural muscle mass that professional DreadBall players spend years trying to build. Before GCPS contact this condition was offset by a vegetable-heavy diet, but access to cheap synthetic protein saw this condition erupt among the Orc population. Now any Orc which spends even a short time off Gora will quickly turn into the muscle-bound brutes seen as stereotypical Marauders.

DOSSIER 04736/83/ORC; GCPS COUNCIL [RESTRICTED: SECURITY LEVEL OMICRON]

SUBJECT: MARAUDERS

FROM THE NOTES OF DR. SEVERUS NGUYEN, SANMAR CORP.

Marauders are large, green-skinned humanoids – brutal, belligerent and populous – and have become an ever-present threat throughout the galaxy. Having once fought alongside the GCPS, they now serve in many armies as mercenaries, or sometimes form large piratical bands intent on plunder and the hindrance of free trade that is essential to GCPS expansion.

As you will no doubt be aware, first contact with the Marauders – then known simply as ‘Orcs’ – came on the surface of the planet Gora, situated in a cluster of potentially habitable systems toward the spinward edge of the Sagittarius Arm. Initial reports described the indigenous population as brutish, of low intelligence, and easily subdued; this was not the case. As a result of this miscalculation, the Klandax Corporation lost its entire expedition to the Orcs’ offensives, and a full military expedition under Commander Mitrandesh was sent to Gora to reclaim corporate tech. What he found there significantly transformed our understanding of the Orc threat. I am afraid to say that Mitrandesh awakened a sleeping giant, the consequences of which have yet to be dealt with effectively.

In a surprising display of cunning, the Orcs managed to steal aboard the expeditionary fleet, causing chaos and cutting off Mitrandesh’s ground forces from resupply. Although the situation was eventually contained, the Orcs had armed themselves with scavenged tech and become surprisingly effective at using it against the strike force. Their tactics were brutal and direct, but combined with their aggression, strength and resilience to physical damage, this approach was enough to overrun our inferior numbers.

As you know, in the battle that followed, Mitrandesh was overrun although the intel he was able to relay to the fleet before his death was invaluable. Armed with this knowledge, his replacement, General Julius Klimt, treated with the Orc leadership, such as it was, and engineered a treaty – the fruits of which we benefitted from for over a century. By bringing the Orcs into the fold of the GCPS, we finally had the shock troops that our central military forces had been lacking. Strong, aggressive, amoral, with a love of war and a low cunning, the Orcs became the spearhead of our military efforts against hostile aliens and rebels across the Sphere. The genetic stock of these hardy aliens was invaluable to many of our research projects, some of which that have yet to come to fruition. The Orc Auxiliary regiments were the best we had until the advent of the Enforcers, which is why the Mandrake Uprising was so unfortunate.

Since the Orcs turned against us, we have seen an increasing rise of pirate activity in our trade lanes. Some of these ‘Marauder’ fleets have become so large that they pose a severe threat to our continued expansion. However, despite the risk that the Marauders pose, I recommend caution in declaring all-out war upon their race. Marauders are the finest mercenaries in the galaxy, and already our enemies – even the rebels – have used them against us. They will fight anyone for pay, and old enmities fade away for the right price. Notably, Marauders are one of the few alien species in the galaxy able to withstand the Plague, and as such their deployment in Deadzones still represents our best chance to protect corporate interests in forbidden territory.

KNOW YOUR FOE; MILITARY BRIEFING

FILE 01114/48/ORC/A

Marauders, or Orcs as they call themselves, are physically superior in many ways to a human. They are heavily built, strong and highly resilient to physical pain, disease, and extremes of temperature – doubtless due to the hostile conditions of their home world, Gora.

They can continue fighting even when badly wounded, and standard doctrine when engaging these creatures is to use high-velocity ammunition and attempt to put them down using head shots where possible. Marauder ‘Grunts’ – the common soldiery of their kind – use sturdy, low-tech weapons, usually repurposed from the armouries of defeated enemies. These include basic slugthrowers and flamethrowers of the kind formerly issued by the Iskali Corporation. Reliance on these weapons is not a symptom of low intelligence; Marauders choose their weapons for reliability and durability, and will discard faulty or complex weapons in favour of simpler models. A Marauder’s marksmanship is generally below average, and as such they rely on laying down suppressing fire in order to close with the enemy quickly, where their skill and strength at melee sees them excel. It is imperative that as many Marauders as possible are taken out at long range – engaging at close quarters is a measure of last resort against these creatures.

Trivia

• Orcs are immune to the plague infection
• Orcs are considered to have a low intellect by many Humans, which is a myth

Gallery

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  Orcs Art
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  Model Art
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  GCPS Propaganda Poster with many racist and wrong beliefs

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