An Elder Race
Orcs, or Iukan in the Ysaran tongue, are children of the dead god Gruumsh. During the Dratarian Age, it is speculated that the orcs may have once followed Gruumsh and his teachings given that the gods has a much greater presence on Thelekar at the time, though there is no archaeological evidence to support this theory. According to Orcish folklore and oral history, the Hearth-City of Ukustown was founded by the hero Ukus gro-Bura, the first Iukan Lord. He made a deal with the leviathans of Ysara to leave the Highlands alone during their battle, which prevented the living forest now known as the Reta Woodlands from enveloping their territory. Orcish society has been civilized and lawful since history began being recorded, and orcs are often found in foreign courts as advisors thanks to their expertise with lawmaking.
The Orcish People originate from the Highlands of Ysara, enjoying a comfortable woodland home away from the dangers of the Reta Woodlands. While a number of orcish clans travel the pine forests following herds of bragand, a majority prefer the traditional orcish lifestyle found within the Hearth-Cities. Within these expansive cities are small communities built around clans, almost as if a number of villages have all been squished together with their own borders. Dozens of architecture styles can be found within each hearth city, from the stone and brick creations of dwarves to imitations of elven spires. Each community is run by a Clan Head, who governs like a sheriff and runs their own guard force of a few dozen guards. Every Clan Head swears fealty to their Hearth-Lord or Hearth-Lady, the person in charge of governing the Hearth-Cities themselves.
These lords and ladies have relatively simple lives, compared to monarchs across the seas. A majority of the governing is done by the Clan Heads, leaving the Hearth-Lords and Ladies to primarily work with those same Clan Heads. They settle inter-clan disputes, fund and staff any public schools or other services, and raise armies during times of war. Diplomatic matters are also handled by them, with most embassies being found in the central district of Hearth-Cities along with the main fortress.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Female-leaning orc names are typically more labial than guttural, though not nearly as fluffy and elegant as elven names. Like all orc names, they are usually mono- or bi- syllabic and lack any meaning behind them. Unless an orc is the Hearth-Lord or Hearth-lady of their city, their names are usually passed down through the generations or thought of on the spot rather than derived from old languages.
Example Feminine Names: Ahkash, Aza, Ashgel, Arzakh, Bagul, Boroth, Dulfra, Dulasha, Durga, Gula, Gluth, Gharn, Grazda, Harza, Jorthan, Kharza, Kora, Kroma, Mula, Narol, Nazhag, Orutha, Oshgana, Rogba, Razbela, Rogag, Roku, Solgra, Shaza, Shelboth, Shera, Snarga, Theg, Stuga, Ufgaz, Ufgra, Ugduk, Ugrash, Vosh, Vusha, Yazara, Yatular, Zaag, Zelguma, Zugh
Masculine names
Male-leaning orc names are usually short and too the point, leaning into the guttural tendency of the orcish language more strongly than female names. While female names are typically passed down from mother to daughter or derived from somewhere in the new child's bloodline, many male orcs are named after great heroes of old and ancient kings that founded the many Hearth-Cities that make up Orcish Culture as we know it. As such, each generation will typically have a set of common male names that make up nearly 50% of the male population.
Example Masculine Names: Abzag, Agganor, Agnar, Agstarg, Bash, Boldarkh, Bolg, Borab, Burzgrag, Blodrat, Carzog, cognor, Dagnub, Dorzogg, Dromash, Dulph, Dulrat, Ghak, Ghaturn, Glazulg, Gloorag, Godbag, Gohazgu, Horak, Hruz, Kazok, Kadrun, Kulth, Kurog, Larob, Lashbag, Lugdugul, Lugolg, Mulur, Mulzalt, Maugh, Maaga, nagoth, Nahzgra, Nakhul, Narhag, ofglog, Obrash, Oogron, Oorg, Odrdooth, Olgol, Razgor, Rhosh, Rognar, Shab, Skarath, Snarbugag, Snagh, Thagam, Threg, Thordak, Thereg, Ulghesh, Ulang, Uuth, Vargos, Vulmon, Wort, Yagrag, Tarnabakh, Zagh, Zilbash, Zulgroth, Zunlog
Family names
Orcs do not take on family names, instead using their same-sex parent's name as a surname(with an honorific preceding it based on gender: "gra" for female names, "gro" for male names, and "gri" for agender names). For example, Borkul has a father named Durak and a mother named Luga. He will most likely call himself Borkul gro-Durak after his father, though it is not uncommon for children to take the names of their opposite-sex parents. In the case of a two same-sex parents, it is entirely the personal choice of the child.
Other names
When an orc leaves their hearth-city, they take on the name of the city as their surname in order for other orc cities or foreign kingdoms to recognize where they come from. Borkul gro-Durak was born in Ukustown, and has set out to sell his fine pelts in the allied city of Northpoint. When he arrives, he will go by Borkul gri-Ukus so that they know where he has travelled from and that he means no harm to them.
Historical Figures
Without a doubt, Ukus gro-Bura is the greatest orc in Iukan folklore. His accomplishments in protecting the Iukan Highlands from the rage of Leviathans during the Age of Ancients prevented the orcs from being exterminated like pests and allowed them to settle into their comfortable lives within their stone walls. This deal seems to hold until this day, and the peace between the Reta Treants born from the leviathans and the Orcish strongholds is a testament to Ukus's legend.
Many great orcs have found glory across Thelekar since then, however. The great smith Kurag gri-Razbela served in the Sunfire Legion under Khoran Voletaria, and worked side-by-side with Gond himself to forge the mighty sword-spear Cataclysm. They are currently believed to have ascended with Khoran to Mount Celestia, though they have not taken it upon themselves to gain followers as a demigod. Gula gra-Vosh is another legendary orcish hero, responsible for repelling the Black Dragonfire Company during the Age of Kings. If she hadn't repelled their attack so thoroughly and burned half their fleet, the World Garden would have successfully vassalized Northpoint and gained a foothold on Ysara. To this day Ysara remains untouched by the World Garden Empire thanks to her sacrifice.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Orcs are not a people with many beauty ideals, though a few of their customs tie directly to their drive to stay clean and tidy. It is expected of orcs to maintain their hair at all times, and its almost considered disgraceful to have messy hair in view of other people. From a young age, all orcs are taught how to clean and style their hair, using adornments made of silver and fine cloth and stone to hold braids, pin hair back, and keep it out of the orc's face. Prior to battle, orcs will take time to braid their hair tightly and pin them with special pins passed down from parent to child in order to prevent it from getting grabbed in the heat of battle. These pins are important heirlooms just like family swords or jewelry, and are often buried with orcs who die before having children and passing them on.
As Orcs grow tusks and larger teeth than the other races, dental care is also incredibly important to orcish beauty. Clean teeth may be a luxury in other cultures, but among orcs, it is an expectation. They are ritually cleaned every morning and night, and often after meals to reduce plaque buildup. Many orcs hire fine artisans and sculptors to carve intricate detail work into their 2 large tusks, while others choose to have them pierced or use metal caps to bring further attention to them. These processes can be incredibly painful, but other body modifications like tattoos are not popular amongst orc culture leading to tusk modification and hair styling being the main source of orcish individuality.
Gender Ideals
Unlike other races, orc society doesn't acknowledge gender beyond basic sexual anatomy. If all orcs fight and die the same, why make distinctions? In fact, the idea of sex influencing an orc's personality or actions did not truly exist within orcish society until the arrival of the World Garden Empire in Ysara and the founding of Imperia Viola to the south of the Highlands. As a result, orcish society is mostly agender when it comes to politics and societal roles except when it comes to motherhood and pregnancy.
There are none higher in the orcish totem pole than mothers and pregnant women. To further the growth of your Hearth-City is above the highest honor you can bestow upon your people, and you deserve respect from any you meet for continuing on the family. The Festival of the Mothers is a holiday that takes place at the height of the summer season in which each orc honors their mother of birth or the orc that represents the nurturing parental figure of a mother in their lives.
Courtship Ideals
Orcish courtship is considered obtuse and ritualistic by their imperial neighbors, but to the orcs it represents their 4 cultural values: stability, ferocity, family, and respect. Rather than a bride-price or asking permission from your beloved's parents, orcs instead must create 4 gifts for the target of their affection based on those same values. In the case of the previously mentioned Borkul gro-Durak, he is deeply in love with Karzha gra-Bulga and must craft the gifts himself in order to win her affection.
First, Borkul will find a large stone and chisel away at it until it has formed a proper cornerstone for the home they will build together. This can either be more of a metaphorical gesture if Borkul already owns a home or plans on buying one, but many orcish couples do build new homes on the outskirts of their Hearth-Cities. The stones must be have the tenants of Syrus dictating respect and admiration for one's partner carved into the surface, as well as the intended's name on all 6 faces.
Second, he will forge 2 blades to serve as their household weapons. They will match in all but the inscriptions upon the blade flat, which will list the name of the wielder and the Hearth-City they call home. Borkul's blade will read Borkul gri-Ukus as his Hearth-City is Ukustown, while Karzha's will read Karzha gri-Dhormed as she was born in Dhormed. These will be the weapons they carry into war, and they will fight side by side together till the end. Should they fall, these blades will serve as identification for them, and they will be returned to their Hearth-Cities should orc customs be followed.
Third, Borkul will create a quilt with the help from his family where they will embroider the image of Borkul and images of his accomplishments in life- a scene of a battle he won, or the likeness of a beast he brought down, even a great structure he helped build would suffice. It will only be half a blanket, however, as Karzha and her family are meant to knit the other half as an acceptance of the proposal. These blankets are combined and hung as a tapestry in the new couple's home, and can be added upon as the two accomplish greater and greater things together.
Fourth, Borkul will forge 2 identical ornaments for he and Karzha to wear. These can be clasps for their hair, ornaments for their tusks, golden piercings in their ears, or anything that will match the two together. Whatever design Borkul chooses, they will have Syrus's orcish name Syrkag carved into them to show that the wearer is married and unavailable for courtship. Essentially, the ornaments are meant to show public dedication and respect for each other, and to ward infidelity and dishonesty from the relationship.
If the proposal is accepted, the two will ritually bathe themselves and prepare themselves for marriage. No fancy clothes, not ornate jewelry or complicated braids, just two orcs in simple white clothing with their hair down and love put forward. A priest of Syrus recite the marriage rites, cover them both in the family tapestry they created, and declare them united in life. After this, the couple will help each other prepare for the 3-day celebration that is about to take place, helping clean and braid each others hair and helping clean and clothe each other's bodies. The whole Hearth-City is invited for the celebrations, and every household is expected to bring either food or a gift for the new couple.
Relationship Ideals
The four orcish values of stability, ferocity, family, and respect are all based around family and love, of which the love between 2 individuals is the highest of all. Orcs are expected to consult their partners before making big decisions while also respecting each other's autonomy and freedom. Orcish partners are called Life Partners as they are supposed to be one half of your whole, going through life together with a blade in one hand and your partner's hand in the other.
Because of this, willful dishonesty and adultery are some of the worst disrespects you can afflict on your partner. To go so low as to allow lust to come between you and them is considered a crime worthy of exile. The Mark of Cyric, a tattoo of a jawless skull, is forcibly put upon the criminal's chest to show any who come into contact with them that they are not to be trusted.
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