Difference between revisions of "Chaos Races"

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[[File:Orc_warlord.png|thumb|300px|An orc warlord holds aloft a flaming blade, symbol of Surtur and the Armies of Chaos.]]The Chaos Races are the creatures created by the [[Jotunn|Jötnar]] and [[Titans]] to oppose the races who served the [[Olympians]], [[Aesir]], and other deities in [[Midgard|the mortal realm]].
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[[File:Orc_warlord.png|thumb|300px|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 [[Jotunn|Jötnar]] and [[Titans]] to oppose the races who served the [[Olympians]], [[Aesir]], and other deities in [[Midgard|the mortal realm]].
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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==
 
==Creation==
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During the [[Titanomachy |Titanomachy]], the Titans and Jötnar began creating an army of mortal followers, which could serve them and do battle with the [[Men|men]], [[Elves|elves]], [[Dwarves|dwarves]], and other noble races that followed the other gods. However, because they lacked the art and power of those gods, and due to their purely chaotic, twisted nature, the giants' creations were hideous and imperfect monsters. Nevertheless, they were found to be satisfyingly strong and able fighters with a furious bloodlust and a taste for human flesh.
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Long ago during the [[Titanomachy |Titanomachy]], the Titans and Jötnar created an army of mortal followers to serve them and do battle with the [[Men|men]], [[Elves|elves]], and [[Dwarves|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.
  
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==Nature and Abilities==
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==Nature==
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Since the Titans and Giants are not demons and not pure evil, neither are their creations. As their name implies, the chaos races are creatures of chaos rather than evil. They are not malevolent simply for the sake of being malevolent, but for their own advantage. They stab their own chieftains in the back to rise through the ranks, and burn villages as a show of their great strength, which they value above all else. Strength is their defining attribute, the one area in which they are superior to the nobler races - the average orc is far stronger than the average man.
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Though wholly creatures of chaos that cannot understand many of the [[Virtues]], the assortment of abominations that are the Chaos races are not truly [[Demon|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.
  
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The chaos races are not destroyed by sunlight or holy power, although they do despise the nobler gods and prefer to operate in darkness rather than the day. Many of them prefer to live in caves, and their eyes are sensitive to bright sunlight. Each chaos race is a dark mockery of the noble race they were created to oppose: [[orcs]] are based on men, [[hobgoblins]] on elves, [[goblins]] on dwarves, [[chaos beasts]] on [[beastfolk]], and [[ogres]] either on [[trolls]] or the giants themselves - their basis is not known for certain.
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The Chaos races are dark mockeries of the Noble races. [[Orc|Orcs]] are mockeries of [[Men]], while [[Hobgoblin|hobgoblins]] are mockeries of [[Alfar|Elves]], and [[Goblin|goblins]] are mockeries of [[Dvergar|Dwarves]]. The remaining Chaos monsters are of unknown basis, including twisted amalgamations that resemble beasts walking on two legs and the [[Ogre|ogres]], which some scholars speculate were an attempt to mock [[Troll|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===
 
===Diet===
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Possessing sharp teeth and pronounced canines (especially the lower ones, for nearly all have a natural underbite), all chaos races are almost purely carnivorous, especially preferring the taste of men, elves, dwarves, and beastfolk. They never eat plants except as meat seasoning or an alcoholic mixture. They are known to brew an especially foul type of alcohol they call "poj-poj," but which other races call simply "orc grog" or "black bile." The exact formula is known only to the chaos races, and may vary from tribe to tribe. Despite its disgusting taste, it is highly nutritious to the chaos races themselves, who can live off it for months when meat is scarce.
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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.
  
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===Reproduction===
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===Breeding===
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The chaos races are sexless. All individuals are "male," yet they cannot copulate. They reproduce through the creation of breeding pits. Every member of the chaos races knows innately how to fashion one and what ingredients to mix into the concoction that fills it. The strongest members of the tribe then perform a dark ritual and some of their blood to the pit. After a period of time, newborn individuals will arise from the pit, the size and strength of fully-grown adults. The breeding pits are powered by some type of dark magic that only the chaos races can perform. Interbreeding is impossible - if an orc, a goblin, and a human all added their blood to a single pit, only orcs and goblins would be spawned. However, the strength of these new spawn is believed to be increased by the strength of the individuals who add their blood to the mixture, and the blood of the noble races is considered to be even stronger. If a particularly strong man, elf, dwarf, or beastman is captured alive - and if the chaos races can resist simply eating them - then they will be kept in a cage and bled regularly to contribute to the strength of the pit. Much like with [[vampirism]], only the blood of the living will work. It may take up to a year for a batch of newborns to arise from the pit, and the number of new spawn is mostly random, though bigger pits can spawn more newborns.
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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==
 
==Culture==
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Due to their chaotic nature, all of the Chaos Races are naturally violent and resistant to authority. They despise laws, fall to squabbling easily, and only respect leadership through strength. Whenever multiple Chaos Races live together in one place, the larger ones nearly always dominate the smaller, with giants always ruling over all others. Ogres are the only exception to this rule, because many ogres are too stupid to lead, and may even be used as dumb beasts of war and burden by cleverer orc chieftains.
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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.
  
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===The Armies of Chaos===
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==Races==
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The vast majority of the chaos race population are thought to live deep in the mountains of the [[Jagged Edge]] and in the land the giants call [[Jötunheim]], where they exist as slaves to their creators. There are also many tribes along the borders of the mountains who serve the Jötnar and zealously worship the greatest ones - like [[Surt]] - as gods. These orcs are all part of Surt's plan to someday lead an attack on the noble gods and their creations, to kill them and bring about the [[Ragnarök]]. Thus, they are collectively called the Army of Chaos, fighting under the banner of Surt's flaming sword. As their name implies, they have little in the way of central leadership. Many tribes simply worship the giants on the promise of someday being part of their great plan, while the giants themselves do not even realize they exist. Those chaos race groups whom the giants more directly control - such as the fortress-cities of [[Dhuum]] and [[Syflage]] - exist only to make war on the noble races and capture them in order to breed stronger monsters.
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===Orcs===
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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.
  
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===Independent Tribes===
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More information regarding orcs can be found in the [[Orc]] article.
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As creatures of chaos, however, not all chaos race tribes follow Surt and the Jötnar. Many live an independent existence, raiding for their livelihood, and constructing their own villages and breeding pits. Only the strongest of the tribe - and thus, the leaders - are allowed to contribute blood to the breeding pit. Since they have no greater plan for world conquest in mind, these tribes may shun the practice of capturing noble races to add their blood to the pits. Their leaders often consider themselves stronger than any man or elf, and thus believe "noble" blood is unworthy of adding to the pit. This belief forms something of a bond between members of the tribe, since they know they share the same blood and were born from the same pit. Despite their beliefs, however, the orcs of independent tribes are seldom as powerful as those selectively bred by the Jötnar. They are also stupid, and without giants to instruct them, their civilizations never advance enough to construct large towns or cities. Whenever a tribe gets too big, a civil war usually erupts to split it apart. Such is the way of chaos.
 
  
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==Races==
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===Hobgoblins===
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A list of the chaos races can be found in [[:Category:Chaos Races]], with articles providing more details about each.
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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.
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More information regarding hobgoblins can be found in the [[Hobgoblin]] article.
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===Goblins===
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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.
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More information regarding goblins can be found in the [[Goblin]] article.
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===Ogres===
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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.
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More information regarding ogres can be found in the [[Ogre]] article.
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===Chaos beasts===
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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.
  
 
[[Category:Monsters]][[Category:Chaos Races]]
 
[[Category:Monsters]][[Category:Chaos Races]]

Latest revision as of 22:22, 8 October 2022

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.

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