Chaos Races

An orc warlord holds aloft a flaming blade, symbol of Surtur and the Armies of Chaos.

The Chaos Races are called thus as they are the monsters spawned from chaos itself. They are thought to have been created by the Jötnar and Titans to oppose the races who served the Olympians, Aesir, and other deities in the mortal realm.

Much of this article is taken from the book Abominations of Chaos by Grigore Summers. Not all of it should be taken as fact, dear reader, for Summers is known for his occasional embellishment, assertion, or half-truth, yet he remains our best source for any illusive information regarding monsters.

Creation

Long ago during the Titanomachy, the Titans and Jötnar created an army of mortal followers to serve them and do battle with the men, elves, and dwarves: the coalition of Noble races. However, because the Titans and Jötnar lacked the art and power of their enemy gods, and due to their purely chaotic and twisted nature, the giants' creations are hideous and imperfect monsters. Thus, the Chaos races.

Nature

Though wholly creatures of chaos that cannot understand many of the Virtues, the assortment of abominations that are the Chaos races are not truly demonic. Their creators are not demons, therefore the Chaos races cannot be destroyed by sunlight or holy power, despite their hatred for the noble gods. They do, however, prefer darkness to light and despise daytime and the light of the sun. Their eyes are adjusted to darkness, as they generally dwell in caves and hunt at night.

The Chaos races are dark mockeries of the Noble races. Orcs are mockeries of Men, while hobgoblins are mockeries of Elves, and goblins are mockeries of Dwarves. The remaining Chaos monsters are of unknown basis, including twisted amalgamations that resemble beasts walking on two legs and the ogres, which some scholars speculate were an attempt to mock trolls. Trolls, however, as we know, are monsters, as are the beastfolk that the Chaos beasts faintly resemble. Therefore, it is unlikely these creatures served as inspirations for the Jötnar.

Diet

Special note must be taken to inform readers that the Chaos races exist on a diet of flesh, primarily the flesh of Noble races such as Men. These beings do not cultivate food. Their teeth are sharp and their pronounced canines highlight their preference for flesh. Some have been found to drink a revolting black concoction of alcohol and blood, by which they can keep their strength when flesh is not readily available.

Breeding

Unlike the Noble races, the Chaos races seem to be sexless. No one knows how exactly they breed, as no women or children have been observed among their kind, even in villages. Tales are told of breeding pits fed by the blood of captives, very few of whom ever return alive from the clutches of the Chaos races. Indeed, the monsters seem to subdue the strongest of their foes, if they can, while gleefully devouring the ones they deem weak, such as children and anyone who does not fight or is bested too easily.

Culture

The Chaos races have no culture. They are violent and do not understand the concept of law, nor the concepts of justice and peace. They constantly squabble among themselves. They seem to respect only strength and just enough intelligence to know how to use it. This is why ogres do not generally lead the Chaos races, as they lack the relative wits of some of their counterparts.

Races

Orcs

The orcs are perhaps the foremost of the Chaos races in the mortal realm. They are mockeries of Men. Generally, they live in the Jagged Edge Mountains and send raiding parties down to civilization, raiding and capturing their strongest enemies.

More information regarding orcs can be found in the Orc article.

Hobgoblins

Hobgoblins are sometimes seen living among the orc tribes in the mountains of Midgard. They are mockeries of Elves. Some also live in caves among goblins, but they generally prefer to dwell in dark forests and in canyons.

More information regarding hobgoblins can be found in the Hobgoblin article.

Goblins

Goblins primarily dwell in the deep places of the world; they are even said to live in Nidavellir. They are mockeries of Dwarves. Even more darkness-dwelling than others of their ilk, goblins rarely leave the caverns they usually call home.

More information regarding goblins can be found in the Goblin article.

Ogres

Perhaps the largest of all Chaos races, ogres tower over their kin, taller than any man. For all their enormity, they are exceptionally unintelligent, often used as beasts of burden among the other Chaos races, such as orc tribes. Ogres are among the only Chaos races observed to occasionally live alone, often in shallow caverns in the wilderness. They are thought by some to be mockeries of Trolls.

More information regarding ogres can be found in the Ogre article.

Chaos beasts

Very little is known about the creatures some call 'Chaos beasts.' Some travelers speak of hideous amalgamations of animals that walk on two legs, not unlike beastfolk, but live in the tribes of the Chaos races. They are said to never resemble any ordinary animal but bear twisted mockeries of features belonging to various predatory creatures, their visages revolting. If such creatures exist, they would be large, incredibly strong, and terrifying foes.