兽人：神授者ORCS：The GODSWORM
听到门外兽人战鼓的雷鸣，齐声咆哮“格乌什！”的战吼是这个世界上每一处文明地区的梦魇。不管它的城墙有多厚，弓手多么娴熟，或者骑士多么勇猛，几乎没有哪个定居点能抵挡兽人的全面进攻。
每一位从与兽人的战斗中活下来的士兵都会讲述与高大的敌人的对抗，它们的一击就能劈开一名战士，其中一部分力量就足以击倒对手，仿佛他们只是在镰刀面前颤抖的麦秆。只有技艺娴熟，意志坚定的勇士才能从一场与兽人的战斗中幸存。
野蛮且无惧的兽人部族永远在寻求毁灭精灵、矮人和人类。出于对这个世界上文明种族的憎恨和满足他们神明的需要，兽人们知道如果他们优秀地战斗并将荣耀带给他们的部族，格乌什就会将他们召回修罗场的家园。在来世，被选中者将会在无止境的跨位面争霸战争中加入格乌什和他的军队。
劇透 - :
To feel the thunder of orcish war drums outside the gate and to hear a chorus of voices growling, "Gruumsh!" is the nightmare of every civilized place in the world. For no matter how thick its walls, skilled its archers, or brave its knights, few settlements have ever withstood a full-scale onslaught of orcs.
Every soldier who lives through a fight with orcs tells of confronting a hulking foe that can cleave through a warrior with a single blow, part of a force that can cut down enemies as though they were trembling stalks of wheat before the scythe. Only a skilled and determined hero can hope to survive single combat with an orc.
Savage and fearless, orc tribes are ever in search of elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by their hatred of the civilized races of the world and their need to satisfy the demands of their deities, the orcs know that if they fight well and bring glory to their tribe, Gruumsh will call them home to the plane of Acheron. It is there in the afterlife where the chosen ones will join Gruumsh and his armies in their endless extraplanar battle for supremacy.
兽人们相信他们的神是不可战胜的。他们在周围的世界里看到了定义他们自己和他们神祇的规律，自然奖励强者，并无情地淘汰羸弱者。兽人并不像他们畏惧神灵一样崇拜他们；每个部族都有关于如何安抚他们的愤怒或如何取悦他们的迷信。这种根深蒂固的怀疑和恐惧是以野蛮和无情的形式表现的，因为兽人是为了安抚众神而进行蹂躏和杀戮，来避免他们的可怕的报复。
兽人神系的顶点是格乌什“独眼者”，他创造了兽人并继续指引他们的命运。他有两位战士神祇，依那伏和巴格杵，作为左膀右臂，他们为战场带来力量和狡黠。这三位神灵的追随者是部族的掠夺者和破坏者-也是通常受害者仅能看见的兽人部族的部分。
在一个部族的洞穴深处，远离战士们聚集和庆祝的战争火炉，居住着约卓斯，疾病与死亡之神和沙葛司，黑暗与未知之神的追随者。因为弱小而无法参与战斗（通常是因为身体虚弱、畸形伤残或者年龄的原因）的兽人常常参与这些祭祀，而不是面对每天的羞辱，流放或是死亡。
作为部落的两个部分沟通的桥梁的是茹赛可的女祭司，这位兽人女神同时代表生命和坟墓。她的崇拜者们将兽人培养成战士，然后，在他们生命结束的时候将他们带给约卓斯和沙葛司，带入死亡和伟大的未知之中。
劇透 - :
Orcs believe their gods to be invincible. They see the principles that define them and their deities at work every day in the world around them-nature rewards the strong and mercilessly eliminates the weak and the infirm. Orcs don't revere their gods as much as they fear them; every tribe has superstitions about how to avert their wrath or bring their favor. This deep-seated uncertainty and fear comes forth in the form of savagery and relentlessness, as orcs ravage and kill to appease the gods in order to avoid their terrible retribution.
At the pinnacle of the orc pantheon is Gruumsh One-Eye, who created the orcs and continues to direct their destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all three gods are a tribe's raiders and ravagers-often the only part of an orc tribe that its victims ever see.
Deep within the den of a tribe, far away from the war-hearth where warriors gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of facing daily humiliation, exile, or death.
Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the orc goddess who represents both life and the grave. It is her worshipers that raise young orcs to be warriors, and then, at the end of their lives, take them to Yurtrus and Shargaas to be carried into death and the great unknown
.
格乌什“监视者”GRUUMSH, "HE WHO WATCHES"格乌什，兽人神系无可争议的统治者，促使他的孩子们增加他们的数量，这样他们就能作为他对精灵、人类和矮人王国复仇的工具。为了向那些背弃他的神灵们泄愤，被寻求破坏文明世界，并在其伤痛上纵情狂欢的无尽狂怒所驱动，格乌什带领他的兽人们执行着一项永无休止的屠杀任务。
兽人们天生混乱且无序，他们的行为基于其情绪和本能，而不是理性和逻辑。只有部分具有领导力的兽人，为格乌什的意志和力量所直接触碰，才有能力控制部族中的其他兽人。
少数选中者A Chosen Few.
兽人并不会因为选择格乌什而在其部族中变得名声显赫；他会选择他们。一个兽人可能会声称自己效忠格乌什，但只有那些在战争中通过强壮和残暴的功绩证明自己的兽人才被认为是真正的崇拜者。格乌什通过给予他们每人一个强大的梦或者愿景来挑出这些个体，这些梦境和愿景意味着被接受进入他的内部圈子。所有那些被格乌什拜访的兽人都因为这种经历在身体和心灵上发生了改变。
其中一些因此被推向了疯狂的边缘，变得只会对征兆和预言喃喃自语，而另一些则获得了超自然的力量，并在部族中得到了领袖的地位。
格乌什之眼Eyes of Gruumsh少部分兽人为格乌什的力量所触碰，被给予了至高的荣耀，他们将这位神灵势不可挡的狂怒的一小部分带到战斗中，以增强武器的魔法的形式来帮助部族取得胜利。要成为一位格乌什之眼，一名由格乌什选择的兽人必须挖出自己的一只眼睛作为奉献的标志，牺牲一半的视力来换取神的力量。这些被神灵触碰的兽人作为与格乌什联系的生者而被尊敬，即使在他们老去和衰弱之后也会受到尊重。
劇透 - :
Gruumsh, the undisputed ruler of the orc pantheon, pushes his children to increase their numbers so they may be his instrument of revenge against the realms of elves, humans, and dwarves. In order to spite the gods who spurned him, Gruumsh leads his orcs on a mission of ceaseless slaughter, fueled by an unending rage that seeks to lay waste to the civilized world and revel in its anguish.
Orcs are naturally chaotic and unorganized, acting on their emotions and instincts rather than out of reason and logic. Only certain charismatic orcs, those who have been directly touched by the will and might of Gruumsh, have the capacity to control the other orcs in a tribe.
A Chosen Few
Orcs don't become renowned in their tribes by choosing Gruumsh; he chooses them. An orc might claim its allegiance to Gruumsh, but only those who have proven themselves through feats of strength and ferocity in war are considered worthy of being true worshipers. Gruumsh singles out these individuals by bestowing upon each one a powerful dream or vision that signifies acceptance into his inner circle. Those who are visited by Gruumsh are transformed psychologically and often physically by the experience.
Some are driven to the brink of madness, reduced to muttering about omens and prophecies, while others become imbued with supernatural power and rise to positions of leadership.
Eyes of Gruumsh.
A few of the orcs touched by the power of Gruumsh are given the ultimate honor of carrying a small part of the god's overwhelming rage into battle, in the form of magic that augments their weapons and helps the tribe succeed. To become an eye of Gruumsh, an orc that has been chosen by Gruumsh must gouge out one of its eyes as a sign of devotion, sacrificing half of its mortal vision in return for divine power. These god-touched orcs are revered as living connections to Gruumsh, and are treated with respect even when they are old and infirm.
在一次酒后的畅谈中，达戈特•无烬领主曾经告诉我，兽人畏惧着他们的神灵，以及，如果某人使用正确的方法（Play one’s card right），他们能被这种恐惧所控制变得言听计从（dance to any tune）。
——瓦罗
边栏：
尼舍雷克和永恒之战NISHREK AND THE ETERNAL WAR
兽人们相信如果他们带着荣耀死去，他们的灵魂就会去往修罗场位面，无尽的征战场——尤其是尼舍雷克层，他们在那里加入格乌什的军队，并代表格乌什在无止境的战争中与马格鲁比耶特的类地精追随者战斗。格乌什认为这种纷争是一个让他的人民与饥渴的敌人战斗，并在神明面前证明自己价值的机会。他喜欢每一次短暂的胜利，并对待每一次挫败睚眦必报。
茹赛可则看得更为长远。她理解马格鲁比耶特的进攻在宇宙层面上的意义。为了防止类地精生物在人口数量上超过她的人民，她敦促兽人们生育许多后代，并教导他们战斗的方式而不仅仅是为了在物质世界中生存，还为阻止马格鲁比耶特在诸位面上冲突的扩张。她的孩子始终在她的照顾之下，如果必要的话，她会亲自下到战场之中，用爪子从马格鲁比耶特的脸上挖出他的眼珠，来阻止他将孩子们从她身边带走。
两个神系之间的宇宙战争已经持续了好几个世纪，没有任何解决方案，导致那些研究它的兴衰和流动的人希望其持续下去。大法师Tzunk提出一种不同的观点，他指出马格鲁比耶特从来没有面对过茹赛可那样凶残和具有保护性的敌人。他预言战争将由茹赛可作为唯一屹立的神祇结束，洞穴母亲将崛起并统治她的战士孩子们。
劇透 - :
Orcs believe that if they die with honor, their spirits go to the plane of Acheron, the Infinite Battlefield-specifically the layer of Nishrek, where they join Gruumsh's army and fight on his behalf in the endless war against the goblinoid followers of Maglubiyet. Gruumsh sees this conflict as a chance to pit his people against an eager foe and enable them to prove their worth before their deities. He relishes every short-term triumph and swears revenge for every setback.
Luthic, though, takes a longer view. She understands the cosmic implications of Maglubiyet's attacks. To prevent the goblinoids from outstripping her people in population, she urges the orcs to have many offspring and teach them the ways of battle not only for survival in the material world, but to keep Maglubiyet at bay in the conflict on the planes. Her children will remain in her care, and if need be she wouldn't hesitate to take to the field herself and claw Maglubiyet's beady eyes from his face to prevent him from taking them from her.
The cosmic battle between the two pantheons has raged for eons without resolution, leading those who study its ebb and flow to expect the stalemate to continue. A different view is put forth by the archmage Tzunk, who notes that Maglubiyet has never faced a foe as ferocious and protective as Luthic. He predicts that the war will end with luthic the only deity standing, as the cave mother ascends to rule her warrior children.
依那伏，“战争制造者”ILNEVAL, "THE WAR MAKER"依那伏是格乌什的忠实右手。他是计划进攻并制定策略的神灵，让格乌什的军队得以主宰战场，并以战利品和斩下的首级堆满战车。依那伏站在他沾满鲜血的利剑旁，召唤那些了解战斗的衰盛和发展的兽人们坐在他的议事火堆周围，学习战争的方式。
老练战略家Skilled Strategists. 在很早的年纪就表现出战略的精妙天赋的兽人们被视为是依那伏的选择，并被训练为依那伏之刃。这些个体是服从部族酋长命令的战斗队长，在战争最激烈的阶段带领部族的一部分战士们介入战场，并为进攻提供策略。依那伏之刃是可怕的对手，似乎具有一种神秘的直觉，知道何时行动和何时进攻，能够像饥饿的狼群一样利用对手的弱点。
巴格茹，“折腿者”BAHGTRU, "THE LEG BREAKER"尽管受到依那伏的影响，兽人在发动战争的过程中依然是也必将永远是残酷和野蛮的。巴格杵是兽人用来压倒敌人的肉体力量和残忍的缩影。他是推动兽人的武器每一次刺入的神灵，让其能够尽可能造成更多的伤害。
无畏而强大Fearless and Mighty. 在神话中，传说巴格杵在外出打猎时，惊讶于最为强大的、拥有数百只脚的青足龙蛇。在一瞬间，巴格杵被它卷起并被它的脚给捉住。没有人能逃脱青足龙蛇的控制，但巴格杵将其视为对他力量的终极考验，并因为他的好运大笑。一条接一条，巴格杵折断了青足龙蛇的腿，将自己从魔爪中解放出来。这个生物的尖叫声变成了风暴中的闪电，而它被折断的股骨则成了巴格杵追随者们的象征，提醒他们任何东西都能被强大的力量破坏和击败。
好斗且残忍Competing in Cruelty 大部分探险家和冒险者们对抗的年轻兽人可能都是巴格杵的追随者。巴格杵的兽人不断试图通过与他们部落同伴的残酷竞争，无端的好战行为和在战争中的伟大胜利来证明自己优越的力量和耐性。正是通过这些力量的测试，巴格杵的追随者们证明他们中谁才最终值得格乌什不移的注视。
恐惧之雄牛The Sacred Bull.
巴格杵的兽人们有时会骑着原牛闯入战场，这些大型动物与家牛或者野牛相似，但更加凶猛（数据见附录B）。通过这样做，他们像尊敬他们自己的神灵一样尊敬这些生物，因为传说讲道巴格杵也骑着一只巨大的公牛闯入战场。没有兽人会吃掉或者伤害这些带着巴格杵精神的可怖野兽。
劇透 - :
Despite the influence of Ilneval, orcs are and will forever be brutal and feral in how they wage war. Bahgtru is the deity who epitomizes the physical might and ruthlessness that orcs use to overwhelm their foes. He is the one who drives every thrust of an orc's weapon, so that it does as much harm as possible.
Fearless and Mighty.
In the myths, it is said that Bahgtru was out hunting when he was surprised by the mightiest of the behirs, one with hundreds of legs. In a flash, Bahgtru was wrapped in the creature's coils and gripped by its legs. No one had ever escaped the grasp of the behir, but Bahgtru saw this as the ultimate test of his strength, and laughed at his good fortune. One by one, Bahgtru broke the behir's legs, and freed himself from its clutches. The creature's shrieks became the lightning of the storm, and its broken femur became the symbol of Bahgtru's followers, reminding them that anything can be broken and defeated by superior strength.
Competing in Cruelty
Most young orcs that an explorer or an adventurer might encounters are followers of Bahgtru. Orcs of Bahgtru continually try to prove their superior strength and endurance through cruel contests against their tribe mates, acts of unprovoked belligerence, and great success in battle. It is through these tests of strength that Bahgtru's followers prove which among them will eventually be worthy of Gruumsh's unwavering gaze.
Orcs of The Sacred Bull
Bahgtru sometimes enter battle astride aurochs, large creatures that resemble oxen or cattle but are much more ferocious (see appendix B for their statistics). By doing so they honor the creatures as well as their deity, because legends tell that Bahgtru also rode a great bull into battle. No orc will eat or harm one of these sacred beasts, which are believed to be imbued with Bahgtru's spirit.
虽然格乌什是驱动兽人们战胜他们敌人的外部力量，是他的妻子，茹赛可的影响将兽人联系在一起，让兽人具有内部的凝聚力。她是阻止格乌什暴怒的力量让兽人爆发分裂的力量。如果不是茹赛可的追随者，兽人种族很可能只是只有小队战士的游牧民族，只有很少的生存资源，而不是一股能造成巨大破坏的力量。
在远离山洞中战争火堆的地方，重重保护的洞穴深处，茹赛可的追随者照料兽人的后代，让他们像祖先一样残忍和坚强。通过迷信、预兆以及传统的力量，这些茹赛可之爪们利用仪式、恐惧，以及如果必要的话，力量将整个部族团结在一起。
劇透 - :
While Gruumsh is the external force that pushes the orcs to victory over their enemies, it is the influence of Luthic, his wife, that binds them together and makes the orcs internally cohesive. She is the force that keeps the explosive rage of Gruumsh from bursting the orcs apart. If it was not for the followers of Luthic, it is possible that the race of orcs would be no more than small bands of warrior-nomads, scratching out a meager existence, rather than a force capable of great destruction.
Far from the den's war hearth, within the protective depths of the caves, the followers of Luthic tend the orc brood, raising them to be strong and cruel like their progenitors. By invoking the power of superstitions, omens, and traditions, these claws of Luthic hold the tribe together through ritual, fear and, if necessary, force.
茹赛可通常被认为使用一只巨大洞熊作为她的化身。她的追随者们尊敬她的这一面，将洞熊作为宠物养育来保护充满吵闹的年轻兽人的围栏。茹赛可的献身者也会长出她们自己的长爪子，并将它们涂黑，以模仿她们女神可怕的利爪。作为回报，茹赛可让她们的爪子像钢铁一样坚硬和强韧。
坚守堡垒Holding the Fort除了保护幼崽和部族的食物储备，茹赛可的崇拜者也担任兽人部落的工匠，工程师和建筑师。她们制造原始的武器、盔甲和少数兽人生活所需的日常用品。
当部族外出劫掠时，她们可能会挖深洞穴，来为不断增加的人口创造更多的生存空间。
并不是所有羸弱的兽人都被服务于约卓斯和沙葛司的家伙带走了。出于某些黑暗的目的，其中一些被送到了人类控制的城市中。当心他们。
——伊尔明斯特
约卓斯，“白手”YURTRUS, "THE WHITE HAND"约卓斯常常被描述为腐烂、身上布满渗出的脓包、极度可憎——除了他苍白的没有任何瑕疵的手臂。
约卓斯没有嘴巴，也从不发出任何声音，所以他总是在完全地寂静中拜访自己选中之人。约卓斯的追随者们被允许住在部族的边缘地带，却被厌恶和不安地看待。他们与部族的互动主要是在死亡的场合，他们声称死去战士的骨头将会加入约卓斯的藏骨堂之殿，有时也会在萨满仪式中与出现的灵魂联系。
白手The White Hands. 能够听见约卓斯心灵低语的萨满们行走在生者与死亡的危险界限上，并以此获得了不可思议的力量。通过这种语言交流，他们开始理解如何驱使死亡的魔法。这些被称为“白手”的萨满，用白灰覆盖他们的手臂或者穿着由精灵的皮肤做成的苍白手套，来标志着他们与约卓斯力量的联系。约卓斯的萨满实行的死灵术仪式被兽人们视作禁忌的力量，这让他们受到部族其他人的尊敬和恐惧。
渡亡者Trafficers of the Dead. 那些“好死”的兽人会被经由约卓斯的牧师送往格乌什。牧师们寻找死去英雄的尸体并割下他们的头颅，用煮或者烟熏来除去上面大部分的肉，然后进行仪式性的打击打破鼻梁，留下一个仅有一只眼窝的颅骨。欣赏敌人的力量和凶猛的兽人们也可能同样这样对待他们的敌人以示尊敬。死在失败的战争中的兽人的尸体则被丢弃；他们太过弱小，配不上加入格乌什的军队。那些因为年老而死的兽人通常则被带到约卓斯的围栏中，他们的骨头被用来制作供奉约卓斯的巢穴区域的家具和结构。
约卓斯之择Chosen of Yurtrus. 患有可怕疾病的兽人会被带到约卓斯的围栏中，并像珍贵的牲口一样喂养。这些兽人被称为育疫者，他们被认为是因为他们为将他的疫病传播给敌人们的特别目的所选中。在夜晚，或者在浓重的雾气之中，这些被感染的兽人冲向他们敌人的营地，通常是穿过一阵箭雨，以便在敌人中传播他们的苦难。
劇透 - :
Yurtrus is often depicted as consumed by rot and covered in oozing pustules, utterly repulsive except for his hands, which are pure white and free of any blemish.
Yurtrus has no mouth and never utters a sound, so that he may come in absolute silence for his chosen. The followers of Yurtrus are allowed to dwell on the fringes of the tribe, but are looked upon with distaste and unease. They interact with the tribe mostly on occasions of death, claiming the bones of fallen warriors to add to the ossuary shrines of Yurtrus, and sometimes during shamanic rites when contact with spirits occurs.
The White Hands.
Shamans who heed the telepathic whispers of Yurtrus walk the perilous line between the living and the dead, and gain uncanny powers from doing so. Through this nonverbal communion, they begin to comprehend how to use the magic of death. These shamans, known as White Hands, cover their hands in white ash or wear pale gloves made of elf skin to symbolize their connection to the power of Yurtrus. The necromancy practiced by the shamans of Yurtrus is a force considered taboo by orcs, which makes them both revered and feared by the rest of the tribe.
Trafficers of the Dead.
Orcs who die "a good death" are sent to Gruumsh by the priests of Yurtrus. The priests seek out the bodies of such fallen heroes and sever their heads, boil or smoke them to rid them of most of the flesh, and then use a ritual punch to break out the bridge of the nose and leave the skull with a single eye. Orcs that appreciate the strength and ferocity of a foe might choose to honor that enemy by giving it the same treatment. The bodies of orcs that die in a failed battle are left behind; they were weak and don't deserve to join Gruumsh. Those that die of old age have typically already been taken into Yurtrus's fold, and their bones are used to build furnishings and structures in the area of the lair dedicated to the worship of Yurtrus.
Chosen of Yurtrus.
Orcs that suffer from gruesome diseases are brought into Yurtrus's fold and tended like prized cattle. These orcs are called nurtured ones, and they are considered the chosen of Yurtrus because they have been picked for the special purpose of spreading his virulent message among the enemy. At night, or during a heavy fog, these infected orcs rush toward an enemy's encampment, often through a hail of arrows, in order to spread their affliction within their foe's ranks.
沙葛司是黑暗与未知之神。他是秘密和谋杀之神，对除格乌什以外的人都十分危险。他的领域是除了奉献于他之人都无法看穿的黑暗。
对其他兽人来说，沙葛司的追随者是堕落和扭曲的生物，他们毫无荣耀，躲藏在黑暗中。他们由于不适合作为死者的看护者而被约卓斯拒绝，这些兽人居住在更深的黑暗中，靠近沙葛司领域的入口。在那里的黑暗之中，被放逐以迎接他们命运的兽人们，要么作为部族沙葛司教派的成员被带进围栏，要么被夜之王的崇拜者撕成碎片并作为祭品被吞食。
剔除弱者Culling the Weak. 尽管大部分沙葛司的追随者是被流放者，生活在远离部族其他成员最远的地方，但其他人仍留在部族内，装作普通的战士。这些特工挑选出战斗力最薄弱的成员，因为除去这些弱者之后能让剩下的队伍变得更强。兽人出生后不久，必须能够证明它将成长为一个有能力的战士，否则将会被沙葛司的信徒拜访。教徒们也截下了那些在领导或战斗中证明自己没有能力的兽人，然后把他们拖进沙葛司的黑暗洞穴，在那里被仪式性地谋杀和吞噬。
这种对弱者和不配者的淘汰被部族视为必要，但谈论它则是禁忌。那些消失的兽人被简单地称为“与沙葛司同在”，并不再被提及。
方便的盟友Alliance of Convenience. 当面对一个特别熟练于抵挡直接进攻的敌人时，一位战酋可能会召唤沙葛司的教徒来暗杀敌人的领袖，绑架一个有影响力的人质，或者偷取一件有价值的物品。
格乌什并不总是对诡计和阴谋友好，因为兽人需要通过直接攻击和残暴来夺取和做到他们想要的。然而，当酋长寻求沙葛司的帮助来来完成这样一项任务时，教徒的首领会愿意服从——因为价码。作为为其不太体面的服务的交换，领袖会与战酋达成协议，酋长将提供食物、工具、奴隶或者其他一些教徒们所想要的东西。
劇透 - :
Shargaas is a god of darkness and the unknown. He is a secretive and murderous deity, dangerous to all except Gruumsh. His' realm is the darkness that no creatures but those devoted to him can see through.
To other orcs, the followers of Shargaas are depraved and twisted creatures that have no honor and skulk in the shadows. Rejected by Yurtrus as too unsuitable to serve as custodians of the dead, these orcs live even deeper inside the lair, close to where the entrance to Shargaas's realm is located. There in the darkness, orcs exiled to meet their fate are either brought into the fold as members of the tribe's Shargaas cult, or are torn to pieces and devoured as sacrificial tributes by the worshipers of the Night Lord.
Culling the Weak.
Although most followers of Shargaas are exiles, living in the farthest reaches of the lair away from the rest of the tribe, others remain within the main body, posing as ordinary warriors. These agents single out the weakest members of the fighting force, because removing these weak links strengthens the rest of the group. Soon after being born, an orc must be able to show that it will grow into a capable warrior, or else it will be visited by the cultists of Shargaas. The cultists also waylay orcs that have proved themselves ineffectual in leadership or combat, then drag them into Shargaas's dark caverns to be ritually murdered and devoured.
This culling of the weak and the unworthy is accepted as necessary by the tribe, but speaking about it is taboo. Those that disappear are simply said to be "'with Shargaas" and are spoken of no more.
Alliance of Convenience.
When faced with a particularly skilled foe able to withstand direct assaults, a war chief might call upon the cultists of Shargaas to assassinate an enemy leader, kidnap an influential hostage, or steal a valuable item.
Gruumsh doesn't always look kindly on acts of subterfuge and indirectness, because orcs are meant to take and do what they want through straightforward assault and brutality. Nonetheless, when the chief seeks the aid of Shargaas to accomplish such a task, the leader of the cult is willing to comply-for a price. In exchange for its less than honorable services, the leader will strike a deal with the war chief to provide food, tools, slaves, or some other commodity that the cult prizes.
兽人们依靠野蛮和数量的力量来生存。他们的生活中没有弱者的位置，每一位战士必须足够强壮来用力量夺取需要的一切。兽人们对条约、贸易谈判或者外交不感兴趣。他们只关心他们永不满足的战斗欲望，粉碎他们的敌人和满足他们的神明。
蓬勃的出生率BOOMING BIRTH RATE为了补充他们无尽征战造成的损失，兽人繁衍出数量惊人的后代（并且他们对如何繁衍并不挑剔，这就是为什么半兽人和半食人魔会出现在这个世界上）。即将分娩的女性会被带到巢穴的育儿圈，在那里他们将受到茹赛可的追随者的照顾。
兽人没有配偶，在一个部族中，除了发生交配的时刻外，也没有成对的结合。在其他时候，男性和女性兽人或多或少对彼此漠不关心。所有的兽人都认为交配是一种平凡的生活所需，除此之外没有什么特殊的意义。
在4岁时，兽人就被当做青少年了，在12岁时就是功能发育齐全的成年人。因为战争或者疾病，大部分兽人不会活到25岁以上，但直到最后都保持健康的情况下，一个兽人可以活到40岁左右。茹赛可的神圣祝福能够延长一个兽人的寿命，尽管格乌什并不乐于她使用这种力量，并可能不太喜欢一个如此“受祝福”的兽人。
劇透 - :
In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring, orcs breed prodigiously (and they aren't choosy about what they breed with, which is why such creatures as half-orcs and ogrillons are found in the world). Females that are about to give birth are relieved of their other roles and taken to the lair's whelping pens, where they are tended to by Luthic's followers.
Orcs don't take mates, and no pair-bonding occurs in a tribe other than at the moment when coupling takes place. At other times, males and females are more or less indifferent toward one another. All orcs consider mating to be a mundane necessity of life, and no special significance beyond that is imparted to it.
At 4 years old an orc is considered a juvenile, and by age 12 it is a fully functioning adult. Most orcs don't live past the age of 25 due to battle or illness, but an orc can live to about 40, remaining healthy almost up until the end. Luthic's divine blessing can further extend an orc's life, though Gruumsh is never happy when she uses this power and tends to frown upon the one so "blessed."
年轻的兽人们必须迅速成熟才能在危险的环境中生存下来。他们的童年充满了力量的考验，激烈的竞争，而没有父爱和母爱。从一个兽人孩子能够使用一根木棍或者粗糙的刀子开始，它就能在学习战斗、在荒野生存和敬畏神明时维护和保护自己。
无法承受战斗生活的孩子们将从部族的主体中被挑取出来，送到巢穴深处，留个约卓斯或者沙葛司的追随者们接受或者拒绝。一个成年的兽人战士已经为一生的战斗做好了充分的准备。
寻找，破坏，重复SEARCH, DESTROY, REPEAT当部族在迁徙时，兽人战士们被命令在周围的土地上寻找任何挥洒鲜血和为他们的神灵带来荣耀的机会。通常来说，战士们成队轮流工作，当一组返回时，另一组外出掠夺，满载砍下的首级，一袋袋战利品和大堆食物。兽人战士们也充当斥候，带回周围地区的详细信息，以便酋长计划接下来派劫掠者去往哪里。
兽人军队的所覆盖的范围可以延伸到巢穴周围许多英里，任何在这一地区的精灵、矮人和人类聚居地都会处于危险之中。如果兽人瞄准的目标太大，难以直接攻克，他们就会潜伏在运输道路附近，对旅行者和商队发泄他们的不满。一个部族可以靠这种猎物和战利品生存很长一段时间。
劇透 - :
When a tribe is on the move, orc warriors are commanded to scour the surrounding landscape for any opportunity to spill blood and bring glory to their gods. Often, bands of warriors work on a rotation, with one group heading out on a raid just as another group returns, laden with severed heads, sacks of loot, and armfuls of food. Warriors also serve as scouts, bringing back detailed reports about the surrounding area so that the chief can plan where to send raiders next.
The territory that orc war parties cover can extend for many miles around the lair, and any encampment or settlement of elves, dwarves, or humans in that area is at risk. If orcs come upon a target that is too large to assault directly, they will lurk along supply routes, taking out their frustration on caravans and travelers. Left unchecked, a tribe can subsist on this sort of prey and booty for quite some time.
无论他们走到哪里，兽人都掠夺和拾荒，一切都是战利品，而战利品总是值得骄傲。为了尽可能多地把食物和战利品运回部族的巢穴，每个部族都有一辆坚固的战车。由于兽人缺少工匠，他们的大部分车都是从人类或矮人的据点偷来的，然后以独特的兽人配饰装点。
一辆战车对酋长来说是莫大的荣耀，类似于人类军队的旗帜。许多战车都包裹着铁甲，以华丽的饰品和挂在钩子与钉子上的恐怖战利品作为装饰。一辆战车可以在兽人围攻精灵要塞时很好地作为防护箭矢的屏障，如果聚居地敢于关闭大门，挡住兽人们通往里面宝藏和美味食物的道路，那么一辆沉重的改造战车也可以作为攻城槌使用。
作为一次伟大胜利的标志，一辆满载的战车需要最强壮的兽人来将它运回巢穴。一辆战车可以被部族中的矮个子推动是一种耻辱的表现。
部族战车的丢失会破坏酋长的权威，并导致部族陷入混乱。幸存者要么加入新的部族，要么建立他们自己的。在另一极端的方面，带着满载的战车返回部族，或者英勇地从窃贼手下保卫战车会赢得巨大的荣耀，并在部族中取得更高的地位。
全民皆兵ALL ARE FIGHTERS大部分相对弱小或者不适合战争生活的兽人在战士们外出劫掠的时候都留在后方。茹赛可的崇拜者们和那些崇拜约卓斯和沙葛司的兽人都属于这一范畴。但即使是这些兽人也受过战斗的训练，如果巢穴遭到攻击，他们都会像战士一样行动。部族中的魔兽人也会增加他们的数量，这些魔兽人的职责是确保巢穴免遭入侵者的攻击。
宿敌SPECIAL ENEMIES当兽人们进攻人类或者半身人的聚居地时，他们会杀掉所有表现出威胁性的对手，但他们对掠夺战利品和食物而不是肆意屠杀更感兴趣。老人、孩子，以及其他任何看起来足够弱小的人都可能会逃过一劫。
如果兽人们保留当地居民或多或少的毫发无损，他们就能选择一次又一次地劫掠该聚落。
当兽人与精灵作战时，这一切都会改变。两个种族之间狂热的仇恨割裂了本质，没有兽人会让精灵活着。兽人在对抗精灵时变得如此狂热，以至于他们把将战利品和珍贵物品带回部落的事情抛在脑后，唯一有价值的战利品就是敌人的头颅。
兽人们对待矮人则与其他敌人有所不同，因为他们觊觎矮人们为自己打造的家园。如果兽人们为占据一个矮人的领地而战斗，他们会屠杀所有的矮人。但实际上这是为了财产——如果矮人们都逃走了，他们也会很高兴。
劇透 - :
When orcs attack a settlement of humans or halflings, they will kill anyone who presents a threat, but they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death.
If they leave the population more or less intact, the orcs leave themselves the option of returning to raid the community over and over.
When orcs fight elves, all of that changes. The enmity between the two races cuts to the core, and no orc will leave an elf alive. Orcs become so frenzied in combat against elves that they forget all about taking loot and valuables back to the tribe-the only trophies of any worth are the heads of their enemies.
Orcs treat dwarves somewhat differently from other foes, because they covet the homes that dwarves fashion for themselves. If a tribe succeeds in fighting its way into a dwarfhold, the orcs will butcher any dwarf that stands against them, but it's really all about the property-they would be just as happy if all the dwarves ran away.
兽人们欣赏任何形式的肉体力量和强大的战斗力。因此，他们可能会时不时接受其他生物加入他们的队伍。已知兽人们和野猪人与双头巨人有联系，这两者都能显著提高部族的杀戮效率。为了足够的食物和战利品的承诺，一只巨魔也可能暂时与一个兽人部族为伴。
一队兽人可以被拥有巨大力量的邪恶生物控制，并接受这种手下的角色，要么是因为他们被迫这样做，或者其能在他们进行野蛮行径时提供一种保护措施。比如说，绿龙有时就会使用兽人作为哨兵和突击部队。兽人有时也会被吸引为霜巨人或火巨人服务，他们会将兽人变做奴隶来作为对他们忠诚的“奖励”。
如果部族被击败并从巢穴中被赶了出去，幸存者们可能会受一个强壮但愚笨的生物的统治，比如一个山丘巨人或一个食人魔。对于一个十分强大和有魅力的邪恶人类来说，带领一群不再以部族自称的流浪兽人也并非闻所未闻。
当部族们联合WHEN TRIBES TEAM UP一个兽人部族通常不会多于几百个成员，因为更大的部族需要大量的资源来保持其强大。一般来说，一个部族对它遇到的任何其他部族都有强烈的敌意，他们首先会把敌对的兽人视为食物和受害者的争夺者。
尽管如此，在某些情况下有涉及相同目标的部族（Tribe）们也会联合在一起。其结果是一个兽人部落（Horde）——一片蔓延的杀戮之海，血洗乡村，在其行进范围内留下大片土地的废墟。这样的事件在极端情况下也是罕见的，但这种情况会导致无法抵御兽人浪潮的国度从此衰落。
兽人文化与信仰ORC CULTURE AND BELIEFS
兽人生活在对他们的神灵无止境的恐惧当中，他们的行为则根植于这种心理。他们相信自己能在自己周围的世界中随处看到神灵的影响，而部族的牧师则负责判断这种征兆的好坏，并决定部落应该如何回应它们。
作为一个种族，兽人们并没有值得注意的普遍社会特征，但是在所有兽人使用的原始书面交流中，以及他们使用颜料装饰和区分自己和他们的巢穴的方式之间，确实存在着一些共性。
预兆和迷信OMENS AND SUPERSTITIONS兽人们相信，任何看似无关紧要的发现和事件——树上的一只熊的爪印，一群乌鸦或者骤起的风，都可能是来自神灵的讯息。如果部族以前遇到过类似的预兆，牧师们就知道如何解读它，但如果一个神迹没有明确的含义，那么牧师们可能需要数小时或数天的冥想来了解它的含义。
每一个兽人群落都有特定的迷信和认识某些预兆。这些原则因部族而异，通常以部族经历的事件为基础。以下是几个示例：
• 如果一个矮人或一个人类在死的时候呼唤他的神灵，你必须在三天里带着尸体的耳朵，以避免任何报应，然后埋葬或焚烧它们。
• 三只乌鸦总是一个吉利的兆头。
• 在你即将睡觉的地方吐痰会带来幸运。
• 穿环的侏儒骨头可以抵御疾病。
• 不要站在石头圈、蘑菇圈或任何其他圆圈里。
• 在战斗前看到流星是不吉利的。为了避免这种厄运，你必须吞下一块石头。
• 精灵耳朵的贡品会带来格鲁姆什的青睐。
• 在长途旅行前，如果你在黎明时分埋下五块石头，你将总能找到返回战争火堆的路。
• 跺脚三次，并发出“格乌什”的声音，能够避免邪恶的魔法。
劇透 - :
Orcs believe that any seemingly unimportant discovery or event-a bear's claw marks on a tree, a flock of crows, or a sudden gust of wind-might be a communication from the gods. If the tribe has encountered a similar omen before, the priests understand how to interpret it, but if a sign from the gods has no clear explanation, the priests might have to meditate for hours or days to get a vision of its meaning.
Every group of orcs has particular superstitions and recognizes certain omens. These tenets vary from tribe to tribe, and are often based in events that the tribe has experienced. Here are a few examples:
• If a dwarf or a human invokes its god upon dying, you must carry the corpse's ears for three days to ward off any retribution, and then bury or burn them.
• Three ravens is always a good sign.
• It is good luck to spit where you are about to sleep.
• Gnome bones can ward off diseases if they are worn.
• Don't stand inside a ring of stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle.
• Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must swallow a stone.
• A tribute of elf ears brings favor from Gruumsh.
• If you bury five stones at dawn before a long journey, you will always find your way back to the war hearth.
• Stomping your foot three times and uttering "Gruumsh" wards off bad magic.
兽人有一种改自矮人语的书面语言，但他们并不是一种喜爱书写的文明，也很少记录或者写下自己的思想。当兽人们需要以书面交流时，他们使用粗糙的符号来表达基本信息，比如“食物储藏在这里”，“危险靠近”或者“走这条路。一个兽人的劫掠团伙可能会在他们的梭巡范围内留下这种标识，作为对其他在之后通过同一片地区的战士们的提醒。
山间的向导，德鲁伊们，以及游侠们可能会熟悉许多此类标识，使他们能够避免受他们照顾的人无意间莽撞地闯入一个兽人部族的领地。
作为手下的兽人ORCS AS UNDERLINGS
在文化上兽人有根深蒂固在强大的力量面前屈膝的倾向，他们可以被一个强大而有魅力的角色征服。邪恶的人类施法者和统治者通常有奴役或诓骗兽人的倾向。一个有强大军事力量支持的领导者可以突袭一个部族，杀死它的领袖，并恐吓其余的兽人为其服务。
施法者则通常采用更迂回的方式，他们用魔法召唤出虚假的预兆，使部落恐惧并变得顺从。一位法师可能会操纵一些等级只在战酋之下的兽人们，用他们作为推翻首领的卒子。法师以神灵传达的奇迹证明指挥权的改变（事实上不过是一些精心制作的幻象），并把部族变成一支渴望服从新首领命令的攻击力量。
一个战败四散的部族幸存者有时会依靠自己的战斗技巧，以单独或者小队的形式来寻找任何愿意雇佣他们的雇主。这些佣兵虽然可能自豪于为他们表面上的独立，但仍然努力坚持到他们交易结束，因为由雇主支付报酬总好过因违反交易而被追捕。
劇透 - :
With their culturally ingrained tendency to bow before superior strength, orcs can be subjugated by a powerful and charismatic individual. Evil human spellcasters and rulers in particufar have a penchant for enslaving or deceiving orcs into service. A leader backed by a great mllitary force could swoop down upon a tribe, kill its leaders, and cow the rest of the orcs tnto submission.
A spellcaster typically takes a more devious approach, using magic to conjure up false omens that strike fear into the tribe and make it obedient. A wizard might manipulate a few of the orcs that rank just below the war chief, using them as pawns to help overthrow the leader. The wizard validates the change in command with signs supposedly delivered by the gods (which are in truth nothing but a few well-cast illusions), and turns the tribe into a strike force eager to do the bidding of its new chief.
The survivors of a tribe scattered by defeat sometimes fall back on their fighting skills to find employment, individually or in small groups, with whoever is willing to hire them. These mercenaries, while they might pride themselves on their seeming independence, nevertheless strive to follow through on their end of a bargain, because being paid by one's employer is better than being hunted down for breaking a deal.
征服之色COLORS OF CONQUEST三种颜色对所有的兽人都有特别的含义，他们用产生这些颜色的颜料来装点自己的身体、财产和巢穴。赭红被用来代表鲜血，灰白色的灰烬代表死亡，而木炭则代表黑暗。
这些关于管理兽人在部族中个人地位的不成文的规定一定程度上体现在每个兽人如何在自己及其个人物品上对这些颜色的使用中。比如说，一个部族的首领可能是唯一一个有权在其獠牙上涂上赭红色的兽人，而另一个部族的战士则在他们的衣服上擦上一道道灰痕，以预示他们会从一次劫掠中安全归来。
