ORCS AND GOBLINS Orcs are ferocious raiders and relentless warriors whose constant attacks threaten to engulf the lands of the Old World and plunge the entire continent into a dark age of endless and unremitting warfare . Orcs wage war with a single - mindedness that makes them extremely dangerous but , fortunately for their enemies , much of their energy is expended fighting each other . Goblins , although smarter than Orcs , are nowhere near as warlike and prefer to avoid a fight unless their enemy is severely outnumbered , badly wounded or looking the other way ( preferably all three ) . Goblins are cunning rather than strong , and rely a great deal on their Orc cousins when it comes to the serious business of fighting . GREENSKINSOrcs and Goblins , or Greenskins as they are often called , are remarkable creatures in many ways . They have a tough and waxy green skin , which becomes scabby , gnarled and even tougher over time . Their blood varies in colour from red to purple or black and is unusually thick , pungent and sticky . They do not seem to feel pain to anything like the extent that other creatures do , and it takes a serious wound to stop an Orc from fighting . TRIBES AND WARBOSSESAll Orcs and Goblins live in warrior tribes or warbands . Some are huge with thousands of individuals , while others number little more than a few hundred warriors . Tribes are led by a powerful chieftain called a Warboss or , if he is very powerful , a Warlord . The more successful a Warboss is the more Orcs or Goblins will flock to join his tribe . As the tribe gets bigger the Warboss leads it to fight bigger battles , so he either becomes more famous still and his tribe gets even bigger or he is finally killed and his tribe breaks apart . It is common to find Goblins under the sway of Orcs . In many cases these subservient Goblins are more than happy with their lot , because it gives them a chance to complete any plundering , thieving and despoiling that the Orcs forget to do . Every Goblin knows that Orcs are good fighters , certainly better than Goblins , so it is a good life being in an Orc tribe even if their masters treat them harshly and eat the odd straggler . TRIBES AND WARBOSSESAll Orcs and Goblins live in warrior tribes or warbands . Some are huge with thousands of individuals , while others number little more than a few hundred warriors . Tribes are led by a powerful chieftain called a Warboss or , if he is very powerful , a Warlord . The more successful a Warboss is the more Orcs or Goblins will flock to join his tribe . As the tribe gets bigger the Warboss leads it to fight bigger battles , so he either becomes more famous still and his tribe gets even bigger or he is finally killed and his tribe breaks apart . It is common to find Goblins under the sway of Orcs . In many cases these subservient Goblins are more than happy with their lot , because it gives them a chance to complete any plundering , thieving and despoiling that the Orcs forget to do . Every Goblin knows that Orcs are good fighters , certainly better than Goblins , so it is a good life being in an Orc tribe even if their masters treat them harshly and eat the odd straggler . ORCDOMOrc and Goblin tribes live all over the Old World in areas which are sparsely inhabited or where humans cannot survive at all . They also live on the boundaries of the Old World in the lands to the south and east , and it is in these areas where they are most prolific . If there can be said to be an Orc homeland it is probably the area between the southern Worlds Edge Mountains and the Black Mountains known as the Badlands , and the foothills of the Worlds Edge Mountains between Blood River and Blackfire Pass . These areas are infested with Orc tribes , and the adjoining Human lands of the Border Princes are little better , although fortified Human settlements maintain the presence of men on the very edge of civilisation . There are also many Orcs and Goblins inside the Old World , especially in the high mountain passes and deep forests which are virtually impenetrable to Humans . GREENSKIN RACESOrcs and Goblins live all over the world and some have adapted their way of life to suit . For example , the Goblins who live in the underground ruins of the old Dwarf empire are called Night Goblins and wear dark cloaks to protect them from the light of day . Forest Goblins live in the forests of the Empire where they harness and ride giant spiders . Other Goblins live in the plains and ride fierce wolves . Orcs too have adapted to different ways of life . Savage Orcs are barbarous cousins to the Orc race , spurning armour and ironwork altogether and taking to battle daubed in bright paint . Black Orcs are the largest and most powerful of their kind and are often found as leaders amongst other Orc tribes . ORCSWhile some Orcs are no taller than a man , most are substantially larger and the biggest Orcs stand well over seven feet tall . They are also very broad with big , deep chests , massive shoulders and long , powerfully muscled arms . Orcs have large heads with huge jaws but tiny foreheads behind which lurks the thick bone of an Orc ' s skull and not very much else . Despite their apparent lack of intelligence , Orcs are not stupid , they are simply limited in the way they think and act . Whilst not the deepest thinkers in the world , neither are they doubtful or divided . When an Orc wants to do something he simply does it , where a Human might waste hours weighing the pros and cons . Single - mindedness is one of the Orcs ' greatest strengths , especially as they enjoy fighting more than anything else . When they ' re not actually at war , Orcs spend most of their time fighting each other to establish rights of leadership . Orc leaders are known as Boss Orcs , but even Boss Orcs fight amongst themselves to decide which of them is the overall leader . This means there are innumerable layers in the Orc pecking order , from Boss to Big Boss , Warboss and Warlord . A Warlord is an Orc who has established total supremacy over his rivals ( having either killed and eaten them or driven them away ) and now leads all the tribes in glorious conquest over puny races such as men . An Orc ' s life is therefore spent in constant battle either with his fellow Orcs or against some worthy opponent . This is regarded as a good thing by Orcs , who are universally content with their lot , ultimately happy to meet their end in battle so long as they get the chance for a good fight . GOBLINSGoblins vary in size but are typically smaller than Orcs or Men . They have quick , nimble fingers and a tenacious grip - ideal for strangling small animals and sleeping rivals . Goblins have small , shifty eyes and keen eyesight , particularly in the dark . They are extremely noisy and garrulous where Orcs are inclined to speak slowly and infrequently ( believing that a determined glare and a display of fangs to be the best way of making your point ) . Goblins are more intelligent than Orcs and love nothing better than trading and bartering with their slow - witted relatives - basically because they always come off better . Many Goblin tribes are partly nomadic , moving from plain to forest , or along the river valleys and in between the mountain passes where they buy , sell or steal things that they can re - sell later on . Goblin tribes are often accompanied by huge caravans of scrap metal , captured monsters in crude wooden cages , or even men , Dwarfs or Elves that they have trapped and enslaved . Outriders mounted on huge slavering wolves patrol the area to the tribe ' s front , probing for enemies and scouting out small settlements that can be raided and pillaged . Some Goblins become very wealthy by trading in this way . Goblins like to show off their wealth . A really successful Goblin trader wears countless rings , ornamental daggers , swords , and the biggest helmet he can uncomfortably balance on his head . Others spend their ill - gotten gains on fast chariots which they race against each other , trying to outdo their rivals by having the fastest or flashiest machine . Related Articles : Orcs and Goblins Homepage 2007 Copyright MeL .