Half-Orcs

Able to walk between worlds like few other races, Half-Orcs carry with them the innate connection to the natural world and Primal Magic of their Orc heritage, while still able to engage in cities and civilization in a way that full-blooded Orcs cannot. This, paired with the cultural norm of Orcs to take multiple partners over the course of their lives and an opposition against ideas of racial purity, makes Half-Orcs one of the most common races in the known world alongside Humans and Half-Elves.
While Half-Orcs are accepting of nearly all other cultures, the Orc blood is dominant within them - regardless of their other parentage. Meaning that however accustomed they become to life in grand cities or work amidst the guilds, they will always hear a distant call to the nomadic life of their ancestors.

ATTRIBUTES AND APPEARANCE

Not as large as full-blooded Orcs, Half-Orcs are more similar in size to Devilblood and Humans - but are still often much more muscular in build. They also carry the same skin coloration, often shades of gray and green with some naturally pigmented patterns of tan or yellow. Their tusk-like teeth are much smaller than Orcs, and are typically little more than a slight underbite or sharpened fang-like lower canines.
Half-Orcs still retain an incredible strength from their bloodline. However, their innate connection to Primal Magic and the wisdom that comes with it is dampened, leaving behind just the knowledge of omens and superstition with little of the context to judge them with. While they may still carry Totems like their full-blooded ancestors, their meaning and innate magic is far more obfuscated. This leads some to dive head-first into their primal instinct with abandon, leading to many embracing the rage of Barbarians.

HISTORY

As long as Orcs have been known to be present throughout history, there have been Half-Orcs. They share the same ancestral history and are not a new development of the modern world. There is record of Half-Orcs as leading members of The Tzigani dating back to just after the Age of Antiquity, even record of some of The Mygar Horse Lords being Half-Orcs.
This connection to The Tzigani would continue through the ages and into the end of the Age of Darkness where caravans of Tzigani became vital connection points and trade for Haven cities across what would become the Imperial Fractals. The strength and resilience of Half-Orcs made them invaluable protectors of these nomadic groups, however many would begin to stay behind in the Haven cities they helped - forming connections and their own communities within city walls. This marks the most prominent divergence of Orc and Half-Orc lineage, as Half-Orcs began to become integrated into what would become the modern society of the Imperial Age.

IN SOCIETY TODAY

Today, Half-Orcs are very common in the Valedori Empire, but can be found throughout the known world. They are one of the most populous races, alongside Humans and Half-Elves, thanks to their dominant bloodline and cultural acceptance of other peoples - it is easy to find Half-Orcs interwoven into a variety of communities. They have a preference for large convergences and melting-pots of different peoples, meaning they can often be found in large ports and trade hub cities like Castile in the Imperial Fractals or El-Khalil and Thebes in the Holy Land Fractals. While they can be found within the Diasporal Fractals as well, it is much less common to see them at the heart of Elven society.
That said, it is not uncommon for Half-Orcs to continue to be pulled towards a nomadic life, regardless of how integrated they have become into civilization. This can lead to many to joining merchant guilds that require travel across long distances or taking work aboard Skyships  - finding small ways to break away from sedentary life while still being involved in society at large.

by Kme

Common Regions: Imperial Fractals, Holy Land Fractals
Region Exclusions: None
Average Lifespan: 80
Average Height: 6-7
Languages: Orc, Tzigani, Common
Naming Examples: Korcan, Radkov, Orosz, Lavinia, Estanya, Mirova