Orcs

Orcs are a race of fierce warriors. Constantly raiding and invading each other and all neighbors, orcs live for the glory of war and the thrill of combat.

Abstract​

Orcs are physically intimidating to other races, and put a great deal of pride in being strong and resilient. Weak individuals are not accepted among the orcs, and through generations of selective breeding, they have turned themselves into a race that in many ways is physically superior to others. However, the centuries of focusing on brawn has left its mark on the intellectual capabilities of the race. Again, this doesn’t mean they are stupid, just limited in their abilities to learn things like complex Languages or complicated Magic spells.

Orcs are as intelligent as Humans but orcs find it hard to learn Magic unless they spend the time to learn the Magic as does a shaman.

Physical Appearance​

The adult orc's height varies by the gender or breed of the orc, standing between 5 – 7 feet tall, with a stooped posture. They are a great deal more muscular than Humans, with thick, gnarled and impenetrable bark like skin, which varies in colour between black, grey, brown and greens. Some orc have fur (more like patches of thin hair) located on their backs and arms and at times on top of the head. The color of the fur is almost always black or dark grey.

The orkish skull has a low forehead and a roundish shape. Their enormous jaws host impressive sets of canine teeth, with tusks protruding from each side of the lower mouth. Tusks appear when the orc reaches adult age. The size and number of protruding tusks depends on the orc's age and signals the orc's right to challenge for status within his/her group. Orkish eyes are small and deeply set and come in an even greater variety of colour than their skin. In fact, all the main colours have been observed, with varying frequency, except brown and blue, which are unheard of.

Culture and Society​

Orkish society is centered around the clans. The clans are embroiled in a never-ending series of wars and bloodfeuds, with alliances constantly being formed and broken. An orkish clan is never at peace with its neighbours for long, and it will eagerly raid and plunder nearby non-orkish settlements.

Clan structure is vaguely hierarchical, with large orcs bullying smaller orcs into obeying their commands. Status within the clan is directly linked to size, which increases in tandem with the individual's skill and power. The leader of the clan is usually the biggest and meanest orc of them all. At the very highest levels of the social structure, orcs are seen to have developed an extra tusk on each side of the lower jaw, bringing the total to four. The tusks can be used as used as weapons and for displays of leadership.

Orcs have traditionally made their communities in mountains. The most well-known orc societies were situated in the Khardran Mountains, although they have a presence in the Great Mountains as well alongside their Goblin and ogre counterparts. The events in Sherian dealt orckish society a severe blow as many of their kind were wiped out, however, there remain two key bastions of Orc Culture. First is the slumbering Khardran Empire based out of Khardra in the Khardran Mountains, while the other are the nascent Sherian Orcs that have recently gobbled up vast swathes of territory. These are the only known organized orc communities to the Imperium, as the orcs in the Great Mountains tend towards disorganized raiding bands.

Notable Skills and Traits​

Half-Orcs​

Orcs have been known to reproduce with Humans, and half-orc visually appear the same as normal orcs, but their more human personalities make them more socially tolerant.

Credit​

Credit goes to Hazbones for the original write-up