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Snotling2

A Snotling

A Snotling is an Orkoid, the smaller cousin of Gretchins and Orks. Snotlings are often used by their larger counterparts as cannon fodder, food or even ammunition in certain cases.

Snotlings represent the lowest rung of Orkoid society and are bullied by all other Greenskins. Snotlings often wield mushrooms or sticks into battle.

A Snotling appears to be a miniaturised Gretchin. It stands roughly half a metre tall and has the same gangly appearance as a tiny Grot. Because of their small stature in the Orks' might makes right "kultur," they occupy what is perhaps the lowest rung of Ork society.

While the Gretchin act as servants and maintain other secondary positions in Ork society, Snotlings will serve sometimes as "pets," but more often they are placed in Orkish agricultural and animal husbandry roles due to their affinity with the fungus and Squigs that feed most Ork settlements.

Snotlings' affinity with Squigs usually ensures that only a few dozen Snotlings are eaten by their "livestock" on any given day. Supervised and trained by Runtherdz, Snotlings will cultivate the fungus preferred by Greenskins to provide Orks with food, drink, and medicine.

The danger that comes with Snotlings is their ability to infest an area and generally wreak havoc upon everything they come into contact with. A Snotling has no qualms about crawling into an intake tube or engine compartment to see what is inside, resulting in a messy end for the Snotling and a large amount of damage to the mechanism. These vermin also seem to reproduce quickly if left to their own devices, another link to their fungoid heritage.

The exact nature of the Snotlings is the subject of some controversy. Ork legend tells of a lost race of Orkoids that were highly intelligent, called the "Brain Boyz" by the Orks. The Brain Boyz created the other Orkoid species as a means of protection, while at the same time directing Greenskin society. What happened next is unknown.

Some legends indicate the Brain Boyz died out during a great plague (giving the implication that the Brain Boyz were really the Old Ones). Other legends indicate that the Brain Boyz reverted into the Snotlings.

Horde of Snotlings

A Horde of Snotlings

On the occasions that Snotlings are used in battle by the Orks, they quite obviously do not pose any threat to larger opponents unless found in massive numbers. They do not have the intellect to use any weapon more complicated than a sharp knife.

Nonetheless, they make excellent distractions as larger and more dangerous Ork units move into place. This role is enhanced by the Snotlings' tendency to not notice danger until it is far too late. Snotlings are also employed as live "ammunition" for Shokk Attak Gunz by the Mekboyz.

This strange contraption teleports its living ammunition straight inside the intended target, and Snotlings are favored as ammunition over Gretchins since they are more numerous, and, unlike Gretchin, too stupid to understand the huge contraption worn by the Mek is actually a threat to them.

Snotling's staple diet is fungus, since it is their primary role to tend the fungi gardens of Ork society, but occasionally a lucky Snotling may scavenge a piece of Squig meat as a rare treat. Snotlings tend to live in filthy cesspits or dingy and derilict huts once intended for Ork Boyz

Sources

  • Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pp. 7, 35
  • Waaargh: Orks (1st Edition), pg. 4
  • Rogue Trader: The Koronus Bestiary (RPG), pg. 83

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