Orks live on innumerable worlds. On some they dominate, on others they live in a state of war, and on others still they rule as overlords. There are Ork realms, Ork empires, and Ork hordes that roam through space aboard space hulks. Wherever humans may travel in the galaxy, there are Orks. Were Orkdom ever to unite it is unlikely that humanity would survive very long. It is now many tens of thousands of years since humans first encountered the Orks. Mankind has fought countless wars against these barbaric creatures and there is no likelihood that this state of affairs will ever change.

Ork Warlords strive to defeat their neighbours whether they are humans, Eldar, or even other Orks. Rival Warlords are fiercely competitive and spend much of their time fighting each other. They all want to gather the clans together and lead a huge Waaa-Ork against their greatest enemies. The Waaa--Ork or Waaagh! is a sort of crusade when the Orks stop fighting each other and decide to stomp someone else instead.

This overriding urge to expand and conquer is a natural part of the Orks' psychological make-up, and has greatly contributed to their success as a race. If successful, a Warlord expands his territories by conquest, and continues to do so until he is defeated. Even if a Warlord wins battle after battle, plundering many worlds and scattering the armies of the Imperium before him, he will eventually overreach himself. This is simply a part of Ork nature! Orks always attack before they are ready and they never think beyond the next battle.

This lack of foresight and organisation has saved the Imperium from defeat many times, although the damage inflicted by rampaging Orks can still be very great. Most Ork incursions can be dealt with as a matter of routine, and local forces usually manage to contain the invaders before too much harm is done. However, this is not always the case, and Earth has been threatened with destruction several times in the Imperium's history.

Origins of the Orks

The records of the Imperium portray a long history of contact between man and Ork but reveal few details of Orkish origins. What has become clear is that the Orks are the remnants of a once diverse race of green-skinned creatures whose colonies extended over most of the galaxy. This ancient Ork race appears to have been divided into three distinct physical castes: the slave caste called Gretchin. the warrior caste called Orks, and the master or ruling caste known to the Orks as Brain Boyz. The Brain Boyz were the driving force behind the civilisation, developing technology and directing the other castes. The Orks and Gretchin may well have been specialised mutants created deliberately by the Brain Boyz to perform restricted tasks, but it will probably never be known for certain.

Whatever the truth of the matter, the Brain Boyz died out long ago, leaving the Orks to inherit the remains of their civilisation. If Ork legends are anything to go by. the Brain Boyz died out in a great plague that lasted for many centuries. causing them to dwindle in numbers and eventually to die out altogether. Fortunately for the Orks, the Brain Boyz evidently predicted what would happen and took steps to preserve what they could of their knowledge by engineering it into the genetic structure of their slaves. It is as a result of the Brain Boyz' efforts that Orks have such a relatively high level of technology today.

The Ork Race

Orks are a savage, brutal race who love war. They are the dominant element of a race of Orkoids that includes Orks and their smaller cousins. Gretchin and Snotlings. The Orks are in charge because they are the biggest. toughest, meanest and most warlike of their kind.

A typical Ork stands about the same height as a man, but would be taller if he stood up straight. They have robust and muscular frames. with strong. long arms that end in clumsy fingers capable of a vice-like grip. Their skulls are thick with heavy protruding brow-ridges shading their savage red eyes. The jaw is elongated. and lined with an impressive array of long canine fangs. Orks' heads are naturally hairless. and they have to use special creatures called squigs for hair or beards. Their hide is tough and green. and bears the scars of many a fight.

The Ork mind is curiously specialised: it is devoted wholly to the pursuit of power and war. Orks are brave and tough. and their bodies have a natural resilience which allows them to survive traumatic injuries and the most primitive surgery.