Imperial Orcs leadership
The Legion
The legions are the backbone of the Imperial Orc armies, and most Imperial Orcs are (or were) a member of one of the countless different units of tight-knit soldiers. Each legion has its own identity but most are organized along military lines, and are an official part of one of the two Imperial Orc armies. In practice the legions are a cross between a regiment and an informal family group. Although not all the members of a legion are warriors, or even members of the army, the camaraderie and mindset of the career soldier tends to permeate throughout a legion.
Each orc legion chooses its own name and symbols but most can also be identified by their favoured fighting style.One legion may have a bias for plate armour and pole-weapons, while another favours sword and shield. Warriors are usually expected to have at least a basic mastery of their legion's favoured style. Each legion is fiercely proud of its identity in battle, and a healthy, good natured rivalry exists between legions with regard to tactics and combat style. This rivalry is put aside on the battlefield, and warlords are careful to ensure that it never undermines loyalty and service to the Empire; the place for combat between members of rival legions is the fighting pit, not the battlefield.
Banners and standards are particularly important to Imperial Orcs. Legion camps are often decorated with banners displaying legion symbols, as Orcs find it reassuring to be surrounded by images that reinforce their group identity. Many bear an image of the horse as a symbol of the Empire alongside specific legion markings and colours. Imperial Orcs differentiate between banners, which are general symbols of legion identity, and a legion standard. Many legions have a legion standard, which is a symbol of the legion's pride. Trophies from particularly notable legion members or items of exceptional worth that once belonged to someone in the legion are often added to a legion standard.
Legions chose their own commanders, called warlords, with individuals chosen for their ability to provide clear effective leadership in battle, according to the traditions of the individual legion. Orcs expect their leaders to be inspirational as well as astute so the majority of warlords are powerful warriors who lead from the front. Those who lead by cunning alone need to be particularly smart and their legions are often small but very tight knit. Warlords appoint members of the legion to a chain of command beneath them, so that if they fall in battle they can be quickly replaced – the life of the legion is always more valuable than the life of any individual.
Most legions have a clear chain of command with harsh punishments for disloyalty or disobedience. Imperial Orcs usually have little sympathy with individuals who refuse to follow orders. In battle, those who find themselves at odds with a legion’s leadership face summary court martial, at other times they are usually expelled from the legion. In such cases a group of orcs usually form their own rival legion, while an individual must attempt to join another legion or face existence alone.
Few Imperial orcs have much time for or interest in the sophisticated political intrigues so popular in places such as the League. They are perfectly capable of understanding that a senator might say one thing and mean another, but among themselves they expect plain talking. In part this is because Imperial Orcs expect and demand an unyielding chain of command. Leaders amongst the orcs will usually explain the details of a plan because they want their followers to understand it, but they rarely if ever feel the need to justify it. In the view of most Imperial Orcs you either trust your leaders implicitly or you choose someone different to follow. Undermining your leaders weakens the whole legion, and is regarded with contempt when done to advance your own position.
Leading a territory
With the new Imperial Orc homeland being established in Skarsind, the Orcs now elect a senator to represent them in the Imperial Senate. Any Imperial Orc citizen can stand for election as senator, but only those Imperial Orcs who are soldiers living in Skarsind have a say in choosing the senator. There has, perhaps understandably, been a little confusion and chaos around the election of the Imperial Orcs senator; following the landmark mandate upheld by the Imperial Orcs assembly in Autumn 382YE, an then put into practice by Irontide Lok, the confusion has largely settled down resulting in a straightforward method of electing a senator.
For a time, the Imperial Orcs appointed their senator through a vote of all "soldiers". Attempts exactly to define who a soldier was caused confusion, however, and within a few short years the practice was abandoned in favour of the new method.
When the Imperial Orcs had no territories of their own, they did not possess senators. As a result the effective leadership of the nation lay with the warlords, and most especially with the two Imperial Orc generals. Generals were chosen by bouts between legion members under rules agreed when the orcs joined the Empire. When they gained control of the territory of Skarsind, this process was abandoned in favour of appointing a senator who in turn appoints both generals.
Shamans
Shamans play an important role in the leadership of Imperial Orc society. Their link to the orc ancestors is considered to provide valuable insight and wisdom. By tradition shamans are consulted by Imperial Orc senators, generals, and warlords before significant decisions are made, so that they can provide the ancestor’s guidance. A warlord or similar individual might have a specific favoured shaman they regularly consult, but senators and generals are more likely to speak to all the shamans present. Individual Orcs also seek out shamans for advice when they make important decisions, either to receive guidance in making up their minds or to see how the ancestors feel about the course of action they have decided on.
It is not uncommon to ignore the advice shamans give though it should always be weighed and considered. The orcs' barbarian ancestors do not understand the life of the Imperial Orcs, and their voices tend to be the loudest of those heard by the shamans. There are exceptions; some shamans possess enough wisdom that their advice is valuable even when it does not come directly from an ancestor, and other shamans have an affinity for one or more helpful ancestors whose words often seem to be more relevant to their Imperial descendants.
Prominent Imperial Orcs Legions
A short list of well-known Imperial Orcs legions who regularly attend Anvil can be found here.