Tai, great orc chief

This article refers to the general title of Tai achievable for orc chiefs. For a list of known Tai in history, check here. For Ôrruk, the first great Tai, click to the right.
The title of Tai is the highest commanding title an orc chief can gain. It translates to Chief, Commander or Leader, which is exactly what a Tai needs to be. While any chief leading more orcs than his own tribe is technically a Tai, the title originally was intended for great chiefs who unite all tribes of a region or even a continent under them. Only one Tai, Ôrruk, the first, managed to unite all known orcs in the first great horde, which ruled most of the world for as long as Ôrruk lived.
The title of just Tai (rarely called great Tai) is therefore usually only attributed to Tai, who lead more than fourty tribes, while smaller Tai are usually referred to by a title denoting their area of influence.
Examples of lesser Tai:

• Lor'Tai - literal translation "Valley Chief"; leads tribes of a valley/similar area.
• Orag'Tai - lit. tr. "Chief of this range"; leads all tribes living in one region (such as a mountain range).
• Koro'Tai - lit. tr. "Wandering Chief"; leads a group of nomadic tribes without native lands.
• Sen'Tai - lit. tr. "Island Chief"; leads any group of all tribes on an island (orcs don't distinguish by size, technically a continent is a very large island).
• Herom'Tai - lit. tr. "Chief of the waves"; leads seafaring tribes.
• Ai'Tan - lit. tr. "Chief of flames"; informal, leader of the orc smiths, can also be just in one tribe.

Qualifications

Needs to be commanding any group of orcs.

Requirements

Claiming the title of Tai means that any tribe you add to your ranks needs to be convinced by you personally, usually by the completion of a task or labour for them.

Appointment

The Tai themselves claim their rank when they first unite two groups of orcs. There are no ceremonial aspects required, any Tai can decide how they want to announce it. In doing so, they invoke the character of Tai'San, the creator, and claim their leadership by providence. The appointment is easy, but keeping the title is much more challenging.

Duties

A Tai is the supreme leader of the group they form. They decide policies, adjudicate conflicts and most importantly lead their orcs in battle. Any duty except for the last one may be delegated to a subordinate, but the more involved a Tai stays with their "subjects", the longer they tend to stay in power.

Responsibilities

The main responsibility in a Tais day to day is overseeing the Hordes organization. The Tai needs to ensure that the peace is relatively kept, that orcs are fed and safe, and needs to plan for the future. This is where a Tais quality really shows itself. Any uppity orc chief can unite two tribes and call themselves Tai, but it takes wisdom and skill to actually direct a horde to achieve your goals.

Benefits

A Tai is the center of their horde. They get first picking of any spoils of war, they make the laws their subjects abide by and they direct the collective power of orc-kind in the area.

Accoutrements & Equipment

Being Tai does not directly require or come with any direct equipment, but their status can definitely result in a change of appearance and tools, the longer they can stay Tai.
Long serving Tai usually wear the best armor the orcs can make, they tend to have the prettiest weapons, which can have magical effects and their status also means that if they so desire, they can develop a refined appearance.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

The title of Tai is directly linked to their ability to lead a Horde. And no-one not even a Tai can coerce an orc to follow. The Tai needs to keep their subjects happy and willing to follow, by leading by example and inspiring loyalty. The tapestry of orc history is lined with Tai, who lost their hordes favor.

Image source: The orcish court by Ninodonlord via Midjourney

Type

Royalty, Non-hereditary

Status

Still in active use to this day

Form of Address

Tai <chiefs name>

Alternative Naming

Great Chief, Commander, Horde-leader

Equates to

Commander in chief for any given orc group. Joining forces with another group means that one abandons his Tai and becomes subordinate to the other.

Source of Authority

Tai'San

Length of Term

For as long as he can keep the support of his tribes

First Holder

Ôrruk

Related Organizations

• Orc-Kind