Orc
Orcs are a species of humanoids native to Adar. It is generally believed that their native land is the Island of Evonia. Orcs now have no lands or kingdoms of their own. A thousand years ago they were driven out of Evonia by the elves, invading from another plane of existence.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
In modern times the only Orchish organization of great importance is The Thousand Sails. This loose confederacy of ship-crews seek to one day find a homeland for the Orcish people. It is perpetually hunted by the forces off the Evonian Republic.
History
Orcs are believed to have inhabited the island of Evonia for millennia before the arrival of the elves. There is evidence of orcish settlements further afield, especially on the western coast of the Island of Ryva. But by 1000 BIC these had been abandoned or destroyed. On Evonia they developed tribes and tribal confederacies. They built a number of hill forts and towns. At the pillars of creation the city of Bulgan flourished into one of the great emporiums of the 1st millennium BIC.
The Orcs were rarely united under a single leader. When they did it usually lasted only for a single generation. Orcs gained a reputation as good seafarers, excellent traders and ruthless warriors. Raids on the coast of Ryva by Orcish ships may have inspired the widespread belief in Orchish brutality, which has largely carried on to modern times.
As the 1st millennium BIC proceeded the power of the Imperium grew vert great. by 340 BIC every Orcish tribe in Evonia had sworn fealty to the Imperium or been defeated. An Orc Overlord was installed to keep order in the province, but otherwise the orcs were largely left to their own devices.
The Imperium weakened, then fell. The Orc tribes fell to civil war. In the year 9 IC the first elven ships arrived in Evonia. Too late the tribes realized the threat. Elven armies, disciplined, utterly ruthless and magically superior swept through the island. They considered the natives little more than animals to be culled to make way for elven settlers. Hundreds of thousands of orcs died. Untold thousands fled. By 12 IC the last organized resistance ended. The great city of Bulgan fell, was leveled and rebuilt as the elven capital Axendria.
The Orcs used to worship a six major gods, and a large number of lesser ones. The loss of their homeland led to the abandonment of their old faith. These old gods are commonly used in curses and insults. They are refereed to as the "traitor gods" and their images are burned to ward of evil. Modern orcs venerate their ancestors from the time of the exodus. They see these survivors as far more heroic than the gods who abandoned them. It is common for orcs to bear stylized idols of favored ancestors. Orcs take great care to record their lineages.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
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