In the Loremaster's book we have Orcs of Mordor and Orcs of the Misty Mountains.the Misty Mountain variety have two sub groups(goblin town & Mount Gram), each with a specific hatred of a named race. Gundabad seems to have been forgotten about. I reckon that they should share the same hatred as those of Goblin Town ie; a hatred of Dwarfs due to the death of Azog. However,due to the grisly demise of Bolg at Beorn's hands/paws I was thinking that maybe a hatred of Beornings might be better. Thoughts anyone?

Also, Orcs of Mordor. Apart from marauding around southern Rhovanion or on secret missions to their Misty Mountain brethren, where else could they be found? Dol Guldur will be deserted for another five years, or will it?
I often wondered whether there would actually be that many Orcs and goblins dwelling in Mirkwood due to the fact that the great spiders would regard them as a food source. When Dol Guldur was inhabited, it was easy to explain away roving orcs as patrols doing the bidding of the Necromancer.I don't find it so easy now to think of why Orcs would be roving the forest depths. Does anyon think that there may be tribes who have sworn fealty to the spiders in the same way that some joined the White Hand?

I would think that there would be Orcs in southern Mirkwood, around where Dol Guldur is. I get the impression that the spiders are further north in general. I'd have Orcs coming back in to the forest in the wake of the attack on Dol Guldur. They would be seen as a spider snack, but what are a few Orcs here and there. The Orcs near to Cirith Ungol didn't seem to bothered about losing a few of their comrades to Shelob. Only makes them's that survive stronger, don't it?

A significant orc host sallies out of Dol Guldur against Lorien in the War of the Ring. so having an orc presence in Southern Mirkwood is not out of the ordinary. the rise of their population could be part of the darkening of Mirkwood.

Ok, so hatred(dwarfs) or hatred(Beornings) for the Orcs of Gundabad?

@Telcontar, I know about the Orcs attacking Lorien but that occurs in 3019. What about in 2946 when the shadow over Mirkwood is perceived to be in decline? Do the Elves and Woodmen just 'assume' that Dol Guldur is deserted when it is actually still home to Orcs in the service of Mordor?

I'd see the current Orc population as being small, but growing again, following the attack on Dol Guldur. Sort of a caretaker population, living in the ruins. Once Dol Guldur is reclaimed in 2951, I'd imagine that the Orc population there would be ramping up to fighting strength.

I'd keep the Hatred (Dwarves) for the Orcs of Gundabad.

yeah exactly. I picture the orc warbands kind of growing in place when the conditions are right for them. There are only 73 years between the two events so I think the darkening of Mirkwood would be a direct result of a growing orc population after about two generations of Woodmen.

A caretaker population , I do like that. Hatred(dwarfs) you reckon then Valarian. That was my initial notion as well.

So, are we agreed that prior to the reclamation of Dol Guldur by the Nazgul that there would probably only be a smallish population of Orcs hidden in it's ruins? Is there anything in the notion of Orcs serving the spiders of Shelob's brood or would they just be regarded as another source of food?
If not actually serving the spiders, I think that Orcs(being somewhat craven in general) would avoid spider regions of the forest like the plague.
Only the even more terrifying thought of angering the Dark Lord or his Nazgul servants would force them into patrols anywhere near spider territory.

Background package of Spider hunter for the orcs! sounds good to me.

I always thought that the Spiders were more of a Forest Road occurance and the more south you went the greater the chances of meeting Orcs and Wargs. I always saw the spiders in the DMZ are between the elves and the Orcs.

The map of Wilderland in The Hobbit shows areas where there are spiders. Most are between the Forest River and the Old Forest Road, but two are just south of the Road, on a rough east-west line with the northernmost of the two Woodmen villages (Woodland Hall in The One Ring). The map in The Hobbit doesn't go much farther south than the river Gladden (not named) and the second Woodmen village (Woodmen Town in The One Ring), so we can't see whether there are any spider colonies to be found there.

While it makes sense that the orcs would avoid the spiders, if they team up you can have orcish spider-riders! Sacrificing a little realism for a lot of awesome is ok in my book!

You wouldn't happen to play Warhammer as well as TOR would you?

Another background point for Orcs in Mirkwood might be that they are survivors left from the Great Battle (of Five Armies that is). Roving Orcs wreaking havoc in the woods that are slowly coalescing into something united. With the growing presence of the Shadow drawing more and more of these seemingly disparate bands into concerted attacks on the Free People's, the Orcs could slowly be responding to the looming return of the Shadow.

Player-heroes overhearing arguments between differing bands talking about something big coming might provide an edge of uncertainty and unknown threat to a campaign. Bemoaning the loss of the good old days when they were their own masters and whining about having to serve again might provide great material for questions that start to haunt the player-heroes.

Along this line of thinking, these are essentially Misty Mountain orcs (as the the Orcs of Gundabad would be) leaderless and ravaging the countryside aimlessly. Or, is it truly random and wanton destruction, senseless slaughter and pillaging with no rhyme or reason? Or, is there some presence in the background orchestrating their moves...?