Appearance
Orcs are tall statured humanoid, whose skin comes in a variety of shades from red, to green, to mustard yellow. Their hair tends to be dark in color, with eyes in varying dark shades of red, brown, and green. Orcs tend to have tall, stout builds, their height typically ranging from 6-7 ft.
Biology
Orcs have similar genetic traces to humans, with ties to dwarves as well. They reproduce in mammalian fashion, with gestation taking half as long as Human gestation. Orcs mature faster than humans, reaching full adulthood by the age of 15, and living to an average of 50 years.
History
Orc history can be difficult to track. Orc tribes are known to have existed worldwide early in the
2nd Epoch, and
Innish tales of driving Orcs from their steppes are believed to trace back to the
1st Epoch. The largest communities of Orcs had existed in Innish lands. Upon the formations of the
Inniash Khaganate, the Orcs in this lands were driven westward out of the Innish Isthmus, fleeing to the
Elven Kingdom, where they fought viciously for decades to gain a foothold. As the Sorcerers rose to power in the 2nd Epoch, the Orcs could no longer contend with the Elves, and most fled south to
Darneshi lands, scattering across the continent of Waelonde. Some few, viciously stubborn Orcs remained at the border between the Khaganate and Elven Kingdom, causing tension between the countries as to who should deal with them. The scatterings of Orcs on Waelonde struggled to find a home, lacking the unity to form a true nation, and thus the strength to defend their homelands. This continued through the
3rd and
4th Epochs, where their volatile nature both thrived in, and perpetuated political chaos, preventing any lasting peace.
Finally, when the Shasarek Desert fell into anarchy, Orcs began to migrate there and try to make a new home. Initially, this failed as all they found was more bloodshed. Eventually, the Orcs (along with many other races within the Shasarek Desert) were united by Torglar the Conqueror, who founded the
Shasarek Shogunate. Since then, many Orcs have chosen to migrate and live within the Shogunate, and the rest have assimilated into other cultures. Many Orcs make their living in the
Mercenaries Guild these days, or seek their fortune in the high risk high rewards
Esperite mines.
