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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 4, 2017 17:39:38 GMT -5
Didn't find anywhere else to put this; so it's here for now.
early 1000s: there are 8 tribes of orcs on Sodor; plus hundreds more on Great Britain, the continent and beyond. With exception of a few tribes in Northern Africa, orcs are exclusive to Eurasian continent.
Early 1100s: Colormen become first humans to fight back effectively against orcs. Orcs refuse to stop killing humans and raiding human settlements despite the Colormen pleas to enter peaceful alliances with humans.
1202: King of Sodor summons the eight tribal chiefs. Offers to help their tribes and work to benefit both species. Orcs refuse and declare war on the humans; swear to turn Sodor into "land of Orcs"
1203: Orc raids on human settlements around Sodor increase in frequency; Colormen forced to step up defenses
Winter 1203: A particularly nasty winter freezes two rivers that serve as the primary Water supply for the Orcs. Orcs temporarily cease attacks on human settlements to fight with each other over water supply.
Spring 1204: the winter's end sees the rivers thaw; Orcs resume attacks on humans.
1204-1275: Colormen research into Orcs. Beginning in 1204, research primarily includes observation to see how they function as a society, and autopsy of dead orcs to understand them biologically. Controversies disappear quickly when it is revealed Orcs do not practice ceremonial burial; they "leave the dead where they fell in battle" as outsiders observed.
1206- despite the Orc population on Sodor now half what it was 10 years prior, Orcs refuse to back down. Humans extend first major offer peace to the eight tribes; tribes refuse and diplomats are attacked. Colormen intervention saved them from death.
1207- Colormen receive word Orc tribes on Great Britain are attacking human settlements there; messengers arrive at Great Hall, pleading for help in the fight against the Orcs. Thirty Colormen sent to Great Britain to assist local magic factions in fight.
1208- Second major Peace offer to Orcs; they refuse once again.
1209- Orc Population 1/3 of what it was in 1196; the two smallest tribes collapse from lack of members
1210- Concluding a five year study of battle aftermaths- the Colormen notice a shocking trend- Orc youth are becoming more and more aggressive and taking part in battle as the tribes lose valuable warriors.
1211- third major offer of peace; Once again, the six surviving tribes refuse.
1212- The three larger tribes merge to compensate for those lost, as do two of the medium ones. The smallest tribe collapses following a smallpox outbreak in their home.
1213- A fourth major offer of peace is extended to the now two Sudric Orc tribes; it is once again rejected.
1215- A climactic, giant battle ensues as "every orc who can wield a weapon came together to destroy Sodor." So sudden is their attack, two smaller towns are attacked before the Colormen can mobilize. The ensuing fight between Orc and Colormen lasts many days. Towards the end, the Colormen plea with the Orcs to stand down as the numbers dwindled down to a few hundred. The orcs stubbornly refuse and continue to fight.
August 11, 1215- the last Orc fell on Sodor. In just 19 years, the Orcs were wiped out of Sodor. The Colormen investigate their homes, but find no mothers and children, elders or the like. It remains unknown what happened to them. The first "Orc War" ends.
1215-1219- Colormen shift focus to studying samples and notes; direct actions against Orcs are limited to assisting others in the fight against Orcs on Great Britain.
1220- In Great Britain, five human women, who were impregnated by Orcs die during childbirth. In a rather surprising turn of events, it was revealed that they were in relationships with Orc males. Unfortunately, due to a deteriorated journal, the exact details of the relationships have been lost to history. All that is known is that in a time of great tension between orc and human, these five couples, and perhaps others in other parts of the world, emerged. Permission from the families to study what happened revealed a tragic fate- the orc-human babies all possessed a skull structure that was closer to orcs than humans; the shape could not fit through the human pelvis, thus killing both mother and child. When this report arrives at the Great Hall, the Colormen conclude that, although orcs and humans seems capable of breeding, it is impossible to safely have offspring. After these findings were publicized, human-orc relationships became virtually taboo over fear of death in childbirth.
(NOTE: Remember, cesarean wasn't really a thing at this time in history)
1223- The number of Orc tribes on Great Britain is reduced to 24, following a series of tribe merging events after the end of the first war.
1227- Second Orc War begins; Orc tribes on Great Britain manage to coordinate with tribes on the continent to launch a series of attacks on human settlements within a short time period. Humans put up tougher fight through knowledge shared by the Colormen. Orcs and humans suffer many casualties.
1228- Detachment of Colormen arrive in Great Britain to help. All attempts to achieve diplomacy with Orcs end in failure.
1229- Following a series of destructive battles, the humans offer peace to the surviving Orcs of Britain. 22 chiefs reject the offer. Only two tribes, who have become disillusioned with fighting, lay down their arms. The humans give them land and assist with their settlement.
1230- After the destructive Battle of the White Cliffs (White Cliffs of Dover?), the number of warring Orc tribes in Great Britain is reduced from 22 to 14.
1231- The humans launch an all-out campaign against the orcs, following a combined assault by the warring Orcs against the two Orc tribes who elected to stop fighting. The warring Orcs declared the two tribes to be "pathetic cowards" and the raid was "punishment for leaving warrior way"
1233- The Campaign by the Britain natives forced the surviving Orcs into the southeast Corner of the island. Only 5 tribes remain. By now, the Colormen serve strictly in advisory roles, their focus now on study of the Orcs.
Late 1233- the Surviving Orc tribes somehow make their way to Modern-Day France, across the channel. The outside party remains unknown. The only Orcs that remain in Great Britain are the survivors of the two tribes who stopped fighting. Though unsure, the Colormen ultimately decide it best to "leave them be" since they were no longer attacking others.
1234- Colormen come to the continent; their focus now on study of the Orcs; battle only takes place when they directly witness Orcs attacking the humans.
1235- The Second Orc War ends following the Battle of Three Hill (Modern Day Normandy?). Though the Orcs do not surrender, they do significantly scale back their attacks on humans; focusing their efforts on hunting animals and scavenging.
1235-1257: Colormen studies make some of the most important discoveries about Orcs. It is during this time that the most detailed drawings of Orc anatomy are produced. Orc attacks on humans become less frequent, but happen often enough that the humans cannot let their guard down.
1260- 90 percent of Orcs in Poland are killed during the Second Mongol invasion of Poland.
1261-1266: During the Civil War in Hungary, both King Béla IV and his son Stephen recruit Orcs into their ranks to fight their battles, promising great rewards in return for their service. The end of the Civil War saw the Hungarian Orc population drop by 2/3.
1262: Third and final Orc War begins, with Orcs launching major attacks on Paris, Reims and Lyon within a two week period. Humans muster armies to "cease the Orc Raids once and for all"
1263: The Battle of Northern France is the only major Conflict the Sudrian Colormen take part in the Third Orc War; as Orcs attack major French settlements, they came when the French were at their most desperate, as their armies had been stretched thin in order to effectively fight back against the number of attacking tribes.
1264: King Louis IX of France extends an offer of Peace to the Orcs; in exchange for their ceasing of raids, he would ensure that the French People work to strengthen relations with the orcs and create a system that mutually benefits both the humans and Orcs. Only three tribes accept his offer; dozens more refuse it; many of the ambassadors were killed- the Colormen unable to save them because by now, they were strictly researching the Orcs, and Louis IX had not reached out to them regarding this matter; with the Colormen in the dark, there was nothing they could do to save the ambassadors.
1265: The few tribes of Orcs in Northern Africa are wiped out following a mutation in a strain of Malaria that proves deadly to their species.
March 1266: Afonso III, the King Of Portugal, declares war on the Orc tribes of Portugal following particularly damaging raids by the Orcs on the cities of Coimbria and Lisbon. By September, the surviving Orcs have scattered into neighboring provinces.
April 1267: The Orc tribes of Castile are offered peace by King Alfonso X; it is rejected and the ensuing war does not end until November, after 80 percent of the Orcs fell in battle. King Alfonso X, a believer in Chivalry, offered the Orcs peace again- if they swore off the attacks on human settlements, he would ensure they would have a place in his kingdom. The surviving Orcs only accepted because they "felt battle was no win." Though the surviving Castillian Orcs kept to themselves after the war, King Alfonso X was true to his word- they were granted a regular supply of food, eliminating the need for pillaging.
1268: The Four Orc tribes of Aragon are wiped out following a Cholera outbreak. Historians attribute the outbreak to the fact that the tribes "used the same river to drink, bathe and excrete."
1269: The Colormen; by now primarily observers from afar, begin compiling accounts of the various kingdoms and their encounters with Orcs during this time; despite some initial issues, they eventually possess a comprehensive account of contemporaneous sources. Others travel to do research on Orcs
1271: following a series of raids against Danish settlements, King Eric V of Denmark organizes an army dedicated to protecting his kingdom from the Orcs. In just 8 months, the number of Orc tribes in Denmark is reduced from 17 to 5.
1272: Traidenis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, enlisted Orcs in his fight against the Livonian Order. However, the Livonian Order, in a rather underhanded move, also recruited Lithuanian Orcs to fight in the war; the ensuing battles killed 75 percent of the Lithuanian Orc populations.
1273: Across Europe, surviving Orc tribes that have not accepted peace are offered it again; it is rejected in many cases. Only King Magnus VI of Norway has substantial success in offering Peace to the Orcs; and even then, it is only about 1/3 of Norwegian Orc tribes.
1274: a series of scattered battles take place all over Europe; many Orcs fight to the death, preferring to "die warriors, not live cowards," though rumors persist of some Orcs finding sanctuary in Scandinavian Countries; investigations into said rumors though find them to be largely unfounded.
1275: Third Orc War ends; population of Orcs becomes so scattered tribes are effectively isolated from one another. Colormen research on Orcs concludes.
1350- A strain of Bubonic Plague mutates and infects the Orcs. Their immune systems are not prepared to handle this disease; entire populations are wiped out, effectively destroying the Orcs as a species. What few that remain are believed to "not possess a diverse enough gene pool to survive" effectively rendering them functionally extinct.
1680s- Rumors of a population of orcs surviving in Iceland go largely uninvestigated. A brief observational mission into this by a handful of the loyal Colormen reveals only a "population too small to be sustainable." The matter is not investigated further.
Modern times: Only two populations of Orcs survive- Elbaf Orcs are the barbaric Orcs the species is widely known for. Icelandic Orcs, affiliated with GOD, managed to undergo a form of evolution, reaching a point where they did not give into instinct as much, and had intelligence comparable to humans.
Though exact numbers are unknown, what is known is that there are fewer than 35,000 Orcs alive today; approximately 25,000 on Elbaf, and 10,000 in Iceland
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Post by Toz76 on Aug 4, 2017 22:56:25 GMT -5
THE ORC SIDE OF THE STORY
1100s: Some humans, in Scandinavia especially, begin seeking peaceful relations with the orcs. Some are successful. As orcs cannot eat most plant life, they are unable to farm, and are forced to hunt and scavenge, meaning they often prey on livestock. Their moral code, similar to Native Americans, believes the land and the animals belongs to nature and cannot be controlled, so they do not understand humanity's idea of "ownership". 1202: The king of Sodor summons the eight tribal chiefs, however they feel great pain when nearing the king and suspect a trap, thus deciding to declare war on the humans. Modern scholars believe the cause of the pain was the king's Colorman bodyguard, as Prism Magic often has an adverse affect on non-humans (see also Elbaf Arc) Winter 1203: Orcs trade water between tribes in secret, feigning infighting to make the humans believe they are weak. 1204: Due to the high body count in battles with the Colorfolk, the orcs abandon their traditional death rituals, which involve burning the fallen bodies while singing their praises, as they fear the Colorfolk will ambush them as they perform the rituals. 1206: Colorfolk emissaries sent to offer peace inflict pain on the tribal leaders again. They refuse the peace, still suspecting a magical attack. 1207: Orcs in Britian ally with foreign kingdoms, who offer much-needed food for the orcs if the orcs weaken the British. 1210: Dwindling populations means orcs are forced to start to fight younger and younger. 1211: Orcs attempt to establish their own farms to become self-sufficient. Colorfolk mistake the unfinished farm for a battle camp and burn it down. 1212: Orcs catch smallpox from human diplomats. It is briefly believed to be a magic disease, but they soon learn it was not. Nonetheless, one of the tribes dies out despite aid from the other five. 1215: The orcs are contacted by the orcs of Scandinavia, who offer them refuge. The remaining orc warriors muster up their forces to distract the colorfolk as the young and elderly are smuggled away by boat. Even as their numbers dwindle, the prism energy of the colorfolk continues to pain them, and they refuse to surrender.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 5, 2017 11:02:44 GMT -5
Doesn't fit into the timeline per se, but there's no where else to put it and I really don't want to create a new thread:
Reactions and aftermath to Orc Wars:
Though some thought that the Colormen may have gone too far by nearly wiping out a species, the majority of humanity as well as the good species celebrated the Colormen as heroes for taking a stand against them after so many had failed. The destruction of the Orc species, and by extension, the stopping of their raids and pillaging on human settlements, allowed towns to become cities and cities to flourish. The end of the final Orc war is attributed by scholars to have been a catalyst for the beginning of the renaissance just a couple decades later. Without the constant Orc raids, humans no longer had to worry about a focus on protecting themselves from these attacked, thus allowing the great artists, writers and thinkers of the renaissance to flourish. Though is not accurate to say the destruction of the orcs lead to the renaissance, it is accurate to say that had the Orc attacks continued, the renaissance may very well have been delayed by as much as a century.
Some scholars argued that if given the chance, Orcs could have contributed culturally to the world. The 71 years of study by the Colormen though, found that Orc Culture was "crude" at best. Although they posessed societal structure and at the very least, a spoken code of laws, they did not possess several "indicators of civilization" as some referred to it (the Colormen did not like the term, but did not argue because a better term could not be found) The two that come up most often in texts on the subject were the lack of a written language by the Orcs, and their failure to embrace diplomacy and open trade relations.
The 71 years of research by the Colormen remain the only research ever done on the Orcs. Even today though, the research is praised for its objective, scientific approach that the era was "profoundly lacking" back then.
Though some argue that only one side of the story has ever been told, the lack of an Orc written language means we may never know the other side of the story
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Post by Tug on Aug 5, 2017 11:18:15 GMT -5
I'm curious how the War of the Giants plays into this timeline as well, thoughts Frank?
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 5, 2017 11:25:27 GMT -5
I have a few.
There are accounts that show the peaceful Giants assisting human settlments in the defense against Orcs; primarily as means of returning the favor for the Colormen's help.
Although other accounts show that sometimes Orcs and barbaric Giants would go to war against each other, it was more out of "assertion of domination" than anything else.
Other than that... I suspect that overlap may be minimal; primarily to avoid confusion.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 6, 2017 12:16:56 GMT -5
(As a history buff; so glad I found a way to incorporate real history into this)
THE ASIAN ORCS- What happened?
As many have probably observed, this timeline focuses on the Orc Wars of Europe. And yet, the Orcs were scattered all over the Eurasian continent. So what happened to Orcs on the Asian side? Well, observant readers will note that the Orc Wars happen to take place at the same time as the Mongol conquest of Eurasia by Ghengis Khan and his descendants. Records on the Orcs in Asia are rare, due in part to the Mongols wiping out entire cities, and the destruction of such records.
At one time, a detailed record of the Mongol Conquest as it pertained to the Orcs did exist; written by an author who observed said military actions from afar, journals written by friends of the man described the account as "page after page of mongols and Orcs clashing; with neither side willing to back down until the other was annihilated.
This valuable record was lost forever in 1258, during Hulagu Khan's Siege of Baghdad.
Today, only a limited number of accounts on the Orc and Mongols in Asia survive; and of the 14 sources recognized as legitimate by the historical community, all but three were written in the years after the fact.
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Post by Toz76 on Aug 26, 2017 16:12:17 GMT -5
Recent revelations confirm that the Colorfolk had peaceful, or at least not outright hostile, relations with orcs as late as 1134, but records of said relationship vanished around that year, and it is presumed there were no major interactions between the two until the early 1200s.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 1, 2018 20:29:48 GMT -5
ORCS TODAY:
As mentioned prior, there are two surviving populations of Orcs. The Elbaf Orcs, population about 25,000... and the Icelandic Ircs, population about 10,000
These orcs are the descendants of the only two populations of Orcs to survive the Black Death; with Iceland and Elbaf cut off from continental Europe, they were unaffected.
The Elbaf Orcs descended from Orcs who never made peace with humans... and to an extent, each other. They are the "barbaric" Orcs that everyone thinks of when they think of orcs. There is no true "Orc nation;" estimates place the number of Orc tribes at 40 or so, scattered and each independent of one another. Competition over resources puts them at odds with each other; their "proud warrior" ways make them more concerned with "survival of the tribe" than making peace with outsiders.
Icelandic Orcs, on the other hand, would be considered "civilized" speaking colloquially. While proud of their warrior heritage, they have managed to accept that it is not necessary to wage war with everything in sight. They are descended from the orcs who did make peace with humans.
Among GOD, they are considered "on-par" with humans now; even capable of overcoming the "instinct driven nature" that Orcs were described as having many centuries ago.
Although the Icelandic Orcs have shown there is hope for the species, outside of GOD, and perhaps others in Iceland, popular opinion of Orcs remains extremely low. Their legacy of slaughter and destruction, and the failure of most Orcs to embrace peace in favor of attacking human settlements has left few with any positive memories of the orcs.
The fact that The Icelandic Orcs prefer to remain a GOD secret (it has never been stated that they go out In Public) while the reveal of Elbaf showed the barbaric Orcs still exist, does not help the matter. Popular images of Orcs associated with the works of Tolkien, as well as Dungeons and Dragons, have popularized the image of the Orc as a barbaric savage.
No one knows what the future has in store; regardless, the Orc will remain one of the most famous of the monsters.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 22, 2018 16:39:12 GMT -5
So with the upcoming reboot to be Non-Sodor for this canon (Which basically means the island becoming unconnected to TTTE; but still being the same in terms of geography and location on the map with names changed). It's time I revisit this and get it fleshed out to be more than a timeline with limited information. Note that this is draft material and nowhere near completion.
In hindsight I should have been clearer, but the timeline alone was not the full picture. So before I get into posting some fleshed out material, I want it clarified:
The Orc Wars were not random, spontaneous or sudden whatsoever. The Orc Wars were the result of centuries of awful Human-Orc relations on the island of Ordos (Yes, that's the new name for now). In The history of this new Island, Humans and Orcs both lived on the island since at least the 500s. The humans who fled here were trying to escape the nightmare that had swallowed Western Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire. The Orcs followed some decades later... their reasons for coming remain unknown due to a lack of written records from their perspective.
They had minimal interactions until about the 800s, when the Orcs began periodically attacking human settlements, including pillaging homes and killing livestock. Naturally, humans would retaliate, with results usually mixed given the Orcs were bigger and stronger.
It was not until the Colormen formed in 1095 that the humans finally were able to fight the orcs effectively. By 1130 the Orc raids became infrequent and the humans only needed to act defensively when necessary. In the 1180s and 1190s, new tribal chiefs took over who were far more aggressive than their predecessors, and attacks on humans resumed.
The Orc Wars started in 1201. According to the journals of the Colormen, the King summoned the chiefs of the 8 tribes to give make them an offer: cease all attacks on humans and their settlements, and they would work with the Orcs to benefit both species. Despite discussions lasting at least two hours, in the end the orcs refused the peace and each tribe independently declared war on the humans. The chief of one of the tribes, Felgron, infamously vowed as he left to make "Ordos become Land of Orcs!"
The Colormen did their best to preserve the history of the Orcs objectively and accurately. However, the Ordian Orcs had no written language, making it impossible to "learn the Orc's story with the most accurate detail possible" meaning that, although the Colormen have the major gaps covered, some details may never be known.
......
This draft material is no where near completion, and as such should not be taken at face value until a more complete picture is painted. In my next post I will break down the history of the 8 tribes of Ordos
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2018 12:36:26 GMT -5
Important clarification:
Although toz hinted at an Orc written language in the game, this story takes place before said discovery; and since we don't know the exact contents of this (archive?), it would be wrong of me to assume if it applies to select tribes, or many tribes from different areas. Therefore, I am leaving that alone until it is decided what the exact nature of that entails.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2018 13:16:42 GMT -5
The Six Tribes of Ordos
I'll admit; it was wrong of me to just bluntly say that all the Orcs were outright evil and that imply that they were all the same. This time, I'm going to break it down from the get-go the differences among the eight tribes (instead of reveal information overtime; I was concerned of causing information overload). Because remember- one of the things I was trying to get at is there is no "Orc nation." Similar to humans in Pre-Columbian America and in parts of Africa, they lived in tribes that were separate from one another, and depending on the outlying circumstances, they could be at war with one another, or allied with one another. I'm hoping that, once they are fleshed out and more developed, their reasons for why they behave the way they are become more understandable.
......
The six tribes of Ordos could be broken down into three sub-populations based on geographic location: Northern Orcs, Mountain Orcs and Southern Orcs. Biologically there was no difference between them, though behaviors were different based on their surrounding circumstances.
NORTHERN ORCS:
These two tribes relied on a diet that was mostly game meat. They hunted animals in the forests as their primary source of sustenance. Because the humans farmed and raised their animals on the plains, an understanding was reached that "Humans get food from plains, Orcs get food from forests" among the tribes. No formal alliance or truce existed between the humans and Northern Orcs, but beyond the occasional fighting that did take place between the humans and orcs over disagreements stemming from the Orcs inability to recognize human land ownership, and the occasional fight between orc tribes over frequency of hunting (see below), the Northern Orcs lived a relatively peaceful co-existence with humans. it was not until the 1180s, when fiercely anti-human tribal chiefs took over, that they began raiding human settlements more often. A lack of records from the Orcs' perspective, unfortunately, prevents us from knowing why this change took place.
The Dennok tribe: Very hostile towards outsiders. While sympathizers argued they were simply protecting their own their frequent attacks on human and elf settlements lead them to have few allies.
The Foglag tribe: Unlike the Dennok tribe, they maintained a peaceful relationship with the elf settlement that lived in the northern forest, and from them learned the lesson of the importance of avoiding over-hunting. (the elves themselves ate mostly plants, but understood the need of other species to hunt, and accepted that fact as long as they did not over-hunt the animals). Multiple journal accounts from human observers tell about how the Foglag tribe tried to teach the Dennok tribe the dangers of over-hunting, but it was in vain. The Dennok tribe declared more than once "not hunting threat to survival of tribe! Foglag threat to tribe!" Depending on the generation and who was in charge of each respective tribe, the two Northern tribes were either in a state of peaceful co-existence, with the Dennok tribe respecting the wishes of the Foglag, or they were at war, with the Dennok tribe fighting the Foglag over what they perceived as a threat to the survival of their tribe (i.e. restricting hunting meant not enough food to go around, to them)
MOUNTAIN ORCS:
Around the 900s, the Foglag tribes' chieftain died, and his three triplet sons argued over who should be in charge. Because they were all born the same day, the normal way succession worked in the Foglag tribe did not apply. Thenet argued he should be in charge because he "came from mother first," Begrin argued he should be in charge because he "was most fit to lead" (unlike most Orcs on Ordos, he was capable of speaking proper English, and before the Foglag tribe civil war he was determined to forge a peaceful alliance with the humans and fellow orcs once and for all) while Mortwal argued he should lead because he was "strongest of all warriors"
Two days of fighting within the Foglag tribe lead to Begrin becoming victorious, who decided that, for the sake of the tribe's survival, he had no choice but to exile his brothers and their followers. Half of the Foglag tribe remained loyal to Begrin, but one quarter of them followed Mortwal and the other quarter followed Thenet.
The two tribes ended up settling in the mountains, where they thought that since it was not as populated compared to other parts of the island, there would be less competition over resources. There wasn't; the Mountain Orcs ended up becoming the two most aggressive tribes on the whole island. The limited resources of the Mountain region put them in direct competition with the Ordosian ogres, who preyed on human and orc children as sustenance; with the three populations of Dwarfs on Ordos (who were also mountain dwellers, but lived within the mountains), and with each other. The limited resources and heavy competition ingrained in them the "fight to survive" lifestyle; so much so that when they began raiding the two human settlements of the mountain region more frequently, the King of Ordos ordered them to be relocated so they could be easier to defend.
Kelmet Tribe: Founded by Thenet and his followers. Pretty much believed that "might makes right"
Demwal Tribe: Founded by Mortwal and his followers. Unlike Thenet who valued strength above all, Mortwal at least instilled in his followers "the warrior's honor." As such, after a joint human-orc expedition to deal with the ogre population, he and his descendants subsequently decided that "human homes only to be raided as last resort" and subsequently tried not to attack humans if there were other options. Mortwal's descendant who lead the tribe during the Orc wars abandoned this rule and resumed attacks on humans.
SOUTHERN ORCS:
Unlike the other tribes which had a diet of mostly land animal meat, the Southern Orcs primarily had a diet of fish, because the forests of Southern Ordos were not populated with as many animals as Northern Ordos, meaning that the Orcs needed to turn to the waters for food. Their string and ropes were of inferior quality to what the humans produced though, meaning that their attempts to fish often resulted in broken nets and snapped lines. Frustrated, but observing that the humans had more success with fishing, it was about two generations after the human and orc settlements had properly been established that the orcs began raiding the humans for their fish. Although the humans did receive aid from other settlements (the various human settlements were united under a single king), the orc raids caused much problems nonetheless. Although there was some level of understanding that the orcs were doing this as a matter of survival, human attempts to reason with the orcs and establish trade failed. It was not until the 800s when the dynamic finally changed.
Fegron Tribe: More aggressive towards humans compared to the Utjen tribe, after the South Orc Wars ended they became spear fishermen and raids on humans, while still existent, became less frequent. (see below)
Utjen Tribe: In the 800s the humans were able to appeal to the tribe leader, Galmer (one of the Ordosian orcs who did have human-level intelligence) to cease their raids on human settlements. So, an agreement was made: in exchange for a reasonable supply of fish to be provided on an agreed upon schedule, the Utjen would help protect the human settlements from raids by the Fegron tribe (who had rejected similar trade offers). After this agreement was made, the Fegron tribe declared war on the Utjen tribe. A series of battles between 832 and 838 became known as the "South Orc Wars" which ended with an Utjen victory. Although the orcs were very aggressive and considered surrender shameful, the Fegron tribe, in the end, used the reasoning that "no war worth fighting if cannot get food" and decided that the best way to end the war was to shift focus to trying fishing themselves. Though their nets were still problematic, they were able to become great spear fishers, using rivers as their source of food.
Until the arrival of the Colormen, the Southern Orc dynamic was fairly straightforward: the Utjen tribe was more amicable to humans, while the Fegron tribe was hostile. These two tribes relied on fish as primary sustenance, and would try and raid human settlements when their catch was low. Given the Utjen's alliance with humans, this made them enemies of the Fegron tribe.
The Fegron eventually decided that sometimes they would go north to hunt... but this put them at odds with the Northern Orcs, especially the Foglag tribe.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 28, 2018 13:21:41 GMT -5
The good news is I am making progress, however I do not feel satisfied yet (and its not done anyway)
Again- let me emphasize that this is draft phase; it is not complete. As soon as the development reaches a point where I feel that it is a more complete picture, I will let you know, and I ask that judgement be passed then
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 5, 2018 12:44:52 GMT -5
After thinking it over- I'm going to reduce the number of tribes from 8 to six; in hindsight 8 was an arbitrary number and should actually make fleshing them out easier
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 6, 2019 23:08:04 GMT -5
Updated Orc War timeline (draft phase)
early 1000s: there are six tribes of orcs on Ordos; plus hundreds more on Great Britain, the continent and beyond. With exception of a few tribes in Northern Africa, orcs are exclusive to Eurasian continent.
Early 1100s: Colormen become first humans to fight back effectively against the hostile orcs. Pre-existing agreements with Utjen and Foglag tribes allow for some success in terms of diplomatic resolutions, and overall hostility does go down
1180s: The rise of fiercely anti-human Tribal chiefs results in greater frequency of Orc raids on humans. Although the status quo of the island was specifically designed to benefit as many species as possible, including orcs, the chiefs felt the status quo "was very human-centric." Although true that humans (including the colormen) were behind the majority of inter-species agreements, the orcs failed to understand that the arrangements in place were for their benefit, not punishments (i.e. hunting restrictions to avoid population collapse and create more food over time)
1202: King of Ordos summons the six tribal chiefs. An open offer is extended to help their tribes and work to benefit both species. The Foglag tribe open the door for future talks and the Utjen say that they will consider the offer. The other tribes refuse and declare war on the humans; swear to turn Ordos into "land of Orcs"
1203: Orc raids on human settlements around Ordos increase in frequency; Colormen forced to step up defenses against Orc attacks. A human offensive against the orcs is stopped by Colormen intervention; a miscommunication resulted in the force nearly attacking the (relatively) friendly Foglag Tribe. The Colormen intervening to protect the Foglag tribe convinces the chief of the humans' sincerity, and they promise to help in holding off the Dennok tribe from now on.
Winter 1203: A particularly nasty winter freezes two rivers that serve as the primary Water supply for the Orcs. The hostile Orc tribes temporarily cease attacks on human settlements to fight with each other over water supply. The Utjen receive help from the humans, and decide that their offer of peace is worth accepting after all. In exchange, the humans help the Utjen in their fights with the Fegron tribe.
Spring 1204: the winter's end sees the rivers thaw; Dennock, Kelmet, Denwal and Fegron tribes resume attacks on humans.
1204-1275: Colormen research into Orcs. Beginning in 1204, research primarily includes observation to see how they function as a society, and autopsy of dead orcs to understand them biologically. Controversies disappear quickly when it is revealed Orcs do not practice ceremonial burial; they "leave the dead where they fell in battle" as outsiders observed. Because the Foglag and Utjen tribes only see dead bodies as "empty shells" (NOTE: Refer to Star Trek's klingons) they willingly allow the Colormen to have bodies for research.
1206- The Orc population on Ordos is now 75% what it was 1196, with most losses stemming from the Mountain tribes and Dennok tribe. Despite this, the hostile Orcs refuse to back down. Humans extend first major offer peace to these four tribes; tribes refuse and diplomats are attacked. Colormen intervention saved the ones that went to the Mountains from death, while a coordinated effort from the Foglag tribe and Colormen saved the ones in the north.
1207- Colormen receive word Orc tribes on Great Britain are attacking human settlements there; messengers arrive at Great Hall, pleading for help in the fight against the Orcs. Thirty Colormen sent to Great Britain to assist local magic factions to find a resolution. Their experiences with the Foglag and Utjen tribes give the Colormen hope that at least some orcs will respond to diplomacy, despite the popular perception among the "non-magic" population of humans
1208- Second major Peace offer to the four hostile tribes of Orcs; they refuse once again. In retaliation for what is seen as "softening up to humans" the Dennok tribe launches a devastating attack against the Foglag tribe. Although only about 1/5 of the Foglag are killed, their village is devastated. Fearing for the safety of the tribe's youth, the tribal leader goes to the Colormen for help. Desperate for a solution before the Dennok decide to try again, both parties agree to a long shot: the surviving Foglag would sail for the Scandinavian regions; rumors of friendlier human-orc relationships In Sweden entice the orcs to head in that direction. The five chartered ships leave Ordos in the dead of night to ensure the Dennok never learn the truth of their "disappearance" the next day.
1209- Orc Population 60% of what it was in 1196... the deaths of the chiefs and majority of the elders cause the remaining members of the two mountain tribes to merge into one Mountain tribe. Four tribes now exist on Ordos.
1210- Concluding a five year study of battle aftermaths- the Colormen notice a shocking trend- Orc youth of the hostile tribes are becoming more and more aggressive and taking part in battle as the tribes lose valuable warriors. In the Utjen tribe, although they are doing fairly well, increased pressure from Fegron attacks causes them to consider taking orc-youth in training and turning them into fully-fledged warriors sooner. Ultimately they decide not to.
1211- third major offer of peace; Once again, the three hostile tribes refuse.
1212- A smallpox outbreak causes the Orc population on Ordos to plummet; Dennok tribe collapses while Mountain tribe cuts off all contact with outside world to minimize losses. Death of the Utjen's chief causes his son to take over as leader. Refusing to allow his tribe's youth to succumb to the plague, he asks the Colormen for help in evacuating his tribe to safety. Although the prior evacuation of the Foglag tribe yielded no confirmation of the "Scandiavian Haven" they ultimately decide that no other options available. Luckily, because the outbreak had not yet reached the Southern part of Ordos, it was fairly easy to get the Utjen off the island before it was too late.
The collapse of the Dennok tribe and evacuation of the Utjen tribe leaves only two tribe of hostile orcs on Ordos: the Mountain tribe and Fegron tribe. Interestingly, evidence seems to indicate that more orcs died from disease during the war than in battle.
1213- A fourth major offer of peace is extended to the now two Ordosian Orc tribes; it is once again rejected. The remaining tribes believe in "proud warrior" philosophy and consider surrender to be "shameful" and that "battle must be seen through for our honor"
1215- A climactic, final battle ensues. The two remaining tribes fight their own fronts against the humans, determined to take over the islands' status quo. Colormen launch a counterattack, coordinating with the human non-magic forces to limit their impact on the island. In the final days, the surviving Orcs all retreat to the mountains, declaring that "we will receive Tokvork's blessing, and then take this island once and for all." The Colormen forego chasing them, instead assisting in the rebuilding of the damaged areas.
August 11, 1215- A great earthquake hits the island, causing an avalanche that wipes out the Mountain Orc encampments. The colormen are shocked by this outcome, but decide that they will still inspect the areas for survivors... none are found.
August 16, 1215- Outside the Great Hall, a relatively small gathering of 300 Orcs, including many children, gather. None have weapons or armor. Their appointed leader, Udsek, explains that the day before the earthquake, he received a vision that the actions of the hostile orc tribes had "angered their Gods" and punishment was due to come. He escorted those who believed him to an uninhabited plain where they remained for a few days. "The avalanche... came from Tokvork's fury" he declared. Though unsure of this, the Colormen still understood, and asked why they came. "Gods say we have done much damage to island... now we leave it as penance for actions" he replied. The Colormen understood, and arranged a third evacuation for the remaining Ordosian Orcs.
Although the non-magic humans celebrated the achievement of "forcing the orcs off our island" the Colormen ultimately decided that the Orc Wars would be remembered solemnly... not for the victorious outcome, but for what might have been...
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