Orc
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Much can be said on the Orc, perhaps the first species people think of when saying "greenskins". Orcs are generally taller and bulkier than a human, regurarly towering over 6ft tall. Their body is uniquely adapt at surviving in extremely hostile conditions (some even theorizing there being similarities to the adaptability of orcs and humans), and reproduce quickly and often. Orcs bodies naturally pump with higher amounts of adrenaline, making them able to fight stronger, harder, and longer. This also helps in muscle growth, which is why most orcs aare seen as being very muscular and strong. Of course this tends to be less appearent for the city born orcs. It has also been observed that they are able to, at times, shrug off wounds or strikes that would slay a lesser mortal and keep breathing. This makes them dangerous and hard to kill, but can also make them loyal protectors and friends should someone befriend them.
With orcs there are diffrent types of their kind:
- Mountain: Mountain Orcs are perhaps the most common type of orc in existance. Earning their name from the belief they spawned from mountains and ran down into the valleys, these orcs are perhaps the most common example of orc one can find in the world.
- Orkin: These orcs are the now growing type of sub species found in most cities. These orcs have grown more and more distant from their original roots, and some features of these orcs are less pronounced than in baseline orcs
- Pureborn: Pureborn orcs, or Dire Orcs are seen as pinicles in orc society. They have less outside mingling in their blood than others, and are typically larger and stronger than a standard orc. These orcs are typically the leaders or nobiliity class in the tribes of barbarian orcs. Pureborn are also helped from rituals shamans cast before they are born to make them better and stronger.
- Orog: Sadly a now near extinct species of orc, these orcs were adapted to living in canverns and the underdark. Obviously, ever since the calamity, while many did escape sadly many more died out. Some believe they are fully wiped out but there are some reports of sightings in numerous areas near deep caverns.
Genetics and Reproduction
Orcs reproduce sexually, in a manner similar to humans. Orc gestation period is shorter then a human, clocking in at around5-6 months, which explains their rapid ability to spread. This is only helped by the blessings of their fertility god.
Growth Rate & Stages
Orcs reachmaturity ataround 12 years of age, which helps them grow their numbers quickly.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
All orcs possess tusks that vary from orc to orc, and slightly low foreheads, many also featured wolf like ears similar to elves, and some have described orcs as looking vaguely pig like. They have fierce eyes and their teeth and tusks make it easy for them to chew through most meat.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Due to how fast orcs breed, not to mention their ability to breed with most humanoid species, they have spread out far and wide across the world. While there are the Barbarian Tribes scattered around the world, after the Green War this number dropped slightly. Barbarian Orcs can still be encountered in droves, but more and more orcs can be found living more "normal" lives in cities and villages. In fact in the modern time, Half Orc populations are on the rise.
Average Intelligence
This has and will always be a devisive topic. Many may say that the Orc mind is dim-witted, dull, and degernate. These are fundementally wrong, if you want a dim-witted mind see a troll. Many orcs that live in the wild may not know some things city folk have, but thats simply because of a diffrence in lifestyle rather than an inabillity to think. Orcs raid and pillage other settlements because it honors their gods and can be profitable in desperate times. THey are able to produce equipment and tools themseles, but they find glory in taking someting from an enemy in battle. Ever scrpaped together armor piece tells a story, ever jurry rigged sword tells of old battles.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Orcs possess enhanced sensory capabilities for seeing in the dark and other low light enviorments.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Orc names are strong and guttural sounding, with female names being slightly more melodic. They don't have surnames, but do use epithets like "Knee Smasher" and "The Behemoth".
Gender Ideals
Traditionally, orcs have a complicated relationship with gender equality. It is true that the heirarchy is predominetly male oritneted and led, but these rules are not as set in stone as one might believe. Rather the orcs have expected gender roles for males and females, but exceptions are regurarly made based on merit and skill. Strength itself is the ultimate measure of leadership, and if a female orc beats an orc chief and claims his title, so be it. It is not a big issue to orcs as in the end of the day: if they are stronger, than clearly they have greater right to rule. It also needs to be noted this primarily refers to the savage orc tribes, as most of the city orcs tend to adopt the gender norms and ideals of the society they live in.
Courtship Ideals
Traditionally, orcs do not have very complex rituals for taking mates, as due to having to keep up their numbers for war they aren't entirely choosey on who they have kids with (which explains how half-orcs are so common in most places). The number of wives and children a Warchief of a tribe has is considered a mark of status and martial power. However again, this largely only describes the Barbarian Tribes as most other orcs take to whatever culture they live among.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
While Orcish is still the primary language orcs learn, they usually adopt the local language of the area they are in for ease of communication with outsiders
History
There are many questions as to the origins of the Orcs, but to this day none can really agree on where they came from specifically. The Elves believe that the Orcs are the offspring of one of the children of the ruler of hell, while the flames priests believe they first began as children of a pigish demon, but the orcs know better. The orcs know the reason and meaning behind their birth. According to their legends, it is said that there was a battle between the great god Goarus and strange gods of another plane of existance. Goarus would feel the need to have children to help him fight, and so he laid his seeds to the ground to mix with his divine blood. This in turn led to the Orcs being born, and Goarus made sure they were shifted and molded into the image he found most pleasing. During these old days, Goarus was wounded and struck in one eye by the entities right before he defeated them, and with his one hateful eye he saw that during all this, the elves and other races did not so much as cast a glance at him or his children. This angered Goarus, and he would mkae so that he and all orcish gods would be vital parts in their lives and gave his command: to wage war to please his rage, to pillage and burn the lands of those that stand against their conquest, and to be the masters of their land. So it was that the orcs quickly became a common foe for early mortal races.
To name every war fought against the Orcs, or Greenskins as they are sometimes referred to, would be to name thousands of battles across time. For as long as their had been written history, there had been Orcs fighting the other races. However, the greatest campaign is something burned into the memory of the citizens of the entire world: The War of Green, or The Green War. This was a war when suddenly, thousands of Orcish tribes would unite under the one banner of the Great Warlord named Zudagog the One. They would wage a war of horrific proportions, and entire cities were burned to the ground. However, within time, the orcs were beaten back, but the cost was heavy. By the end of it, the Orcs were on the very real cusp of going completely extinct, as they had just kept throwing themselves onto their enemies, where entire forests were quite literally awash with blood.
After the war, one old Orc would look upon his people and for the first time doubt the wisdom of his gods, Sodaght the Wise. He felt shame that his people had been reduced so, and that they simply throw themselves onto spear points to slaughter those that got in there way. He would walk up a mountain to contemplate quietly, when it is said he suffered a vision. This vision came from a new orcish god known as Lemertel. Lemertel was the silent mother, a goddess of protection, healing,and mercy. Some priests have argued that this could instead be the work of Rudvite (a proud daughter of the flame) being mistaken for someone else, but regardless of who it was this vision had a profund change on Sodaght. He ran down the mountain and showed his vision and the power of this goddess to his tribesman. Many were awed, as they realized that they could have protection from their angry gods and know peace. However, many others roared and raged, seeing this as the ultimate betrayal of their ancestors, god father, and very being. However this new faith rapidly spread, and soon many orcs rejected their old gods in favor of Lemertel. While at first the other mortal races were apprehensive, this did quickly give way, and soon these orcs lived amongst the cities.
However for those that rejected this new pretender goddess, their rage and hate only deepend. It is said in divine retribution, Goarus attacked and bit the head off of Lemertel, hoping to kill her and her believers, but this hasn't slowed the faith as much as he hoped. It is now seen that Lemertel died for the safety of her adoptive children, and this strengthened the city orcs belief in her, but deepend the divide between city and feral orc. Now the feral orcs (or barbarian orcs) live in tribes as their ancestors ancestors did, praying to who they see as their true gods. They still burn with rage and pain from the slaughters of ages past, and continue the divine mandate given to them by their raging, mad father: to wage endless war.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Orcs now operate a curious position in wider society, in where one must distinquish between the barbaric and violent orcs of the wilds, and the average orc of the city. While it is true that yes, orcs on the whole are known for being quick to anger, there is a diffrence between abbrasiveness and bloodlust. Many orcs live average lives in average cities, and some of the more zealous orcs formed penitent orders and monostaries to show their devotion to forgiving the sins of their past ancestors. Orcs are reckless, but this recklessness makes for good qualities in guards, sellswords, and adventuerers.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
Around 90 years, though their violent lifestyles typically mean very few reach this age.
Average Height
Usually well over 6 feet tall
Average Physique
Most orcs are very muscular bodies, due to the martial training of their race. For city orcs, you can find more examples of non-musular orcs, but most do tend to still be taller and more bulky by default.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Orcs had varying skin colors: ranging from bright green, dark green, or greyish skin tones. It is also common to see various browns skin tones in the orc, and in rare cases red skin has even been reported.
Related Organizations
