Orcs and Half-Orcs

Are you a survivor? Do you have what it takes to outlast your kind? Are you ready to fight? Play an Orc!
+2 Strength -1 Charisma
Movement 30 ft.
Pick Two:
+1 Natural Armor bonus to AC +2 on saves against fear effects Vision Low Light 30 ft. +2 to Intimidate Checks +2 to Grapple Checks Can make DC 15 fortitude saves to continue fighting when at or under 0 hit points until failure or killed outright +2 on saves to avoid fatigue

Orcs have a special predisposition to survival. The first time per day an Orc hit 0 hit points or drops below 0 hit points, assuming the damage they take does not kill them outright, the Orc may continue fighting as normal for one more turn and may continue making DC 20 Fort Saves to continue fighting until they are killed outright.
Are you the kind of person who can make compromises? Do you question your ferocity? Do you like be having tusks, but don't like being a savage? Be a Half-Orc!
+1 to any Stat
Normal Vision 30 ft. Movement Pick Two:
+2 to intimidation checks +2 to Saves against fear effects +2 to survival checks Advantage on saves to avoid damage from excessive heat Can make DC 15 fortitude saves to continue fighting when at or under 0 hit points until failure or killed outright Half-Orcs have a special ability to resist domination effects and gain a +2 against Domination effects.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Orcs and Half-Orcs reproduce as humans do. Orcs can only reproduce with orcs, whereas half-Orcs reproduce when Half-Orcs are a line unto themselves. They tend to reproduce faster than humans, usually having twins, single children are considered quite special and honored for their luck and blessing.

Growth Rate & Stages

Orcs grow into maturity by age 15 as humans, but due to their size often reach middle age by 30 and are prone to greater taxation on their bodies and often die much younger than humans. Half-Orcs age at the same rate as humans.

Ecology and Habitats

Orcs live in the rough highlands between Morogh and Mariel and into Morogh. Half-Orcs mostly live in Morogh as a part of their frontier cities and towns.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Both Orcs and Half-Orcs are Omnivores. Orcs prefer to eat Red Meat, Half-Orcs tend to eat whatever meat is common to whichever society they live in.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Orcish Society is vicious and cutthroat, a society constructed for the strong. To call what occurs in the lands between Mariel and Morogh "civilization" may be a tad generous, though "unmitigated slaughter" reads as far to strong. Needless to say an outsider in Orcish careful need be extremely careful whenever interacting with Orcish culture.
In Orcish society, the most meaningful thing is Personal Honor. Honor is achieved by material means, the number of wives and concubines, children, treasures, and victories a male Orc achieves shows his worth. For a female Orc, her joy comes from the success of her offspring from which she herself takes a part reward, for it was she that birthed them. This idea of personal honor is for strength, not for goodness or the following of any code, for there is only the code of the wilderness. In their lands petty kings and war lords battle over resources and land, seeking out victory and new glories for themselves. Overthrow is common and conflict within Orc kind and with their neighbors is common, particularly because of Orcish raids, kidnapping of women and children, mortal sacrifice, and appeasement of the Dark Gods all lead to a deep divide between Orcish culture and the cultures around them.
Half-Orcs: Act generally as humans do, though they have the size, and often the temper, of their barbaric brethren, but they have been accepted by both the Moro and the Mariellians as equals because of their good labor and generally noble intentions, but occasionally they are mistrusted.

Facial characteristics

Orcs have large faces with wrinkly skin, pointed ears, and prominent tusks. Half-Orcs closely resemble their non-Orcish counterpart, save with small tusks and generally have the same greenish tint as their Orcish brethren.

Average Intelligence

Generally lower than that of other species because of their utter lack of a formalized education structure.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Orcs use harsh-sounding names, given after a hoped-outcome for the child's life. Surnames are usually eschewed, rather using a simple system of so and so the son of so and so, or so and so the daughter of so and so.
Half Orcs have adopted the Anglo-Celtic naming tradition of the Moro.

Beauty Ideals

The height of beauty is battle, for battle is when the spirit of strength and conquest is at its highest and most glorious point, spilling down into the beauty of all things, for all things are a battle.

Gender Ideals

The height of a male Orc's existence is to be the greatest of warlords, the greatest drinker, the greatest heir producer, the greatest warrior, the strongest of Orc kind. The height of a female Orc's existence is to raise this strongest of Orcs and to assist them in their climb to the top, assisting them as they climb, either by wits or force.

Courtship Ideals

To the victor go the spoils.

Relationship Ideals

See above.

Average Technological Level

Primitive.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Orcish, Orcish is a language with no close mortal comparisons, the closest of all language probably being Akklo. Common is often spoken by Orcs, or a least a few Orcs, but is not a norm.

Common Etiquette Rules

Murdering one's family members, engaging in an unfair challenge, or backstabbing one's companions is deeply wrong.

Theft is punishable by death, possession goes for the strong.

Common Dress Code

Orcs enjoy wearing finery, but finery is impracticable so it is very rarely worn, usually opting for the most functional of armors.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

In Orcish culture it is not common to have alliances; these alliances are very different then we think of alliances. An alliance means that the two Orcs sharing must share in all things from treasure, to land, to women, to armies. This is intended to prevent Orcs from turning against one another as they are co-dependent, with one another, this plan sometimes works, but often leads to more infighting than before.

Common Taboos

Never disrespect the leading male in a group of Orcs, this is a challenge to single combat to the death.

History

Back in the earliest days of the Second World, before men settled in the Inner Realms, Orcs set about establishing their lands in the Northeastern corner of the world. Rather than develop culture or society, Orcs set about conquering each other and engaging in warfare to find the strongest among them. However, these Orcs and their settlements were no match for the expansion of human society and Inner Realms, so that they soon were driven up, far away from the sea into their own northern land.
The Orcs warred against Varien after he rose to power. His ambition to unite all mortals was resisted by the Orcs because of their mistrust of all other mortals. They fought violently against Varien and his allies, leading to the hostility that endures between the kingdoms of the inner realms and the Orcs of the wilds. The orcs who fell under Varien's command and joined the society of Morogh became intermarried with other mortals and thus became Half-Orcs, loathed by pure Orcs.
Since the death of Varien, things have gone on much the same way they had been, the fight for supremacy among fellow Orcs is the single driving force in Orcish culture and hierarchy. This fight has spilled across, on occasion into the lands of men, because their warring with one another and those who live outside their lands, for the way of the Orc is the path of war.

Historical Figures

Zilingore Son of Golang: One of the greatest of Orc champions, probably of any in recent memory came closest to being the true King of the Orcs. He was slain by a Knight of house De Glenn.
John Broadback and Lewis Brooks: These are the first two Half-Orcs to serve in the royal court of Morogh and were chief agents for the reconciliation of Half-Orcs and Men.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

To keep things simple, most species and societies are terrified of Orcs and will generally go out of their way to avoid Orcs viewing them as vile savages, particularly Lycans and Halflings. The lone two examples are the Veitenlanders and the Goblins. Goblins do not like Orcs, but will associate with them because their protection and help is useful in the chaos that is the land north of the sea. Veitenlanders deeply respect Orcs, but fear them and wish to keep them at arms length. Veitenlanders have much of the same when it comes to matters of glory, seeking their riches of land, relational conquests, and treasure, but still view them as overemotional and barbaric.

Lifespan

Orcs: 40 years Half-Orcs: 60

Average Height

Orc: 6'9" Half-Orc: 6'2"

Average Weight

Orc: 280 lbs. Half-Orc: 215 lbs.

Average Physique

Large-boned and muscular.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Orcs and Half-Orcs both have a green tint to their skin, this is much more prominent in full Orcs.