Ogre (Warhammer)
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An Ogre is a large humanoid creature in the Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. They are based on the ogres of mythology.
Prior to the release of Warhammer Armies: Ogre Kingdoms in 2005 for Warhammer Fantasy Battles tabletop game, Ogres appeared only as mercenaries or adjuncts to other armies. The Ogre Kingdoms book has expanded on the history and character of the Ogres and they can be fielded as single army of their own, though the option to use them as mercenaries in other armies remains.
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[edit] Appearance
A typical ogre stands roughly about ten feet tall and is much stronger than any man. Any adult male ogre is known as bull. While savage in appearance, ogres are generally considered to be more civilized than orcs or beastmen. Many of them live in the human realms, such as the Empire, working as mercenaries in foreign armies. Their true homeland is the Ogre Kingdoms, to the east of the Old World, in the mountains of mourn; However, all ogres have an innate wanderlust and can be seen all over the Warhammer world.
[edit] Ogre physiology
Ogre's are essentially humanoid in shape, though much larger than any human, standing 8 - 10 feet tall. Though they appear quite fat, sporting a noticeable paunch, in fact most of their critical internal organs centered in the gut region of their stomach, which is protected by a thick sheath of muscle. This muscle also aids in digestion, as it can contract to help grind down tougher substances (such as the armour that may have once been protecting a Dark Elf or even the heavy armour of a Bretonnian Knight). As a result, Ogres are capable of eating nearly anything. All ogres wear a personalized, dual-purpose gut-plate. This serves to protect their gut - which they consider the spiritual center of their being- and can be used as a weapon.
Though generally thought of as being unintelligent, Ogres are well experienced in matters of war and survival and many find employment as bodyguards and mercenaries.
[edit] Ogre culture
The ogre culture is oriented around eating, and as such, most ogres sport large guts and they worship a god known as the Great Maw. It appears to be a vast creature that was released from a comet intended to destroy the Ogre Kingdoms near Cathay, the Warhammer Fantasy equivalent of Imperial China. It ate many of the inhabitants of the Ogre Kingdoms and is said to have passed through the centre of the world (it appears that another Great Maw exists in the sea on the other side of the world, in the form of a giant whirlpool that sucks in passing ships). The ogres venerate and fear it in equal measure. The priests of the Great Maw, known as Butchers and Slaughtermasters, also fulfill the roles of cooks for their respective tribes and supervise their religious holidays, which consist (mainly, and some times solely) of gigantic banquets and pit fights.
The Ogre Kingdoms are situated in the Mountains of Mourn, geographically equivalent to the Himalayas. They are a loosely organized into a number of small empires and kingdoms, each separate from the others. The territory of every kingdom depends on how far its tyrant can see from the place that he lives.
Their society is similar to that of a herd of animals, with young warriors fighting for the right to mate with females. The only difference is that they fight for almost everything (but mainly for eating their opponent).
The overall leader of each kingdom is known as the Tyrant. Young bull ogres challenge him for the leadership of the tribe. These challenges take the form of duels which take place in the tribe's 'maw-pit', a stake-lined pit into which pieces of red meat are thrown, as an offering for their god.
In 'friendly' fights, over some food for example, the forfeit for losing is generally an ear or a couple of fingers given up to the winner as a victory snack. In serious duels, such as a challenge for tyranthood of the tribe, the loser becomes the victor's next meal.
The ogres are a primitive culture and most of their equipment is made from scavenged scrap metal, loot from their adventures, or is crafted by the Chaos Dwarves of Zharr Nagrunnd in exchange for Gnoblar slaves. That which they do create is made from the hides and bones of various quasi-prehistoric creatures, such as mammoths, sabertooth cats and ice age style rhinos, known as rhinoxen. The ogres hunt these creatures for food as well.
The ogres are served by Gnoblars, a small species of goblinoids. They are smaller than typical goblins, and play the role of pets, servants and, on the battlefield, cannon fodder. Gnoblars don't make good eating - Ogres find they don't have enough meat on them. Many ogres pick a favorite gnoblar, and it is identified by the bite mark that is bestowed upon its right ear. In a dispute over the ownership of a gnoblar it is customary for both ogres to take a bite out of the left ear - who the bite matches is clearly the owner. It is considered a grave insult to eat an ogres favorite gnoblar, and in fact it was this mistake that cost Skrag the Slaughterer to lose his hands after his tyrant cut them off and fed them to him as punishment for serving his gnoblar as a meal.
Storytelling is also quite common amongst Ogres, especially Maneaters. Ogres love to tell others of his/her life story. However most of the story is false. Many have exaggerated(or not) about how a maneater's greatest ability is to tell long, boring life stories.
Ogres also believe in an almost ancient tale of how the Ogres beat up and ate the entire Skytitan race, also known as giants. Skytitans ruled the Mountains of Mourn with benevolence, until the Ogres came. Skytitans are described to have lived in massive castles built atop the highest mountains, coming down only to tend to the mammoth flocks. Once the Ogres were through with them their once great palaces are turned into either rubble or defiled(in all senses of the word) mess halls filled with troughs for the tribe. The mammoths are all but consumed by the Ogres.
[edit] Ogre Club
The club is seen as a great and wondrous tool in the Ogre Kingdoms. It can kill a huge beast outright with one blow while minimizing the loss of precious and delicious blood. It also makes for a great makeshift tenderizer. Though uncivilized, Ogres will often carry finely crafted clubs. An Ogre with a simple branch or rock is usually extremely desperate or extremely poor. Though Ogres can eat anything, they will refuse to eat their club unless starved to the extreme; an Ogre views his club as his best friend and a treasured possession.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Greasus Goldtooth
Greasus Goldtooth, the "Overtyrant of the Ogre Kingdoms", is leader of many tribes all of which pay him tribute. His full name and title is Tradelord Greasus Tribestealer Drakecrush Hoardmaster Goldtooth the Shockingly Obese. He is so fat that he has to be carried around on a throne by Gnoblars. As his name implies, Greasus has replaced all his teeth with new ones made of the one thing that he loves more than anything else in the world: gold - the name is pun on "Croesus" and "grease". He's also unbelievably fat, easily the size of two Tyrants.
He was the Ogre who started the incursions outside The Mountains of Mourn, and he was the one who "persuaded" the Orcs of the Dark Lands to pay him tribute. When he was a teenage Ogre, he ate his father.
There is some controversy over why other Ogre Tyrants do not try to overthrow Greasus: is it because he has become too powerful (his magical weapon, the Scepter of the Titans, apparently grants him more than enough magical strength to wield it properly, even though he has become too fat to wield ordinary Ogre weapons), or is it because he has bribed so many other Tyrants into allegiance with himself? It may be, however, that because in Ogre society a large gut is a sign of nobility and grandness, Greasus has earned his reputation thanks to his enormous gut (or, perhaps, fear it, as Greasus once broke the neck of another tyrant, in his youths, by diving and landing belly-first on the tyrant).
He possesses two important items: the "Sceptre of the Titans" and the "Overtyrant's Crown". The former makes Greasus stronger than a Bloodthirster daemon while the latter makes Greasus smarter than the normal ogre (which is on par with the village idiot). His wealth is often used in battle to sway the enemy into his service and to further strengthen the "loyalty" of his troops.
[edit] Skrag the Slaughterer
Skrag the Slaughterer, Prophet of the Great Maw, earned his title shortly after being kicked out of his tribe. Prior to his life as a prophet, Skrag was the Slaughtermaster to a wealthy Tyrant. One day the Tyrant found his favored Gnoblar as the main course for the feast. Needless to say he was furious. He had Skrag's hands hacked off and, as a final insult, ate them in front of the beaten Slaughtermaster. Skrag's Cauldron was hooked deeply into his skin and was thrown into the caverns beneath the mountain and sealing the only exit off with a boulder.
Skrag was beaten and bruised, but he was not broken. He slammed his former cooking tools into his bloodied wrists and made makeshift weapons, hoping to find a way out. Shortly after he was attacked by the Gorgers inhabiting the caverns, his blood was fresh. Skrag was not scared. He charged the gorgers, killing them with unmatched fury. When the largest of the Gorgers (groteque) appeared, Skrag promptly chewed out the Gorger's throat, killing him. Once the groteque was dead the others obeyed Skrag instantly. Skrag and his newfound army of Gorgers marched out into the snowy plains and descended upon his old tribe, slaughtering everyone in sight. The Tyrant was boiled alive in Skrag's cauldrons. The great amount of sacrifice imbued Skrag with the blessings of the Great Maw, and the Prophet was born.
In game Skrag is a fearsome opponent. He is the lesser of the two characters and does not need a Tyrant or a Bruiser. Skrag will also gain power as he slaughters more, when he reaches a certain amount of kills he will gain certain attributes that will last for the remainder of the game. He is always followed by his Gorgers.
In early editions of the game Skrag was renegade ogre among ogres and a follower of the Chaos god Malal noted for wearing a set of armour
[edit] Society
[edit] Tyrants
Ogre Tyrants are the dominant males of their tribe. An Ogre can attain the status of Tyrant by defeating the the current Tyrant in combat and eating him. As a Tyrant, an Ogre is privileged to the best life an Ogre can have. He will have the best weapons, the finest clothes, the tastiest foods, and vast treasures. Tyrants also enjoy the protection from enemies in the form of Ironguts, whom he hand-picks himself. Tyrants will rule over everything he sees from his throne. Tyrants will also have the largest gut of all Ogres, as they obviously eat well. At feasts they will sit at the front of the table, with the Slaughtermaster and Hunters at his sides.
In the Warhammer Fantasy wargame, Tyrants serve as generals.
[edit] Hunters
Hunters are Ogres who prefer solitude than company. They live in the snowy mountains with their trusted Sabretusks (see below) and Gnoblar trappers. They hunt the beasts on the mountains and take their prize back to the tribe during feasts. Because they are the ones who brings the meat, they are often given the second best cut. They have gutplates decorated with the pelts and bones of their prey.
[edit] Butchers
Butchers are the chefs and cooks of an Ogre tribe, who also serve the role of tribal priests or shamans. Within the tribe, they occupy a position of great respect.
In the Warhammer Fantasy war game, Butchers serve as an Ogre army's magic user, utilizing "gut magic" against their foes by augmenting his fellow warrior's strength.
Elite Butchers are known as Slaughtermasters.
[edit] Ogre Troops
[edit] Ogre bulls
Ogre bulls, the term for any male Ogre adult, make up the bulk of any Ogre army. While other Warhammer armies have a Musician providing a bonus, Ogres have no appreciation for music, so instead the loudest bull of each group, called a bellower, bestows these bonuses by yelling confidence into his fellows.
[edit] Ironguts
Ironguts are the more "elite" Ogre Bulls of the army. They have access to better weapons and armor than the average bull. Ironguts are selected by a tribe's Tyrant, and are normally the closest friends of the Tyrant or members of his immediate family.
[edit] Leadbelchers
Leadbelchers are Ogres who carry carry portable cannons scavenged from earlier battles. Though their weapons are unreliable and prone to mishaps, they are capable of inflicting significant damage with a single shot.
[edit] Maneaters
Maneaters are elite Ogres who have traveled outside the Ogre Kingdoms, serving as bodyguards and mercenaries in the Old World. They may wield exotic weapons or other equipment that they have picked up during their travels. The name 'Maneater' originates with the Ogre Golfag Maneater, who on one occasion ate his employer during a fight.
[edit] Associated creatures
The armies of the Ogre Kingdoms also contain some related species and other creatures who are subservient to the Ogres.
[edit] Gorgers
When an Ogre is born without a paunch, they are exiled and forced to live underground, where they degenerate into a creature known as a Gorger. They have pale skin, are nearsighted and have developed talons on their hands and feet. They are much taller than ogres but their height is concealed by their hunched posture. They also have little clothing, wearing only a loin cloth.
They are let loose on the battlefield when they catch the scent of blood, eagerly charging in that direction, hoping for fresh meat.
[edit] Gnoblars
Gnoblars, small goblin-kin, are often bullied by ogre bulls into being canon fodder and, sometimes, ammunition for leadbelchers. Gnoblars form into large units to fight. They scare easily and often run from direct combat, preferring to avoid direct conflict. Outside of combat, they are employed by Ogres as servants and menial workers.
Gnoblar Trappers are employed by Ogre Hunters to trap animals. They are stealthier than their normal cousins and use a variety of traps to bring down larger foes. They are slightly braver than normal Gnoblars, but still very cowardly.
[edit] Yhetees
Yhetees are a distant cousin to the Ogres, built similar to the gorgers and having bluish white fur. Leaders of these are called Greybacks. Greybacks are sometimes hunted by Ogres for their pelts, as their have magical properties and are considered valuable, but Yhetees refuse to fight for Ogres wearing garments made from the fur of a Greyback.
Yhetees use ice-encrusted tree branches and trunks as weapons. Due to the way they are forged they contain magical properties. The Yhetees themselves also exude a bone-chilling aura that protects them. Yhetees are scared of fire and heat-base weapons.
[edit] Slave Giant
Ogre tribes will sometimes located and enslave lone giants, turning them loose in battle to fight for the tribe. The process of subduing the giant breaks its spirit and robs it of its courage, somewhat diminishing its effect on the battlefield.
[edit] Rhinoxen
The powerful Rhinoxen- large fur-covered creatures similar to a woolly rhinoceros- are used as beasts of burden by the Ogres. Gnoblars construct crude war machines drawn by these beasts and Ogres sometimes use them as mounts.
[edit] Sabretusks
Sabretusks are giant mountain lions who serve Ogre Hunters. Sabretusks are fast and strong, making them excellent for hunting down the weaken prey of the hunter. Physically they resemble sabertooth tigers.
[edit] Dogs Of War
Ogres often find employment as mercenaries as described above. This carried over into gameplay as Ogres can be taken for virtually any army, although only bulls, leadbelchers, ironguts, and maneaters can be taken. Although they are the "new" ogres, the old rules are still in effect (players just prefer the new models).
These rules allow most armies to field some serious strength, as ogres are powerful close combat troops. Ogres also have a psychological part in the game, as they are automatically seen as a good target. Due to their high resilience they can absorb large amounts of punishment while still earning their keep by bashing open enough enemy skulls.
[edit] Other Ogres
Ogres are also native to certain other armies, most notably Beastmen. Chaos (Beastmen, Mortals, and Daemons) can all take Chaos Ogres, which have their own separate rules from the Ogres of Ogre Kingdoms. Golgfag, the infamous Ogre Maneater Captain, has his own band of Ogres for hire in Dogs of War. Chaos also have the incredibly powerful Dragon Ogres (and their champions, Shaggoths).
[edit] See also
- Dragon ogre - a centaur-like combination of ogre and dragon
[edit] External links
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| Major Games: | Warhammer Fantasy Battle • Warmaster • Mordheim • Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay • Man O' War • Warhammer Ancient Battles |
| Nations and races: | Bretonnia • Chaos • Chaos Dwarfs • Dark Elves • Dogs of War • Dwarfs • The Empire • High Elves • Kislev • Lizardmen • Ogres • Orcs & Goblins • Skaven • Undead (Tomb Kings & Vampire Counts) • Wood Elves |
| Places: | The Old World • Araby • Cathay • Lustria • Ulthuan • Southlands • Naggaroth • Dark Lands • Albion • |
| People: | List of major characters |
| More: | List of creatures in Warhammer Fantasy • Warhammer Fantasy deities • Lores of Magic |
