Orc
The Orc Tribes of the Northern Wastes constantly compete for power and dominance.They attack and slaughter any army or village that they come into contact with taking wealth, booty, and whatever items they can take back with them to make use of in their own domains. They have no lands of their own, so they tend to settle in old forts, castles, cities, or any other sort of settlement that they can get their hands on. They never settle in one place for too long for they are nomadic. They raid and strip lands of its resources and then move on. Each War Tribe has carved out territory for themselves and nomadically roam around it. When they run out of resources they sometimes raid each other, the dwarves, elves, and whatever human kingdom they come into contact with. They avoid the Dark Mist Mountains though, due to a dark presence that dwells there. Orcs recognize strength above all else, and some Orc War Chiefs are strong enough to hold sway over several different tribes and swathes of land. They're quite patriarchal, and leadership isn't always primogenitary. Their god Gruumsh orders and commands them to raid and pillage, but their goddess Luthic tells them to procreate as much as possible to keep their race numerous. Orcs will willingly pro-create with dwarves, humans, and ogres to try and bring about the strongest beings into their ranks. They have no notion of racial purity, and welcome all sorts of strong creatures into their tribes from ogres, trolls, half-orcs, orogs, and deeply respect the giants.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Most orcs die at the age of 25. This is due to them living a lifetime of combat, but even if an orc doesn't die a non-violent death, they only live to around the age of 40. If they live to any age past that it is probably because of magical assistance. Orcs are tall, standing anywhere between 6 ft. and 6'5 ft. They're robust and muscular with a stooped posture and tend to have thick coarse black hair. Their skin tends to range from a grayish to a greenish color and one of their most identifying features are their lower canines which look like tusks.
Genetics and Reproduction
Orcs reproduce sexually and they breed a lot. The time an orc child stays in the womb until it is born is about nine months; the same as a human. It isn't known whether orc females have a period of heightened fertility due to how quick and often orcs reproduce.
Growth Rate & Stages
Orcs are considered adolescent by the age of 4 and fully functional adults by the age of 12. This is because most orcs don't make it past the age of 25 due to a lifetime of combat.
Ecology and Habitats
Like most humanoid species, orcs can survive just about anywhere, but they tend to stick to the harsh and snowy wastelands of the north. This has forged them into a sturdy and hardy folk.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Orcs are an omnivorous species in that they can survive off of a diet of both plants and animals. They mainly prefer meat though, and hardly eat any fruits or vegetables.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Orcs are highly patriarchal. This puts orc males at the top of society with orc women regrettably being seen as prized possessions or objects to be claimed. Since orcs value strength and power above all else, great orcish warriors are of course highly elevated in their social structure claiming booty and brides. But, at the top of each orcish hierarchy is a war chief. They tend to be the best warrior of the tribe, holding the most power, claiming the most spoils along with many brides.
Facial characteristics
Low foreheads, porcine faces, and lower canines that resemble tusks
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Male Names: Gnorl, Noogugh, Lugrub, Ulmug, Wogharod, Perthag, Woggugat, Sugorim, Dalthu, Argha, Mahk, Yargol, Gelub, Lurbuk, Vrigka, Golag, Nar, Eagungad, Spathu, Malthu, Jorgagu, Worthag, Wurthu, Varkogrim, Vrokag, Shuzug, Yak, Zlog, Yulakgh, Sunodagh, Womrikug, Ikgnath, Zarfu, Mabub, Seakgu
Female Names: Urog, Durgat, Bagrak, Rolfish, Rogbut, Ragash, Gharol, Ghak, Uloth, Shelur, Ghorsa, Glasha, Shel, Garakh, Gashnakh, Ushug, Mog, Dura, Lash, Ugash, Borba, Urzul, Rogmesh, Borgakh, Shagar, Bolar, Murzush, Bulak, Bugdurash, Mazoga, Batul, Bashuk, Lambug, Shadbak, Yotul, Yazgash, Arob
Major Organizations
- Frozen Foot Kin
- Rabid Arrow Clan
- Mad Titan Clan
- Blue Thunder Tribe
- Red Fist Clan
- Rabid Rage Hoarde
- Berserk Sun Clan
- Hard Raven Children
- Dead River Kin
- True Axe Tribe
- Black Thunder Warriors
Gender Ideals
Men in orcish society are meant to be warriors. That is their sole purpose. They're raised and bred to fight, win, obtain spoils, and continue spreading the orcish race. Females on the other hand are meant to raise children, tend to the men and community, and to breed. This is due to their society being largely patriarchal.
Relationship Ideals
Orcs have no real concept of relationships or marriage. They're called to breed by their goddess Luthic and the only time they pair up in union is to pro-create, but once the child is born they separate. Since orcs don't have very long lifespans and because they're called to continuously mate to spread their race they don't see the real need for marriage. The only time they're "wed" is when an orcish warrior rises in prominence and can then choose women from among the tribe to be his mates. It is more claiming than marrying. The orcish war chief is the only one in the tribe with the most brides.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Orcish culture is patriarchal and based around war. More often than not an orc is always at war, and when he isn't he is most likely planning on it. They believe in strength and power above all else, generating a society based on a concept of "survival of the fittest." The orcs are a nomadic people, and when they roam around from place to place they tend to subjugate all those around them and claim all available resources for themselves before moving on. This has understandably put them at odds with most races. Orcs also have no sense of racial purity. They're called to further continue their race by any means necessary and will voluntarily mate with anything humanoid. This is an attempt on their part to try and create the best warriors, and they often invite trolls, ogres, and others into their tribes. As mentioned previously, orcs are also a patriarchal society. Men in society are placed at the top with the most distinguished warriors and war chiefs dominating all the rest. Women are seen as nothing more than prized possessions and are often claimed as brides by great warriors and chiefs so that they may breed with them.
History
After the Great Catastrophe, the orcs made their debut on the footnotes of history. They came like a whirlwind from the north, totally obliterating and annihilating anything and anyone they came across. The Kingdom of Borith was no more and the orcish war tribes took to subduing the lands around them, carving out territory for themselves to roam in. This put them at odds with the dwarves of Nal-Khaldur in the Dark Mist Mountains. This group of dwarves was ultimately driven out and they came to settle in the Northern Hills and Highlands; becoming the hill dwarves. As a result, the dwarves have declared war eternal on the orcs. For whatever reason, the orcs never claimed or settled in the Dark Mist Mountains. They had attempted several times, but were driven out each time. Orcish tradition tells of a terrible presence that dwells in the mountains and they dare not speak of it.
During the rise of the Vampiric Aristocracy, the orcs lived in perpetual fear, never being sure on whether or not they had encroached on vampiric lands and territory. They attempted to flee south, but due to their war-like culture, they attempted to subjugate and control the land that they came across. They were soon at war with elves, human kingdoms, and the dwarves didn't skip out on this opportunity to kill more orcs. The orcs weren't successful and were ultimately pushed back north, hiding from the nocturnal overlords of the wastes. After the Vampiric Civil War, the orcs resumed their lives before the vampires and took to occupying the old vampiric fortresses.
Historical Figures
Grumbar Gut-Noose
Common Myths and Legends
The orcs and goblinoids don't really care how the world was created. They believe in the Great Cataclysm, but care little for how the world was actually made. It's here, so why should it matter how? The orcs believe that they sprung from the blood of their god Gruumsh, and his wife Luthic taught them how to mate. Goblins and hobgoblins believe that they sprung forth from the arm pits and sweat of Magubliyet, and that Hruggek took some of them and made them larger, hairier and more violent, and these became the Bugbears.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
- Humans: Unfriendly
- Elves: Unfriendly
- Dwarves: Hostile
- Half-Elves: Unfriendly
- Half-Orcs: Friendly
- Tieflings: Indifferent
- Aasimar: Unfriendly
- Gnomes: Hostile
- Firbolgs: Unfriendly
- Goliaths: Hostile
- Giants: Friendly
- Goblinoids: Indifferent
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