This army began with a core of orcs who had been slaves in Varushka, Temeschwar, and Wintermark. Vicious fighting against the Varushkan armies had decimated the numbers of the freed slaves in that nation, and harsh winters had contributed further to the death toll. After the revolt, their numbers were supplemented with orcs who had been enslaved by the Highborn. The first magicians among the Imperial Orcs belonged to this army, however; they found it easiest to absorb the teachings of the Varushkan and Wintermark tutors the Urizen mages arranged for them. The hard core of the army were made up of many who had known Thrace and the other founders of the revolt personally, and they continued to develop the vision of freedom that had first spurred them to escape the mines.
