Orcs

Sometimes called the gray-folk or the lost people, the orcs are pitied, hated, and feared in equal measure by the other peoples of the old world. They are tall, lean, and long of limb. Their skin is a stony gray color with a strange rough texture. Orc’s ears are long like those of the elves, but they have a pronounced underbite and, in the case of males, two large tusks. Their large, golden eyes are considered unsettling by many other races, but are well adapted to darkness, giving them the best night vision of any humanoid species. This allows them to be partially nocturnal, often sleeping most of the day and beginning their activities at dusk.
History
The orcs dwell in the mountainous and hilly regions of Eridas. Their homelands are among the poorest regions of the continent, generally rugged, inhospitable, and ill suited to agriculture or urbanization. Because of this the orcs have long depended on raiding and warfare to sustain their society. Since time immemorial small bands of orcs have been descending out of the mountains to raid villages and caravans for wealth and supplies. What they cannot manufacture themselves, be it livestock, crops, or manufactured goods, they obtain by stealing it from others. This lifestyle, though it has allowed their society to prosper in an otherwise hostile environment, has done little to endear them to their fellow mortals. The orc’s raiding habit may have been born out of necessity rather than malice, but that does not stop the victims of their attacks from resenting them for it. Throughout recorded history the other peoples of Eridas have looked down on the orcs as beastly savages, little better than wild animals. The orcs, for their part, return their hatred in equal measure.
Much of orcish history consists of protracted warfare with dwarves, men, and their other ancestral enemies. While orcs have always been a threat to border regions and unwary travelers, their small numbers and political disunity have usually prevented them from posing a significant danger to the great kingdoms of Eridas. Several times in their history however, the disparate orcish tribes have been united under the banner of a single powerful warchief. Though these united orcish kingdoms seldom outlive their founders, they always represent a major threat to the other mortal kingdoms of Eridas. The last great king of the orcs was a warchief known as Longscar who led major incursions into Felderen and Northern Galaria in the mid 13th Century GR, leaving ruin in his wake. Though his kingdom disintegrated after his death in battle, the scars of his invasions can still be seen in the regions he conquered. Over the last few years, a powerful chieftain named Grey Bear has been gathering supporters to his cause and seeking to restore the orcish kingdom of old. This has put many of the kingdoms of northern Eridas on edge, and there is talk of a joint military intervention to bring him down.
Culture
The orcs are a semi-nomadic tribal people. They dwell in small extended kinship groups of perhaps a few hundred members, moving from place to place following game trails and opportunities for loot. Most of these tribes are led by a warchief, who leads the tribe in military affairs. These warchiefs are often elected rather than hereditary and generally have limited authority outside of the hunt and the battlefield.
Due in large part to their inhospitable material circumstances, the orcs are a hard and rugged people, with little patience for those who cannot take care of themselves. The infirm, the terminally ill, or the physically or mentally disabled are often simply killed to prevent them from being a burden on the group. Orcs who grow too old to be useful will sometimes commit ritual suicide to relive the tribe of a useless mouth to feed, an act which is seen as a noble and praiseworthy sacrifice of the highest order.
Orcish life is governed by the rhythms of war. Their society is intensely martial and both sexes are expected to participate in warfare and those who do not or cannot fight are shunned. When not engaged in raiding, orcs sustain themselves by hunting and gathering. Orcish warriors tend to favor the spear, the longbow, and other weapons which are also useful in hunting, though they will happily carry swords and axes as well.
Orcish culture is deeply collectivist, prizing the needs of the group above those of the individual. Children are raised collectively by the tribe and property is generally held in common. Even their unusual naming convention reinforces these values. Orcish names are usually descriptors rather than unique personal names. Some are literal, while others are symbolic (Silent Wolf, Sharpeye, Crow Watcher, Breaktusk, etc). These names are not given by parents, as is tradition in most other cultures, but by an orc's peers within the tribe when he or she comes of age.
Orcish religion differs considerably from that of most other mortals. Most orcs shun the Octarchy and the Eight Divines, whom they associate with their hated enemies. Instead, many orcs have taken to worshiping Draxares and the Thirteen, in the hopes that they will grant them victory over the followers of the light. Others, who find the senseless cruelty of the dark lords unseemly, prefer the rites of the Old Faith, and many orcish tribes have a druid amongst their number.
In the modern day, a growing number of orcs are abandoning the warrior nomad ways of their ancestors and traveling abroad. Many have found their way to the New World, mostly to Quelleron where prejudice against them is less common and have built new lives for themselves. Their strength, endurance, and keen senses make them welcome allies for adventurers looking for muscle. Adventuring orcs can be found in privateer crews, sellsword gangs, and teams of explorers throughout Austrolaria.