The Impaler

The Impaler is another oddly intelligent orc that you encounter, but unlike Orcent, he is ruthless, amoral and nihilistic. The only rule he seems to acknowledge is being forced by someone stronger than him.

He is one of the optional orc allies that you can gather, though the word "ally" may not be the right one for him.

Story
You will face the Impaler when you re-visit Feroholm during Chapter 2. He has raided the the region for some time, but this raid will be his last. After defeating him in combat, you are given the choice to kill him or spare him. The consequences of your choice are analyzed below.

If you choose to spare him, Simon's power intimidates him into compliance and he shows up together with his orcs to fight the Horde in mid-Chapter 2. After the battle, in Orcent's words, the Impaler more or less drops off the face of the earth.

He and his forces reappear just as abruptly during the Doom(ed) King's invasion of Yhilin, unexpectedly attacking in the middle of the battle. This time he sticks around after the victory and as of early Chapter 3, he can be found in the orc quarters under the Palace.

Character
The Impaler is a walking example of the fact that high intelligence does not necessarily produce high morals - despite being unusually rational for an orc, he lacks an ethical system and seems to be interested only in violence. Even though he has submitted to Simon, he still disagrees with Simon's philosophy of life, and while he has helped Simon twice so far, it remains to be seen if he can be trusted.

Oddly, the Impaler is one of the few orcs to display no interest in raping anyone or even sex in general. He is first seen threatening to murder a girl, not to rape her, and he doesn't participate in the celebratory orgy after the battle against the Horde. He also does not appear to be interested in the Breeding Room when it's built later.

He seems to hate (or fear) the orc breeding specialist Balia, perhaps because she sees him as nothing more that raw material for her research.

Kill or spare?
In addition to affection changes (Aka, Hilstara, Qum, Trin and Yarra), deciding the fate of the Impaler has the following consequences:
 * Kill: Massive experience bonus (4000 XP).
 * Spare: Submits to Simon, brings his orcs to fight during the battle in Chapter 2 and later to the Battle of Yhilin in chapter 3. Less massive experience bonus (2000 XP)

(Betatester speculation: Simon's plan seems good. Raiding Incubus King armies is a great idea so I opt for sparing him. It's one of the many "sacrifice XP or ProN for plot" choices that Sierra seems to like. Of course long term effect are unknown but with the arrival of Balia things will be interesting.)