Orcs and Half-Orcs

Orcs of the Badlands drove the Northern Humans (known as Syboreans) into The Shield which led them to inhabit Contra. They have warred with the Dwarves of The Shield for as long as either race has existed. Only once have the Orcs been able to penetrate The Shield with a large force. Led by Bloodtusk Raze of Grok’Bad, an Orc army rampaged across the only recently settled Contra. The Dwarves and Humans were eventually able to defeat Bloodtusk in battle and cripple the Orc invasion.
Some time after the Orcs were pushed out, a small number of Orcs who were left behind were discovered in a cave system north of Siar. These were Orcs who were too old or weak to escape with their kind, many being women and children. At first, Sians were poised to wipe them out entirely. However, before they could attack (though they were weak or old, they were still Orcs and not to be taken lightly) an Orc woman called Grona approached the commander and was able to negotiate a peace. In exchange for their lives, these Orcs would submit to Siar’s rule. Needles to say, The Dwarves were not happy about this. It was also a controversial decision to the Thorians. They saw it as Siar recklessly allowing an enemy force to inhabit Contra in exchange for a slave work force. This was a large factor in why The War began and continued for as long as it did.
Siar defended the Orc settlement, which adopted the name Greentown, out of desire for slaves rather than pity. These days there are very few pureblood Orcs left in Siar. Orcs never really cared who they bred with, if they were able to increase their population, and over time the Sians grew increasingly tolerant of Greentown. However, Sian law states that if anyone can prove you are the offspring of an Orc or Half-Orc, you are not allowed full citizenship. There are few Orc slaves left, but a large population of sub-citizen Half-Orcs. They are not allowed to own property or businesses. Socially, pureblood Orcs are entirely despised and often forbidden from socializing outside of their race even though it is technically legal. Half-Orcs are tolerated and depending on their Human heritage they are given some slack. The richer your Human side was the easier your life is, and it is possible to achieve a higher social status. If your Human half was from one of the poorer worker towns, it is nearly impossible to increase your status.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Half-Orcs and Orcs of Siar are considered second class. They have few rights and the current social structure is designed to keep it that way. This is a controversial issue among themselves. Many who live outside of Greentown have a vested interest in increasing their rights and breaking down the barriers that have been kept in place for so long. However those that live in Greentown have mostly resigned themselves to the current state of affairs. This has resulted in many Half-Orcs considering Greentown the real "end of the line." A wholly depressing place that is often looked upon with shame.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The majority of Half-Orcs reside in Siar, Greentown and Siun in particular. Half-Orcs living outside of these areas is rare and often difficult for those that do on account of the racial animosity harbored by others in the area. Pureblood Orcs are rarer still, and their life outside of Greentown is often more difficult than what they consider "worth it."

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Naming traditions among Half-Orcs is largely an individual's choice. Newborns are often left unnamed until they are old enough to decide if they want a traditional Orc name or one similar to Siar or Thor standards. Those that choose a traditional Orc name (like what you would find on fantasy name generator) often open themselves to additional discrimination but see it as a mark of pride and defiance. Those that adopt a Human naming tradition typically face slightly less discrimination from other species, but among their peers they are open to ridicule.

Major Organizations

Half-Orcs and Orcs in Contra have very little representation. They have small populations in both The Partisi and The Resistance.

RPG Datasheet

Rules As Written in 5e rulebooks.