Orks in Barsoom

[gloriousbattle]

Okay, I know that some may wish to bite my head off just based on the title of this thread, but go with me for a minute, here.

We know that the Green Men are pretty barbaric (even by Martian standards), and there is a scene in A Princess of Mars in which the then-Jeddak of the Tharks attempts to... ahem... "force himself" upon Dejah Thoris.  This sets up the situation in which he is killed by Tars Tarkas, who then becomes Jeddak of Thark.

Well, I think it unlikely that this is the first time that this sort of thing has happened.  In fact, I can imagine a whole sub-race of Half Green Men, who would probably be mostly from the... ahem... "union" of Green Martian fathers, and White, Red, Yellow or Black Martian mothers.

So...

Let's assume that there were dominant and recessive genes on each side.  Four arms might be recessive, as well as the great size of the Green Men (since they are the only intelligent Martian race that has these characteristics), though it is expected that the resulting offspring would probably be a little more bulky and brutish in appearance than the mother's line, and would probably have at least some tendency towards tusks, though I assume not quite as pronounced as the father's.  Also, IIUC, the Green skin is a survival trait, (though I don't remember why), so we'll assume that the cross-breeds maintain that as well.

Such creatures would probably follow the Green Hordes, or be driven out into the wild where they would be loved by nobody, and form their own barbaric bands.  These might well make decent mercenaries, combining some of the fearsome abilities of the Green Men with, perhaps, the more tameable aspects of the other races.

Now, what would these creatures be called?

Well, the most highly regarded (at least by themselves) race upon Barsoom are the White Martians, and the most famous tribe among them are the "Orovars."  The best known tribe of the Green Men are the "Tharks."  It is not unlikely that the Martians as a whole might combine the two words into "Orks", probably both derisively regarding the creatures themselves, and also as a sneer against the uppity White Martians.

Now, why do we need Barsoomian Orks?

Well, we need them because I have over a hundred of the little buggers all painted up (non-GW in my case, as I play in 15mm, but GW would work too), and would like an excuse to use them in Barsoomian gaming.  I think that the rationale as presented fits Burroughs pretty well, and it would give me an excuse to:

1. Fill out my Peter Pig Green Men ranks with lesser troops who would probably be used as trash mercenaries in the front lines,

2. Fill out my Red and Yellow Martian forces with some additional troops to fight each other or the Green Men,

and,

3. Fill out my Black Martian Pirates with some additional cutthroats who would be just as happy to raid Red Martian cities as they would to get a little revenge on their paternal race, that put them in their unenviable position in the first place.

Or would it just look hokey?  I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would work, and that anyone who saw both Green Men and orks on the field at the same time would instantly smile and get the connection.

Whadda you think?

[GregX999]

If you spent that much time coming up with a reason for their existence, I say use them to your hearts content!

(Although, you'd have to convert them to wearing Barsoomian Battle Harnesses (and nothing else) and give them slender rapier-type swords instead of typical-for-orks brutish cleavas and choppas!)

[gloriousbattle]

If you spent that much time coming up with a reason for their existence, I say use them to your hearts content!

(Although, you'd have to convert them to wearing Barsoomian Battle Harnesses (and nothing else) and give them slender rapier-type swords instead of typical-for-orks brutish cleavas and choppas!)

Yeah, the clothing style doesn't quite fit, though I was going to mix primitive fantasy orcs with the space orks (a perfectly doable weapons combo for Barsoom, IMO), and the fantasy orcs I have are primitive types with skins and hides rather than metal armor.  So it should sorta work.

[Froggy the Great]

The FLGS owner here has this theory that Orcs are universally fecund.  This leads to...interesting...encounters with the results.

[Red Orc]

My VSF Orcs are called Morlocks, and they live in the upper reaches of the Hollow Earth, but hey-ho, each to their own; and your version sounds 'scientifical' enough to convince a chap with a large beard, an elephant gun, and an addiction to Port, so, tally-ho and round up some dashed Greenskins on the Red Plains, old man!

[gloriousbattle]

My VSF Orcs are called Morlocks, and they live in the upper reaches of the Hollow Earth, but hey-ho, each to their own; and your version sounds 'scientifical' enough to convince a chap with a large beard, an elephant gun, and an addiction to Port, so, tally-ho and round up some dashed Greenskins on the Red Plains, old man!

Off to do so now.  Chin chin.

[Jakar Nilson]

I started collecting GW LoTR orcs (ok, Uruk-Hai) years ago to use as Red Martians. Very easy to pull off.