Editing Midnight RPG - Chapter 37.834 (section)

=== Durgaz ===

: ''Kyuad would understand that "Dulugolauk" translates to "face(s) of black steel"; or, in context, "black masks". As for pronunciation, I pronounced it in my head as "duh-luh-GALL-lock", so it could possibly be shortened to "Golauk" for short. Alternately, "Thakmûrz" means pretty much the same thing, but is significantly shorter. I'm kind of picturing the Orcish language structure as being something of a combination between German and Russian, with a lot of long and complicated compound words that can be abbreviated in ways that utterly baffle non-fluent speakers.''

: ''I haven't seen "Patton" in a couple years, but yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about, and that is pretty much what I'm going for. One key thing to keep in mind here is that Durgaz is applying the approach he knows, not necessarily the one that will work best. Even though Durgaz's point of view has changed on many things, he is still prone to lean heavily on iron-fist techniques when dealing with others, particularly with other orcs - because that's just how orcs interact with one another. Individuality is suppressed because of the extreme likelihood that it would lead to anarchy ... crocodile-ism, as opposed to Klingon-ism, to borrow your comparison. Even the orcish language is built around that philosophy, thus the notation in the rulebook about how it allows a speaker to address those above and below his station with absolute deference and authority, respectively.''

: '' Kyuad is, of course, 100% correct in his assessment that the orcs will NEED to gain some understanding of individuality in order for them to care about the fate of anyone other than themselves. I'm not sure Durgaz would understand that, though.''

: ''Also of note: although he might actually care a great deal about what happens with these orcs, he's not likely to admit it to himself or anyone else, because he doesn't want to run the risk that it might cloud his judgment on something crucial, AND he doesn't want to invest a lot of hope into something only to have it fail.''

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'''"Maybe you do not understand orcs. Or I maybe do not understand humans. As of this moment, these orcs are NOT worthy of respect. Their only value lies in their ability to wield weapons and follow commands. Individuals do NOT matter, until they prove themselves. The men of First-Hold are not important because of what their names are or where they come from. They are important because they stood up against their enemies, and more importantly, because they WON. They have EARNED our respect."'''

'''"Do you think I automatically assign some special value to these soldiers because they are orcs? You are wrong. Their only value lies in their POTENTIAL. If they listen to what I tell them, and they come to their own understanding of why I have chosen to do what I do, and why it is best for them to do the same, then they have become something important: they have become free orcs. If they prefer to stick to what is familiar, and hate elves and men because they have been told to, and obey the Shadow's will because they are afraid their old masters will punish them, then they are of no use to us or anyone else, and I will deal with them as is necessary. Yes, we have only a few orcs at this time. But if we were arming soldiers, and we had only a few dozen swords, and some of those swords were poorly made and might break when they struck a foe, we gain nothing by sending them into the field anyway. We would be weakening ourselves by relying upon tools that might fail at a crucial moment."'''

'''"Orcs understand this; these are our ways. These orcs are well-trained soldiers, and they will respect the chain of command. I cannot simply tell these orcs to turn away from everything they have been brought up to believe, and expect it to stick. What I CAN do is command them as I see fit, and expect them to obey those orders, even if they are at first doing so out of fear. As I do this, I will repeatedly make clear to them what I believe, and why I am commanding them as I am. Without the constant whisper of the Shadow washing over them as they sleep, they will be free to ponder what I say, and possibly find truth in it. If they can see this truth, then they will have proven their value, and earned my respect. And when they have earned my respect, I will show it to them, as I have shown respect to you and Eranon and Khalim."'''