Orcs

Those of Clay

History

At the beginning of the realm existed a relative realm of peace, one which lacked the causation of war. It is said that at this time, that truly only the Elves walked the land, and thus they under populated area rarely saw such conflict take hold. This greatly troubled the Goddess Sterk, who presided over such functions. Without war, her domain was weak and withered, and thus the Goddess of War needed to expand her domain. Reaching down her hands while she stepped into the realm of Elf, the first on the plane, she began to wander, her footprints sinking into the mud with each step. The goddess was a practical one as the myth goes, and thus waited for her moment of opportunity. She soon found it with that of an elf, watching him from a distance. His moves were strong, yet full of grace as his race would dictate. As she watched and watched, she found that this Elf came to the same spot to train, and practice in the art of war.

The Elf's name was Anghus, a man built from strength. It was with that that Sterk appeared, challenging the man to a combat. He looked surprised to practice his quiet art and come upon the other, but happily accepted. The duel was said to last for a full day and night, blades clashing yet the two were neck and neck. The Goddess always had the upperhand, eventually severing the head of Anghus clear off and into the mud, his blood seeping into the very ground. From there, she drew up her hand, and with the powers imbued from Veneration went to craft the first of the or from the clay of Anghus. Since that day, the Orcs had resembled the Elves sparingly, and as the children of Sterk are adept in war.

Physical Description

Orcish anatomy differs from that of humans in that they possess greater stature, bone width, height and weight. Key differences in the skeletal structure between the two races can be seen primarily in the skull, limbs and rib cage, with Orcs possessing a narrower cranium and forward protruding jaw. Like humans, Orcs have 32 teeth but lack the flat-topped teeth of a human suited for an omnivorous diet. Much of the Orc's teeth are instead pointed that those of a canine. Most notable about an Orc's teeth are the two tusks that grow from the corners of an adult Orc's jaw. These tusks begin to grow in late childhood and will continue to grow and harden as the Orc ages. Tusks of considerable size are sometimes decorated with carvings, bored holes for jewelry, or painting. Great value among Orcs is placed upon one's tusks. Losing a tusk to an enemy is considered shameful, for instance, and the tusks of defeated foes will often be kept as trophies.

The skin of an Orc is arguably their most telling feature, with few other races, if any, sporting such a signature green pigment. The specific coloring of an Orc's skin is determined by its parents, for there is a variety of shades and hues among the greater population of Orcs. Some Orcs sport a more yellow-green color, for others, the green is dark and subtle, another tribe may instead sport a brown-green variant. Clan lines often divide Orcs by their colors, as given how an Orc's specific coloration is hereditary, it makes sense that families of a similar color would differentiate themselves from those who look different - even if the difference is marginal at best.

As mentioned above, Orcs are greater in stature than most humans, and with it are often of a far greater build. No one can truly ascertain why Orcs can excel to such great levels of strength, but their power does come with a price. If an Orc exercises daily and eats thrice the average intake of a human, it can successfully maintain its optimal physique. Falling below the required intake will cause the Orc to begin to lose its mass, thus growing weaker with every passing day. It is this reason alone that within Orcish society the warriors are fed before all others.

Other differences from humans are perhaps less visible or commonly thought of, but are important to remark all the same. Orcs, like elves, have pointed ears, though those of Orcs bend down and outward, whereas those of an elf typically incline up and alongside the head in a straightforward manner. An Orc's eyes come in a small variety of colors, though a bright yellow is perhaps the most common. Red, green, and brown are all equally common. An Orc's hair begins black at birth but can adopt a range of pigments as the Orc grows into adulthood. These range from brown to white, though some simply retain the initial dark color throughout their life. As an Orc enters its old age, its hair greys like most other races. Like humans, Orcs are susceptible to hair loss in their middle age, which is often seen as a sign of weakness among younger Orcs. Orcs head hair easily, though are known for having hair elsewhere, especially beards. This hair is slow growing, thick, and coarse.

• Common Height:
  • Male: 8' - 9'4"
  • Female: 7'4"" - 8'11"
• Common Build: Mesomorph, Endomorph
• Common Eyes: Yellow, Red, Brown, Black, Green
• Common Hair: Black, Brown, White, Grey
• Common Skin Tone: Green, Terracotta, Light Red, Grey, Brown

Culture

Orcish society is far more dynamic than the feudalistic structure followed by humans, elves and many other races. Like a feudal society bloodlines hold some significance, but the notion of a royal family is far vaguer. A certain clan may be renowned among all orcs for a specific feat or quality, but they are not regarded as greater based purely on this notion. Likewise, an orc is not feared or respected for having only been born to a powerful clan and must earn their own respect with personal feats of merit.

In an Orcish clan, there is a population to be controlled and administered by the chieftain. This population, depending on its size, would be spread throughout one or multiple settlements, the greatest of which would be the seat of the chieftain. Orcish settlements are most commonly nomadic, tents and similar structures that can be easily brought down and moved in times of war, alternatively Orcish hordes are known to crudely retrofit occupied settlements to suit their needs. Many ancient dwarven settlements have for a time been the homes to countless Orcish tribes. Chieftains often inherit their rank from their father, being passed it as the incumbent grows too old and frail to defend their position. Often there is disagreement regarding who should rule, and in these cases, a chieftain must defend their position in a fatal duel. A chieftain may appoint a champion to fight on their behalf, but the contesting orc must fight for themselves. Of course, there are cultural variations on this old tradition, but this is the general rule it follows.

Beyond the chieftain and his rivals, Orcish society employs a wide range of professions for all its people. Young males often hunt when not at war or work instead in the construction of defenses or other buildings. Female Orcs commonly take to foraging, weaving, or home professions, namely the raising of children. Unlike many human societies, female Orcs are encouraged to take up arms alongside the male Orcs of their clan in times of war, no capable fighter goes to waste. Elder Orcs adopt an entirely different realm of professions, often taking up positions as advisers, potters, or shaman.

An important aspect of many Orcish societies are the rites of passage that comes to a young Orc. When they are first able to fight, an Orc is given by their father (or in the absence of a father, an uncle or another paternal figure) a dagger of stone, with which they scar themselves once. Usually, this is done on the shoulder, chest, forehead or back of the hand. When an Orc enters their twilight years, should they live into old age, they renounce their strength and cross the scar from youth with the same blade. Though each generation earns a new stone dagger, given it would take far too long to wait for one's father to die of old age before being able to complete their rite, many clans keep the ancient stone daggers of their ancestors as mementos of the great Orcs who came before them.

On the topic of language, many other races often look at Orcish as a barbaric and simple tongue, a misconception based only in how the language sounds spoken by Orcs. As perhaps expected, the wide jaws and tall tusks of the Orc make words often difficult to understand. In reality, the Orcish language stems back to being one of the most ancient, alongside the Elven tongue. It is said that the Orcs stole their language from the Elves who they were always closely in conflict with.

With a race as diverse and wide spread as the Orcs, much of their culture is based on local custom, thus this page provides only a small look into the various and unlistable traditions that Orcs might follow. Of course, if an Orc has forsaken their culture and instead lives by the rules of humanity and its authority, they are no longer an Orc - culturally, that is.

Mechanics

• Lifespan: 135 years on average.
• Orcs have the potential to be stronger than any other race, though this is not to say that all Orcs are stronger than all humans, or any other race for that matter. Additionally, Orcs must abide by a strict regimen of exercise and hearty eating in order to remain strong.
• Orcs have a powerful immune system, open wounds having a far smaller risk of infection. Likewise, disease and plague have a less debilitating effect. This is not to say that an Orc cannot be killed by an ailment, but they are more likely to fight it off.
• Orcs are extremely adept in the ways of combat, their strength and size unmatched by the other races. This does not make them unbeatable, yet their natural affinity towards the art of war and combat are heightened.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier