Orsimer/Orcs

The Orsimer (Aldmeris for Cursed Folk or Pariah Folk), commonly known as Orcs, are considered to be barbarian people by most of the other races on Nirn and are from the mountainous regions of western Tamriel. They are centrally located in Orsinium, the City of Orcs, but are common in other locations in Tamriel.
Personality + Traits:

• Orcs are widely considered a race of mer, hence the name Orsimer
• They are known to be exceptional warriors similar to Nords, although their culture is sometimes thought of as overly bestial
• Despite their barbaric, tribal nature, there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes
• Their impressive warrior qualities stem from their sets of heavy Orcish armors and racial ability to go into a berserk rage, inflicting major damage while caring little for defense
• They are noted for their unshakable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships.

Physiology + Appearance:

• Orcs have a lifespan similar to that of humans, possibly because of Shor passing a curse Orkey had placed on the Nords onto them.
• Skin tones range from light green to dark brown, a heavily muscular frame, and considerable stature the Orsimer stand apart amongst Mer and Men.
• They are the only race to display tusks.
• Orcs have developed a strong warrior culture that makes them highly valuable in hand-to-hand combat.
• Most do not possess an affinity to magic.
• They often excel as adventurers and legionnaires in the Imperial Legion.

Culture:

• The Orcs have considered themselves outcasts like their deity Malacath, and this is reflected in much of their culture. For instance, unlike other races, the Orc tradition is to have weddings take place at midnight. Traditional Orcish society is centered around stronghold settlements, each one striving for complete independence in all matters.
• Orcs are famed for their skill in smithing, particularly with the metal Orichalcum, which they use to forge armor and weapons. The resulting armaments are heavy and require great endurance to wield, but offer peerless strength and durability. They also work with ebony and have a unique skill in tooling leather for exceptional flexibility and toughness.
• When an Orc dies, his or her remains will be burned down to ashes, which can be handled by their kin. Ashes from chiefs and kings are usually forged into swords and shields, or any other item that their relatives or successors may want to remember the departed ones.
• They are known to carve heavy, roughly hewn effigies of bears and mammoths but their significance is unknown. Orcs announce great events by erecting symbolic totems. These totems have various purposes, such as marking territory, heralding war or foretelling battle.

Organization:

• The Orcs have lived in Skyrim for centuries in tribal communities based around Strongholds. Strongholds are governed by a rigid class system. Every Orc has a specific job and is obligated to perform it. Every man, woman, and child in the fort is also trained from birth to defend it. The Strongholds are led by a chief, who killed the previous chief to prove his strength. Only the chiefs are allowed to have wives, and due to this, they often have several. This method is to ensure that the strongest Orc becomes chief, contributing his genes to the next generation of Orcs who, in theory, should be stronger than the last.
• Orcs in strongholds follow their own law called the Code of Malacath. The will of Malacath is clarified by the stronghold's resident wise woman. The rules of the Code are simple: do not kill, do not steal, and do not attack people without reason. They do not have jails; instead, offenders are forced to pay a "blood price," in which the criminal bleeds until the victim is satisfied. In cases where the victim was murdered, the chief is consulted to convey an appropriate sentence. Crimes committed in a stronghold are not under the jurisdiction of the province's Hold, but of the tribal orcs.
• Orsinium, also called Nova Orsinium, is an Orcish city province located within Tamriel. Early in the 4th Era Orsinium was sacked for the second time (the exact date or by whom it was sacked is unknown). Unlike before, Orsinium was not rebuilt in the Wrothgarian mountains like the two previous incarnations of the Orc Kingdom, but re-established in the Western Reach mountains in between Skyrim and Hammerfell.

Religion:

• Mainstream Orcish religion is fairly unique to Tamriel in that it is monotheistic. Most orcs hold Malacath as their chief deity, as he is believed to be involved in the creation of the race. As such, most orcs uphold the "Code of Malacath," which is a religious doctrine as well as a code of law used in the orc strongholds.
• The orthodox belief among Wrothgarian and Wood Orcs is that Malacath is a broken Trinimac, transformed by Boethiah after he in some way stole the former Champion of Auriel's form. There is debate among Orcs on whether he is Malacath, the Daedric outcast of Oblivion, or Mauloch, the Aedric outcast of Aetherius. Some even believe that he is both and has fittingly been cast out by both groups of divines.
• Upon death, followers of Malacath (or Mauloch) believe they will end up in Malacath's realm of the Ashpit. Here, Orcs are promised rewards of immortality, abundant food and drink, and constant battle deep within the Ashen Forge. Lending to the ambiguity of Mauloch's Aedric status, it is said that the Ashpit extends into Aetherius, allowing worthy Orsimer to freely transition into a more traditional afterlife.
• Some fringe members of Orsimer society choose to instead worship Trinimac. Some believe that Trinimac was the one that absorbed power from Boethiah, improving the Orsimer in the process, while other worshippers think that Malacath and Trinimac are actually wholly separate entities, and that Malacath lies to keep them as pariahs under his thumb. The followers of Trinimac believe that when they die, they ascend directly to Aetherius to join with their ancestors. The afterlife of Trinimac's faithful also consists of endless war and celebrations, but with a greater emphasis on once again spending time with family members who came before them.
• The Orcs have a few religious orders and cults dedicated to the worship of Malacath and Trinimac: AgraCrun, Malacath'sBrutalBreed, VoshRakh, and WrathfulFlame.

Orsimer and Other Races:

• In the past, Orcs were widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel and were seen as nothing more than uncivilized beasts. The Orcish people were ostracized and persecuted for much of their early history. Legends claim that the earliest Orcs lived underground.
• The Orcs are as civilized as any of the other races, having worked hard to be seen as actual people
• They have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions. Many Orcs in the Third Era have actually received an Imperial education as a benefit of serving the Imperial Legion.
• Despite the Orcs being known for their loyalty to the Empire, and the Empire aiding Orsinium, Tiber Septim (Talos) was said to have a deep hatred for the Orcs.
• Early in the Fourth Era, Orsinium was sacked by the Redguards and Bretons. The Imperial Legion, surprisingly, sided with the Orsimer in this conflict and would go on to save and transplant many Orcish refugees into other Imperial territories, like Skyrim. Orsinium was later rebuilt in the mountains between Hammerfell and Skyrim. By the time of the Great War, Orcs were fully integrated into Cyrodiilic society. Orcs were able to rule as vassals under the Empire, such as the gro-Batul dynasty of the Bloodfall Kingdom.

Orsimer Statblock

Language + Names: Orcish is the language of the Orcs, and a descendant of the language known as Old Orcish. While it is unknown precisely when the transition from Old Orcish to modern Orcish took place, it could not have evolved any later than 3E 417, by the time of which it was well established by the Orcs of High Rock and Hammerfell. Due to its lesser age when compared to Old Orcish, modern Orcish has had a wider spread in society. During the years around 3E 417, Orcish linguistic training was provided by various Trainers in the Fighters Guild and Patricians in the Mages Guild, as well as being a required skill in the former, in the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell.