Orcs

If the dwarves gained freedom from the giants, orcs are probably best said to be a mutation of (hill) giants, only coming to exist as hill giants tried to survive and adapt, getting smaller and smaller and have shorter lifespans. As the other natives of Desaroque like the dwarves, orcs needed to survive through the harsh and troubling times after the cataclysm, except that they didn’t have the underground and the dwarven propensity to dig and make a stand. Orcs survived by being aggressive, nomadic, defending themselves against the monstrosities that roamed the surface of Desaroque by embodying those monstrosities—and to an extent, embodying the tempest and chaos of the cataclysm.
Orcs roam the land long before the elves and humans stepped foot on the continent, and before the dwarves dared to venture aboveground. Their origin is thought to be from the hills of modern day Strojvin and Isoharia, although they spread all over Desaroque before retreating to the Nairodi swamps in the south east. Because of the unfavourable living conditions and nomadic nature, orcs developed their civilisation and identity slower than dwarves. But despite their spread out tribes, they are arguably the ones who know most about the land with thousands of active, hidden Aether Scars, how to avoid and how to siphon power from them without hurting themselves, recorded in their songs and dances and carvings on a stone, a tree, or a ruin.
Orcs and half-orcs tend to be concentrated in Braizus-Nairod, whether withing their cities or living a nomadic life in the area. Orc tribes that live outside of Braizus-Nairod tend to be considered savage, and prone to raiding other settlements. This has became much less often however, as more orc tribes looking forward to move to Braizus-Nairod to adopt a new life.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Originated on the hills in modern day Isoharia & Strojvin, was once spread all across Desaroque. Now they are mostly concentrated in Braizus-Nairod

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Nairodi tribes, Braizus-Nairod, other orcish tribes outside Braizus-Nairod.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Despite their tempestuous nature, Orcs in Desaroque are highly organised, with each member acting properly within their roles. This is to ensure survival of the whole tribe, as they need to be able to work as a unit in order to prosper against various monstrosities in Desaroque.
Reading and writing tend to be minimal--at least for nomadic orcs outside of Braizus-Nairod, with writing mostly mastered by Orc druids with their hidden messages. Most humanoids tend to bypass these writings, as they are not clearly visible, but those who looks for it can see a lot evidence of Orcish writings in the wilderness. The Izharet society, a human & dwarven organisation that aims to keep society safe from aether scars, worked closely with orcs to map out the land. This joint expeditions were the reason that the Izharet has accurate maps of aether scars in the whole Desaroque, and how they can be as effective as they do.
Because of how they used to live, even orcs that grew in Braizian cities tend to value strength and boldness. Nairodi villages are well-known to have a coming-of-age tradition for males to hunt a monstrosity and take back the head of their prey as a trophy. This is a proof of their toughness, bravery, and the mastery of their own inner beast, inherited from centuries of being affected by aether scars. Less physically inclined orcs are pushed towards learning druidic magic, which had been passed down since the orcs first learnt to mount animals.
Meta note: Orcs in Desaroque tend to be Lawful Neutral or Neutral. For Orc PCs, use the Eberron version of Orcs.

History

Being a survivalist race, it was when other races started to spread on Desaroque that they are pushed to make a more organized structure to manage their lands. Orcs and other races tend to clash, especially with elves and human outsiders who considered the orcs’ harsh survivalist culture to be aggressive. It was during this time that orc tribes started to band together, and after a few bloody wars retreated to the Nairod marshlands and Izhgon forest, a land full of monstrosities that the orcs thought humans would never venture.
They were wrong of course, as humans had start to inhabit the dryer highlands overlooking the Bay of Xómni, and humans and orcish society lived together for a few years in a tense relationship. It was until and attack came from the surviving, mutated nagas from the south east, which devastated human and orcish population alike, that the two factions started to band together to defend themselves.
At the end, the orcs stormed and laid siege the city, with the help of human strategy and connection to other human claimed lands that the orcs had left. Some nagas were killed, others fled, and the alliance won the Mozir Rakh, the Last City of the Naga.
That was how the Kingdom of Brauzis-Nairod was formed, with a union of a human adventurer and a orc lady, with their monarch seat living in the City of Giants. The next-in-line monarch is Prince Mafruon, who despite the stereotypes of orcs and half-orcs in other countries, had proven to be a charismatic leader, very smooth in court, intelligent and one of the best knights in the country.

Scientific Name

Orcs, Half-Orcs

Lifespan

50-70 years

Average Height

180-210 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Ranging from grey to green. Most tribal orcs have tattoos indicating their ancestry.