Half-orc (hahf awrk)

Born of a mix of human and orc blood, half-orcs are seldom the result of a loving union, more often the spawn of a violent attack. They vary in appearance from extremely orc-like to nearly human in appearance. While generally shunned by both orcs and humans, many still become heroes with others giving into the prejudice and becoming villains.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Half-orcs are warm-blooded omnivores with internal skeletons. Both hands have four fingers and one opposable thumb, which allows them to grip and use tools. Their arms are jointed at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Their legs are similar, being jointed at the hip, knee, and ankle. Half-orcs walk upright.

Genetics and Reproduction

Half-orcs are heterosexual, viviparous, which is to say they have two genders, reproduce sexually and bear live young. Females reach sexual maturity between ages 7 and 13 while males reach sexual maturity between ages 10 and 12. Half-orcs have a gestation period of 352 days. They are twice as likely as humans to bear twins and five times as likely to have triplets.

Growth Rate & Stages

Half-orcs have an average lifespan of 71 years though on occasion can live as long as 80 years. Half-orcs mature slightly faster than humans their childhood only lasting to age 12. They are considered young adults until the age of 17 they are adults from ages 17 to 29 after which they are considered middle-aged. A half-orc who lives past the age of 44 is considered old, and one that lives past the age of 60 is considered venerable.

Ecology and Habitats

Half-orcs can live in any climate and terrain which can house humans or orcs, which is essentially any of them. They are usually found living in or more often on the outskirts of human or orc communities. They generally do not establish their own communities but have been known to form slums in human cities.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Their canines often grow large enough to protrude from their mouths giving them small to medium sized tusks. They usually have prominent brows and noses, and pointed ears, giving them a bestial appearance.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Half-orcs can be found anywhere that humans and orcs dwell in relatively close proximity. However, they’re known to wander far and wide. Many who aren’t born there, travel to the Frontier lands where they’re greater strength is appreciated and their orcish features will often be ignored.

Average Intelligence

On average half-orcs are generally as intelligent as their human parents

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Half-orcs have color vision, sensing the spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. They have good depth and motion perception. Most half-orcs can also see in complete darkness out to a distance of 60 ft. but only in black and white. Their hearing possesses good separation and direction-sensing qualities. Their skin is touch sensitive. Their senses of taste and smell are not as highly developed as their sight.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Half-orcs don’t have a naming tradition of their own, adopting the tradition of whichever race raised them. Consequently, they will either have human names or orcish names.

Beauty Ideals

Since half-orcs don’t have a culture of their own, they tend to adopt the beauty ideals of whichever culture raised them. Regardless, if this was orcs or humans it tends to leave them feeling insecure about their appearance because they tend to fall far short of the beauty ideals they grow up with. Some manage to overcome this early conditioning, but most secretly always feel that they’re ugly.

Gender Ideals

Much like beauty ideals half-orcs tend to adopt the gender ideals of the culture that raised them. Thus, half-orcs raised in human society tend to be fairly egalitarian about gender roles, while those raised amongst orcs tend to view females as property and brood mares. The biggest exception to this is female half-orcs raised amongst orcs. They tend to be intelligent and independent enough to reject the role that society would force on them. Consequently, they work twice as hard to prove themselves or flee to make their way in the world.

Courtship Ideals

As with other things half-orcs adopt the courtship ideals of the culture in which they were raised. That is human or orc. A few try to find their own way, but most will court in the way they were raised.

Relationship Ideals

As with all things half-orcs adopt the relationship ideals of the culture they were raised in. Those who were raised amongst orcs tend to approach relationships like orcs, while the ones raised amongst humans tend to adopt human ideals.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Half-orcs don’t have a language of their own. Most grow up speaking orc and/or common depending on which race raised them. Most can speak both.

History

Half-orcs have existed since humans and orcs first came into contact each other. While they are generally pariahs in both societies. However, their greater intelligence has given some an advantage in orc society, and some orc tribes have deliberately bred half-orc children to take advantage of this trait.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Elves and dwarves tend to be the least accepting of half-orcs, seeing in them too great a resemblance to their racial enemies, and other races aren’t much more understanding. A lifetime of persecution leaves the average half-orc wary and quick to anger, yet people who break through his savage exterior might find a well-hidden core of empathy. Human societies with few orc problems tend to be the most accommodating, and half-orcs dwelling there can often find work as mercenaries and enforcers. Even in places where there is a general tolerance for half-orcs, however, many humans mistreat them when they can get away with it.

Half-orcs are envious of the measure of acceptance half-elves have within human and elven society and resent their physical beauty, which contrasts starkly to the half-orcs’ brutish appearance. While half-orcs avoid antagonizing their half-breed cousins directly, they won’t hesitate to undermine them if the opportunity presents itself.

Of all the other races, half-orcs are most sympathetic with halflings, who often have an equally rough lot in life. Half-orcs respect the halfling’s ability to blend in and disappear and admire their perpetually cheerful outlook on life in spite of hardships. Halflings fail to appreciate this fact because they usually are too busy avoiding the large, intimidating half-orcs.

Half-orcs react to this distrust in a number of ways. Some half-orcs will fall into introverted behavior, trying to attract as little attention to themselves as possible in a manner paradoxical to the image of boisterous barbarian half-orcs typically evoke. Others have tried their hardest to do good unto others, whether out of sincere charity or simply a desire for approval and acceptance. Some half-orcs have taken neither approach, accepting who they are and instead will give others no choice but to accept them or leave.

The troubles that their heritage has brought them teaches most half-orcs to be mistrusting and suspicious. Some half-orcs had as much trouble forming bonds with others as other races have had accepting them, making friends with great difficulty and losing them with much greater ease.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans

Lifespan

71 years

Average Height

Males 6’1” Females 5’8”

Average Weight

Males 241 lbs. Females 201 lbs.

Average Physique

Half-orcs as hybrid beings tend to be more muscular than humans, but not as muscular as orcs.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Half-orcs have all the skin tones common to their human parents though many inherit their orc parent’s greenish or greyish skin. Many, particularly those raised in orc culture, practice ritual scarification.

Related Organizations

• Church of Utu
• Church of Voimakas
• Church of Vuori
• Klarland

Related Ethnicities

• Mangen
• Manneskor