Plains Orc

The Plains Orc, or as Sheraguth as they call themselves, are the most widespread clade of Orcs found across the realms of Otherworld. Due to their sheer numbers the general image of an Orc being a rowdy, belligerent and brutish people has become widespread despite them very different from their Forest, Water and Mountain kindred.

PHYSIOLOGY

The average Plains Orc is around five and half feet tall, making them the shortest of the Orc clades. They lack the hulking frames of the Mountain Orcs, the aquaitic physiology of their Water kin and the long arms, claws and prehensile feet of their Forest cousins. Plain Orcs tend to be rangy with lean physiques. They retain the Orcish strength however and are easily capable of ripping a human's arm from its socket with a little effort. Their skin colour is diverse, as is hair colour and make use of paints and dyes to daub themselves in garish colourations. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing and low-light vision, though not as good as their Forest kin.

SOCIETY

Plain Orcs belong for the past part to a tribe which can number anything from a dozen to hundreds of members. Each tribe will be led by a Chieftan who maintains his or her position through brute strength and cunning. Thus for a Chieftan to retain his title he must lead the tribe to victory in hunts and battles with rival tribes and anyone else the tribe comes across. For a Plains Orc the successful hunting and slaying of a particularly large and dangerous beast is proof that the hunter is worthy of leadership[ and thus the Chieftains are often the best hunters. Fortunately for the Plains Orc, their territories are replete with innumerable beasts who are even more belligerent than the average Orc. In spite of their perceived barbaric nature the Plains Orc make use of every part of each animal they hunt. Nothing goes to waste.

Most tribes are nomadic and rarely stay in one place for long. Some tribes have established permanent settlements, usually along trade routes and on the safe passages in difficult terrain in order to extract a toll from travellers. The more traditional Plains Orc tribes look down upon such activities and if tribes with differing ideologies meet, it usually ends up in a brutal clash.

CULTURE

Orcs respect strength and bravery. Their society is built around proving oneself capable of surviving hostile environments and defeating rivals and overcoming beasts of all shapes and sizes. They do not record the deeds and histories of their tribes, relying upon aural tradition that is invariably embellished over each retelling. If a respected Chieftan or warrior dies, then a simple shrine is erected that Orcs will pay respect to for a while before forgetting who it was dedicated to. The average Orc will be loyal to a Chieftan who can provide them with food, shelter and entertainment in the form of fighting and hunts only as long as such things last. Many a Chieftan will be defeated by his supposed right hand Orc the moment their successes are outweighed by his failures.

Whilst superficially Plains Orc appear to be loutish savages, they are an intelligent and adaptable people. They would appear to be in a stone age level of development but can mine for minerals and forge metal weapons and armour if they so desire. They just prefer not to. Their flint, bone and wooden weapons are enough to overcome most of their problems after all. They can farm and the Plains Orc tribes who have settled in one area will always have an extensive mushroom cultivation in dark, damp caves and valleys. Ultimately, the average Orc simply lacks the vision to see beyond the immediate present to worry about what may come to pass. The settled Orcs invariably grow quite rich and adopt the trappings of civilisation, even using currency to barter for trade instead of the time honoured tradition of raiding and stealing whatever they want.

CHIEF OF CHIEFS

On occasion a Chief of Chiefs will arise to forge a vast force of tribes bound together by their singular will. It is rare they last long as infighting invariably tears the allied tribes apart, though before that happens the realms of Otherworld tremble as a horde of Plains Orcs bound together under the leadership of one gifted Chieftan is enough to topple empires.

If a Chieftan were to arise who could unite the tribes and lead them for an extended period of time whilst fending off rivals were to ever arise, it would spell disaster for the so called civilised peoples of the realms.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Despite their love of hunting, Plains Orcs utilise numerous animals for a variety of purposes. They ride any number of wild beasts that they have tamed through a combination of brute strength and sheer bloody minded determination such as the colossal Tuskers and various kinds of Thunder Lizards. Any Chieftan worth their salt will find the biggest and most dangerous beast and claim it as their pet and/or steed instead of hunting it for its flesh. The bigger and meaner the beast under the control of the Chieftan is, the more esteem their fellow Orcs will have for them.

GENDER ROLES

Male and female Orcs are physically similar and thus there are as many female Chieftains as there are male. Orcs do not judge a fellow Orc by gender and will follow any one who prove themselves capable and thus worthy of pledging fealty to, however fleeting that loyalty may be. Plains Orcs are unusual amongst Orcs in that they enjoy the company of non-orc males and females.

COURTSHIP AND PROCREATION

Orcs are a fecund people and the Plains Orcs even more so. The sheer number of deaths attributed to Orc on Orc violence, failed hunts and the like mean that must be to ensure their numbers do not decline. A male Orc will prove his worth to a desired female through acts of strength and capability. If the female is impressed the two couple, a drawn out and often violent encounter in which the two fight for dominance. After all, they are still Orcs.

Once the deed is done the male Orc retreats and will rarely have anything to do with the rest of the process. The gestation process will take five months and toward the birth date the female Orc will find a secluded area in which to give birth. She will have anything from a single child to potentially a dozen which she will care for and nurture for a little over a year. Orcs grow swiftly and by the time they are a year old they will be on par with a human of around eighteen. During that year the female and her fellow females will protect the children with a ferocity even the male Orcs fear to rouse. Once they reach a year old however, the Orc brood will be expected to provide some use to the tribe or go out into the world to find their own purpose. Again, only the strongest Orcs will survive to become fully fledged adults.

ORIGINS

Across the realms of Otherworld it is commonly accepted that the Orc clades were created by the Elnorians, the so called Watchers who once ruled the entirety of the realms before their fall during the Cataclysm. The Orcs innate strength, durability, lack of empathy and swift ability to multiply made them ideal soldiers and workers for their celestial masters. Orcs of course do not have any records to consult regarding this, seeing the ancient Elnorians as little more than fallen Gods who grew too weak to keep their empire intact.