http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ork#Ork_Culture http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Gork_and_Mork http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Orkoid_physiology 'ere, I had Orkcrates dig up sum lore fer ya
Just bought Evil Sunz with no previous Ork codex. So will review and let ya know as a fresh reader who doesn't know Orks past target practice humour.
Yeah... Orks are primarily presented as a backdrop to serve as fodder for the stories protagonists. I know in Helsreach for example they didn't even have lines, and every formidable seeming Ork was killed off almost immediately after being introduced. I'd love to at least see them presented as more interesting villians or even moreso that they get a proper lore novel of their own. Aren't the current one a graphic novel and a short story?
So how do you give Orks proper screen time without breaking out of the story if they aren't the focus? To me, Orks are hilarious, while marines dead serious. If those two shared a book equally, could you focus on both in a single chapter or would Ork humour break you out of the marine story?
Orks think very simplistically. Most of their language is a series of grunts, shouts, and physical violence. It is said that there's a group of orks who's language only has one word. WAAAGH!!! Means many things, but in a series 40k setting, it's hard to write descriptively of orks that doesn't turn into just expressing what they are doing. The reason is alway the same; to fight. Why invade? To fight! Why loot? To fight with stuff! Why collect skulls? To look good on me pointy stikk while ey'm fightin'! What I really want to know was the time when the orks first emerged as the Krok and directed by the Old Ones or 'Brain Boyz'. The WAAAGH!! Field could also be furthered explored. Maybe Gork and Mork are just the programed directives of the orks given form by ork imagination? Maybe if enough Orks believed the Emperor would be a good fight, they'd get him off that porto-potty? For Novel sake, you kind of need a foil for the Orkyness. Unless someone went the extra mile and wanted to write the adventures of Ghazghkull and Makari, Gorgutz, and Wazdakka Gutsmek!
I kept writing short stories about Orks for a while, and I've found that there's really room for an Ork-based novel with the Freebootaz. As mercenaries for hire, even by the Imperium, they can have a much more reasonable dialogue and motivation. They're still looking for a fight, but they're also looking to finish a job. A book about the Orks would also be something along the lines of a discworld book however. While the story progresses there's this twisted world logic that doesn't quite click with us but it keeps us enthralled as we follow these strange people along their quest.
Full list of Ork Lore books 'Ere We Go - 1991 Rogue Trader Ork Rule Book and Lore. Almost half of it's content has been retconned, so keep that in mind while reading it. Freebooterz: Space Ork Army Lists - 1991 Also another Rogue Trader Ork Rule Book containing lore. Gorkamorka - 1997 Contains lore and story following a bunch of orks in a 'Mad Max' style setting. Very cool and still has a small dedicated following even today. Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition) - 2000 Covers the 3rd War for Armageddon and contains extensive lore on orks from the perspective of orks. A lot of lore articles ... Codex: Orks lore content. (*2nd edition, *3rd edition, 4th edition, 7th edition) *Keep in mind the lore for orks has changed since 2nd edition significantly, although not obvious at first, it's significant in it's subtle differences. In recent years for some reason GW has decided to tone down the significance and importance of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka who held center stage for a good two decades and instead are focusing more on other warbosses. I'd assume for the singular purpose of expanding out orks to being more than just "default alien bad guys" which they were for the better part of Rogue Trader and 2nd edition. White Dwarf Articles The following issues of White Dwarf have extensive information about Orks, a focus on Orks or contain lore story segments related to orks from the perspective of orks. I personally have in my collection the White Dwarf issues from December 2000 to 2003. However I don't have them here, they are in storage at my parents house. Which means that for me to find any articles on ork lore (and there are a couple in those issues) I'll need to go though them myself as no information exists on the internet of White Dwarf issues from before 2005 and of those after half the issues contents are unlisted -edit- I've found a source! Updating accordingly! Unfortunately 3rd edition content is missing, luckily, I have the complete collection of 3rd edition White Dwarf! Equally, most lore on Orks prior to that period covering 2nd edition (1992 to 1998) is partially recorded on Lexicanum; Very little information from Rogue Trader days of White Dwarf on orks has survived to this day. Keep in mind that lexicanum's information is not 100% correct or accurate as there is a lot of missing content or typos on times and dates. The only possible way to find this information is to locate 1986 to 1993 articles of White Dwarf copies, a good place to start would be to contact Games Workshop's head office as they will have copies of these in their archives. -Rogue Trader- White Dwarf 43 to 98 (*various issues) - Thrud and Gobbledigook go Rogue Trading!: 1987 to 1988 *Some of these stories involve interactions with orks and gretchen, some of which take the perspective of the orks and gretchen, the exact issues where this occurs there is very little information on. White Dwarf 123 Basic Ork Army List for all 6 clans (contains lore) -RETCONNED- White Dwarf 152 Commisar Yarrik and Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka (contains lore) Other issues from Rogue Trader period (1987 to 1992) contain exerts of lore and previews of 'Ere We Go and Freebooterz so don't require listing. -2nd edition- White Dwarf 175 Snakebite Boarboyz (contains lore) -RETCONNED- ( ) White Dwarf 176 Ork Special Characters (contains lore) White Dwarf 179 Speed Freaks - Evil Sunz (contains lore) -4th edition- White Dwarf 317 - Enter the Cities of Death : June 2006 Waaagh! Nazdreg p.56-58 (Ork background for Medusa V campaign) White Dwarf 320 - Warhammer Fantasy 7th Edition : September 2006 Ork Town p.84-87 - (Ork Cities of Death Terrain featured) (contains lore) White Dwarf 321 - Waaagh! : October 2006 Jeff Wilhelm's Feral Orks (contains lore) -5th edition- White Dwarf 348 - Waaagh! : January 2009 (the 5th Edition Ork Codex Expansion) Waaagh!: Ork fiction and model article; Da Boyz Are Back In Town (contains lore article) Rolling Thunder: Battlewagon Kit by Andy Hall. (contains lore article) Clan Loyalties: Ork Clanz by Phil Kelly. Waaagh! Bork: Four Battle Reports by Phil Kelly. (contains lore article) Red Ones Go Fasta: Ork Vehicles - Battlewagon, Warbuggy, Trike, Skorcha, Wartrakk. (contains lore article) White Dwarf 349 - Ancient Power : February 2009 Boot Kamp: Ork Tactica (includes lore article) From 2010 to 2013 most ork related articles in White Dwarf were purely rules updates to account for the new editions of the game since orks did not have a new codex for a very long time. This included flyers and changes to vehicles. All the lore from these articles are currently in the latest codex and the supplementary codex Ghazghkull. 2014 articles covered SANCTUS REACH which are also the same lore repeated in the associated books to Sanctus Reach. Novels and Graphic Novels Blood and Thunder (comics) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Thunder_(comics) A series of comics of ork lore from back in the days of 5th edition, often overlooked because it was never published by Black Library, but by a 3rd party company. Plus it was the days of 5th edition, pretty sure a lot of people here were not paying attention to what was going on in Warhammer 40 000 in those years. It's interesting in that the story is actually told from the perspective of a captured imperial guardsman being kept by one of the orks as a pet for some reason. Iron Inferno, by C.L. Werner http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/iron-inferno.html A short story which turned out to be less than promised and pretty predictable, I'd say it's best to give it a miss, unless you're truly interested in reading every single story there is. There is very little dialog and most of it involves descriptions of situations. Deff Skwadron (graphic novel) Doesn't need an introduction or link, everyone knows about it, everyone loves it, it is legendary. I even own a copy. (To be honest, having a copy is more worth than the actual contents, because you can find it anywhere on the net, not much of a read but an extremely good laugh.) ENGINE OF MORK by Guy Haley A decent short story I'm told, since I haven't read it yet, I'll withhold comment; I'd assume it is a lot like Evil Sun Rising in the story telling and presentation department of the orks, since he after that went on to write it. The SANCTUS REACH Series for the massive ork campaign a year ago and all it's related materials and tie ins. As much as we wish it was "as big as" Armageddon was 15 years ago, unfortunately since Games Workshop stores went from being populated with 30+ people then to only around 5+ now, what was planned as a glorious return to global campaigns simply turned out to be just an enjoyable nestalgia trip for fans of orks and fans of killing orks, this time around, the Space Wolves. Still, we enjoyed it all the same, despite it not being as grand or awesome as it was in 2000. Anyway ... of the Sanctus Reach series, two books took the direct perspective of the orks. SANCTUS REACH: EVIL SUN RISING by Guy Haley Having read the short story, I'd have to say his take on the orks is actually too humanizing to a degree, to too much of a degree which won't appeal to a lot of die-hard orks fans, I think he gives them too much credit in the intelligence department, but you have to employ creative writing in some areas so you have an enjoyable novel to read for those who may not be ork fans, when all you have to work with is well, orks you have to take some creative licences into play. But, with that said, to stay to the lore he focuses instead on the orks you'd expect to be intelligent, such as nobs, bosses, oddboys and gretchen. I found it a rather enjoyable read; With a story that flows well and not terribly predictable, he paints a very enjoyable picture of the daily lives of orks and an insight of what they think about and how they behave when their not fighting. SANCTUS REACH: KLAW OF MORK By Guy Haley Another short story set in the same time frame as Evil Sun Rising involving the same band of orks. Expect the same as Evil Sun Rising, except a different story attached. This one was never published as a paper book and only available as an E-book I believe.
