The history of Orcs & Goblins, as recorded by Men, Dwarfs and Elves, is an account of the rise and fall of the huge tribes which have fought against them. Only the really big and powerful tribes impinge upon human or Dwarf history. As such it is a fragmented account but a spectacularly bloody one, punctuated by occasions when the whole of the Old World stood on the brink of destruction.
| Imperial Year | NOTABLE EVENTS IN ORC HISTORY |
| -4164 | The Elven Prince Malekith defeats an Orc army and saves the city of Athel Toralien in the Old World from being over run. |
| -2600 | Chaos Dwarves begin enslavement of Orc and Goblin tribes throughout the Dark Lands and the Mountains of Mourn. |
| -1500 | The Goblin Wars
Orcs, Goblins, Ogers, Trolls, Skaven and other evil creatures pour over the lands, looting the remaining Elf cities and destroying Dwarf holds. The Goblin wars begin as Dwarfs and Goblin fight over the World Edge Mountains. Karak Ungor falls to Night Goblins. It is re-named Red Eye Mountain. |
| -1499 | Karak Varn destroyed and occupied by Skaven and Goblins. |
| -1498 | Dwarf mines at Ekrund in the Dragonback Mountains are seized by Orcs after months of heavy fighting by the vastly outnumbered Dragonback Dwarfs. It is renamed Mount Bloodfang by the Orcs.
The Dwarf watchtowers and forts throughout Mad Dog Pass are abandoned or sized by Goblins. |
| -1457 | The Dwarf goldmines at Gunbad fall to Night Goblins after many years of fighting. Gunbad was the largest and richest mine in the World Edge Mountains and the unique source of Brynduraz or Brightstone, a brilliant blue crystal rock much valued by Dwarf craftsmen. It is fortified by the Goblins. |
| -1387 | The Silver Road Wars
The Silver Road War begins between the Dwarfs and Goblins. Battle rages around Mount Silverspear, the richest remaining Dwarf mine. |
| -1367 | After twenty years the Dwarfs abandon the mines at Mount Silverspear to the Orcs. Mount Silverspear is taken by the Orc Warlord Urk Grimface who fortifies the mines still furter and renames it Mount Grimface. |
| -1362 | With the loss of Gunbad and Silverspear, the Dwarfs lose their most important mines in the east and within five years they abandon the the last mines and smaller settlements in the eastern fringes of the Worlds Edge Mountains altogether. |
| -1250 | The Troll Wars
Troll, Orcs and Goblins are driven north by the eruption of Thunder Mounatin. The Trolls (Orcs and Goblins) attack Dwarf miners and prospectors. The Dwarf settlemnts of Valhorn and Budrikhorn south of Karaz a Karak are destroyed by rampaging Trolls. They are later driven out by the Dwarfs. |
| -1245 | From this time the Dwarfs launch a series of attacks against Goblin-held territories.
Dwarf King Morgrim Blackbeard leads his forces southwards. After several battles he manages to drive the Orcs and their evil allies from the mountains to the north of Mad Doig Pass. Another Dwarf Army led by Logazor Brightaxe heads east and recaptures Mount Gunbad, it is then forced to retreat by the apperance of Orc reinforcements. Dwarfs attack Mount Silverspear and are faced by Orc Chieftain Nurk Ard'ed. The Dwarfs are forced to return westwards to protect Karaz-a-Karak from a horde Ogers and Trolls. The horde is repulsed and the bodies of hundreds of Trolls are piled up and burned. For the next 250 years the Dwarfs consolidate their hold over the mountains, gradually reopening many of their old mines and rebuilding countless tombs of their ancestors. |
| -c1200 | Nagash the Black command the Skaven lure several tribes of Orcs and Goblins into the Cursed Pit. Goblins and Orcs flee west to escape the necromantic evil that grips the south. |
| -1185 | Kadrin Redmane the Dwarf Runesmith leads an expedition into the ruins of Karak Varn where he discovers a rich vein of Gromril. The Dwarfs continue to mine the vein for several years and even talk of resettling the old hold. |
| -1136 | Kadrin Redmane is ambushed and killed by Orcs beside the shores of Black water while leading a mule train of gromril ore to the High king. Kadrin slays 36 massive Orcs before he falls. His final act was to throw his rune hammer far out into the Black Water to keep it from the Orcs.
Following Kadrin's death the Dwarfs hold on Karak Varn becomes increasingly tenuous under renew pressure from Orcs and Skaven. They are eventully driven out by Skaven. |
| -1125 | Battle of Glade of Woe where Orc army is destroyed in the Loren Forest. |
| -975 | Battle of a Thousand Woes. A Dwarf led by King Skorri Morgrimson attempt to recapture Red Eye Mountain (Karak Ungor). The Dwarfs clear their enermies from the southen vally and gate, but are ambused and driven back when they attempt to enter the stronghold itself. A few Dwarfs including Furgil Skorri's yougest son, infiltate the lower halls, but do not return. Skorri leds the rest of his army back to Karaz-a-Karak and dies soon afterwards. |
| -750 | They are rupulsed after heavy fighting. They then move on to Karak Azul where they manage to gain a foothold in the westen halls and lower regions. The Dwarfs continue to fight and slowly gain the upperhand, in expelling the invaders. Many Dwarfs were slain. |
| -740 | Karak Azul is finally fully purged of Goblins and they are expelled. |
| -513 | The fall of Karak Eight Peaks. Over the last 100 years the number of Goblins and Skaven had increased in and around the Dwarf stronghold until even daily life became a constant battle for survival. The Dwarfs found themselves driven into an ever diminishing realm as one after another of the eight peaks fell. The Skaven, Orcs and Goblins fight over the Ruins of Karak Eight Peaks. |
| -469 | Orc Warlord Dork leads a huge army of Orcs and Goblins to take the Dwarf hold of Karak Azgul which he destroys and abandons, leaving the secrets of its depths unexplored. |
| -466 | The Orc Warlord Dork attacks and captures Karak Drazh it is occupied and renamed Black Crag. All of the lands south of Karaz-a-Karak, with the exception of Karak Azul, are now in Orc and Goblin control. |
| -463 | Within fifty years of the fall of Karak Eight Peaks the Dwarfs have lost all of their major holds south of Karaz a Karak with the exception of Karak Azul, which is under constant siege. All the mountains between Mad Dog Pass and Karak Eight Peaks are Orc or Goblin controlled. |
| -380 | Orc Warlord Ugrok Beard Burner leads the Orc horde northwards and attacks Karaz-a-Karak. Many smaller Dwarf settlements are destroyed, countless mines are overwelmed and many Dwarfs die. Orcs and Goblins almost overwhelm the remaining Dwarf holds. The Dwarf High King, Logan Proudbeard, is captured by the Orcs and suffers great humiliation at the hands of his tormentors. |
| -370 | The Dwarfs fight back, led by Gorazin Silverhorn, finally driving the Orcs of Warlord Ugrok from the capital. Beating them back at the Battle of Black Water |
| -350 | Skaven Overrun Crookback Mountain in the Dark Lands and enslave several tribes of Night Goblins living there. |
| -150 | Through careful breeding programs, Chaos Dwarf sorcerers finally succeeded in developing Black Orcs. |
| -100 | Black Orcs lead revolt which ravages the lower levels of Zharr-Naggrund. Chaos Dwarves saved by the Hobgoblins. Black Orcs flee to the Worlds Edge Mountains and the Mountains of Mourn. |
| -15 | A trading convoy from Karaz-a-Karak is ambushed on its way to the Grey Mountains. King Kurgan Ironbeard is captured by the Orcs. He is later rescued by Sigmar, prince of the Unberogen tribe. The Dwarf King rewards Sigmar with the rune hammer, Ghal Mharaz. |
| -1 | The Battle of Blackfire Pass
From out of the turmoil in the Old World emerged Sigmar, a great leader of Men and the founder of the Empire. Sigmar united the Human tribesand forged a mighty army to rid the land of Orcs and claim it for his opwn. After many battles the Orcs were driven north into the Forest of Shadows and deep into the Great Forest itself. In the east, many old Dwarf holds were cleared out by the High King Kurgan Ironbeard and the Orcs fled in to the mountains and back into the east. The power of the Orcs was broken for many years. It was a terrible time for the Orcs, who suffered defeat after defeat and never found a leader of their own to equal Sigmar. Eventually the Orcs sent to the east for reinforcements, and a huge Orc army headed up towards the Black Fire Pass from the Badlands, which in those days encompassed the whoile of the area which would come to be known as the Border Princes. The Orc army destroyed a small scouting force of Dwarfs who were unlucky enough to be caught at the eastern end of the pass.Wild with their easy victory, the Orcs advanced quickly into the pass itself, taking little care to scout ahead or leave a reargaurd to protect the line of march. The ensuring conflict is the most famous battle in all of the history of Men, the Battle of Blackfire Pass. The massive Orc army was destroyed and the combined forces of Sigmar and Kurgan Ironbeard was ultimately victorious. It was not the end of the Orcs of course, and in the following years Sigmar took the battle deep into forests and mountains, rooting out Goblin strongholds and driving his enemies ever deeper into the wild. |
| 50 | End of the persceution of Orcs by the armies of Sigmar. Last of the Orcs have been driven in the deep forests and mountains or had taken refuge in Troll Country in the far north. |
| 475 | Orcs invade Tilea. Many cities are sacked. |
| 491 | Tileans begin to drive Orcs back over Apuccini Mountains. |
| 577 | Orc demand of tribute from the Bretonni peoples rejected. |
| 977 | Gilles le Breton leads the human tribes between the Grey Mountains and Great Ocean against the Orc and Goblin tribes and founds the kingdom of Bretonnia. He creates the land of Bretonnia. Orcs and Goblins retreat to the Grey Mountains and northern forests under pressure from the new Bretonnian armies. |
| 978 | Orcs are finally driven from Tilea. |
| 980 | Orcs and Goblins are forced to retreat to Grey Mountains and northern forests by the Bretonnians. |
| 1142 | Guillaume, the third Bretonnian King, defeats a large Orc army at the Battle of Armandur and drives out the last of the Orcs from northern Bretonnia. |
| 1452 | Bretonnian knights fight Orcs and Goblins at Blood River on the way to Araby. |
| 1705 to 1715 | Gorbad Ironclaw
Gorbad Ironclaw leds a huge Waaagh! across the southern empire destroying most of the southern provinces. He is at last defeated at the Seige of Altdorf. |
| 1715 | Kastagrar, the Champion of Khorne, attacks the Goblins of Gnashrak's lair. After wiping out every single Goblin in the stronghold he is elevated to the status of Daemon Prince. |
| 2201 | Errant Wars
The beginning of the Errantry Wars when Louen Orc Slayer, the King of Bretonnia, declares his intention to rid Bretonnia of Greenskins. Over the next century Bretonnian territory is gradually cleared of Orcs who take to the mountains and forests to escape the king's knights. |
| 2202 | An Orc army fleeing the Bretonnians through the Loren Forest is ambushed and destroyed by Wood Elves. |
| 2205 | Battle of Black Falls
A Dwarf and Goblin army meet on the shores of the Black Water. Dwarf High King Alrik and Goblin Warlord Gorkil Eye Gouger are slain while fighting along the rim of the Black Falls. The Goblin Warlord is mortally wounded by the Dwarf, but pull his adversary to his doom over the falls. The Goblin army is routed into the icy water and most are swept over the falls and perish with their leader. |
| 2302 | Great War Against Chaos
Orc tribes are displaced by the Great War against Chaos. Many move south into the northern Empire Orc tribes. Some join Chaos armies while others attack the Chaos armies as they pass. |
| 2390 | The Idol of Gork
The events in the Idol of Gork take place which end in the defeat of Grotfang's Iron Claws by the Border Prince Rutgar. |
| 2400 to 2425 | Grom the Paunch
Grom leds a great Waaagh across the Empire and eventuall to Ulthane where he is defeated by the High Elves at Tor Yvresse. |
| 2401 | The Seige of Monte Castello
10,000 Orcs, led by Unguth the Vile, beseige Monte Castello lasts for over a year. The garrisson was reduced to 500 men. The old mercenary commander Galeazzo is mortally wounded, his daughter Monna Lissa donned his armour and led the armyaginst three more assults. Monna Lisa took control of the army until reinforcements arrived from Luccini where they found only 25 pikemen still standing. |
| 2420 | Bretonnian King Charles L'enorm announces his intention to carry the Errantry Wars east into the Border Princes and beyond. Bretonnian knights win a huge victory against Orcs at Blood River, and more settlers move east into the Border Princes. |
| 2473 to 2498 | Skarsnik
Belegar the Dwarf recaptures and reseetles Karak Eight peaks and fights many battles against the Night goblins of Skarsnik including the Battle of East Gate |
| 2488 | The Battle of Death Pass
A Bretonnian army is defeated by Morglum Necksnapper. The Bretonnian King Charles II declares the Errantry Wars at an end. |
| 2500 | Orc Warlord Gnashrak unties the Orcs and Goblins of the eastern Worlds Edge Mountains and leads a huge army along the Silver Road towards Karaz a Karak. The Orcs rampage through the mountains for years, causing considerable destruction and even threatening to recapture the capital. |
| 2503 | Seige of Barrak Varr
Gorfag Rotgut lays seige to Barrak Varn for a secound time under the orders of Skarsnik. The Dwarven Seafortress continues to resits all attempts to be taken./td> |
| 2503 to 2506 | Morglum Necksnapper begins his Waaagh! which devestates Karak Azul and then moves on into the Empire where they are finally defeated. Morglum survives. |
| 2510 | The Battle of Broken Leg Gully
A Dwarf army of King Ulgrim Ironfist of Karak Kadrin defeats the rampaging Orc army of Warlord Gnashrak in the Battle of Broken Leg Gully. Bad Moon Rising
After several farmsteads had been burnt to the ground, the Elector Count of Middenheim mustered his forces. As the Goblin horde was larger than the usual roving bands, the Imperial outridersand militia were unable to deal with the green-skinned devils. Unwilling to send his elite White Wolf Templers to battle because it would weaken his garrison too much, he instead called for brave mercenaries to join the expedition. The gold of the Count brought the services of the famed Daddallo and his Birdmen, who were visiting the city of the White Wolf for the annual carnival. They had already gained quite a reputation with their flying shows. The commander was entrusted to Kurt Heimwald, who was one of the Middenmarshals at that time. A veteran of many battles, Kurt was an expert at fighting Goblins. In the great temple of Ulric, Kurt vowed to destroy the Goblins or die trying. After several weeks of cahing after the rampaging horde, Daddallo's birdmen, soaring above the treetops, finally detected the Goblins. With their backs to the Middle Mountains, the domain of the Beastmen, the Goblins turned to face the humans. Emerging from the shadows of the forest, the soilders of the Emperor drew up their battle line. After a long battle the Empire was victorious the forests of Middenland would be free from Goblin raiders, for a while at least. The Battle of Iron Peak
"Borzag, mate, Great fight! We certainly gave those stunties, a good seein' to. Me trolls was great, eh? See the way they did my brilliant plan fing." Gorblum clapped Borzag matily on the shoulder. The shaman fought down the urge to cuff the over familiar little gobbo round the ear. Gorblum had become even more cocky and self-confident since Borzag had lent him the Crown of Command. He had gone from calling himself Gorblum Yellowstreak to calling himself Gorblum the Magnificent. What cheek! By Mork, he would never even have has the nerve to get within 50 feet of those trolls if it wasn't for the confidence the crown had lent him. And the trolls would have probably have eaten him and his spider if it wasn't for the crown's aura of command. Be calm, Borzag told himself. He still needed the little creep and his trolls and his gobbos and his fanatics. They were a central part of his great masterplan, the core around which he would assemble his army. "Yez. It woz a great plan you thought ov, Gorblum," said Borzag, gently disengaging Gorblum's paw. The shaman wanted to spit. The entire plan had been his, giving credit to the goblin went completely against the grain. Still, the effects of the crown meant that Borzag had to feed the goblin chieftain's overweening ego. The old shaman moved over to the edeg of the cliff. Gorblum followed. Borzag fought down the overwhelming urge to push the chieftain over the edge, just to see him fall, but instead he gave his attention to the panoramic view. Far below at the foot of the mountain, the lands of the south eastern Empire were spead out before Borzag like a map. He could see the long silver trail where the little river flowed into a bigger one, the one the captured stunties always called the Reik. He could see the tiny boats that bobbed on the water like toys. The village was there and this meant more stunties to kill. Good. Borzag hated stunties, had done ever since he was knee hight to a giant spider. "Boss! Boss!" gibbered Sleekid, Gorblum's chief lackey. "Dis isn't gold. It's rocks!" The gobbo threw a sack down in front of Gorblum. The little chieftain pretended to study it intently, as if a long hard stare would transmute the grey stuff to gold and pretty trinkets. "Nar, ain't gold," Gorblum said eventually. "Unless it's sat funny grey gold. Dose stunty gitz has fooled us." Borzag, winced. Gorblum was as stupid as he was vain. "I fink I see what da Boss means," he said. "You do?" said Gorblum, a trifle amazed "Yer. Dose stunties couldn't fool yer. Youse seen right through 'em." "I'ave? I mean I 'ave." "Yer day had 'idden it. Down dere In dat mantown. You saw it right away. No wonder dey calls you Gorblum da Magnificent." "Yere. Dat's right. Wot woz my brillent plan again?" "Well, we should go down dere and give da stunties a taste of bootlevver. Den we'll find da 'idden gold." "Mork's teef. I comes up wiv some brillent plans, don't I mate?" "yer," muttered Borzag between gritted teeth. "Letz go." At Gorblum's howled command, the orcs and goblins formed up in slovenly ranks. Sleekid's boyz began to spit and make faces at Wa-Kurran's ladz. Within moments a great scrap had broken out. Gorblum stood around and watched, amused by the great ruck. Borzagh began to get a sore head, and his eyes began to glow as they always did whent the ladz got into a bit of violence. Now was not the time though. "Dat's enough!" he bellowed. Wading into the ruck he picked up Sleekid and Wa-Kurran by the scruff of their necks and tossed them out of the melee. The two rival gobbo leaders landed in front of Borzag's wyvern. It hissed and they fell quiet, petrified with fear. Slowly the melee abated. "Save it fer da stunties," shouted Borzag. "Now, lez go!" Chanting and gibbering, the greenskin army marched down towards the unsuspecting village. On the day after Geheimnisnacht 2510 it was business as usual in the sleepy village of Eisenhof. The mixed popultaion of Dwarfs and Men loaded barges with iron ore destined for the great cannon works at Nuln. from the docks the heavily laden craft pushed out onto the Veiss, a minor tributary of the mighty Reik, and made their way down the river towards the distant city. A caravan of ore had just arrived and the stocky Dwarf miners heaved the heavy sacks of raw metal from the backs of their pack mules and staked them neatly on the wharves. In the market square traders haggled over the price of a hundredweight of rock. The village drunk lurched from the tavern and loudly sang an old sad song. For the folk of Iron Mountain it was a typical day, in a typical month, in a typical year. Little did they know that a terrible doom was fast approaching the little hamlet. From the bleak, desolate mountains of the east, a horde of Goblin had marched relentlessly down the windswept valleys to arrived at the outskirts of the village. To the fore was Gorblum the Magnificent, mounted on him great spider. Behind him marched his regiments of red-eyed Night Goblins and to the rear of the column, sweating gobbos tugged a huge rocklobber. Standing tall amidst the green mass, three giant river trolls grumbled and yawned, revealing endless rows of serrated teeth in their huge gaping maws. Overhead, mounted on his mighty wyvern, the dreaded Orc shaman Borzag soared on the wind scanning the horizon with his malevolent keen-eyed gaze. They had already destroyed two of the isoloated Dwarf mines, and slaughtered dozens of Dwarf miners. Now they were drawn by the chimney fires of the town of Eisenhof and the prospect of considerable loot. A single pedlar making his way up to the mines spotted their approach and fled back down the slopes to give warning. Hastily the innkeeper and the merchants packed their families into carts and fled. The dock labourers took to the barges and headed down river taking all they could carry. When the Goblin horde arrived they were enranged by the absence of plunder. Cursing with fustration, they swiftly put Eisenhof to the tourch. Drunk of the last sour ale, they rioted through the streets, looting the burning buildings and scavenging scrap and debris from the dungheaps. Meanwhile, other eyes had spotted the blaze. Thorgrim Greybeard, clan lord of the Dwarfs of Iron Mountain had received word of the Goblin mauraders and hastily summoned his warriors to battle. Thorgrim had sworn an oath to avenge his fallen kindred and every Dwarf with him pledged to aid his task. Grunnir Thorbalson and his band of Troll Slayers, who'd been feasting in Thorgrim Hall, joined the band, for Borzag seemed a mighty foe to test their fates against. So it came to be that late afternoon the forces of Thorgrim and Borzag confronted each other outside the burning remains of the village of Eisenhof. The final ringing echoes of steel on steel had faded. With a crash, the last buring building fell to the ground in a shower of smoke and sparks. Eisenhof was now a smouldering ruin. Only embers and ash remained to show that a town had once stood on this site. The last dwarfs had fallen. Their mutilated corpses lay in great heaps upon the ground. Prehaps a few had fled into the darkness or had been lost beneath the piled bodies. Borzag raised his clawed hand and fitful green light illuminated the scene. He bared his tusks in a satisfied snarl. He was well pleased with the day's fighting. He had claimed more stunty beards to be woven into his cloak. Thorgrim's army had been overcome. Groblum stood atop of one of the corpse mounds and ranted to his followers. A blood-spattered blue cloak ripped from the shoulders of one of the dwarf captains was draped round his shoulders. His voice was filled with mad self-confidence as he outlined his scheme for marching on the lands of men and overthrowing their cities. Only the trolls listened, hypnotised by the crown's glitter. Their eyes, great empty pits in hwich tiny pupils glittered, were turned on him with fixed idiot attention. All around drunken orcs and goblins strutted and pranced. Many clutched jacks of ale and foul orc brew in their fists. Sleekid had a plundered stunty helm set askew upon his head. Here and there goblins fought mock duels with captured hammers. Borzag did not doubt by the time the night was over, some dules would be being fought for real. Tempers would flare and word would be said. Borzag had seen it all before. Two orcs wrestled in the mud, locked in a dispute over who would have possession of a captured gold chain. It was the way. To the strong went the best plunder. The weak goty nothing. From behind Borzag came a hideous gnashing of teeth and slobbering as the wyvern feasted on the last of the troll slayer corpses. Tonight he would slepp well, its belly filled with red dwarf meat. Tonight Borzag would have to be particularly careful of enemies within his own army's ranks. With the wyvern is digestive torpor, he would have one less protection against assassination. Borzag had to admit that the stunties had fought well. He would have not expected them to hold out so long. He doubted that even black orcs would have stayed around after taking the casualties that the fanatics had inflicted. Borzag had inspected the jellied remains of one dwarf who had been hit with a steel ball. The resulting damage had been quite awesome. Wa-Kurran emerged from the gloom. "Did you find him? Did you find the stunty boss?" Borzag asked. The goblin shook his head. Borzag gave his a taste of boot. So Thorgrim had escaped. Well, it did not matter. Borzag was sure their paths would cross again. He could kill the stunty chief another day. For now he was pleased. Word of this victory would spread through the woods and over the mountains to wherever orcs and goblins gathered. Soon they would flock to Gorblum's banner, and the Borzag would have an army that could trample the kingdoms of men and of dwarfs into the dust. His day was coming. He knew it. |
| 2510 to 2515 | Azhag the Slaughterer
Azhag leds a Waaagh! into the northern Empire destroying Ostland and Ostermark. |