How the Earth Bore Orcs
"It took me many, many weeks to brave the elements of Vermilius in my trek southwest toward the great Markéd Mountains. I passed through the frigid wastes of the north, traversing the incredibly treacherous Tundratic Pass and nearly dying in the process. Against all odds, I miraculously survived the death trap surrounding the great city of Silvercairn.
Through the great craggy Onoling Moor I walked on my lonesome, before realizing that I had all but run out of rations I had packed for my journey. Fortunately, the land was rife with Onoling Hares, fatty white creatures with tender flesh for the picking.
As the air grew warmer and more humid, I felt as if I could breathe again. My lungs no longer felt as if they would seize upon each breath I took, and the hard-packed earth gave way to soft grasses that swayed in the wind.
For the first time in my life, I was privy to trees with large leaves to capture the warmth of the sun. Needles of pine and fir gave way to blankets of maple and elm, and I was overjoyed with their presence.
The earth began to shift once more, from soft to squishy and malleable. My boots began to feel damp, and it wasn't long before I felt them fill with water. So, I simply took them off and placed them into my pack - there's something so satisfying about feeling the earth give way beneath your toes.
I continued travelling for another week, simply living off of the land and all of the fruits it bore. Every single day, I offered thanks to Mother Agatha for allowing me to partake in her part of Creation.
My trek was stopped in its tracks when I saw a river amidst the wetland, stretching as far as the eye could see. The banks were built of thick mud, and its rushing rapids instilled me with a sense of adventure. I approached the water gingerly, taking great care to not fall in.
Moments later, the soggy earth before me began to roil and shift. Around me, of the earth's bosom, appeared four hulking figures of mottled green skin and tangled black hair. They had beautiful tusks of ivory, framing their hardened faces as they began to approach. I could not explain how they appeared before me, other than to describe that they were born of the earth's anguish.
These creatures made such unbecoming noises and grunts as they came towards me. I could make out more details as they came closer - jewelry of bone, their bodies heavyset and imposing. My heart immediately began to pound with fear, and before I knew it, I was unconscious in the mud.
I woke up to find myself in the sand, where whatever river this is met the eternal Fathomless. All of my possessions - other than this journal which I had hid on my person - had disappeared, likely taken by these creatures.
In all of my adventures, I have never heard of beings of great imposition and green skin. I think that I shall call these savages 'Orcs', after my mother tongue's word for 'brutal'. They terrify me, and it's a miracle I managed to survive that encounter with the creatures born of the earth. Somehow, I didn't die after the fact - I was discovered by a small rural village of humans a few miles north of where I washed up who would nurse me back to health. They had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the term 'orc' to them, so I shall henceforth claim this as a discovery of the great Eoin Gwn'yth."
Historical Basis
According to theologians and researchers of ancient Marvellan history, Orcs were not among the three peoples created amidst the Creation. This myth is thus a Human interpretation of how the Orcs came to be, informed by the perceptions of ante-Monarchy Vermilisians. It was written through the lens of adventurer Eoin Gwn'yth and his first expedition to southeast Vermilius, the homeland of the Orcs.
Cultural Reception
Modern critiques of the legend discuss the colonialist aspects presented by Eoin and how his evident lack of magical training prevented him from realizing what was actually happening with the Orcs. Furthermore, scholars of anthropology and archaeology from Gallant were able to determine that the oldest discovered Orcish ruin on the continent came from almost a millennium prior to the date Eoin witnessed "the birth of all Orcs", and this record has been deemed inaccurate by the greater academic community.
However, many non-urban Vermilians still consume How the Earth Bore Orcs in their rural towns. This instills an other-ing of their culture deep within them from a young age, and is something Orcish rights activists have been trying to rectify for several decades.
In Literature
At the turn of the Era (with the establishment of the third Tri-Kingdom Azuria), an anonymous individual wrote an epic about Eoin Gwn'yth's interactions with Orcish and Dwarven communities, painting them in an uncivilized light. It has been widely criticized, though several groups of Vermilisian nationalists have adopted it as evidence to further drive out Orcs from the national boundaries.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
