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Beast Snagga Boy

2021-07-04T18:28:03Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{Stub}}

[[File:BeastSnaggaBoy01.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Orkish Sylvester Stallone. Be afraid, be ''very'' afraid.]]

The most common type of [[Beast Snagga]]. Beast Snagga Boys are a type of special [[Ork Boy]] belonging to the [[Beast Snagga]] subject.

While many Beast Snaggas go into battle aboard [[Squig#Squig-Hog|Squig-Hogz]], Beast Snagga boys prefer to fight on their own two feet. A lifetime of hunting dangerous beasts has made them larger and stronger than most Boyz, though they're still not as durable as a [[Nob]]. However, their strength makes them especially prone to [[That Guy|lording it]] over the Boyz they charge alongside.

[[Tl;dr]], they are for all intents and purposes, the Ork equivalent of the [[Catachan Jungle Fighters]]. We are not sure whether to [[Shitstorm|shit our pants in fear]] or [[/d/|cream our pants in awe.]]

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Orks]]

[[Category: Feral Orks]]

{{Orks-Forces}}

Hades (God)

2021-07-04T18:16:34Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Hades
|Symbol = [[File:Hades symbol.jpg|150px]] Black ram
|Aliases =
|Alignment = Lawful Evil
|Divine Rank =
|Pantheon = Greek
|Portfolio = The dead, the underworld
|Domains = '''5E:''' Death, Grave
|Home Plane = ''Hades, the Underworld'' ([[Hades]])
|Worshippers = Morticians, [[necromancer]]s, [[paladin]]s
|Servitors =
|Favoured Weapon =
}}
Hades is the Greek [[god]] of the underworld, and a member of the "big three" of the Greek pantheon; the other two being [[Zeus]] and [[Poseidon]], his younger brothers. His parents are, of course, [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea]]. Despite being the eldest, he was the last son to get spit out by Cronus, which is occasionally given as the reason he got the shittiest of the three realms- something he is eternally pretty angsty about.

Although arguably the weakest of the three, he is still far more powerful than the average god. His domain controlling all of the dead gives him immense sway over mortals, particularly those seeking to see or save loved ones. Many legends involving him pertain to mortals attempting to trespass his domain to bring souls back to the overworld, which pisses him off immensely. In the myths of antiquity, [[Necron|he is not usually portrayed as evil; he just wants people to get the fuck off his lawn.]] Funnily enough, out of all the Greek gods, Hades is one of the nicer deities! Among other things, he's described as a loving husband to Persephone (kidnapping aside, though apparently this was normal courtship behavior back then), a stern but fair ruler who's only a dick to [[That Guy|assholes that actually deserve it]], and he loves dogs. Seriously, Cerberus was derived from the Greek word "kerberos", translating to "spotted", meaning ''[[Dawww|he literally named his three-headed hellhound "Spot"!]]''

[[AD&D]]'s [[Deities & Demigods]] describes him as lawful evil, which is a fair take given that his version of courtship is [[Persephone|kidnapping.]] However, as mentioned above, the Greeks did not see him that way. They thought of Hades as a neutral, even altruistic god. For any aspiring [[GM]]'s wishing to use Hades in their setting, you should lean into the evil angle if you want him as an antagonist, or into the neutral angle if you want a more historically accurate take.

Worshippers of Hades include morticians, [[Clerics]], angsty [[Paladin]]s, Herse drivers, and [[Necromancer]]s.

<gallery>
File:Hades and Cerberus.jpg|Hades and his favorite pup
File:Hades p116.jpg|Hades on a peaceful walk in his realm
</gallery>

{{D&D-Historical-Deities}}

[[Category:Greek Mythology]]

Hades (God)

2021-07-04T18:16:10Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Hades
|Symbol = [[File:Hades symbol.jpg|150px]] Black ram
|Aliases =
|Alignment = Lawful Evil
|Divine Rank =
|Pantheon = Greek
|Portfolio = The dead, the underworld
|Domains = '''5E:''' Death, Grave
|Home Plane = ''Hades, the Underworld'' ([[Hades]])
|Worshippers = Morticians, [[necromancer]]s, [[paladin]]s
|Servitors =
|Favoured Weapon =
}}
Hades is the Greek [[god]] of the underworld, and a member of the "big three" of the Greek pantheon; the other two being [[Zeus]] and [[Poseidon]], his younger brothers. His parents are, of course, [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea]]. Despite being the eldest, he was the last son to get spit out by Cronus, which is occasionally given as the reason he got the shittiest of the three realms- something he is eternally pretty angsty about.

Although arguably the weakest of the three, he is still far more powerful than the average god. His domain controlling all of the dead gives him immense sway over mortals, particularly those seeking to see or save loved ones. Many legends involving him pertain to mortals attempting to trespass his domain to bring souls back to the overworld, which pisses him off immensely. In the myths of antiquity, [[Necron|he is not usually portrayed as evil; he just wants people to get the fuck off his lawn.]] Funnily enough, out of all the Greek gods, Hades is one of the nicer ones! Among other things, he's described as a loving husband to Persephone (kidnapping aside, though apparently this was normal courtship behavior back then), a stern but fair ruler who's only a dick to [[That Guy|assholes that actually deserve it]], and he loves dogs. Seriously, Cerberus was derived from the Greek word "kerberos", translating to "spotted", meaning ''[[Dawww|he literally named his three-headed hellhound "Spot"!]]''

[[AD&D]]'s [[Deities & Demigods]] describes him as lawful evil, which is a fair take given that his version of courtship is [[Persephone|kidnapping.]] However, as mentioned above, the Greeks did not see him that way. They thought of Hades as a neutral, even altruistic god. For any aspiring [[GM]]'s wishing to use Hades in their setting, you should lean into the evil angle if you want him as an antagonist, or into the neutral angle if you want a more historically accurate take.

Worshippers of Hades include morticians, [[Clerics]], angsty [[Paladin]]s, Herse drivers, and [[Necromancer]]s.

<gallery>
File:Hades and Cerberus.jpg|Hades and his favorite pup
File:Hades p116.jpg|Hades on a peaceful walk in his realm
</gallery>

{{D&D-Historical-Deities}}

[[Category:Greek Mythology]]

Hecate

2021-07-04T18:07:14Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Hecate
|Symbol = [[File:Hecate symbol.jpg|150px]] Setting moon
|Aliases = Dread Goddess of Night, Goddess of the Crossways, Goddess of the Dark of the Moon, Lady of the Night
|Alignment = '''2E/5E:''' Chaotic Evil '''3E:''' Neutral Evil
|Divine Rank = Intermediate Goddess
|Pantheon = Greek
|Portfolio = Abundance, magic, moon, undead
|Domains = '''3E:''' Creation, Evil, Knowledge, Magic '''5E:''' Arcana, Knowledge, Trickery
|Home Plane = ''Aeaea'' ([[Baator]])
|Worshippers = [[Assassin]]s, hunters, [[rogue]]s, [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcerer]]s, [[wizard]]s
|Favoured Weapon = Dagger
}}
{{dnd-stub}}
'''Hecate''' is the greek titan-goddess of the moon, magic, abundance, and the undead. She often appears as three-headed woman, surrounded by a pack of [[hellhound]]s.
<gallery>
File:Hecate p118.jpg
</gallery>
{{D&D-Historical-Deities}}

[[Category:Greek Mythology]]

Aphrodite

2021-07-04T18:03:14Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{dnd-stub}}
{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Aphrodite
|Symbol = [[File:Aphrodite Symbol.jpg|125px]]
|Aliases = Lady of Dawn
|Alignment = Chaotic Good
|Divine Rank = Intermediate Goddess
|Pantheon = Greek
|Portfolio = Beauty, love
|Domains = '''3E:''' Chaos, Charm, Good '''5E:''' Light
|Home Plane = ''Olympus'' ([[Arborea]])
|Worshippers = Artists, [[bard]]s, lovers, [[elves]]
|Favoured Weapon = Dagger
}}
'''Aphrodite''' is the Greco-Roman goddess of beauty and love. She is most relevant to /tg/ for appearing in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] and in [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]] as part of the Olympian pantheon to be worshipped by player characters and NPCs. As such, she appears as part of the [[Great Wheel]] and is an important NPC in [[Planescape]].

She is one of the many figures of Greek myth to influence modern language, providing the basis for the work of aphrodisiac, a substance that improves sexual performance. Claims of various natural substances being such tend to be dubious and/or placebo, but it’s a common enough claim and the existence of modern medicine capable of it means one really existing doesn’t stretch suspension of disbelief in the slightest, so it frequently appears as a property of fictional [[Drug]]s.

Historically, her exact Portfolio and nature have varied greatly. Spartans had a warrior's edge to her as a likely offshoot of [[Ishtar]]. The Athenians, despite having [[Athena]] being their patron deity (though she was never that womanly), had a subhuman view of women and considered Aphrodite's sphere of love to be a type of madness (lots of tragedies have many people die because of horniness) as opposed to [[Gay|truer brotherly love]]. While some Christian monks pushed her as a Celestial Virgin Mary, having a Portfolio over Divine Beauty and love rather than the more [[Slaanesh|earthly, hedonistic]] kind she was normally known for.
<gallery>
Aphrodite p104.jpg
</gallery>
{{D&D-Historical-Deities}}

[[Category:Greek Mythology]]

Wurrboy

2021-07-04T17:55:29Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Overview */

{{WTF}}
[[File:Wurrboy.JPG|240px|right|thumb|'''''AND FER MA NEXT ATTACK! YER'A SQUIG!''''']]
{{Topquote|Known as the Wurrboyz, these unsavoury characters channel Waaagh! energy in its most primal, animalistic form, unleashing roiling storms of psychic energy through their foes that leave them as little more than shrivelled husks, or worse…|Description by Warhammer Community.}}

Wurrboyz are a new type of [[Ork]] [[Weirdboy]] and these guys are the most hilarious shit ever put onto the tabletop (More can be read in the crunch). Unlike Weirdboyz, Wurrboyz are considered 'wild', which is one hell of a feat given the already extreme eccentricities of a Weirdboy.

==Overview==

While Weirdboyz are treated more like a living psychic bomb than a unit, Wurrboyz are treated more like pseudo-shamans within the [[Beast Snagga]] tribes. As such, these guys are granted a level of respect far above that of a regular Ork psyker, seen as divine oracles rather than dangerous ticking time bombs like the Weirdboyz.

If a [[Pigdok]] is considered the [[Feral Orks]]' equivalent of a [[Painboy]] and the [[Boiler Boy]]z are their equivalent of a [[Mekboy]], than a Wurrboy is the Feral Orks' version of a Weirdboy.

==Crunch==

Crunchwise, here is where the juicy ([[Lulz|And FUN!]]) rules come into play. Wurrboyz have the '''Eyez of Mork''' psychic attack which is your typical short-ranged (12") beam attack that is Assault 2, S6, AP-3 and deals D3 damage to a target. Pretty stock standard anti-MEQ and TEQ attack. What you want however, is their special and hilarious '''Squiggly Curse''' ability, which [[Troll|literally transforms your enemies into a bunch of]] [[Squig]]s. [[Lulz|Yes, you can literally go hocus-fucking-pocus on a 40k tabletop now!]] This ability has a warp charge value of 7 and any targeted enemy within 12" must roll one D6 for each model in that unit (Max 6 dice). If the result is a 4+, the unit suffers 1 mortal wound. If a unit is destroyed by this power, every enemy unit within 6" suffers 1 additional mortal wound as the [[Lulz|poor SOB transforms into a ball of mouths and legs.]]

{{Orks-Forces}}

Greasus Goldtooth

2021-07-04T10:07:52Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* History */

[[File:Warhammer Greasus Goldtooth.png|thumb|Lardass supreme.]]

Greasus Goldtooth - or, to give him his formal title, '''Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese''' - is the closest thing that the [[Ogre Kingdoms]] have to an overarching ruler. A big and powerful ogre, Greasus was destined for more because he had something few other ogres do: a brain big enough to consider things beyond bludgeoning to death whatever was at hand and then eating it.

His name is a reference and a pun, mixing "grease" with Croesus, the legendarily rich Lydian King who fought the Persian Empire.

==History==
After killing and eating his father Gofg, formerly infamous Tyrant of the Vale of Titans, he decided he wanted to be boss of all the other ogres around too. First, he buried one tribe that refused alive by starting an avalanch above their holdings when they were all inside for the Great Feast of Midwinter. Come the spring solstice, he approached the tribe of Gut Badmouth to challenge the Tyrant to a guts out pitfight for the tribe; cunning as always, Greasus let the much bigger and stronger Tyrant clamber down into the pit first, then bellyflopped onto him from the pit's lip and broke his neck. There was some dissent as to whether this was a "legit" win, but after he beat and ate three dissident Bruisers in a row, everyone else shut up and followed him.

Since then, Greasus has become the number one power in the Ogre Kingdoms, collecting tithes from all the kingdoms along the Silver Road (i.e. Fantasy Silk Road), so huge and rich that he no longer walks but is instead carried everywhere by grunting, straining gnoblars. He carries a big scepter that is also a super-club that grants him the strength of a sky-titan, and wears a magic crown that enhances his already-sharp intellect to near-human levels. Said crown was created by the best magic users and blacksmiths of the Empire, who were actually commissioned by Greasus to create such a relic.

==End Times==
When every volcano in the Mountains of Mourn decided to erupt, Greasus took the prudent route and decided a new ogre migration was needed. So he gathered every tribe and began the march westward. They didn’t get too far though, as the Ogre Kingdoms soon collided with Waaagh!Grimgor, and the two belligerents began the last Orc vs. Ogre war. Though Grimgor had the numbers, Greasus commanded the largest army of ogres the world had ever seen. The war drags on until Grimgor and Greasus meet on the battlefield, both wanting to test their strength against the others. They duel for hours, Greasus' club giving him the strength to match Grimgor blow for blow. At the end, Greasus disarms Grimgor and is about to win, but lets hubris get the best of him. Tossing his club aside, he tries to pick up Grimgor and squeeze the life out of him the way he did to the last black orc war boss he fought. Instead, Grimgor avoids him, picks up the scepter and smashes in his skull. With this, the magic wind of beasts flew into Grimgor, and the last of the loyal ogres abased themselves before Grimgor, the new greenskin and ogre collective being known as the Beast Waaagh.

[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Ogre Kingdoms]]

Ogre Kingdoms

2021-07-04T09:47:07Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Generic Characters */

[[File:F8eadd7a4470a5bc529656620e73680f.png|thumb|right|350px|A bunch of lards being dudes.]]
{{Topquote|The gluttons dig their own graves with their teeth.|James Howell}}
{{Topquote|Today the Orcs, tomorrow the world. Let them all tremble!|Greaseus Goldtooth’s speech at the Battle of the Fire Mouth, long-winded by Ogre standards}}
The '''Ogre Kingdoms''' are a faction in [[Warhammer Fantasy]], although it's really more of a geographical term than a political term, as Ogres in WFB aren't really "united" in any rational sense. In fact, they're spread out across the Warhammer World, some making up tribes that, in turn, make up the "kingdoms," whereas others serve as mercenaries for other factions (although there's not really an in-game way to represent this as of now).

Ogres used to live in the Warhammer World's equivalent to Mongolia, but they were driven away by the arrival of the [[Great Maw]], some sort of literal giant maw that stuck into the ground and makes Ogres really, really hungry. They began to move westwards, ending up in the massive [[Mountains of Mourn]] to the east of the [[Dark Lands]] (which, in turn, is east of the [[Old World]]). These would eventually become known as the Ogre Kingdoms, but Ogres are continuing to move west, working for some forces and invading (and eating) others.

==History==
===Pre-Chaos===
Way back in the early days of the world, the [[Old Ones (Warhammer)|Old Ones]] knew that [[Chaos]] was approaching and they feverishly worked to find a way to prevent it by engineering a race capable of fighting Daemons and winning. They created [[Lizardmen]] to aid them as servants, and set to work first creating an environment to place the race in to live up to its full potential, then study them and decide if they were a success. First they made the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|Elves]], who were too slow to reproduce and too frail to survive prolonged war. Then the [[Dwarfs]], who were incapable of using magic and too rigid in their culture to change fast enough to adapt to [[Daemon]] trickery. Then they created [[Humans]], who were too corruptible. At this point the Old Ones began panicking, and created a bunch of races (so everyone who isn't one of the main groups) all of which were flawed in one way or another (the [[Halflings]] of the Moot are in fact prototype Ogres). Finally, they produce the Ogres. At first they seemed to have all the desirable traits the old ones were looking for. They were as adaptable and fast breeding as man, able to survive all but the harshest of conditions, resistant to mutation, long lived, fairly intelligent, and they could eat just about anything. The Ogres were a half-finished race, though, as the old ones had yet to curb the creature's intense hunger. At this point, the [[Warp Gates]] collapsed preventing the Old Ones from distributing the ogres and using them as soldiers. As such, Ogres, despite being the race theoretically capable of fighting Chaos and winning, were left without the means or knowledge of how to do so. Also, ogres are huge, like, REALLY huge, so them being really hungry is a lot more of a problem than you'd think.

===Great Maw===
{{topquote|The feast is OVER! There's no more food! Go home and - wait, no put me down!!!!|Cathayan Emperor, finally sick of the Ogre's nearly eating his empire under the table|}}

Ogres initially lived in tribes, which wandered the steppes of Warhammer Mongolia following nomadic giant animals which they ate whole. This kept them happy for thousands of years. But as the numbers of the Ogres increased, their half-completed environment was unable to support them. They began attempting to cross the passes that lead to the other races of the world. Nearest them was the Humans of [[Cathay]], AKA Warhammer China. Ogres learned stone-age technology such as "fire" and "wheels" from the Cathayans, and for the first time tasted the meat of intelligent beings: and it was FUCKING DELICIOUS. The Emperor of Cathay, who was apparently an immortal dragon god, used his magic and the mages of his court to pull a mysterious creature from space down into the middle of the Ogre lands where it promptly pulled a Tunguska. Said impact reverberated through the world, with all races feeling the shock (Dwarfs everywhere carved Malachite murals of the event, menacing with spikes of Cat Bone. Elves wrote a sonnet about it, which is actually a metaphor for why Dwarfs are short. Humans made up a myth about a hero fucking the Earth God Ishneros bareback). The impact wiped out 2/3 of the Ogre race instantly, and the comet reached the molten core of the world. The land of the Ogres was destroyed, burned to a crisp and rendered mostly lifeless. The survivors of the Ogres believed that they had been punished by an angry god for their sins (what they think those sins were varies from group to group) and they came to worship the giant crater as the physical manifestation of their God. Somehow, this also caused an unnatural hunger for every Ogre that could not be sated. This came to be the basis for their ENTIRE culture, and also lead to the current "fatty boy" look of their race.
Natural selection came into play as the weak were eaten by the strong. The only Ogres that survived this dark era were absolute fucking badasses with skin that could stop cannonballs and muscles underneath that could crack said cannonballs (cannonball soup makes a great pre-cannon team barbeque dish by the way). With tribes consuming themselves into oblivion and survivors being fed on by larger tribes without end as Ogres could never feel satisfied, Ogres had to find new lands and new meats. Cathay was blocked by natural barriers, so westward they went, tribe by tribe.

An Ogre named Groth Onefinger stepped forth and lead his tribe to the site of impact of the comet. The areas surrounding the hole were dangerous enough to kill even the hardened Ogres, and those that survived found that the pit wasn't just a hole. It was a pit, surrounded by muscle and rimmed by teeth. It had no discernible end. It was alive and the dangers around it were simply its intake of breath and respiration. Since that day, Ogres no matter where in the world they were born return at some point in their lives to visit the Great Maw, and all Ogres worship it as their deity and adorn their crafts in images of it.

===War in the Sky===
The Ogres became the first race in the setting to cross the natural boundaries of the Old Ones. They carved their way through impassible mountains and ascended the heights, finding new beasts to eat. Ones that were just as capable of eating them, but regardless still new flesh. Ogres once again passed through a challenge that consumed the weakest of their race, strengthening the survivors and their descendants. In the frozen wastes, everything was capable of preying on Ogres, and tribes couldn't rest or take shelter without being consumed to the last. The Ogres that managed to reach the tops of the peaks found rolling hills of a more temperate climate, where enormous herds of succulent mammoths were tended by their cousins, the Skytitans. The Skytitans had a great civilization on top of what is now the Ancient Giant Lands, only descending the bottom when tending to their herds, and carved fortresses and artwork worthy of Elves and Dwarfs into the peaks. The Ogres initially preyed on the herd animals, which were powerful enough that an entire tribe was needed to kill one (and an entire tribe could find themselves feasting for a longer time than thought possible). The Skytitans didn't take kindly to the Ogre invasion of their lands, and fought a war to render the dwindled race extinct. The weapons of war and magics of the Skytitans slew most of the Ogre race in what came to be known as the War in the Sky, but in the end the dwindled Ogres still outnumbered the Skytitans hundreds to one and the isolated, singular lifestyle of the Skytitans prevented them from uniting, resulting in each Skytitan being besieged and eaten (often alive) in his own home by packs of vermin-like Ogres. Soon most of the race was consumed, the last of the Skytitans having become so large and hardened (as Skytitans grew larger and tougher as they aged) that they were indistinguishable from the mountains themselves, with small numbers of survivors banding together and setting sail on fortresses built on the tops of solidified clouds, but where they went and if they survived the journey is unknown. Some Skytitans fled to other lands on foot, most of them devolving and inbreeding into the current [[Giant|Giants]]: monsters that dwell the hills looking for battle and food (in that order), with no art or culture to speak of, and oftentimes goaded (often with large quantities of alcohol) to march alongside Beastmen, Greenskins, and Chaos devotees.

The victorious Ogres enslaved the Skytitan's children, consumed the mammoth herds of the Skytitans, destroyed their fortresses and covered up ancient carvings depicting the Old Ones and their wisdom with grease paintings (literally, paints made of grease and charcoal from cooking fires) depicting great meals eaten by Ogre tribes. The magical radiation that the Great Maw had sent into the atmosphere made the mountain tops dangerous, and with the depletion of most of the Skytitan's mammoth herds, most Ogres continued westward. Those that stayed turned feral, grew fur, and became Yeti (called "Yhete" in Warhammer).

===Modern Day===

The Ogres ascended the peaks of the Giants and found themselves in the Mountains of Mourn. Here, they found more animals than they had ever dreamed of. They found Dwarfs (who believe a mountain made of solid gold is found somewhere in the Mountains of Mourn, and thus keep attempting to invade), greenskins, [[Skaven]], and Humans. Ogres kept some Goblins as pets and bred (and ate) them, and within a few generations they wound up creating a new race of servile greenskins called [[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]].
Ogres managed to push the semi-intelligent beings who originally inhabited the Mountains of Mourn (called Dragon Ogres) entirely out, driving them north into the Chaos Wastes. They also drove out [[Beastmen]] who had begun to dwell in the lower peaks.

Ogres carved their own territory in these lands out, and Ogre tyrants became more permanent fixtures of tribal rule rather than simply "biggest loudest guy who was still alive in the morning". They fought off any threats that came to the Ogres, among them a Daemon invasion (leading some Ogres to develop a taste for them) and a giant living glacier that the Ogres battled during a particularly bad winter (allegedly alive anyway). When Orc slaves manage to escape the Chaos Dwarfs into the Mountains of Mourn, they fight with the Ogres for land and eventually find their ways into valleys beyond the notice of the Ogres where they begin to build their numbers. At one point Skaven attempt to invade the Ogres. The resulting battles almost lead to extinction among the Skaven, as the Ogres find their way into the tunnels and develop a taste for them.
The tribes expanded, and true diplomacy was born. Eventually some tribes discovered that there was greater gains to be had by being amicable to the smaller races than simply eating them outright, and Ogres spread throughout the world as mercenaries to be hired by anyone who had goods they could convince the Ogres had some value, and edible foes.

Ogres, by the nature of their creation, are resistant to the effects of the [[Warp]], and of magic. Despite this many ended up swearing themselves to Chaos for different reasons, be it the hedonistic encouragements of [[Slaanesh]], the encouragement for slaughter and trophy-taking by [[Khorne]], the similarity between themselves and the servants of [[Nurgle]] as well as the camaraderie of being part of a tribe that will never turn on itself (besides backstabbing the leader, but that's just par for the course), or the fact [[Tzeentch]] will either do the thinking for them so they can just focus on what they do best or give them spiffy mutations like extra mouths so they can eat even more. [[Warriors of Chaos]] make use of the Ogres as living siege weapons, while the Ogres make use of the Warriors as playthings and snacks.
But Ogres are a neutral race, just as likely to learn to read and write (at a very basic level) so they can peruse wanted posters in the Empire for bandits and vampires, all of which make lovely snacks with the bonus that the Ogre ends up with a decent amount of gold at the end with which he can purchase the clothes of an Empire nobleman (fitted about twenty sizes up) with which to dress himself so he can dine with polite society. Sometimes ON polite society if he's lucky enough to be challenged to a duel while there.
Still others sail the world, becoming pirates and devouring sea monster and crew (and ship) alike depending on who they cross paths with. Still others find employ amongst High Elves, being studied by mages of Saphery between battles against [[Dark Elves]].
Some wander [[Wood Elves|Athel Loren]], growing moss from their backs and their skin hardening like bark until they're indistinguishable from treekin themselves.
Other Ogres are even employed by said [[Dark Elves]], who were so impressed by their capacity for brutal violence they recruited Ogres instead of enslaving them.
Ogres today can be found amongst any group in the world, doing whatever they can, always eating, always looking for more. Sometimes individually, sometimes in groups.

===[[Age of Sigmar]]===
Now named "Ogors" (because copyright), they exist in the mortal realms as the [[Ogor Mawtribes]].

==Regions==
* '''Mountains of Mourn:''' Most Ogres are found in the Mountains of Mourn, considered their homeland. Those that wander or make their homes in other lands return, or send representatives, to tell their stories which usually results in some Ogres leaving the homeland and joining them. Sometimes this results in an entire tribe living outside the Mountains of Mourn, but inevitably they will seek contact again with their kin. This is the primary method through which they expand across the globe. The Mountains themselves change constantly, as they are constantly bathed in radiation from the Warp. Many dangerous animals wander the Mountains. To smaller races, these are dangerous beasts worthy of a small Crusade of [[Bretonnia|Bretonnian]] knights, or a party of High Elf White Lions of Chrace, or a hunting party of [[Vampire Counts|Strigoi and ghouls]]. To Ogres, it's either a single meal or a pet. The largest of them are at best mounts. The mountains themselves are full of caves and tunnels that lead to everything from portals to the Warp to Dwarf Fortresses, to greenskin WAAAGH!s in formation, and things ancient and unknowable beyond these; all of which are great sources of meals. Half the peaks are volcanic, half sub arctic. All bother Ogres as much as a bit of rain or sun. Mount Thug is notable in the range for actually being alive, and Ogres have a great deal of respect for those who escape being eaten or crushed by it as they scale its peaks to feed on the bloated animals that live in spaces Mount Thug can't reach. The Fire Mouth is an active volcano with periodic eruptions nearby the greatest concentrations of Ogres, and they believe it's the bastard offspring of the sun and the Great Maw. The Fire Bellies are a cult that worship this "god" which they believe is the wargod of the Ogre pantheon. Each Kingdom is ruled by a Tyrant, and his domain extends literally as far as he can see at his place of dwelling. Tyrants as such place a big deal of importance on thrones and hills. Tyrants that manage to gain control of important sites, like the passes that lead to the Great Maw or out to the western kingdoms face constant challenges from other Tyrants, and reap the rewards of demanding tribute (often food, sometimes a percentage of the Ogre pilgrims in the group as meat).

* '''Challenge Stone:''' A large stone found at the northernmost edge of the Mountains of Mourn and the southernmost edge of the Chaos Wastes. When held by the Warriors of Chaos, it is fought over and rededicated from one Chaos God to another. When held by Ogres, they fight to inscribe their tribe symbol on the stone for bragging rights the world over. The two races CONSTANTLY fight over the stone. Currently controlled by the Bloodmaw tribe.

* '''The World:''' Seriously. They're fucking everywhere.

==Tribes==
Ogre tribes are numerous, and constantly changing. Most are named for a notable Ogre in them, or a characteristic common to members. Ogres are not the kind to trace lineages or politics outside their own generation, and as such tribes are a mark of the present rather than past or future (some tribes do manage to defy this, existing across multiple generations. This is a rarity). Tribes change locations, even within it's Tyrant's own kingdom, constantly. Memories of the coming of the Great Maw still exist, and it's within the imagination of Ogres that it could happen again one day. As such, Ogres are mostly nomadic and their possessions are few and easily packed. The most valuable thing to an Ogre is his tribe's Mawtooth, a single great tooth and flag which at gatherings of their kind is arranged with others in a circle, making an effigy of their god.

* '''Goldtooth''' A tribe lasting across multiple generations, known to be the wealthiest. Currently led by Greasus Goldtooth(that's Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Gatecrasher Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese to you, peasant!). Known for elaborate displays of wealth, like feeding other tribes and blinging out their gutplates. Goldtooths are known for having a large number of Ironguts, and are the most feared tribe.
<gallery> Image:Goldtooth Tribe.jpg|Goldtooth symbol. </gallery>

* '''Thunderguts''' Known for rampaging through the lands of the Old World and taking over towns or taking hostages, then demanding food as payment. They usually end up either demanding more and more, or eating their hostages. Greenskins and Empire humans alike fear them greatly.
<gallery> Image:Thunderguts Tribe.jpg|Thunderguts symbol. </gallery>

* '''Crossed Clubs''' Known for producing more Maneater mercenaries than other tribes. Also for lying constantly about everything they do, making up tall tales of glory. Each veteran (veterans themselves being a rarity amongst Ogres) wears gear obtained in their travels and proudly displays trophies earned, making them a rather motley crew of clashing colors and gearschemes (obviously the tribe designed for the greenstuff addict in mind).
<gallery> Image:Crossed Clubs.jpg|Crossed Clubs symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Sons of the Mountain''' Living on one of the tallest and coldest peaks in the Mountains of Mourn, the Sons of the Mountain tribe are wealthy from trading the meat, pelts, and ivory of creatures that live only in their home. Many Yhete are found amongst them, and the Ogres of the Sons of the Mountain paint themselves entirely in white paint and dwell amongst the beasts they hunt directly.
<gallery> Image:Sons of the Mountain.jpg|Sons of the Mountain symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Feastmasters''' Known a generation ago for producing high quality meals (for a portion of the feast), the current Tyrant Blaut Feastmaster captured Halflings from the Moot in his travels. To this day, Halflings fill the role for Feastmasters that Gnoblars fulfill for most tribes. As a result, the Feastmaster cooking has improved greatly.
<gallery> Image:Feastmaster.jpg|Feastmaster symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Rock Skulls''' The toughest tribe of Ogres, who are known best for the skill of breaking boulders with their heads (apparently a big deal among Ogres). They're also known for being fairly unintelligent. When Skarsnik the Goblin waged his great wars against the Dwarfs, he brought the entire Rock Skull tribe with him as support. In negotiations with the Goblins for what they were willing to pay for the support of the tribe, he convinced the Rock Skulls to instead pay HIM for them to fight.
<gallery> Image:Rock Skulls.jpg|Rock Skulls symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Blood Guzzlers''' Inhabit the areas of the Mountains of Mourn known to host more giant spiders than anywhere else in the world. That's...pretty much it. They eat spiders.
<gallery> Image:Blood Guzzlers.jpg|Blood Guzzlers symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Ironskins''' Physically powerful Ogres that wear black gutplates. Known for taking massive numbers of captives, and not eating them, they trade freely with the [[Chaos Dwarfs]], and their Tyrant rides a mechanical mount given to him to provide better ties between the two groups.
<gallery> Image:Ironskin.jpg|Ironskin symbol. </gallery>

* '''Lazarghs''' The single oldest tribe, descended from Groth Onefinger himself. Live closest to the ancient Giant lands, most have mutated in various (non-Chaos) ways and cover themselves with cloaks. Their teeth fall out often, leading them to simply jab black jagged rocks directly into their gums, horrifying even the toughest, most scarred Ogres. They carry bells, and hang them to mark the pass to the Great Maw.
<gallery> Image:Lazarghs.jpg|Lazargh symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Mountaineaters''' Recently, an Ogre named Bauldig Mountaineater conquered every challenge Ogres had to offer him. Climbed Mount Thug, fought every beast, and destroyed Bigstride Peak by burrowing in and eating the heart of that mountain. A tribe of fanboys and groupies gathered to him, each eating rocks and dwelling in caves. The only meat they eat comes from subterranean races like goblins, Dwarfs, and Skaven.
<gallery> Image:The Mountaineaters.jpg|Mountaineater symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Eyebiters''' A clan that controls a series of desolate passes leading to and from many of the Ogre lands. They demand large tributes from any who pass through, and raid all settlements and hunt all monsters within their range. The Tyrant of the Eyebiters has fathered more children to grow into adulthood than any Ogre.
<gallery> Image:The Eyebiters.jpg|Eyebiters symbol. </gallery>

==Army==

===Characters===
* '''[[Greasus Goldtooth]]:''' The current Overtyrant of the Ogres in the Mountain of Mourn. Gained leadership of his tribe after killing and eating his own father in a pit fight.

* '''Golgfag Maneater:''' The greatest Ogre mercenary alive, and the one all others are named after. He earned renown fighting against the Dwarves in the World Edge Mountains, eating, fighting and robbing his way into notoriety. At first fighting against the dwarves of Karak Kadrin, then for them after pissing off his Orc employer by drinking all the booze, then robbing the Dwarf King blind, '''after they paid him'''. Golgfag got locked up by those same dwarves later. He impressed Ungrim Ironfist by eating everyone else in the dungeon but his oldest friend(who still lost a leg). Ungrim wept that such a majestic creature was being imprisoned and ordered his release. His rap sheet includes: looting on Ulthuan, being decorated by Karl Franz, coining the Ogre slang word for Knights as "Tinned Food", making and losing countless fortunes, and downing more of the dwarves most prized beer then most of them have even seen. He's so famous that his title of Maneater has become the word for all Ogre Mercenaries. Golgfag got the title after eating his human paymaster and making off with the gold chests. Despite the name he'll eat anything like any other Ogre, though he especially likes halfling. Golgfag leads the renowned and rather imaginatively named mercenary band "Golgfag's Maneaters".

* '''Bragg The Gutsman:''' Traveling bruiser and executioner. As a young Ogre Bragg found he had a talent for killing shit, naturally knowing where to swing for the best results. Bragg was a fairly average brusier until he forged his signature weapon "Great Gutgouger" from the magical axes of a Black Orc Warboss he killed, which increased his killing ability tenfold. What made him infamous however was his discovery that he could cut around other Ogre's gutplates disemboweling them. Ogres are scared shitless of him because of this, since Ogres' guts are sacred to them and Ogre anatomy means its a long, nearly irreversible and agonizing death as their guts unravel after being disemboweled. Bragg realized he had a good thing going, and left his tribe to go solo, taking his one man murder show on the road seeking battle. He is welcomed by all tribes to fight alongside them thanks to his killing ability, but feared and hated as he inevitably cuts someone from that same tribe open for challenging him, at which point he gets kicked out. Bragg isn't bothered one bit, happily leaving to do it all over again somewhere else. He can't become a Tyrant since no Ogres are willing to follow him thanks to his grim reputation, even if he kills the old one. He wears a black hood like some human executioners, figuring if he's got a fierce reputation, might as well make the most of it.

* '''Skrag the Slaughterer:''' The Great Prophet of the Great Maw. Viciously attached to his back is a giant pot, which he fills with enemies AS HE FIGHTS. What he misses is grabbed by Gnoblars in service directly to him (ranking them above even common Ogres) and put into the pot. He was the head Slaughtermaster of the Rockgrinder tribe. He angered the Tyrant by cooking their favorite Gnoblar and serving it to him at a feast. In retribution the Tyrant hacked off and ate both of Skrag's hands, had his pot chained to his body, then cast him into tunnels even Ogres feared. He immediately impaled his former cooking tools into his stumps, and set forth. Long forgotten Gorgers attacked him, and they found themselves hacked up and in his pot. After dicing up their leader, the Gorgers followed him as if members of a tribe he leads. He found himself reaching the surface through a cavern none of the Gorgers had ever seen before. He and his followers set upon the tribe, killing and feasting on them all. Upon putting the finishing touches on a lovely dish made entirely out of the former Tyrant, his wounds sans his missing hands healed and his pot and cooking implements were strengthened with the magic of the Great Maw. Now a tribeless Ogre, Skrag wanders the lands of the Ogres joining in battles whenever he can. Welcomed by all, he not only turns the tide of battle but also prepares and cooks the resulting corpses with great skill.

===Generic Characters===
* '''Tyrant:''' The head of an Ogre tribe. Rules by virtue of his ability to defeat challengers, and reputation. Anyone can challenge the Tyrant for his position in a fight without gutplates where the loser is eaten alive. These fights are the most common form of entertainment for Ogres. Tyrants have the best gear, the most names, and most children of any Ogre in a given tribe.

* '''Bruisers:''' The subordinates of the Tyrants, and oftentimes future Tyrants come from their ranks. They can do anything they want so long as it doesn't offend the Tyrant or their fellow Bruisers. Like the Tyrant, Bruisers can be challenged to one on one combat. The winner eats the loser, and attains the rank of Bruiser.

* '''Slaughtermaster/Butcher:''' The priesthood of the Ogres, Butchers handle all meat considered the property of the Tyrant, Bruisers, or the whole tribe. Considered a direct line between the Great Maw and the common Ogre, Butchers enjoy a position equal to Tyrants but entirely separate. Tyrants take great care not to offend Butchers lest the tribe abandon him fearing a comet crashing down atop their heads. Butchers are known to kill any Ogres who offend them to feed to the group, or to randomly take body parts from the tribe for flavoring. They carry holy implements, all of which aid in cooking or preparing, at all times. They are larger than any other Ogre in any given group, getting the best choice of meat and consuming it (being a direct link between the tribe and the Great Maw). Butchers do not wear gutplates as a declaration of faith that the Great Maw has got their <s>backs</s> guts. Any Ogre child with a gift for magic, or is seen blessed in some way, is taken by a Butcher and fed a copious amount of meat. As he grows, he is fed things that are poisonous and inedible even to ogres to strengthen his gut (based on the real-life practice called mithridatism - ingesting poisons to develop a resistance or immunity to them) things to make his gut ever stronger to hold the essence of the Great Maw. Most Butchers learn the Gut Magic of the Ogres, being things related to their culture like strengthening the skin of Ogres, tenderizing the meat of (still living) enemies, and causing the earth to swallow foes alive as sacrifice "appetizers". Others learn other magic Lores, all in their belief related to the Great Maw (Lore of Heavens=the comet, Lore of Death=consumption from the Great Maw, and so on). Slaughtermasters are simply the leaders amongst the Butchers.

* '''Hunters:''' Lone Ogres who take the role of a WoW huntard. Usually tribeless, they wander through the mountains and wild in search of beasts to prey upon. Sometimes they’ll even take some of them alive and bring them back to some other tribe as a gift to the Tyrant. A feast will be held in the Hunter’s honor where he will tell stories about his adventures before quietly vanishing back into the wilderness.

* '''Firebellies:''' Strange religious fanatics that worship a volcano called the Fire Mouth. There are three tests. The first is to eat super-hot chili (powerful enough that it's implied to be a laxative, a substitute for boiling oil or both) and keep it down. Then they have to track down and eat a giant firebug that lives in volcanoes. The final test to join the cult is to be dipped into the caldera of the Fire Mouth, eat a mouthful of magma and come out alive. Though, on the upside, those who survive can breathe fire, use fire magic and are almost immune to heat.

===Core===
* '''Ogre Bulls:''' The basic Ogre that lacks any particular rank. Ogres are (repeatedly) described as having a bully mentality by GW (oh the irony). If they want it, they try to take it. If you aren't respecting them enough, or it's been too long since they reminded you WHO gets the respect, they rough you up. The only way to stop them is to prove you're better than them, at which point they'll likely back the fuck off and suck up to you as the new boss (this behavior is reminiscent of Orks in 40k, however Orks tend to naturally follow the biggest whereas Ogres are likely to see "biggest" as a challenge to their own masculinity and attempt to EAT the biggest Ogre, and become the biggest themselves). Generally speaking, most Ogres are dumb as rocks and it takes an extraordinary Ogre to learn lessons. Those that do invariably reach some degree of old age, and probably aren't in this category for long.

* '''Ironguts:''' Ironguts are the basic Ogre, but with armor. They tend to be a bit tougher than their fellows as a means of natural selection, since Ogres squabble amongst each other for gear, so the Ogre who manages to KEEP his equipment is one that can't be challenged by un-armored Ogres for it. The types of equipment varies; for some Ogres, it's the tools from a farm the Ogres consumed (livestock, crops, AND family. Probably the house and their little dog too) bent and tied as weapons and the shield and flattened helmets of the local town guard tied to their limbs for armor. For others, it's a well crated suit of Gromril armor from the Dwarfs who the Ogre has served as a mercenary. Some Ironguts have evolved natural armor, like Ogres who have lived for so long in Nehekhara that the sand has been worn directly into their skin, compacting as they flex until it's almost like they have stone skin. Bruisers and Tyrants have some say as to who is an Irongut and who isn't, as divvying up the spoils of war usually falls to them (if they're giving out any at all). Like Silver Helms for High Elves and Black Orcs for greenskins, Ironguts are the Ogre variety to which most of the race looks to as exemplary of their kind.

* '''[[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]]:''' Small greenskins that evolved to their current state when Ogres moved from the mountains of the Giants to the Mountains of Mourn. Gnoblars have the place of being the singularly most mistreated beings in either Warhammer setting, as Ogres see them somewhere between vermin like insects that are simply a fact of life to deal with, or very low and undepletable slaves. Sometimes as food if there's nothing better around, although some Gnoblars wind up in the position of "favorite hunting dog" as long as the Ogre can remember them. Meanwhile, Gnoblars see Ogres as a mix of living gods and eternal masters. They differ from Goblins in that they are much smaller, and while Goblins have pronounced noses the face of a Gnoblar is mostly nose. This gives them a beak appearance, making them resemble a Jim Henson Muppet character.

===Special===
* '''Leadbelchers:''' Ogres who carry around field cannons as hand weapons, which they will shove just about every jagged object into and hit people with in close quarters. They are typically seen as rather unhinged by their fellow Ogres, which usually means that they get to be good for a bit of fun. Their cannons also look suspiciously like Imperial and dwarven cannons. If these guys don't have at least one scar, such as missing eyes, burnt skin, disfigured faces, etc., they're doing it wrong.

* '''Maneaters:''' If this was D&D these guys would be an ogre adventurer. They can take a variety of special rules and special gear, and make themselves look like the corresponding region they've been working in, such as stabbing feathers into their skull like State Troopers without the headgear, or jabbing sharp rocks into their gums to emulate vampires.

* '''Sabretusk Pack:''' Sabre tooth tigers, but wolves, great for hunting war machines. Though with LD 4 they will run from anything. Standard use is to get a single one and run it into the nearest cannon - If someone focuses it out, they've severely wasted some shots that could've gone to cutting down Ogres.

* '''Yhetees:''' The Ogres frozen, mutant, hillbilly cousins. Got all magical attacks, not really good for much else though. Their models also look even more like deranged chimpanzees than the old Gutter Runner models.

* '''Mournfang Cavalry:''' Ogres on the backs of smaller woolly mammoths (as in "as small as a trebutchet"), great for causing mayhem to your opponents troops. Known for being one of the only things that can scare Chaos Knights.

* '''Gorgers:''' Albino baby ogres sent to die in caves, but these ones survived by eating whatever they can find down there: such as rats, roaches, rocks [[Grimdark|and each other]]. Also known for being pretty useless on the tabletop... But then again, what do you expect from a emaciated albino loser?

===Rare===
* '''Gnoblar Scraplaunchers:''' Sometimes, a group of Gnoblars get together to fight alone - Most of the times, that will be in huge rabbles of mutant Goblins below even slave status, which won't do much other than piss off a unit of Chaos Warriors, but once in a while, they'll get together, find a woolly rhino and strap a chariot to it, on which a catapult is placed. Unfortunately, Gnoblars can only get to the smallest of objects, as Ogres take all the rest, so it's mostly scrap and stuff they throw about with it... Fortunately, there's a lot of scrap in an Ogre camp.

* '''Ironblasters:''' Same chariot, same rhino, but with an Ogre on top, alongside a fucking big cannon, taken from the Skyholds of the Giants back in the day. As such, these cannons are sorta held as relics in the individual tribes, as much as an inedible thing can be to Ogres. Also known for being ''the'' cannon in the game that can move AND shoot. I'll say it again. Move. And. Shoot. Can also charge and kill stuff as a chariot. Truly, Ogre Kingdoms is the superior WFB faction.

* '''Slave Giants:''' Said people the Ogres stole the cannons from. Also made them into inbred animals and reduced them to sub-tribal wandering monsters. Also still use them for battle, because fuck them, right? Basically the same as any other Giant in any other faction, but here, they are enslaved by the race that destroyed their civilization ''unknowingly'', because Ogres never really kept history like that. Ogres are dicks like that.

* '''Stonehorns:''' A mammoth/rhino hybrid with stone bones, and the attitude of a fucking pissed bull in a china shop. Have so great an urge to headbutt any living thing they see that only the youngest of the race have any skin on their forehead, which leads to them looking like Skeletor, if Skeletor was made of stone. They eat minerals and meat, so gemstones protrude from their bones like freckles from skin. For some fucking reason, Ogre Hunters use them as mounts, which really doesn't make sense, as the fucking thing can't stand straight unless it's headbutting the ground it's standing on; also begs the question of how they reproduce since they're so belligerent a Stonehorn of either gender would be too busy head-butting to actually mate. Probably the male has to headbutt the female until she's too tired to fight him then mate with her.

* '''Thundertusks:''' Legends are told about the legendary thundertusk "Fridge" who acompanied a band of ogres through the Empire and coined the term "Fridgereted" for frozen chunks of meat that will keep fresh throughout the winter. Less volatile than the Stonehorn, Thundertusks are used as combined fridge, walking meat and watchtowers, with one or two Ogres sitting on top with ranged weaponry like throwing spears, harpoon launchers held like crossbows and fucking sabertooth-jaws fitted on chains, so the Ogre in question can make the enemy come over to him. Thundertusks are naturally freezy, and makes its surroundings colder by being there. This is quite useful for freezing less tough creatures down, so the Ogres can catch them before they slit their bellies. They even have a frost-breath-like attack for further freezing. Shame it looks like a retarded mandrill fused with a mammoth, but without the trunk. One might find oneself asking how the Thundertusk eats when it has so many tusks and the like in the way. The answer? Well...I don't have one, but hopefully there is one out there somewhere. Edit: Apparently it's a combination of skill, a long and dexterous tongue, and using their tusks to flip the meat of slain prey into the air and directly into their gaping maws.

==Total Warhammer==
Ogre Mercenaries are going to be recruitable for all factions after getting their FLC through Total War Access, with individual locations that they can be recruited from randomly appearing around areas where conflicts and battles occur, as is frankly logical for mercenaries. These mercenary units include thicc dual-wielding ogres, thicc Maneaters wielding a weapon and a "pistol", and extra thicc Mournfang Cavalry. This is certainly just a taste (heh) of the Ogres before the full Ogre Kingdoms factions release as DLC for [[Total War: Warhammer|Total Warhammer]] 3, which really wasn't that all surprising given the Ogre Kingdoms were always a full faction in WFB while the iffier sorts of Kislev and Cathay were confirmed for 3's release factions instead.

==Misc Fluff==
* Ogres don't have priests. Butchers and cooks are their holy men. The only interest Ogres have in the faiths of others is in traditions related to eating. This can be awkward when, in the company of a group of Sigmarites for example, the Ogre bodyguard keeps commenting on how he can't wait for someone to die for the funeral feast (even more awkward when he thinks that eating the body of the deceased is part of it).
* Most Ogres wear a piece of armor over their stomach, a gutplate. Gutplates are sort of the equivalent of full plate armor for Ogres, as their most important organs are all hidden behind the large race-wide paunch they have. Helmets and shoulderpads are secondary as anything big enough to pierce an ogre's head and shoulders with weapons would likely ignore the armor anyway. Plus, given their fixation on eating and the god they worship, their guts are considered sacred.
* In older lore, Tyrants love their favorite weapons. An Ogre touching the Tyrant's weapon, who wasn't the Tyrant himself, was punished by being force-fed their own hands.
* Ogres enjoy pitfighting, and use it to settle disputes. The winner is allowed to eat part of the loser, ranging from an appendage (such as a nose) to an entire limb. If Ogres remove their gutplates in a pit fight, that means it's a fight to the death where the winner will eat the loser in front of the crowd.
* Ogres are known to collect names. Their first name is usually a guttural sound made by the mother or father upon seeing the infant, the last being their tribe. But anything they choose to add to their name from their life experiences is attached as well. Sometimes these names are less than complimentary words Ogres don't understand like "debased" or "unscrupulous" or "acrid". The result can be interesting ("Gulk 'Scampered Engorged Beareater Bling Topsyturvy Gelatinous' Goldtooth" for example). These names literally strengthen the Ogres on the tabletop, counting as upgrades that came from the experiences they had (also a bit of Orkish "clap your hands if you believe, and it will happen" style magic).
* Ogre Biology is weird. For one their gut isn't actually filled with fat, but rows upon rows of muscle, which lets them crunch up anything inside with ease. Their skin is also extremely thick (literally) which also hints that they likely don't have any feeling in them, allowing them to do cringe-worthy levels of stuff to their outer hides (like piercing them with hooks) that other saner races would rarely do.
** Between cultural/religious and biological reasons, being disemboweled is considered the worst possible way to die for ogres; Ogres only die when all their guts finish pouring out of the stomach wound, and ogres have ''lots and lots and lots'' of intestines, so it's a slow, irreversible, and incredibly painful process. Even watching another ogre get disemboweled can cause a reaction similar to men watching another man getting his balls slowly crushed. Gutplates prevent this (for the most part), so Gut Up, young bull!

==Crunch==
Ogres are a low pop army with lots of fun rules. They're fairly strong right now, so they're increasingly popular. Despite this, most new players don't know much about Ogre Kingdoms fluff so by doing your research you can easily gain some 'ham cred.
Ogres on the charge hit like artillery blasts. Ogres can upgrade their standard bearers to have Gnoblars in a makeshit crows nest on top of them, allowing all characters and the champion in the unit to get "Look Out Sir" benefits. In addition, Ogres get a few nifty weapons no other army gets.

NOTE: Some of the models below are conversions, but there are official GW models among them. Can you guess which is which?

<gallery>
Image:Araby Ogre.png|Araby Ogre
Image:1.jpg|Beastmen Ogre
Image:Bretonnian Ogre.png|Bretonnian Ogre
Image:Cathay Ogre.png|Cathay Ogre
Image:Dark Elf Ogre.jpg|Dark Elf Ogre
Image:Dwarf Ogre.png|Dwarf Ogre
Image:Chaos Dwarf Ogre.jpg|Chaos Dwarf Ogre
Image:9.jpg|High Elf Ogre
Image:Lizardmen Ogre.jpg|Lizardmen Ogre
Image:Nippon Ogre.jpg|Nippon Ogre
Image:Orcs and Goblins Ogre.jpg|Orcs & Goblins Ogre
Image:Skaven Ogre.jpg|Skaven Ogre
Image:Empire Ogre.jpg|Empire Ogre
Image:Tomb Kings Ogre.png|Tomb Kings Ogre
Image:Vampire Counts Ogre.jpg|Vampire Counts Ogre
Image:Warriors of Chaos Ogre.jpg|Warriors of Chaos Ogre
Image:Wood Elves Ogre.jpg|Wood Elves Ogre
Image:Ninja Ogre.png|Ninja Ogre
Image:Pirate Ogre.png|Pirate Ogre
Image:Female Ogre.png|Crossdressing Ogre
Image:8039787889_96ed2c0f29_k.jpg|ogre Slaan
7180203363 d2bffd50f0 k.jpg|lustrian standard
7176858107 e68eecf828 o.jpg|lustrian bulls
7180207541 159c1f51e1 k.jpg|lustrian bruiser
7362010446_d8e5ba564e_o.jpg|lustrian thundertusk
8815390127 6f698fd585 o.jpg|lustrian "sabretusk"
10800351164 e09f18840b o.jpg|lustrian hunter
Bullunit.jpg|orc bulls
DSC03006.JPG|Cathay
Leadbelcherwip011.jpg|orc leadbelchers
Assdffe.jpg|tzeentch bull
Lizardmen2.jpg|lizardmen leadbelcher
Skaven2.jpg|skaven
</gallery>

==See Also==
* [[Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms|Ogre Kingdoms tactica]]
* [[Ogryn]]
* [[Ogor Mawtribes]]

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer Fantasy Battle}}

{{Regions and areas of the Old World}}
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Ogre Kingdoms]]

Ogre Kingdoms

2021-07-04T09:25:47Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Regions */

[[File:F8eadd7a4470a5bc529656620e73680f.png|thumb|right|350px|A bunch of lards being dudes.]]
{{Topquote|The gluttons dig their own graves with their teeth.|James Howell}}
{{Topquote|Today the Orcs, tomorrow the world. Let them all tremble!|Greaseus Goldtooth’s speech at the Battle of the Fire Mouth, long-winded by Ogre standards}}
The '''Ogre Kingdoms''' are a faction in [[Warhammer Fantasy]], although it's really more of a geographical term than a political term, as Ogres in WFB aren't really "united" in any rational sense. In fact, they're spread out across the Warhammer World, some making up tribes that, in turn, make up the "kingdoms," whereas others serve as mercenaries for other factions (although there's not really an in-game way to represent this as of now).

Ogres used to live in the Warhammer World's equivalent to Mongolia, but they were driven away by the arrival of the [[Great Maw]], some sort of literal giant maw that stuck into the ground and makes Ogres really, really hungry. They began to move westwards, ending up in the massive [[Mountains of Mourn]] to the east of the [[Dark Lands]] (which, in turn, is east of the [[Old World]]). These would eventually become known as the Ogre Kingdoms, but Ogres are continuing to move west, working for some forces and invading (and eating) others.

==History==
===Pre-Chaos===
Way back in the early days of the world, the [[Old Ones (Warhammer)|Old Ones]] knew that [[Chaos]] was approaching and they feverishly worked to find a way to prevent it by engineering a race capable of fighting Daemons and winning. They created [[Lizardmen]] to aid them as servants, and set to work first creating an environment to place the race in to live up to its full potential, then study them and decide if they were a success. First they made the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|Elves]], who were too slow to reproduce and too frail to survive prolonged war. Then the [[Dwarfs]], who were incapable of using magic and too rigid in their culture to change fast enough to adapt to [[Daemon]] trickery. Then they created [[Humans]], who were too corruptible. At this point the Old Ones began panicking, and created a bunch of races (so everyone who isn't one of the main groups) all of which were flawed in one way or another (the [[Halflings]] of the Moot are in fact prototype Ogres). Finally, they produce the Ogres. At first they seemed to have all the desirable traits the old ones were looking for. They were as adaptable and fast breeding as man, able to survive all but the harshest of conditions, resistant to mutation, long lived, fairly intelligent, and they could eat just about anything. The Ogres were a half-finished race, though, as the old ones had yet to curb the creature's intense hunger. At this point, the [[Warp Gates]] collapsed preventing the Old Ones from distributing the ogres and using them as soldiers. As such, Ogres, despite being the race theoretically capable of fighting Chaos and winning, were left without the means or knowledge of how to do so. Also, ogres are huge, like, REALLY huge, so them being really hungry is a lot more of a problem than you'd think.

===Great Maw===
{{topquote|The feast is OVER! There's no more food! Go home and - wait, no put me down!!!!|Cathayan Emperor, finally sick of the Ogre's nearly eating his empire under the table|}}

Ogres initially lived in tribes, which wandered the steppes of Warhammer Mongolia following nomadic giant animals which they ate whole. This kept them happy for thousands of years. But as the numbers of the Ogres increased, their half-completed environment was unable to support them. They began attempting to cross the passes that lead to the other races of the world. Nearest them was the Humans of [[Cathay]], AKA Warhammer China. Ogres learned stone-age technology such as "fire" and "wheels" from the Cathayans, and for the first time tasted the meat of intelligent beings: and it was FUCKING DELICIOUS. The Emperor of Cathay, who was apparently an immortal dragon god, used his magic and the mages of his court to pull a mysterious creature from space down into the middle of the Ogre lands where it promptly pulled a Tunguska. Said impact reverberated through the world, with all races feeling the shock (Dwarfs everywhere carved Malachite murals of the event, menacing with spikes of Cat Bone. Elves wrote a sonnet about it, which is actually a metaphor for why Dwarfs are short. Humans made up a myth about a hero fucking the Earth God Ishneros bareback). The impact wiped out 2/3 of the Ogre race instantly, and the comet reached the molten core of the world. The land of the Ogres was destroyed, burned to a crisp and rendered mostly lifeless. The survivors of the Ogres believed that they had been punished by an angry god for their sins (what they think those sins were varies from group to group) and they came to worship the giant crater as the physical manifestation of their God. Somehow, this also caused an unnatural hunger for every Ogre that could not be sated. This came to be the basis for their ENTIRE culture, and also lead to the current "fatty boy" look of their race.
Natural selection came into play as the weak were eaten by the strong. The only Ogres that survived this dark era were absolute fucking badasses with skin that could stop cannonballs and muscles underneath that could crack said cannonballs (cannonball soup makes a great pre-cannon team barbeque dish by the way). With tribes consuming themselves into oblivion and survivors being fed on by larger tribes without end as Ogres could never feel satisfied, Ogres had to find new lands and new meats. Cathay was blocked by natural barriers, so westward they went, tribe by tribe.

An Ogre named Groth Onefinger stepped forth and lead his tribe to the site of impact of the comet. The areas surrounding the hole were dangerous enough to kill even the hardened Ogres, and those that survived found that the pit wasn't just a hole. It was a pit, surrounded by muscle and rimmed by teeth. It had no discernible end. It was alive and the dangers around it were simply its intake of breath and respiration. Since that day, Ogres no matter where in the world they were born return at some point in their lives to visit the Great Maw, and all Ogres worship it as their deity and adorn their crafts in images of it.

===War in the Sky===
The Ogres became the first race in the setting to cross the natural boundaries of the Old Ones. They carved their way through impassible mountains and ascended the heights, finding new beasts to eat. Ones that were just as capable of eating them, but regardless still new flesh. Ogres once again passed through a challenge that consumed the weakest of their race, strengthening the survivors and their descendants. In the frozen wastes, everything was capable of preying on Ogres, and tribes couldn't rest or take shelter without being consumed to the last. The Ogres that managed to reach the tops of the peaks found rolling hills of a more temperate climate, where enormous herds of succulent mammoths were tended by their cousins, the Skytitans. The Skytitans had a great civilization on top of what is now the Ancient Giant Lands, only descending the bottom when tending to their herds, and carved fortresses and artwork worthy of Elves and Dwarfs into the peaks. The Ogres initially preyed on the herd animals, which were powerful enough that an entire tribe was needed to kill one (and an entire tribe could find themselves feasting for a longer time than thought possible). The Skytitans didn't take kindly to the Ogre invasion of their lands, and fought a war to render the dwindled race extinct. The weapons of war and magics of the Skytitans slew most of the Ogre race in what came to be known as the War in the Sky, but in the end the dwindled Ogres still outnumbered the Skytitans hundreds to one and the isolated, singular lifestyle of the Skytitans prevented them from uniting, resulting in each Skytitan being besieged and eaten (often alive) in his own home by packs of vermin-like Ogres. Soon most of the race was consumed, the last of the Skytitans having become so large and hardened (as Skytitans grew larger and tougher as they aged) that they were indistinguishable from the mountains themselves, with small numbers of survivors banding together and setting sail on fortresses built on the tops of solidified clouds, but where they went and if they survived the journey is unknown. Some Skytitans fled to other lands on foot, most of them devolving and inbreeding into the current [[Giant|Giants]]: monsters that dwell the hills looking for battle and food (in that order), with no art or culture to speak of, and oftentimes goaded (often with large quantities of alcohol) to march alongside Beastmen, Greenskins, and Chaos devotees.

The victorious Ogres enslaved the Skytitan's children, consumed the mammoth herds of the Skytitans, destroyed their fortresses and covered up ancient carvings depicting the Old Ones and their wisdom with grease paintings (literally, paints made of grease and charcoal from cooking fires) depicting great meals eaten by Ogre tribes. The magical radiation that the Great Maw had sent into the atmosphere made the mountain tops dangerous, and with the depletion of most of the Skytitan's mammoth herds, most Ogres continued westward. Those that stayed turned feral, grew fur, and became Yeti (called "Yhete" in Warhammer).

===Modern Day===

The Ogres ascended the peaks of the Giants and found themselves in the Mountains of Mourn. Here, they found more animals than they had ever dreamed of. They found Dwarfs (who believe a mountain made of solid gold is found somewhere in the Mountains of Mourn, and thus keep attempting to invade), greenskins, [[Skaven]], and Humans. Ogres kept some Goblins as pets and bred (and ate) them, and within a few generations they wound up creating a new race of servile greenskins called [[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]].
Ogres managed to push the semi-intelligent beings who originally inhabited the Mountains of Mourn (called Dragon Ogres) entirely out, driving them north into the Chaos Wastes. They also drove out [[Beastmen]] who had begun to dwell in the lower peaks.

Ogres carved their own territory in these lands out, and Ogre tyrants became more permanent fixtures of tribal rule rather than simply "biggest loudest guy who was still alive in the morning". They fought off any threats that came to the Ogres, among them a Daemon invasion (leading some Ogres to develop a taste for them) and a giant living glacier that the Ogres battled during a particularly bad winter (allegedly alive anyway). When Orc slaves manage to escape the Chaos Dwarfs into the Mountains of Mourn, they fight with the Ogres for land and eventually find their ways into valleys beyond the notice of the Ogres where they begin to build their numbers. At one point Skaven attempt to invade the Ogres. The resulting battles almost lead to extinction among the Skaven, as the Ogres find their way into the tunnels and develop a taste for them.
The tribes expanded, and true diplomacy was born. Eventually some tribes discovered that there was greater gains to be had by being amicable to the smaller races than simply eating them outright, and Ogres spread throughout the world as mercenaries to be hired by anyone who had goods they could convince the Ogres had some value, and edible foes.

Ogres, by the nature of their creation, are resistant to the effects of the [[Warp]], and of magic. Despite this many ended up swearing themselves to Chaos for different reasons, be it the hedonistic encouragements of [[Slaanesh]], the encouragement for slaughter and trophy-taking by [[Khorne]], the similarity between themselves and the servants of [[Nurgle]] as well as the camaraderie of being part of a tribe that will never turn on itself (besides backstabbing the leader, but that's just par for the course), or the fact [[Tzeentch]] will either do the thinking for them so they can just focus on what they do best or give them spiffy mutations like extra mouths so they can eat even more. [[Warriors of Chaos]] make use of the Ogres as living siege weapons, while the Ogres make use of the Warriors as playthings and snacks.
But Ogres are a neutral race, just as likely to learn to read and write (at a very basic level) so they can peruse wanted posters in the Empire for bandits and vampires, all of which make lovely snacks with the bonus that the Ogre ends up with a decent amount of gold at the end with which he can purchase the clothes of an Empire nobleman (fitted about twenty sizes up) with which to dress himself so he can dine with polite society. Sometimes ON polite society if he's lucky enough to be challenged to a duel while there.
Still others sail the world, becoming pirates and devouring sea monster and crew (and ship) alike depending on who they cross paths with. Still others find employ amongst High Elves, being studied by mages of Saphery between battles against [[Dark Elves]].
Some wander [[Wood Elves|Athel Loren]], growing moss from their backs and their skin hardening like bark until they're indistinguishable from treekin themselves.
Other Ogres are even employed by said [[Dark Elves]], who were so impressed by their capacity for brutal violence they recruited Ogres instead of enslaving them.
Ogres today can be found amongst any group in the world, doing whatever they can, always eating, always looking for more. Sometimes individually, sometimes in groups.

===[[Age of Sigmar]]===
Now named "Ogors" (because copyright), they exist in the mortal realms as the [[Ogor Mawtribes]].

==Regions==
* '''Mountains of Mourn:''' Most Ogres are found in the Mountains of Mourn, considered their homeland. Those that wander or make their homes in other lands return, or send representatives, to tell their stories which usually results in some Ogres leaving the homeland and joining them. Sometimes this results in an entire tribe living outside the Mountains of Mourn, but inevitably they will seek contact again with their kin. This is the primary method through which they expand across the globe. The Mountains themselves change constantly, as they are constantly bathed in radiation from the Warp. Many dangerous animals wander the Mountains. To smaller races, these are dangerous beasts worthy of a small Crusade of [[Bretonnia|Bretonnian]] knights, or a party of High Elf White Lions of Chrace, or a hunting party of [[Vampire Counts|Strigoi and ghouls]]. To Ogres, it's either a single meal or a pet. The largest of them are at best mounts. The mountains themselves are full of caves and tunnels that lead to everything from portals to the Warp to Dwarf Fortresses, to greenskin WAAAGH!s in formation, and things ancient and unknowable beyond these; all of which are great sources of meals. Half the peaks are volcanic, half sub arctic. All bother Ogres as much as a bit of rain or sun. Mount Thug is notable in the range for actually being alive, and Ogres have a great deal of respect for those who escape being eaten or crushed by it as they scale its peaks to feed on the bloated animals that live in spaces Mount Thug can't reach. The Fire Mouth is an active volcano with periodic eruptions nearby the greatest concentrations of Ogres, and they believe it's the bastard offspring of the sun and the Great Maw. The Fire Bellies are a cult that worship this "god" which they believe is the wargod of the Ogre pantheon. Each Kingdom is ruled by a Tyrant, and his domain extends literally as far as he can see at his place of dwelling. Tyrants as such place a big deal of importance on thrones and hills. Tyrants that manage to gain control of important sites, like the passes that lead to the Great Maw or out to the western kingdoms face constant challenges from other Tyrants, and reap the rewards of demanding tribute (often food, sometimes a percentage of the Ogre pilgrims in the group as meat).

* '''Challenge Stone:''' A large stone found at the northernmost edge of the Mountains of Mourn and the southernmost edge of the Chaos Wastes. When held by the Warriors of Chaos, it is fought over and rededicated from one Chaos God to another. When held by Ogres, they fight to inscribe their tribe symbol on the stone for bragging rights the world over. The two races CONSTANTLY fight over the stone. Currently controlled by the Bloodmaw tribe.

* '''The World:''' Seriously. They're fucking everywhere.

==Tribes==
Ogre tribes are numerous, and constantly changing. Most are named for a notable Ogre in them, or a characteristic common to members. Ogres are not the kind to trace lineages or politics outside their own generation, and as such tribes are a mark of the present rather than past or future (some tribes do manage to defy this, existing across multiple generations. This is a rarity). Tribes change locations, even within it's Tyrant's own kingdom, constantly. Memories of the coming of the Great Maw still exist, and it's within the imagination of Ogres that it could happen again one day. As such, Ogres are mostly nomadic and their possessions are few and easily packed. The most valuable thing to an Ogre is his tribe's Mawtooth, a single great tooth and flag which at gatherings of their kind is arranged with others in a circle, making an effigy of their god.

* '''Goldtooth''' A tribe lasting across multiple generations, known to be the wealthiest. Currently led by Greasus Goldtooth(that's Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Gatecrasher Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese to you, peasant!). Known for elaborate displays of wealth, like feeding other tribes and blinging out their gutplates. Goldtooths are known for having a large number of Ironguts, and are the most feared tribe.
<gallery> Image:Goldtooth Tribe.jpg|Goldtooth symbol. </gallery>

* '''Thunderguts''' Known for rampaging through the lands of the Old World and taking over towns or taking hostages, then demanding food as payment. They usually end up either demanding more and more, or eating their hostages. Greenskins and Empire humans alike fear them greatly.
<gallery> Image:Thunderguts Tribe.jpg|Thunderguts symbol. </gallery>

* '''Crossed Clubs''' Known for producing more Maneater mercenaries than other tribes. Also for lying constantly about everything they do, making up tall tales of glory. Each veteran (veterans themselves being a rarity amongst Ogres) wears gear obtained in their travels and proudly displays trophies earned, making them a rather motley crew of clashing colors and gearschemes (obviously the tribe designed for the greenstuff addict in mind).
<gallery> Image:Crossed Clubs.jpg|Crossed Clubs symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Sons of the Mountain''' Living on one of the tallest and coldest peaks in the Mountains of Mourn, the Sons of the Mountain tribe are wealthy from trading the meat, pelts, and ivory of creatures that live only in their home. Many Yhete are found amongst them, and the Ogres of the Sons of the Mountain paint themselves entirely in white paint and dwell amongst the beasts they hunt directly.
<gallery> Image:Sons of the Mountain.jpg|Sons of the Mountain symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Feastmasters''' Known a generation ago for producing high quality meals (for a portion of the feast), the current Tyrant Blaut Feastmaster captured Halflings from the Moot in his travels. To this day, Halflings fill the role for Feastmasters that Gnoblars fulfill for most tribes. As a result, the Feastmaster cooking has improved greatly.
<gallery> Image:Feastmaster.jpg|Feastmaster symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Rock Skulls''' The toughest tribe of Ogres, who are known best for the skill of breaking boulders with their heads (apparently a big deal among Ogres). They're also known for being fairly unintelligent. When Skarsnik the Goblin waged his great wars against the Dwarfs, he brought the entire Rock Skull tribe with him as support. In negotiations with the Goblins for what they were willing to pay for the support of the tribe, he convinced the Rock Skulls to instead pay HIM for them to fight.
<gallery> Image:Rock Skulls.jpg|Rock Skulls symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Blood Guzzlers''' Inhabit the areas of the Mountains of Mourn known to host more giant spiders than anywhere else in the world. That's...pretty much it. They eat spiders.
<gallery> Image:Blood Guzzlers.jpg|Blood Guzzlers symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Ironskins''' Physically powerful Ogres that wear black gutplates. Known for taking massive numbers of captives, and not eating them, they trade freely with the [[Chaos Dwarfs]], and their Tyrant rides a mechanical mount given to him to provide better ties between the two groups.
<gallery> Image:Ironskin.jpg|Ironskin symbol. </gallery>

* '''Lazarghs''' The single oldest tribe, descended from Groth Onefinger himself. Live closest to the ancient Giant lands, most have mutated in various (non-Chaos) ways and cover themselves with cloaks. Their teeth fall out often, leading them to simply jab black jagged rocks directly into their gums, horrifying even the toughest, most scarred Ogres. They carry bells, and hang them to mark the pass to the Great Maw.
<gallery> Image:Lazarghs.jpg|Lazargh symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Mountaineaters''' Recently, an Ogre named Bauldig Mountaineater conquered every challenge Ogres had to offer him. Climbed Mount Thug, fought every beast, and destroyed Bigstride Peak by burrowing in and eating the heart of that mountain. A tribe of fanboys and groupies gathered to him, each eating rocks and dwelling in caves. The only meat they eat comes from subterranean races like goblins, Dwarfs, and Skaven.
<gallery> Image:The Mountaineaters.jpg|Mountaineater symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Eyebiters''' A clan that controls a series of desolate passes leading to and from many of the Ogre lands. They demand large tributes from any who pass through, and raid all settlements and hunt all monsters within their range. The Tyrant of the Eyebiters has fathered more children to grow into adulthood than any Ogre.
<gallery> Image:The Eyebiters.jpg|Eyebiters symbol. </gallery>

==Army==

===Characters===
* '''[[Greasus Goldtooth]]:''' The current Overtyrant of the Ogres in the Mountain of Mourn. Gained leadership of his tribe after killing and eating his own father in a pit fight.

* '''Golgfag Maneater:''' The greatest Ogre mercenary alive, and the one all others are named after. He earned renown fighting against the Dwarves in the World Edge Mountains, eating, fighting and robbing his way into notoriety. At first fighting against the dwarves of Karak Kadrin, then for them after pissing off his Orc employer by drinking all the booze, then robbing the Dwarf King blind, '''after they paid him'''. Golgfag got locked up by those same dwarves later. He impressed Ungrim Ironfist by eating everyone else in the dungeon but his oldest friend(who still lost a leg). Ungrim wept that such a majestic creature was being imprisoned and ordered his release. His rap sheet includes: looting on Ulthuan, being decorated by Karl Franz, coining the Ogre slang word for Knights as "Tinned Food", making and losing countless fortunes, and downing more of the dwarves most prized beer then most of them have even seen. He's so famous that his title of Maneater has become the word for all Ogre Mercenaries. Golgfag got the title after eating his human paymaster and making off with the gold chests. Despite the name he'll eat anything like any other Ogre, though he especially likes halfling. Golgfag leads the renowned and rather imaginatively named mercenary band "Golgfag's Maneaters".

* '''Bragg The Gutsman:''' Traveling bruiser and executioner. As a young Ogre Bragg found he had a talent for killing shit, naturally knowing where to swing for the best results. Bragg was a fairly average brusier until he forged his signature weapon "Great Gutgouger" from the magical axes of a Black Orc Warboss he killed, which increased his killing ability tenfold. What made him infamous however was his discovery that he could cut around other Ogre's gutplates disemboweling them. Ogres are scared shitless of him because of this, since Ogres' guts are sacred to them and Ogre anatomy means its a long, nearly irreversible and agonizing death as their guts unravel after being disemboweled. Bragg realized he had a good thing going, and left his tribe to go solo, taking his one man murder show on the road seeking battle. He is welcomed by all tribes to fight alongside them thanks to his killing ability, but feared and hated as he inevitably cuts someone from that same tribe open for challenging him, at which point he gets kicked out. Bragg isn't bothered one bit, happily leaving to do it all over again somewhere else. He can't become a Tyrant since no Ogres are willing to follow him thanks to his grim reputation, even if he kills the old one. He wears a black hood like some human executioners, figuring if he's got a fierce reputation, might as well make the most of it.

* '''Skrag the Slaughterer:''' The Great Prophet of the Great Maw. Viciously attached to his back is a giant pot, which he fills with enemies AS HE FIGHTS. What he misses is grabbed by Gnoblars in service directly to him (ranking them above even common Ogres) and put into the pot. He was the head Slaughtermaster of the Rockgrinder tribe. He angered the Tyrant by cooking their favorite Gnoblar and serving it to him at a feast. In retribution the Tyrant hacked off and ate both of Skrag's hands, had his pot chained to his body, then cast him into tunnels even Ogres feared. He immediately impaled his former cooking tools into his stumps, and set forth. Long forgotten Gorgers attacked him, and they found themselves hacked up and in his pot. After dicing up their leader, the Gorgers followed him as if members of a tribe he leads. He found himself reaching the surface through a cavern none of the Gorgers had ever seen before. He and his followers set upon the tribe, killing and feasting on them all. Upon putting the finishing touches on a lovely dish made entirely out of the former Tyrant, his wounds sans his missing hands healed and his pot and cooking implements were strengthened with the magic of the Great Maw. Now a tribeless Ogre, Skrag wanders the lands of the Ogres joining in battles whenever he can. Welcomed by all, he not only turns the tide of battle but also prepares and cooks the resulting corpses with great skill.

===Generic Characters===
* '''Tyrant:''' The head of an Ogre tribe. Rules by virtue of his ability to defeat challengers, and reputation. Anyone can challenge the Tyrant for his position in a fight without gutplates where the loser is eaten alive. These fights are the most common form of entertainment for Ogres. Tyrants have the best gear, the most names, and most children of any Ogre in a given tribe.

* '''Bruisers:''' The subordinates of the Tyrants, and oftentimes future Tyrants come from their ranks. They can do anything they want so long as it doesn't offend the Tyrant or their fellow Bruisers. Like the Tyrant, Bruisers can be challenged to one on one combat. The winner eats the loser, and attains the rank of Bruiser.

* '''Slaughtermaster/Butcher:''' The priesthood of the Ogres, Butchers handle all meat considered the property of the Tyrant, Bruisers, or the whole tribe. Considered a direct line between the Great Maw and the common Ogre, Butchers enjoy a position equal to Tyrants but entirely separate. Tyrants take great care not to offend Butchers lest the tribe abandon him fearing a comet crashing down atop their heads. Butchers are known to kill any Ogres who offend them to feed to the group, or to randomly take body parts from the tribe for flavoring. They carry holy implements, all of which aid in cooking or preparing, at all times. They are larger than any other Ogre in any given group, getting the best choice of meat and consuming it (being a direct link between the tribe and the Great Maw). Butchers do not wear gutplates as a declaration of faith that the Great Maw has got their <s>backs</s> guts. Any Ogre child with a gift for magic, or is seen blessed in some way, is taken by a Butcher and fed a copious amount of meat. As he grows, he is fed things that are poisonous and inedible even to ogres to strengthen his gut (based on the real-life practice called mithridatism - ingesting poisons to develop a resistance or immunity to them) things to make his gut ever stronger to hold the essence of the Great Maw. Most Butchers learn the Gut Magic of the Ogres, being things related to their culture like strengthening the skin of Ogres, tenderizing the meat of (still living) enemies, and causing the earth to swallow foes alive as sacrifice "appetizers". Others learn other magic Lores, all in their belief related to the Great Maw (Lore of Heavens=the comet, Lore of Death=consumption from the Great Maw, and so on). Slaughtermasters are simply the leaders amongst the Butchers.

* '''Hunters:''' Lone Ogres who take the role of a WoW huntard. Usually tribeless, they wander through the mountains and wild in search of beasts to prey upon. Sometimes they’ll even take some of them alive and bring them back to some other tribe as a gift to the Tyrant. A feast will be held in the Hunter’s honor where he will tell stories about his adventuress before quietly vanishing back into the wilderness.

* '''Firebellies:''' Strange religious fanatics that worship a volcano called the Fire Mouth. There are three tests. The first is to eat super-hot chili (powerful enough that it's implied to be a laxative, a substitute for boiling oil or both) and keep it down. Then they have to track down and eat a giant firebug that lives in volcanoes. The final test to join the cult is to be dipped into the caldera of the Fire Mouth, eat a mouthful of magma and come out alive. Though, on the upside, those who survive can breathe fire, use fire magic and are almost immune to heat.

===Core===
* '''Ogre Bulls:''' The basic Ogre that lacks any particular rank. Ogres are (repeatedly) described as having a bully mentality by GW (oh the irony). If they want it, they try to take it. If you aren't respecting them enough, or it's been too long since they reminded you WHO gets the respect, they rough you up. The only way to stop them is to prove you're better than them, at which point they'll likely back the fuck off and suck up to you as the new boss (this behavior is reminiscent of Orks in 40k, however Orks tend to naturally follow the biggest whereas Ogres are likely to see "biggest" as a challenge to their own masculinity and attempt to EAT the biggest Ogre, and become the biggest themselves). Generally speaking, most Ogres are dumb as rocks and it takes an extraordinary Ogre to learn lessons. Those that do invariably reach some degree of old age, and probably aren't in this category for long.

* '''Ironguts:''' Ironguts are the basic Ogre, but with armor. They tend to be a bit tougher than their fellows as a means of natural selection, since Ogres squabble amongst each other for gear, so the Ogre who manages to KEEP his equipment is one that can't be challenged by un-armored Ogres for it. The types of equipment varies; for some Ogres, it's the tools from a farm the Ogres consumed (livestock, crops, AND family. Probably the house and their little dog too) bent and tied as weapons and the shield and flattened helmets of the local town guard tied to their limbs for armor. For others, it's a well crated suit of Gromril armor from the Dwarfs who the Ogre has served as a mercenary. Some Ironguts have evolved natural armor, like Ogres who have lived for so long in Nehekhara that the sand has been worn directly into their skin, compacting as they flex until it's almost like they have stone skin. Bruisers and Tyrants have some say as to who is an Irongut and who isn't, as divvying up the spoils of war usually falls to them (if they're giving out any at all). Like Silver Helms for High Elves and Black Orcs for greenskins, Ironguts are the Ogre variety to which most of the race looks to as exemplary of their kind.

* '''[[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]]:''' Small greenskins that evolved to their current state when Ogres moved from the mountains of the Giants to the Mountains of Mourn. Gnoblars have the place of being the singularly most mistreated beings in either Warhammer setting, as Ogres see them somewhere between vermin like insects that are simply a fact of life to deal with, or very low and undepletable slaves. Sometimes as food if there's nothing better around, although some Gnoblars wind up in the position of "favorite hunting dog" as long as the Ogre can remember them. Meanwhile, Gnoblars see Ogres as a mix of living gods and eternal masters. They differ from Goblins in that they are much smaller, and while Goblins have pronounced noses the face of a Gnoblar is mostly nose. This gives them a beak appearance, making them resemble a Jim Henson Muppet character.

===Special===
* '''Leadbelchers:''' Ogres who carry around field cannons as hand weapons, which they will shove just about every jagged object into and hit people with in close quarters. They are typically seen as rather unhinged by their fellow Ogres, which usually means that they get to be good for a bit of fun. Their cannons also look suspiciously like Imperial and dwarven cannons. If these guys don't have at least one scar, such as missing eyes, burnt skin, disfigured faces, etc., they're doing it wrong.

* '''Maneaters:''' If this was D&D these guys would be an ogre adventurer. They can take a variety of special rules and special gear, and make themselves look like the corresponding region they've been working in, such as stabbing feathers into their skull like State Troopers without the headgear, or jabbing sharp rocks into their gums to emulate vampires.

* '''Sabretusk Pack:''' Sabre tooth tigers, but wolves, great for hunting war machines. Though with LD 4 they will run from anything. Standard use is to get a single one and run it into the nearest cannon - If someone focuses it out, they've severely wasted some shots that could've gone to cutting down Ogres.

* '''Yhetees:''' The Ogres frozen, mutant, hillbilly cousins. Got all magical attacks, not really good for much else though. Their models also look even more like deranged chimpanzees than the old Gutter Runner models.

* '''Mournfang Cavalry:''' Ogres on the backs of smaller woolly mammoths (as in "as small as a trebutchet"), great for causing mayhem to your opponents troops. Known for being one of the only things that can scare Chaos Knights.

* '''Gorgers:''' Albino baby ogres sent to die in caves, but these ones survived by eating whatever they can find down there: such as rats, roaches, rocks [[Grimdark|and each other]]. Also known for being pretty useless on the tabletop... But then again, what do you expect from a emaciated albino loser?

===Rare===
* '''Gnoblar Scraplaunchers:''' Sometimes, a group of Gnoblars get together to fight alone - Most of the times, that will be in huge rabbles of mutant Goblins below even slave status, which won't do much other than piss off a unit of Chaos Warriors, but once in a while, they'll get together, find a woolly rhino and strap a chariot to it, on which a catapult is placed. Unfortunately, Gnoblars can only get to the smallest of objects, as Ogres take all the rest, so it's mostly scrap and stuff they throw about with it... Fortunately, there's a lot of scrap in an Ogre camp.

* '''Ironblasters:''' Same chariot, same rhino, but with an Ogre on top, alongside a fucking big cannon, taken from the Skyholds of the Giants back in the day. As such, these cannons are sorta held as relics in the individual tribes, as much as an inedible thing can be to Ogres. Also known for being ''the'' cannon in the game that can move AND shoot. I'll say it again. Move. And. Shoot. Can also charge and kill stuff as a chariot. Truly, Ogre Kingdoms is the superior WFB faction.

* '''Slave Giants:''' Said people the Ogres stole the cannons from. Also made them into inbred animals and reduced them to sub-tribal wandering monsters. Also still use them for battle, because fuck them, right? Basically the same as any other Giant in any other faction, but here, they are enslaved by the race that destroyed their civilization ''unknowingly'', because Ogres never really kept history like that. Ogres are dicks like that.

* '''Stonehorns:''' A mammoth/rhino hybrid with stone bones, and the attitude of a fucking pissed bull in a china shop. Have so great an urge to headbutt any living thing they see that only the youngest of the race have any skin on their forehead, which leads to them looking like Skeletor, if Skeletor was made of stone. They eat minerals and meat, so gemstones protrude from their bones like freckles from skin. For some fucking reason, Ogre Hunters use them as mounts, which really doesn't make sense, as the fucking thing can't stand straight unless it's headbutting the ground it's standing on; also begs the question of how they reproduce since they're so belligerent a Stonehorn of either gender would be too busy head-butting to actually mate. Probably the male has to headbutt the female until she's too tired to fight him then mate with her.

* '''Thundertusks:''' Legends are told about the legendary thundertusk "Fridge" who acompanied a band of ogres through the Empire and coined the term "Fridgereted" for frozen chunks of meat that will keep fresh throughout the winter. Less volatile than the Stonehorn, Thundertusks are used as combined fridge, walking meat and watchtowers, with one or two Ogres sitting on top with ranged weaponry like throwing spears, harpoon launchers held like crossbows and fucking sabertooth-jaws fitted on chains, so the Ogre in question can make the enemy come over to him. Thundertusks are naturally freezy, and makes its surroundings colder by being there. This is quite useful for freezing less tough creatures down, so the Ogres can catch them before they slit their bellies. They even have a frost-breath-like attack for further freezing. Shame it looks like a retarded mandrill fused with a mammoth, but without the trunk. One might find oneself asking how the Thundertusk eats when it has so many tusks and the like in the way. The answer? Well...I don't have one, but hopefully there is one out there somewhere. Edit: Apparently it's a combination of skill, a long and dexterous tongue, and using their tusks to flip the meat of slain prey into the air and directly into their gaping maws.

==Total Warhammer==
Ogre Mercenaries are going to be recruitable for all factions after getting their FLC through Total War Access, with individual locations that they can be recruited from randomly appearing around areas where conflicts and battles occur, as is frankly logical for mercenaries. These mercenary units include thicc dual-wielding ogres, thicc Maneaters wielding a weapon and a "pistol", and extra thicc Mournfang Cavalry. This is certainly just a taste (heh) of the Ogres before the full Ogre Kingdoms factions release as DLC for [[Total War: Warhammer|Total Warhammer]] 3, which really wasn't that all surprising given the Ogre Kingdoms were always a full faction in WFB while the iffier sorts of Kislev and Cathay were confirmed for 3's release factions instead.

==Misc Fluff==
* Ogres don't have priests. Butchers and cooks are their holy men. The only interest Ogres have in the faiths of others is in traditions related to eating. This can be awkward when, in the company of a group of Sigmarites for example, the Ogre bodyguard keeps commenting on how he can't wait for someone to die for the funeral feast (even more awkward when he thinks that eating the body of the deceased is part of it).
* Most Ogres wear a piece of armor over their stomach, a gutplate. Gutplates are sort of the equivalent of full plate armor for Ogres, as their most important organs are all hidden behind the large race-wide paunch they have. Helmets and shoulderpads are secondary as anything big enough to pierce an ogre's head and shoulders with weapons would likely ignore the armor anyway. Plus, given their fixation on eating and the god they worship, their guts are considered sacred.
* In older lore, Tyrants love their favorite weapons. An Ogre touching the Tyrant's weapon, who wasn't the Tyrant himself, was punished by being force-fed their own hands.
* Ogres enjoy pitfighting, and use it to settle disputes. The winner is allowed to eat part of the loser, ranging from an appendage (such as a nose) to an entire limb. If Ogres remove their gutplates in a pit fight, that means it's a fight to the death where the winner will eat the loser in front of the crowd.
* Ogres are known to collect names. Their first name is usually a guttural sound made by the mother or father upon seeing the infant, the last being their tribe. But anything they choose to add to their name from their life experiences is attached as well. Sometimes these names are less than complimentary words Ogres don't understand like "debased" or "unscrupulous" or "acrid". The result can be interesting ("Gulk 'Scampered Engorged Beareater Bling Topsyturvy Gelatinous' Goldtooth" for example). These names literally strengthen the Ogres on the tabletop, counting as upgrades that came from the experiences they had (also a bit of Orkish "clap your hands if you believe, and it will happen" style magic).
* Ogre Biology is weird. For one their gut isn't actually filled with fat, but rows upon rows of muscle, which lets them crunch up anything inside with ease. Their skin is also extremely thick (literally) which also hints that they likely don't have any feeling in them, allowing them to do cringe-worthy levels of stuff to their outer hides (like piercing them with hooks) that other saner races would rarely do.
** Between cultural/religious and biological reasons, being disemboweled is considered the worst possible way to die for ogres; Ogres only die when all their guts finish pouring out of the stomach wound, and ogres have ''lots and lots and lots'' of intestines, so it's a slow, irreversible, and incredibly painful process. Even watching another ogre get disemboweled can cause a reaction similar to men watching another man getting his balls slowly crushed. Gutplates prevent this (for the most part), so Gut Up, young bull!

==Crunch==
Ogres are a low pop army with lots of fun rules. They're fairly strong right now, so they're increasingly popular. Despite this, most new players don't know much about Ogre Kingdoms fluff so by doing your research you can easily gain some 'ham cred.
Ogres on the charge hit like artillery blasts. Ogres can upgrade their standard bearers to have Gnoblars in a makeshit crows nest on top of them, allowing all characters and the champion in the unit to get "Look Out Sir" benefits. In addition, Ogres get a few nifty weapons no other army gets.

NOTE: Some of the models below are conversions, but there are official GW models among them. Can you guess which is which?

<gallery>
Image:Araby Ogre.png|Araby Ogre
Image:1.jpg|Beastmen Ogre
Image:Bretonnian Ogre.png|Bretonnian Ogre
Image:Cathay Ogre.png|Cathay Ogre
Image:Dark Elf Ogre.jpg|Dark Elf Ogre
Image:Dwarf Ogre.png|Dwarf Ogre
Image:Chaos Dwarf Ogre.jpg|Chaos Dwarf Ogre
Image:9.jpg|High Elf Ogre
Image:Lizardmen Ogre.jpg|Lizardmen Ogre
Image:Nippon Ogre.jpg|Nippon Ogre
Image:Orcs and Goblins Ogre.jpg|Orcs & Goblins Ogre
Image:Skaven Ogre.jpg|Skaven Ogre
Image:Empire Ogre.jpg|Empire Ogre
Image:Tomb Kings Ogre.png|Tomb Kings Ogre
Image:Vampire Counts Ogre.jpg|Vampire Counts Ogre
Image:Warriors of Chaos Ogre.jpg|Warriors of Chaos Ogre
Image:Wood Elves Ogre.jpg|Wood Elves Ogre
Image:Ninja Ogre.png|Ninja Ogre
Image:Pirate Ogre.png|Pirate Ogre
Image:Female Ogre.png|Crossdressing Ogre
Image:8039787889_96ed2c0f29_k.jpg|ogre Slaan
7180203363 d2bffd50f0 k.jpg|lustrian standard
7176858107 e68eecf828 o.jpg|lustrian bulls
7180207541 159c1f51e1 k.jpg|lustrian bruiser
7362010446_d8e5ba564e_o.jpg|lustrian thundertusk
8815390127 6f698fd585 o.jpg|lustrian "sabretusk"
10800351164 e09f18840b o.jpg|lustrian hunter
Bullunit.jpg|orc bulls
DSC03006.JPG|Cathay
Leadbelcherwip011.jpg|orc leadbelchers
Assdffe.jpg|tzeentch bull
Lizardmen2.jpg|lizardmen leadbelcher
Skaven2.jpg|skaven
</gallery>

==See Also==
* [[Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms|Ogre Kingdoms tactica]]
* [[Ogryn]]
* [[Ogor Mawtribes]]

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer Fantasy Battle}}

{{Regions and areas of the Old World}}
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Ogre Kingdoms]]

Old Ones (Warhammer)

2021-07-04T09:17:06Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Warhammer Fantasy */

[[Image:Slaad_4.jpg|thumb| <s>The Slann are called ''Slaad™'' in Dungeons & Dragons; original characters [[OGL|do not steal]].</s> The Slaad came out in the fiend folio in 1981, a full 2 years before the <s>Slaan</s> Slann (on a side note, Slaa means "pleasure" or "extatic" in Daemon's Tongue, Slaa'leth --> Slaanesh ; it has no link at all with the Old Ones or the Slann super species) were invented, get your facts straight heretic. ]]
'''Old Ones''' of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] and [[Warhammer 40,000]] were major actors in the deep backstory of both worlds. There is some debate about whether they are actually the same people in each.

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
In [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Old Ones are psychic frog-men from beyond the stars (big silver space-ships are mentioned even in the latest main rulebooks).
Knowing [[Chaos]] would one day appear in this reality and attempt to consume it (how they knew is unspecified) they decided to create a race of beings capable of keeping Chaos at bay forever, or even beat them (we don't know how ambitious they were). They reshaped the world, during which they created the [[Lizardmen]] races to aid them. The [[Slann]] were simply less intelligent reproductions of themselves, the Saurus were their bodyguards and had very few thoughts in their head other than whatever their current task is and the general calm reverence of the Slann and Old Ones (so born Space Marines), and the Skinks as the tiny frantic servants to the Slann. Requiring more magical power, they established [[Age of Sigmar|Realm Gates]] at the north and south poles of the world, through which they were able to travel freely between the world and wherever they came from. They also siphoned pure (AKA formless raw potential, pre-Chaos God alignment) Chaos magic into the world [[Derp|in order to protect the world from Chaos]], which worked exactly as well as you'd imagine. They made peace with the local natural intelligent life, the dragons, and educated them as best they could. This knowledge would later pass onto the first created race of the Old Ones as the two races would become BFFs. Old Ones noticed the presence of [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] around this time, the Old Ones [[Fail|brought to the world unknowingly]] in the form of spores which grew up to be the greenskins. They tasked the slow-reproducing Lizardmen with wiping them out, again with predictable results.

First, they created [[High Elves|Elves]]. They shaped a continent called [[Ulthuan]] which actually floats above the ocean like a giant ship for them to dwell on, and instructed the Slann to teach the earliest of them magic (it's unknown if the [[Warhammer Fantasy Elf Gods|Elven gods]] were formed by the Slann or Old Ones, or if they came later out of belief; evidence supports the former as [[Isha]] is the mother of all mortal elves with [[Kurnous]] and as such the gods may have been proto-elves). As they surveyed the Elven race, they decided the Elves could not beat Chaos alone due to being frail and having a low birth rate despite potential for mastery of magic and a VERY strong resistance to the Warp.

Next, [[Dwarfs]] were created. The Dwarfs actually resisted magic innately and in their presence it shifts back into formless current and seeps back into the Warp. The Dwarfs were hardy, and could physically bully magic into doing what they wanted it to (hence becoming great smiths of magic weapons free from Chaos taint using runes). However, the Dwarfs were stubborn and would not adapt fast enough in the face of demon trickery. The Old Ones abandoned yet another of their creations.

The next race created was humanity (<s>in the heart of Africa</s> in the fertile crescent, which wraps around the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and a little inland at Syria and Iraq), which combined the magical aptitude of the elves (to a lesser degree) with the durability of the dwarves (to a lesser degree). Humanity's short lifespan with rapid reproduction along with ambition and lust not seen in their elder races combined would enable humans to have time to adapt and overcome anything Chaos could send at them. But humanity was <s>as weak-willed as it was strong</s> vulnerable to Chaos due to their ambition. Ambition and adaptability was a great strength that could service them against Chaos, but it was also a horrible weakness that made mankind too physically and mentally malleable. Ultimately, it came down to the choice of the individual; either they resist temptation or fall prey to their ambitions. Considering humanity is the species that kicks the shit out of Chaos all the time, clearly we are a resounding success as opposed to all the rest who proved rather pathetic or a severe problem in the fight against the Ruinous Powers. Although it's worth noting that humans (including Beastmen) also make up a majority of Chaos's forces in the world (especially after the retcon that had Dark Elves like Atharti instead of Slaanesh). Nobody’s perfect. (Although it’s also, ALSO worth noting that the Elves gave the world [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|emo cock-n-ball torturers]] and the Dwarves [[Chaos Dwarves|angry short men in a ‘biggest hat contest’]])

The Old Ones created [[Halflings]] next, although nobody really knows why. They were resistant to mutation but that's about it. Small, frail, cowardly and unassuming, they were an abysmal failure as Halflings aren't really good at much other than cooking and eating. In a way they were the proto-Ogres.

Various other races were created, more or less filling the gap of both anything added to the game down the road as well as anything fans can come up with. The sky titans were one such race, having the magical aptitude and intelligence of humans, and the durability of the dwarfs. However, they were too isolated and too solitary, and were likely just an artistic project. There may have been others, but it is likely that many of these proto-races were wiped out by the lizardmen, with only the most "stable" being allowed to exist (men, elves, dwarfs)

Finally, the [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] were created by combining the best aspects of Men, Dwarfs and halflings. They were highly resistant to Chaos yet still possessing magical talent, having a long lifespan like elves, with a fast reproduction rate they'd be able to outlast Chaos, being highly durable, being able to cooperate with just about any race and quickly adapt to their customs, and finally stubborn enough to not fall to Chaos willingly in most cases. In addition to this, they are able to survive on just about any food, from meat to tree trunks to rocks. As the Old Ones prepared to endow their newest masterpiece with gifts, the Warp Gates collapsed and Chaos entered the world. The Ogres, left with a growing population in a relatively stable environment, were not gifted with any taught culture. As a result, despite being fairly intelligent creatures on par with dwarves, elves or humans, the ogres were not unified, and had to grow as a natural race, unaware of and unwilling to engage in the purpose they were designed for. They thus became tribes of increasing size which spread out across the world and served every faction (including Chaos and its servants). It's also worth mentioning that the Old Ones couldn't work out a kink in the ogre design present in even their halfling forebears, that being their [[Tyranids|enormous appetites]].

Why the Old Ones never looked at their failed creations and thought about putting them together in a lizardmen style caste system is unknown. Dwarfs as the industrialists and infantry, Elves as artisans, scholars and mages, Ogres as the shock troops and heavy lifters, and humans to fill in anywhere they were needed would have worked out perfectly.

Instead, Chaos ran amok as the Four and their allies got off their collective asses, gained followers and physical influence in the world, and started fucking shit up. It's worth noting there's a subtle disconnect from 40K in that Chaos and the Old Ones were there ''all along'', <s>as Fantasy Chaos has no Genesis</s> true, kinda, but there's less metaphysical difference between the two settings than at first glance because, you know, warpfuckery; different worlds, same warp, so a few of the rules are different (what rules? It's the fucking ''warp''), same Gods, too. As for the "emergence of the Gods" in 40K, they ''do'' coalesce psychically but also aren't bound by the rules of time (cf. the 40K Old Ones were against Chaos ''way'' before any of them were said to be "born"; and though [[Slaanesh]] is the edgy youngster "born" fairly recently it has been stated canonically to have influenced events ''before'' the Fall of the Eldar in 40K; it's probably the same for the others--imagine the time Tzeentch is having.) The exact nature of the Old Ones, the gods, and how the world got to where it is now is a subject of [[skub|endless debate]] and conjecture among fans.

It's unknown what happened to the Old Ones. It's possible that they fell into the Warp and were consumed. It's possible they fled the world, leaving it to its fate as they tried again elsewhere. It's also possible they remain in hiding, either guiding the mortal races to grow in strength and thwart Chaos or watching as their master plan unfolds leading to true victory. Either way, they're gone.

Lizardmen began worshiping the Old Ones as gods, with Slann pondering the messages left by their masters on golden tablets (which is apparently how all Old One communications were relayed, just like [[Heresy|the Mormons]]) to the smallest detail, and acted on interpretation. At times this has resulted in [[Lawful Stupid|counter-productive things]] like an attempt at world recreation which caused most of the Dwarf race to die and greenskins take over their fortresses and breed in numbers never before seen. At other times great things have happened according to plan, such as when they have prepared for and beheld the coming of a [[Sotek|god]] prophesied by the Old Ones, who immediately consumed the [[Skaven|minions]] of a [[Horned Rat|rogue Greater Daemon/minor Chaos God]] and drove him from the material plane.

At [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion|some point]], one of the resident non-Chaos [[Malekith|villains]] learned the words the Old Ones used to shape the world. With it (at GREAT physical and spiritual taxation of himself) he reduced fortresses the size of modern cities into atoms.

In older canon, the Old Ones did not create or predate the other races (in fact, one [[Drachenfels|old lich]] mentions remembering the coming of the Old Ones with disdain as something that came long after his first death). Instead they were simply space travelers, and the Slann were their retarded and decadent inbred descendants.

The end times revealed that this warhammer world was not the first, but just one in an eternal cycle. While men, elves and dwarfs all seem to fit in with this cycle, the old ones do not. It has been suggested that the Old ones were actually the surviving slann from the last world, and that the slann who managed to escape the destruction of the warhammer world will return to the next one as the new old ones.

== Warhammer Age of Sigmar ==
Now it is currently unknown who reshaped the world, but if what was told above is true, then the old slanns became the new Old Ones, deciding to reshape the world as 8 different realms made out of the Old World's winds of Magic, though all of the above has not been confirmed yet, what we do know is that the old ones did create the realmgates, portal to and from different realms, allowing connection and travel to other worlds , and presumably also created the allpoints, a mini-realm that acts as as a hub-world to access all other realms, which is right now in Archaon's possession....ups.

Also this would mean that technically, Lord Kroak is an Old One now, which makes sense given how stupid powerful he is.

== Warhammer 40,000 ==
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Old Ones were a race or group of races that were among the very first intelligent races in the galaxy, if not ''the'' first (heavily implied to be so.) Usually, they are referred to as a single, specific race. However, Codex: Eldar 4th Edition, as well as some of the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]] supplements, claim that they were actually a ''group'' of the earliest races, who all worked together, which, given that Chaos (such as it was back then) was anathema to him, makes us think of ''another'' [[The Cabal|"rainbow coalition"]] many millions of years later.

[[File:TTS old ones.png|thumb|left|The Old Ones as they appear in [[TTS]].]]
They were incredibly potent psykers (especially since the [[Warp]] was calm back in those days), had access to the [[Webway]] (and may have built or discovered and expanded it), and had supremely advanced genetic engineering techniques. They created the Krork (likely the ancestors of modern [[Ork]]s),[[Laer]], [[Jokaero]] (showing that they have a sense of humor), the [[Hrud]], the Rashan, the K'nib, and many others; some of these were created solely as warrior-races, whereas many (like the human predecessors who didn’t exist then and so probably weren’t and some say beings that would evolve humanity’s ancestors were not altered or created by the Old Ones but instead left alone) were created merely as part of planetary ecosystems, or maybe just for shits and giggles. They also “uplifted” ( in that they already existed but we’re still relatively primitive so the old ones made them smarter and probably gave them fire .) [[Eldar]], [[Humans]], And [[Necrontyr]] (but since the Necrontyr met the Old Ones for the first time much later, this claim is unlikely). Because they believe that they could one day achieve the same greatness they did… Good God how they were [[FAIL|wrong]] (ironically a lost cause like the poor frail humans are destined to become New Man like the Emperor, far beyond mere Old Ones seeing as his blows during the duel with Horus could have destroyed planets according to the story), (More on that later). The Old Ones were immortal (due to evolving so damn hard that they became energy beings), a gift they seem to have given in some form to [[Perpetual|only]] [[Eldar|some]] of their creations; and also, and of great importance, these races had ''souls'', which gave them presence in the Warp, where the Old Ones were getting up to their own stuff in as well. This eventually of course lead to the warp becoming the fucked up place it is "today," but all because of a lot of drama with the lesser races. The Old Ones [[Not As Planned|didn't intend]] ([[Just As Planned|or did they]]?) for it to get that way because, being a race of Energy beings (at this point), it was more or less their home for all intents and purposes.

The Eldar in particular were one of the first races the old ones uplifted (or created, fluff varies), and due to their absurd reproductive capabilities (basically space rabbits) Were both technologically on par with the old ones, and the most populous race in the galaxy after only a few centuries.

It's basically impossible to talk what went down next without talking about What happened with the [[Necrontyr]]. The Necrontyr had grown up beneath a wretched sun that poured radiation upon them (this radiation may in fact have been Star Vampire shit or merely attracted them, more on them in a bit), so their lives were, without exception, incredibly short (although it's not clear ''how'' short). Nevertheless, they managed to scrape together a small interstellar empire, with different star systems ruled by different [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]]. However, with the First War of Secession, the empire fell into infighting, as the dynasties violently jockeyed for power.

The [[Triarch]] decided a war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Necrontyr together, and so declared war on the Old Ones, claiming the ''casus belli'' of "you didn't share immortality with us poor, pitiful, mortal creatures." Though lore also says they just wanted medical help so they wouldn’t be in constant pain. The Old Ones refused. This was, as would be expected, a popular cause, and started the so-called [[War in Heaven]]. Why some races were gifted with immortality and others not is unclear, but is probably down to what their particular purpose was (one tenuous but curious connection between the [[Old Ones]] and the [[Cabal]] alluded to above is that the Cabal can apparently create [[Perpetual]]s. If there is a connection, and there are some other hints as well, then the Cabal is the Old Ones, or some vestige of a coalition of immortals appointed by them, trying to un[[Nurgle|fuck]] the [[Slaanesh|fuckery]] that they [[Khorne|fucked up]] the [[Tzeentch|fucking warp]] with by screwing over the only being Chaos is genuinely so scared shitless of they cannot even say his mere title without agony and so just call him “The Anathema”.)

Anyhow, back to the War in Heaven. Despite having much greater numbers and mastery of conventional technology which matched or even exceeded that held by the Old Ones, the Necrontyr did not have access to the Webway, and so were constantly outmaneuvered (even though they could teleport across interstellar distances and build portals...so just suspend your disbelief at the out-maneuvering bit). Soon, the Necrontyr were scattered and left with only a few coreworlds to the galactic north. With the War in Heaven collapsing, the Second War of Secession began, and the Necrontyr began to tear themselves apart again.

Before Necrontyr society collapsed entirely, however, the Necrontyr discovered the [[C'tan]], the Star Gods, leaching on some of their stars. The Necrontyr made metallic bodies for the C'tan, which barely contained their incredible power, as they were basically material universe's equivalent to the [[Chaos Gods]].

The C'tan known as the Messenger (later the [[Deceiver]]) offered the Necrontyr a solution: living metal bodies that were nearly indestructible, in exchange for their service to the C'tan. The Necrontyr accepted, only for them to realize too late that their new bodies required the destruction of their souls and their enslavement to the C'tan. For some reason, the Necrontyr were also renamed the Necrons at this point. One of the C'tan, known as the "Burning One," also helped the newly-robotic Necrons enter the Webway using the [[Dolmen Gate]]s. With the field leveled, the Necrons were now able to take the fight to the Old Ones.

At this point, the Old Ones created many of the aforementioned warrior races, especially the Krork, but even these couldn't stop the Necrons. The wild misuse of the Warp had also spawned the [[Enslavers]] (or, at least, let them enter the material universe), obliterating many of the Old Ones. The birth of [[Chaos]] caused by the corruption of the Warp by the dying emanations of countless warrior races probably didn't help either, to say the least. Incidentally, this also means that the current state of Grimdark in the galaxy is all their fault. With the Old Ones thus weakened, the Necrons and their C'tan allies were able to annihilate the rest of them, at least according to Codex: Necrons 5th Edition. After that, the eldar discovered that by using the webway could create constructs capable of housing the dead, and damage the C’tan. the Necrons exploited the weakened state of the C'tan and turned on their masters; while they were successful in breaking them into countless "shards" of their former power and permanently killed at least one, they feared the retaliation of the Eldar and the other surviving warrior races and went into hibernation until they were ready to rebuild their empire. Ironically they might have been able to play things off as them having been enslaved and blame the war on the C’tan. Especially after they shattered the C’tan.

Although most races aren't aware of their Old Ones heritage, they still made a great impact on the nascent races. In particular, at least according to ''[[Xenology]],'' many races, including the Eldar, have very similar gods, including a [[Khaine|bloody-handed warrior]], a [[Vaul|great smith]], a [[Isha|life-giving goddess of the harvest]], a [[Cegorach|laughing god]], etc. It seems that these gods were inspired by the Old Ones, <s>although whether they're based on particular Old Ones or just general concepts of what they did is uncertain</s>. It was mostly conceptual though since the eldar and old ones were contemporaries by this point. If you read the examples of gods above and thought by yourself: "Haven't I heard of this in real ancient religions at some point?", and if you can then connect ''that'' revelation to The [[Emperor]], congratulations - you know basic mythology.

Also, in [[Hrud]] mythology (again, according to ''Xenology''), there's one last Old One named Qah that only left 500,000 years ago (i.e., long after the Necrons entered hibernation), promising to return when the Hrud reunite to fight the C'tan again. This would imply that, in fact, the Old Ones were ''not'' destroyed entirely by the Necrons, and a few hid or escaped. While this was presumed retconned for a long time, recent fluff has noted that [[Eldrad]] has predicted the impending return of the "Old Masters" and the newly discovered seventh Blackstone Fortress's pristine state suggests they may indeed still live. You can proceed with theorycrafting over whether they made a deal with the Emperor and/or some of the Eldar to fix shit up.

The idea that some of the Old Ones survived is also found in [[Grot]] folk tales. So goes the story, the last of the "Brain Boyz" (Ork term for the Old Ones) hid among the Krorks in the last years of the War in Heaven. But slowly, the Old Ones devolved into the servants of their former slaves. And being enslaved made them degrade further and further, until today they exist only as the [[Snotling]]s, those extra tiny Grots that can just about hold a box of tools without forgetting to breathe and keeling over. The Orks have heard of these folk tales, and get a good chuckle out of it; the story could be completely true for all they care, which is not at all.

== Connections ==
In very early editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 (i.e. when the former was still called "Warhammer" because it was the ''only'' Warhammer, and when the latter was still called [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]]), it was implied that the two universes were very closely linked, if not one and the same. Now, not so much; but the warpish links discussed above, while obscure and speculative, are probably still true. Chaos warbands in Fantasy could get their hands on [[bolters]] and [[powered armor]], and [[Beastmen]] and Space Dwarfs (called [[Squats]]) were regular parts of Imperial and Chaos armies in 40K. The Old Ones were described as coming from space even in the 8th edition Fantasy rulebook, and the 3rd edition Necron codex suggested using [[Lizardmen]] minifigures to represent their descendants.

{{Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Xenos]]

Old Ones (Warhammer)

2021-07-04T09:15:55Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Warhammer Fantasy */

[[Image:Slaad_4.jpg|thumb| <s>The Slann are called ''Slaad™'' in Dungeons & Dragons; original characters [[OGL|do not steal]].</s> The Slaad came out in the fiend folio in 1981, a full 2 years before the <s>Slaan</s> Slann (on a side note, Slaa means "pleasure" or "extatic" in Daemon's Tongue, Slaa'leth --> Slaanesh ; it has no link at all with the Old Ones or the Slann super species) were invented, get your facts straight heretic. ]]
'''Old Ones''' of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] and [[Warhammer 40,000]] were major actors in the deep backstory of both worlds. There is some debate about whether they are actually the same people in each.

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
In [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Old Ones are psychic frog-men from beyond the stars (big silver space-ships are mentioned even in the latest main rulebooks).
Knowing [[Chaos]] would one day appear in this reality and attempt to consume it (how they knew is unspecified) they decided to create a race of beings capable of keeping Chaos at bay forever, or even beat them (we don't know how ambitious they were). They reshaped the world, during which they created the [[Lizardmen]] races to aid them. The [[Slann]] were simply less intelligent reproductions of themselves, the Saurus were their bodyguards and had very few thoughts in their head other than whatever their current task is and the general calm reverence of the Slann and Old Ones (so born Space Marines), and the Skinks as the tiny frantic servants to the Slann. Requiring more magical power, they established [[Age of Sigmar|Realm Gates]] at the north and south poles of the world, through which they were able to travel freely between the world and wherever they came from. They also siphoned pure (AKA formless raw potential, pre-Chaos God alignment) Chaos magic into the world [[Derp|in order to protect the world from Chaos]], which worked exactly as well as you'd imagine. They made peace with the local natural intelligent life, the dragons, and educated them as best they could. This knowledge would later pass onto the first created race of the Old Ones as the two races would become BFFs. Old Ones noticed the presence of [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] around this time, the Old Ones [[Fail|brought to the world unknowingly]] in the form of spores which grew up to be the greenskins. They tasked the slow-reproducing Lizardmen with wiping them out, again with predictable results.

First, they created [[High Elves|Elves]]. They shaped a continent called [[Ulthuan]] which actually floats above the ocean like a giant ship for them to dwell on, and instructed the Slann to teach the earliest of them magic (it's unknown if the [[Warhammer Fantasy Elf Gods|Elven gods]] were formed by the Slann or Old Ones, or if they came later out of belief; evidence supports the former as [[Isha]] is the mother of all mortal elves with [[Kurnous]] and as such the gods may have been proto-elves). As they surveyed the Elven race, they decided the Elves could not beat Chaos alone due to being frail and having a low birth rate despite potential for mastery of magic and a VERY strong resistance to the Warp.

Next, [[Dwarfs]] were created. The Dwarfs actually resisted magic innately and in their presence it shifts back into formless current and seeps back into the Warp. The Dwarfs were hardy, and could physically bully magic into doing what they wanted it to (hence becoming great smiths of magic weapons free from Chaos taint using runes). However, the Dwarfs were stubborn and would not adapt fast enough in the face of demon trickery. The Old Ones abandoned yet another of their creations.

The next race created was humanity (<s>in the heart of Africa</s> in the fertile crescent, which wraps around the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and a little inland at Syria and Iraq), which combined the magical aptitude of the elves (to a lesser degree) with the durability of the dwarves (to a lesser degree). Humanity's short lifespan with rapid reproduction along with ambition and lust not seen in their elder races combined would enable humans to have time to adapt and overcome anything Chaos could send at them. But humanity was <s>as weak-willed as it was strong</s> vulnerable to Chaos due to their ambition. Ambition and adaptability was a great strength that could service them against Chaos, but it was also a horrible weakness that made mankind too physically and mentally malleable. Ultimately, it came down to the choice of the individual; either they resist temptation or fall prey to their ambitions. Considering humanity is the species that kicks the shit out of Chaos all the time, clearly we are a resounding success as opposed to all the rest who proved rather pathetic or a severe problem in the fight against the Ruinous Powers. Although it's worth noting that humans (including Beastmen) also make up a majority of Chaos's forces in the world (especially after the retcon that had Dark Elves like Atharti instead of Slaanesh). Nobody’s perfect. (Although it’s also, ALSO worth noting that the Elves gave the world [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|emo cock-n-ball torturers]] and the Dwarves [[Chaos Dwarves|angry short men in a ‘biggest hat contest’]])

The Old Ones created [[Halflings]] next, although nobody really knows why. They were resistant to mutation but that's about it. Small, frail, cowardly and unassuming, they were an abysmal failure as Halflings aren't really good at much other than cooking and eating. In a way they were the proto-Ogres.

Various other races were created, more or less filling the gap of both anything added to the game down the road as well as anything fans can come up with. The sky titans were one such race, having the magical aptitude and intelligence of humans, and the durability of the dwarfs. However, they were too isolated and too solitary, and were likely just an artistic project. There may have been others, but it is likely that many of these proto-races were wiped out by the lizardmen, with only the most "stable" being allowed to exist (men, elves, dwarfs)

Finally, the [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] were created by combining the best aspects of Men, Dwarfs and halflings. They were highly resistant to Chaos yet still possessing magical talent, having a long lifespan like elves, with a fast reproduction rate they'd be able to outlast Chaos, being highly durable, being able to cooperate with just about any race and quickly adapt to their customs, and finally stubborn enough to not fall to Chaos willingly in most cases. In addition to this, they are able to survive on just about any food, from meat to tree trunks to rocks. As the Old Ones prepared to endow their newest masterpiece with gifts, the Warp Gates collapsed and Chaos entered the world. The Ogres, left with a growing population in a relatively stable environment, were not gifted with any taught culture. As a result, despite being fairly intelligent creatures on par with dwarves, elves or humans, the ogres were not unified, and had to grow as a natural race, unaware of and unwilling to engage in the purpose they were designed for. They thus became tribes of increasing size which spread out across the world and served every faction (including Chaos and its servants). It's also worth mentioning that the Old Ones couldn't work out a kink in the ogre design present in even their halfling forebears, that being their [[Tyranids|enormous appetites]].

Why the Old Ones never looked at their failed creations and thought about putting them together in a lizardmen style caste system is unknown. Dwarfs as the industrialists and infantry, Elves as artisans, scholars and mages, Ogres as the shock troops and heavy lifters, and humans to fill in anywhere they were needed would have worked out perfectly.

Instead, Chaos ran amok as the Four and their allies got off their collective asses, gained followers and physical influence in the world, and started fucking shit up. It's worth noting there's a subtle disconnect from 40K in that Chaos and the Old Ones were there ''all along'', <s>as Fantasy Chaos has no Genesis</s> true, kinda, but there's less metaphysical difference between the two settings than at first glance because, you know, warpfuckery; different worlds, same warp, so a few of the rules are different (what rules? It's the fucking ''warp''), same Gods, too. As for the "emergence of the Gods" in 40K, they ''do'' coalesce psychically but also aren't bound by the rules of time (cf. the 40K Old Ones were against Chaos ''way'' before any of them were said to be "born"; and though [[Slaanesh]] is the edgy youngster "born" fairly recently it has been stated canonically to have influenced events ''before'' the Fall of the Eldar in 40K; it's probably the same for the others--imagine the time Tzeentch is having.) The exact nature of the Old Ones, the gods, and how the world got to where it is now is a subject of [[skub|endless debate]] and conjecture among fans.

It's unknown what happened to the Old Ones. It's possible that they fell into the Warp and were consumed. It's possible they fled the world, leaving it to it's fate as they tried again elsewhere. It's also possible they remain in hiding, either guiding the mortal races to grow in strength and thwart Chaos or watching as their master plan unfolds leading to true victory. Either way, they're gone.

Lizardmen began worshiping the Old Ones as gods, with Slann pondering the messages left by their masters on golden tablets (which is apparently how all Old One communications were relayed, just like [[Heresy|the Mormons]]) to the smallest detail, and acted on interpretation. At times this has resulted in [[Lawful Stupid|counter-productive things]] like an attempt at world recreation which caused most of the Dwarf race to die and greenskins take over their fortresses and breed in numbers never before seen. At other times great things have happened according to plan, such as when they have prepared for and beheld the coming of a [[Sotek|god]] prophesied by the Old Ones, who immediately consumed the [[Skaven|minions]] of a [[Horned Rat|rogue Greater Daemon/minor Chaos God]] and drove him from the material plane.

At [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion|some point]], one of the resident non-Chaos [[Malekith|villains]] learned the words the Old Ones used to shape the world. With it (at GREAT physical and spiritual taxation of himself) he reduced fortresses the size of modern cities into atoms.

In older canon, the Old Ones did not create or predate the other races (in fact, one [[Drachenfels|old lich]] mentions remembering the coming of the Old Ones with disdain as something that came long after his first death). Instead they were simply space travelers, and the Slann were their retarded and decadent inbred descendants.

The end times revealed that this warhammer world was not the first, but just one in an eternal cycle. While men, elves and dwarfs all seem to fit in with this cycle, the old ones do not. It has been suggested that the Old ones were actually the surviving slann from the last world, and that the slann who managed to escape the destruction of the warhammer world will return to the next one as the new old ones.

== Warhammer Age of Sigmar ==
Now it is currently unknown who reshaped the world, but if what was told above is true, then the old slanns became the new Old Ones, deciding to reshape the world as 8 different realms made out of the Old World's winds of Magic, though all of the above has not been confirmed yet, what we do know is that the old ones did create the realmgates, portal to and from different realms, allowing connection and travel to other worlds , and presumably also created the allpoints, a mini-realm that acts as as a hub-world to access all other realms, which is right now in Archaon's possession....ups.

Also this would mean that technically, Lord Kroak is an Old One now, which makes sense given how stupid powerful he is.

== Warhammer 40,000 ==
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Old Ones were a race or group of races that were among the very first intelligent races in the galaxy, if not ''the'' first (heavily implied to be so.) Usually, they are referred to as a single, specific race. However, Codex: Eldar 4th Edition, as well as some of the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]] supplements, claim that they were actually a ''group'' of the earliest races, who all worked together, which, given that Chaos (such as it was back then) was anathema to him, makes us think of ''another'' [[The Cabal|"rainbow coalition"]] many millions of years later.

[[File:TTS old ones.png|thumb|left|The Old Ones as they appear in [[TTS]].]]
They were incredibly potent psykers (especially since the [[Warp]] was calm back in those days), had access to the [[Webway]] (and may have built or discovered and expanded it), and had supremely advanced genetic engineering techniques. They created the Krork (likely the ancestors of modern [[Ork]]s),[[Laer]], [[Jokaero]] (showing that they have a sense of humor), the [[Hrud]], the Rashan, the K'nib, and many others; some of these were created solely as warrior-races, whereas many (like the human predecessors who didn’t exist then and so probably weren’t and some say beings that would evolve humanity’s ancestors were not altered or created by the Old Ones but instead left alone) were created merely as part of planetary ecosystems, or maybe just for shits and giggles. They also “uplifted” ( in that they already existed but we’re still relatively primitive so the old ones made them smarter and probably gave them fire .) [[Eldar]], [[Humans]], And [[Necrontyr]] (but since the Necrontyr met the Old Ones for the first time much later, this claim is unlikely). Because they believe that they could one day achieve the same greatness they did… Good God how they were [[FAIL|wrong]] (ironically a lost cause like the poor frail humans are destined to become New Man like the Emperor, far beyond mere Old Ones seeing as his blows during the duel with Horus could have destroyed planets according to the story), (More on that later). The Old Ones were immortal (due to evolving so damn hard that they became energy beings), a gift they seem to have given in some form to [[Perpetual|only]] [[Eldar|some]] of their creations; and also, and of great importance, these races had ''souls'', which gave them presence in the Warp, where the Old Ones were getting up to their own stuff in as well. This eventually of course lead to the warp becoming the fucked up place it is "today," but all because of a lot of drama with the lesser races. The Old Ones [[Not As Planned|didn't intend]] ([[Just As Planned|or did they]]?) for it to get that way because, being a race of Energy beings (at this point), it was more or less their home for all intents and purposes.

The Eldar in particular were one of the first races the old ones uplifted (or created, fluff varies), and due to their absurd reproductive capabilities (basically space rabbits) Were both technologically on par with the old ones, and the most populous race in the galaxy after only a few centuries.

It's basically impossible to talk what went down next without talking about What happened with the [[Necrontyr]]. The Necrontyr had grown up beneath a wretched sun that poured radiation upon them (this radiation may in fact have been Star Vampire shit or merely attracted them, more on them in a bit), so their lives were, without exception, incredibly short (although it's not clear ''how'' short). Nevertheless, they managed to scrape together a small interstellar empire, with different star systems ruled by different [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]]. However, with the First War of Secession, the empire fell into infighting, as the dynasties violently jockeyed for power.

The [[Triarch]] decided a war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Necrontyr together, and so declared war on the Old Ones, claiming the ''casus belli'' of "you didn't share immortality with us poor, pitiful, mortal creatures." Though lore also says they just wanted medical help so they wouldn’t be in constant pain. The Old Ones refused. This was, as would be expected, a popular cause, and started the so-called [[War in Heaven]]. Why some races were gifted with immortality and others not is unclear, but is probably down to what their particular purpose was (one tenuous but curious connection between the [[Old Ones]] and the [[Cabal]] alluded to above is that the Cabal can apparently create [[Perpetual]]s. If there is a connection, and there are some other hints as well, then the Cabal is the Old Ones, or some vestige of a coalition of immortals appointed by them, trying to un[[Nurgle|fuck]] the [[Slaanesh|fuckery]] that they [[Khorne|fucked up]] the [[Tzeentch|fucking warp]] with by screwing over the only being Chaos is genuinely so scared shitless of they cannot even say his mere title without agony and so just call him “The Anathema”.)

Anyhow, back to the War in Heaven. Despite having much greater numbers and mastery of conventional technology which matched or even exceeded that held by the Old Ones, the Necrontyr did not have access to the Webway, and so were constantly outmaneuvered (even though they could teleport across interstellar distances and build portals...so just suspend your disbelief at the out-maneuvering bit). Soon, the Necrontyr were scattered and left with only a few coreworlds to the galactic north. With the War in Heaven collapsing, the Second War of Secession began, and the Necrontyr began to tear themselves apart again.

Before Necrontyr society collapsed entirely, however, the Necrontyr discovered the [[C'tan]], the Star Gods, leaching on some of their stars. The Necrontyr made metallic bodies for the C'tan, which barely contained their incredible power, as they were basically material universe's equivalent to the [[Chaos Gods]].

The C'tan known as the Messenger (later the [[Deceiver]]) offered the Necrontyr a solution: living metal bodies that were nearly indestructible, in exchange for their service to the C'tan. The Necrontyr accepted, only for them to realize too late that their new bodies required the destruction of their souls and their enslavement to the C'tan. For some reason, the Necrontyr were also renamed the Necrons at this point. One of the C'tan, known as the "Burning One," also helped the newly-robotic Necrons enter the Webway using the [[Dolmen Gate]]s. With the field leveled, the Necrons were now able to take the fight to the Old Ones.

At this point, the Old Ones created many of the aforementioned warrior races, especially the Krork, but even these couldn't stop the Necrons. The wild misuse of the Warp had also spawned the [[Enslavers]] (or, at least, let them enter the material universe), obliterating many of the Old Ones. The birth of [[Chaos]] caused by the corruption of the Warp by the dying emanations of countless warrior races probably didn't help either, to say the least. Incidentally, this also means that the current state of Grimdark in the galaxy is all their fault. With the Old Ones thus weakened, the Necrons and their C'tan allies were able to annihilate the rest of them, at least according to Codex: Necrons 5th Edition. After that, the eldar discovered that by using the webway could create constructs capable of housing the dead, and damage the C’tan. the Necrons exploited the weakened state of the C'tan and turned on their masters; while they were successful in breaking them into countless "shards" of their former power and permanently killed at least one, they feared the retaliation of the Eldar and the other surviving warrior races and went into hibernation until they were ready to rebuild their empire. Ironically they might have been able to play things off as them having been enslaved and blame the war on the C’tan. Especially after they shattered the C’tan.

Although most races aren't aware of their Old Ones heritage, they still made a great impact on the nascent races. In particular, at least according to ''[[Xenology]],'' many races, including the Eldar, have very similar gods, including a [[Khaine|bloody-handed warrior]], a [[Vaul|great smith]], a [[Isha|life-giving goddess of the harvest]], a [[Cegorach|laughing god]], etc. It seems that these gods were inspired by the Old Ones, <s>although whether they're based on particular Old Ones or just general concepts of what they did is uncertain</s>. It was mostly conceptual though since the eldar and old ones were contemporaries by this point. If you read the examples of gods above and thought by yourself: "Haven't I heard of this in real ancient religions at some point?", and if you can then connect ''that'' revelation to The [[Emperor]], congratulations - you know basic mythology.

Also, in [[Hrud]] mythology (again, according to ''Xenology''), there's one last Old One named Qah that only left 500,000 years ago (i.e., long after the Necrons entered hibernation), promising to return when the Hrud reunite to fight the C'tan again. This would imply that, in fact, the Old Ones were ''not'' destroyed entirely by the Necrons, and a few hid or escaped. While this was presumed retconned for a long time, recent fluff has noted that [[Eldrad]] has predicted the impending return of the "Old Masters" and the newly discovered seventh Blackstone Fortress's pristine state suggests they may indeed still live. You can proceed with theorycrafting over whether they made a deal with the Emperor and/or some of the Eldar to fix shit up.

The idea that some of the Old Ones survived is also found in [[Grot]] folk tales. So goes the story, the last of the "Brain Boyz" (Ork term for the Old Ones) hid among the Krorks in the last years of the War in Heaven. But slowly, the Old Ones devolved into the servants of their former slaves. And being enslaved made them degrade further and further, until today they exist only as the [[Snotling]]s, those extra tiny Grots that can just about hold a box of tools without forgetting to breathe and keeling over. The Orks have heard of these folk tales, and get a good chuckle out of it; the story could be completely true for all they care, which is not at all.

== Connections ==
In very early editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 (i.e. when the former was still called "Warhammer" because it was the ''only'' Warhammer, and when the latter was still called [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]]), it was implied that the two universes were very closely linked, if not one and the same. Now, not so much; but the warpish links discussed above, while obscure and speculative, are probably still true. Chaos warbands in Fantasy could get their hands on [[bolters]] and [[powered armor]], and [[Beastmen]] and Space Dwarfs (called [[Squats]]) were regular parts of Imperial and Chaos armies in 40K. The Old Ones were described as coming from space even in the 8th edition Fantasy rulebook, and the 3rd edition Necron codex suggested using [[Lizardmen]] minifigures to represent their descendants.

{{Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Xenos]]

Old Ones (Warhammer)

2021-07-04T09:15:05Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Warhammer Fantasy */

[[Image:Slaad_4.jpg|thumb| <s>The Slann are called ''Slaad™'' in Dungeons & Dragons; original characters [[OGL|do not steal]].</s> The Slaad came out in the fiend folio in 1981, a full 2 years before the <s>Slaan</s> Slann (on a side note, Slaa means "pleasure" or "extatic" in Daemon's Tongue, Slaa'leth --> Slaanesh ; it has no link at all with the Old Ones or the Slann super species) were invented, get your facts straight heretic. ]]
'''Old Ones''' of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] and [[Warhammer 40,000]] were major actors in the deep backstory of both worlds. There is some debate about whether they are actually the same people in each.

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
In [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Old Ones are psychic frog-men from beyond the stars (big silver space-ships are mentioned even in the latest main rulebooks).
Knowing [[Chaos]] would one day appear in this reality and attempt to consume it (how they knew is unspecified) they decided to create a race of beings capable of keeping Chaos at bay forever, or even beat them (we don't know how ambitious they were). They reshaped the world, during which they created the [[Lizardmen]] races to aid them. The [[Slann]] were simply less intelligent reproductions of themselves, the Saurus were their bodyguards and had very few thoughts in their head other than whatever their current task is and the general calm reverence of the Slann and Old Ones (so born Space Marines), and the Skinks as the tiny frantic servants to the Slann. Requiring more magical power, they established [[Age of Sigmar|Realm Gates]] at the north and south poles of the world, through which they were able to travel freely between the world and wherever they came from. They also siphoned pure (AKA formless raw potential, pre-Chaos God alignment) Chaos magic into the world [[Derp|in order to protect the world from Chaos]], which worked exactly as well as you'd imagine. They made peace with the local natural intelligent life, the dragons, and educated them as best they could. This knowledge would later pass onto the first created race of the Old Ones as the two races would become BFFs. Old Ones noticed the presence of [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] around this time, the Old Ones [[Fail|brought to the world unknowingly]] in the form of spores which grew up to be the greenskins. They tasked the slow-reproducing Lizardmen with wiping them out, again with predictable results.

First, they created [[High Elves|Elves]]. They shaped a continent called [[Ulthuan]] which actually floats above the ocean like a giant ship for them to dwell on, and instructed the Slann to teach the earliest of them magic (it's unknown if the [[Warhammer Fantasy Elf Gods|Elven gods]] were formed by the Slann or Old Ones, or if they came later out of belief; evidence supports the former as [[Isha]] is the mother of all mortal elves with [[Kurnous]] and as such the gods may have been proto-elves). As they surveyed the Elven race, they decided the Elves could not beat Chaos alone due to being frail and having a low birth rate despite potential for mastery of magic and a VERY strong resistance to the Warp.

Next, [[Dwarfs]] were created. The Dwarfs actually resisted magic innately and in their presence it shifts back into formless current and seeps back into the Warp. The Dwarfs were hardy, and could physically bully magic into doing what they wanted it to (hence becoming great smiths of magic weapons free from Chaos taint using runes). However, the Dwarfs were stubborn and would not adapt fast enough in the face of demon trickery. The Old Ones abandoned yet another of their creations.

The next race created was humanity (<s>in the heart of Africa</s> in the fertile crescent, which wraps around the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and a little inland at Syria and Iraq), which combined the magical aptitude of the elves (to a lesser degree) with the durability of the dwarves (to a lesser degree). Humanity's short lifespan with rapid reproduction along with ambition and lust not seen in their elder races combined would enable humans to have time to adapt and overcome anything Chaos could send at them. But humanity was <s>as weak-willed as it was strong</s> vulnerable to Chaos due to their ambition. Ambition and adaptability was a great strength that could service them against Chaos, but it was also a horrible weakness that made mankind too physically and mentally malleable. Ultimately, it came down to the choice of the individual; either they resist temptation or fall prey to their ambitions. Considering humanity is the species that kicks the shit out of Chaos all the time, clearly we are a resounding success as opposed to all the rest who proved rather pathetic or a severe problem in the fight against the Ruinous Powers. Although it's worth noting that humans (including Beastmen) also make up a majority of Chaos's forces in the world (especially after the retcon that had Dark Elves like Atharti instead of Slaanesh). Nobody’s perfect. (Although it’s also, ALSO worth noting that the Elves gave the world [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|emo cock-n-ball torturers]] and the Dwarves [[Chaos Dwarves|angry short men in a ‘biggest hat contest’]])

The Old Ones created [[Halflings]] next, although nobody really knows why. They were resistant to mutation but that's about it. Small, frail, cowardly and unassuming, they were an abysmal failure as Halflings aren't really good at much other than cooking and eating. In a way they were the proto-Ogres.

Various other races were created, more or less filling the gap of both anything added to the game down the road as well as anything fans can come up with. The sky titans were one such race, having the magical aptitude and intelligence of humans, and the durability of the dwarfs. However, they were too isolated and too solitary, and were likely just an artistic project. There may have been others, but it is likely that many of these proto-races were wiped out by the lizardmen, with only the most "stable" being allowed to exist (men, elves, dwarfs)

Finally, the [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] were created by combining the best aspects of Men, Dwarfs and halflings. They were highly resistant to Chaos yet still possessing magical talent, having a long lifespan like elves, with a fast reproduction rate they'd be able to outlast Chaos, being highly durable, being able to cooperate with just about any race and quickly adapt to their customs, and finally stubborn enough to not fall to Chaos willingly in most cases. In addition to this, they are able to survive on just about any food, from meat to tree trunks to rocks. As the Old Ones prepared to endow their newest masterpiece with gifts, the Warp Gates collapsed and Chaos entered the world. The Ogres, left with a growing population in a relatively stable environment, were not gifted with any taught culture. As a result, despite being fairly intelligent creatures on par with dwarves, elves or humans, the ogres were not unified, and had to grow as a natural race, unaware of and unwilling to engage in the purpose they were designed for. They thus became tribes of increasing size which spread out across the world and served every faction (including Chaos and its servants). It's also worth mentioning that the Old Ones couldn't work out a kink in the ogre design present in even their halfling forebears, that being their [[Tyranids|enormous appetites]].

Why the Old Ones never looked at their failed creations and thought about putting them together in a lizardmen style caste system is unknown. Dwarfs as the industrialists and infantry, Elves as artisans, scholars and mages, Ogres as the shock troops and heavy lifters, and humans to fill in anywhere they were needed would have worked out perfectly.

Instead, Chaos ran amok with as the Four and their allies got off their collective asses, gained followers and physical influence in the world, and started fucking shit up. It's worth noting there's a subtle disconnect from 40K in that Chaos and the Old Ones were there ''all along'', <s>as Fantasy Chaos has no Genesis</s> true, kinda, but there's less metaphysical difference between the two settings than at first glance because, you know, warpfuckery; different worlds, same warp, so a few of the rules are different (what rules? It's the fucking ''warp''), same Gods, too. As for the "emergence of the Gods" in 40K, they ''do'' coalesce psychically but also aren't bound by the rules of time (cf. the 40K Old Ones were against Chaos ''way'' before any of them were said to be "born"; and though [[Slaanesh]] is the edgy youngster "born" fairly recently it has been stated canonically to have influenced events ''before'' the Fall of the Eldar in 40K; it's probably the same for the others--imagine the time Tzeentch is having.) The exact nature of the Old Ones, the gods, and how the world got to where it is now is a subject of [[skub|endless debate]] and conjecture among fans.

It's unknown what happened to the Old Ones. It's possible that they fell into the Warp and were consumed. It's possible they fled the world, leaving it to it's fate as they tried again elsewhere. It's also possible they remain in hiding, either guiding the mortal races to grow in strength and thwart Chaos or watching as their master plan unfolds leading to true victory. Either way, they're gone.

Lizardmen began worshiping the Old Ones as gods, with Slann pondering the messages left by their masters on golden tablets (which is apparently how all Old One communications were relayed, just like [[Heresy|the Mormons]]) to the smallest detail, and acted on interpretation. At times this has resulted in [[Lawful Stupid|counter-productive things]] like an attempt at world recreation which caused most of the Dwarf race to die and greenskins take over their fortresses and breed in numbers never before seen. At other times great things have happened according to plan, such as when they have prepared for and beheld the coming of a [[Sotek|god]] prophesied by the Old Ones, who immediately consumed the [[Skaven|minions]] of a [[Horned Rat|rogue Greater Daemon/minor Chaos God]] and drove him from the material plane.

At [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion|some point]], one of the resident non-Chaos [[Malekith|villains]] learned the words the Old Ones used to shape the world. With it (at GREAT physical and spiritual taxation of himself) he reduced fortresses the size of modern cities into atoms.

In older canon, the Old Ones did not create or predate the other races (in fact, one [[Drachenfels|old lich]] mentions remembering the coming of the Old Ones with disdain as something that came long after his first death). Instead they were simply space travelers, and the Slann were their retarded and decadent inbred descendants.

The end times revealed that this warhammer world was not the first, but just one in an eternal cycle. While men, elves and dwarfs all seem to fit in with this cycle, the old ones do not. It has been suggested that the Old ones were actually the surviving slann from the last world, and that the slann who managed to escape the destruction of the warhammer world will return to the next one as the new old ones.

== Warhammer Age of Sigmar ==
Now it is currently unknown who reshaped the world, but if what was told above is true, then the old slanns became the new Old Ones, deciding to reshape the world as 8 different realms made out of the Old World's winds of Magic, though all of the above has not been confirmed yet, what we do know is that the old ones did create the realmgates, portal to and from different realms, allowing connection and travel to other worlds , and presumably also created the allpoints, a mini-realm that acts as as a hub-world to access all other realms, which is right now in Archaon's possession....ups.

Also this would mean that technically, Lord Kroak is an Old One now, which makes sense given how stupid powerful he is.

== Warhammer 40,000 ==
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Old Ones were a race or group of races that were among the very first intelligent races in the galaxy, if not ''the'' first (heavily implied to be so.) Usually, they are referred to as a single, specific race. However, Codex: Eldar 4th Edition, as well as some of the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]] supplements, claim that they were actually a ''group'' of the earliest races, who all worked together, which, given that Chaos (such as it was back then) was anathema to him, makes us think of ''another'' [[The Cabal|"rainbow coalition"]] many millions of years later.

[[File:TTS old ones.png|thumb|left|The Old Ones as they appear in [[TTS]].]]
They were incredibly potent psykers (especially since the [[Warp]] was calm back in those days), had access to the [[Webway]] (and may have built or discovered and expanded it), and had supremely advanced genetic engineering techniques. They created the Krork (likely the ancestors of modern [[Ork]]s),[[Laer]], [[Jokaero]] (showing that they have a sense of humor), the [[Hrud]], the Rashan, the K'nib, and many others; some of these were created solely as warrior-races, whereas many (like the human predecessors who didn’t exist then and so probably weren’t and some say beings that would evolve humanity’s ancestors were not altered or created by the Old Ones but instead left alone) were created merely as part of planetary ecosystems, or maybe just for shits and giggles. They also “uplifted” ( in that they already existed but we’re still relatively primitive so the old ones made them smarter and probably gave them fire .) [[Eldar]], [[Humans]], And [[Necrontyr]] (but since the Necrontyr met the Old Ones for the first time much later, this claim is unlikely). Because they believe that they could one day achieve the same greatness they did… Good God how they were [[FAIL|wrong]] (ironically a lost cause like the poor frail humans are destined to become New Man like the Emperor, far beyond mere Old Ones seeing as his blows during the duel with Horus could have destroyed planets according to the story), (More on that later). The Old Ones were immortal (due to evolving so damn hard that they became energy beings), a gift they seem to have given in some form to [[Perpetual|only]] [[Eldar|some]] of their creations; and also, and of great importance, these races had ''souls'', which gave them presence in the Warp, where the Old Ones were getting up to their own stuff in as well. This eventually of course lead to the warp becoming the fucked up place it is "today," but all because of a lot of drama with the lesser races. The Old Ones [[Not As Planned|didn't intend]] ([[Just As Planned|or did they]]?) for it to get that way because, being a race of Energy beings (at this point), it was more or less their home for all intents and purposes.

The Eldar in particular were one of the first races the old ones uplifted (or created, fluff varies), and due to their absurd reproductive capabilities (basically space rabbits) Were both technologically on par with the old ones, and the most populous race in the galaxy after only a few centuries.

It's basically impossible to talk what went down next without talking about What happened with the [[Necrontyr]]. The Necrontyr had grown up beneath a wretched sun that poured radiation upon them (this radiation may in fact have been Star Vampire shit or merely attracted them, more on them in a bit), so their lives were, without exception, incredibly short (although it's not clear ''how'' short). Nevertheless, they managed to scrape together a small interstellar empire, with different star systems ruled by different [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]]. However, with the First War of Secession, the empire fell into infighting, as the dynasties violently jockeyed for power.

The [[Triarch]] decided a war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Necrontyr together, and so declared war on the Old Ones, claiming the ''casus belli'' of "you didn't share immortality with us poor, pitiful, mortal creatures." Though lore also says they just wanted medical help so they wouldn’t be in constant pain. The Old Ones refused. This was, as would be expected, a popular cause, and started the so-called [[War in Heaven]]. Why some races were gifted with immortality and others not is unclear, but is probably down to what their particular purpose was (one tenuous but curious connection between the [[Old Ones]] and the [[Cabal]] alluded to above is that the Cabal can apparently create [[Perpetual]]s. If there is a connection, and there are some other hints as well, then the Cabal is the Old Ones, or some vestige of a coalition of immortals appointed by them, trying to un[[Nurgle|fuck]] the [[Slaanesh|fuckery]] that they [[Khorne|fucked up]] the [[Tzeentch|fucking warp]] with by screwing over the only being Chaos is genuinely so scared shitless of they cannot even say his mere title without agony and so just call him “The Anathema”.)

Anyhow, back to the War in Heaven. Despite having much greater numbers and mastery of conventional technology which matched or even exceeded that held by the Old Ones, the Necrontyr did not have access to the Webway, and so were constantly outmaneuvered (even though they could teleport across interstellar distances and build portals...so just suspend your disbelief at the out-maneuvering bit). Soon, the Necrontyr were scattered and left with only a few coreworlds to the galactic north. With the War in Heaven collapsing, the Second War of Secession began, and the Necrontyr began to tear themselves apart again.

Before Necrontyr society collapsed entirely, however, the Necrontyr discovered the [[C'tan]], the Star Gods, leaching on some of their stars. The Necrontyr made metallic bodies for the C'tan, which barely contained their incredible power, as they were basically material universe's equivalent to the [[Chaos Gods]].

The C'tan known as the Messenger (later the [[Deceiver]]) offered the Necrontyr a solution: living metal bodies that were nearly indestructible, in exchange for their service to the C'tan. The Necrontyr accepted, only for them to realize too late that their new bodies required the destruction of their souls and their enslavement to the C'tan. For some reason, the Necrontyr were also renamed the Necrons at this point. One of the C'tan, known as the "Burning One," also helped the newly-robotic Necrons enter the Webway using the [[Dolmen Gate]]s. With the field leveled, the Necrons were now able to take the fight to the Old Ones.

At this point, the Old Ones created many of the aforementioned warrior races, especially the Krork, but even these couldn't stop the Necrons. The wild misuse of the Warp had also spawned the [[Enslavers]] (or, at least, let them enter the material universe), obliterating many of the Old Ones. The birth of [[Chaos]] caused by the corruption of the Warp by the dying emanations of countless warrior races probably didn't help either, to say the least. Incidentally, this also means that the current state of Grimdark in the galaxy is all their fault. With the Old Ones thus weakened, the Necrons and their C'tan allies were able to annihilate the rest of them, at least according to Codex: Necrons 5th Edition. After that, the eldar discovered that by using the webway could create constructs capable of housing the dead, and damage the C’tan. the Necrons exploited the weakened state of the C'tan and turned on their masters; while they were successful in breaking them into countless "shards" of their former power and permanently killed at least one, they feared the retaliation of the Eldar and the other surviving warrior races and went into hibernation until they were ready to rebuild their empire. Ironically they might have been able to play things off as them having been enslaved and blame the war on the C’tan. Especially after they shattered the C’tan.

Although most races aren't aware of their Old Ones heritage, they still made a great impact on the nascent races. In particular, at least according to ''[[Xenology]],'' many races, including the Eldar, have very similar gods, including a [[Khaine|bloody-handed warrior]], a [[Vaul|great smith]], a [[Isha|life-giving goddess of the harvest]], a [[Cegorach|laughing god]], etc. It seems that these gods were inspired by the Old Ones, <s>although whether they're based on particular Old Ones or just general concepts of what they did is uncertain</s>. It was mostly conceptual though since the eldar and old ones were contemporaries by this point. If you read the examples of gods above and thought by yourself: "Haven't I heard of this in real ancient religions at some point?", and if you can then connect ''that'' revelation to The [[Emperor]], congratulations - you know basic mythology.

Also, in [[Hrud]] mythology (again, according to ''Xenology''), there's one last Old One named Qah that only left 500,000 years ago (i.e., long after the Necrons entered hibernation), promising to return when the Hrud reunite to fight the C'tan again. This would imply that, in fact, the Old Ones were ''not'' destroyed entirely by the Necrons, and a few hid or escaped. While this was presumed retconned for a long time, recent fluff has noted that [[Eldrad]] has predicted the impending return of the "Old Masters" and the newly discovered seventh Blackstone Fortress's pristine state suggests they may indeed still live. You can proceed with theorycrafting over whether they made a deal with the Emperor and/or some of the Eldar to fix shit up.

The idea that some of the Old Ones survived is also found in [[Grot]] folk tales. So goes the story, the last of the "Brain Boyz" (Ork term for the Old Ones) hid among the Krorks in the last years of the War in Heaven. But slowly, the Old Ones devolved into the servants of their former slaves. And being enslaved made them degrade further and further, until today they exist only as the [[Snotling]]s, those extra tiny Grots that can just about hold a box of tools without forgetting to breathe and keeling over. The Orks have heard of these folk tales, and get a good chuckle out of it; the story could be completely true for all they care, which is not at all.

== Connections ==
In very early editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 (i.e. when the former was still called "Warhammer" because it was the ''only'' Warhammer, and when the latter was still called [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]]), it was implied that the two universes were very closely linked, if not one and the same. Now, not so much; but the warpish links discussed above, while obscure and speculative, are probably still true. Chaos warbands in Fantasy could get their hands on [[bolters]] and [[powered armor]], and [[Beastmen]] and Space Dwarfs (called [[Squats]]) were regular parts of Imperial and Chaos armies in 40K. The Old Ones were described as coming from space even in the 8th edition Fantasy rulebook, and the 3rd edition Necron codex suggested using [[Lizardmen]] minifigures to represent their descendants.

{{Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Xenos]]

Old Ones (Warhammer)

2021-07-04T09:13:59Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Warhammer Fantasy */

[[Image:Slaad_4.jpg|thumb| <s>The Slann are called ''Slaad™'' in Dungeons & Dragons; original characters [[OGL|do not steal]].</s> The Slaad came out in the fiend folio in 1981, a full 2 years before the <s>Slaan</s> Slann (on a side note, Slaa means "pleasure" or "extatic" in Daemon's Tongue, Slaa'leth --> Slaanesh ; it has no link at all with the Old Ones or the Slann super species) were invented, get your facts straight heretic. ]]
'''Old Ones''' of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] and [[Warhammer 40,000]] were major actors in the deep backstory of both worlds. There is some debate about whether they are actually the same people in each.

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
In [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Old Ones are psychic frog-men from beyond the stars (big silver space-ships are mentioned even in the latest main rulebooks).
Knowing [[Chaos]] would one day appear in this reality and attempt to consume it (how they knew is unspecified) they decided to create a race of beings capable of keeping Chaos at bay forever, or even beat them (we don't know how ambitious they were). They reshaped the world, during which they created the [[Lizardmen]] races to aid them. The [[Slann]] were simply less intelligent reproductions of themselves, the Saurus were their bodyguards and had very few thoughts in their head other than whatever their current task is and the general calm reverence of the Slann and Old Ones (so born Space Marines), and the Skinks as the tiny frantic servants to the Slann. Requiring more magical power, they established [[Age of Sigmar|Realm Gates]] at the north and south poles of the world, through which they were able to travel freely between the world and wherever they came from. They also siphoned pure (AKA formless raw potential, pre-Chaos God alignment) Chaos magic into the world [[Derp|in order to protect the world from Chaos]], which worked exactly as well as you'd imagine. They made peace with the local natural intelligent life, the dragons, and educated them as best they could. This knowledge would later pass onto the first created race of the Old Ones as the two races would become BFFs. Old Ones noticed the presence of [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] around this time, the Old Ones [[Fail|brought to the world unknowingly]] in the form of spores which grew up to be the greenskins. They tasked the slow-reproducing Lizardmen with wiping them out, again with predictable results.

First, they created [[High Elves|Elves]]. They shaped a continent called [[Ulthuan]] which actually floats above the ocean like a giant ship for them to dwell on, and instructed the Slann to teach the earliest of them magic (it's unknown if the [[Warhammer Fantasy Elf Gods|Elven gods]] were formed by the Slann or Old Ones, or if they came later out of belief; evidence supports the former as [[Isha]] is the mother of all mortal elves with [[Kurnous]] and as such the gods may have been proto-elves). As they surveyed the Elven race, they decided the Elves could not beat Chaos alone due to being frail and having a low birth rate despite potential for mastery of magic and a VERY strong resistance to the Warp.

Next, [[Dwarfs]] were created. The Dwarfs actually resisted magic innately and in their presence it shifts back into formless current and seeps back into the Warp. The Dwarfs were hardy, and could physically bully magic into doing what they wanted it to (hence becoming great smiths of magic weapons free from Chaos taint using runes). However, the Dwarfs were stubborn and would not adapt fast enough in the face of demon trickery. The Old Ones abandoned yet another of their creations.

The next race created was humanity (<s>in the heart of Africa</s> in the fertile crescent, which wraps around the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and a little inland at Syria and Iraq), which combined the magical aptitude of the elves (to a lesser degree) with the durability of the dwarves (to a lesser degree). Humanity's short lifespan with rapid reproduction along with ambition and lust not seen in their elder races combined would enable humans to have time to adapt and overcome anything Chaos could send at them. But humanity was <s>as weak-willed as it was strong</s> vulnerable to Chaos due to their ambition. Ambition and adaptability was a great strength that could service them against Chaos, but it was also a horrible weakness that made mankind too physically and mentally malleable. Ultimately, it came down to the choice of the individual; either they resist temptation or fall prey to their ambitions. Considering humanity is the species that kicks the shit out of Chaos all the time, clearly we are a resounding success as opposed to all the rest who proved rather pathetic or a severe problem in the fight against the Ruinous Powers. Although it's worth noting that humans (including Beastmen) also make up a majority of Chaos's forces in the world (especially after the retcon that had Dark Elves like Atharti instead of Slaanesh). Nobody’s perfect. (Although it’s also, ALSO worth noting that the Elves gave the world [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|emo cock-n-ball torturers]] and the Dwarves [[Chaos Dwarves|angry short men in a ‘biggest hat contest’]])

The Old Ones created [[Halflings]] next, although nobody really knows why. They were resistant to mutation but that's about it. Small, frail, cowardly and unassuming, they were an abysmal failure as Halflings aren't really good at much other than cooking and eating. In a way they were the proto-Ogres.

Various other races were created, more or less filling the gap of both anything added to the game down the road as well as anything fans can come up with. The sky titans were one such race, having the magical aptitude and intelligence of humans, and the durability of the dwarfs. However, they were too isolated and too solitary, and were likely just an artistic project. There may have been others, but it is likely that many of these proto-races were wiped out by the lizardmen, with only the most "stable" being allowed to exist (men, elves, dwarfs)

Finally, the [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] were created by combining the best aspects of Men, Dwarfs and halflings. They were highly resistant to Chaos yet still possessing magical talent, having a long lifespan like elves, with a fast reproduction rate they'd be able to outlast Chaos, being highly durable, being able to cooperate with just about any race and quickly adapt to their customs, and finally stubborn enough to not fall to Chaos willingly in most cases. In addition to this, they are able to survive on just about any food, from meat to tree trunks to rocks. As the Old Ones prepared to endow their newest masterpiece with gifts, the Warp Gates collapsed and Chaos entered the world. The Ogres, left with a growing population in a relatively stable environment, were not gifted with any taught culture. As a result, despite being fairly intelligent creatures on par with dwarves, elves or humans, the ogres were not unified, and had to grow as a natural race, unaware of and unwilling to engage in the purpose they were designed for. They thus became tribes of increasing size which spread out across the world and served every faction (including Chaos and it's servants). It's also worth mentioning that the Old Ones couldn't work out a kink in the ogre design present in even their halfling forebears, that being their [[Tyranids|enormous appetites]].

Why the Old Ones never looked at their failed creations and thought about putting them together in a lizardmen style caste system is unknown. Dwarfs as the industrialists and infantry, Elves as artisans, scholars and mages, Ogres as the shock troops and heavy lifters, and humans to fill in anywhere they were needed would have worked out perfectly.

Instead, Chaos ran amok with as the Four and their allies got off their collective asses, gained followers and physical influence in the world, and started fucking shit up. It's worth noting there's a subtle disconnect from 40K in that Chaos and the Old Ones were there ''all along'', <s>as Fantasy Chaos has no Genesis</s> true, kinda, but there's less metaphysical difference between the two settings than at first glance because, you know, warpfuckery; different worlds, same warp, so a few of the rules are different (what rules? It's the fucking ''warp''), same Gods, too. As for the "emergence of the Gods" in 40K, they ''do'' coalesce psychically but also aren't bound by the rules of time (cf. the 40K Old Ones were against Chaos ''way'' before any of them were said to be "born"; and though [[Slaanesh]] is the edgy youngster "born" fairly recently it has been stated canonically to have influenced events ''before'' the Fall of the Eldar in 40K; it's probably the same for the others--imagine the time Tzeentch is having.) The exact nature of the Old Ones, the gods, and how the world got to where it is now is a subject of [[skub|endless debate]] and conjecture among fans.

It's unknown what happened to the Old Ones. It's possible that they fell into the Warp and were consumed. It's possible they fled the world, leaving it to it's fate as they tried again elsewhere. It's also possible they remain in hiding, either guiding the mortal races to grow in strength and thwart Chaos or watching as their master plan unfolds leading to true victory. Either way, they're gone.

Lizardmen began worshiping the Old Ones as gods, with Slann pondering the messages left by their masters on golden tablets (which is apparently how all Old One communications were relayed, just like [[Heresy|the Mormons]]) to the smallest detail, and acted on interpretation. At times this has resulted in [[Lawful Stupid|counter-productive things]] like an attempt at world recreation which caused most of the Dwarf race to die and greenskins take over their fortresses and breed in numbers never before seen. At other times great things have happened according to plan, such as when they have prepared for and beheld the coming of a [[Sotek|god]] prophesied by the Old Ones, who immediately consumed the [[Skaven|minions]] of a [[Horned Rat|rogue Greater Daemon/minor Chaos God]] and drove him from the material plane.

At [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion|some point]], one of the resident non-Chaos [[Malekith|villains]] learned the words the Old Ones used to shape the world. With it (at GREAT physical and spiritual taxation of himself) he reduced fortresses the size of modern cities into atoms.

In older canon, the Old Ones did not create or predate the other races (in fact, one [[Drachenfels|old lich]] mentions remembering the coming of the Old Ones with disdain as something that came long after his first death). Instead they were simply space travelers, and the Slann were their retarded and decadent inbred descendants.

The end times revealed that this warhammer world was not the first, but just one in an eternal cycle. While men, elves and dwarfs all seem to fit in with this cycle, the old ones do not. It has been suggested that the Old ones were actually the surviving slann from the last world, and that the slann who managed to escape the destruction of the warhammer world will return to the next one as the new old ones.

== Warhammer Age of Sigmar ==
Now it is currently unknown who reshaped the world, but if what was told above is true, then the old slanns became the new Old Ones, deciding to reshape the world as 8 different realms made out of the Old World's winds of Magic, though all of the above has not been confirmed yet, what we do know is that the old ones did create the realmgates, portal to and from different realms, allowing connection and travel to other worlds , and presumably also created the allpoints, a mini-realm that acts as as a hub-world to access all other realms, which is right now in Archaon's possession....ups.

Also this would mean that technically, Lord Kroak is an Old One now, which makes sense given how stupid powerful he is.

== Warhammer 40,000 ==
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Old Ones were a race or group of races that were among the very first intelligent races in the galaxy, if not ''the'' first (heavily implied to be so.) Usually, they are referred to as a single, specific race. However, Codex: Eldar 4th Edition, as well as some of the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]] supplements, claim that they were actually a ''group'' of the earliest races, who all worked together, which, given that Chaos (such as it was back then) was anathema to him, makes us think of ''another'' [[The Cabal|"rainbow coalition"]] many millions of years later.

[[File:TTS old ones.png|thumb|left|The Old Ones as they appear in [[TTS]].]]
They were incredibly potent psykers (especially since the [[Warp]] was calm back in those days), had access to the [[Webway]] (and may have built or discovered and expanded it), and had supremely advanced genetic engineering techniques. They created the Krork (likely the ancestors of modern [[Ork]]s),[[Laer]], [[Jokaero]] (showing that they have a sense of humor), the [[Hrud]], the Rashan, the K'nib, and many others; some of these were created solely as warrior-races, whereas many (like the human predecessors who didn’t exist then and so probably weren’t and some say beings that would evolve humanity’s ancestors were not altered or created by the Old Ones but instead left alone) were created merely as part of planetary ecosystems, or maybe just for shits and giggles. They also “uplifted” ( in that they already existed but we’re still relatively primitive so the old ones made them smarter and probably gave them fire .) [[Eldar]], [[Humans]], And [[Necrontyr]] (but since the Necrontyr met the Old Ones for the first time much later, this claim is unlikely). Because they believe that they could one day achieve the same greatness they did… Good God how they were [[FAIL|wrong]] (ironically a lost cause like the poor frail humans are destined to become New Man like the Emperor, far beyond mere Old Ones seeing as his blows during the duel with Horus could have destroyed planets according to the story), (More on that later). The Old Ones were immortal (due to evolving so damn hard that they became energy beings), a gift they seem to have given in some form to [[Perpetual|only]] [[Eldar|some]] of their creations; and also, and of great importance, these races had ''souls'', which gave them presence in the Warp, where the Old Ones were getting up to their own stuff in as well. This eventually of course lead to the warp becoming the fucked up place it is "today," but all because of a lot of drama with the lesser races. The Old Ones [[Not As Planned|didn't intend]] ([[Just As Planned|or did they]]?) for it to get that way because, being a race of Energy beings (at this point), it was more or less their home for all intents and purposes.

The Eldar in particular were one of the first races the old ones uplifted (or created, fluff varies), and due to their absurd reproductive capabilities (basically space rabbits) Were both technologically on par with the old ones, and the most populous race in the galaxy after only a few centuries.

It's basically impossible to talk what went down next without talking about What happened with the [[Necrontyr]]. The Necrontyr had grown up beneath a wretched sun that poured radiation upon them (this radiation may in fact have been Star Vampire shit or merely attracted them, more on them in a bit), so their lives were, without exception, incredibly short (although it's not clear ''how'' short). Nevertheless, they managed to scrape together a small interstellar empire, with different star systems ruled by different [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]]. However, with the First War of Secession, the empire fell into infighting, as the dynasties violently jockeyed for power.

The [[Triarch]] decided a war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Necrontyr together, and so declared war on the Old Ones, claiming the ''casus belli'' of "you didn't share immortality with us poor, pitiful, mortal creatures." Though lore also says they just wanted medical help so they wouldn’t be in constant pain. The Old Ones refused. This was, as would be expected, a popular cause, and started the so-called [[War in Heaven]]. Why some races were gifted with immortality and others not is unclear, but is probably down to what their particular purpose was (one tenuous but curious connection between the [[Old Ones]] and the [[Cabal]] alluded to above is that the Cabal can apparently create [[Perpetual]]s. If there is a connection, and there are some other hints as well, then the Cabal is the Old Ones, or some vestige of a coalition of immortals appointed by them, trying to un[[Nurgle|fuck]] the [[Slaanesh|fuckery]] that they [[Khorne|fucked up]] the [[Tzeentch|fucking warp]] with by screwing over the only being Chaos is genuinely so scared shitless of they cannot even say his mere title without agony and so just call him “The Anathema”.)

Anyhow, back to the War in Heaven. Despite having much greater numbers and mastery of conventional technology which matched or even exceeded that held by the Old Ones, the Necrontyr did not have access to the Webway, and so were constantly outmaneuvered (even though they could teleport across interstellar distances and build portals...so just suspend your disbelief at the out-maneuvering bit). Soon, the Necrontyr were scattered and left with only a few coreworlds to the galactic north. With the War in Heaven collapsing, the Second War of Secession began, and the Necrontyr began to tear themselves apart again.

Before Necrontyr society collapsed entirely, however, the Necrontyr discovered the [[C'tan]], the Star Gods, leaching on some of their stars. The Necrontyr made metallic bodies for the C'tan, which barely contained their incredible power, as they were basically material universe's equivalent to the [[Chaos Gods]].

The C'tan known as the Messenger (later the [[Deceiver]]) offered the Necrontyr a solution: living metal bodies that were nearly indestructible, in exchange for their service to the C'tan. The Necrontyr accepted, only for them to realize too late that their new bodies required the destruction of their souls and their enslavement to the C'tan. For some reason, the Necrontyr were also renamed the Necrons at this point. One of the C'tan, known as the "Burning One," also helped the newly-robotic Necrons enter the Webway using the [[Dolmen Gate]]s. With the field leveled, the Necrons were now able to take the fight to the Old Ones.

At this point, the Old Ones created many of the aforementioned warrior races, especially the Krork, but even these couldn't stop the Necrons. The wild misuse of the Warp had also spawned the [[Enslavers]] (or, at least, let them enter the material universe), obliterating many of the Old Ones. The birth of [[Chaos]] caused by the corruption of the Warp by the dying emanations of countless warrior races probably didn't help either, to say the least. Incidentally, this also means that the current state of Grimdark in the galaxy is all their fault. With the Old Ones thus weakened, the Necrons and their C'tan allies were able to annihilate the rest of them, at least according to Codex: Necrons 5th Edition. After that, the eldar discovered that by using the webway could create constructs capable of housing the dead, and damage the C’tan. the Necrons exploited the weakened state of the C'tan and turned on their masters; while they were successful in breaking them into countless "shards" of their former power and permanently killed at least one, they feared the retaliation of the Eldar and the other surviving warrior races and went into hibernation until they were ready to rebuild their empire. Ironically they might have been able to play things off as them having been enslaved and blame the war on the C’tan. Especially after they shattered the C’tan.

Although most races aren't aware of their Old Ones heritage, they still made a great impact on the nascent races. In particular, at least according to ''[[Xenology]],'' many races, including the Eldar, have very similar gods, including a [[Khaine|bloody-handed warrior]], a [[Vaul|great smith]], a [[Isha|life-giving goddess of the harvest]], a [[Cegorach|laughing god]], etc. It seems that these gods were inspired by the Old Ones, <s>although whether they're based on particular Old Ones or just general concepts of what they did is uncertain</s>. It was mostly conceptual though since the eldar and old ones were contemporaries by this point. If you read the examples of gods above and thought by yourself: "Haven't I heard of this in real ancient religions at some point?", and if you can then connect ''that'' revelation to The [[Emperor]], congratulations - you know basic mythology.

Also, in [[Hrud]] mythology (again, according to ''Xenology''), there's one last Old One named Qah that only left 500,000 years ago (i.e., long after the Necrons entered hibernation), promising to return when the Hrud reunite to fight the C'tan again. This would imply that, in fact, the Old Ones were ''not'' destroyed entirely by the Necrons, and a few hid or escaped. While this was presumed retconned for a long time, recent fluff has noted that [[Eldrad]] has predicted the impending return of the "Old Masters" and the newly discovered seventh Blackstone Fortress's pristine state suggests they may indeed still live. You can proceed with theorycrafting over whether they made a deal with the Emperor and/or some of the Eldar to fix shit up.

The idea that some of the Old Ones survived is also found in [[Grot]] folk tales. So goes the story, the last of the "Brain Boyz" (Ork term for the Old Ones) hid among the Krorks in the last years of the War in Heaven. But slowly, the Old Ones devolved into the servants of their former slaves. And being enslaved made them degrade further and further, until today they exist only as the [[Snotling]]s, those extra tiny Grots that can just about hold a box of tools without forgetting to breathe and keeling over. The Orks have heard of these folk tales, and get a good chuckle out of it; the story could be completely true for all they care, which is not at all.

== Connections ==
In very early editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 (i.e. when the former was still called "Warhammer" because it was the ''only'' Warhammer, and when the latter was still called [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]]), it was implied that the two universes were very closely linked, if not one and the same. Now, not so much; but the warpish links discussed above, while obscure and speculative, are probably still true. Chaos warbands in Fantasy could get their hands on [[bolters]] and [[powered armor]], and [[Beastmen]] and Space Dwarfs (called [[Squats]]) were regular parts of Imperial and Chaos armies in 40K. The Old Ones were described as coming from space even in the 8th edition Fantasy rulebook, and the 3rd edition Necron codex suggested using [[Lizardmen]] minifigures to represent their descendants.

{{Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Xenos]]

Old Ones (Warhammer)

2021-07-04T09:10:56Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Warhammer Fantasy */

[[Image:Slaad_4.jpg|thumb| <s>The Slann are called ''Slaad™'' in Dungeons & Dragons; original characters [[OGL|do not steal]].</s> The Slaad came out in the fiend folio in 1981, a full 2 years before the <s>Slaan</s> Slann (on a side note, Slaa means "pleasure" or "extatic" in Daemon's Tongue, Slaa'leth --> Slaanesh ; it has no link at all with the Old Ones or the Slann super species) were invented, get your facts straight heretic. ]]
'''Old Ones''' of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] and [[Warhammer 40,000]] were major actors in the deep backstory of both worlds. There is some debate about whether they are actually the same people in each.

== Warhammer Fantasy ==
In [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], the Old Ones are psychic frog-men from beyond the stars (big silver space-ships are mentioned even in the latest main rulebooks).
Knowing [[Chaos]] would one day appear in this reality and attempt to consume it (how they knew is unspecified) they decided to create a race of beings capable of keeping Chaos at bay forever, or even beat them (we don't know how ambitious they were). They reshaped the world, during which they created the [[Lizardmen]] races to aid them. The [[Slann]] were simply less intelligent reproductions of themselves, the Saurus were their bodyguards and had very few thoughts in their head other than whatever their current task is and the general calm reverence of the Slann and Old Ones (so born Space Marines), and the Skinks as the tiny frantic servants to the Slann. Requiring more magical power, they established [[Age of Sigmar|Realm Gates]] at the north and south poles of the world, through which they were able to travel freely between the world and wherever they came from. They also siphoned pure (AKA formless raw potential, pre-Chaos God alignment) Chaos magic into the world [[Derp|in order to protect the world from Chaos]], which worked exactly as well as you'd imagine. They made peace with the local natural intelligent life, the dragons, and educated them as best they could. This knowledge would later pass onto the first created race of the Old Ones as the two races would become BFFs. Old Ones noticed the presence of [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]] around this time, the Old Ones [[Fail|brought to the world unknowingly]] in the form of spores which grew up to be the greenskins. They tasked the slow-reproducing Lizardmen with wiping them out, again with predictable results.

First, they created [[High Elves|Elves]]. They shaped a continent called [[Ulthuan]] which actually floats above the ocean like a giant ship for them to dwell on, and instructed the Slann to teach the earliest of them magic (it's unknown if the [[Warhammer Fantasy Elf Gods|Elven gods]] were formed by the Slann or Old Ones, or if they came later out of belief; evidence supports the former as [[Isha]] is the mother of all mortal elves with [[Kurnous]] and as such the gods may have been proto-elves). As they surveyed the Elven race, they decided the Elves could not beat Chaos alone due to being frail and having a low birth rate despite potential for mastery of magic and a VERY strong resistance to the Warp.

Next, [[Dwarfs]] were created. The Dwarfs actually resisted magic innately and in their presence it shifts back into formless current and seeps back into the Warp. The Dwarfs were hardy, and could physically bully magic into doing what they wanted it to (hence becoming great smiths of magic weapons free from Chaos taint using runes). However, the Dwarfs were stubborn and would not adapt fast enough in the face of demon trickery. The Old Ones abandoned yet another of their creations.

The next race created was humanity (<s>in the heart of Africa</s> in the fertile crescent, which wraps around the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and a little inland at Syria and Iraq), which combined the magical aptitude of the elves (to a lesser degree) with the durability of the dwarves (to a lesser degree). Humanity's short lifespan with rapid reproduction along with ambition and lust not seen in their elder races combined would enable humans to have time to adapt and overcome anything Chaos could send at them. But humanity was <s>as weak-willed as it was strong</s> vulnerable to Chaos due to their ambition. Ambition and adaptability was a great strength that could service them against Chaos, but it was also a horrible weakness that made mankind too physically and mentally malleable. Ultimately, it came down to the choice of the individual; either they resist temptation or fall prey to their ambitions. Considering humanity is the species that kicks the shit out of Chaos all the time, clearly we are a resounding success as opposed to all the rest who proved rather pathetic or a severe problem in the fight against the Ruinous Powers. Although it's worth noting that humans (including Beastmen) also make up a majority of Chaos's forces in the world (especially after the retcon that had Dark Elves like Atharti instead of Slaanesh). Nobody’s perfect. (Although it’s also, ALSO worth noting that the Elves gave the world [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|emo cock-n-ball torturers]] and the Dwarves [[Chaos Dwarves|angry short men in a ‘biggest hat contest’]])

The Old Ones created [[Halflings]] next, although nobody really knows why. They were resistant to mutation but that's about it. Small, frail, cowardly and unassuming, they were an abysmal failure as Halflings aren't really good at much other than cooking and eating. In a way they were the proto-Ogres.

Various other races were created, more or less filling the gap of both anything added to the game down the road as well as anything fans can come up with. The sky titans were one such race, having the magical aptitude and intelligence of humans, and the durability of the dwarfs. However, they were too isolated and too solitary, and were likely just an artistic project. There may have been others, but it is Likely that many of these pro to-races were wiped out by the lizardmen, with only the most "stable" being allowed to exist (men, elves, dwarfs)

Finally, the [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] were created by combining the best aspects of Men, Dwarfs and halflings. They were highly resistant to Chaos yet still possessing magical talent, having a long lifespan like elves, with a fast reproduction rate they'd be able to outlast Chaos, being highly durable, being able to cooperate with just about any race and quickly adapt to their customs, and finally stubborn enough to not fall to Chaos willingly in most cases. In addition to this, they are able to survive on just about any food, from meat to tree trunks to rocks. As the Old Ones prepared to endow their newest masterpiece with gifts, the Warp Gates collapsed and Chaos entered the world. The Ogres, left with a growing population in a relatively stable environment, were not gifted with any taught culture. As a result, despite being fairly intelligent creatures on par with dwarves, elves or humans, the ogres were not unified, and had to grow as a natural race, unaware of and unwilling to engage in the purpose they were designed for. They thus became tribes of increasing size which spread out across the world and served every faction (including Chaos and it's servants). It's also worth mentioning that the Old Ones couldn't work out a kink in the ogre design present in even their halfling forebears, that being their [[Tyranids|enormous appetites]].

Why the Old Ones never looked at their failed creations and thought about putting them together in a lizardmen style caste system is unknown. Dwarfs as the industrialists and infantry, Elves as artisans, scholars and mages, Ogres as the shock troops and heavy lifters, and humans to fill in anywhere they were needed would have worked out perfectly.

Instead, Chaos ran amok with as the Four and their allies got off their collective asses, gained followers and physical influence in the world, and started fucking shit up. It's worth noting there's a subtle disconnect from 40K in that Chaos and the Old Ones were there ''all along'', <s>as Fantasy Chaos has no Genesis</s> true, kinda, but there's less metaphysical difference between the two settings than at first glance because, you know, warpfuckery; different worlds, same warp, so a few of the rules are different (what rules? It's the fucking ''warp''), same Gods, too. As for the "emergence of the Gods" in 40K, they ''do'' coalesce psychically but also aren't bound by the rules of time (cf. the 40K Old Ones were against Chaos ''way'' before any of them were said to be "born"; and though [[Slaanesh]] is the edgy youngster "born" fairly recently it has been stated canonically to have influenced events ''before'' the Fall of the Eldar in 40K; it's probably the same for the others--imagine the time Tzeentch is having.) The exact nature of the Old Ones, the gods, and how the world got to where it is now is a subject of [[skub|endless debate]] and conjecture among fans.

It's unknown what happened to the Old Ones. It's possible that they fell into the Warp and were consumed. It's possible they fled the world, leaving it to it's fate as they tried again elsewhere. It's also possible they remain in hiding, either guiding the mortal races to grow in strength and thwart Chaos or watching as their master plan unfolds leading to true victory. Either way, they're gone.

Lizardmen began worshiping the Old Ones as gods, with Slann pondering the messages left by their masters on golden tablets (which is apparently how all Old One communications were relayed, just like [[Heresy|the Mormons]]) to the smallest detail, and acted on interpretation. At times this has resulted in [[Lawful Stupid|counter-productive things]] like an attempt at world recreation which caused most of the Dwarf race to die and greenskins take over their fortresses and breed in numbers never before seen. At other times great things have happened according to plan, such as when they have prepared for and beheld the coming of a [[Sotek|god]] prophesied by the Old Ones, who immediately consumed the [[Skaven|minions]] of a [[Horned Rat|rogue Greater Daemon/minor Chaos God]] and drove him from the material plane.

At [[Defenders of Ulthuan/Sons of Ellyrion|some point]], one of the resident non-Chaos [[Malekith|villains]] learned the words the Old Ones used to shape the world. With it (at GREAT physical and spiritual taxation of himself) he reduced fortresses the size of modern cities into atoms.

In older canon, the Old Ones did not create or predate the other races (in fact, one [[Drachenfels|old lich]] mentions remembering the coming of the Old Ones with disdain as something that came long after his first death). Instead they were simply space travelers, and the Slann were their retarded and decadent inbred descendants.

The end times revealed that this warhammer world was not the first, but just one in an eternal cycle. While men, elves and dwarfs all seem to fit in with this cycle, the old ones do not. It has been suggested that the Old ones were actually the surviving slann from the last world, and that the slann who managed to escape the destruction of the warhammer world will return to the next one as the new old ones.

== Warhammer Age of Sigmar ==
Now it is currently unknown who reshaped the world, but if what was told above is true, then the old slanns became the new Old Ones, deciding to reshape the world as 8 different realms made out of the Old World's winds of Magic, though all of the above has not been confirmed yet, what we do know is that the old ones did create the realmgates, portal to and from different realms, allowing connection and travel to other worlds , and presumably also created the allpoints, a mini-realm that acts as as a hub-world to access all other realms, which is right now in Archaon's possession....ups.

Also this would mean that technically, Lord Kroak is an Old One now, which makes sense given how stupid powerful he is.

== Warhammer 40,000 ==
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], the Old Ones were a race or group of races that were among the very first intelligent races in the galaxy, if not ''the'' first (heavily implied to be so.) Usually, they are referred to as a single, specific race. However, Codex: Eldar 4th Edition, as well as some of the [[Deathwatch (RPG)|Deathwatch]] supplements, claim that they were actually a ''group'' of the earliest races, who all worked together, which, given that Chaos (such as it was back then) was anathema to him, makes us think of ''another'' [[The Cabal|"rainbow coalition"]] many millions of years later.

[[File:TTS old ones.png|thumb|left|The Old Ones as they appear in [[TTS]].]]
They were incredibly potent psykers (especially since the [[Warp]] was calm back in those days), had access to the [[Webway]] (and may have built or discovered and expanded it), and had supremely advanced genetic engineering techniques. They created the Krork (likely the ancestors of modern [[Ork]]s),[[Laer]], [[Jokaero]] (showing that they have a sense of humor), the [[Hrud]], the Rashan, the K'nib, and many others; some of these were created solely as warrior-races, whereas many (like the human predecessors who didn’t exist then and so probably weren’t and some say beings that would evolve humanity’s ancestors were not altered or created by the Old Ones but instead left alone) were created merely as part of planetary ecosystems, or maybe just for shits and giggles. They also “uplifted” ( in that they already existed but we’re still relatively primitive so the old ones made them smarter and probably gave them fire .) [[Eldar]], [[Humans]], And [[Necrontyr]] (but since the Necrontyr met the Old Ones for the first time much later, this claim is unlikely). Because they believe that they could one day achieve the same greatness they did… Good God how they were [[FAIL|wrong]] (ironically a lost cause like the poor frail humans are destined to become New Man like the Emperor, far beyond mere Old Ones seeing as his blows during the duel with Horus could have destroyed planets according to the story), (More on that later). The Old Ones were immortal (due to evolving so damn hard that they became energy beings), a gift they seem to have given in some form to [[Perpetual|only]] [[Eldar|some]] of their creations; and also, and of great importance, these races had ''souls'', which gave them presence in the Warp, where the Old Ones were getting up to their own stuff in as well. This eventually of course lead to the warp becoming the fucked up place it is "today," but all because of a lot of drama with the lesser races. The Old Ones [[Not As Planned|didn't intend]] ([[Just As Planned|or did they]]?) for it to get that way because, being a race of Energy beings (at this point), it was more or less their home for all intents and purposes.

The Eldar in particular were one of the first races the old ones uplifted (or created, fluff varies), and due to their absurd reproductive capabilities (basically space rabbits) Were both technologically on par with the old ones, and the most populous race in the galaxy after only a few centuries.

It's basically impossible to talk what went down next without talking about What happened with the [[Necrontyr]]. The Necrontyr had grown up beneath a wretched sun that poured radiation upon them (this radiation may in fact have been Star Vampire shit or merely attracted them, more on them in a bit), so their lives were, without exception, incredibly short (although it's not clear ''how'' short). Nevertheless, they managed to scrape together a small interstellar empire, with different star systems ruled by different [[Necron Dynasty|dynasties]]. However, with the First War of Secession, the empire fell into infighting, as the dynasties violently jockeyed for power.

The [[Triarch]] decided a war was just what the doctor ordered to keep the Necrontyr together, and so declared war on the Old Ones, claiming the ''casus belli'' of "you didn't share immortality with us poor, pitiful, mortal creatures." Though lore also says they just wanted medical help so they wouldn’t be in constant pain. The Old Ones refused. This was, as would be expected, a popular cause, and started the so-called [[War in Heaven]]. Why some races were gifted with immortality and others not is unclear, but is probably down to what their particular purpose was (one tenuous but curious connection between the [[Old Ones]] and the [[Cabal]] alluded to above is that the Cabal can apparently create [[Perpetual]]s. If there is a connection, and there are some other hints as well, then the Cabal is the Old Ones, or some vestige of a coalition of immortals appointed by them, trying to un[[Nurgle|fuck]] the [[Slaanesh|fuckery]] that they [[Khorne|fucked up]] the [[Tzeentch|fucking warp]] with by screwing over the only being Chaos is genuinely so scared shitless of they cannot even say his mere title without agony and so just call him “The Anathema”.)

Anyhow, back to the War in Heaven. Despite having much greater numbers and mastery of conventional technology which matched or even exceeded that held by the Old Ones, the Necrontyr did not have access to the Webway, and so were constantly outmaneuvered (even though they could teleport across interstellar distances and build portals...so just suspend your disbelief at the out-maneuvering bit). Soon, the Necrontyr were scattered and left with only a few coreworlds to the galactic north. With the War in Heaven collapsing, the Second War of Secession began, and the Necrontyr began to tear themselves apart again.

Before Necrontyr society collapsed entirely, however, the Necrontyr discovered the [[C'tan]], the Star Gods, leaching on some of their stars. The Necrontyr made metallic bodies for the C'tan, which barely contained their incredible power, as they were basically material universe's equivalent to the [[Chaos Gods]].

The C'tan known as the Messenger (later the [[Deceiver]]) offered the Necrontyr a solution: living metal bodies that were nearly indestructible, in exchange for their service to the C'tan. The Necrontyr accepted, only for them to realize too late that their new bodies required the destruction of their souls and their enslavement to the C'tan. For some reason, the Necrontyr were also renamed the Necrons at this point. One of the C'tan, known as the "Burning One," also helped the newly-robotic Necrons enter the Webway using the [[Dolmen Gate]]s. With the field leveled, the Necrons were now able to take the fight to the Old Ones.

At this point, the Old Ones created many of the aforementioned warrior races, especially the Krork, but even these couldn't stop the Necrons. The wild misuse of the Warp had also spawned the [[Enslavers]] (or, at least, let them enter the material universe), obliterating many of the Old Ones. The birth of [[Chaos]] caused by the corruption of the Warp by the dying emanations of countless warrior races probably didn't help either, to say the least. Incidentally, this also means that the current state of Grimdark in the galaxy is all their fault. With the Old Ones thus weakened, the Necrons and their C'tan allies were able to annihilate the rest of them, at least according to Codex: Necrons 5th Edition. After that, the eldar discovered that by using the webway could create constructs capable of housing the dead, and damage the C’tan. the Necrons exploited the weakened state of the C'tan and turned on their masters; while they were successful in breaking them into countless "shards" of their former power and permanently killed at least one, they feared the retaliation of the Eldar and the other surviving warrior races and went into hibernation until they were ready to rebuild their empire. Ironically they might have been able to play things off as them having been enslaved and blame the war on the C’tan. Especially after they shattered the C’tan.

Although most races aren't aware of their Old Ones heritage, they still made a great impact on the nascent races. In particular, at least according to ''[[Xenology]],'' many races, including the Eldar, have very similar gods, including a [[Khaine|bloody-handed warrior]], a [[Vaul|great smith]], a [[Isha|life-giving goddess of the harvest]], a [[Cegorach|laughing god]], etc. It seems that these gods were inspired by the Old Ones, <s>although whether they're based on particular Old Ones or just general concepts of what they did is uncertain</s>. It was mostly conceptual though since the eldar and old ones were contemporaries by this point. If you read the examples of gods above and thought by yourself: "Haven't I heard of this in real ancient religions at some point?", and if you can then connect ''that'' revelation to The [[Emperor]], congratulations - you know basic mythology.

Also, in [[Hrud]] mythology (again, according to ''Xenology''), there's one last Old One named Qah that only left 500,000 years ago (i.e., long after the Necrons entered hibernation), promising to return when the Hrud reunite to fight the C'tan again. This would imply that, in fact, the Old Ones were ''not'' destroyed entirely by the Necrons, and a few hid or escaped. While this was presumed retconned for a long time, recent fluff has noted that [[Eldrad]] has predicted the impending return of the "Old Masters" and the newly discovered seventh Blackstone Fortress's pristine state suggests they may indeed still live. You can proceed with theorycrafting over whether they made a deal with the Emperor and/or some of the Eldar to fix shit up.

The idea that some of the Old Ones survived is also found in [[Grot]] folk tales. So goes the story, the last of the "Brain Boyz" (Ork term for the Old Ones) hid among the Krorks in the last years of the War in Heaven. But slowly, the Old Ones devolved into the servants of their former slaves. And being enslaved made them degrade further and further, until today they exist only as the [[Snotling]]s, those extra tiny Grots that can just about hold a box of tools without forgetting to breathe and keeling over. The Orks have heard of these folk tales, and get a good chuckle out of it; the story could be completely true for all they care, which is not at all.

== Connections ==
In very early editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 (i.e. when the former was still called "Warhammer" because it was the ''only'' Warhammer, and when the latter was still called [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]]), it was implied that the two universes were very closely linked, if not one and the same. Now, not so much; but the warpish links discussed above, while obscure and speculative, are probably still true. Chaos warbands in Fantasy could get their hands on [[bolters]] and [[powered armor]], and [[Beastmen]] and Space Dwarfs (called [[Squats]]) were regular parts of Imperial and Chaos armies in 40K. The Old Ones were described as coming from space even in the 8th edition Fantasy rulebook, and the 3rd edition Necron codex suggested using [[Lizardmen]] minifigures to represent their descendants.

{{Important Species in 40k}}

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]
[[Category:Xenos]]

Ogre Kingdoms

2021-07-04T08:56:47Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* War in the Sky */

[[File:F8eadd7a4470a5bc529656620e73680f.png|thumb|right|350px|A bunch of lards being dudes.]]
{{Topquote|The gluttons dig their own graves with their teeth.|James Howell}}
{{Topquote|Today the Orcs, tomorrow the world. Let them all tremble!|Greaseus Goldtooth’s speech at the Battle of the Fire Mouth, long-winded by Ogre standards}}
The '''Ogre Kingdoms''' are a faction in [[Warhammer Fantasy]], although it's really more of a geographical term than a political term, as Ogres in WFB aren't really "united" in any rational sense. In fact, they're spread out across the Warhammer World, some making up tribes that, in turn, make up the "kingdoms," whereas others serve as mercenaries for other factions (although there's not really an in-game way to represent this as of now).

Ogres used to live in the Warhammer World's equivalent to Mongolia, but they were driven away by the arrival of the [[Great Maw]], some sort of literal giant maw that stuck into the ground and makes Ogres really, really hungry. They began to move westwards, ending up in the massive [[Mountains of Mourn]] to the east of the [[Dark Lands]] (which, in turn, is east of the [[Old World]]). These would eventually become known as the Ogre Kingdoms, but Ogres are continuing to move west, working for some forces and invading (and eating) others.

==History==
===Pre-Chaos===
Way back in the early days of the world, the [[Old Ones (Warhammer)|Old Ones]] knew that [[Chaos]] was approaching and they feverishly worked to find a way to prevent it by engineering a race capable of fighting Daemons and winning. They created [[Lizardmen]] to aid them as servants, and set to work first creating an environment to place the race in to live up to its full potential, then study them and decide if they were a success. First they made the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|Elves]], who were too slow to reproduce and too frail to survive prolonged war. Then the [[Dwarfs]], who were incapable of using magic and too rigid in their culture to change fast enough to adapt to [[Daemon]] trickery. Then they created [[Humans]], who were too corruptible. At this point the Old Ones began panicking, and created a bunch of races (so everyone who isn't one of the main groups) all of which were flawed in one way or another (the [[Halflings]] of the Moot are in fact prototype Ogres). Finally, they produce the Ogres. At first they seemed to have all the desirable traits the old ones were looking for. They were as adaptable and fast breeding as man, able to survive all but the harshest of conditions, resistant to mutation, long lived, fairly intelligent, and they could eat just about anything. The Ogres were a half-finished race, though, as the old ones had yet to curb the creature's intense hunger. At this point, the [[Warp Gates]] collapsed preventing the Old Ones from distributing the ogres and using them as soldiers. As such, Ogres, despite being the race theoretically capable of fighting Chaos and winning, were left without the means or knowledge of how to do so. Also, ogres are huge, like, REALLY huge, so them being really hungry is a lot more of a problem than you'd think.

===Great Maw===
{{topquote|The feast is OVER! There's no more food! Go home and - wait, no put me down!!!!|Cathayan Emperor, finally sick of the Ogre's nearly eating his empire under the table|}}

Ogres initially lived in tribes, which wandered the steppes of Warhammer Mongolia following nomadic giant animals which they ate whole. This kept them happy for thousands of years. But as the numbers of the Ogres increased, their half-completed environment was unable to support them. They began attempting to cross the passes that lead to the other races of the world. Nearest them was the Humans of [[Cathay]], AKA Warhammer China. Ogres learned stone-age technology such as "fire" and "wheels" from the Cathayans, and for the first time tasted the meat of intelligent beings: and it was FUCKING DELICIOUS. The Emperor of Cathay, who was apparently an immortal dragon god, used his magic and the mages of his court to pull a mysterious creature from space down into the middle of the Ogre lands where it promptly pulled a Tunguska. Said impact reverberated through the world, with all races feeling the shock (Dwarfs everywhere carved Malachite murals of the event, menacing with spikes of Cat Bone. Elves wrote a sonnet about it, which is actually a metaphor for why Dwarfs are short. Humans made up a myth about a hero fucking the Earth God Ishneros bareback). The impact wiped out 2/3 of the Ogre race instantly, and the comet reached the molten core of the world. The land of the Ogres was destroyed, burned to a crisp and rendered mostly lifeless. The survivors of the Ogres believed that they had been punished by an angry god for their sins (what they think those sins were varies from group to group) and they came to worship the giant crater as the physical manifestation of their God. Somehow, this also caused an unnatural hunger for every Ogre that could not be sated. This came to be the basis for their ENTIRE culture, and also lead to the current "fatty boy" look of their race.
Natural selection came into play as the weak were eaten by the strong. The only Ogres that survived this dark era were absolute fucking badasses with skin that could stop cannonballs and muscles underneath that could crack said cannonballs (cannonball soup makes a great pre-cannon team barbeque dish by the way). With tribes consuming themselves into oblivion and survivors being fed on by larger tribes without end as Ogres could never feel satisfied, Ogres had to find new lands and new meats. Cathay was blocked by natural barriers, so westward they went, tribe by tribe.

An Ogre named Groth Onefinger stepped forth and lead his tribe to the site of impact of the comet. The areas surrounding the hole were dangerous enough to kill even the hardened Ogres, and those that survived found that the pit wasn't just a hole. It was a pit, surrounded by muscle and rimmed by teeth. It had no discernible end. It was alive and the dangers around it were simply its intake of breath and respiration. Since that day, Ogres no matter where in the world they were born return at some point in their lives to visit the Great Maw, and all Ogres worship it as their deity and adorn their crafts in images of it.

===War in the Sky===
The Ogres became the first race in the setting to cross the natural boundaries of the Old Ones. They carved their way through impassible mountains and ascended the heights, finding new beasts to eat. Ones that were just as capable of eating them, but regardless still new flesh. Ogres once again passed through a challenge that consumed the weakest of their race, strengthening the survivors and their descendants. In the frozen wastes, everything was capable of preying on Ogres, and tribes couldn't rest or take shelter without being consumed to the last. The Ogres that managed to reach the tops of the peaks found rolling hills of a more temperate climate, where enormous herds of succulent mammoths were tended by their cousins, the Skytitans. The Skytitans had a great civilization on top of what is now the Ancient Giant Lands, only descending the bottom when tending to their herds, and carved fortresses and artwork worthy of Elves and Dwarfs into the peaks. The Ogres initially preyed on the herd animals, which were powerful enough that an entire tribe was needed to kill one (and an entire tribe could find themselves feasting for a longer time than thought possible). The Skytitans didn't take kindly to the Ogre invasion of their lands, and fought a war to render the dwindled race extinct. The weapons of war and magics of the Skytitans slew most of the Ogre race in what came to be known as the War in the Sky, but in the end the dwindled Ogres still outnumbered the Skytitans hundreds to one and the isolated, singular lifestyle of the Skytitans prevented them from uniting, resulting in each Skytitan being besieged and eaten (often alive) in his own home by packs of vermin-like Ogres. Soon most of the race was consumed, the last of the Skytitans having become so large and hardened (as Skytitans grew larger and tougher as they aged) that they were indistinguishable from the mountains themselves, with small numbers of survivors banding together and setting sail on fortresses built on the tops of solidified clouds, but where they went and if they survived the journey is unknown. Some Skytitans fled to other lands on foot, most of them devolving and inbreeding into the current [[Giant|Giants]]: monsters that dwell the hills looking for battle and food (in that order), with no art or culture to speak of, and oftentimes goaded (often with large quantities of alcohol) to march alongside Beastmen, Greenskins, and Chaos devotees.

The victorious Ogres enslaved the Skytitan's children, consumed the mammoth herds of the Skytitans, destroyed their fortresses and covered up ancient carvings depicting the Old Ones and their wisdom with grease paintings (literally, paints made of grease and charcoal from cooking fires) depicting great meals eaten by Ogre tribes. The magical radiation that the Great Maw had sent into the atmosphere made the mountain tops dangerous, and with the depletion of most of the Skytitan's mammoth herds, most Ogres continued westward. Those that stayed turned feral, grew fur, and became Yeti (called "Yhete" in Warhammer).

===Modern Day===

The Ogres ascended the peaks of the Giants and found themselves in the Mountains of Mourn. Here, they found more animals than they had ever dreamed of. They found Dwarfs (who believe a mountain made of solid gold is found somewhere in the Mountains of Mourn, and thus keep attempting to invade), greenskins, [[Skaven]], and Humans. Ogres kept some Goblins as pets and bred (and ate) them, and within a few generations they wound up creating a new race of servile greenskins called [[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]].
Ogres managed to push the semi-intelligent beings who originally inhabited the Mountains of Mourn (called Dragon Ogres) entirely out, driving them north into the Chaos Wastes. They also drove out [[Beastmen]] who had begun to dwell in the lower peaks.

Ogres carved their own territory in these lands out, and Ogre tyrants became more permanent fixtures of tribal rule rather than simply "biggest loudest guy who was still alive in the morning". They fought off any threats that came to the Ogres, among them a Daemon invasion (leading some Ogres to develop a taste for them) and a giant living glacier that the Ogres battled during a particularly bad winter (allegedly alive anyway). When Orc slaves manage to escape the Chaos Dwarfs into the Mountains of Mourn, they fight with the Ogres for land and eventually find their ways into valleys beyond the notice of the Ogres where they begin to build their numbers. At one point Skaven attempt to invade the Ogres. The resulting battles almost lead to extinction among the Skaven, as the Ogres find their way into the tunnels and develop a taste for them.
The tribes expanded, and true diplomacy was born. Eventually some tribes discovered that there was greater gains to be had by being amicable to the smaller races than simply eating them outright, and Ogres spread throughout the world as mercenaries to be hired by anyone who had goods they could convince the Ogres had some value, and edible foes.

Ogres, by the nature of their creation, are resistant to the effects of the [[Warp]], and of magic. Despite this many ended up swearing themselves to Chaos for different reasons, be it the hedonistic encouragements of [[Slaanesh]], the encouragement for slaughter and trophy-taking by [[Khorne]], the similarity between themselves and the servants of [[Nurgle]] as well as the camaraderie of being part of a tribe that will never turn on itself (besides backstabbing the leader, but that's just par for the course), or the fact [[Tzeentch]] will either do the thinking for them so they can just focus on what they do best or give them spiffy mutations like extra mouths so they can eat even more. [[Warriors of Chaos]] make use of the Ogres as living siege weapons, while the Ogres make use of the Warriors as playthings and snacks.
But Ogres are a neutral race, just as likely to learn to read and write (at a very basic level) so they can peruse wanted posters in the Empire for bandits and vampires, all of which make lovely snacks with the bonus that the Ogre ends up with a decent amount of gold at the end with which he can purchase the clothes of an Empire nobleman (fitted about twenty sizes up) with which to dress himself so he can dine with polite society. Sometimes ON polite society if he's lucky enough to be challenged to a duel while there.
Still others sail the world, becoming pirates and devouring sea monster and crew (and ship) alike depending on who they cross paths with. Still others find employ amongst High Elves, being studied by mages of Saphery between battles against [[Dark Elves]].
Some wander [[Wood Elves|Athel Loren]], growing moss from their backs and their skin hardening like bark until they're indistinguishable from treekin themselves.
Other Ogres are even employed by said [[Dark Elves]], who were so impressed by their capacity for brutal violence they recruited Ogres instead of enslaving them.
Ogres today can be found amongst any group in the world, doing whatever they can, always eating, always looking for more. Sometimes individually, sometimes in groups.

===[[Age of Sigmar]]===
Now named "Ogors" (because copyright), they exist in the mortal realms as the [[Ogor Mawtribes]].

==Regions==
* '''Mountains of Mourn:''' Most Ogres are found in the Mountains of Mourn, considered their homeland. Those that wander or make their homes in other lands return, or send representatives, to tell their stories which usually results in some Ogres leaving the homeland and joining them. Sometimes this results in an entire tribe living outside the Mountains of Mourn, but inevitably they will seek contact again with their kin. This is the primary method through which they expand across the globe. The Mountains themselves change constantly, as they are constantly bathed in radiation from the Warp. Many dangerous animals wander the Mountains. To smaller races, these are dangerous beasts worthy of a small Crusade of [[Bretonnia|Bretonnian]] knights, or a party of High Elf White Lions of Chrace, or a hunting party of [[Vampire Counts|Strigoi and ghouls]]. To Ogres, it's either a single meal or a pet. The largest of them are at best mounts. The mountains themselves are full of caves and tunnels that lead to everything from portals to the Warp to Dwarf Fortresses, to greenskin WAAAGH!s in formation, and things ancient and unknowable beyond these; all of which are great sources of meals. Half the peaks are volcanic, half sub arctic. All bother Ogres as much as a bit of rain or sun. Mount Thug is notable in the range for actually being alive, and Ogres have a great deal of respect for those who escape being eaten or crushed by it as they scale its peaks to feed on the bloated animals that live in spaces Mount Thug can't reach. The Fire Mouth is an active volcano with periodic eruptions nearby the greatest concentrations of Ogres, and they believe it's the bastard offspring of the sun and the Great Maw. The Fire Bellies are a cult that worship this "god" which they believe it is the wargod of the Ogre pantheon. Each Kingdom is ruled by a Tyrant, and his domain extends literally as far as he can see at his place of dwelling. Tyrants as such place a big deal of importance on thrones and hills. Tyrants that manage to gain control of important sites, like the passes that lead to the Great Maw or out to the western kingdoms face constant challenges from other Tyrants, and reap the rewards of demanding tribute (often food, sometimes a percentage of the Ogre pilgrims in the group as meat).

* '''Challenge Stone:''' A large stone found at the northernmost edge of the Mountains of Mourn and the southernmost edge of the Chaos Wastes. When held by the Warriors of Chaos, it is fought over and rededicated from one Chaos God to another. When held by Ogres, they fight to inscribe their tribe symbol on the stone for bragging rights the world over. The two races CONSTANTLY fight over the stone. Currently controlled by the Bloodmaw tribe.

* '''The World:''' Seriously. They're fucking everywhere.

==Tribes==
Ogre tribes are numerous, and constantly changing. Most are named for a notable Ogre in them, or a characteristic common to members. Ogres are not the kind to trace lineages or politics outside their own generation, and as such tribes are a mark of the present rather than past or future (some tribes do manage to defy this, existing across multiple generations. This is a rarity). Tribes change locations, even within it's Tyrant's own kingdom, constantly. Memories of the coming of the Great Maw still exist, and it's within the imagination of Ogres that it could happen again one day. As such, Ogres are mostly nomadic and their possessions are few and easily packed. The most valuable thing to an Ogre is his tribe's Mawtooth, a single great tooth and flag which at gatherings of their kind is arranged with others in a circle, making an effigy of their god.

* '''Goldtooth''' A tribe lasting across multiple generations, known to be the wealthiest. Currently led by Greasus Goldtooth(that's Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Gatecrasher Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese to you, peasant!). Known for elaborate displays of wealth, like feeding other tribes and blinging out their gutplates. Goldtooths are known for having a large number of Ironguts, and are the most feared tribe.
<gallery> Image:Goldtooth Tribe.jpg|Goldtooth symbol. </gallery>

* '''Thunderguts''' Known for rampaging through the lands of the Old World and taking over towns or taking hostages, then demanding food as payment. They usually end up either demanding more and more, or eating their hostages. Greenskins and Empire humans alike fear them greatly.
<gallery> Image:Thunderguts Tribe.jpg|Thunderguts symbol. </gallery>

* '''Crossed Clubs''' Known for producing more Maneater mercenaries than other tribes. Also for lying constantly about everything they do, making up tall tales of glory. Each veteran (veterans themselves being a rarity amongst Ogres) wears gear obtained in their travels and proudly displays trophies earned, making them a rather motley crew of clashing colors and gearschemes (obviously the tribe designed for the greenstuff addict in mind).
<gallery> Image:Crossed Clubs.jpg|Crossed Clubs symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Sons of the Mountain''' Living on one of the tallest and coldest peaks in the Mountains of Mourn, the Sons of the Mountain tribe are wealthy from trading the meat, pelts, and ivory of creatures that live only in their home. Many Yhete are found amongst them, and the Ogres of the Sons of the Mountain paint themselves entirely in white paint and dwell amongst the beasts they hunt directly.
<gallery> Image:Sons of the Mountain.jpg|Sons of the Mountain symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Feastmasters''' Known a generation ago for producing high quality meals (for a portion of the feast), the current Tyrant Blaut Feastmaster captured Halflings from the Moot in his travels. To this day, Halflings fill the role for Feastmasters that Gnoblars fulfill for most tribes. As a result, the Feastmaster cooking has improved greatly.
<gallery> Image:Feastmaster.jpg|Feastmaster symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Rock Skulls''' The toughest tribe of Ogres, who are known best for the skill of breaking boulders with their heads (apparently a big deal among Ogres). They're also known for being fairly unintelligent. When Skarsnik the Goblin waged his great wars against the Dwarfs, he brought the entire Rock Skull tribe with him as support. In negotiations with the Goblins for what they were willing to pay for the support of the tribe, he convinced the Rock Skulls to instead pay HIM for them to fight.
<gallery> Image:Rock Skulls.jpg|Rock Skulls symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Blood Guzzlers''' Inhabit the areas of the Mountains of Mourn known to host more giant spiders than anywhere else in the world. That's...pretty much it. They eat spiders.
<gallery> Image:Blood Guzzlers.jpg|Blood Guzzlers symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Ironskins''' Physically powerful Ogres that wear black gutplates. Known for taking massive numbers of captives, and not eating them, they trade freely with the [[Chaos Dwarfs]], and their Tyrant rides a mechanical mount given to him to provide better ties between the two groups.
<gallery> Image:Ironskin.jpg|Ironskin symbol. </gallery>

* '''Lazarghs''' The single oldest tribe, descended from Groth Onefinger himself. Live closest to the ancient Giant lands, most have mutated in various (non-Chaos) ways and cover themselves with cloaks. Their teeth fall out often, leading them to simply jab black jagged rocks directly into their gums, horrifying even the toughest, most scarred Ogres. They carry bells, and hang them to mark the pass to the Great Maw.
<gallery> Image:Lazarghs.jpg|Lazargh symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Mountaineaters''' Recently, an Ogre named Bauldig Mountaineater conquered every challenge Ogres had to offer him. Climbed Mount Thug, fought every beast, and destroyed Bigstride Peak by burrowing in and eating the heart of that mountain. A tribe of fanboys and groupies gathered to him, each eating rocks and dwelling in caves. The only meat they eat comes from subterranean races like goblins, Dwarfs, and Skaven.
<gallery> Image:The Mountaineaters.jpg|Mountaineater symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Eyebiters''' A clan that controls a series of desolate passes leading to and from many of the Ogre lands. They demand large tributes from any who pass through, and raid all settlements and hunt all monsters within their range. The Tyrant of the Eyebiters has fathered more children to grow into adulthood than any Ogre.
<gallery> Image:The Eyebiters.jpg|Eyebiters symbol. </gallery>

==Army==

===Characters===
* '''[[Greasus Goldtooth]]:''' The current Overtyrant of the Ogres in the Mountain of Mourn. Gained leadership of his tribe after killing and eating his own father in a pit fight.

* '''Golgfag Maneater:''' The greatest Ogre mercenary alive, and the one all others are named after. He earned renown fighting against the Dwarves in the World Edge Mountains, eating, fighting and robbing his way into notoriety. At first fighting against the dwarves of Karak Kadrin, then for them after pissing off his Orc employer by drinking all the booze, then robbing the Dwarf King blind, '''after they paid him'''. Golgfag got locked up by those same dwarves later. He impressed Ungrim Ironfist by eating everyone else in the dungeon but his oldest friend(who still lost a leg). Ungrim wept that such a majestic creature was being imprisoned and ordered his release. His rap sheet includes: looting on Ulthuan, being decorated by Karl Franz, coining the Ogre slang word for Knights as "Tinned Food", making and losing countless fortunes, and downing more of the dwarves most prized beer then most of them have even seen. He's so famous that his title of Maneater has become the word for all Ogre Mercenaries. Golgfag got the title after eating his human paymaster and making off with the gold chests. Despite the name he'll eat anything like any other Ogre, though he especially likes halfling. Golgfag leads the renowned and rather imaginatively named mercenary band "Golgfag's Maneaters".

* '''Bragg The Gutsman:''' Traveling bruiser and executioner. As a young Ogre Bragg found he had a talent for killing shit, naturally knowing where to swing for the best results. Bragg was a fairly average brusier until he forged his signature weapon "Great Gutgouger" from the magical axes of a Black Orc Warboss he killed, which increased his killing ability tenfold. What made him infamous however was his discovery that he could cut around other Ogre's gutplates disemboweling them. Ogres are scared shitless of him because of this, since Ogres' guts are sacred to them and Ogre anatomy means its a long, nearly irreversible and agonizing death as their guts unravel after being disemboweled. Bragg realized he had a good thing going, and left his tribe to go solo, taking his one man murder show on the road seeking battle. He is welcomed by all tribes to fight alongside them thanks to his killing ability, but feared and hated as he inevitably cuts someone from that same tribe open for challenging him, at which point he gets kicked out. Bragg isn't bothered one bit, happily leaving to do it all over again somewhere else. He can't become a Tyrant since no Ogres are willing to follow him thanks to his grim reputation, even if he kills the old one. He wears a black hood like some human executioners, figuring if he's got a fierce reputation, might as well make the most of it.

* '''Skrag the Slaughterer:''' The Great Prophet of the Great Maw. Viciously attached to his back is a giant pot, which he fills with enemies AS HE FIGHTS. What he misses is grabbed by Gnoblars in service directly to him (ranking them above even common Ogres) and put into the pot. He was the head Slaughtermaster of the Rockgrinder tribe. He angered the Tyrant by cooking their favorite Gnoblar and serving it to him at a feast. In retribution the Tyrant hacked off and ate both of Skrag's hands, had his pot chained to his body, then cast him into tunnels even Ogres feared. He immediately impaled his former cooking tools into his stumps, and set forth. Long forgotten Gorgers attacked him, and they found themselves hacked up and in his pot. After dicing up their leader, the Gorgers followed him as if members of a tribe he leads. He found himself reaching the surface through a cavern none of the Gorgers had ever seen before. He and his followers set upon the tribe, killing and feasting on them all. Upon putting the finishing touches on a lovely dish made entirely out of the former Tyrant, his wounds sans his missing hands healed and his pot and cooking implements were strengthened with the magic of the Great Maw. Now a tribeless Ogre, Skrag wanders the lands of the Ogres joining in battles whenever he can. Welcomed by all, he not only turns the tide of battle but also prepares and cooks the resulting corpses with great skill.

===Generic Characters===
* '''Tyrant:''' The head of an Ogre tribe. Rules by virtue of his ability to defeat challengers, and reputation. Anyone can challenge the Tyrant for his position in a fight without gutplates where the loser is eaten alive. These fights are the most common form of entertainment for Ogres. Tyrants have the best gear, the most names, and most children of any Ogre in a given tribe.

* '''Bruisers:''' The subordinates of the Tyrants, and oftentimes future Tyrants come from their ranks. They can do anything they want so long as it doesn't offend the Tyrant or their fellow Bruisers. Like the Tyrant, Bruisers can be challenged to one on one combat. The winner eats the loser, and attains the rank of Bruiser.

* '''Slaughtermaster/Butcher:''' The priesthood of the Ogres, Butchers handle all meat considered the property of the Tyrant, Bruisers, or the whole tribe. Considered a direct line between the Great Maw and the common Ogre, Butchers enjoy a position equal to Tyrants but entirely separate. Tyrants take great care not to offend Butchers lest the tribe abandon him fearing a comet crashing down atop their heads. Butchers are known to kill any Ogres who offend them to feed to the group, or to randomly take body parts from the tribe for flavoring. They carry holy implements, all of which aid in cooking or preparing, at all times. They are larger than any other Ogre in any given group, getting the best choice of meat and consuming it (being a direct link between the tribe and the Great Maw). Butchers do not wear gutplates as a declaration of faith that the Great Maw has got their <s>backs</s> guts. Any Ogre child with a gift for magic, or is seen blessed in some way, is taken by a Butcher and fed a copious amount of meat. As he grows, he is fed things that are poisonous and inedible even to ogres to strengthen his gut (based on the real-life practice called mithridatism - ingesting poisons to develop a resistance or immunity to them) things to make his gut ever stronger to hold the essence of the Great Maw. Most Butchers learn the Gut Magic of the Ogres, being things related to their culture like strengthening the skin of Ogres, tenderizing the meat of (still living) enemies, and causing the earth to swallow foes alive as sacrifice "appetizers". Others learn other magic Lores, all in their belief related to the Great Maw (Lore of Heavens=the comet, Lore of Death=consumption from the Great Maw, and so on). Slaughtermasters are simply the leaders amongst the Butchers.

* '''Hunters:''' Lone Ogres who take the role of a WoW huntard. Usually tribeless, they wander through the mountains and wild in search of beasts to prey upon. Sometimes they’ll even take some of them alive and bring them back to some other tribe as a gift to the Tyrant. A feast will be held in the Hunter’s honor where he will tell stories about his adventuress before quietly vanishing back into the wilderness.

* '''Firebellies:''' Strange religious fanatics that worship a volcano called the Fire Mouth. There are three tests. The first is to eat super-hot chili (powerful enough that it's implied to be a laxative, a substitute for boiling oil or both) and keep it down. Then they have to track down and eat a giant firebug that lives in volcanoes. The final test to join the cult is to be dipped into the caldera of the Fire Mouth, eat a mouthful of magma and come out alive. Though, on the upside, those who survive can breathe fire, use fire magic and are almost immune to heat.

===Core===
* '''Ogre Bulls:''' The basic Ogre that lacks any particular rank. Ogres are (repeatedly) described as having a bully mentality by GW (oh the irony). If they want it, they try to take it. If you aren't respecting them enough, or it's been too long since they reminded you WHO gets the respect, they rough you up. The only way to stop them is to prove you're better than them, at which point they'll likely back the fuck off and suck up to you as the new boss (this behavior is reminiscent of Orks in 40k, however Orks tend to naturally follow the biggest whereas Ogres are likely to see "biggest" as a challenge to their own masculinity and attempt to EAT the biggest Ogre, and become the biggest themselves). Generally speaking, most Ogres are dumb as rocks and it takes an extraordinary Ogre to learn lessons. Those that do invariably reach some degree of old age, and probably aren't in this category for long.

* '''Ironguts:''' Ironguts are the basic Ogre, but with armor. They tend to be a bit tougher than their fellows as a means of natural selection, since Ogres squabble amongst each other for gear, so the Ogre who manages to KEEP his equipment is one that can't be challenged by un-armored Ogres for it. The types of equipment varies; for some Ogres, it's the tools from a farm the Ogres consumed (livestock, crops, AND family. Probably the house and their little dog too) bent and tied as weapons and the shield and flattened helmets of the local town guard tied to their limbs for armor. For others, it's a well crated suit of Gromril armor from the Dwarfs who the Ogre has served as a mercenary. Some Ironguts have evolved natural armor, like Ogres who have lived for so long in Nehekhara that the sand has been worn directly into their skin, compacting as they flex until it's almost like they have stone skin. Bruisers and Tyrants have some say as to who is an Irongut and who isn't, as divvying up the spoils of war usually falls to them (if they're giving out any at all). Like Silver Helms for High Elves and Black Orcs for greenskins, Ironguts are the Ogre variety to which most of the race looks to as exemplary of their kind.

* '''[[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]]:''' Small greenskins that evolved to their current state when Ogres moved from the mountains of the Giants to the Mountains of Mourn. Gnoblars have the place of being the singularly most mistreated beings in either Warhammer setting, as Ogres see them somewhere between vermin like insects that are simply a fact of life to deal with, or very low and undepletable slaves. Sometimes as food if there's nothing better around, although some Gnoblars wind up in the position of "favorite hunting dog" as long as the Ogre can remember them. Meanwhile, Gnoblars see Ogres as a mix of living gods and eternal masters. They differ from Goblins in that they are much smaller, and while Goblins have pronounced noses the face of a Gnoblar is mostly nose. This gives them a beak appearance, making them resemble a Jim Henson Muppet character.

===Special===
* '''Leadbelchers:''' Ogres who carry around field cannons as hand weapons, which they will shove just about every jagged object into and hit people with in close quarters. They are typically seen as rather unhinged by their fellow Ogres, which usually means that they get to be good for a bit of fun. Their cannons also look suspiciously like Imperial and dwarven cannons. If these guys don't have at least one scar, such as missing eyes, burnt skin, disfigured faces, etc., they're doing it wrong.

* '''Maneaters:''' If this was D&D these guys would be an ogre adventurer. They can take a variety of special rules and special gear, and make themselves look like the corresponding region they've been working in, such as stabbing feathers into their skull like State Troopers without the headgear, or jabbing sharp rocks into their gums to emulate vampires.

* '''Sabretusk Pack:''' Sabre tooth tigers, but wolves, great for hunting war machines. Though with LD 4 they will run from anything. Standard use is to get a single one and run it into the nearest cannon - If someone focuses it out, they've severely wasted some shots that could've gone to cutting down Ogres.

* '''Yhetees:''' The Ogres frozen, mutant, hillbilly cousins. Got all magical attacks, not really good for much else though. Their models also look even more like deranged chimpanzees than the old Gutter Runner models.

* '''Mournfang Cavalry:''' Ogres on the backs of smaller woolly mammoths (as in "as small as a trebutchet"), great for causing mayhem to your opponents troops. Known for being one of the only things that can scare Chaos Knights.

* '''Gorgers:''' Albino baby ogres sent to die in caves, but these ones survived by eating whatever they can find down there: such as rats, roaches, rocks [[Grimdark|and each other]]. Also known for being pretty useless on the tabletop... But then again, what do you expect from a emaciated albino loser?

===Rare===
* '''Gnoblar Scraplaunchers:''' Sometimes, a group of Gnoblars get together to fight alone - Most of the times, that will be in huge rabbles of mutant Goblins below even slave status, which won't do much other than piss off a unit of Chaos Warriors, but once in a while, they'll get together, find a woolly rhino and strap a chariot to it, on which a catapult is placed. Unfortunately, Gnoblars can only get to the smallest of objects, as Ogres take all the rest, so it's mostly scrap and stuff they throw about with it... Fortunately, there's a lot of scrap in an Ogre camp.

* '''Ironblasters:''' Same chariot, same rhino, but with an Ogre on top, alongside a fucking big cannon, taken from the Skyholds of the Giants back in the day. As such, these cannons are sorta held as relics in the individual tribes, as much as an inedible thing can be to Ogres. Also known for being ''the'' cannon in the game that can move AND shoot. I'll say it again. Move. And. Shoot. Can also charge and kill stuff as a chariot. Truly, Ogre Kingdoms is the superior WFB faction.

* '''Slave Giants:''' Said people the Ogres stole the cannons from. Also made them into inbred animals and reduced them to sub-tribal wandering monsters. Also still use them for battle, because fuck them, right? Basically the same as any other Giant in any other faction, but here, they are enslaved by the race that destroyed their civilization ''unknowingly'', because Ogres never really kept history like that. Ogres are dicks like that.

* '''Stonehorns:''' A mammoth/rhino hybrid with stone bones, and the attitude of a fucking pissed bull in a china shop. Have so great an urge to headbutt any living thing they see that only the youngest of the race have any skin on their forehead, which leads to them looking like Skeletor, if Skeletor was made of stone. They eat minerals and meat, so gemstones protrude from their bones like freckles from skin. For some fucking reason, Ogre Hunters use them as mounts, which really doesn't make sense, as the fucking thing can't stand straight unless it's headbutting the ground it's standing on; also begs the question of how they reproduce since they're so belligerent a Stonehorn of either gender would be too busy head-butting to actually mate. Probably the male has to headbutt the female until she's too tired to fight him then mate with her.

* '''Thundertusks:''' Legends are told about the legendary thundertusk "Fridge" who acompanied a band of ogres through the Empire and coined the term "Fridgereted" for frozen chunks of meat that will keep fresh throughout the winter. Less volatile than the Stonehorn, Thundertusks are used as combined fridge, walking meat and watchtowers, with one or two Ogres sitting on top with ranged weaponry like throwing spears, harpoon launchers held like crossbows and fucking sabertooth-jaws fitted on chains, so the Ogre in question can make the enemy come over to him. Thundertusks are naturally freezy, and makes its surroundings colder by being there. This is quite useful for freezing less tough creatures down, so the Ogres can catch them before they slit their bellies. They even have a frost-breath-like attack for further freezing. Shame it looks like a retarded mandrill fused with a mammoth, but without the trunk. One might find oneself asking how the Thundertusk eats when it has so many tusks and the like in the way. The answer? Well...I don't have one, but hopefully there is one out there somewhere. Edit: Apparently it's a combination of skill, a long and dexterous tongue, and using their tusks to flip the meat of slain prey into the air and directly into their gaping maws.

==Total Warhammer==
Ogre Mercenaries are going to be recruitable for all factions after getting their FLC through Total War Access, with individual locations that they can be recruited from randomly appearing around areas where conflicts and battles occur, as is frankly logical for mercenaries. These mercenary units include thicc dual-wielding ogres, thicc Maneaters wielding a weapon and a "pistol", and extra thicc Mournfang Cavalry. This is certainly just a taste (heh) of the Ogres before the full Ogre Kingdoms factions release as DLC for [[Total War: Warhammer|Total Warhammer]] 3, which really wasn't that all surprising given the Ogre Kingdoms were always a full faction in WFB while the iffier sorts of Kislev and Cathay were confirmed for 3's release factions instead.

==Misc Fluff==
* Ogres don't have priests. Butchers and cooks are their holy men. The only interest Ogres have in the faiths of others is in traditions related to eating. This can be awkward when, in the company of a group of Sigmarites for example, the Ogre bodyguard keeps commenting on how he can't wait for someone to die for the funeral feast (even more awkward when he thinks that eating the body of the deceased is part of it).
* Most Ogres wear a piece of armor over their stomach, a gutplate. Gutplates are sort of the equivalent of full plate armor for Ogres, as their most important organs are all hidden behind the large race-wide paunch they have. Helmets and shoulderpads are secondary as anything big enough to pierce an ogre's head and shoulders with weapons would likely ignore the armor anyway. Plus, given their fixation on eating and the god they worship, their guts are considered sacred.
* In older lore, Tyrants love their favorite weapons. An Ogre touching the Tyrant's weapon, who wasn't the Tyrant himself, was punished by being force-fed their own hands.
* Ogres enjoy pitfighting, and use it to settle disputes. The winner is allowed to eat part of the loser, ranging from an appendage (such as a nose) to an entire limb. If Ogres remove their gutplates in a pit fight, that means it's a fight to the death where the winner will eat the loser in front of the crowd.
* Ogres are known to collect names. Their first name is usually a guttural sound made by the mother or father upon seeing the infant, the last being their tribe. But anything they choose to add to their name from their life experiences is attached as well. Sometimes these names are less than complimentary words Ogres don't understand like "debased" or "unscrupulous" or "acrid". The result can be interesting ("Gulk 'Scampered Engorged Beareater Bling Topsyturvy Gelatinous' Goldtooth" for example). These names literally strengthen the Ogres on the tabletop, counting as upgrades that came from the experiences they had (also a bit of Orkish "clap your hands if you believe, and it will happen" style magic).
* Ogre Biology is weird. For one their gut isn't actually filled with fat, but rows upon rows of muscle, which lets them crunch up anything inside with ease. Their skin is also extremely thick (literally) which also hints that they likely don't have any feeling in them, allowing them to do cringe-worthy levels of stuff to their outer hides (like piercing them with hooks) that other saner races would rarely do.
** Between cultural/religious and biological reasons, being disemboweled is considered the worst possible way to die for ogres; Ogres only die when all their guts finish pouring out of the stomach wound, and ogres have ''lots and lots and lots'' of intestines, so it's a slow, irreversible, and incredibly painful process. Even watching another ogre get disemboweled can cause a reaction similar to men watching another man getting his balls slowly crushed. Gutplates prevent this (for the most part), so Gut Up, young bull!

==Crunch==
Ogres are a low pop army with lots of fun rules. They're fairly strong right now, so they're increasingly popular. Despite this, most new players don't know much about Ogre Kingdoms fluff so by doing your research you can easily gain some 'ham cred.
Ogres on the charge hit like artillery blasts. Ogres can upgrade their standard bearers to have Gnoblars in a makeshit crows nest on top of them, allowing all characters and the champion in the unit to get "Look Out Sir" benefits. In addition, Ogres get a few nifty weapons no other army gets.

NOTE: Some of the models below are conversions, but there are official GW models among them. Can you guess which is which?

<gallery>
Image:Araby Ogre.png|Araby Ogre
Image:1.jpg|Beastmen Ogre
Image:Bretonnian Ogre.png|Bretonnian Ogre
Image:Cathay Ogre.png|Cathay Ogre
Image:Dark Elf Ogre.jpg|Dark Elf Ogre
Image:Dwarf Ogre.png|Dwarf Ogre
Image:Chaos Dwarf Ogre.jpg|Chaos Dwarf Ogre
Image:9.jpg|High Elf Ogre
Image:Lizardmen Ogre.jpg|Lizardmen Ogre
Image:Nippon Ogre.jpg|Nippon Ogre
Image:Orcs and Goblins Ogre.jpg|Orcs & Goblins Ogre
Image:Skaven Ogre.jpg|Skaven Ogre
Image:Empire Ogre.jpg|Empire Ogre
Image:Tomb Kings Ogre.png|Tomb Kings Ogre
Image:Vampire Counts Ogre.jpg|Vampire Counts Ogre
Image:Warriors of Chaos Ogre.jpg|Warriors of Chaos Ogre
Image:Wood Elves Ogre.jpg|Wood Elves Ogre
Image:Ninja Ogre.png|Ninja Ogre
Image:Pirate Ogre.png|Pirate Ogre
Image:Female Ogre.png|Crossdressing Ogre
Image:8039787889_96ed2c0f29_k.jpg|ogre Slaan
7180203363 d2bffd50f0 k.jpg|lustrian standard
7176858107 e68eecf828 o.jpg|lustrian bulls
7180207541 159c1f51e1 k.jpg|lustrian bruiser
7362010446_d8e5ba564e_o.jpg|lustrian thundertusk
8815390127 6f698fd585 o.jpg|lustrian "sabretusk"
10800351164 e09f18840b o.jpg|lustrian hunter
Bullunit.jpg|orc bulls
DSC03006.JPG|Cathay
Leadbelcherwip011.jpg|orc leadbelchers
Assdffe.jpg|tzeentch bull
Lizardmen2.jpg|lizardmen leadbelcher
Skaven2.jpg|skaven
</gallery>

==See Also==
* [[Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms|Ogre Kingdoms tactica]]
* [[Ogryn]]
* [[Ogor Mawtribes]]

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer Fantasy Battle}}

{{Regions and areas of the Old World}}
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Ogre Kingdoms]]

Ogre Kingdoms

2021-07-04T08:47:20Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Great Maw */

[[File:F8eadd7a4470a5bc529656620e73680f.png|thumb|right|350px|A bunch of lards being dudes.]]
{{Topquote|The gluttons dig their own graves with their teeth.|James Howell}}
{{Topquote|Today the Orcs, tomorrow the world. Let them all tremble!|Greaseus Goldtooth’s speech at the Battle of the Fire Mouth, long-winded by Ogre standards}}
The '''Ogre Kingdoms''' are a faction in [[Warhammer Fantasy]], although it's really more of a geographical term than a political term, as Ogres in WFB aren't really "united" in any rational sense. In fact, they're spread out across the Warhammer World, some making up tribes that, in turn, make up the "kingdoms," whereas others serve as mercenaries for other factions (although there's not really an in-game way to represent this as of now).

Ogres used to live in the Warhammer World's equivalent to Mongolia, but they were driven away by the arrival of the [[Great Maw]], some sort of literal giant maw that stuck into the ground and makes Ogres really, really hungry. They began to move westwards, ending up in the massive [[Mountains of Mourn]] to the east of the [[Dark Lands]] (which, in turn, is east of the [[Old World]]). These would eventually become known as the Ogre Kingdoms, but Ogres are continuing to move west, working for some forces and invading (and eating) others.

==History==
===Pre-Chaos===
Way back in the early days of the world, the [[Old Ones (Warhammer)|Old Ones]] knew that [[Chaos]] was approaching and they feverishly worked to find a way to prevent it by engineering a race capable of fighting Daemons and winning. They created [[Lizardmen]] to aid them as servants, and set to work first creating an environment to place the race in to live up to its full potential, then study them and decide if they were a success. First they made the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|Elves]], who were too slow to reproduce and too frail to survive prolonged war. Then the [[Dwarfs]], who were incapable of using magic and too rigid in their culture to change fast enough to adapt to [[Daemon]] trickery. Then they created [[Humans]], who were too corruptible. At this point the Old Ones began panicking, and created a bunch of races (so everyone who isn't one of the main groups) all of which were flawed in one way or another (the [[Halflings]] of the Moot are in fact prototype Ogres). Finally, they produce the Ogres. At first they seemed to have all the desirable traits the old ones were looking for. They were as adaptable and fast breeding as man, able to survive all but the harshest of conditions, resistant to mutation, long lived, fairly intelligent, and they could eat just about anything. The Ogres were a half-finished race, though, as the old ones had yet to curb the creature's intense hunger. At this point, the [[Warp Gates]] collapsed preventing the Old Ones from distributing the ogres and using them as soldiers. As such, Ogres, despite being the race theoretically capable of fighting Chaos and winning, were left without the means or knowledge of how to do so. Also, ogres are huge, like, REALLY huge, so them being really hungry is a lot more of a problem than you'd think.

===Great Maw===
{{topquote|The feast is OVER! There's no more food! Go home and - wait, no put me down!!!!|Cathayan Emperor, finally sick of the Ogre's nearly eating his empire under the table|}}

Ogres initially lived in tribes, which wandered the steppes of Warhammer Mongolia following nomadic giant animals which they ate whole. This kept them happy for thousands of years. But as the numbers of the Ogres increased, their half-completed environment was unable to support them. They began attempting to cross the passes that lead to the other races of the world. Nearest them was the Humans of [[Cathay]], AKA Warhammer China. Ogres learned stone-age technology such as "fire" and "wheels" from the Cathayans, and for the first time tasted the meat of intelligent beings: and it was FUCKING DELICIOUS. The Emperor of Cathay, who was apparently an immortal dragon god, used his magic and the mages of his court to pull a mysterious creature from space down into the middle of the Ogre lands where it promptly pulled a Tunguska. Said impact reverberated through the world, with all races feeling the shock (Dwarfs everywhere carved Malachite murals of the event, menacing with spikes of Cat Bone. Elves wrote a sonnet about it, which is actually a metaphor for why Dwarfs are short. Humans made up a myth about a hero fucking the Earth God Ishneros bareback). The impact wiped out 2/3 of the Ogre race instantly, and the comet reached the molten core of the world. The land of the Ogres was destroyed, burned to a crisp and rendered mostly lifeless. The survivors of the Ogres believed that they had been punished by an angry god for their sins (what they think those sins were varies from group to group) and they came to worship the giant crater as the physical manifestation of their God. Somehow, this also caused an unnatural hunger for every Ogre that could not be sated. This came to be the basis for their ENTIRE culture, and also lead to the current "fatty boy" look of their race.
Natural selection came into play as the weak were eaten by the strong. The only Ogres that survived this dark era were absolute fucking badasses with skin that could stop cannonballs and muscles underneath that could crack said cannonballs (cannonball soup makes a great pre-cannon team barbeque dish by the way). With tribes consuming themselves into oblivion and survivors being fed on by larger tribes without end as Ogres could never feel satisfied, Ogres had to find new lands and new meats. Cathay was blocked by natural barriers, so westward they went, tribe by tribe.

An Ogre named Groth Onefinger stepped forth and lead his tribe to the site of impact of the comet. The areas surrounding the hole were dangerous enough to kill even the hardened Ogres, and those that survived found that the pit wasn't just a hole. It was a pit, surrounded by muscle and rimmed by teeth. It had no discernible end. It was alive and the dangers around it were simply its intake of breath and respiration. Since that day, Ogres no matter where in the world they were born return at some point in their lives to visit the Great Maw, and all Ogres worship it as their deity and adorn their crafts in images of it.

===War in the Sky===
The Ogres became the first race in the setting to cross the natural boundaries of the Old Ones. They carved their way through impassible mountains and ascended the heights, finding new beasts to eat. Ones that were just as capable of eating them, but regardless still new flesh. Ogres once again passed through a challenge that consumed the weakest of their race, strengthening the survivors and their descendants. In the frozen wastes, everything was capable of preying on Ogres, and tribes couldn't rest or take shelter without being consumed to the last. The Ogres that managed to reach the tops of the peaks found rolling hills of a more temperate climate, where enormous herds of succulent mammoths were tended by their cousins, the Skytitans. The Skytitans had a great civilization on top of what is now the Ancient Giant Lands, only descending the bottom when tending to their herds, and carved fortresses and artwork worthy of Elves and Dwarfs into the peaks. The Ogres initially preyed on the herd animals, which were powerful enough that an entire tribe was needed to kill one (and an entire tribe could find themselves feasting for a longer time than thought possible). The Skytitans didn't take kindly to the Ogre invasion of their lands, and fought a war to render the dwindled race extinct. The weapons of war and magics of the Skytitans slew most of the Ogre race in what came to be known as the War in the Sky, but in the end the dwindled Ogres still outnumbered the Skytitans hundreds to one and the isolated, singular lifestyle of the Skytitans prevented them from uniting, resulting in each Skytitan being besieged and eaten (often alive) in his own home by packs of vermin-like Ogres. Soon most of the race was consumed, the last of the Skytitans having become so large and hardened (as Skytitans grew larger and tougher as they aged) that they were indistinguishable from the mountains themselves, with small numbers of survivors banding together and setting sail on fortresses built on the tops of solidified clouds, but where they went and if they survived the journey is unknown. Some Skytitans fled to other lands on foot, most of them devolving and inbreeding into the current [[Giant|Giants]]: monsters that dwell the hills looking for battle and food (in that order), with no art or culture to speak of, and oftentimes goaded (often with large quantities of alcohol) to march alongside Beastmen, Greenskins, and Chaos devotees.

The victorious Ogres enslaved the Skytitan's children, consumed the mammoth herds of the Skytitans, destroyed their fortresses and covered up ancient carvings depicting the Old Ones and their wisdom with grease paintings (literally, paints made of grease and charcoal from cooking fires) depicting great meals eaten by Ogre tribes. The magical radiation that the Great Maw had sent into the atmosphere made the mountain tops dangerous, and with the depletion of most of the Skytitan's mammoth herds, most Ogres continued westward. Those that stayed became feral, grew fur, and became Yeti (called "Yhete" in Warhammer).

===Modern Day===

The Ogres ascended the peaks of the Giants and found themselves in the Mountains of Mourn. Here, they found more animals than they had ever dreamed of. They found Dwarfs (who believe a mountain made of solid gold is found somewhere in the Mountains of Mourn, and thus keep attempting to invade), greenskins, [[Skaven]], and Humans. Ogres kept some Goblins as pets and bred (and ate) them, and within a few generations they wound up creating a new race of servile greenskins called [[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]].
Ogres managed to push the semi-intelligent beings who originally inhabited the Mountains of Mourn (called Dragon Ogres) entirely out, driving them north into the Chaos Wastes. They also drove out [[Beastmen]] who had begun to dwell in the lower peaks.

Ogres carved their own territory in these lands out, and Ogre tyrants became more permanent fixtures of tribal rule rather than simply "biggest loudest guy who was still alive in the morning". They fought off any threats that came to the Ogres, among them a Daemon invasion (leading some Ogres to develop a taste for them) and a giant living glacier that the Ogres battled during a particularly bad winter (allegedly alive anyway). When Orc slaves manage to escape the Chaos Dwarfs into the Mountains of Mourn, they fight with the Ogres for land and eventually find their ways into valleys beyond the notice of the Ogres where they begin to build their numbers. At one point Skaven attempt to invade the Ogres. The resulting battles almost lead to extinction among the Skaven, as the Ogres find their way into the tunnels and develop a taste for them.
The tribes expanded, and true diplomacy was born. Eventually some tribes discovered that there was greater gains to be had by being amicable to the smaller races than simply eating them outright, and Ogres spread throughout the world as mercenaries to be hired by anyone who had goods they could convince the Ogres had some value, and edible foes.

Ogres, by the nature of their creation, are resistant to the effects of the [[Warp]], and of magic. Despite this many ended up swearing themselves to Chaos for different reasons, be it the hedonistic encouragements of [[Slaanesh]], the encouragement for slaughter and trophy-taking by [[Khorne]], the similarity between themselves and the servants of [[Nurgle]] as well as the camaraderie of being part of a tribe that will never turn on itself (besides backstabbing the leader, but that's just par for the course), or the fact [[Tzeentch]] will either do the thinking for them so they can just focus on what they do best or give them spiffy mutations like extra mouths so they can eat even more. [[Warriors of Chaos]] make use of the Ogres as living siege weapons, while the Ogres make use of the Warriors as playthings and snacks.
But Ogres are a neutral race, just as likely to learn to read and write (at a very basic level) so they can peruse wanted posters in the Empire for bandits and vampires, all of which make lovely snacks with the bonus that the Ogre ends up with a decent amount of gold at the end with which he can purchase the clothes of an Empire nobleman (fitted about twenty sizes up) with which to dress himself so he can dine with polite society. Sometimes ON polite society if he's lucky enough to be challenged to a duel while there.
Still others sail the world, becoming pirates and devouring sea monster and crew (and ship) alike depending on who they cross paths with. Still others find employ amongst High Elves, being studied by mages of Saphery between battles against [[Dark Elves]].
Some wander [[Wood Elves|Athel Loren]], growing moss from their backs and their skin hardening like bark until they're indistinguishable from treekin themselves.
Other Ogres are even employed by said [[Dark Elves]], who were so impressed by their capacity for brutal violence they recruited Ogres instead of enslaving them.
Ogres today can be found amongst any group in the world, doing whatever they can, always eating, always looking for more. Sometimes individually, sometimes in groups.

===[[Age of Sigmar]]===
Now named "Ogors" (because copyright), they exist in the mortal realms as the [[Ogor Mawtribes]].

==Regions==
* '''Mountains of Mourn:''' Most Ogres are found in the Mountains of Mourn, considered their homeland. Those that wander or make their homes in other lands return, or send representatives, to tell their stories which usually results in some Ogres leaving the homeland and joining them. Sometimes this results in an entire tribe living outside the Mountains of Mourn, but inevitably they will seek contact again with their kin. This is the primary method through which they expand across the globe. The Mountains themselves change constantly, as they are constantly bathed in radiation from the Warp. Many dangerous animals wander the Mountains. To smaller races, these are dangerous beasts worthy of a small Crusade of [[Bretonnia|Bretonnian]] knights, or a party of High Elf White Lions of Chrace, or a hunting party of [[Vampire Counts|Strigoi and ghouls]]. To Ogres, it's either a single meal or a pet. The largest of them are at best mounts. The mountains themselves are full of caves and tunnels that lead to everything from portals to the Warp to Dwarf Fortresses, to greenskin WAAAGH!s in formation, and things ancient and unknowable beyond these; all of which are great sources of meals. Half the peaks are volcanic, half sub arctic. All bother Ogres as much as a bit of rain or sun. Mount Thug is notable in the range for actually being alive, and Ogres have a great deal of respect for those who escape being eaten or crushed by it as they scale its peaks to feed on the bloated animals that live in spaces Mount Thug can't reach. The Fire Mouth is an active volcano with periodic eruptions nearby the greatest concentrations of Ogres, and they believe it's the bastard offspring of the sun and the Great Maw. The Fire Bellies are a cult that worship this "god" which they believe it is the wargod of the Ogre pantheon. Each Kingdom is ruled by a Tyrant, and his domain extends literally as far as he can see at his place of dwelling. Tyrants as such place a big deal of importance on thrones and hills. Tyrants that manage to gain control of important sites, like the passes that lead to the Great Maw or out to the western kingdoms face constant challenges from other Tyrants, and reap the rewards of demanding tribute (often food, sometimes a percentage of the Ogre pilgrims in the group as meat).

* '''Challenge Stone:''' A large stone found at the northernmost edge of the Mountains of Mourn and the southernmost edge of the Chaos Wastes. When held by the Warriors of Chaos, it is fought over and rededicated from one Chaos God to another. When held by Ogres, they fight to inscribe their tribe symbol on the stone for bragging rights the world over. The two races CONSTANTLY fight over the stone. Currently controlled by the Bloodmaw tribe.

* '''The World:''' Seriously. They're fucking everywhere.

==Tribes==
Ogre tribes are numerous, and constantly changing. Most are named for a notable Ogre in them, or a characteristic common to members. Ogres are not the kind to trace lineages or politics outside their own generation, and as such tribes are a mark of the present rather than past or future (some tribes do manage to defy this, existing across multiple generations. This is a rarity). Tribes change locations, even within it's Tyrant's own kingdom, constantly. Memories of the coming of the Great Maw still exist, and it's within the imagination of Ogres that it could happen again one day. As such, Ogres are mostly nomadic and their possessions are few and easily packed. The most valuable thing to an Ogre is his tribe's Mawtooth, a single great tooth and flag which at gatherings of their kind is arranged with others in a circle, making an effigy of their god.

* '''Goldtooth''' A tribe lasting across multiple generations, known to be the wealthiest. Currently led by Greasus Goldtooth(that's Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Gatecrasher Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese to you, peasant!). Known for elaborate displays of wealth, like feeding other tribes and blinging out their gutplates. Goldtooths are known for having a large number of Ironguts, and are the most feared tribe.
<gallery> Image:Goldtooth Tribe.jpg|Goldtooth symbol. </gallery>

* '''Thunderguts''' Known for rampaging through the lands of the Old World and taking over towns or taking hostages, then demanding food as payment. They usually end up either demanding more and more, or eating their hostages. Greenskins and Empire humans alike fear them greatly.
<gallery> Image:Thunderguts Tribe.jpg|Thunderguts symbol. </gallery>

* '''Crossed Clubs''' Known for producing more Maneater mercenaries than other tribes. Also for lying constantly about everything they do, making up tall tales of glory. Each veteran (veterans themselves being a rarity amongst Ogres) wears gear obtained in their travels and proudly displays trophies earned, making them a rather motley crew of clashing colors and gearschemes (obviously the tribe designed for the greenstuff addict in mind).
<gallery> Image:Crossed Clubs.jpg|Crossed Clubs symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Sons of the Mountain''' Living on one of the tallest and coldest peaks in the Mountains of Mourn, the Sons of the Mountain tribe are wealthy from trading the meat, pelts, and ivory of creatures that live only in their home. Many Yhete are found amongst them, and the Ogres of the Sons of the Mountain paint themselves entirely in white paint and dwell amongst the beasts they hunt directly.
<gallery> Image:Sons of the Mountain.jpg|Sons of the Mountain symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Feastmasters''' Known a generation ago for producing high quality meals (for a portion of the feast), the current Tyrant Blaut Feastmaster captured Halflings from the Moot in his travels. To this day, Halflings fill the role for Feastmasters that Gnoblars fulfill for most tribes. As a result, the Feastmaster cooking has improved greatly.
<gallery> Image:Feastmaster.jpg|Feastmaster symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Rock Skulls''' The toughest tribe of Ogres, who are known best for the skill of breaking boulders with their heads (apparently a big deal among Ogres). They're also known for being fairly unintelligent. When Skarsnik the Goblin waged his great wars against the Dwarfs, he brought the entire Rock Skull tribe with him as support. In negotiations with the Goblins for what they were willing to pay for the support of the tribe, he convinced the Rock Skulls to instead pay HIM for them to fight.
<gallery> Image:Rock Skulls.jpg|Rock Skulls symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Blood Guzzlers''' Inhabit the areas of the Mountains of Mourn known to host more giant spiders than anywhere else in the world. That's...pretty much it. They eat spiders.
<gallery> Image:Blood Guzzlers.jpg|Blood Guzzlers symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Ironskins''' Physically powerful Ogres that wear black gutplates. Known for taking massive numbers of captives, and not eating them, they trade freely with the [[Chaos Dwarfs]], and their Tyrant rides a mechanical mount given to him to provide better ties between the two groups.
<gallery> Image:Ironskin.jpg|Ironskin symbol. </gallery>

* '''Lazarghs''' The single oldest tribe, descended from Groth Onefinger himself. Live closest to the ancient Giant lands, most have mutated in various (non-Chaos) ways and cover themselves with cloaks. Their teeth fall out often, leading them to simply jab black jagged rocks directly into their gums, horrifying even the toughest, most scarred Ogres. They carry bells, and hang them to mark the pass to the Great Maw.
<gallery> Image:Lazarghs.jpg|Lazargh symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Mountaineaters''' Recently, an Ogre named Bauldig Mountaineater conquered every challenge Ogres had to offer him. Climbed Mount Thug, fought every beast, and destroyed Bigstride Peak by burrowing in and eating the heart of that mountain. A tribe of fanboys and groupies gathered to him, each eating rocks and dwelling in caves. The only meat they eat comes from subterranean races like goblins, Dwarfs, and Skaven.
<gallery> Image:The Mountaineaters.jpg|Mountaineater symbol. </gallery>

* '''The Eyebiters''' A clan that controls a series of desolate passes leading to and from many of the Ogre lands. They demand large tributes from any who pass through, and raid all settlements and hunt all monsters within their range. The Tyrant of the Eyebiters has fathered more children to grow into adulthood than any Ogre.
<gallery> Image:The Eyebiters.jpg|Eyebiters symbol. </gallery>

==Army==

===Characters===
* '''[[Greasus Goldtooth]]:''' The current Overtyrant of the Ogres in the Mountain of Mourn. Gained leadership of his tribe after killing and eating his own father in a pit fight.

* '''Golgfag Maneater:''' The greatest Ogre mercenary alive, and the one all others are named after. He earned renown fighting against the Dwarves in the World Edge Mountains, eating, fighting and robbing his way into notoriety. At first fighting against the dwarves of Karak Kadrin, then for them after pissing off his Orc employer by drinking all the booze, then robbing the Dwarf King blind, '''after they paid him'''. Golgfag got locked up by those same dwarves later. He impressed Ungrim Ironfist by eating everyone else in the dungeon but his oldest friend(who still lost a leg). Ungrim wept that such a majestic creature was being imprisoned and ordered his release. His rap sheet includes: looting on Ulthuan, being decorated by Karl Franz, coining the Ogre slang word for Knights as "Tinned Food", making and losing countless fortunes, and downing more of the dwarves most prized beer then most of them have even seen. He's so famous that his title of Maneater has become the word for all Ogre Mercenaries. Golgfag got the title after eating his human paymaster and making off with the gold chests. Despite the name he'll eat anything like any other Ogre, though he especially likes halfling. Golgfag leads the renowned and rather imaginatively named mercenary band "Golgfag's Maneaters".

* '''Bragg The Gutsman:''' Traveling bruiser and executioner. As a young Ogre Bragg found he had a talent for killing shit, naturally knowing where to swing for the best results. Bragg was a fairly average brusier until he forged his signature weapon "Great Gutgouger" from the magical axes of a Black Orc Warboss he killed, which increased his killing ability tenfold. What made him infamous however was his discovery that he could cut around other Ogre's gutplates disemboweling them. Ogres are scared shitless of him because of this, since Ogres' guts are sacred to them and Ogre anatomy means its a long, nearly irreversible and agonizing death as their guts unravel after being disemboweled. Bragg realized he had a good thing going, and left his tribe to go solo, taking his one man murder show on the road seeking battle. He is welcomed by all tribes to fight alongside them thanks to his killing ability, but feared and hated as he inevitably cuts someone from that same tribe open for challenging him, at which point he gets kicked out. Bragg isn't bothered one bit, happily leaving to do it all over again somewhere else. He can't become a Tyrant since no Ogres are willing to follow him thanks to his grim reputation, even if he kills the old one. He wears a black hood like some human executioners, figuring if he's got a fierce reputation, might as well make the most of it.

* '''Skrag the Slaughterer:''' The Great Prophet of the Great Maw. Viciously attached to his back is a giant pot, which he fills with enemies AS HE FIGHTS. What he misses is grabbed by Gnoblars in service directly to him (ranking them above even common Ogres) and put into the pot. He was the head Slaughtermaster of the Rockgrinder tribe. He angered the Tyrant by cooking their favorite Gnoblar and serving it to him at a feast. In retribution the Tyrant hacked off and ate both of Skrag's hands, had his pot chained to his body, then cast him into tunnels even Ogres feared. He immediately impaled his former cooking tools into his stumps, and set forth. Long forgotten Gorgers attacked him, and they found themselves hacked up and in his pot. After dicing up their leader, the Gorgers followed him as if members of a tribe he leads. He found himself reaching the surface through a cavern none of the Gorgers had ever seen before. He and his followers set upon the tribe, killing and feasting on them all. Upon putting the finishing touches on a lovely dish made entirely out of the former Tyrant, his wounds sans his missing hands healed and his pot and cooking implements were strengthened with the magic of the Great Maw. Now a tribeless Ogre, Skrag wanders the lands of the Ogres joining in battles whenever he can. Welcomed by all, he not only turns the tide of battle but also prepares and cooks the resulting corpses with great skill.

===Generic Characters===
* '''Tyrant:''' The head of an Ogre tribe. Rules by virtue of his ability to defeat challengers, and reputation. Anyone can challenge the Tyrant for his position in a fight without gutplates where the loser is eaten alive. These fights are the most common form of entertainment for Ogres. Tyrants have the best gear, the most names, and most children of any Ogre in a given tribe.

* '''Bruisers:''' The subordinates of the Tyrants, and oftentimes future Tyrants come from their ranks. They can do anything they want so long as it doesn't offend the Tyrant or their fellow Bruisers. Like the Tyrant, Bruisers can be challenged to one on one combat. The winner eats the loser, and attains the rank of Bruiser.

* '''Slaughtermaster/Butcher:''' The priesthood of the Ogres, Butchers handle all meat considered the property of the Tyrant, Bruisers, or the whole tribe. Considered a direct line between the Great Maw and the common Ogre, Butchers enjoy a position equal to Tyrants but entirely separate. Tyrants take great care not to offend Butchers lest the tribe abandon him fearing a comet crashing down atop their heads. Butchers are known to kill any Ogres who offend them to feed to the group, or to randomly take body parts from the tribe for flavoring. They carry holy implements, all of which aid in cooking or preparing, at all times. They are larger than any other Ogre in any given group, getting the best choice of meat and consuming it (being a direct link between the tribe and the Great Maw). Butchers do not wear gutplates as a declaration of faith that the Great Maw has got their <s>backs</s> guts. Any Ogre child with a gift for magic, or is seen blessed in some way, is taken by a Butcher and fed a copious amount of meat. As he grows, he is fed things that are poisonous and inedible even to ogres to strengthen his gut (based on the real-life practice called mithridatism - ingesting poisons to develop a resistance or immunity to them) things to make his gut ever stronger to hold the essence of the Great Maw. Most Butchers learn the Gut Magic of the Ogres, being things related to their culture like strengthening the skin of Ogres, tenderizing the meat of (still living) enemies, and causing the earth to swallow foes alive as sacrifice "appetizers". Others learn other magic Lores, all in their belief related to the Great Maw (Lore of Heavens=the comet, Lore of Death=consumption from the Great Maw, and so on). Slaughtermasters are simply the leaders amongst the Butchers.

* '''Hunters:''' Lone Ogres who take the role of a WoW huntard. Usually tribeless, they wander through the mountains and wild in search of beasts to prey upon. Sometimes they’ll even take some of them alive and bring them back to some other tribe as a gift to the Tyrant. A feast will be held in the Hunter’s honor where he will tell stories about his adventuress before quietly vanishing back into the wilderness.

* '''Firebellies:''' Strange religious fanatics that worship a volcano called the Fire Mouth. There are three tests. The first is to eat super-hot chili (powerful enough that it's implied to be a laxative, a substitute for boiling oil or both) and keep it down. Then they have to track down and eat a giant firebug that lives in volcanoes. The final test to join the cult is to be dipped into the caldera of the Fire Mouth, eat a mouthful of magma and come out alive. Though, on the upside, those who survive can breathe fire, use fire magic and are almost immune to heat.

===Core===
* '''Ogre Bulls:''' The basic Ogre that lacks any particular rank. Ogres are (repeatedly) described as having a bully mentality by GW (oh the irony). If they want it, they try to take it. If you aren't respecting them enough, or it's been too long since they reminded you WHO gets the respect, they rough you up. The only way to stop them is to prove you're better than them, at which point they'll likely back the fuck off and suck up to you as the new boss (this behavior is reminiscent of Orks in 40k, however Orks tend to naturally follow the biggest whereas Ogres are likely to see "biggest" as a challenge to their own masculinity and attempt to EAT the biggest Ogre, and become the biggest themselves). Generally speaking, most Ogres are dumb as rocks and it takes an extraordinary Ogre to learn lessons. Those that do invariably reach some degree of old age, and probably aren't in this category for long.

* '''Ironguts:''' Ironguts are the basic Ogre, but with armor. They tend to be a bit tougher than their fellows as a means of natural selection, since Ogres squabble amongst each other for gear, so the Ogre who manages to KEEP his equipment is one that can't be challenged by un-armored Ogres for it. The types of equipment varies; for some Ogres, it's the tools from a farm the Ogres consumed (livestock, crops, AND family. Probably the house and their little dog too) bent and tied as weapons and the shield and flattened helmets of the local town guard tied to their limbs for armor. For others, it's a well crated suit of Gromril armor from the Dwarfs who the Ogre has served as a mercenary. Some Ironguts have evolved natural armor, like Ogres who have lived for so long in Nehekhara that the sand has been worn directly into their skin, compacting as they flex until it's almost like they have stone skin. Bruisers and Tyrants have some say as to who is an Irongut and who isn't, as divvying up the spoils of war usually falls to them (if they're giving out any at all). Like Silver Helms for High Elves and Black Orcs for greenskins, Ironguts are the Ogre variety to which most of the race looks to as exemplary of their kind.

* '''[[Gnoblar|Gnoblars]]:''' Small greenskins that evolved to their current state when Ogres moved from the mountains of the Giants to the Mountains of Mourn. Gnoblars have the place of being the singularly most mistreated beings in either Warhammer setting, as Ogres see them somewhere between vermin like insects that are simply a fact of life to deal with, or very low and undepletable slaves. Sometimes as food if there's nothing better around, although some Gnoblars wind up in the position of "favorite hunting dog" as long as the Ogre can remember them. Meanwhile, Gnoblars see Ogres as a mix of living gods and eternal masters. They differ from Goblins in that they are much smaller, and while Goblins have pronounced noses the face of a Gnoblar is mostly nose. This gives them a beak appearance, making them resemble a Jim Henson Muppet character.

===Special===
* '''Leadbelchers:''' Ogres who carry around field cannons as hand weapons, which they will shove just about every jagged object into and hit people with in close quarters. They are typically seen as rather unhinged by their fellow Ogres, which usually means that they get to be good for a bit of fun. Their cannons also look suspiciously like Imperial and dwarven cannons. If these guys don't have at least one scar, such as missing eyes, burnt skin, disfigured faces, etc., they're doing it wrong.

* '''Maneaters:''' If this was D&D these guys would be an ogre adventurer. They can take a variety of special rules and special gear, and make themselves look like the corresponding region they've been working in, such as stabbing feathers into their skull like State Troopers without the headgear, or jabbing sharp rocks into their gums to emulate vampires.

* '''Sabretusk Pack:''' Sabre tooth tigers, but wolves, great for hunting war machines. Though with LD 4 they will run from anything. Standard use is to get a single one and run it into the nearest cannon - If someone focuses it out, they've severely wasted some shots that could've gone to cutting down Ogres.

* '''Yhetees:''' The Ogres frozen, mutant, hillbilly cousins. Got all magical attacks, not really good for much else though. Their models also look even more like deranged chimpanzees than the old Gutter Runner models.

* '''Mournfang Cavalry:''' Ogres on the backs of smaller woolly mammoths (as in "as small as a trebutchet"), great for causing mayhem to your opponents troops. Known for being one of the only things that can scare Chaos Knights.

* '''Gorgers:''' Albino baby ogres sent to die in caves, but these ones survived by eating whatever they can find down there: such as rats, roaches, rocks [[Grimdark|and each other]]. Also known for being pretty useless on the tabletop... But then again, what do you expect from a emaciated albino loser?

===Rare===
* '''Gnoblar Scraplaunchers:''' Sometimes, a group of Gnoblars get together to fight alone - Most of the times, that will be in huge rabbles of mutant Goblins below even slave status, which won't do much other than piss off a unit of Chaos Warriors, but once in a while, they'll get together, find a woolly rhino and strap a chariot to it, on which a catapult is placed. Unfortunately, Gnoblars can only get to the smallest of objects, as Ogres take all the rest, so it's mostly scrap and stuff they throw about with it... Fortunately, there's a lot of scrap in an Ogre camp.

* '''Ironblasters:''' Same chariot, same rhino, but with an Ogre on top, alongside a fucking big cannon, taken from the Skyholds of the Giants back in the day. As such, these cannons are sorta held as relics in the individual tribes, as much as an inedible thing can be to Ogres. Also known for being ''the'' cannon in the game that can move AND shoot. I'll say it again. Move. And. Shoot. Can also charge and kill stuff as a chariot. Truly, Ogre Kingdoms is the superior WFB faction.

* '''Slave Giants:''' Said people the Ogres stole the cannons from. Also made them into inbred animals and reduced them to sub-tribal wandering monsters. Also still use them for battle, because fuck them, right? Basically the same as any other Giant in any other faction, but here, they are enslaved by the race that destroyed their civilization ''unknowingly'', because Ogres never really kept history like that. Ogres are dicks like that.

* '''Stonehorns:''' A mammoth/rhino hybrid with stone bones, and the attitude of a fucking pissed bull in a china shop. Have so great an urge to headbutt any living thing they see that only the youngest of the race have any skin on their forehead, which leads to them looking like Skeletor, if Skeletor was made of stone. They eat minerals and meat, so gemstones protrude from their bones like freckles from skin. For some fucking reason, Ogre Hunters use them as mounts, which really doesn't make sense, as the fucking thing can't stand straight unless it's headbutting the ground it's standing on; also begs the question of how they reproduce since they're so belligerent a Stonehorn of either gender would be too busy head-butting to actually mate. Probably the male has to headbutt the female until she's too tired to fight him then mate with her.

* '''Thundertusks:''' Legends are told about the legendary thundertusk "Fridge" who acompanied a band of ogres through the Empire and coined the term "Fridgereted" for frozen chunks of meat that will keep fresh throughout the winter. Less volatile than the Stonehorn, Thundertusks are used as combined fridge, walking meat and watchtowers, with one or two Ogres sitting on top with ranged weaponry like throwing spears, harpoon launchers held like crossbows and fucking sabertooth-jaws fitted on chains, so the Ogre in question can make the enemy come over to him. Thundertusks are naturally freezy, and makes its surroundings colder by being there. This is quite useful for freezing less tough creatures down, so the Ogres can catch them before they slit their bellies. They even have a frost-breath-like attack for further freezing. Shame it looks like a retarded mandrill fused with a mammoth, but without the trunk. One might find oneself asking how the Thundertusk eats when it has so many tusks and the like in the way. The answer? Well...I don't have one, but hopefully there is one out there somewhere. Edit: Apparently it's a combination of skill, a long and dexterous tongue, and using their tusks to flip the meat of slain prey into the air and directly into their gaping maws.

==Total Warhammer==
Ogre Mercenaries are going to be recruitable for all factions after getting their FLC through Total War Access, with individual locations that they can be recruited from randomly appearing around areas where conflicts and battles occur, as is frankly logical for mercenaries. These mercenary units include thicc dual-wielding ogres, thicc Maneaters wielding a weapon and a "pistol", and extra thicc Mournfang Cavalry. This is certainly just a taste (heh) of the Ogres before the full Ogre Kingdoms factions release as DLC for [[Total War: Warhammer|Total Warhammer]] 3, which really wasn't that all surprising given the Ogre Kingdoms were always a full faction in WFB while the iffier sorts of Kislev and Cathay were confirmed for 3's release factions instead.

==Misc Fluff==
* Ogres don't have priests. Butchers and cooks are their holy men. The only interest Ogres have in the faiths of others is in traditions related to eating. This can be awkward when, in the company of a group of Sigmarites for example, the Ogre bodyguard keeps commenting on how he can't wait for someone to die for the funeral feast (even more awkward when he thinks that eating the body of the deceased is part of it).
* Most Ogres wear a piece of armor over their stomach, a gutplate. Gutplates are sort of the equivalent of full plate armor for Ogres, as their most important organs are all hidden behind the large race-wide paunch they have. Helmets and shoulderpads are secondary as anything big enough to pierce an ogre's head and shoulders with weapons would likely ignore the armor anyway. Plus, given their fixation on eating and the god they worship, their guts are considered sacred.
* In older lore, Tyrants love their favorite weapons. An Ogre touching the Tyrant's weapon, who wasn't the Tyrant himself, was punished by being force-fed their own hands.
* Ogres enjoy pitfighting, and use it to settle disputes. The winner is allowed to eat part of the loser, ranging from an appendage (such as a nose) to an entire limb. If Ogres remove their gutplates in a pit fight, that means it's a fight to the death where the winner will eat the loser in front of the crowd.
* Ogres are known to collect names. Their first name is usually a guttural sound made by the mother or father upon seeing the infant, the last being their tribe. But anything they choose to add to their name from their life experiences is attached as well. Sometimes these names are less than complimentary words Ogres don't understand like "debased" or "unscrupulous" or "acrid". The result can be interesting ("Gulk 'Scampered Engorged Beareater Bling Topsyturvy Gelatinous' Goldtooth" for example). These names literally strengthen the Ogres on the tabletop, counting as upgrades that came from the experiences they had (also a bit of Orkish "clap your hands if you believe, and it will happen" style magic).
* Ogre Biology is weird. For one their gut isn't actually filled with fat, but rows upon rows of muscle, which lets them crunch up anything inside with ease. Their skin is also extremely thick (literally) which also hints that they likely don't have any feeling in them, allowing them to do cringe-worthy levels of stuff to their outer hides (like piercing them with hooks) that other saner races would rarely do.
** Between cultural/religious and biological reasons, being disemboweled is considered the worst possible way to die for ogres; Ogres only die when all their guts finish pouring out of the stomach wound, and ogres have ''lots and lots and lots'' of intestines, so it's a slow, irreversible, and incredibly painful process. Even watching another ogre get disemboweled can cause a reaction similar to men watching another man getting his balls slowly crushed. Gutplates prevent this (for the most part), so Gut Up, young bull!

==Crunch==
Ogres are a low pop army with lots of fun rules. They're fairly strong right now, so they're increasingly popular. Despite this, most new players don't know much about Ogre Kingdoms fluff so by doing your research you can easily gain some 'ham cred.
Ogres on the charge hit like artillery blasts. Ogres can upgrade their standard bearers to have Gnoblars in a makeshit crows nest on top of them, allowing all characters and the champion in the unit to get "Look Out Sir" benefits. In addition, Ogres get a few nifty weapons no other army gets.

NOTE: Some of the models below are conversions, but there are official GW models among them. Can you guess which is which?

<gallery>
Image:Araby Ogre.png|Araby Ogre
Image:1.jpg|Beastmen Ogre
Image:Bretonnian Ogre.png|Bretonnian Ogre
Image:Cathay Ogre.png|Cathay Ogre
Image:Dark Elf Ogre.jpg|Dark Elf Ogre
Image:Dwarf Ogre.png|Dwarf Ogre
Image:Chaos Dwarf Ogre.jpg|Chaos Dwarf Ogre
Image:9.jpg|High Elf Ogre
Image:Lizardmen Ogre.jpg|Lizardmen Ogre
Image:Nippon Ogre.jpg|Nippon Ogre
Image:Orcs and Goblins Ogre.jpg|Orcs & Goblins Ogre
Image:Skaven Ogre.jpg|Skaven Ogre
Image:Empire Ogre.jpg|Empire Ogre
Image:Tomb Kings Ogre.png|Tomb Kings Ogre
Image:Vampire Counts Ogre.jpg|Vampire Counts Ogre
Image:Warriors of Chaos Ogre.jpg|Warriors of Chaos Ogre
Image:Wood Elves Ogre.jpg|Wood Elves Ogre
Image:Ninja Ogre.png|Ninja Ogre
Image:Pirate Ogre.png|Pirate Ogre
Image:Female Ogre.png|Crossdressing Ogre
Image:8039787889_96ed2c0f29_k.jpg|ogre Slaan
7180203363 d2bffd50f0 k.jpg|lustrian standard
7176858107 e68eecf828 o.jpg|lustrian bulls
7180207541 159c1f51e1 k.jpg|lustrian bruiser
7362010446_d8e5ba564e_o.jpg|lustrian thundertusk
8815390127 6f698fd585 o.jpg|lustrian "sabretusk"
10800351164 e09f18840b o.jpg|lustrian hunter
Bullunit.jpg|orc bulls
DSC03006.JPG|Cathay
Leadbelcherwip011.jpg|orc leadbelchers
Assdffe.jpg|tzeentch bull
Lizardmen2.jpg|lizardmen leadbelcher
Skaven2.jpg|skaven
</gallery>

==See Also==
* [[Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Ogre Kingdoms|Ogre Kingdoms tactica]]
* [[Ogryn]]
* [[Ogor Mawtribes]]

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer Fantasy Battle}}

{{Regions and areas of the Old World}}
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Ogre Kingdoms]]

Monty Hall

2021-07-04T07:17:30Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

{{skubby}}

'''Monty Hall''' was the host for ''Let's Make A Deal'', a game show in the United States starting waayyy back in 1963. The show's final stage was The Big Deal, featuring three doors. Hall's iconic catchphrase was "let's look at what's behind Door Number [positive integer]!".

Hall co-produced ''L[u]MaD'' with one Stefan Hatos, and served as host for Three. Whole. Decades. So Hall's name became synonymous with the show itself: as witness, the game-theorist Steve Selvin, who in 1975 published a logical problem to the ''American Statistician'' as "The Monty Hall problem" rather than as "the ''LuMaD'' problem" or even "the ''TBD'' problem".

Anyway, /tg/ relevance is that ''LuMaD'' was, in fact, a game, even if a /tv/ hosted game; it has game-theory in it.

As role-playing games go, a party will - somewhere - come across a door in the corridor which may host a trap or may host a treasure, or a monster, or all three. A well-designed dungeon will apportion these in accordance with the plot, preferably also foreshadowing which door goes what way. Against that [[Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits]] is a notorious offender - it is Monty Hall design.

[[Gary Gygax]], with the benefit of hindsight, came to disown "Monty ''Haul''" design, wherein the special door might have too ''much'' treasure, which the DM couldn't easily take ''away'' from the players, thus unbalancing the game.

In 1990, a mathematician named Marilyn vos Savant received a question in Selvin's vein, to which she claimed that you should switch your choice after one of the doors got opened. She got a lot of [[rage]] for her answer by a bunch of people who called bullshit. Somehow, Selvin is correct; the math is hard to explain, so it's best to just look at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem#Simple_solutions| this table] and take her word for it.

[[Category:Gamer Slang]]

Monty Hall

2021-07-04T07:05:33Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: This may well be the most skub-inducing topic I have ever seen.

{{skubby}}

'''Monty Hall''' was the host for ''Let's Make A Deal'', a game show in the United States starting waayyy back in 1963. The show's final stage was The Big Deal, featuring three doors. Hall's iconic catchphrase was "let's look at what's behind Door Number [positive integer]!".

Hall co-produced ''L[u]MaD'' with one Stefan Hatos, and served as host for Three. Whole. Decades. So Hall's name became synonymous with the show itself: as witness, the game-theorist Steve Selvin, who in 1975 published a logical problem to the ''American Statistician'' as "The Monty Hall problem" rather than as "the ''LuMaD'' problem" or even "the ''TBD'' problem".

Anyway, /tg/ relevance is that ''LuMaD'' was, in fact, a game, even if a /tv/ hosted game; it has game-theory in it.

As role-playing games go, a party will - somewhere - come across a door in the corridor which may host a trap or may host a treasure, or a monster, or all three. A well-designed dungeon will apportion these in accordance with the plot, preferably also foreshadowing which door goes what way. Against that [[Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits]] is a notorious offender - it is Monty Hall design.

[[Gary Gygax]], with the benefit of hindsight, came to disown "Monty ''Haul''" design, wherein the special door might have too ''much'' treasure, which the DM couldn't easily take ''away'' from the players, thus unbalancing the game.

In 1990, Marilyn vos Savant received a question in Selvin's vein, to which she claimed that you should switch your choice after one of the doors got opened. She got a lot of [[rage]] for her answer by a bunch of people who called bullshit. Somehow, Selvin is correct; the math is hard to explain, so it's best to just look at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem#Simple_solutions| this table] and take her word for it.

[[Category:Gamer Slang]]

Monty Hall

2021-07-04T07:03:14Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

'''Monty Hall''' was the host for ''Let's Make A Deal'', a game show in the United States starting waayyy back in 1963. The show's final stage was The Big Deal, featuring three doors. Hall's iconic catchphrase was "let's look at what's behind Door Number [positive integer]!".

Hall co-produced ''L[u]MaD'' with one Stefan Hatos, and served as host for Three. Whole. Decades. So Hall's name became synonymous with the show itself: as witness, the game-theorist Steve Selvin, who in 1975 published a logical problem to the ''American Statistician'' as "The Monty Hall problem" rather than as "the ''LuMaD'' problem" or even "the ''TBD'' problem".

Anyway, /tg/ relevance is that ''LuMaD'' was, in fact, a game, even if a /tv/ hosted game; it has game-theory in it.

As role-playing games go, a party will - somewhere - come across a door in the corridor which may host a trap or may host a treasure, or a monster, or all three. A well-designed dungeon will apportion these in accordance with the plot, preferably also foreshadowing which door goes what way. Against that [[Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits]] is a notorious offender - it is Monty Hall design.

[[Gary Gygax]], with the benefit of hindsight, came to disown "Monty ''Haul''" design, wherein the special door might have too ''much'' treasure, which the DM couldn't easily take ''away'' from the players, thus unbalancing the game.

In 1990, Marilyn vos Savant received a question in Selvin's vein, to which she claimed that you should switch your choice after one of the doors got opened. She got a lot of [[rage]] for her answer by a bunch of people who called bullshit. Somehow, Selvin is correct; the math is hard to explain, so it's best to just look at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem#Simple_solutions| this table] and take her word for it.

[[Category:Gamer Slang]]

Monty Hall

2021-07-04T07:02:44Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

Monty Hall

2021-07-04T07:02:17Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457:

2021-07-03T23:04:10Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Gallery */

{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:AZZEhPn.png|300px|right|thumb|What /tg/ imagines them to look like. Probably a good chance that this is official now too.]]
[[File:pi8ntxBy8T1xs3homo1_1280.jpg|300px|right|thumb|What they might look like, if Geedubs caves to a [[Furry|certain crowd]]. Though for now, this seems unlikely.]]
'''Felinids''' are a strain of [[Abhuman]]s that reside on a very pimpish name for a planet; '''[[Carlos McConnell]]'''. They go by the scientific name ''Homo sapiens hirsutus''. They are on the short list of 'tolerated abhuman strains' maintained by the [[Administratum]], which means that at one point in the story of the Imperium someone high up (probably an [[Inquisitor]] with a furry or catgirl fetish decided they were a-okay and did not need to get purged (yet)).

Judging by their name they might as well be Imperial [[Catgirl]]s, if not full-on [[furries]] (hirsutus = hairy) (Liber Xenologis suggested the former over the latter, thank the Emperor), although the idea on why humanity started growing feline-like traits is beyond the realm of contemporary science. Since almost nothing is known of them, nor their planet, the flood gates were opened for /tg/ to imagine up their relationship with the Imperium; as something only the [[Inquisition|Guys with fancy hats]] would have [[PROMOTIONS|the permission to]] [[/d/|"Study" them.]] Although it would be quite the hilarity to vision a Space Wolf Wulfen chasing down a Felinid.

Speaking of Space Wolves, they may give an explanation as to why Felinids (and all abhumans in general) potentially exist. In Space Wolves fluff, there is a saying that there are no wolves on Fenris. Not to mention that it's implied that Fenrisian Wolves are former humans. And if we take into account the tech of the Dark Age, its quite possible that Felinids (and abhumans in general) are simply the descendants of human colonists who added and modified their genes to survive on the planets they lived on.

== What their role in the Imperium is ==
Although almost nothing is known about the Felinids, we can speculate that they might be used as road (and book shelf) cleaners or construction workers or anything that has to do with civilian work, since they are never mentioned to be part of the military. Furthermore, due to their location on one planet (and in the fantasies of many undersexed Warhammer40K furries), they might also be used as exotic dancers or sex slaves by your average Imperial Joe. '''''"IF"''''' they were in the Imperial Guard, then they could either be used as scouts, thieves or assassins, but this is mainly a stereotype of Cat-people so it might not be true. That said, they would have a PDF as the Emperor made it completely mandatory for all worlds.

With Liber Xenologis, it is now confirmed (Albeit with skepticism given the originator of the source) that they are pretty badass killers in their own right, keeping their cool in the face of even the most brutal opposition. So think like John Wick but with more NYAAAAAA!

== Their Biology ==
Prior to Liber Xenologis, fa/tg/uys speculated three possibilities for Felinid biology, and they depend on their origin. First, as mentioned above, they could be the descendants of human colonists who altered their DNA to survive on their planet. That means we should expect more of an Imperial analogue to [[Catfolk]], with specific biological changes depending on planetary conditions - improved night vision would be very probable, as well as claws, either optimized for speed, like a Cheetah, or for climbing, like most other cats. Other changes would very heavily depend on the cat or cats chosen - tiger felinids and lynx felinids would be fairly different, although both would probably have an unhealthy obsession with string.

Their scientific name, ''hirsutus'', which means "Hairy" in Latin, could also suggest that they are [[Furries]], although how hairy/furry their body could be is up for [[Skub|debate.]] But it must be remembered that even just a little hair would be hairy enough for the Imperium to call them "''hirsutus''" since they just need to be hair''ier'' than normal humans. This possibility has more credence based on the theory that Canis Helix was introduced to [[Fenris|Fenrisians]] to make them hardier, resulting in latent wolf-like traits, [[Wulfen|some]] to the point of [[Fenrisian Wolf|full wolf-like appearance]]. Though again, this isn't hard fact.

The second option is that given our own... fascination with [[catgirl]]s, they could be a case of a [[/tg/|high class member of society]] attempting to create the perfect Waifu, only to find out the Felinids did not like BEING the Waifu and eventually branched off, when their population became big enough, into another Abhuman race. This case would have the Felinds look more like the 10% on the graph down there rather since they were created with looks in mind, not functionality, just like dogs and cats on Terra in M2. In this case they would be much more human-looking, with only a few cat-like physical traits and mannerisms. Some fa/tg/uys have chosen to imagine them as catgirls with glam-rock hair, which would have been pretty likely back in the 80s/90s, when 40K was at its most awesome (see: [[Noise Marine]]s with killer keytars). But seeing how grimdark this galaxy is, it can always be [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUuvHPr4BGk much worse.]

The third option, of course, is that they're simply misclassified [[Beastmen]], with the specific Beast of some sort of cat. Given the usual Beastmen aesthetic, that nearly guarantees a large cat was chosen - probably a lion or tiger, since they have the greatest reputation as "man-eaters" on Terra.

Turns out #2 is the most likely, as Geedubs had them described in Liber Xenologis as "looking no different" to a human, besides the obvious abhuman traits. [[What|Said abhuman traits might include large claws the size of one's forearm]]. Granted, the guy who revealed this in-universe is stated to not be the most trustworthy, but he's all we got. So most fa/tg/guys, being the catgirl lovers we are, decided to take him at his word on the human similarity, but decided the ridiculous claw length was hyperbole (though they probably do have them); or alternatively he's just confusing them for Catachans. Some have suggested they might look more like [[Thundercats]] based on this description, since Thundercats was a big Western-produced [[catfolk]]-centric setting back in the 80s and the titular catfolk were particularly notorious for favoring the "human" side over the "cat" side, which would thus make felinids being dubbed abhumans instead of being blammed as [[mutant]]s more likely, given how xenophobic the Imperium is.

== NOW WITH PROFILES AND RULES ==
[[Image:Furry chart.jpg|thumb|right|The options. The upper left is their canonical appearance, though that won't stop furries.]]
'''Felinid "Cat's Paws" Squad (70 pts - Troops):'''

The most common Felinid Squad. Thanks to their natural capabilities, Cat's Paws require less training than the average Guardsman and are used in outflanking and surprising enemy formations.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Felinid || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 5+
|-
| Felinid Weapons Specialist || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 5+
|-
| Felinid Alpha || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 2 || 8 || 5+
|}

Unit Type: Infantry. Felinid Alpha (Infantry, Character).

Unit Composition: 7 Felinids, 2 Felinid Weapons Specialists and 1 Felinid Alpha.

Wargear: Lasgun, Flak Armor, Frag Grenades

Special Rules:
*'''Outflank'''
*'''Crusader'''
*'''Cat's Eye'''
*'''Cat's Grace'''

Options:
*Felinid Alpha may take items from the Ranged Weapons list.
*Felinid Alpha may replace her Lasgun with a Close Combat Weapon and Laspistol for free.
*Felinid Alpha may replace her Close Combat Weapon for a Power Sword for 15 pts.
*Felinid Alpha may take Melta Bombs for 5 pts.
*Felinid Alpha may carry a Medi-pack for 15 pts.
*Felinid Alpha may replace her Flak Armour with Carapace Armour for 5 pts.
*Felinid Weapons Specialist MUST replace their Lasguns with the items from the Specialist Weapons List.
*The Squad may take Krak Grenades for 10 pts.
*One of the Squad members may carry a Vox Caster for 5 pts.

'''Tiger Squad (100 pts - Elites):'''
A more aggressive breed of Felinid, these abhumans are born with a characteristic striped pattern to their fur and have a strong predatory instinct, unlike most Felinids. Tigers are notorious for savoring the effort in prying the can open to consume their prey.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Tiger || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 1 || 7 || 5+
|-
| Alpha Tiger || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 2 || 8 || 5+
|}

Unit Type: Infantry. Alpha Tiger is (Infantry, Character).

Unit Composition: 9 Tigers and 1 Alpha Tiger.

Wargear: Flak Armour, Tiger Claw

The Tiger Claw is essentially an enormous chain-axe with the teeth replaced with torches.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! S !! AP !! Type
|-
| Tiger Claw || Melee || X2 || 1 || Two-Handed, Unwieldy, Armorbane, Gets Hot
|}
Special Rules:
*'''Outflank'''
*'''Cat's Eye'''
*'''Cat's Grace'''
*'''Furious Charge'''
*'''Monster Hunter'''
*'''Tank Hunters'''
*'''Doctrine: Mobility''': A model with Doctrine: Mobility treats all vehicles they are embarked upon as an Assault Vehicle.
*'''Tank Chasers''': A model with Tank Chasers may reroll failed charges against Vehicles.
Options: The Squad may take a Taurox as a dedicated transport. If it does, the Taurox also gains Outflank, whether or not the squad chooses to begin the game embarked upon it.

'''Jaguar Squad (100 pts - Fast Attack):'''

Jaguars are characterized by black or very dark skin and fur. These abhumans are used as forward vanguards or assassins due to their natural affinity for stealth, by the few Guard Regiments that can afford these specialists. They are particularly fond of dipping their Jaguar Claws (extremely large monomolecular clawed gauntlets designed to separate flesh from bone with the ease of snapping one's fingers) in venom before deployment.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! I !! A !! Ld !! Sv
|-
| Jaguar || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 1 || 8 || 5+
|-
| Alpha Jaguar || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 2 || 9 || 5+
|}

Unit Type: Infantry. Alpha Jaguar is (Infantry, Character).
Unit Composition: 4 Felinid Jaguar and 1 Felinid Alpha Jaguar. May take up to 5 additional Jaguars for 20 pts/model.

Wargear: Flak Armour, Two Jaguar Claws, Sniper Rifle.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Range !! S !! AP !! Type
|-
| Jaguar Claw || Melee || User || - || Shred, Poisoned (4+), Rending, Specialist Weapon
|}

Special Rules:
*'''Crusader'''
*'''Cat's Eye'''
*'''Cat's Grace'''
*'''Crusader'''
*'''Fleet'''
*'''Infiltrate'''
*'''Scout'''
*'''Stealth'''
Options:
*Any Jaguar may carry a Medi-pack for 15 pts.
*Alpha Jaguar may take improved poison for 15 pts. This grants her close combat attacks the Instant Death special rule.
*Any Jaguar may replace their Sniper Rifle with any weapon from the Imperial Guard Specialist Weapons List at the specified cost.
*The entire Squad may replace their Stealth USR with Shrouded for 1 point per model.

'''Special Rules:'''
*'''Cat's Eye:''' Felinids have the Night Vision and Acute Senses USRs, and Preferred Enemy (anything with Toughness and Strength 2 or less).
*'''Cat's Grace:''' Felinids move exactly as though they were Beasts, despite having the Infantry type. When hit by a non areal weapon a unit of Felinids must take a Beast Reflexis test wich give them a 5+ invulnerable save.

== Modeling ==
If you really want to field an army of catgirl guard, you'd better have an overabundance of free time, sculpting skill and greenstuff. Otherwise you're just SOL, because there's virtually nothing else to work with. No conversion bits, no kits from other games to convert, nothing. Not if you want an army of them. There are, however, plenty of individual catfolk models for RPGs and such, so Felinids could conceivably see the 40k tabletop as characters for Inquisitor warbands. Which, from a fluff perspective, is probably where their abhuman talents would see the best use anyway, as count-as death cult assassins or something.

If you're a disgusting furry, however, you have a (very) few options:
* As of Fall 2018 the appearance of the [[Albedo]] Combat Patrol Miniatures Game has brought with it a cat conversion kit for 28mm models available from Sally 4th.
* ArtelW has released a "Catfolk" squad, where there's a few heads that are at [[Avatar|Na'vi]] level, and the rest are full antrho.

==Gallery==
{{Promotions}}
<gallery>
Image:DeathCat.jpg|Please ignore how exposed cleavage contravenes the purpose of a gasmask.
Image:Loyalist Cat.jpg
Image:Fishbowl Guard.jpg
Image:IG_Felinid.png|For the Emperor! Nyaaah!
Image:Sister of Battle Felinid.jpg
Image:Felinid Chapter Serf.jpg|Almost Heresy, and you thought he was angry before.
Image:Felinid Guard.jpg
Image:Catpack.jpg|The Carlos McConnellan 51st Flying Pussyfoots always land on their feet!
Image:Blue cat.jpg
Image:Daawww_IG.jpg|Making the enemies of Man go Daaaaawwwww....
Image:Signofthingstocome.jpg
Image:Felinid.PNG|As the plebs from TV tropes would say, this theoretical depiction has thankfully been jossed
Image:Wh40k felinid by captain asparagus-d9jp3v5.png |Felinid guardsman
Image:Mittens.jpg |Power fists offer fantastic replacements for natural claws
Image:Felinid Imperial Guard Krieger Girl.png |You wish your cat was even just half as awesome
Image:Tumblr_niy6wg0gLm1r9y4r9o1_500.jpg
Image:Tumblr_oavx3xmivO1r9y4r9o1_500.png|Felinids are sometimes used as effective squad morale booster!
Image:Felinid Wulfen Bait.png|They're also pretty effective as Wulfen bait.
Image:FelinidSister.jpg|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l178gxk9_pE| The reason why Sisters of Battle don't recruit Felinids]
Image:Felinid sexual harrasment by sexual yeti-d9yybmm.png|TAKE IT OFF
Image:A Love To Rival "Love Can Bloom".jpg|A crack ship that can rival LIIVI and Taldeer's.
</gallery>

{{Imperium}}
[[Category:Abhumans]]

Ghostwalk

2021-07-03T22:56:07Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* Non-Human Nations */

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Settings]]
[[image:Ghostwalk.jpg|thumb|right|Adventure In The Afterlife]]
The premise is simple: the Land of the Dead is a real place, miles beneath the earth, and the spirits of the dead travel there when they cannot or will not leave the world of the living. These souls become ghosts, which aren't the horrific undead monsters of other [[Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Settings|D&D campaign settings]], but are instead a form of playable pseudo-race/pseudo-class that can be player characters.

Written by the infamous [[Monte Cook]], with assistance from buffed bald betamale [[Sean K. Reynolds]], '''''Ghostwalk''''' adds some interesting new concepts and classes to the standard [[3e|Third Edition]] roster, while complicating things by allowing the transfer of levels between ghost and living states of being. There are a lot of updates to skills and feats from base 3e that are updated in the sourcebook due to the oddities of '''''Ghostwalk''''' ghosts, and the setting as a whole really does add a lot of weird new things to the Third Edition.

It really does need some more notice and love. I don't know who made this article, but you're a goddamn beautiful bastard for doing it. Going to go dig up my book, you can get a copy from Paizo for like five bucks. There is no reason to not gobble up this sweet ass setting.

=Geography=
[[image:GhostwalkMap.PNG|thumb|left|Ye Olde Map]]

==The World of the Living==
The scope of the setting covers a far smaller region than most settings, mostly due to the fact that it was designed to be dropped into any DM's campaign rather than being a full-fledged world all on its own. Still, it packs an unreasonable number of nations, conflicts, and plot hooks into its small region.

===The City of Manifest===
Located amidst the sea and woods of the Hikirian Peninsula, the '''City of Manifest''' is built at the heart of the Land of the Dead. Beneath its sprawling congestion are a series of caves, ready-made for dungeon crawling. These lead to the realm of the Deathwarden Dwarves who guard the Veil of Souls, the gate between the worlds of life and death. The path to the Veil is the titular '''Ghostwalk.'''

Above the dwarves is Manifest. Once a simple camp established amidst the woods of the Elvish dead, known as the Spirit Wood, it has become a thriving metropolis built on the trade of the Ghostwalk. Thousands of people around the world send their bodies to Manifest, where they send them through the Veil into the afterlife in the hopes of easing their passing through the afterlife. Others travel to meet ghosts of loved ones taken before their time, to say their goodbyes. And those goodbyes can be long, leading to the gradual growth of the city.

Ghosts are drawn to Manifest, and the Veil of Souls, from all over the world when they die. Within the city's boundaries, they are able to manifest as corporeal entities made out of ectoplasm, able to interact with the world in a shadow of their mortal lives. Outside it, they are intangible and capable of using some illusory abilities. In Ghostwalk, a ghost is simply the soul of the dead waiting to pass on into the afterlife; unintelligent creatures and certain magical sentients like dragons or fey simply pass on to the "True Afterlife" which awaits all souls beyond the Veil.

===The Human Nations===
*'''Bazareene''': Think Rashemen, if it was ruled by green-eyed femi-Nazis (not to be confused with Feminazis). Native sorcerers rule over ranks of well-fed, well-trained martial fighters, while druids are mocked as the backwater idiot's version of clerics. At the very bottom are wizards, fools without the natural talent to use magic and have to prance around like fools waving their hands and babbling nonsense. While much of the nation is ruled by a pretty tight-fisted dictatorship of women, the barbarians to the south fear the sorcerer-ladies and have fought many wars with them in the past. One of these wars is why sorcerers rule; ancient sorcerers developed spells to transform many unborn children into sorcerers. Male sorcerers are bodyguards of the females. While they supposedly have a very powerful military just waiting to be used, they are more famous for being really, really great cooks.

*'''Salkiria''': The land closest to the city of Manifest, they're the human cultural mecca thanks to the fact that the titular Ghostwalk passes through their lands, bringing vast amounts of trade into contact with their gypsy, gem-mining, dancing and song-obsessed culture. They're the token "good" human nation of the setting, apparently because their last two kings really want to be god-fearing lawful goods despite ruling a nation of chaotic good, tambourine-playing bards. In contrast to Bazareene, Salkiria despises sorcerers and wizards alike thanks to the necromantic studies of former mad kings, while bards and fighters are held in high regard for their role as lorekeeping troubadours and expert "dancing blades" who entertain wandering bands of laboring peasants. Because of all the trade, the Salak language has become the lingua franca of the setting.

*'''Tereppek''': Tereppek is [[Forgotten Realms|Candlekeep]] writ large. Sharing territory with the Dwarven monarchy of the Grumnyr Clan, it's a pedocracy, a nation ruled by the young, of wizards, bureaucrats, and well-educated and entirely civilized commoners. It is a nation of former horse-riding nomads turned chair-sitting scholars. Being the most educated civilization around the Ghostwalk, there are no native barbarians in this land. While civilian bureaucrats rule everyday life, Tereppek's true power rests in the hands of its many wizards and other arcane spellcasters (but not [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcerers]]), who use their magic to defend Tereppek, maintain law and order, and pursue the higher mysteries. Everyone is afraid of Tereppek because they could wipe all the other nations off the face of the world if they wanted to; fortunately for everyone, the people of Tereppek are generally peace-loving, and the only times they've fought wars are when they themselves have been invaded. Basically it would be a civilization of wizardly Mary Sues (thanks Monte Cook), but given the nature of it being a ''pedocracy,'' and knowing how most college students operate in close quarters during finals week, it's a powder keg waiting to go off. This is only made worse by the threat of hedonistic sycophants pushing to expand its military presence in Manifest.

*'''Thurkasia''': Once a colony of Salkiria, it is the home of the horse-riding nomad. Or it was, until Salkiria brought civilization to the barbarian hordes. Now ruled by a democratically-elected council of land barons, Thurkasia is unique among the Ghostwalk nations in that dwarves and gnomes have equal status with the majority humans and have barons of their own. The humans of Thurkasia share many cultural quirks with Salkiria, with a special importance placed on traditional songs and dances and an open-hearted and welcoming nature. However, unlike Salkiria, druids have always been held in special esteem as communers with the spirits of nature, and they remain the agents of Thurkasia's religious faith.

===Non-Human Nations===
*'''Coil''': Everything is snakes. The sky, the ground, the trees, the air itself... Okay, not really, but there are snakes everywhere. It is a demiplane roughly 50 miles long and 30 miles wide, surrounded by a wall of petrified snakes. Snakes grow out of the ground, swim in the lake, and form a mighty river. Every living creature on Coil is either a snake or a snake-like abomination, and the [[yuan-ti]]TM live in cities of stone that writhe like snakes. At their heart is Tragaash Daur, a yuan-ti cleric/sorcerer of... [[Orcus]]. (Yes, the undead mammalian humanoid Orcus. Why him? Dunno!) Unlike in other settings, it is abominations who rule the yuan-ti castes, and all yuan-ti can create vampire spawn-like slaves through the mingling of yuan-ti and victim blood (funnily enough, both of these would become the status quo for yuan-ti in 5e).
*'''Sura-Khiri''': The besieged forest kingdom of the elves of Ghostwalk, Sura-Khiri has suffered for many long decades from an invasion of yuan-ti from Coil. Thanks to the vagaries of planar dynamics, Sura-Khiri's forests and jungles are the easiest place from which to access the Material Plane from Coil, where everything is infested with snakes and the yuan-ti lack for souls. Now, after many years, the elvish population has dwindled to the point of extinction, and the majority of the population train as fighters, rangers, and rogues. What few elves still bother with magic, which is ineffective against the naturally spell-resistant yuan-ti, tend towards the faster and more battle-ready sorcerer class rather than following the lengthy study of wizardry.

===George Romero's Xaphan===
'''Xaphan''' was once a human kingdom set on a small archipelago just off the coast of the Hikirian Peninsula. Originally known as Inuitea, it was conquered by [[Orcus]], the demon prince of the Undead and the setting's greatest villain. Now it is ruled by a council of vampires and its "inhabitants" are almost exclusively evil undead, with a few human slaves kept around for sport and sacrifice. Xaphan constantly plots to invade Manifest and take control of the portal between life and death, but such plots often take a backseat to vampire politics. The primary import of Xaphan is slaves, and its primary export is undead.

===The World of the Dead===
Unique among the D&D settings, Ghostwalks establishes a completely separate and unusual Afterlife that can be explored by players and DMs. Beyond the Well of Souls, in what is known as the True Afterlife, the spirits of the dead live a hollow existence reminiscent of their past lives. They lose all memory of this existence and this world upon revival, but so long as they remain they retain their memories of the living world.

Small islands float atop an endless sea, which plunge to unknown depths. These islands are not attached to anything, they merely float atop the water, like a piece of pumice in the bath. Various factions claim control of a series of isles near the Well of Souls, but it is possible to swim out into the ocean and appear next to islands never before known, far from the Well and other beings. Strangely, there are even undead monsters in this world, who somehow smuggled themselves through the City of Manifest to appear in this World of the Dead.

Beings in this world can survive as long as they want. When they are hungry, food appears before them. A pale kind of sunlight pervades during the "daylight" hours, while pitch darkness fills the "night." Only when a soul is tired and ready to move on, to be consumed by Dracanesh, the Eater of the Dead, do they fade and experience true death.

==Races==
All the standard D&D races are represented, but here we'll list those that are given some unique identity or flavor by the setting.
*Dwarves: They guard the doors to the Land of the Dead.
*Elves: They become one with the Spirit Wood and their ghosts merge into spirit trees.
*Ghosts: Physical beings made up of ectoplasm, which exist in the Material Plane rather than the Ethereal Plane. They are the alignment they were in life, rather than being wholly evil as in other settings, and are preyed upon by other evil undead.
*Yuan-Ti: Extradimensional invaders who come from a demiplane made of snakes. Literally, made of snakes. Like, the sky, the trees, the ground, all snakes. They also lack the right kind of soul to manifest in Manifest, so they hate Manifest and all the ghosts that live there, jealous of their ability to remain in the world after death.
*Vampires: Favored servants of Orcus, god of Undeath.

==Classes==
===Ghosts===
'''Ghosts''' are a special creature type in ''Ghostwalk.'' In general, a ghost is any intelligent humanoid who has the strength of will (such as player characters) to remain in the mortal world after death. In their unlife they have specific urges, called ghost traits, that they must indulge in at least once a week or suffer a -1 to attack rolls, saves, and skill and ability checks. Also, if you don't indulge your ghost trait, you must make a Will save against '''The Calling,''' the natural impulse of a dead soul to enter the True Afterlife.

===Prestige Classes===
*'''Arboreal Guardian:''' Exactly what it sounds like. You protect the Spirit Wood of the Elves, and are specifically bonded to a certain tree which gives you bonuses when you're around it. Generally limited to characters with elvish blood.
*'''Bone Collector:''' Gain strength by killing undead creatures and using their magically-empowered bones. You can also absorb negative energy attacks and store them for use as a one-time, at-will spell.
*'''Deathwarden:''' A member of an elite clan of dwarf warriors who protect the Veil of Souls using their undead-slaying special abilities and their list of magic runes, which can summon a high-level dwarven cleric spirit as in the ''planar ally'' spell. Limited to dwarfs.
*'''Ghost Slayer:''' A class that specializes in killing ghosts with ghost-harming abilities. You can only join if you're knocked unconscious or failed a saving throw against a ghost's attack.

==Culture==
===The Ghostwalk===
===Deities===
{{D&D-Ghostwalk-Deities}}

===Artifacts===

==External Links==
*[http://www.mediafire.com/download/5unkod8gdo8legu/Ghostwalk.pdf Ghostwalk Da PDF] One of the most obscure campaign sourcebooks is now available, courtesy of /rs/.
*[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20030601a Product Spotlight:Ghostwalk] An in-depth interview from when the setting was published.
*[http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/ghostwalk/ Ghostwalk with Sean Reynolds] The story of Ghostwalk and how it came to be, along with other information.

{{Template:D&D-Settings}}

Kobold

2021-07-03T20:51:55Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:850F:37DA:5E63:3457: /* 5th Edition */

{{Promotions}}
[[File:Kobold commando.jpg|300px|thumb|right|A [[/k/]]obold.]]
'''Kobolds''' are a race of creatures originating from Germanic folklore, where they were [[goblin]]-like malevolent spirits who were believed to haunt mines, occasionally leaving nasty surprises in the form of worthless, poisonous metal - the element we now know as "cobalt". The ore is naturally found as sharp shards, bonded with arsenic oxide. The shards are sharp enough to penetrate boots and feet, hurting miners and making them sick just as if they were poisoned caltrop traps left by kobolds. A "cobalt bomb" is a proposed nuclear weapon designed to poison a large territory with super-radioactive cobalt dust, making the target area uninhabitable for 105 years. The (relatively) short half-life makes it especially deadly, but possible for your great-grandchildren to recover the empty territory. So watch out for "kobold bombs" or "magic missiles".

They shot to fame in /tg/ circles in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] where, ever since the very first edition, they have been small, weak creatures, generally serving in most campaigns as low-level cannon fodder for the adventurers to mow down, much like [[goblins]] and [[orcs]].

Despite being physically weak, however, kobolds are also described as capable trapsmiths, and are known for creating traps to protect their lairs and dungeons (a habit that is usually ignored or underplayed by most [[DM]]s). This habit - combined with a penchant for lethal tunnel design and group tactics - were famously used in the tale of [[Tucker's Kobolds]] to illustrate that kobolds - and, indeed, any intelligent creature - can remain dangerous to high-level adventurers despite being statistically inferior in just about every way.

If played with the intention of being dangerous, kobolds are far and away the hardest throwaway monsters to fight. It could be likened to a sort of sick, hardcore version of Home Alone, with the kobolds taking the part of a severely deranged and sadistic Kevin McCallister and the PCs taking the part of hopelessly underprepared thugs walking into a situation they cannot have possibly foreseen. If treated like cannon fodder, they are the absolute hands-down easiest things in any edition to kill, including [[cat|housecats]] and electric iguanas.

Kobolds are often used as "weakling" monsters in games, particularly video games based on the pen-and-paper variety. Their actual versatility depends on the system, but like D&D runs the gamut of [[Dawww|harmless]] to [[Dwarf Fortress#Cats|devastating in numbers]] to [[Anal circumference|downright impossible]]. They are sometimes portayed as reptilian creatures, sometimes as either wolf/dog-like or [[Warcraft| rat-like]]; D&D has actually been in both camps in different editions, and in fact [[5e]] (presumably as part of its attempt to be the "Greatest Hits" edition) actually decided to split the difference and made them dragonkin with some reptilian and some canine features.

There is a market in [[Dungeons_%26_Dragons_3rd_Edition | 3.5]] for kobold [[PC]]s, since their draconian/reptilian ancestry make them one of the only +0 Level Adjustment races capable of qualifying for much of the additional material in [[splatbook]]s like the Draconomicon and the Book of Dragons. [[Pun-Pun]], for example, is a rather famous [[CharOp]] design that allows a kobold wizard to attain theoretically unlimited abilities and attributes, using material from splatbooks and the [[Forgotten Realms]] [[Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Campaign_Settings | campaign setting]].

While [[4e]] technically does allow for 0LA characters using the "racial features" rules in the Monster Manual, they effectively play like reptilian halflings, which get better bonuses. The lack of splat and reptilian-based bonuses makes them less appealing than 3e, but their inherent trap skills make them excellent [[Bloody Path|rogues]].

5th edition's Volo Guide to Monsters reintroduced them as an option, and while they're not a ''bad'' choice per se (Small, +2 to Dex and Darkvision make Kobolds quite effective rogues), their sensitivity to daylight proves to be a real disadvantage in campaigns that aren't extensive dungeon crawls.

The patron god of the kobolds is [[Kurtulmak]].

Kobolds with wings are known as Urds.

Kobolds are very popular with [[Furry|Scalies]].

==The Many Faces of Kobolds==
[[File:Kobold_Art_History.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A basic summary of the kobold look from 1st to 4th edition.]]
D&D Kobolds have undergone a long history of revision. When they first appeared in basic/AD&D 1e, they were considered kin to goblinoids, but also had distinctly beast-man type appearances - of course, these were the days in which [[bullywug]]s and [[gnolls]] were considered humanoids and thus could interbreed with humans, so not that weird. The result was a scaly-skinned rat- or dog-like humanoid with small horns and a distinct barking voice. The version first depicted in the [[Monster Manual]] was clearly a scaly dog-man, but versions by other artists were more rat-like.

When AD&D 2e was launched, the first Monstrous Compendium presented an alternative version that was more visibly [[goblin]]-like; a small, ugly but fundamentally man-shaped creature with big, saucer-like eyes, a puggish face and small horns. This version was not very well received, and the artwork quickly went back to the more rodent-like visages of editions past. The iconic depiction of this was by [[Tony DiTerlizzi]], in the AD&D Monstrous Manual.

Finally, in 3rd edition, kobolds became stunted, draconic humanoids; little reptile men with dragon-like snouts and stubby horns, and this interpretation, which made them claim kinship to true dragons, became their iconic face for all editions afterwards. Even Pathfinder reused this. The 5th edition version somewhat combined the reptilian and canine features, keeping them little reptile men with stubby horns on their heads, but giving them a more canine head with a black dog-like nose at the end of their snout, as well as a pair of longer horns that somewhat resemble dog ears at a glance.

Because the "dragonbolds" or "lizardbolds" are so associated with D&D, when kobolds reappear in other media, their appearance often changes. Because the goblinoid form is too confusing, most kobolds tend to be either [[ratfolk]] or dog-people. [[Warcraft]] has long used the ratfolk interpretation, with its kobolds being humanoid rats who are obsessed with finding candles to help them in their eternal mining. In Japanese media, kobolds as digging dog-people as popular for much the same reason why pig-men [[orc]]s are popular: [[Old School Roleplaying]] [[neckbeard]]s have a huge influence on /tg/ related animes & mangas, and they retain fond memories of the original quasi-dog-like appearance of kobolds from AD&D 2e. This is why, for example, Polt of [[Life With Monstergirls]] appears as a dog-girl.

==D&D Stats==
Kobolds have long been one of the playable monstrous races of Dungeons & Dragons, although their precise mechanical crunch has been... kind of hit and miss. Pathfinder and 5th edition's versions in particular have often been angrily derided for actually being weaker than [[Goblin]]s, who are supposed to be on roughly the same level of inferiority on the totem pole.

===BECMI===
Kobolds were amongst the many "humanoid" races to debut in the [[Known World Gazetteers|Known World Gazetteer #10: The Orcs of Thar]], alongside [[orc]]s, [[goblinoid]]s, [[ogre]]s, [[troll]]s and [[gnoll]]s.

::Kobold Ability Modifiers: -4 Strength, +3 Dexterity
::Note: Like all Humanoids from "The Orcs of Thar", a Kobold has racial ability score caps of 18 in all scores bar [[Intelligence]] and [[Wisdom]], which are capped at 16.
::Note: Like all Humanoids from "The Orcs of Thar", a Kobold determines its [[Charisma]] score for interacting with [[human]]s and [[demihuman]]s by dividing its Charisma score by 3 (rounding down) and subtacting the result from 9.
::Kobold Natural Armor Class: 7
::Can become [[Shaman]]s (6th level) and [[Wokani]] (4th level).

{| class=wikitable
!Kobold's's level || XP Required || Kobold's hit dice
|-
|0||0||1d4
|-
|1||500X||2d4
|-
|2||1,000||3d4
|-
|3||2,000||4d4
|-
|4||4,000||5d4
|-
|5||8,000||6d4
|-
|6||16,000||7d4
|-
|7||30,000||8d4
|-
|8||60,000||9d4
|-
|9||120,000||+2 Hit Points
|-
|Subsequent||100,000||+2 Hit Points
|}
{{D&D1e-Races}}

===AD&D/2nd Edition===
From the Complete Book of Humanoids. Before these, kobold PC rules (alongside [[xvart]], [[goblin]] and [[orc]] rules) had appeared for AD&D 1e in the article "Hey, Wanna Be a Kobold?" by Joseph Clay in [[Dragon Magazine]] #141 (January 1989).

::Ability Score Modifiers: -1 Strength, -1 Constitution
::Altered Ability Scores: Minimum Dexterity and Constitution of 4, Maximum Strength of 15, Maximum Constitution of 16, Maximum Intelligence of 17, Maximum Charisma of 14
::Class & Level Restrictions: Fighter (8), Cleric (9), Shaman (7), Witch Doctor (7), Thief (12)
::Size: Small
::Special Advantages: Infravision 60 feet, Intelligent or Powerful creatures will attack a kobold last unless it is obviously a threat
::Special Disadvantages: Light Aversion (-1 penalty to attack rolls in equivalent of direct sunlight), gnomes receive a +1 to attack rolls against kobolds
::Weapon Proficiencies: Club (spiked), hand axe, javelin, short sword, spear
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Animal noise, animal training (giant weasel), animal training (wild boar), begging, close-quarter fighting, danger sense, fast-talking, gem cutting, hiding, looting, mining, set snares, wild fighting
{{D&D2e-Races}}

===3rd Edition===
From Races of the Dragon.

*Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength, -2 Constitution
*Size: Small
*Type: Humanoid (Dragonblood, Reptilian)
*Base Speed 30 feet
::This is faster than almost any other Small humanoid can get, making kobolds actually better for certain mobility builds than gnomes or halflings can ever be.
*Darkvision 60 ft.
*+1 natural bonus to AC
*+2 racial bonus to Craft (Trapmaking), Profession (Miner) and Search checks; Craft (trapmaking) is always considered a class skill.
::Later on in Chapter 6: Character Options, the skill listing for Profession says that kobolds also get some unusual perks to use Profession (miner). One kobold counts as a Medium creature to determine how much digging it can do, and up to 4 of the Small-sized fuckers can fit into a single square at one time. That means that they can actually dig four times as fast as dwarves and certain other underground races. In the book, it actually says that dwarves respect their mining skills.
*Light Sensitivity: Dazzled when exposed to bright sunlight or a daylight spell (which can be negated by buying some goggle-shades later on in the same book)
*Favored Class: Sorcerer

Additionally, Races of the Dragon has the Draconic Rite of Passage, where allows kobolds to endure a 9-day fasting, the permanent loss of 1 hp, and sacrifice a 100 gp gem to gain any 1st-level spell as a spell-like ability, usable once a day.

It should be noted that these basic stats were still considered a little weak compared to other races, so a web enhancement for Races of the Dragon beefed them up a tiny bit. While this didn't really make them all that "powerful", the update did actually make them a very interesting race. The additional abilities are:
* Natural Weapons: It's just a little 2 claws / 1 bite set that does 1d3 for them all, but it does mean a kobold is never unarmed, as well as explaining how they are so fucking ridiculous at digging.
* Slight Build: The opposite of the goliath advantage, you get to count as one size category smaller when it's advantageous, such as for size modifiers or when squeezing through a tight space.
* Weapon Proficiency/Familiarity: Kobolds get Martial Weapon Proficiency in light pick and heavy pick (kind of the way elves and others get bonus profs), and treat greatpicks from that web supplement as martial instead of exotic.
* Kobold cleric domain: Gives the cleric trapfinding, adds Disable Device and Search to class skills, gives some pretty fucking spiffy domain spells.
* The Greater Draconic Rite of Passage: This awesome addition allows a kobold sorcerer who already did the lesser Draconic Rite of Passage to get a free fucking level of sorcerer that doesn't alter their ECL or anything. No shit; all you have to do is another 9-day fast, give up 3 hp permanently (which is the only reason you might hesitate to do it), and a 1,000 gp gem. Enjoy being overpowered, you asshole...
* Draconic Reservoir feat: Your SLA from Draconic Rite of Passage is now 3/day instead of 1/day. Make it count.

====Why D&D 3.5 Kobolds Kick Ass====
It may not seem like it, but despite what a bunch of dipshts may say, 3.5 was the time when kobolds ascended to godlike fucking power.

You see, D&D characters have ages, and in third edition, your character's age can place you into one of four age categories. The first does nothing, and each one after that stacks an increasing penalty to your physical ability scores and a +1 to all of your mental ability scores, so a character who is older than Jesus will have -6 str, -6 dex, -6 con, +3 int, +3 wis, and +3 cha... unless that character is a dragon. Dragons get the mental benefits of old age without the physical penalties, because dragons are fucking awesome. But that doesn't do kobolds a lot of good, because kobolds aren't dragons, right? Enter the Dragonwrought feat. A kobold who takes the Dragonwrought feat during character-creation gets their creature type changed from humanoid to dragon. Page 39 of Races of the Dragon explicitly confirms: "Ability penalties due to age do not apply to dragonwrought kobolds. See the Dragonwrought feat, page 100." So, a 120-year-old dragonwrought kobold gets a free +3 to its mental scores in addition to all the other benefits of counting as a dragon, like low-light vision and immunity to magic sleep and paralysis effects. For a wizard, sorcerer, cleric, favored soul, psion, or any other dedicated caster class, which are already pretty godlike, dragonwrought kobolds can give you that little bit of extra edge that you need to achieve [[Pun-Pun|''uber''-godhood]].

It gets better, though. You see, in addition to the four ''normal'' age categories that all characters have, kobolds have ''kobold age categories'', ranging from Wrymling to Great Wyrm. True dragons, meanwhile, have ''dragon age categories'' with the ''exact same names'', and although there is no strict and official definition of a "true dragon" anywhere in the D&D 3e literature, they have been described as dragons that progress through said age categories. As a result, [[skub|some people have argued]] that [[bullshit|dragonwrought kobolds are, in fact, true dragons]]. Why would this matter? Because there's a bunch of epic dragon cheese that is only available to true dragons, and if you can stack that shit on a kobold player character, you'll practically be eating Tarrasques for lunch.

As NPCs, kobolds know they are small and weak and can't do much about it. They can dig through a mountain faster than that chump John Henry (look it up, you illiterate fuckwits), and lay out enough traps to make the Tomb of Horrors look like a fucking carnival ride, though, so what other creature could use a legion of little minions who do nothing but dig out precious minerals and make traps to defend it all day? Fucking dragons, of course. Right there in Races of the Dragon, there's a blue dragon who actually tells her hatchlings that only kobolds are more reliable than family and the most diehard friends. Because kobolds don't sit on their treasure; they hand it over to a neighborhood dragon and ask for nothing but protection and a little help with enemies once in a while. For a dragon, the return on that investment is just too good: fabulous wealth, dozens of lethal traps to help protect it, and a nice little army of sneaky, smart little ranged attackers who won't hesitate to pin-cushion intruders with dozens of crossbow bolts. For the most part, everyone wins in that arrangement.

Kobolds may not be as elegant as elves, as sturdy as dwarves, or have the adaptability of humans. What they have is moxie and the smarts to play up their strengths, making them the "underdogs" you can't help but root for a little bit.

===Pathfinder===
In addition to appearing in the Advanced Race Guide and Inner Sea Races, Kobolds got their own mini-booklet specifically aimed at Kobolds of Golarion, with a bunch of new traits - including special "bonus" traits based on what color their scales were.

::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -4 Strength, -2 Constitution
::Size: Small
::Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Armor: +1 natural armor
::Crafty: +2 racial bonus to Craft (Traps), Perception, and Profession (Miner), Craft (Traps) and Stealth are always Class Skills
::Weakness: Light Sensitivity

''Alternate Racial Traits:''
* '''Beast Bond:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and Ride checks, with Handle Animal and Ride always being Class Skills.
* '''Dragon-Scaled:''' Replace '''Armor''' with Resistance 5 to either Acid, Cold, Electricity or Fire Damage.
* '''Gliding Wings:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with the ability to Glide; when falling, a kobold can make a DC 15 Fly check to land without injury as if using the ''Feather Fall'' spell, and if it succeeds on this check, can then make a second DC 15 Fly check to move 5 feet laterally for every 20 feet fallen.
* '''Jester:''' Replace '''Crafty''' with +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Perform checks, with Diplomacy and Perform always being Class Skills.
* '''Dayrider:''' Downgrades a kobold's Darkvision to Low-Light Vision, but removes its Light Sensitivity.
* '''Dragonmaw:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a D4 damage bite attack that can also deal a bonus +1d6 fire/acid/cold/lightning damage (chosen and set at character creation) 1/day.
* '''Echo Whistler:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with the ability to try and make a Bluff check with just a bit of vocal mimicry 3/day, gaining a +2 bonus to the check in any place that would generate an echo.
* '''Frightener:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a +1 DC boost to any Fear spell that the kobold casts.
* '''Prehensile Tail:''' Replaces '''Armor''' with a +2 bonus to Acrobatics & Climb checks and the ability to draw a hidden weapon as a move action.
* '''Secret Strider:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with the ability to, twice per day, enter a super-sneaky mode for 1 minute. During this time, the kobold leaves no trail when moving through natural surroundings, increasing the DC of Survival checks to track it by +10.
* '''Shoulder To Shoulder:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with a +1 bonus to Aid Another checks, the ability to occupy the same space as another Small creature without penalty, and the ability to gain a +1 AC bonus when sharing a space with another kobold with this trait.
* '''Spellcaster Sneak:''' Replaces '''Crafty''' with a +2 bonus to Stealth checks. A kobold spellcaster with this trait can also freely apply Silent Spell to a spell 1/day.
* '''Wild Forest Kobold:''' Replaces ''Crafty'' with a +2 bonus to Perception and Survival checks. Additionally, Stealth and Survival are always class skills for this kobold.
* '''Wyrmcrowned:''' Replaces ''Crafty'' with a +2 bonus to either Diplomacy or Intimidate and the ability to count the chosen skill as always being a class skill.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition now has Kobolds thanks to the Advanced Player's Guide. Artwork of the little scalies shows a notable redesign in appearance from 1st edition, now looking more like salamanders or other lizards, with wider heads and a relatively thicker body (no, not ''that'' sort of thick). If nothing else, the wider and flatter heads do make the "three kobolds in a trenchcoat" trick a little more structurally-stable.
{{Pathfinder-Races}}

===Pathfinder 2nd Edition Kobolds===

Kobolds finally got their time in the spotlight with the APG during Gencon 2020. As stated above, they got an update to their appearances, now looking more like salamanders than the mini dragons they were before.

'''Stats'''

::Hit points: 6

::Size: Small

::Speed: 25 feet

::Ability Boosts: Dexterity, Charisma, Free

::Ability Flaw: Constitution

::Languages: Common and Draconic, as well as any other languages equal to your intelligence modifier.

::Darkvision: You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.

::Draconic Exemplar: You draw minor powers from your draconic exemplar. Choose a type of chromatic or metallic dragon to be your exemplar. This determines your scale color and appearance, and dragons sometimes look more favorably upon those kobolds who resemble them, at the GM’s discretion. Your exemplar may also determine details of other abilities you have, using the Draconic Exemplars table.

In addition to all of these, Kobolds get a few feats like ''Cringe'', which works a lot like 5e's Grovel, Cower, and Beg, except here it's optional.

::Cringe

:::''Trigger'': A creature you are aware of critically succeeds on a Strike against you and would deal damage to you.
:::With pitiful posturing, you cause your foe to pull back a deadly attack. The attacking creature takes a circumstance penalty to the damage of the triggering Strike equal to your level + 2. This penalty applies after doubling the damage for a critical hit. The attacker is then immune to your Cringe for 24 hours.

===4th Edition===
In this edition, kobolds received their first writeup in the Monster Manual 1.
::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity +2 Constitution,
::Size: Small
::Vision: Normal
::Speed: 6 squares
::Skill Bonus: +2 Stealth, +2 Thievery
::Trap Sense: +2 to all defenses against traps
::Racial Power - Shifty: At-Will power. You can spend a minor action to Shift 1 square

They later got beefed up in the Dungeon Survival Guide. This gave them the Reptile type, traded Stealth bonus for Dungeoneering, gave them Darkvision, let them swap their Dex boost for +2 Charisma instead, and replaced Shifty with Shifty Manuever, an Encounter power that lets the kobold and all allies within Close Burst 2 shift 1 square as a free action.

It also gave them five new racial utility powers; Flee! (level 2 Daily; kobold and all allies in Close Burst 2 get +2 to all defenses for 1 turn and shift their full speed), Load Slingpot (level 2 Encounter; kobold with a sling can fling a randomly enchanted projectile that will either give the target a turn-long attack penalty, set the target on fire, or immobilize them for a turn), Tunnel Scuttle (level 6 Encounter; free move action that can go up walls and through tight spaces without issue), Frantic Shift (level 10 Encounter; shift 1 square as a minor action, recharges if you get Bloodied) and Trap-Gang Method (level 10 At-Will; if you take trap/hazard damage with a non-minion creature adjacent to you, you can shift over half the damage you take to that creature).

On top of that, it also provided them with five empowering feats; Dragon's Indomitability (roll two dice and choose the result you want when saving vs. Fear and Stun), Kobold in a Corner (+1 per tier bonus damage against creatures that have combat advantage against you), and Shiftier Maneuver (when you use Shifty Maneuver, one target can shift +2 extra squares) for every'bold, Trapbuster (roll two dice and pick your preference when making Perception checks to detect traps, you don't ever trigger a trap if you fail a Thievery check to disable it) for those with training in Thievery, and Eldritch Momentum (if you move at least 3 squares away from where you started your turn, you gain combat advantage against all creatures under your Warlock's Curse until the end of your next turn) for the kobold [[warlock]].

Truly, 4th edition was a glorious time to play a kobold.
{{D&D4e-Races}}

===5th Edition===
[[File:Looting_Kobolds.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Kobolds are a bit more silly in 5e.]]
From Volo's Guide to Monsters.

::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision: 60 feet
::Grovel: Once per encounter, can use an action on your turn to beg, plead, snivel and otherwise humiliate yourself; until the end of your next turn, all of your allies gain Advantage on attack rolls made against enemies within 10 feet of you and who can see your pathetic display.
::Pack Tactics: If at least one non-incapacitated ally is within 5 feet of a creature you are attacking, you gain Advantage on attack rolls against that creature.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.

Until the 2020 errata of Volo's Guide to Monsters, kobolds had a -2 penalty to strength. This made kobolds and full-blooded orcs the only races in 5e with a racial ability score penalty. The orc's -2 to intelligence was also removed in the same errata (though, the orcs had already gotten the same change in the Eberron and Wildemount books).

The Grovel power is ridiculously useful, allowing you to grant Advantage to ALL attack rolls made by ALL your allies against a sizable number of enemies. That said, it's also the source of a great deal of [[skub]]; those who like their kobolds to be viewed as "truly pathetic" feel it's fitting, whilst players who want to play a kobold in order to fight ''against'' the perception of kobolds as weak, cowardly, stupid cannon fodder find it infuriating, because it's a racial trait that goes directly against their character plan AND it means you're inherently contributing less to the party. In fairness, it can easily be reskinned into a more heroic or warlike act, a comedy skit if you're going for something goofier, or even an elaborate and [[Pun-Pun|truly cunning]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XfkZlcG8KU| deception.]

Likewise, the Pack Tactics power is seen as extremely powerful. This is offset by your Sunlight Sensitivity, meaning that you yourself are less able to contribute in a fight. Especially since, being Small and having a Strength penalty, you're not likely to be in melee range in the first place, as you're far better suited for a bow-based [[rogue]]/[[ranger]] or a spellcaster.

In a nutshell, the 5e Kobold looks like an attempt at directly converting the 5e Monster Manual version into a PC race, for good or ill. An interesting thing to consider is that on their own, Grovel and Pack Tactics would be overpowered, but they are easily canceled out by Daylight Sensitivity, which is very likely to be the norm as most adventuring parties will choose to take a long rest during the night. From a meta-gaming perspective, the best way to play a kobold is as a team-player, which is very fitting for its lore as a creature that is weak on its own but powerful in large numbers. Consequently, it shouldn't be too surprising to see a kobold player find great success playing a class focused around the use of a companion, such as a Battlesmith Artificer or a Beastmaster Ranger.

Naturally, this version is not the most popular around, and there are alternatives. In particular, the [[Midgard]] Heroes Handbook offers this alternative;
::Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision: 60 feet
::Blindsider: If at least one non-incapacitated ally is within 5 feet of a creature you are attacking, you gain Advantage on attack rolls against that creature. You can only benefit from this trait with one attack per round.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.
::Tinkerer: You have Proficiency with one set of Artisan's Tools of your choice from the following list: Alchemist's Supplies, Mason's Tools, Smith's Tools, or Tinker's Tools.

Or you could look at the [[World of Farland]] version:
::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity
::Size: Small
::Speed: 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Tricksy: You have Proficiency with the Trapmaking Kit.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made when you or your target are in direct sunlight.
::Pack Tactics: Once per short rest, when attacking an enemy adjacent to an ally who isn't incapacitated, you can gain advantage on the attack roll. If this attack hits, it does +1d6 damage, increasing to +2d6, +3d6 and +4d6 at levels 6, 11 and 14 respectively.
::Subrace: Choose the Common, Winged or Wyrmsblood subrace.

''Common Kobolds'' are known as "Murgs", which means "Scavenger" or "Rat" in the Dark Tongue. They gain +1 Constitution and the Iron Stomach trait, which lets them even spoiled or rotten food whilst also giving them Proficiency in Survival, Advantage on Constitution saving throws, and Resistance to Poison damage. Despite their name, they are ''not'' [[ratfolk]]; those are the [[ferek]]kin.

''Winged Kobolds'', obviously, can fly. They gain no extra ability score increase, but have a Fly speed of 30 feet. They can't fly if wearing armor they're not proficient in, nor a backpack specifically tailored to fit around their wings. Additionally, they need to pass a Constitution save whenever they take damage whilst flying (DC 10 or 1/2 the damage, whichever is higher) or else they immediately fall to the ground.

''Wyrmsblood Kobolds'' claim distant [[dragon]] heritage and an attendant affinity for [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcery]]. They gain +1 Charisma and can cast Blade Ward, as well as gaining the ability to cast Charm Person 1/day from 3rd level, both using Charisma as their spellcasting ability score.

{{D&D5e-Races}}

==Cutebolds==
[[File:Cutebold adventure party.gif|250px|thumb|right|Aw, they think they're people!]]
Cutebolds are like Kobolds only incredibly cute.

They are pitiful and childish in everything they do, and are innocent enough to not know how to procreate. All they know is that rubbing their noses gives them a guilty pleasure. They are no less "harmless" when played properly, though. They tend toward the dog-like for extra D'aww.

This interpretation of the Kobold is thought to have been inspired by their depiction in [[Dwarf Fortress]], where they steal your supplies, but seem to do it in the most endearingly stupid manner possible.

Cutebold stats:
: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Int
: Charm person once per day as a spell like ability
: Low light vision and scent

==Kobold Commandos==

[[File:Kobold-red-beret.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Another [[/k/]]obold.]]
[[File:Kobold-with-smg.png|300px|thumb|right|Is that a sturmfaust? ITS A GUNDAM!]]
A popular way to portray kobolds in a more contemporary fashion, kobold commandos portray kobolds as being part of the military, especially special forces. Other anons point out that with the fact that they don't hold up in a one-on-on fight with other low level monsters, attack in large numbers and from ambush, have a predisposition towards traps and dig big underground tunnels, they're kind of like the Viet Cong. This is probably rooted in the old story about [[Tucker's Kobolds]], and there are similarities between these two depictions. Of the various 'cannon fodder' enemies, Kobolds seem to be the most organized, and with that organization a DM has a lot of leeway to look into all the ways one can use fortifications to fuck with an attacker, and turn them upon unsuspecting players.
D20 Modern's urban Arcana made this version actually canon, right down to an almost [[Ork]]ish love of [[DAKKA]], with the popular kobold character [[Meepo]], originally from the module The Sunless Citadel, getting transported into the world of d20 modern and joining an army, and later returning to his own world bringing his shotgun with him.

==Kobold Models==
Despite being a part of D&D since the very beginning, kobold tabletop models are rather rare(see below for links). For the longest time, [[Reaper Miniatures]] has been pretty much the ''only'' company that made them in squad/mob size numbers, and even then the sculpts... aren't that spectacular. However, as of May 2017 Westfalia Miniatures has Kickstarted their new tabletop wargame Strongsword, and included with it are models (damn good ones, too) for an entire kobold army! What's more, in the Strongsword lore the little bastards apparently cause enough mayhem to be responsible for a conflict called (I shit you not) the [[Tucker's Kobolds|''Kobold Wars'']].

==Monstergirls==
{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:MGE Kobold.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The MGE Kobold, one of the two most iconic depictions of the kobold as a cute doggie-girl.]]
[[File:Koboldette.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The basic approach the West takes to sexy kobolds.]]

Given the popularity of kobolds, there are also a lot of people who like them In That Way. The two most popular kobold monstergirl depictions are the dogbold and the little dragonbold: Goblinoid kobolds are pretty much immune to this treatment, mostly because at that point you just end up with a monstergirl [[goblin]] and maybe a few special kinks, at which point you're usually asking yourself "why is this not just called a goblin?".

Dogbolds are mostly seen in Japanese media like [[Life With Monstergirls]] and the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]], where they are humanoid dogs to some degree. In the former they have small snouts instead of noses, fur covering their bodies and [[Power_Fist|massive hands]]. Polt is the only kobold seen so far, the owner of a gym and creator of the "kobolds are all hyperactive dogs who'll drag you along if you take them for walkies" stereotype. In the latter they are humans with dog-like disposion; submissive, eager to please, excitable and won't stop doing something until you tell them to.

In the west, meanwhile, the small dragon type kobold is massive bait for the [[furry]] subgroup known as scalies: those with an interested in scaled rather than furred animals. Dragons are by far the most popular animal in the group, and not only are kobolds essentially a smaller version of dragons, the fact that kobolds are generally depicted as the loyal and submissive servants to their draconic masters means it's not hard to sexualize that relationship. Humanization is rarely done because that would ruin their small dragon appeal. While in some cases they are drawn with humanoid penises or breasts, often they are depicted as they are in the books (except, you know, naked). This includes very minute sexual dimorphism, meaning that any kobold could be a [[trap]]. Often included is them having a cloaca, meaning that their pelvic region is reduced to a single nondescript opening that they piss, jizz, and crap out of (....hot?). These kobolds are often portrayed with wide, egg-laying hips in order to give them some [[shortstack]] appeal.

===Canonical Kobold Deviance===
In what has to be the weirdest of coincidences, ever since kobolds got their [[dragon]]-linked makeover in 3rd edition, there's been some really weird sexual elements snuck into their lore, although what that element is depends on the edition.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]: [[Races of X|Races of the Dragon]] states that kobolds go into heat and are compelled to breed, like animals, but they're also sapient beings, so they also form permanent pair-bondings. They reconcile these different facts with the statement that extra-marital sex and breeding is considered "no biggie" in kobold society, because the urge hits when it hits, and they can't control themselves when it happens, so there's no point getting jealous about it.

[[Pathfinder]]: Kobolds of [[Golarion]] has become somewhat memetically infamous for its presentation of kobold biology. Classic Monsters Revisited also established kobolds as being super-breeders, with females producing eggs throughout their lives and producing bigger and bigger clutches as they get older.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition]]: The Dungeon Survival Handbook states that kobolds worship [[dragon]]s to the extent of willingly committing suicide by feeding themselves to hungry dragons because they view it was a way to transcend their kobold natures and become one with their devourer. While they are not stated to get any ''sexual'' pleasure from this act of getting eaten, you just know that pointing as much out will fall on deaf ears with many voraphiles.

[[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]]: Volo's Guide to Monsters states that, like certain frogs and fish, kobolds are environmentally triggered gender-benders, switching between male and female in response to the overabundance of one gender in order to facilitate breeding. So theoretically, if you want kobolds, you just stick two kobolds in a cage and it doesn't matter what sexes they started out as, they'll become a breeding pair and start making eggs soon enough.

==Gallery==
===Cutebolds===
<center>
<gallery>
File:Koboldthief.png
File:Id give you the moon.gif|If you should want the moon, and the stars that shine...
File:Grifli.gif|There's no word in kobold for "[[just as planned|keikaku]]".
File:Koboldhouse.gif|[[Kobold Camp]] now with 3D rendering.
File:Loveakobold.gif|Love can bloom under a battlefield.
Image:Cutebold_fantasies.jpg|Someone's got a widdle crush!
File:CuteboldMindflayer.jpg|No one messes with a [[Illithid|Mindflayer]]
</gallery>
</center>

===D&D Kobolds through the ages===
<center>
<gallery>
Original_Kobold.png|The very first kobold in D&D, the foundation of them all.
Kobold MM 1e 2.jpg
Kobold Monster card.jpg|The one time when "goblin" and "kobold" became interchangeable.
Goblinoid_Kobold.jpg
Urd.jpg|Now with flight!
Kobold MM 2e.png|The iconic AD&D Kobold artwork; you can actually see similarities to 3e if you squint.
3e_Kobold.jpg|The definitive species change-over.
4e_Kobolds.jpg
4e_Kobolds_2.jpg
5e_Kobold.jpg|New swolbolds, the pinnacle of kobold design!
Pathfinder_Kobold.jpg|Pathfinder did buff kobolds first.
Pathfinder_Kobold_Warrior.jpg
Pathfinder_Kobold_Shaman.jpg
KoboldPF2e.png|Pathfinder 2e makes the Kobolds look more like salamanders
</gallery>
</center>

===Western-style Monstergirls===
<center>
<gallery>
Image:Koboldette_2.jpg|Now in flat-chested variety.
Image:Kobold_Maiden.jpg
Image:Kobold_Maiden_2.jpg
Image:Embarrassed_Kobold.png|Some kobold-gals are very shy about being approached by human adventurers.
Image:Presenting_Kobold.png|Others, not so much.
Image:Then_and_now_1.png|Kobolds have changed a lot over the years.
Image:Nubile_Kobold_Savage.jpg
Image:Kobold_Worker.png
Image:Kobold_Traveler.jpg
Image:Kobold_Warrior.jpg
Image:Kobold_Dancer.png
Image:Kobold_White_Mage.jpg
Image:Kobold_Wizard_1.png
Image:Kobold_Wizard_2.jpg
File:Feathered Aztec Kobold Spirit Shaman.png
Image:Koboldwater.jpg
Image:Coal_the_Kobold_gets_pettings.jpg|Coal the Kobold, protagonist of Monsters Can Be Heroes Too! being adorable.
</gallery>
</center>

==See also==
*[[Tucker's Kobolds]]
*[[Pun-Pun]]
*[[Kobold Camp]]
*[[Kobolds Ate My Baby!]]
*[[Unified Setting/Kobolds]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BWVkKd_Cw The cutebold theme]
*[https://www.reapermini.com/search/kobold/ Reaper minis]
*[https://www.stonehavenmini.com/collections/kobold Stonehaven minis]
*[https://wizkids.com/dnd-unpainted/ wizkid D&D line, has some kobolds]

[[Category:Dragons]] [[Category:Furry]]