Aside from the Tyrant himself, a tribe's Bruisers are the most imposing Ogres in terms of sheer size and strength, and are often related to the kingdom's ruler. Bruisers usually act as enforcers or under-chieftains, and they spend a great deal of their time smashing and pummelling in the name of their Tyrant. As a payment for using their fighting skills and brawn, Bruisers have many privileges in the tribe. Not least of these is the license to smack seven shades of dung out of any Ogre not toeing the line, not eating messily enough, or spending too much time playing with his Gnoblars. This bullying behaviour doesn't make them popular with the rest of the tribe, though most Ogres have learnt that it's better to keep their mouths shut -- at least while the Bruiser is within hearing distance, anyway. Occasionally an Ogre will fight back, and in the unlikely event that he wins the resulting brawl, he will be allowed to take the Bruiser's place. This right of challenge serves to keep the Bruisers in line, and ensures that they don't take too much advantage of their privileged position.[1a]
In battle, it is the Bruisers who generally maintain discipline within the Ogre ranks when the Tyrant's eye is elsewhere. Physically massive, many Bruisers will seek to grow their reputations by performing great feats of slaughter upon a battlefield. Nothing suits a Bruiser better than being the one who single-handedly turned a fight around. Stopping a chariot with their bellies, breaking entire formations by themselves or squishing the life out of the enemy's mightiest champion are the kinds of deeds that a Bruiser must do to build up his name! With the exception of the Tyrant, Bruiser gets the pick of the spoils and equip themselves with the best gear of war, including outlandish items plundered from afar. Occasionally, a Bruiser will place a leadership challenge to the incumbent Tyrant, but is equally common for a Bruiser to be content with the pure violence of his position without the hefty burden of non-gut related decision making.[1a]
Some Tyrants prefer Bruisers that are no more than huge, muscle-bound thugs with no ambition and the brains and temperament of a Rhinox. Not all Bruisers are simple-minded brutes, however. Many are veterans of dozens of campaigns who have travelled through the Old World and beyond, learning the hard way what works on the battlefield and what does not. These veterans have seen it all, and are content to act as loyal advisors and henchmen to the Tyrant. He, in his turn, is grateful to have at least one or two followers he can trust to do the right thing at the right time. Top fighting Bruisers are often found as the captains of mercenary bands of Ogres, having enough intelligence and experience to negotiate a good deal, while still having the brute strength needed to make sure the rest of the crew do exactly as they are told.[1a]
Bruisers are sometimes entrusted with the tribe's standard, a massive banner hung with trophies and tokens of the tribe's bloodiest victories and accomplishments -- symbols that rouse great feelings of pride and aggression in his fellow Ogres. These banners are so robust that they are often used as weapons themselves -- having a metal-bound pole smashed into your head by a Bruiser will hurt no matter what's hanging from it.[1a]