Each clan (or Tuath as it is known in the language of the Free Folk) is run by a Council of the Free. The majority of a Tuath are slaves of the Free. Normally only about one in ten of the population of a clan are Free Folk. Obviously, only the Free have the right to bear arms or have an opinion. The Council is led by a Chief, who whilst acknowledged as the leader, is only the first among equals. Decisions are usually reached by consensus and often with little bloodshed. Clans make their own choices and there is no reason beyond coincidence to cooperate with other clans.

The general pastime of the Free Folk is raiding. This involves going into another Nation’s area, killing a few servants and taking away some treasure, slaves or cattle. Raiding is an acceptable social norm. That is, nobody really minds being raided, any more than they mind raiding. It goes on all the time and is socially useful because it gives the Free Folk men a chance to hone their martial skills, perhaps taking a head in the process. It also provides the essential raw material for later outrageous boasting. Unfortunately, this raiding is frowned upon by the uncivilized tribes of humans, dwarves and others.

The others have often called the Free Folk, Orcs. This is another of those misunderstandings since the word orc merely means kill in the folk’s language. Generally, Free Folk Chiefs chant Orc, Orc, Orc, Orc! as they go into battle. Hence the name.

The main measure of a Free Folk Chief’s prowess is the number of heads he has taken. The more the heads the greater his standing. All chiefs look forward to battle as an opportunity to take heads. Obviously, only the head of a fighting creature counts - chopping up the unarmed is nothing to boast about. The clan with the most heads at the end of the game wins.

They are spineless and soft, but have lots of goodies. Now they are in trouble and will want our help. Maybe if they pay enough.

Embarrassingly enough the Orc population in Urr is actually quite large, and has slowly started to merge into the local population. Like many social underclasses, the Orc immigrants have their own ghetto. They have had to adapt their cultural values, since many of their natural proclivities are frowned upon. However, they don't like to be reminded of that.

The Folk like the Dark Emperor in theory. This lord is reviled by many species (such as the narrow minded humans and other folk) because he does not accept their soft, sentimental world-view. It is said that the emperor has always respected the freedom of the Folk and their ways, especially in the case of raiding. Liking the emperor does not mean we will fight for him for free.

In The Mountain that Smokes lives She Who Must be Avoided. Her angels look like dwarves with four eyes. When the most noble of the Free Folk clans needed new brides, they captured a load of female flesh coming out of Urr. What they did not know was, that it was intended as tribute to The Living Goddess. Instead of punishing faithless Urr for failing to deliver its tribute, The Lady of Hosts took issue with the raiders.

Now there is one less clan…