Orc

Orcs are a strong, fierce and often warlike people. Orcs tend to be larger, heavier and stronger than humans, however, their warlike culture, constant fighting and general shunning of agriculture, embraced by their human cousins, means that they tend to be far more spread out and divided. Orcs prefer a nomadic pastoralist way of life, herding goats, cattle and sheep.
Orcs refer to themselves collectively as the Roka and individually as Rok, which loosely translates to strong ones / strong one. The name Orc comes from a human name for the Roka, which mocks their languages, saying that all their words sound like the word orc repeated over and over again.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Orcs tend to be larger, heavier, stronger and more muscular than their human counterparts, with fairly small but noticable tusks jutting out from their lower jaw. Orcish ears are also larger and more pointed than their human cousins.

Genetics and Reproduction

Orcs are identical to humans in terms of reproduction, with the gestation period pregnant female orcs lasting about three seasons, the same as humans, at which point the mother gives birth.

Growth Rate & Stages

Orcs mature at a similar rate to humans. Orcs generally hit puberty at around 12 years old, at which stage their tusks also tend to develop further. From about 12 to 16 years old, Orcs are considered "Tusklings", and start to be adopted into adult orcish society. At about 16 most Orcs are considered adults and encouraged to go prove themselves, either through battle, a successful hunt or some other act of maturity. Once they have proven themselves, Orcs are encouraged to marry and start a familt of their own.

Ecology and Habitats

Orcs live wherever they can herd animals, herding cows, goats and sheep in particular. Facing competition with their human cousins, most orcs have migrated to mountainous areas, forests and northern tundras. Over time, a number of orcs have migrated to human settlements seeking work as builders, mercenaries and bodyguards.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Orcs are omnivorous, tending to live on a diet of roots, berries and fruits most of the year, with the regular hunts organised to supplement this with venison, with a few of the cows, goats or sheep they herd often only being slaughtered for meat on special occasions.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Orcs tend to live in small clans, with each clan consisting of a collection of families who herd animals together, hunt together and fight as a united force against rival clans and other enemies. Orcs respect strength and skill in battle, with the most powerful warriors often elevated to the status of the 'Great Orc' of the Clan.

Facial characteristics

Orcs tend to have higher and more sloped foreheads than humans. Their most distinguishing feature is undoubtedly their tusks however, which jut out from their lower jaw.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Used to be found nearly everywhere. Nowadays mostly found in mountainous areas, forests and frozen tundras, areas where humans are less prevalent where there is enough grazing land.

Average Intelligence

Humans tend to regard Orcs as stupid, but in truth Orcs are of about equal intelligence to humans. Orcs tend to shun settled agriculture however, preferring a more nomadic pastoralist way of life, and as such tend to not build large permanent structures. Their language and society has also tended to remain far more straightforward than human languages and society.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Orcs have a better sense of smell and hearing than their human cousins, although their sense of touch is reportedly less developed, partly due to a harder rougher skin, which tends to be various shades of green and grey, depending on geographical location.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Orcs tend to value tattoos, body piercings and body paint (especially for ceremonial fights and in times of war). This is the case for male and female orcs alike.

Gender Ideals

Male and female orcs alike are expected to hunt, fight and herd livestock. Female orcs are given less strenuous jobs only when they are pregnant, and are not sent into war in these times to protect both their lives and the lives of the next generation. Outside of pregnancy, male and female orcs are held to the same standard, and both can and do compete for leadership positions.

Courtship Ideals

Orcs are expected to prove themselves before they can enter a relationship, doing so through heroism in battle, proving themselves in a successful hunt or another act of greatness. Once they have done so, young orcs may try and find a mate, often leaving their clan to do so. Orcs tend to seek out an orc who has similarly proven him or herself. A friendly but competitive fight or wrestle is considered quite erotic and romantic among orcs.

Relationship Ideals

Orc relationships are very much about proving devotion to one another and skill at supporting one another in a difficult life, and much less about the strategic alliances of the upper class of human societies.

Average Technological Level

Orcs adopt many of the inventions of their human counterparts, but come up with their own less often. Orcs tend towards tradition, and their more isolated pastoralist nomadic clans value balance and ensuring that they do not overgraze their land or allow the population to grow large. Ritualistic fighting and war is often seen as a way to keep population numbers balanced.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The numerous orcish languages are often referred to as dialects of the single Orcish language. Orc jaw structure and tusks do tend towards a more guttural and loud languages, but variations are such that it would be better to talk of multiple Orcish languages. Local human and Orcish languages often influence one another. Orcs in human cities tend to adopt the local dominant language, and sometimes influence this language. One such example is an Orcish influence in the creole Bastard Kushari dialect of Zhyalay, the capital of Kushar and a bustling trading city.

Common Etiquette Rules

It is considered common etiquette for the orc who kills the animal in a hunt or who actually gathered a root or fruit to have the first bite.
It is considered common etiquette for pregnant women, Elders and for the "Great Orc" of the clan to be treated with reverence.
It is considered common etiquette to give a fellow orc fair warning before you attack him or her, especially if they are of a higher ranking or older. The ambushing of humans or orcs working for humans is often considered acceptable.

Common Dress Code

Orcs tend to always dress like they are ready for combat, wearing light leather armour and carrying weapons. This reflects their warlike culture, and reflects the realities of human purges in the past, which still occur occasionally.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Orc culture is very geared towards fighting. If there is a petty dispute, it is settled with a friendly fight, with the two orcs fighting without weapons and ending when one relents or is knocked unconscious. In cases of major disputes, like an orc killing an orc of another's family or clan, the matter is settled in a one on one fight to the death, a process that can lead to a string of such fights unless and until one or both sides relent.
In cases of an unforgivable crime, like the poisoning of an orc, stabbing an orc in the back, murder of a pregnant orc or rape, the sentence is death by stoning. If the orc is of the clan they are given a chance to appeal to the elders, who can find them to be truthful. If they are of another clan they are rarely given such a chance.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Herded animals are usually only killed and eaten on special occasions, such as a birth, the end of a year, the ascension of a "great orc" or to commiserate the death of a "great orc" (often these last two occur simultaneously).

Common Taboos

Orcs tradition is very firmly against theft. Something belongs to an orc only when it is given freely, created by their own hand, or won by force or arms. Winning something from another orc by besting them in combat is considered rightfully won, while stealing something without fighting them is considered disgraceful.

History

Orcs started off as gatherer-hunters, existing in a similar style of life to their human cousins. Humans and Orcs often worked together during this time. Other times the groups would clash violently over hunting and grazing grounds. Magi emerged in Orc societies around the same time as they did in human societies, with Orc Magi fulling similar shamanistic roles.
Orcs started domesticating animals around the same time as humans. However, as humans started moving towards settled farming society, most orcs rejected such societies. This was both as large concentrated orc societies fell into open conflict more frequently and violently, rejecting royal bloodlines in favour of contests of strength and force. Such leadership struggles led to far more violent power struggles in larger population areas. Furthermore, orcs tended to hold their herds and the natural world as semi-sacred, while rejecting what they saw as the packed, squalid and overcrowded life of human cities.
Orcs adopted many of the advantages of the age, including the wheel, steel, sailing and writing, but tended to use these to supplement their way of life. They used steel and the wheel for war, some moved towards piracy on the seas, and their own form of writing was used in conjunction with old shamanistic cave paintings.
Humans started outnumbering orcs around this time. Orcs often served as mercenaries in human armies, but were increasingly seen as those on the fringe of society.
Orcs, magi and non-Magi alike, fought on both sides in the war between Lucius Ferrum and his united enemies. After the defeat of Lucius Ferrum and the subsequent Magi purges, many Magi fled to Orc clans, where Magi were still accepted. Anti-Magi human empires and kingdoms responded by invading Orcish territory and massacring all those who stood with the Magi. A number of Orcish clans quickly banished all Magi and banned Magic. Some actively helped in the Magi purges. Others fled into hiding, refusing to surrender their Magi members and other Magi refugees.
These purges, massacres and migrations marked another Orcish decline. Today Orcish clans exist in very remote mountainous areas, forests and frozen tundras, away from human habitation. A number of orcs have also left these areas to work as builders, mercenaries and bodyguards in human cities.

Common Myths and Legends

The Orcs have a broad and varied pantheon, with Gods often bearing different names based on region and varying somewhat in appearance. The same group of Gods and Goddesses does tend to show up over and over again however. Some of these are:
Vraag - the Orcish King of the Gods and God of War - Often takes the form of an Orc, often a shape-shifter who can also take the form or a lion, wolf or bear.
Traga - The Orcish Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Fertility and Motherhood - takes the form of a pregnant orc with a battleaxe or another weapon.
Jarg - The Goddess of Ferocity and Fire - A female orc and shape shifter who often takes the form or a fox or jackal - said to have fought the Sun and stolen fire from the sky.
Gradrak - the Orcish minor God of Work and Labour - Takes the form of an Orc, usually wielding a hammer.
Ulug - Orcish Goddess of the Hunt - a shapeshifter that often takes the form of a deer or antelope, a master archer
Mruga - Orcish Goddess of Magic - a shapeshifting Orc who often takes the form of a Boar or Warthog
Ragrog - Orcish God of storytelling and history - usually takes the form of an old blind orc covered in battlescars.
Dagra - the obscure minor Orcish Goddess of Poetry, usually takes the form of a local songbird.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Occasionally orcs will marry or sleep with other sapient species, particularly humans. This was commonplace when humans and orcs lived together thousands of years ago. More recently it is somewhat looked down on by more traditionalist Orcs, who often view humans as enemies. So long as such humans and their half-orc offspring are willing to adopt Orcish customs, such unions are often accepted.
Such relations are far more common in human cities, where Orcs are a clear minority. While there are some orcs that are hostile to such unions here, it is more often the other way around, with humans being particularly hostile toward male orcs marrying or sleeping with human women.

Scientific Name

Homo Bellum

Lifespan

The Average age of an Orc is about 50 years old in more peaceful areas, and 35 years old in the harsher more warlike areas.

Average Height

1.8 to 2.3 meters tall

Average Weight

80 to 130 kilograms.

Average Physique

Orcs tend to be significantly stronger than the average human.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Orcish skin tends to be green or grey, with greenskins found around the hot equator, and greyskins found in the frigid north and frigid far south. The closer to the equator the darker green the skin tends to be, the further away the lighter and the more grey it becomes.