What IS An Orc?
Orcs are one of the many mortal races that appeared after the Aether was released back into the world. A hardy and resilient race, they are known throughout the world for their incredible physical prowess and tenacity. As a baseline, most orcs possess a formidable constitution, granting them natural resistances to most common poisons, diseases, and even extreme heat, making them exceptionally difficult to kill. Their culture is almost universally martial. An orc is taught to fight from the moment they can walk, and their social standing is often tied directly to their combat ability. For a glimpse of their worst aspects, just look at their deity, Gruumsh.
A peculiar trait of the Orcish race is their general inability to connect with the arcane arts. The flow of magic seems to elude them, making Orc mages an almost unheard-of phenomenon. Those rare few who can touch magic are often viewed with a mixture of awe, suspicion, and fear by their kin.
Primary Features
- Lifespan - Between 150 and 200 years
- Language (Orcish) - Orcish is a guttural tongue with a complex system of harsh consonants, well suited to being shouted over the sounds of battle and bloodshed. Though it seems primitive, linguists will tell you that it is actually very sophisticated but structured more for efficiency over beauty.
- Primary Deities - Gruumsh, Maal, Bastille, Theron
Major Communities
- The Banthair War Tribe - The largest Orc tribe. It is located on the continent of Cuulth.
- The Gorthan Nomadic Tribe - The only prominent Orc tribe that exists on the continent of Avaloth. The tribe is highly violent and dangerously close to the border of the major human kingdom of Valora.
- Glatha Magak - The largest Falthaanian Orc metropolis. It is located in the southern lands of Falthaan.
Orc Subspecies
Common Orc
The quintessential Orc, the Common Orc is the face of the species in the eyes of most other races.
- Appearance - Common Orcs have skin tones ranging from a deep forest green to a paler olive. They are broad shouldered and powerfully built, with prominent lower tusks that jut from their jaws. Their features are often described as brutish or rugged, shaped by a life of conflict and hardship.
- Society - They mainly live in tribal societies led by the strongest and most cunning chieftain, who rules through sheer force of will and physical dominance. Their culture is simple and direct, valuing strength, honor in combat, and loyalty to the clan. Those who leave either do so as conquerors, scouts, or exiles. While their general intelligence may not be suited for complex strategy, they are masters of battlefield tactics and brutal efficiency. The only exception to their non-magical nature comes in the form of their shamans, who do not wield arcane magic but instead commune with ancestral spirits or elemental forces to guide and protect their tribe.
- Habitat - Found across nearly every continent, Common Orcs are adaptable but prefer temperate plains and foothills where their raiding parties can easily hunt and harry the borders of more established civilizations.
Blackblood Orc
Legends of the dark, the Blackblood Orcs are a terrifying and enigmatic offshoot of the Orcish race, molded by a sunless, subterranean world.
- Appearance - Their skin has a distinct purplish grey or deep violet hue, a stark contrast to the black blood that runs in their veins. Having adapted to a life in darkness, their eyes are often larger than a Common Orc’s, sometimes possessing a faint, pale luminescence. They are typically leaner and more sinewy than their green skinned cousins, built for agility and stealth in the tight confines of their cavernous homes.
- Society - Hailing from the deep caverns beneath the Black Wastes on the continent of Melodia’s Fall, Blackblood society is one of patient survivalists. They are less boisterous and more disciplined than Common Orcs, relying on ambush tactics and cunning rather than overwhelming force. Their poison and disease resistance is legendary, honed by generations of consuming strange subterranean fungi and battling venomous underground creatures. They are deeply suspicious of outsiders and revere the silence and darkness of their deep homes.
- Habitat - They thrive in the absolute darkness of underground networks. Their settlements are carved into massive caverns, often surrounding geothermal vents for warmth and bioluminescent flora for light.
Falthaanian Orc
The Falthaanian Orcs are a complete subversion of the Orc stereotype, proving that lineage does not always dictate destiny.
- Appearance - Native to the isolated continent of Falthaan, these Orcs have a yellowish, almost golden-ochre skin tone. Their features are notably less brutish than other Orcs, and their tusks are often smaller and more ornamental. They carry themselves with an upright posture that speaks to a sense of intellectual pride rather than just physical dominance.
- Society - Falthaanian society is the most sophisticated of all Orc kind. For reasons unknown, perhaps a unique environmental factor or a historical pact with a magical entity, a significant portion of their population is born with higher intelligence and an innate connection to the arcane. Magic is not a rarity here. Instead it is a respected discipline. They have built permanent cities of stone, established academies of war and magic, and possess a written language and recorded history larger than any of the other Orcs. While they still value martial prowess, a sharp mind or a powerful grasp of magic is considered just as valuable, if not more so, than a strong sword arm.
- Habitat - They are native to the temperate and magically rich lands of Falthaan. Their isolation has allowed their unique culture to develop without outside influence or prejudice. They view other Orcs as primitive, unenlightened cousins.
