Half-Orc
The ravens signal the news: Nagrizh Khan lies dead. Slain by his bannerman in the dead of night. Instead of dying like a true Orc would, he was killed in the dark with no one the wiser. He didn't deserve the honor if the rumors of his Half-Orc children are true. A Khan's lineage must be pure above all else.
After the battle against Yggdragun, Captain Bazor was given accommodations for his valor in combat. A few of the full-blooded Orcs seemed agitated by a Half-Orc being treated better than them. But they'll learn to get over it and start fighting better. Whether they're full-blood or half blood, an Orc is still an Orc.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Half-Orcs usually take from their Orcish blood, having the usual bipedal stature of an Avestran mortal race. They also have the tusks that stick out from their lower jaw, marking them as part Orc. Depending on the other half of blood, they can share traits with the other parent, such as the spider legs of an Arachni, the horns of a tiefling, or the pointed ears of an Elf.
Growth Rate & Stages
Half-Orcs grow up faster than a normal Orc, reaching physical adulthood at age 14 and living up to 75 years. However, their non-Orc blood can extend their life as Half-Orcs with Elven blood have been able to live for centuries, even outlasting Half-Elves.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Half-Orcs gain the ability to see in the dark in shades of grey and they have a supernatural constitution thanks to the blood running through their veins.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
- The Skuvtun Khanate: Half-Orcs are seen as a curse, either treated as second-class citizens or exiled from a tribe to wander on their own. Any Half-Orc tribes are treated poorly or smashed to prevent Half-Orcs from gaining strength in the region.
- The Mitsu Shogunate: When Half-Orcs are cast out from Skuvtun and can't make the trip to Virush, they will choose to live in the Mitsu lands as a second choice. While life can be hard due to their Orc blood, they are treated far better than they would be in their original homeland.
- The Empire of Virush: A place that all Half-Orc exiles try to make their way to if they can. For a Half-Orc, it is as close to paradise as they can get as they are able to fight alongside their Orc brethren and be treated as equals.
History
The Half-Orcs place in Orc history is different depending on which culture they are in. The Lumin Orcs view Half-Orcs as a mistake and throughout history, their existence in a clan heralded weakness and doom. Time and again, Khans of northwest Alus would rise, only for their lineage to devolve to the point to where they have children with non-Orcs, marking the final nail in the coffin before other tribes rose to take their place and reinstall a pure Orc lineage. As such, it is more common to hear about Half-Orcs being exiled from the Skuvinate Khanate for existing.
For the Grumin Orcs, Half-Orcs were given a place to belong and even rise above their stations. There are many tales in the Virush Empire about the Half-Orc children of the first Vrushian Emperor, fighting valiantly to expand his territory and found their homeland. Half-Orc blood was spilled on the fields of battle as much as Orc blood was. Their existence was part of the reason that the Grumin and Lumin people are divided and may never see each other on good terms for as long as the Half-Orcs are treated as equals.
But the Half-Orcs have the blood of warriors in their veins. They fight for a place for themselves in the world, whether it be against their own kind or the abominations such as the Elders and their minions. And they're continue to fight until they can finally find a place for themselves.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Orcs will view the Half-Orcs as either capable half-breeds or a curse that foreshadows a coming fall. This relationship makes plenty of Half-Orcs wary of their kin as they are not sure whether to expect hatred and violence or love and acceptance. And the latter is sometimes a mask for the former. It explains why some Half-Orcs prefer to go to the the Shogunates or into the mountains where they can join Mountain Tribes or non-Orc lands where they can at least be sure that how people view them is actually the truth.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
75 years
Average Height
5 to 6+ feet
Average Weight
160 - 240 pounds
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Comments