Orc
Living sparsely across the entirety of Genaeth, orcs are considered useful by some and a plague by the rest. Tasked by Garrosh with conquering the realm in his name, they have been pushed to the edges of civilized lands across most major continents. On some, such as the Northern edge of Ceren, they have actually integrated into the naitons and become civilized to a lesser extent, though they are just as many "feral" orcs throughout the wilds of the world.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Orcs are notably fertile, being able to procreate with a variety of races. Their gestation is about 8 months, and is the standard male + female style.
Growth Rate & Stages
Orcs age fast, becoming fully mature by the age of 15. However, they rarely live longer than a few decades.
Ecology and Habitats
While orcs live in a variety of climates, they rarely live in civilized areas. In addition, the lands they live in are usually harsh and unforgiving, with large hordes of orcs rapidly draining what few resources do exist.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivorous, but tend more towards meat than vegetables.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
All orcs have pronounced tusks, heavy brows, and slightly smaller than average eyes.
Average Intelligence
Most orcs have lower a intelligence than the average humanoid. If an orc with higher than average intelligence appears, it's not long before they usually assume control of their tribe.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Orcs have the normal array of five senses, though their vision is slightly better with access to darkvision. On the magic side of things, a fractions of orcs gain some form of magical strength depending on which Orcish Saankat they follow.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Names are usually short and harsh. Most orcs take their clan name as a last-name, though those who gain notoriety among their kin may take on unique titles or honorifics in favor of their clan names. It should be noted that female names are often one or two syllables shorter than males, with most being six letters long.
Gender Ideals
All orcs are expected to contribute to the clan, regardless of their gender. They commonly have gender-specific roles, with certain religious positions being male or female-only, though this is not true for all orc positions of power.
Relationship Ideals
Marriage doesn't really exist in orcish tradition. Rather, they breed freely and leave the rearing of young to specialized members of the tribe. They can form relationships in the traditional sense, but such things are very rare in pure-orc societies.
Average Technological Level
Most orcish tribes are very primal, with the vast majority having only what they scavenge from other places or take from their victims. This makes their overall technological level very uneven across the board.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
All orcs speak Orcish, a brutish language that hardly resembles Elven any more. About half learn Common, usually if they have to command other races or work with them.
History
In the early days of the Age of Guardians, the elven race scoured Genaeth to find a fertile, temperate land they could call their own. In doing so, they discovered a large, semi-secluded island off the coast of Jonia, a wild continent not fully tamed like Ceren. While this island met all the ideals of the elves, it was infested with all manner of malicious monster, meaning that settling it would be a long, drawn-out affair. The elves, with their relatively small population and long reproductive cycle, simply lacked the forces to take the island in one fell swoop.
Suddenly, the leader of the elves, Saint Corella, was approached by the leader of the youngest elven tribe, the Auch. This leader, Gerreuch , proposed that he would lead his tribe and conquer the island for the entirety of the elves, making the threat of genocidal settling a memory. He mentioned plans of asymmetrical warfare, slowly digging in a place on the island with his small tribe before spreading outward steadily. While they lacked the magical prowess and long lives of elder elves, the Auch tribe were far more resilient and strong than their cousins, making this plan sound quite plausible to Corellas ears. All Gerreuch wanted in return was a fraction of her divine power, and for the Auch to have their choice of land upon the island upon completion of their campaign. Willing to allow this, Saint Corella anointed Gerreuch as a lesser saint and sent him on his way.
While the campaign was long and difficult, Gerreuch's tribe proved successful, conquering the whole of this massive island over the course of several decades. Upon the arrival of the remainder of their race, the Auch were greeted as heroes of the elves and given all the praise and rewards they could hope for. Dubbing their new home Patrimais, Corella would go on to combine the power of herself and her partner, Saint Viata, to anoint the leaders of all other tribes in a manner akin to Gerreuch, celebrating the acquisition of their new home at long last. It seemed as though the entirety of the elven race were giddy and mirthful to face the coming days together.
However, such warm feelings changed when Corella, seeing the vast land before her, declared that this new homeland would be shared amongst all members of the elven race. Furious about going back on her word, Gerreuch confronted Corella, to which she simply responded that his tribe would still receive first pick, they would simply need to share said pick with the other elven race. Enraged by the prospect of their hard-earned reward being twisted against their wishes, the Auch rebelled, allying with another tribe known as the Drough who were similarly displeased with the decisions surrounding Patrimais.
The war was brutal but short, with the much greater forces of the Haute, Boise, Ombre, Elation, and Merin tribes overpowering the forces of the Drough and the Auch. Seeing their actions were for naught, the Drough and their leader abandoned their allies, fleeing underground into desolate caverns beneath the island and sealing off the passages with immovable magics. Fending for themselves yet again, the Auch were eventually left overwhelmed and dug-into a hastily built redoubt set within the cliffs of Patrimais's northern peninsula. As their chances grew slimmer with each day, they were eventually forced to make a dangerous play and channel vast amounts of untamed magic to teleport the entirety of their tribe away from their land, hoping to regroup and return in greater numbers. This effect did far more than they expected.
Due to the unstable powers used to flee, the tribe was left marooned in a hellish, war-torn realm of the Hells known as Acheron. With naught but their wits and determination left, the tribe doubled-down and went about taming yet another untamable land filled with demonic invaders and legions of the God of Strife, Dyamach. With all the odds against them, the Auch used every trick and ability in their power to survive, and eventually conquer their foes yet again. As time wore on, the never-ending conflicts and blood-raising effects of Acheron altered the Auch, further departing them from their enemies a world away. Such actions and alterations would only grow with time, and by the time the elves of Patrimais saw their foes again, they hardly resembled the tall, muscular Auch of yesteryear.
Pouring forth from blood-red portals, the elves were faced with hoards of demonic servitors and legions of conquered blinfolk. Driving them forth were grey-skinned, tusked humanoids with great strength, greater resilience, and an infernal rage hot enough to boil their defensive waters. At their head walked a large, celestial warrior covered in scars, eyes burning with vengeful fury. Gerreuch and the Auch tribe were long gone, and in their place stood Grannosh and his Orcs.
Historical Figures
The greatest Orcish tales tell stories of the Great Saankat, the first orcs to follow the usurper god Grannosh on his unholy conquest. They were imparted with aspects of his godly strength, allowing them to function like saints do for other deities.
Grannosh: Easily the most well-known of orcish kind, the Usurper Grannosh is a god unlike any among his league. Rather than be born into the Baatan faction as all others had, he took his position by slaying an existing god and consuming his might and strength, a feat that has yet to be copied all these centuries later. Whether his worshippers know it or not, the brutal Destroyer God of Acheron was once a mortal like any other, and used his own willpower to conquer a millennia-old warlord and assume his place in the pantheon. Despite all this, he was still once a mortal, and is often revered as such.
Rhedik: Called the Clanmother by her worshippers, Rhedik served as a shaman for the Saankat, due mostly to her extensive druidic abilities and knowledge of medicinal herbs. Those females who worship her serve as healers and druids among their tribes, with most being an advisor to the chief. She was also known as the preferred mate of Grannosh, with several tales painting them as a inseparable couple.
Karagahn: Known as the Runecarver, Karagahn serves as the prime example that not all orcs are stupid. He is a legendary arcanist, with many of his followers adding their arcane abilities to the strength of their tribes. He was also the first orc to start the tradition of using demonic powers and blood to increase a tribe's strength. This culminated in the creation of the Tannaruk, a form of orc born with innate demonic powers.
Ilmarkus: Referred to as the Breaker, the idiotic Ilmarkus serves as the prime example of a common orcish stereotype. He is unusually large, terrifyingly strong, and a well-known dimwit. Orcs who revere him are usually far stronger than their peers, though they just are as often mentally lacking. However, this lack of intelligence does little to dissuade the mighty force Ilmarkus and his ilk have within their bodies.
Shanak: Often called the Nightlurker, Shanak is the patron of stealth and murders among orcs. She is a well-known assassin and rogue, and often imparts boons upon those orcs who revere her or further her actions of murder and stealth. She is also often associated with darkness and night, as they often serve for the preferred time for murders, but also serves as an icon for hunting and general survival.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Unlike most other races, orcs actively promote cross-breeding as a way to increase their strength in both numbers and diversity.
Scientific Name
Humo Ferox
Lifespan
20-40 years
Average Height
Male: 5'10 - 6'10
Female: 5'8 - 6'8
Average Weight
160 - 200 pounds
Average Physique
Most orcs are strong and well-built, with weak orcs usually being discarded or exiled just for being weak.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most orcs have grey-green skin, with tanning making the skin much darker.
Related Myths
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