Orcs
Orcs are one of the major races of Totania, living in Udai. They were the first Humanoid race on Totania after the fall of The Giant Kingdom, and are the sister race of the Elves.
Simultaneously, Selene saw this and, as her name of the Jealous Goddess can suggest, god jealous. Therefore, she created a race that was similar to Orcs in many ways, but improved upon them in ways she thought was best. She gave them a gift of magic from Mayowa, while Nergal had used that to make his Orcs strong. The Elves, then, had amazing powers while the Orcs were simply stronger.
For hundreds of years, the Elves and Orcs were slaves to Mimir and Satanael, who exploited them to take the resources of the land. Specifically The Elven Forest at the center of Elone, which Camor was already within.
The Orcs did much of the physical labor while Elves performed special tasks, both using their gifts of strength and magic respectively. These two Gods knew exactly how to exploit them.
This was especially true for the Elf Meiriris Nerifir, who was growing equally hateful towards Mimir and Satanael. She wanted to start a rebellion, and began to stir up revolutionary fervor among the Elves. Two Elves she recruited who were of specific note were Tavzion Mossense, who was appointed as the first Captain Commander and Galgeon Lusisce. Remember Galgeon for later.
Meiriris needed the Orcs on her side, though, and she needed someone to lead them. So she sought out Amukk, who was respected by for his strength. At first, he spit in her face at the idea of Elves and Orcs working together. The Elves thought themselves so high and mighty, but they were grovelling for his help. He didn't want to give it to people like them.
Ultimately, Meiriris convinced Amukk to agree on one condition: equal rights in the Kingdom that would come after the revolution. Amukk wanted peace, and Meiriris promised him that much at least.
Government Structure
Orcish Societies are not united, instead led by separate clans in separate locations. Most of these clans live in separate villages, but there are some villages that, while contesting with power struggles, have multiple clans residing in them.Tribal Chief
Tribal Chiefs are the leaders of each clan, and are said to be the strongest amongst their brothers and sisters. Anyone of any gender can be a Tribal Chief, and it is even said that if a non-Orc is strong enough, they could theoretically be a Tribal Chief as well. Tribal Chiefs deal with all problems in their Clans, as well as leading all battles between their Clan and anyone else. They are the face of the clan, and while it can be a stressful job, many Orcs aspire to reach it. There is a misconception about Tribal Chiefs in the wider scope of Totania. Many believe it is simply the strongest person becomes Tribal Chief, but it is actually more than that. It is a vote amongst the people of a clan as to who should be Chief. Often they choose the strongest because they fear for their lives and their safety and wish for the strongest person to protect them. It is not because they only want violence, but because they wish to live, that the Orcs value strength.Amukk God Breaker by Jarhed
Chief of All Clans
Chief of All Clans is a defunct title to signify the leader of a Grand Clan, which is when almost every, if not every single, Orcish clan is united under one banner. The banner they are united under is that of the Chief of All Clans, a title feared more than Grand Wizard, Emetian Worldbreaker, or Owner General of the Lizardfolk combined, for they must be strong enough to lead all clans, and then they would have the power of the clans to back them up as well. It was only ever held by two people. The first of which was the Orc Amukk God Breaker, who led the alliance of Orcs and Elves alongside first Elven Queen Meiriris Nerifir to stop Satanael and Mimir. The second was Bud the Hollow, an Orc who united the clans to go to war with the Beastmen.Settlements
There are many Orcish settlements, the names of which change when certain Clans take over. These are some that are more well known due to their proximity with the people of the East.Shatlita Gunn by Jarhed
Urd Grabad
Urd Grabad is one of the most famous Orcish settlements. This is in large part due to its location, as it is found near the eastern tip of the Modan peninsula. It is the closest settlement to Camp Izgrad and, due to this, it is very accepting of people from all clans, as Orcs from all clans pass through fairly often. It is most famous for the Gunn clan, founded by Tribal Chief Gunn, which brought forth the Monster of Urd Grabad Shatlita Gunn and Marshal of the Revolution Shatt Gunn. The Deconstruction Mage Gazzok the Butcher also hails from Urd Grabad.Camp Izgrad
Camp Izgrad is known as a breeding ground for Orcs, where Orcs from different clans travel to in search of a mate. Here, Orcs of all genders fight for mates or fight their mates. It is the one place where war cannot break out for Orcs as, despite there constantly being fights, it is seen as a peaceful place for life to begin, not end. If anyone kills someone in Camp Izgrad, they will be dropped into the ocean to drown. Non-Orcs are allowed into Camp Izgrad as well. One may find stories that Half-Orcs are products of non-consensual relationships, but in a majority of cases, 99% of the time, this is untrue. Half-Orcs are often the result of non-Orcs entering Camp Izgrad and willingly engaging in the activities of the Orcs. One does not necessarily stumble upon the Camp, as it is a famous location.Nergal by Jarhed
Zruddoz
Zruddoz is an Orcish settlement that is often at war with the Mammen, due to its proximity to Ruzrugh, the capital of the Mammen people. Many Orcs try to avoid Zruddoz, as they wish not to anger the Mammen and want to leave the clan in charge of Zruddoz to deal with it. Still, without fail, almost every clan that takes Zruddoz tries to invade Ruzrugh.Kruldran
Kruldran was the first Orcish settlement made, but much of its history has been lost to conquest and war, as every clan wants to take it for themselves. What is known is that it is a center of Orcish culture and battle, and even the Korvians wish to take it, either to control it or destroy it.The Fields of Slaughter
The Fields of Slaughter is a region on the south-eastern tip of Udai. There are no permanent settlements here, but instead it is where many battles take place. Invasions or expeditions from Elone often end up here, which is where they are then slaughtered. That is how it gained its name.History
In -2200, the God Nergal decided it had been long enough since there was a sentient, humanoid race created. At that point, there were only two sentient races at all: Giants and Dragons. So Nergal made a race to populate Totania: Orcs.Selene by Jarhed
The Kingdom of the Gods
After a battle between Selene and Nergal for control, the two were forbidden from entering the city for a thousand years by the King of the Gods Izanagi. In that time, two evil Gods decided it was their turn to intervene, and so the God of Secrets Mimir and the God of Devils Satanael took over the city of Orcs and Elves, dubbing it Camor and enslaving both races.Satanael by Jarhed
Revolution Brews
An Orc by the name of Amukk God Breaker, or Amukk as he was simply called at the time, was growing dissatisfied with the way things were. He did very little to stop it, instead using his time in slavery to train and get stronger. He grew to a monstrous size, his muscle mass unbelievable to many.Meiriris Nerifir by Jarhed
Mimir by Jarhed
The God Breaker
Legend says that in the revolution that followed, Amukk led his forces against Mimir himself, and that Amukk beat Mimir in single combat, granting him the name God Breaker. The truth is different, of course. No mortal could singlehandedly defeat a God. So instead, Amukk, with the help of his forces like Zak the Colossal, fought against an avatar of Mimir that was on Totania (which is much weaker than a God). They were able to defeat Mimir and convince him to leave the Elves and Orcs alone as Meiriris and her Elves did the same to Satanael.Trade
Orcs do not deal much in trades, mostly due to a lack of ports and the fact that every other race on Totania is too afraid to let them have boats. Alongside that, the four nations that surround the Orcs (Korvians, Mammen, Lizardfolk, and those races of the Beastmen Triumvirate) refuse to make trade deals with the Orcs. Orcs do, however, trade in two major ways. One: ambushing and looting the trade caravans of these races listed above. Orcs will often camp out on the sides of major roads, waiting for caravans to pass, then either killing or tying up the merchants and stealing the goods. Often, they will leave gifts to be traded in return. Animal bones or foodstuffs they are willing to give away. Their other trade comes from interactions between Orc clans. Orcs will often fight amongst each other, but when the time comes to stop, the clans will trade. Fighting, then, is almost a pretext to trade. They fight for fun, then trade and go about their days.Orcish Strength and Magic
Orcs are said to be the strongest race, their strength equal to or surpassing even Giants and Dragons. This strength comes from the Weave Portals in their brains. Weave Portals are the source of magic, and while most other races are made in a way that the Weave Portal can grant them magic, for Orcs it is channeled into their bodies. When they feel strong emotion, the magic is channeled into their muscles. There are rare cases of Orcs being born with magic. When this happens, this Orc is praised and honored by the others for having such a great power, and they try to find any way to get them trained.Agriculture
Orcs do, contrary to what many people believe, grow crops. Some may find their methodology, which is to plant them and harvest them as quick as possible, to be barbaric, but this mindset is outdated. Orcish culture is not patient, for Orcs believe that life passes one by an instant, and if one waits, one wastes. Orcs do not waste anything, be it time, energy, or food. Any crops that have not been set to be traded with other Orcs are eaten fairly fast, which is why Orcs will harvest them so fast. They do not get crops often, so they crave them. This fast consumption of crops is why many outsiders see Orcs as potentially only carnivorous, as there never seem to be any fruits or vegetables to eat as they disappear so fast.Religion
Orcs, for the most part, follow the religion of the God who created them: Nergal. However, to say they worship him would not necessarily be correct. At most, they honor him. Orcs do not have time to read his teachings, and find it a pain to actually go to his Temple. Not all of them can even read, as they wish not to waste time learning that they could be spending working or fighting. Part of this is due to how often they must fight, be it against themselves or against the rich Korvians or Mammen who intend to keep the Orcs down in the mud. Some say the Holy Book "The Blood Oath" asks for immense death, while others say different. They use their religion to perpetuate a violent society that keeps them oppressed, yet few know or truly care what it says. It is at best a cardboard cut-out of an ideal and at worst an excuse for violence and hatred.Diplomatic Relations
Orcs are feared or hated by most. Still, they do keep diplomatic ties with some people.Korvians
The Korvians are, for the most part, a group of rich elites who keep down their own poor. They also hate the Orcs and do everything in their power to prevent Orcs from taking true power in Udai. It is said the Korvians helped spread misconceptions of Nergal and helped to split the Orcs into separate clans. Korvians often go to war with Orcs, though it is not large military forces. Instead, it's either a single noble or a group of nobles traveling out and using their abilities to take on the Orcs. All it takes is a single person with immense power and influence and the Orcs seem to fall before them. But always, always, the Korvians die. No one can overcome the might of the Orcs when they are truly trying. For this, the Korvians fear the Orcs, and they are said to be natural enemies.Mammen
The Mammen are also rich, with their city Ruzrugh being the mercantile capital of Udai. However, they do not provoke the Orcs, and instead try to isolate themselves from the Orcs by staying on their peninsula. Orcs will still try to invade, and need to be repelled by The Crimson Court, the Church of the Devil Satanael, which is centralized in Ruzrugh.Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk live in a horribly dangerous place and just want peace. Some even try to settle near the lands where Orcs live. Orcs hate this, seeing the Lizardfolk as threats to their society. Propaganda often paints the Lizardfolk as dangerous and trying to undermine Orcish normalcy and take their place. Therefore, Orcs hate Lizardfolk and often go to war with them.Beastmen Triumvirate
The Beastmen Triumvirate is a shaky alliance between the Crocutions, Felids, and Minotaur people, also including Satyrs, Centaurs, and some other Beastmen under their umbrella. They stay isolated out of fear of the Orcs, who they believe would be a great threat to them if the Beastmen ever left the Key of Beasts they live on.Elves
Elves often view Orcs as a threat to their idea of superiority. After all, Elves were made as copies of Orcs, and therefore Elves and Orcs are in many ways one and the same. Due to this, the Elves not only have laws to keep Orcs out of their cities, but on the record they do not officially acknowledge that the Orcs even have a nation of their own. To the Elves, Orcs are lawless and worthless, purely because the Elves wish to believe they are better than the Orcs.Humans
When Humanity appeared on Totania, they knew very little about the people here. When they eventually met Orcs, they were hesitant to believe there were people the way Orcs had been described. Savages and such. It was difficult for them to meet Orcs, as they did not seek to travel to Udai. Therefore, through large amounts of propaganda from Elves and Dwarves, Humanity finally began believing it, though those that met Orcs would note how what they heard did not match what Orcs truly were: people, like everyone else. Humanity has a shaky relation with Orcs, as Humans are across the pond from Orcs in terms of the ocean, and some Orcs swim to Human coasts or Humans travel to Orc coasts for vacation. Due to this, Humanity has been forced to come to an unstable peace with Orcs, which mostly means leaving them alone.
The Elves and Orcs, then, took Camor for themselves. Meiriris was appointed as the first Queen of the Elves and Amukk was called Chief of All Clans. For some years, they lived peacefully.
Amukk tried to fight, but after so many deaths, his soldiers were not behind him on it. They feared dying. So he agreed, leaving across a small landbridge that existed between Elone and Udai. He settled down in Kruldran, but would die soon after to a force of Devils sent by Satanael from the nearby Crimson Court. Satanael does not forget, nor does he forgive.
Bud would lead his army throughout Udai, uniting them into what he called a Grand Clan. He renamed the united Orcish society of Amukk God Breaker to a Grand Clan, and took up the title Amukk had as well as the Chief of All Clans.
With his Grand Clan, Bud would strike fear into all Beastmen. He even wiped out all but one of the Ratfolk, with that final one, named Radt, being taken in by the Korvians for protection. Bud would even destroy settlements the Korvians and Mammen had outside of their capitals, which is why The Korvian City and Ruzrugh are their only major settlements. Any others were destroyed by Bud the Hollow.
Gazzok the Anguished wanted Shatlita to acknowledge him. He was her childhood friend and always stuck by her side, but he was weak, and Shatlita did not want someone weak by her side. He may have loved her, but she did not love him. Still, they were to be married.
Shatlita led a raid on the Mammen city of Ruzrugh. Many wonder why she did it, but her reasoning was likely exactly what the end result was: she wished to rid herself of Gazzok. Gazzok was seemingly killed, and Shatlita ran off with a human named Roref Moondancer Gunn.
Shatt became the defacto leader of the group, as he was the unifying force of positivity. He was a ball of sunshine who brought them all together, and would learn to lead through his experiences with them.
Shatt also dealt with the sins of his mother in the form of a vengeful refugee named Zasagur, then joining the Army of the Revolution and being adopted by the founding Marshal of the Revolution, Fepar Tilrak.
Shatt was deemed responsible for the crash of the Hot Airship the Yùzhào, but ultimately he became Marshal of the Revolution and helped to put a stop to the Dwarven Civil War that the crash caused. He was the adopted brother of two other famed heroes of the time, Nalrik Tilrak and Caddos Damolnath, yet still his name stands on its own.
Driven Out
Galgeon Lusisce was Meiriris's right-hand man, and he spearheaded a campaign not long after the revolution. First, it began with some Orcs being killed mysteriously. Then, messages began appearing telling the Orcs to leave. Finally, Galgeon began to actually tell them to leave Camor or die.Bud the Hollow by Jarhed
The Beastman Genocide
For quite some time after Amukk, the Orcs were split up. It was likely the Korvians that spread enough propaganda to get them to do so, though many blamed all sorts of Beastmen. Finally, in -424, an Orc named Bud the Hollow became a Tribal Chief, and started to unite all of the tribes together once more against this common enemy of the Beastmen. These included:- Korvians
- Mammen
- Crocutions
- Felids
- Minotaurs
- Lizardfolk
- Satyrs
- Centaurs and most importantly
- Ratfolk
Wiscys Nicandir by Jarhed
The Witch
Wiscys Nicandir, the fourth Grand Wizard of the Draconians, saw the threat Bud posed to not only Udai, but all of Totania. She knew what it was like, as she was hated by many in her own lands, being the origin of the term Witch. Wiscys traveled to Udai, breaking a rule of hers that she had made. This rule was that she would never harm an innocent person. To kill Bud, however, she had no choice. He was too strong and he rarely ever left his army. But if she spread a disease spell into a town he failed to conquer and said they were weak, he would come to take it. She knew, too, that he wanted his people to prosper. He would not risk his army. He would come alone. And if he was alone, Wiscys could take him. Of this fact, she was confident. Wiscys did kill him with the disease, but ultimately died of it herself. Neither body was found for some time, but this was the end of the Beastmen Genocide, as the Korvians led the Beastmen to split the Orcs apart once more, breaking up the Grand Clan.Amukk by Jarhed
The God of Mercy
In the year -15, a Tribal Chief brought together multiple clans once more. He was unable to get every clan, as some believed his plight to be a fool's errand. Others, however, believed in this man. After all, he was an incredibly powerful, passionate, and just Orc warrior. A man by the name of Amukk. Amukk knew there was a vacancy among the Gods. He had heard tales of the Nameless God sitting on his empty throne, and sought to unseat him. So Amukk gathered an army of Orcs, even convincing some Korvians, Mammen, and Lizardfolk to join his cause. He was not called the Chief of All Clans. He was called the Chief of the Gods. For he would right the wrongs of Heaven and bring order to Totania. Justice. That was his promise to the people. This began what was called the War of Mercy, where Amukk charged into Heaven itself with the aid of his army and the Goddess Helle. He succeeded in defeating the Nameless God, but was unsure of whether he should truly take his place. So Amukk retreated back, suffering heavy losses. As a result, Humanity was brought to Totania.The United Holy Front
Amukk decided it was truly time to become a God. He brought not just his previous army, but even forces of Dwarves, Elves, Draconians, and Kamejin to help. Amukk ascended to Godhood and would become the God of Mercy, Beginnings, and Justice. He became the patron of The World Court, embracing their brand of justice. Many wonder if he truly endorses their actions, but no one has thought to ask. Because Amukk was the man who first truly brought the world under one ideal: justice.Mash by Carrey_adler_peart
The Divine Hero
There was a young Orc who struggled in this time. Amukk may have made many happy, but the Orc named Mash lost all of his loved ones in the War of Mercy. For this, he did not worship Amukk, nor did he worship Nergal. Instead, he followed Irkalla, Goddess of Loss and Grief, helping others get over their losses while also dealing with his own. He went to Nerodil during the year 20, where he joined up with other Priests and dealt with a threat that was not fully identified as of now. With this, he was called one of the Divine Heroes, alongside those like Amara, Dhurnas Blackmane, Velthen Saseth, Tankean Nimphonker, Ishii Daisuke, and Entropy. After that, Mash settled down, continuing his work as a grief counselor. He was happy to have helped contribute and prevent more loss from happening in the world, but his goals as a hero were less in combat, and more in helping people hail from the pain of the past.Monster
A woman was born in the Orc village of Urd Grabad, to Tribal Chief Gunn. Her name was Shatlita, but as she grew up, she began to be known by a different name. A name that was only said in whispers or screams: The Monster of Urd Grabad. Shatlita would do most of her fathers work for him, invading and pillaging villages, defeating rival clans, and keeping the people of Urd Grabad safe and happy. All but one.Gazzok the Butcher by Jarhed
The Butcher
Gazzok, however, had survived, and gained Deconstruction Magic. With it, he grew stronger and ultimately attacked Urd Grabad, driving Shatlita and her Half-Orc son, Shatt Gunn, out of Udai and killing Roref. Gazzok, after that, seemingly disappeared for a bit until teaming up with Salasar Feaphed, the 64th Grand Wizard of the Draconians, and killing some of the Korvian's Twenty Immortals. Salasar betrayed him and fled, but Gazzok then made a deal with Lord Cinder, a Fire Jinn Count in Ruzrugh, and Gazer, one of the Twenty Immortals. A deal to take care of Shatt Gunn once and for all.Marshal of the Revolution
Shatt Gunn would go on to bring a large amount of prominence to his own name, despite his mothers infamy. He would become a symbol of unity across Elone and Totania as a whole. Shatt Gunn was recruited by Salasar Feaphed to join the Magic College Class of 550. After he joined, he also became part of a scholarly group Salasar created called the Weave Initiative, dedicated to studying the source of magic itself.Shatt Gunn by genuinetrickster
Culture
Quick Glance Culture
Quick Glance Culture is a product of an Orcish philosopher whose name has been lost to time. It developed due to how often Orcs would die young, as they can supposedly live incredibly long lives, but rarely make it past the range of 40-50 years old. What Quick Glance Culture entails is that everything Orcs do can be done and understood in a quick glance. Be it eating, consuming media or literature, learning something, or falling in love. The only thing they savor is battle, as they know that it is what they are likely to die from, and that any fight could be their last. Therefore, they allow fights to last incredibly long so they can savor their potential final moments of life. Quick Glance Culture is believed to be slightly carried over from that of the nearby Korvians, whose natural lifespans extend at most into their twenties. Due to this, Korvians have a similar fast paced culture to Orcs.Shordi Sux by Jarhed
Art
Orcish art is normally not something with an inherently deep meaning. After all, it must adhere to Quick Glance Culture. Therefore, most Orcish art is fairly simple, images of battle or sports. Even their songs are often short and easily repeatable, to the point one could loop it for eternity and never know.Counter Culture
There was an Orcish counter culture movement after the Beastman Genocide, where many Orcs wished to go against the idea of Quick Glance Culture. This has lasted especially long in art, where there will be Orcish paintings that require thought to consume. Paintings of peaceful images where one can get a feeling beyond fear of the future. Songs with unique melodies and interesting messages. Something that goes beyond just a quick glance.Courtship
Orcs find love fairly fast compared to most other races. They wish to have a partner to love, to fight alongside and against, and to have children with. This way, they have more people to love and fight alongside and against. Orcish weddings are often bloody gatherings, as they will invite an enemy of the clan to the wedding. The newlyweds are then meant to duel the enemy and, if they win, bathe in the enemy's blood to consumate their marriage. Further consumation is done at the wedding as well, but if there is not at least one death, the wedding is considered a dull affair. Public displays of affection are not only embraced in Orcish culture, but are often expected. It is, to the Orcs, the best way to show others their love. Orcs have no shame, as they are willing to kill in front of others, so why should they not be able to do anything else in the public eye?Language
Orcish language is derivative of Elvish, as the two initially were the same language, once called Grehni after their God and Goddess, Nergal and Selene respectively. The two languages evolved separately and, now, Orcish seems almost like a mockery of Elvish. The letters of Orcish are drawn crudely, as Orcs do not take time to write their letters, instead rushing to get their thoughts down as fast as possible. Orcish language features similar words, but they are shortened in many ways and turned into slang. Elvish literary critic Imvis Valhana once said of the Orcish lanuage:Imvis by Jarhed
"They almost sound like they're trying to see how ridiculous they can make Elves sound. The answer is simple: very. Both languages are, in essence, equally ridiculous of course. I simply grew up on one side of the pond and they another. If I were green, perhaps I too would have simply wanted things to go by a little bit faster. Who can blame them?"
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