Slavery

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Slaves and indentured workers toiling on the Chaos controlled moon Iniquity.[16]

Slavery is common in the Galaxy across multiple sentient species. Whether they enslave their own kind or other sapient species, slaves are most often used as disposable labour for industry and other menial purposes.

Slavery and the Imperium

Uncounted billions are born in squalour, labour in pain each day of their adult lives, then die in the streets, unsung and unmourned. They are blessed to do so, for in this way, they serve the Emperor. There is no greater calling.[37]


Imperial labourers.[37]

Slavery has been a part of the Imperium's foundation since its inception, when the Emperor still walked.[60][70]

While menials in the Imperium are slaves in all but name, there can be nuance and variety in the bureaucratic landscape managing these workers.[67] Chapter Serfs, also called helots,[70] of Space Marine Chapters are bound to serve their masters. Sometime due to hereditary oaths taken by their ancestors, serving in roles making up the teeming masses of a Battle Barge's crew.[8] The galaxy-spanning Adeptus Administratum is also fueled by hereditary slaves, largely serving as scribes and petty officials.[32d]

Major hive worlds typically partake in outright slavery.[45b] Indentured industrial serfs lead short and brutal lives under Imperial yoke.[65] Forced labour in slave-like conditions are seen across the Imperium, whether they be human, abhuman, or mutant. They are often used in manufactorums.[44b][45c] Mutants are also often treated as slaved toilers in factories and hives.[44] Some hive crime lords, such as the self-styled Underlord Hurango, are known to operate notorious "slave-farm stations" where slaves are produced and exported.[45a]

Child slaves are common across the Imperium. Whether they're captured, sold into slavery by their parents, or are simply born into it.[43d] Forced child labourers like these are regularly used for miscellaneous tasks, such as cleaning the filth-caked vats of industrial algae farm agri-facilities, or as a sludger cleaning narrow water purification pipes, too small for an adult human to fit inside.[6b][6d] Many on Shrine Worlds are also roles such as "Saint Polishers", serving the church by rubbing and scrubbing the monolithic saint statues of temples belonging to the Ecclesiarchy.[6c] Often thinly populated, some Agri-Worlds are almost entirely serviced by slave-serfs, servitors, and ancient machinery.[32c]

Shock Whips are common instruments used to provide additional encouragement to workers and slaves.[64]

Imperial Slave Trade

The loyal slave learns to love the lash.

–Common saying amongst menials and scriveners.[66]


Gram Ironhand, a Shackleman of the Necromundan Slave Guild.[4]

The Imperial slave trade spans a variety of local and interstellar slave markets, a Feral World slave market,[49b] hive city bazaar or illicit human trafficking rings, or even entire orbital defense stations are sometimes converted into interstellar slave-trade hubs by planetary nobility or merchant-barons.[7] Supplies from a planet full of slave labour and mineral wealth represents a substantial and hard to replace holding, even in an empire as vast as the Imperium of Man.[49a]

Large orbital star forts hosting interstellar slave-markets can be regulated by the Adeptus Administratum, barring sales to private parties, only allowing Imperial authorities to purchase such a valuable commodity. These markets tend to also buy and sell prisoners under the jurisdiction of the Administratum. Imperial Navy vessels too will make regular stops at locations like these to repopulate their lower decks' indentured ratings, whom die in droves within the enginariums and gunnery decks. In addition, Pirates, private vessels, and even Xenos vessels can be found lurking around such hubs, even if still regulated by the Administratum. In addition, privately operated interstellar trafficking hubs owned by Imperial Nobility have even been known to trade with xenos slavers as well, bartering broken-willed humans for xenos artefacts.[7]

Indentured workers of the Cirian System's Miners Guild.[74]

Various guilds across the Imperium deal in the commodity of indentured labour, whether it be textiles or mining. Whether guilder or Tech-priest, all are harsh masters that care only for the quotas they fill. Indentured workers in dangerous forms of drudgery need to be constantly replenished. Many are born into the workforce and are branded by the respective guild to which they belong, being forced into labour from an early age. Others are sold into indentured servitude by planetary governors as payment for a Guild's goods or services. The life of an Imperial labourer is a hard one that offers meagre rations, ineffective or missing equipment, harshing conditions and deadly accidents; a hard life consisting of their respective drudgery with brief periods of sleep between. A single guild could have millions of workers that are born, live, and die in their service. Those that try to escape are typically caught and killed as an example to others.[74]

Imperial nobility regularly partake in slavery,[47] as is their nature. Whether legal or not on a planetary basis, the ruling class views the lower classes as menials to be oppressed into servile masses and treated as they see fit, to the point that a nobleman can enslave an entire settlement of menials due to the supplies they manufacture, such as vintage wine to ensure their own steady brand of supply.[2] In addition, privately operated interstellar trafficking hubs owned by Imperial Nobility have even been known to trade with xenos slavers as well, bartering broken-willed humans for xenos artefacts.[7] Higher echelons of nobility such as Planetary Governors too can invest in slavery, such as ones who rule Penal Worlds where they will be essentially sold millions of innocents who are sent to such planets as convicts on trumped up charges by corrupt officials, the prisoners from such transactions are then used for cheap labour to produce valuable raw minerals for off-world transport in miserable conditions.[59] Infamously, during the Age of Apostasy and the reign of Goge Vandire, the Schola Progenium was a highly corrupt institution where Schola orphans were used as slave labour by the Ecclesiarchy in mines and manufactorums, promising individuals would be sold as individual slaves and servants to Impreial Commanders, the most attractive would become concubines for Imperial Nobles, while the most physically adept would swell Goge Vandire's armies as Frateris Templar and Brides of the Emperor. The habitats they were raised in were not separated by gender, were associated with licentious practices, and the money for and from them used questionably.[71]

Main article: Adepta Sororitas#Brides of the Emperor

Rogue Trader Slavers

“Trust the Navy? I only trust those meddlesome fools to take an unwanted interest in a man’s honest work.”


Rogue Traders will scope out undiscovered worlds with valuable resources to be harvested, such as slaves and minerals, anything that is in demand.[48] These captive are reaped from a variety of unsavory sources.[32b] Some Rogue Traders have become notorious interstellar slavers.[33c] Some Rogue Trader can also make several dozen of slave raids on worlds inhabitated by humans undiscovered by the Imperium, deeming its inhabitants as not "Imperials" to any that scrutinize these actions before selling off their goods elsewhere, deeming such oppoturnities as beneficial.[46] They'll also seek out worlds with unsuspecting natives that they'll quickly ferret out and command mighty slave-barges to be filled with stunned captives, captured by the Rogue Trader's own personal slave-troops.[33d]

Imperial Navy Slavery

The Navis Imperialis regularly makes use of slaves and convicts manning the hazardous and "uncivilised" lower decks. Entire slave colonies man these dangerous, but essential decks, notably the many generatoriums and gunnery decks, each a city unto itself.[63a] The Imperial Navy will send their press-gangs to forcibly acquire unwilling manual labour from local populations.[6a] Whether it be in a Hive City while at port or by simply buying or "requisitioning" slaves to replace losses. Forcing them to join the teeming ship-scum crewing the bowels of their vessels engine rooms and guns to live the rest of their short lives.[7]

Ratings are members of the crew who attend to tasks that require muscle, not training, hauling shells, clearing debris, etc. They also make up boarding parties.[38a] Indentured workers are ratings who have been press-ganged or taken from penal colonies to atone by serving the Emperor.[38b] When Imperial Navy vessels dock at a port to refuel, they will also restock on ratings, press-ganging local dock workers into indentured servitude to slave away the rest of their short lives in their lower decks.[7] Shock-Staves are also common sight which the men and women of these decks will become familiar with. These electrical pain goads are used to encourage the indentured slaves and ratings. They are also often used when press gangs go out to recruit new menial crewmen for Navy vessels.[32a]

Hive World Slavery

Many Hive Worlds have entire industries dedicated to gathering slaves from a local district's populace. The Slaver Guilds of Necromunda[4] are dedicated to gathering human and abhuman resources from various wasteland settlements or underhive districts and lower hab levels.[3]

Some hive worlds like Alecto declare that slavery is illegal on their world, however, human trafficking and unsanctioned servitorization on the black market is still rife through its cities.[2b] Trafficking groups known as skin rings tend to prey on poor, young humans and abhumans. Individuals are lured in with promises of good jobs in hive cities, then detained and sold into prostitution, skin-rings or forced labour. Joy-houses will buy these fresh body-slaves from said skin runners, keeping them locked up as joygirls or thrillboys until they grow old, at which point they are tossed onto the street.[2a]

Slavery and the Mechanicus

Tech-Priest and menials[39b]

The Adeptus Mechanicus believe that industry itself is a work of divinity. They fuel their industrial output with the sweat of legions of slave labour, the augmented strength of unthinking cyborg thralls and the power of monolithic forge temples.[35] They are regarded simply as assets, numbers and mortal resources. Many of which exist in a waking nightmare that will only end with their death from the very toils they undertake.[36] The industrial output of a major Forge World could have billions of labourers, serfs, and menials all toiling ceaselessly to fuel the work of the Martian Priesthood.[34]

The Adeptus Mechanicus Naval Fleet correspondingly will regularly conduct surprise raids in menial hab districts of their Forge World in order to kidnap fresh slaves, breaching into establishments such as taverns or bars to non-lethally subdue other Imperials before forcefully collaring and implating them with subdermal fealty-identifiers. This is often done to supplement the population of Bondsmen for Ark Mechanicus vessels.[41]

Imperial Slave Variants

There is a market for specialised slaves in the Imperium. Organisations, such as the Tutors, have sprung up to fulfill this demand, selling tongueless savants, spies, bodyguards, and ritual torturers. The business of these slavers consists of acquisition, re-moulding, and selling of the finest and most specialised slave available.[33b] These cruel and methodical slavers use cruel and esoteric methods: noetic induction, the breaking of self, torture, ritual branding and hypno-conditioning.[33a]

Abhuman Slaves

These stable strains of mutants are an underclass of humanity that is treated with even more disdain than those of a typical dregs of Imperial society. Ogryns are generally the most popular form of abhuman slaves and are often vat-born en masse to supply the labourer demands that would benefit from exceptionally durable, diminutive, and strong workers. They are typically placed in heavy labour roles, such as mining, hive manufactorums, or Agriworld production. They can be found toiling almost anywhere there is heavy lifting to be done, if they are an available resource.[9]

Bioengineered Slaves

Bioengineered slave races have also been commissioned in the Imperium. The "Goliath" slave race, the ancient predecessors of House Goliath, are one example. House Van Saar and Magos Biologis of Necromunda were commissioned by a powerful gang, House Escher, to create a slave race more effective than baseline humans. Dubbed the "Goliaths", they were stronger and more dimwitted than standard humans, as well as created sterile. The Slave Guild sold these Goliaths across the Necromunda's many hives.[5]

It isn't uncommon for the hive spire parties of Imperial Noblity to feature gene-engineered courtesans and body slaves, rebuilt to perverted ideals of beauty, serving drinks and food alongside flattery and pleasure.[2c]

Servitor Slaves

Servitors are mindless slaves, manufactured from living flesh and purposeful metal.[39a] These cyborganic slaves that are programmed to do a singular or variety of menial tasks.[40] Many standard human workers need not worry about a servitor taking their life-long indentured duties, as some jobs deemed so meanial that they aren't worth programming a servitor perform instead.[75]

In the Imperium, it is debated whether a servitor is a slave or not. This debate hinges on how much of the original neural framework is left intact after being converted into one. More of this neural framework, and the person it was, are left in place for servitors designed to complete more complex tasks. This spectrum can vary from significant portions of a person's consciousness can sometimes still remain, and in other instances the person might be entirely lobotomised.[2b]

However, there is good money to be made for a tech-priest biologis willing to skirt the strictures of the Lore Mechanicus and dabble in tech-heresy. Certain clients, often times men, are willing pay pay significant amounts of money to have total domination over another individual.[2b]

Typically created by the Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus, servitors in the Imperium are often converted into lobotomised cyborg servants against their will or without consent. This could be due to a severe injury in a workplace, criminal punishment, or simply being of vat-born for the express purpose of being converted into a servitor. These menials serve across human society as labourers, combat roles, and as infrastructure.

Slavery and the Forces of Chaos

Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers and enslaved humans on a Daemon World.[22d]

The Forces of Chaos readily make use of slaves in all the same ways as the Imperium. Men, women, and children are all used in a cacophony of ceaseless industry, construction of vain edifices, and materiel for obscure research.text-middle[Help] The Eye of Terror Slave Wars is one such example of centuries long conflicts over slaves and other resources fought by the Traitor Legions.[72]

Humans, be they faithful Cultists or mere slaves, are no more than the playthings of the daemons and the Chaos Gods. For the glory of Chaos they undertake gargantuan, but nevertheless pointless projects. For example, they get divided up into armies and sent to fight each other, form giant religious ceremonies or build monuments or waste away with utter pointless work such as cataloguing and categorizing grains of sand. And this insanity can change into a different kind of insanity at any moment.[18a]

Fighting pits might be filled with gladiatorial slaves, forced to fight for the Blood God.[16]

Contrary to what some might assume, mortal slaves of Chaos factions are harnessed for other purposes than battle and sacrifice. The bulk of mortal slaves serve through work and worship. A menial must rise up from their slave-pits, prayer gangs, or black factories to have the honour of fighting in the name of Chaos, and in doing so, drawing power from it. They are bitterly rewarded by learning to love the love. Becoming frenzied with pleasure as they approach extreme acts of self-sacrifice.[18h]

Enterprising individuals might corrupt a Sector Lord or invade a star cluster to gather more worlds and slave for a Daemon Prince.[18f]

The Dark Mechanicum is known to control and dominate great fiefdoms and Forges, comprised of enslaved thralls and servants. Controlled by a single fallen Magos (or several Magi) these dark technocracies might vie to dominate another corrupted tech-priest and their holdings. This can all go on while serving amongst the various warbands of the Traitor Legions, fighting amongst each other, or hold these minor kingdoms aloof and apart from it all.[18b]

Slavery and Chaos Space Marines

Plague Marine[58]

There are a variety of Chaos Cults dedicated to one of the 4 major Chaos Gods, specific Traitor Legions, or warbands. Where loyalist Space Marines have serfs, the Chaos Space Marines have slaves. Both fulfill a similar range of various vital functions.[63] The Traitor Legions teach their slaves to hate the Imperium and to despise the Emperor with an unholy passion.[18a] Some of these wretched souls can rise from cannon fodder masses, forge themselves through hardened veterancy, and eventually become valued elite servants.[18a]

Imperial Prison Worlds will readily be raided by the Black Legion or other warbands in order to gather fresh penal legions made up of these stolen Imperial slaves to be used as cannon-fodder. Those that bear signs of being touched by Chaos might be lifted from the human fodder to serve elsewhere. Similarly, more valuable mortal humans like Navigators might be kidnapped to serve honoured and vital roles amongst their slave-serfs.[63]

Worlds conquered by the Word Bearers' Dark Apostles will often have their inhabitants converted forcefully. This is typically a precursor to a short, brutal life as a slave labourer building an immense temple to the Chaos Gods.[22c] Entire populations of occupied worlds will be branded and put in chains to erect great monuments and temples to the ruling powers of the Warp.[56]

The Emperor's Children will often serve any master in return for fresh slaves to practice their devotion to Slaanesh.[22e] For example, Noise Marines is affix captives with a bizarre array of sonic amplifiers and vox speaker, causing the recipient great pain and amplify every tortured cry and terrified gasp to skull-shattering heights. These pitiful creatures are then prepared to accompany their masters in battle.[57] The Kakophoni have their own servant race decendended from void-born slaves taken during the Legion Wars that have become more ape-like and are uniquely immune to the auditory miasma their masters give off.[73]

The Death Guard often uses hordes of diseased Cultists, sometimes coming from slave populations, to assail enemies in masses of feeble bodies and fevered rage.[55]

Warbands such as the Lords of Silence refers to themselves as the Unbroken and their slave-serfs as the Unchanged. These serfs of Nurgle's chosen are often mutated and gifted with various blights and wasting diseases. The majority are given little regard, being tossed aside like insects without a second thought. The are some that are regarded with some degree of value, usually serving a leadership role aboard a voidship amongst tens of thousands other corrupted menials.[53]

Iron Warriors make common use of slave-soldiers utilized as little more than cannon-fodder to deplete besieged enemy munitions.[17] Their industry on various worlds is often fuelled by millions of slaves chained to conveyour belts, slag pits, and other work stations. All toiling without respite to fuel the war machine of their oppressors, toiling to spread tyranny and destruction across the galaxy. Some Iron Warriors simply refer to their slave as Flesh.[54]

The Night Lords typically implant a locator beacon in the throat of each of their slaves.[63b]

The 9 great cults of the Thousand Sons has worlds which they draw resource and magical energy. The populous of these planets provide them with constant streams of Cultist soldiers, slaves and subjects for their arcane experiments.[52a] Some of these grim experiments on slaves result in the creation of Tzaangors.[52b]

The fate of a Cultist serving the Thousand Son will inevitably lead to three inglorious ends, all pawns in greater plans, used as meat to clog the wheel of the Imperial war machine. Either they will be taken by thrallbands to serve to die on the frontlines of another war or be sent to the Planet of Sorcerers to be used in experiments. Others are simply overtaken by their own mutations, and become gibbering Chaos Spawn.[52c] Some even more unfortunate slaves meanwhile are sometimes used to herd Chaos Spawns, being arrayed in a path so that the helpless victims are used as a trail of bait that the creature's pained instincts follow to its intended target.[52d]

Daemon Slaves

Daemon Weapon[51]

Daemons can become can be enslaved by mortals within machines or weapons. This is one of the greatest insults possible to a daemon.[18c] If the rituals of binding fail or the daemon is somehow released, they will seek to destroy their former or would-be enslaver, tearing through anything that stands in their way.[18e] If they are unable or too weak to take revenge immediately, they patiently wait for an opportunity to do so in the future. Daemons have long memories for such things, and do not easily forget those who attempt to enslave them.[18d]

Some Chaos Space Marine warbands have been known to utilize bound daemons when their mortal slave prove insufficient. Faenroc of the Black Legion found that his slaves would melt and mutate due to close proximity with the warp-infused iron ore they were tasked with mining. To remedy this inconvenience by binding daemonic entities to his mining machines in a ritual that involved the mass sacrifice of the entire mortal workforce.[22a]

Slavery and the Dark Eldar

Drukhari and sacrificial slaves.[28]

The Dark Eldar are known for their slave raids across the galaxy.[15] These captives are then kept in the slave pits and torture chambers found across Commorragh.[20d] The de facto ruler of Commorragh, Asdrubael Vect himself was born a slave in the dark city he now rules, having rose to the highest of social strata through exceptional guile, ruthlessness, and manipulation.[50]

Dark Eldar use their captives for a variety of purposes such as slave-driven industry and manufacturing,[20d] dark sacrifices,[20g] entertainment or fodder for gladiatorial matches,[20e] or profane experiments.[21] Slaves themselves are even used as a form of currency, in some cases.[20h] The largest of and most influential of the great Kabals launch slave-raids on a constant basis to realspace due these factors, as well as a show of force, influence and political power.[20b]

Of those dragged through the Forbidden Portal to Commorragh, only a lucky few gain a quick death. The rest are condemned to fuel the Dark Eldar's eternal thirst for pain and suffering, or thrust into the fighting arenas of the Wyches.[21] Drukhari sustain themselves off of witnessing the pain of other beings, and the levels of atrocity to sustain a Dark Eldar's soulthirst only increases with age. Archons regularly lead full-scale planetary raids, for drinking the wholesale excruciating pain of entire populaces is the only way to properly rejuvenate. Archons often have thousands of slaves sacrificed to them each night, which still might not be enough to even regain a youthful sheen to their skin.[20d]

Some Dark Eldar will continuously return to the same worlds to harvest slaves from it, if undeterred. The populations of Imperial hive worlds, sometimes numbering in over 10 billion humans, have been reduced to ghost cities with only one tenth of the former population still remaining, due to continual Drukhari incursions.[30]

The Mandrakes of the sub-realm of Aelindrach typically ask for slaves as payment.[20h] The Haemonculi often take part in raids to secure new test subjects.[20f] For example, a Haemonculus might be tasked to mind-slave an Imperial Knight pilot in order to deliver the spectacle of their war-machine fighting and dying in Commoragh's gladiatorial pits.[21] The Wych Cults make use of a plethora of unwilling combatants in their gladiatorial shows. A generous patron will supply a Wych cult with a variety of slaves and exotic combat drugs.[20e]

While most of their unfortunate captives are baseline humans, the Dark Eldar have also enslaved Space Marines. Those with such commodities might boast about what fine slaves post-human warriors make. Dark Eldar will even force their own kin into slavery as a form of punishment, condemned to death by ennui alongside the other slaves.[20c] Some Drukhari slave collars kill the wearer outright if it is removed.[42b]

Slavery and other Eldar

The Aeldari perspectives on enslavement of their own kind varies. The Asuryani of craftworlds and the Exodites of Maiden Worlds tend to abhor the enslavement of their own kind, the latter most notably. Although, the former may show begrudging tolerance in select circumstances.[42b]

Other Asuryani might show utter disinterest for any Aeldari life, captive or not, if they are not of their own craftworld. Furthering this apathy, craftworlders might simply accept the death or enslavement of the own craftworld's family and friends as acceptable losses if it means the survival of the craftworld; valuing their craftworld over their own species.[42c]

Corsair Slavers

Aeldari Corsairs' opinions on enslavement of Aeldari is dependent on the individual and their respective background or beliefs. This can be a highly contentious issue in some corsair bands, and could potentially result in minor squabbling or an outright mutiny.[42c] Those born in Commorragh might think little of it, seeing it as a fact of life. Others will deal in slaves of any kind, even of their own species, if profits are to be had. Some Corsairs might view those enslaved as weak, thus deserving their chains.

Alternatively, Corsairs of Exodite or Asuryani background might avoid the slaving of their own kin. Some might make every effort to seek out and free captive Aeldari brethren. Those Corsairs who engage in slave trading will likely have background or business ties to Commorragh, to some degree.[42b] Powerful Corsair Princes might even buy Aeldari slaves from Commorragh for their own courts.[42c]

Slavery and the Orks

As Ork Society is dominated by its strongest and most brutal elements, Ork civilization is faced with a major dilemma: the maintenance of technology. The Orks have two solutions to this problem. The first is Tribute from Ork Vassals, subservient non-orkoid civilizations who willingly manufacture equimpment, armaments, and technologies for the Orks as either bribes to keep them at a distance, or tribute for the Orks to protect them from enemies. The other obvious solution (to the Orks at least) is slaves. Apart from Mekboyz, the Orks rely on slaves in their workshops and factories.[68a]

Main article: Runtherd

The smaller Orkoid slaves (Gretchin and Snotlings - often shorthanded to Grots and Snots by the Orks) are affectionally referred to by the Orks as Runtz and are kept and bred in herds. These herds are overseen by specialist Runtherds[68d][19b] Runtherds are also known as Slavers among the Orks.[19a] Humans in service to the Orks have also been referred to as Runts.[69]

Sometimes, slaves are owned individually or to an Ork household, as is often the case in Gretchin.[13b] Orkoid slaves might be bred and sold by Runtherds to Orks as servants - a snotling being worth about three teef while a good gretchin is worth nine.[68e] Other times, as in the example of the Ork captured Imperial ship Rigorous, slaves are run collectively, without any slave market, auction, or any transaction to mark their passage from one overseer to another. Such can be the totality of Orkish domination towards slaves in such conditions that the Orks dispense with fences and chains and even give them access to tools and technologies that could easily be turned into weapons (for example Las-Drills) easily capable of taking down an Ork. The constant drudgery of brutal labour that dulls the mind, the lack of any escape from a confined ship, and knowledge of living amongst thousands or hundreds of thousands of Orks will curtail any notion of insurrection among the Ork's slaves.[13b]

The Orks make use of both Orkoid slaves and Non-Orkoid slaves.[68b] Examples include:

Gretchin

Main article: Gretchin

Gretchin, also known as Grots[68b][19a] are the most numerous element of Ork Society[68b]

The Gretchin are the smaller, less-developed relatives of the Orks. However, they are more alert and mentally mature than diminuative Snotlings. They are cheerful and furtive by nature, even fatalistic - though by necessity. Few Gretchin may expect to come to a good end. However, many are able to acquire some status among Ork slaves due to their instinct for survival. The best way for a Gretchin to get by in Ork society is to be make himself indispensable to his masters.[68d]

Most Gretchin are personal servants (i.e. owned by) an Ork master, and attend to the Orks personal needs. This can include tasks such as fetching and carrying, cooking Squigs for the masters lunch, shading the master from the sun, serving the Fungus Wine in the master's favourite skull-cup, and picking parasite's off the master's body (to throw into the cook pot). A Gretchin servant bears the brand or mark of the Ork family he serves. It is better for a Gretchin to belong to an Ork master, as he will be left alone by other Orks. A masterless gretchin is fair game, and might be grabbed by an Ork at any time and forced to perform some undesirable task.[68d] Grots with no particular owner could be beaten, robbed, or forced to work by cudgels and whips at any moment.[13b]

A Gretchin with a master, when not attending to them, works like mad - fetching, carrying, finding things to sell, running errands and such in return for a few teef. It is the ambition of every gretchin to be like an Ork - to become one of "Da Boyz" and go fighting and raiding, to count for something, and be able to lord over others. To this end, Gretchin scurry about, obsessed with earning enough teef to buy a crude firearm from the Mekboyz. Then, they can skulk around the battlefield, taking random potshots and enemies, and generally enjoy "bein' one of Da Boyz."[68d]

Non-Orkoid Slaves

The tangible rewards Orks fight for in wars is loot and slaves.[11a] Anything not destroyed during war is looted, and any opponent not slain in battle is made a slave.[11b][14] Labour camps are a common sight in Ork territory. Orks will even enslave the entire population of a world, if possible.[31]

In some cases individual Orks are known to favour certain species of slaves over others. The Freebooter known as Uzgul da Magnificent admits to favouring Eldar (aka "Skrawnies") over humans. Their logic being that humans typically only survive for a short time and need replaced frequently. While Eldar slaves have a greater will to live and hidden strength for forced labor work. Uzgul would hold their spirit stones hostage as a cruel means of leverage used against them.[42a]

Human slaves are often branded with a crude glyph, sometimes that of a specific Ork Klan. The marking is typically seared into the flesh of a slave's chest, back, shoulder, or neck.[13a]

  • Ork and human slaves.[23]

  • Ork Runtherds and human slaves.[23]

Human Livestock

Orks regularly torture and eat humans, sometimes cooking them beforehand.[12] This can go from picking one to eat when they feel inclined to do so, into a form of industrial livestock production.[10]

When an Ork civilisation grows to a sufficient size and complexity while maintaining adequate resources, they might begin breeding imprisoned populations of humans for the sole purpose of being used as food. These human livestock are kept in complete darkness, the only time they see light is when water or food in brought to their enclosed, communal pens. Acting like animals, they simply grunt or make other noises if they attempt to communicate at all. Their teeth, nails, and hair are all removed, making them unable to harm themselves or one another.[10]

Slavery and the Necrons

Necrons of the Szarekhan Dynasty and human slaves.[27]

Necrons are known to implant Mindshackle Scarabs in individuals of flesh-races, binding them to the Necron master's will.[24c]

Some Necron opt to not cleanse of world of its Unclean, beings of flesh, and instead subjugate them. They are afforded none of the luxuries of commoners. They are kept as slaves, labouring to no purpose beyond the construction of endless monuments to their Necron master's glory.[25] Sometimes large sectors of space keep billion of slaves, working tirelessly erecting enormous, geometrically arranged monuments.[24a] Entire systems have surrendered themselves as slaves to expanding Necron dynasties of indomitable and dark repute, such as the Sautekh Dynasty.[24b]

Slave Mastabas are the crude shelters where the weak-fleshed races of the Old Ones live out their days. They must scrape together their own food, all whilst working endlessly. Typically, they are either being sent to create monuments to their masters or excavate the Necron's long-buried tombs and retrieve the sleeping Necrons.[26]

Slavery and the Tyranids

The Tyranids have created bioengineered slave species, such as the Zoats. These hormone controlled slaves can act as both stocky ground combat-forms and high intellect ambassadors of the Hive Mind.[1]

Notes

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

The Imperium is rife with slavery, serfdom, indentured servitude, human trafficking and exploitation, and penal labour. While there is a range of variety and nuance to each, they all tend to consist of some kind of forced labour with low quality of living with little or no autonomy, being legally bound to their master or location.

Regardless of the legal or cultural semantics, serfs are included in the sale of land they are attached to, the debt of indentured servants can be purchased by another, and penal labourers can be moved as desired.

The key aspect that sets a slave apart from a serf is that a slave is legal property and can be bought or sold individually. Other than being bought and sold as individuals, there isn't a meaningful difference between each, both having varying amount of rights (or lack there of) on a case-by-case basis. As all these menial societal roles are as menials performing forced labour with little to no self-determination or autonomy to do otherwise. Their living conditions being at the lowest rungs of societal norms.

Helot is another common term used for various indentured drudge classes[65] and Space Marine Chapter Serfs. The term Helots is typically used to reference a subjugated group of people forced into servitude. The Helots of ancient Greece comprised the majority of the populations of Laconia and Messenia, ruled by Sparta, and who's forced labour supported the citizens of Sparta.

See also

Sources

19: Codex: Orks (4th Edition)

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